By Wael Abdelgawad | IslamicSunrays.com

Each of us is a walking miracle.

“Among His Signs in this, that He created you from dust; and then,- behold, you are human beings scattered (far and wide)!” – Quran, 30:20.

Our existence is a miracle. That we are here, on this tiny planet revolving in space, thinking our thoughts, sailing the ocean, growing crops, loving, worshiping, forgiving, living and dying, is a miracle.

Our aspirations, hopes and bravery are miracles and gifts.

Beyond that, each of us has the potential to be a miracle worker, not in the sense of walking on water or splitting the sea, but in changing the world, spreading peace, and being examples of love and faith in action.

My fellow editors at IslamicAnswers.com – SisterZ, Leila, Sara, Amy, Muhammad, Abdul Wali, Maria and the others – are miracle workers. They save lives and help desperate people.

One editor took in two foster children and raised them with love. He and his wife are miracle workers.

Anyone who speaks out for truth, who dedicates themselves to helping others, who plants trees and protects endangered species, who raises good children in this turbulent world, any such person is a miracle worker.

Think of it: to be a miracle and a miracle worker. What a thing.

What an amazing creature the child of Adam can become if he (and she) turns away from hatred, bigotry and revenge, and turns to compassion and fellowship instead.

Nothing, Only Love

He comes to you with barbs in his skin
and blood on his cheek.
He comes with eyes of loam and gold.
He comes to you again and again,
as a youth and a man.
He has never forgotten you.

He comes with burns on his back
but standing straight,
hiding his scars and his shame,
wearing a half-thawed grin.
He has never stopped thanking you.

He comes with no answers,
with nothing, only love,
a heart like a sun,
and a soul like an African rain.
Will you open your arms to him

and hold him so tightly
that when you let go
he falls down laughing
happy to be alive,
happy to be a father and a man,

happy for you
and for the first time, years ago
that he heard your voice
like the whisper
of a summer wind?

- Wael Abdelgawad, 10-21-2011

By Wael Abdelgawad | IslamicSunrays.com

When seeking a marriage partner, remember, a husband or wife is not just some pretty face that you get to admire or possess, or show off to your friends. This person is not a checkbook, a status symbol, a servant, or a household maid. This is not someone that you’ll see for a few minutes each day after work, and take to dinner parties.

You could marry someone only for looks or status then find yourself miserable, harped on, arguing every day, lonely within your marriage, or abused. All you rich and attractive people don’t take offense – you might be perfectly lovely and sweet – I’m just saying that appearance, wealth and lineage are no guarantee of happiness, and if you focus on those factors to the exclusion of the soul, then you will likely find yourself mismatched, brokenhearted and forlorn.

A spouse is someone you abide with for the rest of your life, even when you are wrinkled and bent. Someone to hold you when you’re sad, to support you when you’re tired, to cool your forehead when you’re sick, to share in your joys, tell jokes and play frisbee with; someone to pray with in the still morning hours, and struggle with to achieve Paradise.

This is someone to be a witness to your life, to know you intimately and recognize your worth as a human being (not that we need someone else to affirm our value – but it’s always nice to be recognized and seen). Someone to love you unceasingly, like a great river, even when you disagree. Someone to see your faults, and keep on loving you.

Make sure your priorities are in order. Look past the surface. Connect with the person’s soul. Find someone who will make you smile, and with whom you will be happy to share this strange journey we call life.

A father holds his child in the Horn of Africa

By Wael Abdelgawad | IslamicSunrays.com

Be grateful for what you have.

There are people in this world in desperate situations: homeless, refugees, starving, traumatized by war, alone after losing their entire families. Help those people – donate for Somalia if you haven’t already – then take a moment to thank Allah for what you have.

We live better than the kings and queens of the past. We have amenities that would have seemed like magic to them. Food from all over the world on demand, indoor plumbing, electricity, air conditioning, radio, TV, computers, internet, medical care, education…

These modern conveniences meet our physical needs, but they don’t fill our spirits. Be grateful to Allah for what you have, live simply, and don’t overload your soul with distractions. Focus on your relationship with Allah. Be at peace with yourself.

If your life is still lacking in some way, then make a change. Create a goal, and take a step. You have all the tools you need. Your most important tools are not tablet computers and smart phones. They are courage, faith, and the ability to say, “Yes! I am someone, I matter, and I will follow my dream.”

By Wael Abdelgawad | IslamicSunrays.com

If today were your birthday, would you be happy and excited?

Well, guess what? Today is your “Alive Day”!

You are alive today. You have the opportunity to earn huge rewards by praying, being kind to people, giving charity, loving your family, helping your neighbors, and just looking around and appreciating the beauty of Allah’s creation.

Oh, that’s not good enough? Okay, get yourself a cupcake and stick a candle in it; then blow out the candle, and enjoy this song: “Happy Alive Day to you, Happy Alive Day dear reader…”

After you’ve had that cupcake, visit one of your friends, maybe someone you love but haven’t seen in a while. Catch up on each others’ lives, go out to eat or to the park, or stay home and play a game of cards. Make sure you spend at least a few minutes talking about Allah, because that’s what brings life and blessings to any visit.

Every day is an opportunity. Happiness is where you find it. Sometimes all it takes is a candle in a cupcake, and a call to a friend.

Happy Alive Day.

By Wael Abdelgawad | IslamicSunrays.com

We can get so caught up in trying to fix other people’s problems, that we forget to fix ourselves. We can spend all our time helping family members, running around, “sacrificing”, while our own souls are weary, discouraged and approaching despair. We can champion important causes, or do vital work in our jobs, while we cover up or ignore wounds from our past, until we cannot even look at ourselves with respect or love.

I suppose we all have our coping mechanisms. For me, it’s martial arts. When I’m troubled or unhappy, I tend to immerse myself in my martial arts practice. It occupies my mind, allows me to forget my problems, and wears out my body so I can sleep.

Others may plunge themselves into their work, or distract themselves with books, music or television, or busy themselves with other people’s problems. But you can only keep this up for so long. If you don’t face what’s going on internally, the darkness will eventually spread and blot everything else out.

We have to come to terms with ourselves, or happiness will elude us forever.

How can we love and cherish others if we do not love ourselves? How can we extend ourselves to create something good in the world, if what we have inside is not sound and peaceful? How can we raise happy children if we are not happy? Children are very perceptive; if you are troubled and hurt inside, they will pick up on that, and it will affect them. If you really want to love your children properly, you need to make peace with your own soul.

Sometimes there are so many distractions in our lives, so much external noise, that we can’t hear our own hearts anymore. We need to quiet our minds and get back in touch with our fitrah, that pure nature given to us by Allah. We need to ask Allah’s forgiveness, then forgive ourselves, so that we can get rid of the baggage of shame. Only then can we then forgive others, and let go of anger or resentment.

We must listen to our intuition, and hear our hearts speaking, and open ourselves to the clear light of Allah’s huda (guidance).

Jasper National Park, Alaska

By Wael Abdelgawad | IslamicSunrays.com

I’m just a guy who has lived an unorthodox life. I have been alone and chained. I have seen frightening violence. I have also wandered the mountain trails in Central America, camped in the snows of the Sierras, and laid on my back in the Sahara, watching a meteor shower decorate the sky. I have witnessed the birth of my child, and received great gifts. I have been so blessed by Allah, so cared for, as He rescues me and heals my heart, again and again. I have been loved monumentally, and have learned to love in return.

Maybe I’ve learned a little something, and maybe I possess the talent to put it into words. Am I someone special? Yes, but so are you! Some of you amaze me. Young or old, married or single parents raising children with no help, sacrificing for your families, finding your way in the world, working, creating, struggling, studying, teaching. I have much to learn from you. I have a long ways to go in this life Insha’Allah, and many strange paths to walk, and so do you. I am happy that we are walking this path together, in this moment.

By Wael Abdelgawad | IslamicSunrays.com

Keep your head up, smile, and look to the future. You have much yet to do in this life. Ask Allah for guidance, then do what your heart tells you, speak the words that you’ve always held back, and be yourself.

Don’t let the past freeze you in place, and don’t punish yourself for things you cannot change. Everything you’ve experienced:  the happy times, loneliness, laughter and tears, all have meaning, and have all gone into making you who you are. If you have any wisdom or insight, it is probably a result of hardship you’ve experienced in the past.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” — Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Everything that you do today has meaning. The caress you give a child, the help you give a stranger, the quiet charity, all matter and make a difference, even when you don’t see it. It’s all worth it. Your love maters, your work matters, your life matters.

Keep your head up, and forge forward fee-sabeel-illah. Accept yourself and be at peace. Look ahead and smile. Stand up straight, and don’t bow your head except in prayer. Keep praying, learning, thinking, following your dreams, and loving the people in your life. You are my brothers, my sisters, my heroes.