Indeed, My Lord is Subtle – Qur’anic Healing Episode 2

Part of our nightly keeping connected with the Quran program and for some Subhanallah this this program which allows us to look at the Quran as a Shiva and it is a sci fi source of healing in so many different ways really is so needed, right? Why there's so much going on and particularly when there's so much going on, it's harder for us to sense the presence of Allah subhana wa Tada the knowledge of Allah subhanaw taala the all encompassing wisdom of Allah subhanaw taala and that's part of the good part of the struggle that we have is to actually see through those circumstances and connect with Allah subhanaw taala at a deeper level knowing that Allah is always in control Yet

Allah subhanaw taala is ever so subtle as these things play out in our lives and inshallah tide that's going to be what we're going to talk about tonight is this concept of Allah's love his, his being subtle, in the midst of all of the circumstances, yet never losing control, never losing power and us finding great strength in connecting with Allah subhanaw taala who is always in control and always watching over us, even if at times, we may be distracted by our circumstances and distracted by the conditions that are all around us. So we're blessed and humbled to have with us, Sister Sato, so upon him the dinar, who of course, is a regular, she's a fellow at European and also a co author

of the trauma series 100 of that along with Sister Najwa, who we had last week and has really done a lot have did a lot to help us contextualize faith through the lens of mental health and our emotional health. And I'm very excited to speak about this subject in particular inshallah Tada of Allah being a Latif and the implications of that inshallah time so we want to welcome Sister Saba Inshallah, and the floor is all yours.

To Zakon low height on this one, I will slaughter Sanada Sula, Juana, and he was like a human Willa. And my bad said, I want to grab flavor to get to everybody, I just like malachite and for joining in, and hamdullah This is one of my all time favorite names of LS PAC data. And I'm gonna go a little bit into why that is. But you know, when we're talking about this name, I want to just set up a context of it through the lens of mental health and spiritual health and how they are so deeply intertwined, right, where when we think about the impact, you know, these days, we're seeing so much of what's going on. And a lot of it is traumatic for a lot of people, particularly our brothers and

sisters in the black community. But even for those outside of the black community and seeing in seeing everything that is happening, that has happened for a lot of people, our eyes are just now opening. And that can be, you know, a hugely

traumatic experience and being able to see that and see what everybody has experienced in their history SubhanAllah. And so when we're looking at it from that lens, and when we're looking at things from the lens of trauma, one thing we have to realize is trauma is not just a an experience that impacts our mental and emotional health. But it's something that it's something that can really impact our spiritual health as well. And so when we have experience in the focus, and in what I wanted to cover today, is the experience of betrayal, the experience of disappointment, the experience of feeling pain, at the hands of somebody else, that in and of itself is what's called in

the disruption of an attachment bond, right? So when we are really close to somebody, when we have that sense of trust in somebody, and we have been betrayed by them, that can be a huge disruption in our lives. But it can also impact us from a spiritual standpoint and can impact our trust in everybody, including illest paradata. And so when we go through difficult situations, sometimes we think to ourselves, you know, I've done everything right. I don't deserve this, my life is still falling apart, I feel betrayed. And that sense of betrayal can be over generalized to even encompass a lost parent Donna, right, which is a very, very difficult experience for for us as as Muslimeen

when we're trying to build that bond with Allah's past data. And what this then creates is this tendency, this overgeneralization, where one single event or several different events, can then paint a picture of our lives where we then expect the negative thing and the painful thing to happen over and over and over again. And what we do when that happens is we start to look for evidence that this is

being proven true. And when we look for evidence of tragedy, when we look for evidence of disappointment, negativity, pain, hurt, betrayal, disappointment, we will find it. Right because life is in and of itself a test and life is in and of itself imperfect. And then when we do that, the next step that sometimes can happen is we generalize that to Allah span data. And so that's what when we're thinking about the Quran as a source of shifa as a source of healing, when we're when we're trying to use to really use the Quran in that way for us, then, you know, looking at some of these a at where Ellis pancetta describes himself as a Lateef can be very, very transformational. So

one of the most difficult things that comes with with trauma, and the difficult experiences that we see in our lives, but then also the difficult experiences that we see in the lives of others, is that it can sometimes push us away from the ultimate source of comfort and support. When we have experienced difficulties, we tend to feel frozen, we tend to feel panicked, anxious, isolated on edge, right. And so in order to start to heal from this, our experiences and our realities need to be rooted in feelings of safety, feeling understood, having our needs met and feeling a sense of belonging. And when we feel this, when trauma then impacts our relationship with Allah subhanaw

taala, that exact antidote to trauma, right, that feeling of safety can be found with Allah subhanaw taala. And then it feels inaccessible to us. And that can be very, very difficult Subhan Allah and so in looking at this through the lens of healing through the lens of Allah Subhana Allah providing us with refuge and safety, that can then help us to rebuild our trust and Allah. And so as we're talking about the Quran as a, as a source of healing, and regaining our connection and trust with ALLAH SubhanA data, one question that I think is really important to consider is, who in your life do you really trust, right, like, if I were to ask you to imagine a person that you trust very

deeply,

think about what it is that this person offers you. Right, you know, think about the qualities that they have, think about your relationship with them, very likely, this is a person that you know very well. This is a person who knows you very well, who understands you, they're there for you when you need them. And you likely have multiple experiences with them that show you that they are worthy of your trust.

If we are to translate this feeling of trust, toward Allah Subhana Allah and Allah subhana, Allah, as example is beyond comparison, it's the highest example.

If we were to translate this to our relationship with Allah subhana data, one of the questions that I think is really important to ask is, how can we trust someone that we don't know. And so getting to know us past data, is one of the most profound steps that we can take toward trusting him and toward and toward healing, healing from any negative experiences that we may have had, right? Because trusting in Allah subhana, Allah solidifies our knowledge, you know, we all have this kind of the rational side where, you know, we've read the aid, we've, you know, we know certain things about Allah Subhana Allah, that He's different from people, that he is someone who is all powerful,

who knows us the best, who provides us with the provides for us in the best way. But to get to that, from an emotional angle, to access that, that intellectual knowledge from an emotional angle, really, it takes some work, it takes really getting to know Allah's past data. And I think one of the most powerful ways that we can do that is through his beautiful names and attributes. And so, in when we're talking about that, like the name that I wanted to focus on was a loyalty just because it's one of my personal favorites to tell you the truth. But it's, it's just a really beautiful name and a lucky if means, the one who is kind gracious understanding but also with just very, very

subtle, the one who has a regard for the subtle details of individual circumstances, that Allah Subhana Allah is the one who's aware of not just the external affairs like what's obvious, but also our hidden internal affairs. Allah Subhana Allah knows what's in

Your heart and what's in your mind. He knows exactly what you're going through. He is aware of all of our secrets, despite us hiding it from everybody else. He knows everything about us every circumstance that that you've been in every circumstance that has led you to this point in your life, every past experience that has impacted you, every past thought, every desire, every struggle, every facet of your being that you try to hide from other people, but it's not hidden from us past data, and others, pancetta sees all of this. And he is the hidden presence that takes care of us every step of the way. We're in sort of cinnamon, calloused hands that says, la isla moment Holika

will mercyful Javier, that how could he not know his own creation? Because He alone is the most subtle, the all aware, right? That Allah Subhana Allah knows us best. And when we talked about the idea of the person that you trust the most, is probably somebody who knows you really well. Right? Somebody who you have been able to feel vulnerable enough with so that they could get to know you on a really deep level and Allah's path that is reminding us here in this area, that he knows us best, how could he not know us when he's the one who created us. And then he also in, in the Quran, in using the this concept of lot, right kindness and subtlety. Allah Subhana Allah says, Allah is ever

kind to his servants, and he provides abundantly to whoever He wills, and he is the all powerful the Almighty, He links, this kindness this lot with risk with provision, right, where Allah has packed all those provisions, like what he gives us, what he provides for us, will come from places that we could never fully expect, and we might not even know that they're coming from, there are some things that happen in our lives that are so subtle, that we don't even know that Allah Subhana Allah is taking care of them. Subhanallah and this is part of his blessings, right? There are the blessings that we can easily identify, right, you know, our, our families, our the the money that we're able

to gain through our work, the food in our fridge, all of these different things, right? These are all of the very evident blessings that we have. But then there are a lot of really subtle blessings that we don't always identify. And that's where we really see this beautiful name of Allah subhanaw taala on Latif, that he's the one whose mercy reaches us in ways that we don't understand that he blesses us in ways that we don't even know he takes care of our affairs when we don't even realize that they're being taken care of. And so, you know, one of the ways that I always think about this name manifesting is when you're going through a difficult time, and you randomly, you know, get a

text message from a friend, where this friend tells you, Oh, do you remember that time when we did this, and this, or I was just randomly thinking of you and wanted to check in, or whatever, you know, whatever that text message says, or when you open the Quran, and all of a sudden, like, the first thing that you see is an idea that just really resonates with you in a way that it had never resonated before. Right? This isn't simply your friend reaching out to comfort you, this is a less pass out ascending that friend, getting that friend through his hidden guidance through his hidden hand. Right. To, to then send you the text that you needed to be uplifted. Right, and that's a

motif. Right that from Allah's pathauto is mercy, and from his blessings, he gives us what we need in ways we don't even realize we needed them. Subhanallah and so and one of the other things that I think is a very, very profound,

a very profound manifestation of this name. And I think we're actually seeing it a lot with all of the changes that are happening in our, in our society right now within the Muslim community outside of the Muslim community. Alhamdulillah is that he gives us what we need, in ways that we're not necessarily asking for, right, and it's through this incredible wisdom, right, that Allah's path that it gives us what we need, even when it's not necessarily what we had asked for in the way that we asked for because we can't always identify what we truly need. We can always identify what society as a whole truly needs. Right and so unless pat that provides it in the most magnificent,

wise and beautiful of ways Subhanallah and so I'm even when we see it through our own personal challenges, right, like through our own personal lives. A lot of times we're in a position and this is where I think a lot of a lot of our trust in Allah subhanaw taala sometimes gets shaken is sometimes people say you know, I've been making diets almost pancetta for something

Whether it's a child or to get married, or whatever it is, and it still hasn't been fulfilled, right? And knowing this name of illustrata as a Lateef, that He gives us what we need, even when it's not what we want. It helps us to see things through a different lens, right? When we're feeling that sense of hopelessness, realizing that we're seeing one pixel of our lives while others have that eye sees the big picture he sees everything and that we might not see the way that things are working out. But alas, Hatha is positioning us is just positioning society is positioning the world for what we need most. Right? That were illustrations that are in another area where he uses this

beautiful name he says no vision can encompass him but he encompasses all vision for he is the most subtle the all aware Subhan Allah and so just knowing that sometimes almost Pattana is sending us the things that we need in forms that we might not necessarily have imagined or anticipated or sometimes even wanted, but this is what we need somehow

continue please.

No problem I was I want see if you want to interject

sorry. Yeah, I Subhanallah I was I was listening to this, this part here and you use loyalty from Hobby, lobby fun hobby, it actually often go together because

I ever subtle, yet all aware, a hobby. Usually when it's used in the Quran, it refers to Allah's awareness of things that are inaccessible to everyone else. So Allah is kabhi, Allah is all aware, well aware of the deepest secrets that you have in your heart. And so even when there is so much that is being shown on the outside, the true secrets, the things that are that are buried in the deepest cavities of the heart, Allah sees all of that Allah sees what you are concealing. And so so humbled by the fact that locally is used with a hobby is actually very profound. Because when it comes to Allah's book, you're seeing so much, you're you're the observer, Allah is the observer, in

Cubby, but you're the observer when you're talking about Allah's love. Even though what it means is that Allah subhanaw taala is constantly observing you even when you cannot observe him with your sight. And so you see so much. But it is all encompassed what you see and what you don't see, by Allah subhanaw taala Latif SubhanAllah. So just thinking about the way that you framed it, which I think is very profound, that those two go together. And last week, we were talking about blessings, Shaka with SR Najwa. And this idea of blessings, that Curonian commercial, truly without the Quran, and this idea of blessings, you know, that's the way that you connect deeply with a lost contact,

because you see your blessings, you see your blessings, and so when you see your blessings, and then you properly attribute them to Allah subhanaw taala, then you perceive a lot at a deeper level. And that allows you to magnify Allah subhanaw taala through trials, whereas, you know, Shavon seeks to magnify your trial so much that you can't perceive Allah subhanaw taala anymore. So this idea of like perception, perceiving Allah subhanaw taala and inherently being connected to Allah subhanaw taala perceiving everything and seeing everything throughout that entire time.

That how Allah that's such a wonderful reminder. Does that come up later on? Yeah, you know, and so in all, I think it's an is it in all of these at that it's a beautiful hobby, right? They're always intertwined SubhanAllah. And that's absolutely amazing. I think, when you're looking at, I'm thinking about the story of Yusuf Ali salaam, right where, where this is where I this has manifested so beautifully, right? Where Yusuf is, is going through all of these different trials. But he's constantly perceiving the hand of alleged prasada getting him through it and knowing that Allah has passed that has also uncovered that he's all aware of what he's going through. But he's granting him

that subtle kindness throughout the process of Hama. Like as he's betrayed by his brothers who intended to kill him, his employer who tries to seduce him towards sin he's wrongfully accused is put in jail to Pamela all of these different things. And then throughout all of this, he's perceiving Ellis Pattana as a Latif where he realizes okay unless path that is protecting me by DOD helping me dodge all of this this physical and spiritual harm when his brothers are planning to kill him on this path that uh, you know, how there's a suggestion that he's placed in the well instead, and when he's accused of rape, then there's physical evidence that's brought to the contrary. And

when there's like he's constantly bombarded with temptation. illustrata positions him in jail away from them.

Got to protect him spiritually. And so even though when we're looking at it from the outside, we see all of these steps. And we're thinking he's moving backward because, you know, he's he's falling, he's getting betrayed left and right, and now he's in prison Subhanallah and it looks like his life is falling apart. But if he had missed any of these steps, then he wouldn't have been positioned to be who Allah's passata wanted or Dustin Tim to be. Right Subhanallah and so that I think that that story just is is such a

manifestation of this beautiful, beautiful name of allah Santana and, and use of ITSM even says, you know that Allah Subhana Allah is multifilament yet right that that after he has been through all of this, he says that Allah pancetta was certainly good to me. And he's he is subtle in what He wills, and he is the knowing and, and the y's so harmless, it's like, go ahead. No, sorry, I was just gonna say it's profound how he's actually saying that to his father saying that like to comfort like I knew this whole time that Eliza was with me, I knew that this could be planned in ways that I had absolutely no control. But I was pleased with that, even in the depths of my misery and my struggle,

like he was he's conveying that Subhanallah also as a means of, of not just conviction, but as a means of comfort. And oftentimes, by me, you know, what I've noticed and seeing peeking, it's so often the person that's in pain, has received some sort of divine gift of comfort and tranquility, to where they're comforting the people around them witnessing the pain. It's incredible. You see someone in a hospital bed, that's been through an enormous tragedy, and they're the ones comforting the people around them, as if it's some divine, you know, gift that's been given to them of understanding and comfort and clarity in the midst of that trial. And so with the use of Eisner

every time I read him saying that, like Subhanallah, if there is anyone that would be jaded and bitter, it would be him. But he's not jaded and bitter to the contrary, he is tranquil and comforting, you know, the, to the to the people around him as well. Subhanallah SubhanAllah? Well, absolutely. And, you know, as you're saying that what comes to mind is this idea that sometimes when we're at our lowest points, right, and we realize that we can survive them, then you kind of I think you kind of let go, and that's when trust and all those paths out are really kind of manifests itself, right? That all the things that I feared would happen, my worst fears came to pass, and I'm

still here, and I'm still surviving, and I'm still inshallah going to be able to potentially be thriving. Right. And, and

it, I think it comes down to at that point and be like, Okay, well, this idea of trusting and almost pass out a despite not understanding the wisdom of his decrees about trusting a list of that one alleged path that directs our affairs, were going to end up in the best position, even if we can't grasp how he's taken care of it. Subhanallah and then, from that position, being able to provide that comfort to other people. It's amazing, that's that's post traumatic growth. You know, like, we've talked about that in our, in our trauma series before that, that sometimes when people go through really, really deep and difficult tragedies, they come out of them not just bouncing back to

their to the way they were before. But they bounce back to a position in life where they're actually thriving. Subhanallah and, you know, so as you're saying that about providing comfort, that's what that's what comes to mind to power loss.

So, hello, I think there's also you know, there's a trend with the names of Allah subhanaw taala and you know, we're developing that concept you know, Dr. thought why Dr. DE Nani Yusuf actually just wrote the paper on on headin Sharma Chanel. He's been working on this as well, this idea of Allah's names and attributes and one thing that's consistent is that the names of Allah subhanaw taala, demonstrate Allah has powerful presence, and sometimes our inability to sense that presence. And then Allah Subhana Allah has mercy in that presence to us. And sometimes there's there is so much to be said about how a person

you know, when you look at the Hadith of the Prophet sighs I'm a southerner and the segmental ruler, patience is at the first strike, how a person finds strength that they never would have imagined they would have been able to find in the midst of something hard. And it's like, they don't even know where did that come from. So it's like there's the post traumatic

growth that you're speaking about. And then in the midst of it, sometimes you see people that really demonstrate something that they didn't know was inside of them. And I think that's also part of the subtlety. Right? Well

It provides to us in the midst of all of these things. It's apparent that just like luck, right, you know, like I think a lot of times when we think about the the provision of illustrations that I like, notice that he sends us we think about tangibles, right, we think about material things that we can see that we can feel that we can count. But, but one of some of the most profound provisions that allow us paths that ascends to us are, are not tangible, right, the strength that we need in order to bear the trials, that we go through the qualities that tend to come up that we didn't even know we had, because we didn't need them, until the trials came to pass the Panama. And so it's also

a part of, you know, Allah's pass out a tie in his lot to his risk, right, like his kindness and his gentleness and subtlety to His provision that he provides for us, when we in ways that we don't even know existed. And in ways we didn't even know that we needed SubhanAllah. And it actually, there's an area about illustrations that are being Latif and this is one of my favorites where Allah Subhana Allah says, Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and then the earth becomes green? And surely Allah is a multi celled habia that he is the most subtle of all aware. And when I, like heard this verse, I was thinking, you know, Subhan, Allah, all of the things like when we see

grass for, for example, right, all of the things that are needed for those plants to shoot up out of the soil that are happening underneath the surface, we have no idea, the intricacies that we don't see. And unless has that as taking care of that underneath the ground in the subtlest of ways. And, and so I was thinking about how that applies to us during our difficulties, recognizing that we're being guided and provided for by a Latif and that he's taking us somewhere that there's goodness in every step, whether we can see it or not. And that, you know, maybe a less passata through these struggles is positioning us to bloom, just like the causes all of these different, you know, the

earth to become green, when he says rain, you know, we think of rain as like a downpour of that, you know, we could be the struggle Subhanallah and so could what I'm dealing with in this downpour of rain, could that be what I need to grow, and what's happening beneath the surface that I might not be able to see or understand. That may be how a less passata is giving me what I need in order to blossom to panelists. So just that was that's one of my favorite ads, especially with with with this particular name. I'm learning about a Kiki, I want to just I think one more comment and then ask you out of this, you know that a lot of times when people come out of trauma, they want to see the

wisdom of that trauma right away. They want to understand why and sometimes you're able to tell them as an imam or as a caregiver in some capacity. Look one day, it'll make sense to you. And you even start to portray possibilities, right? Maybe this happened so that this can happen. Maybe this happened so that this can happen. What happens though, you know, and I'm asking you as from a mental health perspective to what if a person cannot derive even in hypotheticals? How this could actually be good for them? Right, a scenario in which they grow out of this? How do we, you know, speak to people in a pastoral sense in a way that's caring and in a way that helps them grow? And how do

people grow on their own, you know, when I'm not able to, obviously, from an Islamic perspective, the aka is rectifying the hereafter is ever rectifying. Right. So if that one day is not here, then the ultimate day awaits, and everything is restored, and you know, putting our trust in Allah subhanaw taala. And then the ever rectifying Day of Resurrection in that sense,

you know, helps us grieve and get through these things, but how do you help someone that, you know, you can paint every scenario for them, and they just don't see it working out, and it's not satisfactory to them. And when they try to paint their own scenarios, look, even if I got this and even in your best case, alternative scenario, I'm still miserable, I still would not have wanted this to happen. I wish this did not happen to me.

Yeah, that's such a good question. And, you know, I think that

whenever somebody is going, has gone through a trauma, there's always some sort of loss, even if it's not through the death of somebody, it's it. Trauma creates the death of life as you knew it. And you're creating, you have to now create a new normal for yourself. And through any type of loss, there's going to be grieving and grieving naturally, you know, necessitates that. You don't like what is happening, right and a struggle even from an Islamic perspective, it wouldn't be a struggle if you were happy with it, you know, so and so.

So for people to realize that number one, it's okay to grieve, it's okay to feel these emotions, right? That that's to be anticipated. And then that that bright side the silver lining, for some people, it, it may come right away, which is very impressive, mashallah, for other people, it might take longer. And for other people, it never, it never comes about because, you know, it's so hard to imagine how your life after trauma could possibly be better than your life before it. And that is normal. And I think validating that is really important. And sometimes when people hear it, and realize, okay, it's okay for me to feel it. They don't need to fight against it anymore. And when

you accept the reality, right, when you accept the reality that this is your new reality, right, your new stage in life, and you accept that these feelings, you know, I always talk about, name it to tame it, you name the team, the feeling, and it tones it down a little bit. And when you don't feel so badly about it, you're not fighting against it anymore. And sometimes it naturally starts to dissipate, when you can sit with that discomfort, it naturally starts to dissipate. And then there's more space, in your life, in your mind, in your heart for other types of thoughts, and trauma. Okay, so I think name it to tame it is the German Shala that we have here. And I think you know, from from

my perspective, always, what I recognize is that sometimes trying to rationalize the better alternative actually compounds the hurt. And it's, you know, you don't need to rationalize the better alternative, you just need to know that Allah knows best and that Allah knows better. And that's where you find your comfort, and not necessarily that you've been able to extrapolate from this incident, how my reality is going to be better, but that Hamza de la liquidly, Han, and hamdulillah and all things and good and bad, and in hardship and an ease and I'm sure that Allah has a better plan for me. And so whether that comes to fruition only in the hereafter if I'm patient, or

it comes to fruition in this life, as well, there was a woman hatred, I said, that there is some some sustenance or something, some growth that comes out of this in this life then and hamdulillah so I think this is a profound way of I think, connecting with the name a lot leaf and I want to thank you for really, you know, giving us that, that connector that can help us connect more to that name and show what's on and hopefully find that presence in our own lives and Shala Is there anything else any final thought that you'd like to give more on how the ladders are gonna love it, it's been a privilege to talk about this, the only thing that I was thinking of when you were

speaking just now about this idea of not having to rationalize away the feelings and just realizing Okay, all those paths that I knows, and then also admitting and I don't know, right? And, and that's okay. And being at peace, I think accepting that accepting that reality of, I don't know, I don't know when everything is gonna get back, you know, I'm going to start to feel differently. But I do know focusing in on what we do know and getting to know a less path data in a way that we can feel confident in knowing that Allah Subhana Allah does know best is giving us what's best. And is the best of planners and Shama medication does not come off hate on appreciate your insights and the

great work that you do at your pain as well. hamdulillah so for everyone, please get a chance to go through the trauma collection. And also if you go down on our YouTube playlists, you'll find you know, a wonderful series on the trauma collection that SR sada contributed heavily to insha Allah on China, so please do check it out, and inshallah to Allah we will see you all next week with the lifetime as we continue with this program, because I can now hide almost all of them also in the archives, Vienna Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh