The First Voice

A few years ago, a former international cricket player shared a story with me that I have never forgotten. During a cricket tour, two legends of Pakistani cricket, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram, had an argument. Hoping to help bring some peace between them, Wasim reached out to Saqlain Mushtaq, a respected teammate known for his faith, wisdom, and calm nature. Saqlain agreed to speak with Miandad. He sat down with him and shared a couple of Hadith and a story from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be u about brotherhood, forgiveness, reconciliation, and letting go. Miandad listened quietly. When Saqlain finished, Miandad looked at him and said something that made everyone laugh: The Hadith you just shared with me, are they only for Wasim's side? Do you have any Hadith that support my side too? The tension broke. Everyone laughed, and they moved on. I have always remembered that story because there is something very human about it. We all want to be heard. ...

When I was in fourth or fifth grade, there was a story in our Urdu textbook that I still remember to this day. It was a simple story about integrity, doing the right thing even when no one is watching, and remembering that Allah always knows what we are doing. Here are a few words I still remember from the story:  It was early morning. A father had just finished milking the cow. He wanted to add water to the milk so he could make more money. His young daughter was watching him. She told him, “Abu, this is not right. What if the Khalifa finds out? You will be in trouble.” The father replied, “The Khalifa is not here. No one knows, and no one is watching us.” The daughter quietly answered, “But Allah is watching us.” That little story stayed somewhere in my heart for many years. Fast-forward many years. My daughter is now 15. One day, we were sitting in the car near our home. The traffic light turned red. There were no cars coming from either direction. She looked at me and said, “Wh...

This morning, I was sitting in my backyard, having a morning cup of coffee as usual, when I looked at the palm tree in a way I had never seen it before.   I noticed something amazed me. As the leaves grow older and reach the middle of their journey, they begin to split and slowly become part of the tree itself. With time, they become part of its history. They may no longer look like the fresh, beautiful leaves at the top, but they have served their purpose. They helped the tree grow a little taller, a little stronger, and made room for new leaves to emerge above them. And, then I realized something: isn’t life much like a leaf? As we grow older, we have children who eventually take our place, just as new leaves grow where the older ones were. We make room for them to grow, while supporting them with everything we have learned along the way. As we continue to grow older, our responsibility becomes bigger than just raising our own children. Through our actions, our words, our...

It is a way of living We often think wisdom is something we can learn quickly, perhaps by attending a weekend webinar, taking an online course, or reading a few self-help books. But critical thinking and wisdom are not things we receive at the end of a course. They are not certificates we can hang on a wall or qualifications we can add to a résumé. They are qualities we develop through the way we live, the choices we make, and the way we respond to life every day. True wisdom, in my view, begins when we start living the life our Creator, Allah Kareem, intended for us. It begins with understanding ourselves, accepting that life will not always go according to our plans, and learning to face each day with two simple but powerful qualities: patience and gratitude. These may sound like simple words, but practicing them can completely change the way we see life. As a squash coach, I see this lesson on the court all the time. You don't become a great player by learning complicated ...

 It's Simpler Than We Think Last night, I went to our local Masjid for Isha prayer and stayed to listen to a talk by a marriage counselor and life coach. He spoke about the four methods of communication, and it was an eye-opening reminder of how easily misunderstandings happen—even when two people have the absolute best intentions. It reminded me of a simple truth: most relationship problems don’t start because people stop loving each other. They start because people stop understanding each other.   In any relationship, especially between a husband and a wife, we bring in assumptions, misinterpretations, and silent expectations. On my drive home, I couldn’t help but ask myself: why do so many couples who start their journey full of deep love slowly drift apart over time? There isn’t one simple answer, but drawing from mentors, older couples, years of coaching, and my own life experiences, here are a few principles that can help build a love that actually lasts.   Fi...

Life has a way of throwing heavy things at us. We face moments that feel impossible to handle, times when people make our lives difficult, and seasons where everything seems to go wrong. These challenges come from everywhere — strangers, friends, and sometimes even our own family. And beyond what others do to us, there are the moments we've crossed our own boundaries, the times we've felt like we've done things that can't be undone or erased. I want you to know that Allah's mercy is greater than every mistake, sin, or shortfall we have ever committed. It is easy to feel broken by these experiences. But if we change how we look at hardship, we realize something profound: every single difficulty in our life can serve us ultimate good. This is simple, though not always easy: stay grounded, be completely honest with ourself, and turn back to Allah Kareem through sincere repentance as often as we can. A Lesson from the Beginning To understand this, we can look at the ...

We're all chasing happiness in one way or another. Money, success, recognition, a nicer house, we tell ourselves that once we get there, we'll finally feel okay. But plenty of people who have all of that still feel hollow inside. Maybe happiness isn't something you stumble on. Maybe it's something you grow. Looking back on my own life, I keep coming back to three habits that seem to move the needle more than anything else: Gratitude Giving Movement What I love about these three is that anyone can do them. You don't need money, talent, or perfect circumstances. Most of the time, all you need is to actually mean it. Gratitude  When you start paying attention to what you have instead of what you're missing, something shifts. Suddenly you notice things you'd stopped seeing: That first cup of coffee in the morning. Breathing without thinking about it. A body that mostly works the way it's supposed to. Family who love you. A friend who texts just...

  "Silence is the language of God; all else is poor interpretation."   Rumi Before writing a single word, I am deeply mindful that my writing has flaws, as I am a human being with plenty of shortcomings. I simply consider myself lucky and very cautious, to try to put into words the experiences that help me in my life. Just a few lessons learned from the life of the Prophet Muhammad ( Peace be upon him). This is just a glimpse, a single drop, or perhaps even less than a tiny shabnam (morning dew) from an ocean that is infinitely deep and wide. Hazrat Aisha (RA) beautifully summarized Muhammad ( Peace be upon him).  Essence, when she said: "His  PBUH character was the Qur'an." The philosopher Muhammad Rafiuddin also noted that the Qur'an is the word of Allah Kareem and that this universe is the work of Allah Kareem during the life of the Prophet Muhammad ( Peace be upon him).   You can find both elements intertwined. Prophet Muhammad PBUH did not just ...

I hope the blessed morning of Arafah brings peace, mercy, and happiness to our brothers and sisters in Islam and to all of humanity. Ameen. While sitting in the masjid this morning for Fajr prayer, and listening to Imam Zaid speak about the preparation for Eid al-Adha prayers and share a few beautiful Hadith related to this blessed occasion, I wrote down a few thoughts that were coming into my heart. One thing many of us regularly do is come to the masjid to pray. Yet we often forget to recognize the people who dedicate their lives to serving the masjid and the community, including our imams and countless volunteers. Today, I especially want to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices of our imams. They help ensure that the masjid remains not only a place of worship, but also a sanctuary where communities can grow and thrive with the values we hope to pass on to future generations. They are there before most of us arrive and remain long after everyone leaves. Imams live in the same ...

Life has a strange way of teaching us the most valuable lessons. Sometimes those lessons come from successful people, mentors, books, or difficult experiences. But once in a while, life sends a teacher so unexpected and so simple that it changes your soul forever. For me, that teacher was a mother Killdeer bird. One morning, I arrived at my office and parked my car as usual. As I walked toward the building on the same path I had taken countless times before, I noticed something different on the gravel near the entrance. The office administration had placed safety cones around a small area and blocked people and cars from crossing through it. At first, I did not understand why. But as I looked closer, I saw a small bird sitting quietly on the gravel. Instinctively, I changed my direction and carefully walked around her. At that moment, I had no idea that I was standing in front of one of the greatest teachers life would ever send me. Every morning after that, I started stopping to obser...

A Simple Idea That Could make a difference in one life at a time. One morning, I went out to get some bagels for my daughters from a bagel shop near my house. It was a quick trip, just picking up breakfast for my daughters as they were getting ready for school. Their bagel request came at the very last minute as they woke up, and I did not have much time to think just went and got it done. As I was driving I saw on the other side of the road a big sort of object but when I got nearby I saw a woment holding her hand and crying with pain and all her belonging on a shopping cart near by her. I felt havey in my  heart. I wanted to go and check on her but I knew if I go I wont be able to make it on time to take breakfast and drop them to school. I called 911. The man on the phone told me help was on the way. On my way back, I grabbed a bagel, a coffee, and some water to bring to her. But by the time I returned, she was gone. I left the food by her cart and prayed that she is ok. It hit ...

A Simple Idea That Could make a difference in one life at a time. One morning, I went out to get some bagels for my daughters from a bagel shope near my house. It was a quick trip, just picking up breakfast for my daughters as there were getting ready for school there bagel request came a very last mint as they wakeup and I did not have much time to think just go and get it done. As I was driving I saw on the other side of the road a big sort of object but when I get near by I saw a women holding her hand and crying with pain and all her belonging on a shopping cart near by her. I felt heavy in my   heart. I wanted to go and check on her but I knew if I go I wont be able to make it on time to take breakfast and drop them to school. I called 911. The man on the phone told me help was on the way. On my way back, I grabbed a bagel, a coffee, and some water to bring to her. But by the time I returned, she was gone. I left the food by her cart and prayed that she is ok. It hit m...

Dear brothers and sisters of India, more than just fellow human beings, we are people who have lived together for centuries, sharing rich culture, history, struggles, and beautiful moments.   For hundreds of years, we have shared land, roots, and traditions. It is important to remind ourselves of a truth that is often forgotten: we, as Pakistanis, are not enemies of India. In fact, if you were to visit Pakistan, you would experience deep respect and hospitality, because our connection goes far beyond borders.   Our grandparents and their generations lived side by side. We share food, languages, traditions, and values that cannot be erased. Those of us living abroad see this clearly, Indians and Pakistanis are not enemies; they are friends, colleagues, and neighbors. They have the same dreams, same thoughts, and same concerns and hopes from life. A mutual respect develops because there are opportunities for people from these two nations to interact over a longer duration, i...

Lessons from a Lifetime of Learning Communication is the most vital skill we possess, yet it is rarely taught. We use it every single day, influencing the lives of everyone we encounter. Growing up in Pakistan, I didn't realize its weight until much later in life. As the saying goes, “If you learn from other people's mistakes, then no one will have to learn from yours.” I have paid the "full fee" for this lesson so that perhaps, by reading this, you won’t have to. 1. The Gap Between Knowledge and Delivery For years, I observed a common struggle in our communities. In Pakistan, I saw many people choose social obligations or even a popular TV drama over attending the masjid. The imam often expressed frustration that people were not attending the masjid as much as they should. It taught me a vital distinction: Having deep knowledge and communicating that knowledge are two entirely different skills. Many scholars possess immense wisdom from the Quran and Hadith, b...