Imaan

“(Remember) when the wife of Imran said: "O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.

Then when she gave birth to her (child), she said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child," - and Allah knew better what she brought forth, - "And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaitan, the outcast.”

So her Lord accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariyyah. Every time he entered Al-Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam! From where have you got this?" She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit."

Quran ~ Surah Maryam; 35-37 

I named her Imaan because it was and is the most precious thing to me, or for any Muslim for that matter. Faith. I also named her so hoping that she’d live up to her name and would become one of His most faithful servants. The name would also remind me that my love for her is or should be connected to my faith in Him. My love for her, yes, even her, should only be for His sake. 

When she was born, as much as I was ecstatic, I had only seen her as the 1st among my many children. We plan and Allah plans, and indeed Allah is the best of planners. She is but perhaps destined to be my only child after all. Am I disappointed? Sad? None. Alhamdulillah. Because I know for a surety that my Creator and Maintainer knows me and what’s best for me more than I do. 

“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you, And perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you.” Quran 2:216 

It is the sheer beauty of the deen of The Most Beautiful that whatever situations you are in, you’ll find examples of the same in stories of the role models He introduces to us in His holy book. Allah has some special people who were an only-child. To begin with, our own beloved prophet صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّم was an only child; Maryam, whom a whole chapter in the Quran is named after and has been honoured above all women, is not known to have had any siblings; Eisa عليه السلام, her son and her legacy, the one who was of miraculous birth, is an only child; Yahya عليه السلام was an only child born to Zakariyyah عليه السلام in his old age as a sign from Allah. Ismail عليه السلام was his mother’s only child and so was Ishaq عليه السلام. 

I’m certain that if Allah wills, He can grant me barakah through a single child than what I would have hoped to get through 10 children combined. 

Oh Allah, just as you accepted Maryam from her mother, accept my daughter from me in your service too. And just as her, I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaitan, the outcast. 

‎رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَاماً

“Our Lord! Grant us from among our spouses and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of the righteous.”

Ameen 

—————————————————

And for those sisters, who do not even have one child, you have a beautiful example in our mother Aisha رضي الله عنها, perhaps you have a mission as big as hers 💗

—————————————————

1. Imaan's Vanilla Cupcake
2. Imaan's Kiddy Kurry
3. Imaan's Ramadan Classes for Kids
4. Imaan's Free Printable Ramadan Banners