Sunny Daze and Donuts

I'm going to share how my children and I have always had a strong foundation when it came to sharing the basics. Faith, discipline, patience — those things were never far from us. But we’ve never really had the chance to bond over them. Every time we got close to a deeper connection, life shifted. Timing fell off. Extended family matters got in the way, serving multiple matters and distributing out time was constant, and somehow, we always ended up stuck at the edge of something more — but never fully crossing into it together.

This trial we've been facing as a family has taught me a lot. It’s shown me how specific Allah’s judgment is — how He pays attention to the quality of our lives, not just the moments people see. It’s also reminded me that His idea of connection and fairness doesn’t always look like what we expect, and is actually more meaningful then we think. Even with all the barriers between my children and me now — legal ones, spiritual ones — Allah has given me a confirmed heart of trust and patience. Because before I had to leave, Allah placed something firm in all of us: a knowledge of trust. 

Every step we’ve taken — together or apart — every truth told or held back, has always been under Allah’s will. None of us were ever meant to carry any of this alone. And Allah never left, even when things looked empty. He is our Wali — our Guardian — and He doesn’t disappear in hard times. He watches closely, even when resources run low and the way forward is unclear.

Even in the smallest details, like the ease He gives for prayer — reminding us that even without water, we can still make wudu with earth — He shows us that connection with Him should never be blocked. That’s what purification really is: protecting our path to Him, even when the world tries to complicate it.

Getting closer to Allah doesn’t mean having it all together — it means cleaning up what’s inside, so we don’t let what’s harmful follow us or lead us away. We have to protect that space and keep the peace. The worst thing one Muslim can do to another — especially someone already vulnerable — is to get in the way of their access to prayer, to healing, to Allah.

And that’s real.

Surah Al-‘Alaq begins with a call to seek truth — “Read in the Name of your Lord” — and it ends with a firm reminder: “Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allah].” 

This moment in our lives is about that. Not obeying the pressure. Not folding to what distracts or divides. But prostrating anyway. Holding onto prayer anyway. Getting closer to Allah anyway.

Whatever's been torn, He can repair. And whatever distance there is, He can shorten. That’s where I put my trust. 

May Allah keep His light in our children's hearts,
May Allah keep them protected and guided inside and outside of their homes.
May Allah keep instilled in their hearts trust and contentment,
May Allah place the map of his purification in their hearts with direction and peace.

O Allah, I ask You by the light of Your Face, which for whom the Heavens and the Earth shine brightly, that You grant my children success in their path, and health to their bodies, and ease in all their affairs. Fill their hearts with light and wisdom. And preserve for them every blessing. Keep them away from bad companionship. Fill their coming days with joy, happiness, and love. Distance them from every envious person, and every oppressor, and every spiteful person. Make for them a way out of every distress and from every constraint, an exit, and provide for them from Your abundant sustenance. Make them a source of my pride and honor. And make their good manners a path to people's love for them. Shield them from the evil of what may happen before it occurs. Mend their spirits with Your generosity and bounty. O Allah, I am pleased with them, so be pleased with them. And make them content with what You love. Guide them in every decision towards what is right. And towards prosperity and success.