Suzy Ismail – #54 AlQawwiy

Santa Monica, it's nice to see you again as we continue to bring the

divine into the daily. But understanding how we can

incorporate the 99 names of Allah subhanaw taala into our daily

lives. The name that we're going to discuss today is El Kawi, which

is the strong one or the strength.

When we talk about strength in a relationship, oftentimes will

reference the verse in the Quran that reminds us that aerogel a

woman and does that. And we often equate that to the idea of the

males and the relationship being stronger than the females. And

that understanding of strength can sometimes lead to a misperception

of what it means to be strong.

When we talk about strength in terms of physical strength,

without a doubt, Allah subhanaw taala has created us differently

in terms of our biology, and in terms of the makeup of our

physicality. And so, there is often a quite a difference in

terms of physical strength between the male and the female, yet

exerting that strength in the form of domestic violence, exerting

that strength in the form of Miss representing the Quran and the

deen exerting that strength in a way, where there is no longer

compassion and mercy in a relationship is not the right way

of going about building the foundation for a strong marriage.

Instead, when we talk about strength, we should talk about the

strength of each individual in the relationship, the strength of the

wife, and the strength of the husband, the strength of each

child independently from a comparison to the siblings,

because each person has their own strengths. And recognizing the

beauty of that complementary relationship, whether it be

between husband and wife, or even in the interaction between

siblings helps us recognize the true, amazing individual qualities

of strengths that each person may have. And so when we begin to

understand and accept the strengths of our spouse, or the

strengths of our children, we no longer harp upon the weaknesses, I

would encourage each and every couple and each and every family

to daily sit down, and those moments of them. And think also of

what it is to, you can be grateful for in terms of the strengths of

your spouse and the strengths of your children.

And to actually speak up about those strengths. So reminding your

spouse rather than saying something like you know, you, you

don't really help out in the house, or you don't really help me

take care of the children or you don't dress in a certain way, or

you don't cook certain food, rather than harping on weaknesses,

instead, turning it around and looking at strengths that, you

know, I appreciate the strength that you bring to the family that

you provide in the fact that you are out working long hours every

day, in order to provide for the family, I appreciate the strength

that you have, as a spouse who keeps our house clean, who cares

for our children, who makes sure that they are happy and content,

even if you're not cooking a you know, five star meal every

evening. And when we begin to appreciate the strengths of

others, a beautiful thing happens, there becomes a reciprocal

appreciation. And in that reciprocal appreciation, we begin

to recognize the beauty of ourselves. When we encourage a

child for example, and rather than sit telling a child, you know,

you're terrible at math, you did so bad on this test, or you're

awful at soccer. Instead, we encourage them by recognizing

their strengths. So yes, maybe a grade on the math test was not

what we would have liked. But what did they do? Well, that week,

maybe they were kind to a friend, maybe they helped someone out in

need, maybe they were respectful to a grown up, maybe they prayed

all of their Salah on time. These are the strengths that we should

harp on rather than consistently portraying the negative. And it

doesn't mean that we can't constructively give advice

sometimes to our loved ones. But we do need to lead in with that

which is what what is most beautiful and that which

highlights the strength.

And this is how we begin to understand that Allah subhanaw

taala as Al Covey is not just strength in terms of force, the

way that we sometimes equate strength in our linguistic

understanding of it, but it is a strength in terms of everything.

And that's the strength that we sometimes need to look for within

ourselves and our family members as well, which is a common law

here and I look forward to speaking to you again as we

continue to bring the divine into the daily cinematic