Aliya D
@alinasu33
Advocate, Educator
🧵 1/4 In Islam, there is a concept called "rizq". Its literal meaning is "provision", but it’s much bigger than money. Your health can be rizq. Your family, friendships, knowledge, opportunities, food, work and even your time can be rizq.
Made it!!! But just barely.... PS I like you approach to life...a dip helps a lot of things:)
When baking choc chip cookies, it's a norm for me to burn at least one set. Final tray in oven... fingers crossed.
On the trending topic of "Apology" The value of an apology is not found in the words themselves. It is found in whether someone has taken the time to understand the hurt they have caused. 🧵1/4
Saw this gem on a friend's social media page and just had to share it with you all here. 🙂
From rural America to litigating in Miami, I never imagined I'd sit at national security tables advocating for communities that experienced "othering", targeting by extremists, or being directly impacted by terrorism. An affirming aspect of this recognition is seeing the advocacy acknowledged. 2/3
An Unexpected Honour. Recently I was presented with a letter & a silver coin by NZ Security Intelligence Service, a recognition traditionally given only to departing staff. I was surprised and honoured. Through IWCNZ advocacy , I spent years contributing to NZ 's national security space. 🧵1/3
Ramadan is about aiming to do what is right...consistently, returning, realigning, trying again. If you felt even a moment of sincerity, trust, comfort, that mattered. Hold onto that. Don’t leave it behind with the month. Eid Mubarak! May the good you built remain with you.
Democracy does not happen through an algorithm (and it was never meant to). You can change the situation. Be the diplomat your community needs. Be the advocate the world needs. 5/5
Ramadan – Juz 22 reflects on Al-Fattah, the Opener. Sometimes people think they are too far from Allah, that too many doors have closed. But if the thought of returning is still in your heart, something somewhere is already open. Often the door was not even shut. We just hadn’t seen it yet
In Ramadan’s last 10 days, Juz 21 reminds us: In a “you do you” world, Allah represents Truth. Trends shift. Feelings change. What is liked today may be rejected tomorrow. To believe in Allah is to go beyond ego, trends, the moment. In a changing world, hold onto what does not change->the Truth
Ramadan – Day 20 Reflection Juz 20 asks: who created, guides, provides, and answers the desperate? Modern life makes us see systems and people. We need to search deeper. Allah asks us to see beyond the layers to understand how the world was built and who sustains it.
My Juz 19 Ramadan reflection: Standing for truth will bring resistance, so faithful must remain firm and not become arrogant. Hardship and ease are both tests. Hardship calls for patience, ease calls for gratitude and humility. No sincere effort is ever wasted with Allah.
My Ramadan takeaway for Juz 18: Inner humility leads to success and the Qur’an offers nourishment and guidance. Life is brief, our opportunities to change are not endless. We will be judged on efforts we make. Be patient. Try. Every effort matters. Create the record you want to stand upon.
My Juz 17 takeaway We're placed here with purpose. Oppression tests the oppressed, oppressor, AND those watching. Our response matters. We were meant to act justly, not wait. Resistance takes many forms: stand firm, migrate, speak out, defend others. Justice may come later, but the test is now.
Juz 16 highlights lived experiences of faith. Musa, Maryam, Zakariya, Ibrahim all faced moments of uncertainty. Yet Allah guided them step by step. These examples serve as guides for us. He is Al-Malik, the One in control. Be patient with the unfolding and ask: My Lord, increase me in knowledge.
Juz 15 reminds us the struggle between truth and falsehood will continue. Shaytan’s aim is to “bridle” people, by controlling them through fear, desire, and manipulation. Liberation comes from holding steady and ensuring our choices are steered by what is right. .
Earlier this year my high school inducted me into its Hall of Fame. The plaque arrived this week, reminding me on how many people invested in my education, encouraging free thought. Those foundations still steady me today. Grateful for the start I had. As we used to say at Pine River, I’m PRoud.
Nearing halfway through Ramadan, my Juz 13 reflection: We're as dependent on God outside the womb as when inside it. Just now we're accountable. When the story feels unclear, don’t fast-forward to despair. God knows what we do not. What unfolds does so with a wider purpose than we see.
A question from a talk last night: “We believe in Allah, but do we believe Allah?” Juz 12 answers how to : • Stay firm, even when it's the hardest • Protection doesn’t always look like ease • Closeness grows with sincerity • Silence may be quiet care • Keep going, trust the outcome long term.
Juz 11 is simple and direct: if you want to return to Allah, the path is open. No games, no pretending. He already knows what’s in our hearts. When faith feels low, don’t pull away. Stay close to honourable people who help you stay steady. Ramadan Day 11 Reflection. Still trying.
My Ramadan reflection for Juz 10 is that Allah is aware of all things, open and secret and knows what is in actors' hearts. Also: • Oppression does not erase dignity or truth • Unity with the suffering is a form of moral courage • Justice is bigger than the moment (including this one)
Juz 9 & last night’s IWCNZ Auckland iftar reminded me of the power of God’s Names: Most Loving, Most Merciful, Protector, Helper. • His mercy is vast, closeness deepens it • Do your part, trust the outcomes • Setbacks open doors to growth & learning • What feels huge becomes lighter with Him
Juz 8’s reflection: You control your effort, but not the outcome. Choose grounded optimism, not denial or despair. Don’t let popularity decide what’s true. Keep doing good, even when no one notices.
Early morning Juz 7 reflections: We only see fragments, whereas Allah sees the whole. Pain does not equate to proof of abandonment. What we witness is real, but the picture is simply incomplete to us. Stability comes from staying anchored to the Qur’an. Not all answers belong to this life.