Salaam Minara Family,

As Hajj season concludes and pilgrims return from making Hajj, we’re sharing a du’a for you to pray upon greeting them as a token of your love and well-wishes.

Though it may be quiet in some of our parts of the world by the grace of Allah, the rest of the world is completely combusting, exploding and falling apart by the reach and touch of humans intent on evil, destruction and corruption.

The Freedom Flotilla and the illegal detainment of the brave, brave activists on board; the deliberate and cruel starvation of Palestinians in Gaza; the forced deportations of American citizens; mass atrocities in Sudan; the erosion of human rights worldwide; - quite simply [and heart-breakingly], we don’t know where this list starts and we don’t know where it ends.

Our privilege is undeniable - how do we acknowledge it? How do we speak out, show solidarity and send solace as frankly dystopian scenes are streamed on our screens and we view them helplessly? What is the line we cross that takes us from passivity to conscious accountability?

Perhaps it’s a question we explore within each and every one of us: how far am I willing to do? Am I doing enough?

And the answer to this question is not one that remains stagnant - like everything else in life - it evolves, it takes up spaces in areas perhaps previously unexplored by us and and it demands a little more each time because what can ever be enough?

What we do know with certainty though is this:

“He knows the seen and the unseen. And He is the All-Wise, All-Aware” (6:73)

Allah knows everything. Allah is the Most Wise and His wisdom is perfection. He is the best Judge and Executor of affairs. He does not let any good or bad go unseen. He brings penultimate justice and the oppression of our' ‘Ummah will cease with His word, His power, His decision.

And as the balance between destiny and free will dictates, we resist the oppression by making du’a and calling for Allah’s swift assistance, by adhering to our salah, and complying as best as we can with what we know to be right and wrong according to our faith.

And we live with the certainty that Allah will answer our call.

As we witness cruelty in every corner of the earth, may Allah send His divine help to the oppressed, wrap them in His protection and let justice descend like rain. May He stop our hearts from being numb and soften them without breaking them. May He transform our pain into movement, make us voices for the voiceless, hands for the helpless and light in the long nights of injustices. May Allah forgive us for our comfort, our silence and our distractions and replace them with courage, clarity and commitment. Oh Allah, bring freedom to Gaza and let us live to see its people rebuild it with joy.

Aameen Ya Rabb 🤍🤍🤍

On ‘Eid weekend we took a walk and came across this absolute powerhouse of a tree. We didn’t take a picture because we were too busy admiring it [living in the moment and all that!].

Let us tell you how it stopped us in our tracks,

There is something so magnificent about trees anyway - we’ve definitely talked about trees here before - but there was something extra special about this one. The way it bore through the pavement, like seams fit to burst - full of life and especially unstoppable. The trunk was wide and proud, it’s branches and leaves perforated like a scalloped canopy. Wizened tree rings adorned this proud, stubborn tree [we’re calling it the Elephant Tree because if we had to liken it to an animal, that’s what it would be!].

And the first thought that came to mind? Allah’s power.

This tree is a mere representation of Allah’s unstoppable, unmatchable force. The way it cracked through the pavement, as if stone were no barrier, reminds us that when Allah wills something, nothing can stand in its way.

“All it takes, when He wills something ˹to be˺, is simply to say to it: “Be!” And it is!”

[Qur’an 36:82]

This Elephant Tree, ancient and unyielding, didn’t ask permission from the concrete above it. Its resilience reflects the divine decree that sustains all of creation, each ring in its trunk a quiet remembrance of the passage of time under Allah’s gaze, each branch a reaching testament to life nourished by His mercy.

And yet, this powerful image remains only a sign. A reminder. Allah is not just the source of power, He is Power itself - Al-Qadeer, the All-Powerful, who brings life from where there seems to be none.

Do you have an interaction with nature that’s inspired you to reflect on Allah’s power lately? If so, we’d love to hear it! As always our reply box, comments section and Instagram are open for you💚.

Actually, on this topic of reflecting, our Minara team member shared a salah experience that feels quite fitting here. Allow us to set the scene so you can feel the peace in the same way we did too!

She stands for Maghrib, the hush of twilight settling gently around her. The windows are open, rain falls like silk threads from the sky, the breeze a soft caress on her skin. And then, the sweetest chorus: birdsong rising in tender harmony with the sacred hour of Maghreb, as if creation itself were in sujood.

Subhan Allah - may all of these elements of nature testify to the validity of our salah on the Day of Reckoning,

That’s all from us friends - until next week then!

Love and du’as,

The Minara Team