7 days into the reading and the favorite ayat that resonated this week with the brothers reading on the Stringfellow Unit was:

Surah 2:155.

"Be sure we will test you with you with something of fear and hunger, loss of money or lives or fruit, but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere."

Prison has tested us on every front. Our greatest fears are not the threats of physical violence, although they exist. No, the fear of uncertainty and the lack of control are a strong undercurrent, but we all fear the call to the chaplain's office. Death notifications by a chaplain cause the greatest angst. Trust me, I know first hand. My mother passed since my incarceration. I was unable to go to the funeral. I couldn't kiss her goodbye. My heart ached but I couldn't grieve, not in prison. Instead i found solace in my faith in Allah.

See, the reading schedule makes Surah 2:155 fall on November 3rd, my mother's birthday. Every time I read this ayat, on that day, I think of my mother's beautiful smile and my heart skips a beat. Not because of the test, but because what Allah reveals in the following verses...

"Those who say, when afflicted by calamity 'To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.' They are those whom (descend) blessings from Allah and mercy, and they are the ones who receive guidance."
Surah 2:156-157. Surely Allah speaks the truth!

Allah has blessed me in so many ways and He has extended more mercy than I deserve. He is Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

And that mercy extends to all that believe in Him. Let the believers place their trust in Allah, especially when the tests come. Because we will be tested and we will be rewarded when we pass the test...

— DF

This week's reading had a fierce competition for favorite ayat. In fact, it was a tie… until I cast my vote.

Surah 3:200

“O you who believe! Be patient and vie in patience, persevere and reverence Allah, that you may prosper.”

There are a host of people who cry out for Allah (swt) to teach them patience. But not me. I am scared of the Patience Prayer. See, the only way to develop patience and perseverance is to endure something. No, I like the prayer by Salam Ibn Muti'.

“O Allah, if You have granted any righteous servants of Yours a station because of a trial they faced, then grant it to me while sparing me that trial.”

I like that prayer.

But since life will make us learn patience, I decided to study it. In Arabic, the word for patience is a verb, not a noun. That means patience is not passive, it is active, an action word. Patience is standing strong in the face of adversity. Patience is not losing heart, not changing up, not falling into bouts of hopelessness. Patience is about steadfastness and resilience.

In Arabic, the word for cactus is transliterated as “sabburun” and is rooted in the word for patience. The cactus not only survives (perseveres) in the harshest of climates, it thrives and even produces a fruit that is edible. There is a life lesson in that.

Just because we are in prison does not mean we have to languish in prison. The Most Compassionate has commanded us to be patient and even to compete in it. If we remain steadfast in the face of adversity and reverence Allah, we may prosper. We can be the cactus that does not just survive, but thrives… even in prison.

By the way, I once ate grilled cactus at a restaurant in Indianapolis… it is an acquired taste.

— DF

This week we were all over the place, especially Day 20 (9:34 - 9:93).

Let's see... the Hypocrites Verses (underline 9:67-68) go hard and the antithesis of it, The Believers Verses (9:71-72) smash it. But look at this:

"If they had come out with you, they would not have added to you (strength) but only (made for) disorder, hurrying here and there in your midst and sowing sedition among you, and there would have been some among you who would have listened to them. But Allah knows well those who do wrong."
Surah 9:47

We don't have to study the historical nature of this ayat to get the gist of it:
Quality over Quantity!

Okay lets admit it, sometimes we get caught up on numbers. We want as many people on our team as possible... you know, to increase the odds. We start campaigning, maybe even making promises, or worse, we start lowering the standards. We may have doubts about someone's sincerity but we wave the trepidation away, because more is better or so we think. But Allah tell us to relax, don't worry about them. Stop tripping before we fall because "they" will only weaken us instead of strengthening us. They will call disharmony instead of harmony. And the crazy thing is, some of us will let their whispers influence us.

Nope, when we put our trust in Allah, less is more. And more with Allah... is sufficient.

— DF

The reading this week registered a favorite ayat that's as classic as it is complicated. The portion of the ayat that registered most… 

"Allah will not change the conditions of a people until they first change themselves."
Surah 13:11

The passage, similar to Surah 8:53, is conditional and forces me to reflect on the concept of a catalyst, which is a chemical that, when introduced into an environment, changes the environment without necessarily changing itself. Walk with me for a minute...

We know Allah can do whatever, whenever, however, without our help. He changed a stick to a snake and made a mountain turn into dust. And yet we are instructed to change ourselves before He will change our situation. In essence, we have to be proactive and active, consistent and persistent in provoking long-term change within self, and that's where it gets complicated.

We stumble in the consistency department. We start strong and fizzle out. We do something and then mistakenly pivot and lose in the persistency department. We allow busy to prevent us from handling our business. We change, but it's temporary, based on circumstances. When it's good, we're good. But let a little adversity arise, and we fall back to what we “use” to do or who we “use” to be. We don't need to change, we need to "evolve." Evolution is based on permanent change.

We evolve when we involve Allah in our every thought, every goal, and every move. We have to be consistently obedient to Allah and persistently taqwa, and voilà, He will change our conditions. But it's all conditional. It's all based on the condition that we evolve.

— DF

Collectively, we are striving to read, and sometimes, struggling too. Yours truly has stumbled a couple of times by getting a day or two behind, but I’m good. I’m all caught up! This week’s ayat...

“And strive in His cause as you ought to strive. He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion. It is the way of your father Ibrahim. It is He who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation), that the Messenger may be a witness for you and you be witnesses to mankind! So establish regular prayer, give regular charity, and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector, the best to protect and the best to help.”
Surah 22:78

There are a variety of ayat that give a formula for success. To name a few: 3:133-136, 25:63-77, 23:1-11...

The brothers found the first sentence intriguing. How do you strive as you “ought” to strive? We debated. To strive requires struggle, and intentionality, and discipline, and fortitude. Of course, my striving might not equal your striving, like your giving might not equal my giving. We finally agreed, striving is not about competition, but sacrifice, and the sacrifice has to be made for the sake of Allah.

What do we strive to do, though? We strive to perform our prayers, consistently. We strive to give charity, regularly. However, the most important area that we have to strive in is in holding to Allah. If we hold to His precepts, He will protect us and help us.

If... and that brings it full circle... back to striving. Strive. Push. Pull. Grind. Repeat.

— DF

We have about two weeks to go to complete the 60-Day Qur’anic Reading Schedule. This week is a little different, as the ayat to focus on is my personal favorite.

“Grant me honorable mention on the tongues of truth among later generations.”
Surah 26:84

I really like this ayat. It’s part of a prayer that is both powerful and intimate. This part of the prayer is about legacy. Just think for a minute: how do you want to be remembered? And who do you want to remember you favorably?

Hold up, the word intimate made me want to reflect. Let’s look at another ayat that touches my soul…

“And among His signs is this: He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put between you love and mercy. Surely in that are signs for those who reflect.”
Surah 30:21

Tranquillity. Love. Mercy. Those are some magnificent concepts when referring to a mate. If you have ever been “in love,” it makes the sun shine brighter, food taste sweeter, and life more peaceful. Prayerfully, when you see your mate, she or he still gives you butterflies in your stomach and that googly-eyed look. But to have tranquillity in your mate, you have to possess tranquillity in your heart. A heart entrenched in Allah’s mercy, forgiveness, and security will allow you to exhibit those same characteristics to the mate that He has granted you.

To truly have a tranquil relationship, you must be able to exemplify it daily by giving more than 100%. You have to learn how to forget and remember. I know—an oxymoron—but reflect on it. You have to forget the negative things: the mistakes, the misspoken words, the mess-ups that your mate did, and you have to remember the good times, the great moments, and the fact that Ar-Raheem (The Most Merciful), Al-Wadud (The Loving) granted you a mate. Be grateful to Him by reflecting on what He has given you, and then treat your mate with the utmost care.

And let the legacy of your relationship be so honorable that the generations to follow will speak of it with admiration.

— DF

We’re 11 days from completing the 60-Day Reading. This week, the brothers picked the following ayat:

“Whatever misfortune happens to you, it is because of the things your hands have wrought, and for many He grants forgiveness.”
Surah 42:30

It’s easy to point the finger. We even develop creative ways to shift the blame. “If you didn’t do this, I wouldn’t have had to do that.” Or, “I had no choice.” The government. The economy. Race. Sex. This or that. We play the victim as if there is honor in being the victim.

No, we have to exchange victim mindsets into victor mindsets by taking full responsibility for our actions. We have to become adept at owning up to our mistakes. See, people will forgive an honest mistake or a bad decision. However, what most people despise are the brazen justifications—you know, the kind that seem to guarantee a second offense. We reason our actions and even season our apologies with excuses. But if we want victory, we have to shun excuses. We have to take responsibility, rectify our behavior, and take every opportunity to amend the situation.

And perhaps, Allah will grant us forgiveness and change our misfortunes into great fortunes.

— DF

We're almost finished with the 60 Day Reading Schedule. Look at the most reflective ayat for the week. I call it, “Favor ain't fair!”

“What! Do those who seek evil ways think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous deeds, that their life and death will be equal? Ill is the judgement they make.”
Surah 45:21

People are quick to envy. They see someone grinding and striving and pushing and pulling. They see the fruits of the labor, i.e., material or spiritual success, and hate bubbles up. They get salty. They get hypothetical: “If I had what he/she had… If I went to such and such school… If I only had a chance, I would have…”

If. If? If!

But “If” is not biased to race, sex, or socioeconomic status. If is like the truth; it is what it is. See, “If” we want to be favored in this life and the Hereafter, we have to be obedient to The Creator. We have to believe and do good deeds, as a way of life. Og Magdino once said to develop good habits and become a slave to them. Good advice, but better advice is: Believe in Allah, and become a servant to Him. Then watch how Allah bestows favor on His Servant.

And know this: the haters will point their fingers and cry about favoritism… and they are correct. Favor ain't Fair… but when you got it, it sure feels good.

— DF