Sailing Through The Ocean of Dunya

As-salam alaikum my beautiful sis!

I hope this meets you in the best of iman and health in sha Allah.

Dunya is like the ocean in many ways. It’s cold and dark, just like the bottom of the ocean, but it’s also radiant and full of life, just like when the sun’s rays gently touch the surface of the ocean.

It can be tough coasting through life. The calm tide sets in—everything is smooth sailing, and you’re enjoying the ride. Then, suddenly, a wave comes crashing down on you. You become engulfed in the waters, trying to grasp onto air, hoping the wave doesn’t finally consume you.

Like the ocean, dunya comes with its calm tides and violent waves—unexpectedly and impactfully—leaving you struggling to stay afloat.

As I reflect on this beautiful journey we call life, I begin to realise how meaningless life would be if we didn’t have Allah—if we didn’t have His Love guiding us, intricately shaping each wave of life to make sure that we never get engulfed by it.

Allah. His name alone sends chills down the spines of the believers. It eases every worry and warms every heart—a heart that seeks Him, that is, not one that is defiant and arrogant.

As I write this to you, I’m unsure of what words to use to describe the feelings in my heart—the feeling of immense joy, comfort, and ease that comes with the realisation that it is Allah’s Love and Mercy that truly keep us going. Without truly internalising and believing this, sis, you and I risk wandering through life, heavy with burden.

It is Allah’s Love for us that we exist. Allah creates with purpose and with reason. The fact that we were intentionally created by the Most Merciful and then guided to Him and His deen is proof of Allah’s Love for us. You don’t see the one you love heading toward destruction and leave them to run toward it, only to end up harming themselves.

He gives and He withholds for your sake. He only ever wants good for you. How can He will bad for you when all that He is is Good, and He hates hurting His faithful servant? (Hadith 25, 40 Hadith Qudsi).

Allah—His love—is the most beautiful, profound expression of love to ever exist. Allah doesn’t do anything without purpose, and He created you and me for a reason. Whenever you feel insignificant in this world, remember that you were and are significant enough to Allah for Him to say Kun (be) to your existence.

Dunya is like the ocean—calm, chaotic, and beautiful. And just like a man at sea needs his life jacket to stay afloat, we need Allah’s Love to stay afloat in this “ocean” we call life.

Ibn al-Qayyim (raḥimahullāh) writes:

“The heart in its journey to Allah is like a bird. Love is its head, and fear and hope are its two wings. When the head is healthy, then the two wings will fly well. When the head is cut off, the bird will die. When either of the two wings is damaged, the bird becomes vulnerable to every hunter and predator.”

So, my dear sis, to sail through the ocean of dunya, you need to truly believe in and internalise His Love for you. Find all the beautiful manifestations of His Love in your life. Search tirelessly for them, and you will come up with an abundance of situations, in sha Allah. Only then, my dear sis, will you realise that nothing else matters but Him, and no love compares to His.

With love,

Latifah.

Founder, Tifah & Co.