The Weight We Carry, The Trust We Need
By Hamsah Ahmed
Sometimes we question ourselves and our lives because of the overwhelming responsibilities piled on our shoulders. We begin to examine the rights and wrongs, the pros and cons, because our spirit pushes us forward and refuses to let us stay stagnant. Yet, as human beings, we often resist that inner pull. We hold ourselves back because, deep down, we struggle to trust Allah. But if we lack trust in our Creator, how can we truly trust ourselves?
We resist the direction our spirit leans toward because we convince ourselves that we know what’s best. What we fail to realize is that by doing so, we are also resisting what Allah knows is best for us. In difficult moments, sadness and anxiety cloud our judgment, overshadowing our focus and the plans we were so determined to achieve.
I am my own example of this—wanting to control every aspect of my life, every outcome, everything. And unsurprisingly, nothing went according to my plans. It left me overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed. But when I looked back months or even years later, I was grateful. I realized that if things had gone the way I wanted, they would not have ended well for me or for the people around me.
We are like the weather; we move through seasons. Some are gloomy, and some bloom with roses. But every season passes. Each one leaves us a little more alive, a little happier, more experienced, and more mature. We grow mentally and spiritually, strengthening our future relationships—with others, with ourselves, and most importantly, with Allah.
In the Qur’an and the Hadith, Allah reminds us: “When you have decided, then rely upon Allah.” So why do we stress? We fear slipping into sadness and despair without remembering the trust and tawakkul Allah urges us to hold in our hearts.
In our society, being a risk-taker or trusting deeply is often seen as weakness—as if surrendering to Allah’s plan will lead to failure. But in reality, the strongest are those who can let go completely, viewing their problems not as a heavy meal to swallow but as crumbs to be brushed away.
