“O believers! Respond to Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah stands between a person and their heart, and that to Him you will all be gathered.” [8:24]

This was the ayah that inspired the Name of Allah I walked with today. Allah calls us to respond to Him and the Messenger ﷺ when we are called to that which gives us life. As I reflected on what it was, in this moment, that Allah could be referring to, the Qur’an came to mind.

I thought of all those years when I carried a gaping hole in my heart, one that nothing and nobody could fill. Although my heart was still connected to the Qur’an, the connection was nothing short of a dying ember. Still, I am grateful that it was never completely extinguished.

During those years, I carried a void in my heart where the Qur’an belonged. And deep down, I knew nothing else was ever going to fill that space except Allah, through this Qur’an.

And truly, it is Allah Al-Hayy, The Ever-Living, The Source of Life, who “stands between a person and their heart.” He is the One who gives life to what is lifeless. The One who revives what seems beyond revival.

“And among His signs is that you see the earth devoid of life, but as soon as We send down rain upon it, it begins to stir ˹to life˺ and swell. Indeed, the One Who revives it can easily revive the dead. He is certainly Most Capable of everything.” [41:39]

He revives lifeless land by pouring rain upon it, and He causes a seed buried beneath the earth to sprout. In the same way, it was surely He who gave life back to my heart when it was in a drought and felt lifeless.

Al-Hayy gave life back to my heart through this Qur’an. Since then, my heart has only increased in its yearning and longing for more life, for intimate closeness, for the sweetness of worship, and for the quiet moments of being alone with Him ﷻ.

Today, I carried the Name Al-Hayy with me, my heart overwhelmed with gratitude for this gift: the recognition that I can only find true life through Him. What I once thought was living before was only surviving. Real life began the moment my heart returned to the Qur’an.

Ya Rabb, Ya Hayy, continue to give life back to my heart whenever everything else causes it to feel devoid of life. Ya Allah, Ya Hayy, make the Qur’an the light of my life and the spring of my heart. Allow my heart to find joy, freedom, and life through closeness to You.

Ya Hayy, fill my heart with life and grow it in closeness to You until I reach the level of intimate nearness, where I find pleasure in worshipping You and in being alone with You.

Ya Rabb, Ya Hayy, allow my heart to let go of this world and its distractions, and instead cling to that which pleases You. Increase my heart in love for You. O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your path and do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye.

With Love,

Ibtisam