Sabr.

Tap, tap, tap.
Foot tap tap tapping away
waiting for Baba’s advice.

Out goes a sigh of annoyance
and another of relief seconds later.
He finally looks up and beckons with a smile.

I rush to speak.
Words tumble from my mouth,
one worry after another.

Brows knit and head nodding,
Baba pats the seat next to him
and begins,

My beloved, when you reach a trial in life,
raise your hands and dip your forehead to the floor,
for you have been given a gift others cannot fathom.

Yet to utilize this gift,
you must have patience.

Our fates are unknown to us,
thus we are bound to have worries.
However, do not forget Allah (SWT).

When you feel the world crumbling down on your shoulders,
pray to Allah (SWT) but do not forget that it is He who knows best.

He is your light
and only He will lead you through the darkness.
Trust in him and all else will fall into place.

I watch him once more,
his bright yet tired eyes
turning back towards the qiblah.

The way he lovingly opens the Quran,
as if it were an expensive piece of china
stashed away in the cupboard for special occasions.

A nod and a smile later,
I walk upstairs to do the same,
placing my trust in Allah (SWT).

A little note:
When I was first starting college, I had many worries because I wasn’t sure if I was on the right path. I thought I had everything figured out, yet (and I thank Allah (SWT) for this because he knows best) despite that, I had quite a few hardships. It tested my resolve for reaching my goals a lot, and I would always sit and ask my father for advice. This poem is actually real advice he gave me one of the days I was about to give up on my dreams. I remember this word for word because it was so impactful, even today. I adore my father very much, so I wanted to share this piece of advice that has carried me through all my hard times in college, and I hope it can do the same for all of you.

By: Zainab Niazi