The emotional oscillation between hope and heartache is a constant pendulum in life and institution-building. Some of our teachers mention that a Muslim remains between fear and hope in Allah, and that as they approach the end of their life, they should tend more towards hope.

Since we began Sanad, I have lost count of the emotional ups and downs. If I am honest, though, I remember the moments of heartache more vividly and more frequently. It has been a hard, long journey. I often call it the lonely, trodden path. I am blessed to have some very close friends who are also scholars, and some who are also institution builders. People often comment on how fortunate I am to know some of them so intimately, but often my conversations with them in private are about the pain, the fear, and the difficulty of maintaining hope, faith, and inner strength in the face of adversity and challenges, all while being the face of an organization and its leader.

The work is like the heart; it expands and contracts, inhales and exhales. It is never one thing for too long. There is little rest in the work of Sanad, little time to appreciate matters. The goals are so big, the journey is a lifetime. I have found that this “lonely, trodden path” winds up a mountain and occasionally nears a stream where you can stop for a moment to wash your face and take a drink perhaps. But most importantly, you need to always pause to look at your reflection. This is key. See that your intention remains sincere, see what the weather has done to your face and hands, and discern how much time remains before moving onward and upward.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.”

This is among the hadith I return to most often in my role at Sanad Trust Foundation. It gives me perspective. And I often close my eyes, imagining I am the one the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is speaking to. As much as I love the content, it is the context of the hadith that helps me even more. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said this to Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) who mentions that the Prophet (peace be upon him) took hold of my shoulders, and I also have also heard while putting his arms over his shoulder. Abdullah was a young man, a leader, and institution-builder. What a transformative moment for him. To be brought so close to the physical heart of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and be taught such perspective on how to spiritually and emotionally engage with the material objectives of actions. For me, it is a lesson in expansion and contraction, inhale and exhale, and moving towards hope after a pause for concern.

May Allah allow all our personal, emotional, professional, and spiritual journeys to be filled always with more hope than heartache, and may they all end with us arriving at the hawd of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), with tawfiq, and in receipt of the ridwan (good pleasure) of Allah, Majestic and Mighty is He. 

Until the next step,

Rehan