Naima B. Robert – Sincerity Episode 01 A Sister’s Ramadan Na’ima B. Robert

Bismillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah Salam Alaikum

Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh and Welcome to Season Two of a sisters

Ramadan. I'm your sister Nyima be Robert, and I'm honored that

you've joined me today. This show is all about answering one central

question. How can we as Muslim women use this Ramadan to grow and

heal from what has been an unprecedented year in our

collective experience? How can we as Muslim women renew and

replenish our Eman and our spirits, no matter what is going

on in the world around us. The purpose of this show is to share a

set of five skills that are essential for personal growth and

healing and how we can best practice them through the rituals

of Ramadan. Inshallah, this will offer you a perspective that will

be beneficial long after the month has passed. In today's show, we

will be looking at the power of showing up with a pure intention.

At this stage, it's always a moment of thanks Alhamdulillah

that we have reached another Ramadan, and Hamdulillah. Because

there are so many who are expected to be here and are no longer with

us. And if this life in general, and this year has taught us

anything, it is the importance of showing up. I've used the term

showing up. But what is showing up? Well, showing up is to be

present and mindful in your life as it is right now. It means

bringing your full self to whatever role you've been asked to

play. And there can be fewer times more important than showing up in

Ramadan. So my dear sister, what does showing up in Ramadan look

like? Well, it's about being intentional. It's about being

present. It's about being mindful. And if I'm honest, it's about

truly being grateful for the fact that we've reached this point,

that we have the ability to worship Allah in this special way,

and making the most of that opportunity and not letting any of

it slip through our fingers. So one of the things that we have

been taught in our deen that we are all well aware of, but it's

always worth reiterating, is the importance of intention.

throughout our day in Ramadan, those of you who are mothers, you

know what I'm talking about, we have our own responsibilities and

our own roles that we play, as well as the activator that we wish

to perform. And so, intention comes in, to be able to transform

everything that you do on a daily basis to an act of worship. The

Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Verily, deeds are

only by intentions, and virtually every person will have only what

they intended, whoever emigrated to get something in the world or

to marry a woman, then his emigration is for whatever he

emigrated for. And so I want to remind you, as you go through your

day, to make your intention for every act that you do, whether

it's a Bader in the strictest sense, or just taking care of your

responsibilities, I want to share with you a personal growth skill

that inshallah will help you to show up much, much stronger than

you ever have before in this Ramadan. And that is focusing on

what you have control over. Now, many of us may be aware that there

is such a thing as a circle of concern, and a circle of

influence. And I'd love to share with you the difference between

these two. The circle of concern is the things that you in general

are interested in you care about, you may even be passionate about,

but you have no personal involvement with and no power to

actually change. That's the circle of concern. The circle of

influence, on the other hand, is a bit tighter than that. The Circle

of Influence includes the people who love respect and trust you

that could be three people 30 or 3 million depending on who you are.

The skill I would like to share with you today my sister is

focusing your intention and your energy on your circle of

influence.

At no other time in our history, have we been reminded of Allah's

power and Allah's plan?

And if that is the case, and if it is true, that there are things

happening around us that we

You have no control over that there are tests that will come our

way that we cannot ward off there. My Reminder to you is this. Focus

on the things you can control. Focus on your circle of influence.

This Ramadan says, I want you to show up, show up for yourself,

show up for the people around you show up for those who you can

actually influence and bring good to on a daily basis. And my

challenge to you is to renew your intention daily, throughout the

day for everything. Don't let your deed slip through your fingers.

Because I know if you're anything like most sisters, I know, you all

showing up every day, you're here for your family, you're here for

the people around you. You're trying like we all are. Let that

trying be Hoja for you, let it be approved for you. Renew your

intention, make it purely for the sake of Allah, let it count for

your akhira

if you're able to do that in sha Allah, you will find that your day

becomes a day of bringing in the hair from every every corner of

your life. And that's really what I would like for you to fix your

mind on and make your intention to do that for the rest of Ramadan. I

hope you can do that for me.

Now, my dear sister, you may be wondering, well, how can I renew

my intention for everything? How can I keep showing up even when

everything is on me and I feel so many responsibilities. And I feel

like I'm just not doing a good enough job.

Well, you're not the only one. Because many, many, many sisters

feel inadequate in the roles that they play.

If I'm honest, we can be our own worst critics. We compare

ourselves to others, we try to measure up to an unrealistic

standard. And we end up making ourselves feel less than worthy.

Is that something that's ever occurred to you. And you may be

thinking, I'm not like this sister or that sister I don't have what

she has, I don't have the opportunities that she has, or the

skills or the capabilities. But this is my reminder to you,

wherever you are in your life right now. Or Lost Planet Allah

has chosen that place for you. And he has equipped you with the

skills and the talents and knowledge that you need to be able

to show up in that role. And this is regardless of your

circumstances. So my advice to you, my dear sister is do not

compare yourself to anyone else. You have a goal, and that is to

return to Allah subhanaw taala as the very best version of yourself

having invested in your Acura, that's your lane, stick to your

lane. What are your responsibilities in that lane?

What role do you play? What skills do you bring to your unique job

description, show up for that make intention to do whatever it is

that you've been asked by this life to do to the very best of

your ability with a pure intention to please Allah. There is so much

to be said for a person who is aware of their role aware of their

destination and brings their full self to whatever role it is that

they're playing. And I want that to be you. So stop comparing

yourself with others. Stop criticizing yourself and being

hard on yourself and take

take heart from the fact that if Allah has brought me to this, he

can bring me through this and make intention to do it in the very

best way for the sake of Allah. Just Zack allow Hayden for joining

me for this episode. If you benefited from anything I shared

today and hamdulillah please be sure to share the hair. Leave us a

comment and tell us your thoughts using hashtag sisters Ramadan. And

don't forget to tag Imam channel and myself name will be Robert

Subhana Allah humara Barnaby Hambrick eyeshadow en la ilaha

illa and we're stuck through Luca when a taboo like see you in the

next episode when we will be discussing the power of gratitude

and reframing our perspective