Live life with the understanding that...

يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَاقِيهِ

O thou man! Verily thou art ever toiling on towards thy Lord- painfully toiling,- but thou shalt meet Him- Holy Quran 84:6

But don't forget that....

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
God does not impose on any soul a responsibility beyond its ability- Holy Quran 2:286

Because even though

الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ

Children and property are the ornaments of the worldly life,

......Don't forget that

وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا

but for deeds which continually produce virtue one can obtain better rewards from God and have greater hope in Him- Holy Quran 18:46

......After all

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ

Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained- Holy Quran 74:38

Muslims will fast the first day of Ramadan tomorrow and, in the time of social distancing and sheltering in place, most are bemoaning the fact that they will be unable to participate in communal worship and religious/social activities that add so much to the sense of spirituality and community. Especially those who are minority in their locale, new to the faith, and elderly. I don’t want to discount any of these feelings as I certainly feel the same way but upon reflection I found myself contemplating something I read before and I paraphrase below

“The word Ramadan in Arabic comes from a root word that refers to someone who walks on an earth that has become so hot from the sun beating down on it all day. It symbolizes the way in which fasting burns off one’s sins.”

Walking on a sun scorched earth is an act that requires patience. An act that requires belief and faith in the final destination; a soul that is purer than it was when it took the journey, a person who is closer to God than he/she was when they put aside the desires of their body in response to a higher call.

The sun is perhaps a little stronger and the earth might be a little hotter this Ramadan but the journey is still ours to take.

I wish you all a blessed and spiritually filled Ramadan