بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
🗒️ 7 life lessons learned to share from our 2nd (or third?) visit to Malagos Garden Resort some time after Eid Al-Fitr here in the Philippines but this time with a caring friend and some of her family members etc.
1🔹 Even if the skies appear clear, bringing an umbrella can be very useful, also as a sutrah when you're praying.
2🔹 Try to make it a habit as a Muslim to carry with you a long shawl or extra rectangular hijab which you can use as a prayer mat or bring a light carpet whenever you go outdoors so Inn-sha-Allah you can pray in some quiet areas/corners when it's time to pray.
3🔹 Make it a habit to perform proper wudhu/ablution before putting socks on and going out for the next Salah/prayer so you can pray when it's Salah time instead of delaying.
4🔹 The kind of friends you socialize with often, even if you meet up with them just once a month or once every two months, can significantly impact your faith/Imaan. It is better to have a pious friend who reminds you with "Are you going to pray Tahajjud?", "How about we fast tomorrow and have Suhur together?, Even with bread and eggs?", "Did you complete reading Surah Al-Kahf today Jumuah Friday?", "Remember to purify your niyyah/intention", and "Fix your hijab - some of your hair are sticking out" etc. than to be asked "What do you say we go to the cinema tonight and watch the latest movie?", "You want a cigarette? It can relieve your stress." and "Can you share with me your playlist of favorite music videos?" etc.
5🔹 If you're serious about maintaining a particular friendship and ensuring that it can last longer
Inn-sha-Allah for Allah's sake, we need to strive to stay patient with our friends' mistakes, occasional forgetfulness, delayed responses when they feel too tired or they're too busy to check their inbox and patiently move on from unavoidable misunderstandings.
Don't allow your ego/pride to be the cause of a friendship breakup as much as possible.
6🔹 Regularly include your friends and the individuals whom you care about for Allah's sake in your Du'as/supplications, particularly if they have spent a lot of money on you - ask Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala to reward them immensely in both worlds for their generosity and that you too can kindly return their favors some time in the future.
7🔹 Some things were destined by Allah the Almighty to be yours to keep and benefit from, while other things were not decreed at all by Allah the Most Wise for you. For instance, I was looking forward to trying some juicy lanzones fruits one day but throughout the whole outing from Malita to Davao city I didn't really get the chance to try more than one lanzones (if I even took one - I mostly remember feeding the younger child of my friend several lanzones but not eating any since I was fasting that time) yet the dear sister in Islam gave me one abaya which was a pleasant surprise and she told me I could keep it, MashaAllah, when my other abaya was not yet fully dry from the laundry (and it was raining multiple times). May Allah the Most Merciful bless her wealth, accept her good deeds, strengthen her faith Imaan, protect her and her loved ones at all times and guide her other family members and relatives to sincerely understanding and embracing the truth Islam and correct 'Aqeedah at the most ideal timing. Ameen.
Learn to patiently accept Allah's Qadr/Decree instead of unreasonably expecting a life devoid of problems and struggles just because you put effort in attaining piety.
Avoid constantly comparing your life to others' journeys as Allah Al-Hakeem always knows what's best for us in both worlds based on the unique roles He Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala granted us together with our current circumstances, abilities and actual needs.
