As far as I remember, my children are connected to two specific du’as I made.

In Istanbul, at the grave of Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī, I prayed for a child who be a mujāhid. Our first child was born the following year mashallah.

In Iraq, at the shrine of the two martyred children of Muslim b. ʿAqīl, I prayed for a second child so that they could help each other be steadfast servants of Imam Husayn, upon him peace. Our second was born about 5 years later.

When the shaykh told the story in Muḥarram about the martyrdom of Muslim’s children, I completely lost it. I know I cannot protect my children forever, even as I would give my life for them.

So please pray for my children, and all the little ones of our Ummah who will face many struggles in the years to come. Pray that they are those who struggle against the injustices within themselves and in the wider world, and that they help one another to truth and to perseverance until they take their last breath. And for those who have already gone ahead, such as the thousands of children of Gaza, pray for their parents whose lives will never be the same until the moment they can rejoin their children in a world beyond fear and grief.

“Do people think once they say, ‘We believe,’ that they will be left without being put to the test? We certainly tested those before them. Allah will clearly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are liars.” [29.2-3]

ḥasbun Allāh wa niʿma al-wakīl

Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammad wa āli Muḥammad