Victory

Written by: Chereen

“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Verily, We have given you a manifest victory.” – Surat Al-Fath, Verse 1

I want to be truthful with you.

I pass by this place every single day, yet yesterday was the first day I saw this sign. I parked next to it and scanned it for fresh paint, but it was apparent that it had been there for some time.

I read the verse, and then I read it again. There had to be a reason I was just now seeing it. God blesses us with signs and those signs are profound and incredibly meaningful. In this case, I literally came across a sign.

This sign led me to spend hours reading about Surat Al-Fath. It inspired me to listen to talks and gain a bit of understanding on this amazing Chapter in the Quran. My heart has been achingly missing Makkah and Madina, and reading this Chapter calmed down the longing.

There is so much to be said about Surat Al-Fath, so many necessary reminders for the soul. I concluded; genuinely feeling that the greatest victory is truly forgiveness, and our goal is to always seek forgiveness from God.

From one of the talks I listened to, it reminded me of Prophet Muhammad’s (Pbuh) patience, and his patience is so inspiringly beautiful.

I took away reminders to put in my heart and the focus of them were on forgiveness, patience, and relying on God. These were just a few of the many reminders that could be learned from this deep Surah.

When I woke up today, the verse was ringing in my head. “Verily, we have given you a clear victory.” I went along with my morning, and then something happened.

I got into a car accident.

It wasn’t severe, but it did leave damage. The person that hit me was incredibly receptive and peaceful, but it’s sometimes inevitable for someone to not see their faults. We exchanged information and went our separate ways, as we left believing we were both right.

I could have gone into it angrily, but I forgave before I stepped out of the car. I relied on God to guide me and support me, and I remembered the Prophet’s patience. Car accidents require immense patience, and I would take deep breaths before I reacted.

I went along with my morning and he let me know that he had gone to the police station before me and reported the accident. It was a respectful and peaceful conversation that ended on a positive note.

Still, we both thought we were each right.

I went to the police station on my own and took deep breaths. I reminded myself to have tawakkul and spoke calmly throughout. The police were absolutely amazing and kind, and it left me feeling at ease.

I remembered that this moment didn’t define my personality. I reminded myself that I had forgiven, and the greatest victory is forgiveness. I remembered that it was in the hands of God.

I took a deep breath and I smiled throughout.

Can I be honest with you? I was born with a temper and it takes me effort to control it. But I did, and I did it for the sake of God.

I walked out today uttering the verse in Arabic. Indeed, there are reminders for those who believe. And you’re probably wondering who was correct. I want to let you know that alhamdulilah, it was peacefully stated that I was right. I started off today thinking it was destined to be a bad day and I snapped out of that negative thinking real quick, because God had different plans for me.

May I never forget when I need him the most, that everything is going to be alright with Him by my side.