Sharing a thought with Cristiano

What was that? Like for you? That time in your life? Fear is probably the worst moments that I pass through my life since my my father die. You know,

when you have a kid that you expect that everything will be normal and when you have that

problem, it's it's hard, you know, as human being that I haven't been judge in a while, we had quite difficult moments, because we don't understand why happened to us.

Much like the millions around the world i to watch the recent interview of Piers Morgan with Cristiano Ronaldo. But what caught my attention more than anything else was where he depicted the pain that he and his partner endured when they lost their baby boy earlier this year.

Now, it was really a moving part of the interview, because this type of loss is perhaps the worst pain in the human experience. And during that segment of the interview, Christiana, who said, and I quote him, we don't understand why it happened to us, a statement that I personally empathize with, and appreciate why one would be left confused, I imagine that I too, would be

or would have reacted in the exact same way had it not been for certain coping mechanisms in my life, that for what it's worth, may be worth sharing, particularly because I do know that crystianna has an amazing relationship with certain Muslim friends whom he holds in high regard, and who hold him in a similarly high regard. So I offer a few words of encouragement and reflection in the hope that they may arrive at his doorstep and proved to be of some value as an elite footballer, you know, more than anyone else, Christiana, that when one is driven by purpose. He's given strength, clarity, and an ability to manage all of the ups and downs of a professional career. And you've

demonstrated that

the world knows how you've endured immense hardship to keep yourself at the top of your game, whether it's your your early mornings, whether it's your strict diet, whether it's your intense training regime, day in, day out for years on end. And if I was to guess what it was, that gave you the strength to do this, I would guess that it was a clear sense of purpose in your life, whether it's legacy or whether it's the desire to be the best player to ever play the game or anything else. I'm guessing that it is this clear purpose that you've defined for yourself, that helps you find answers and justifications for every type of pain that came your way. You've demonstrated

professionally how confusion and hardship can be flushed out, when there is a higher purpose in a person's life. And I mentioned this Christiana, because life as a whole can be seen through the exact same filter, that when there is a grand religious purpose, in a person's life, there is relief, there is coping there is hope there is positivity. There are answers for whatever life may throw up person. And I'm sure that you're quite familiar with this lamps position on life's ultimate purpose, one which rises way above eating, drinking and reproducing and play. It tells the world that life is at its core, a test, an examination, and exams by their nature are tough life's

problems are by designed intended to be this way. Comfort is distracting, and adversity. Hardship brings out focus and brings out the best in people. Just as poverty can bring focus on wealth and illness can bring focus on a better healthy lifestyle. The hardships of life can also create a focus of attention to what matters the most, the life to come.

Not long from now we will all start one by one crossing over into another life. For those who had prepared for this crossing over and ask the right questions. That new destination will be one free from pain, no death, no poverty, no illness or hatred, no farewells, no separation from loved ones.

And people who search for these qualities in this life will be disappointed and let down again and again.

Whereas those who realize that paradise and rest they are not at this station of the train journey that the next one after death, they cope so well. And all confusion disappears.

So for example, if a person was to lose his life savings say he can cope because purpose carries him

Purpose helps him realize that God is wise. He knows what benefits us. And that real money real wealth is at the next station, not this one. That station is paradise. If one loses health, for example, again, a person can cope, because purpose reminds this individual that God is the owner, he gives what he wants, takes back what he wants. And that real health real vitality is not at this station. It's at the next one, in paradise. If a person was to lose, say, a loved one, as was in your situation, again, this person can manage, despite the tears despite the grief, because purpose carries him. It reminds him that life it's, it's a temporary separation at this station, if you will

moments from now when he'll be reunited with the loved one, the next station in paradise. So So purpose gives answers, purpose gives relief. Purpose gives clarity, purpose gives strength and motivation.

And I would also say that both you and I, Christiana would perhaps agree that life is a mercy. Muslims would also say, however, that not only is life and mercy, but in many instances, so is death. Even in a difficult circumstance of when a God takes back a person's child to himself, there can be mercy that is seen between the lines of mercy for parents, because they don't know what type of challenges perhaps are awaiting them with this child. For whatever reason,

they're more importantly, it's a mercy for the child himself herself, because they are transferred from the care of their parents, to the care of someone who is far more kind and far more generous and far more loving than any parent could be to that child. That's that companion is God. And Islam gives good news to the parents. And it says that such a child whom you've lost, his streak is taken straight to Paradise, without the need of being held accountable on the day of judgment, because that child never became an adult who committed sins. And so they're taken straight into paradise without any hassle.

So perhaps you will agree with me, Christiana, that any suffering in this short life, if it ends up taking a person to Paradise, and in reality, it's not a curse, it's a blessing, and a mercy if it leads to that destination.

You see, part of the pain of losing a child I imagined, is the feeling of losing the future, you as a parent perhaps hoped for the years to come. And how you will enjoy your children or your child, to see them growing, to teach them skills to take pride in, in what they'll accomplish. It's like living another life, yourself. You want to give them everything you didn't have, especially for someone like yourself Christiana, who, as you once mentioned, grew up without much that sometimes you hang around the local McDonald's, were that good lady Edna, and others would give you those free burgers at closing time.

So no doubt that these experiences shaped you. And it made you want to provide everything for your son, things that you didn't have growing up, and in the hope that perhaps he would also one day become a celebrated personality like yourself. But then death arrives.

And it just eliminates all of these hopes, finished just like that

the future you dreamed of for them? Just disappears? And that that is a hard realization. But the question is this, what is the future?

Is the future just the short period of 6070 years worth of life today? Or is the real future something that continues forever in paradise, where believing families are brought together again, and where the host is none other than God himself the most generous, so in the Islamic sense, the the future of your son hasn't been eliminated. In fact, it's barely started.

And with that kind of understanding, a person can realize that all of a sudden, the game is far from over. It's not even half time, your son is just sitting on the bench waiting for you. And all you need to do is make sure that the game ends well. And in our language as Muslims that would be for a person's life to end when it does, with belief in one God, and belief in the prophets, all of them, Moses and Jesus and Muhammad and the rest of them, then the celebration at full time will be eternal. In sha Allah. That's the future that I as a Muslim want to secure for myself and for my children. And it's, it's the idea of future that I hope, perhaps may appeal to you as well.

Now, look, to be honest, I haven't lost a child

hamdulillah

so I can't pretend to know how you feel.

But one person who did experience your pain was the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

In fact, he buried six of his seven children.

And one of them was a child whom he named Ibrahim are an English Abraham.

And just before they buried this child, the prophet carried him in his arms, and he kissed him. And He sniffed him as parents do. And he cried. And then he said, The eyes are shedding tears, and the heart is grieved. And we will only say what pleases our Lord. Oh, Ibrahim, we are aggrieved by your departure.

So in that respect, Christiana, you've got something in common with Prophet Mohammed, something that many Muslims don't have,

which is that you felt something that he also felt you experience, something he experienced, and He is God's favorite human being to ever walk the Earth as we believe. Yet despite that, he chose to test him in this difficult way by taking away his children. So rather than seeing it as a punishment, perhaps what you are experiencing is part of a bigger plan that God has for you, for you to draw nearer to him, to encourage you to explore questions that you may have not otherwise explored, and to bring you and your family I hope to places spiritual places which you may not have otherwise arrived at the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said that, when a person's child dies,

God, Allah says to His angels, you've taken away the child of my servant, and they say, yes. Then God says, You've taken away the apple of his eye, his happiness, they say, yes. Then God says, What did my servant say? And the angels, they say, he praised you. And then he said, We belong to God, and we shall all return to him anyway. So God says to the angels, build for him a palace in Paradise and call it the house of praise.

So no tragedy can slow you down. No calamity can break. You know, trauma will ever confuse you when when your eyes are fixed on that final destination.

Now, I've said a lot you've been patient. And so really, if I wanted to summarize the short message to you, Christiana, I would just say that life suffering becomes unbearable. When one of two things happen. Number one, when we have a wrong perception of who God is. And number two, when we can't find meaning to suffering, only then do tragedies become unbearable, and a problem to a person's face. So the first point was to misunderstand who God is, when a person thinks that God is just about love. He's just loved. That's the only attribute he has. Of course, a person cannot make sense of loss and suffering, like you won't find any rhyme and adjust this in pain. Islam, however, says

something different. Islam says that God is a God of love and mercy, yes, but he's also a God of knowledge, and wisdom, and authority over his creation. And he does with his creation, what He wills and sometimes we may not understand this wisdom, He's God. That's point number one when we misunderstand who God is. And number two, when we're unable to attach, meaning to suffering. Why? Because you see, when one's life is defined by a higher purpose, and you realize that life today is a temporary stop off in a much longer journey, a stop off where we're going to be put through a short examination, to then continue that journey to the hereafter when now, when a person has that

higher meaning attached to blessings and sufferings of life, nothing can confuse him anymore.

Nothing can knock him off. It's all part of a much bigger picture and a longer journey.

Now, of course, you don't need me to tell you how much of an inspiration you've been to countless people on the pitch. And I sincerely hope with all my heart, and I believe as well that your inspiration of the pitch will one day be even greater and even more meaningful as you demonstrate to people through your reach and through your influence, and through your fine behavior the way to God and the way to Paradise. And my hope is that the world will realize through you what it means to live a truly accomplished life. And that is a life that is dedicated for the preparation for the afterlife.

May God be with you. Christiane al may he inspire you? With wisdom?

May He give you and your family what is best