Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering the ship, be thankful. He has removed the illusion, and forced you to rely only on Him.

Garlic grows quiety under the soil, surrounded by darkness. It is removed from its place of comfort when the farmer decides it is ready for harvest. Once it is pulled from its comfort zone, it is ready to fulfill its purpose. But it cannot fulfill its purpose until it goes through some processing (trials). One of the easier ways to remove the inedible peels that encase the garlic is to gently crush the entire bulb. Crushing the bulb allows the peel to easily separate and for the cloves to come apart. Individually crushing the cloves will help the process of removing the peels from the cloves as well. This also helps the cloves release some of their oils. Once the cloves

So many of you have told me Ramadan in quarantine was painful. You weren’t able to be with your family. You struggled with crippling, isolated depression. You couldn’t hold a community janaza or even bury your loved ones when someone you held dear more than the world itself passed away. Being indoors with small children at all hours stripped away your emotional ability to focus on anything extra. Working from home while fasting in the covid reality caused you to miss deadlines. You have told me you feel guilty because you look forward to Ramadan ending. I want you to remember that the Battle of Badr took place in Ramadan. Allah could have chosen to keep Ramadan as a month where

‘Umar b. al-Khattâb narrates: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: 'Were you to rely on Allah as He deserves to be relied upon, He would provide for you just as He provides for the bird; it leaves hungry and in the morning and returns full in the evening.' [Authentic: Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2344), and Ibn Mâjah (4164), and Ahmad (205), and authenticated by Ibn Hibbân (730), and al-Hâkim (4/318)]