Youssra Kamel Kandil – A truly humbling story!

			Salam, Alaikum, Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh I want to share something with you that just happen to me
right now and open your ears to me open your hearts. So a lot of you as you know, we lost power here
in Jersey with the storm that hit us. And we had to leave our home. And then finally Hamdulillah we
restored electricity again. And the minute I got back home today, and I just opened my garage, the
electricity went out again. And my kids were very upset. And they're like, you know, why is this
happening? We don't like sitting in the dark, there's no water, there's no heat. I was like, You
know what, guys? It's okay. Allah subhanaw taala I'm sure has a plan. And everything happens for a
		

			good reason. And there's always good in everything that happens to us, we just have to be kind of
like no patient. And this is dunya we have to like, you know, understand, there's going to be tests
and trials, we can just say, Yeah, we believe we believe. But then, with the first test, we're going
to like say why this is happening to me. I was like you don't want let's go get some snacks, get
some flashlights, get some water, and you know, make the best out of the night. And subhanAllah when
I got home, I had opened the garage door. And I'm telling you, I'm going to tell you why I'm saying
all these details.
		

			And of course with the electricity gone, I couldn't close it again. And then I got to the car to
call my husband and my phone was dead as well. So we ended up waiting for like 30 minutes in the
driveway waiting for my phone to turn back on. And the kids were getting like really antsy, you
know, like, you know, they don't want to be there, they don't want to be sitting in the car, we
already had a very long 48 hours that Hamdulillah. And I was like just, you know, just be patient
and sha Allah here, you know. And then finally, hamdulillah figured out what to do. And we left and
we headed, we're to the grocery store. Now, as we get to right across from the grocery store,
		

			there's a bus stop, we see this woman, very old woman coming off the bus with two very heavy bags,
like her to grocery bag, or whatever it is. And she's really having such a hard time, you know,
trying to walk trying to carry the things and no one's stepping up, you know, to help her. And at
the same time, like it's in the middle of like Rush hour traffic traffic, and I just couldn't like
there was no way I could pull over. And I was like, You know what, we need to like do something we
need to help this lady. So Subhanallah we pulled over in the grocery parking lot. And she had
crossed the, the road there. And she put her things down and she and she was done. She was out of
		

			breath. She couldn't lift her bags. So I thought because you know, let's just go and ask her if she
you know, she needed help. And we went over like, you know, ma'am, do you need any help? She's like,
Yeah, the bus stop driver dropped me way before where I needed to go. This is not where I live. And
you know, I'm like a little bit further down. And it's just so cold and the bags are so heavy. I was
like, you know, let me just help you. So you helped, you know, put the stuff in the cart, whatever.
And she needed to grab a couple a couple of things. And I was like, you know, you know, let me take
you home, I'll drop you home. She was like, no, no, it's okay. I was like, No, seriously, we don't
		

			we don't even we're no no, no rush to go back home. We don't even have electricity at home anyway,
no heat. So Subhanallah we went and got our water and she went and got her stuff. And then we went
back, you know, to drop her home. And then Subhanallah How would you know unfolds from here. And she
starts talking to me until I'm you know, I have a friend that whose was a Muslim like you when she
goes to the masjid here, you know, four of my family members, I can remember if she said her
siblings were her kids or what are Muslims. And she said, You know, I was born into this religion,
and I'd love to learn more about your religion. But, you know, my friend of mine, you know, I know
		

			probably, and I think it's also sometimes that we're busy in life. But she kind of like forget, you
always say she's gonna come and take me and you know, and show me around or whatever. But it just
never happened. You know, and I've been through so much in the past five months, she lost four very
close family members.
		

			And so Paula, she's telling me this and about the grief she's going through and about how she's
about to get evicted, and how she's trying to you know, find a way she's about to be put in a
shelter again, and how her health is going down and
		

			my heart is just like Subhanallah just just weeping inside.
		

			The way we were delayed by Allah subhanaw taala sitting first of all, that the power cuts off on us
again, and we get delayed with the door garage door being stuck. Just that Abbas Potala makes us
cross paths with this woman. It just really humbled me like so many times, we just don't think we
don't look at the bigger picture how Allah subhanaw taala is plan is just always amazing. You just
have to trust and have faith and him subhanaw taala you know, the kids not wanting to be there and
the discomfort of like being in a cold home and all that stuff. And us having to go to get water so
we could actually spent another night in the house, just to meet this lady being delayed so that we
		

			see her just in the perfect timing. Subhanallah you know, and you know, she was like, by the time we
got to her home, like there was a grand CD playing in my car. And she's like, you know, this is so
beautiful. Where did you get it from? And I was like, you know, just please take it and take it from
my mom. She's like, No, no, no. And then she wanted to pay me money to you know that I dropped her
home and I'm like, Absolutely not, you know. So a couple of things I want to share here with you. So
she lost her brother. She lost her grandson, she lost her best friend all in a matter of five
months. She's about to be evicted from her home. And she's just telling me like, there are days
		

			where I just shut my phone and I close my door. I don't answer anybody. I just don't know how to
handle the grief anymore.
		

			And I'm thinking to myself Subhanallah like this is this lady
		

			This elder woman, two streets down from me, and I'm just not aware of it. So many of us guys go
around in our lives, and we don't even pay attention to those around us. The first thing I want you
to share that I want to share with you or focus on, always dressed in las pantallas plan, right?
There's a reason why you are where you are in life. Just submit to that. That's the first thing. The
second thing, be aware of those around, you see how you can help those around you see if somebody's
in need, like pay attention to your neighbors through those, you know, in the neighboring
neighborhoods, or someone who's elder, ask about people talk to them. Don't just distance yourself,
		

			I feel so guilty. Wallahi like, knowing that someone has been going through this. And I said, No, I
had no idea I probably wasn't paying attention. why I'm making this video, first of all, to raise
awareness about these two things. But most important, I would love to restore this woman's like
faith in humanity one more time, she's about to be evicted. And her rent is about $1,500 a month in
short, a layup I can promise you that I will go to the landlord myself, I want to raise at least
three months for her. Give her peace of mind if you would like to participate and just give even if
it's a couple of dollars. And just, you know, bring back faith to this woman bring back hope to her.
		

			It doesn't matter what your background is, it doesn't matter what religion you are, what ethnicity
you are. Just let's help her have some sort of peace of mind and give that to our elders. You know,
I would love to read three months for her. If you know anyone who's willing to please share this
video with them. I'm going to be sharing my paypal and my Venmo up on this video and sha Allah. And
then if you're from the local community here in Central Jersey, please reach out to me if you'd like
to maybe if you can't, you know, like aid in any financial way. Maybe you'd like to give her a call,
maybe drop some hot food by her maybe you know the where she lives is like quite a walk like at my
		

			age honestly, I don't think I'd be able to like walk all this distance. As at my age and in this
weather. It's just not doable. Maybe if you could maybe get her groceries or take her to the store
or take her back when you're doing your local grocery shopping. Please reach out and please keep an
eye out for those in need. And please share this video as much as you can Inshallah, and hopefully
you're up you're up we'll be able to help her in sha Allah. May Allah Subhana Allah bless you all.
And May we all be a source of helping others Europe, whether it's through financially or with just
your you know, with you know, just by asking for a phone call or just just being there for people in
		

			sha Allah Slavonic. Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh