Back pain

Killing, Miserable, Torturing, Cruel, Punishing and unbearable....that's lower back pain for you. One minute you are sitting in class, taking notes on Machiavelli and his thoughts on building a principality, and the next minute you have this stabbing pain in your sacral spine. Its like someone is cutting your lumbar discs (the fourth and fifth part of your vertebra) and ligaments .... its bitter and agonizing.
Pain can greatly incapacitate a person. Like I couldn't walk yesterday at all. The pain in my lower back was so scathing, it paralyzed the left side of my body, waist down. Every time I tried to lift my leg, it felt like my bones were being smashed and crumbled against each other. We all had cavitities when we were kids. If you ever had a tooth pulled out or got braces, you know you can't speak for days. Everything from your gum, your tongue and jaw to your ear and your brain hurts. You can't even open your mouth. Then there is migraine... brittle pain throbbing in the head. It makes you all woozy and nauseous until you pull your hair, throw up and/or pass out.

Pain made me remember how delicate the human body really is. The tiniest thing can disturb your system and destroy your life. Like slouching or sitting for too long, playing intense sports or sleeping on a broken mattress, skipping meals or taking unnecessary stress - all these things seem like nonissues but they add up over time and before you know it, you are in bed, crying and praying to Allah for health. Because if you are sick, you can't go to school or go see your family. You can't offer Salah with khushu or spend time on da'wah. Who wants to live all crippled and dependent?

My advise to everyone is...take care of yourselves. Maintain your health, eat properly and sleep well. No I don't mean cake and coke or twenty minute power nap on the coach. I mean bread, lentils, chicken, milk, salads and fresh fruit juices. Sleep 4-5 hours at night etc. Work out everyday - even if it is a light jog and weight training. Your body is your weapon. You need it to do the work of your dreams, so build it accordingly...

My other advise is...remember Allah. Wallahi when you are in pain, you think of nothing and no one else except for Allah subhana wat3ala. Usely when we need advise, we call our teacher. When we are eating, we miss our family and friends (how does it feel to have iftaar alone? yeah....) But when we are in pain, we want to be as close to Allah as possible. The Prophet (s.a.w) said that Allah has declared that "He is with those who remember Him" -Bukhari. Our hearts find rest and comfort when we remember Allah, الا بذكر الله تطمن القلوب - Qur'an,13:28.

From the deeds that was most beloved to the Prophet (s.a.w) was saying, سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا اله الا الله والله اكبر - Bukhari.

If you want Allah to forgive you, protect you from shaytan... if you want to do a deed that will fill the scales on the Day of Judgment, that will enter you in Jannah and save you from hellfire....then remember Allah :)

The Prophet (s.a.w) said, whoever recites, لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له, له الملك وله الحمد, وهو علي كولي شيء قدير a 100 times in a day will receive a reward of a 100 good deeds and forgiveness of 100 sins and protection from shaytan - Bukhari and Muslim .

Prophet (s.a.w) said saying, سبحان الله وبحمده, سبحان الله العظيم will be heavy on the scales (it will fill the scales - Allah knows best) - Bukhari and Muslim.

Saying لاحول ولا قوة الا بالله is from the treasure of Jannah - Tirmidhi.

Saying اللهم اجرني من النار seven times delievers one from hellfire (if one dies the same day as making this supplication). - Abu Dawood, Mishkaat.

We have all this free time walking up and down the stairs, room to room, making the bed, taking out paper, doing the dishes, waiting for lecture to start....we let our mind wander aimlessly during these moments. Remember Allah...talk to Him, thank Him, glorify Him, ask for His forgiveness, ask for His blessings and you will never feel alone or helpless or unhappy inshaAllah. If you take the Handhold of Allah, it will never break.
The pain reminded me that Allah is always with us with His Knowledge. Even when we forget Allah, He Sees us, Hears us and He is aware of everything we do. لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد يحي و يميت وهو حي لا يموت بيده الخير وهو علي كل شيء قدر There is no one worthy of worship except Allah, He is no one like Him. He is the Master with authority and ownership, for Him is all praise. He is the Everliving, the Everlasting. He gives life without dying. In His Hand is goodness and He has power over all.

You will notice some people will break a nail and lamenting, "O Woe is me" while others will go through something a million times more severe and still smile. They'll praise Allah in every condition. الحمد لله علي كل حال,
Why? Because...
حسبنا الله نعم الوكيل Allah is sufficient for me (because) He is the Best of Trustee.  بسم الله توكلت علي الله لا حول ولا قوة الا باالله In the Name of Allah I rely and surrender myself. There is no strength besides Allah. No matter what happens, there is no reason to panic or loose your cool because rest assured, it is from permission of Allah. Say, اعوذ بعزة الله و قدرته من شر ما اجد واحاذر - l seek refuge in Allah's Honour and His Authority from the harm that I face and fear. Yes, I admit, there will be times we'll feel bleak and frustrated. Like because of my back pain, I was thinking about this kid who had Spinal Muscular Atrophy. He was in a wheelchair since he was two years old. All sorts of crazy ideas were storming my head. What if I can never walk again you know? From time to time, we might get "what if" thoughts...Again turn to Allah,
 يا حي يا قيوم برحمتك استغيث O Everliving, Everlasting, I seek your help with Your Mercy.

Alhamdulillah I am getting better. I am grateful that I had this experience. It helped me realize how much I need Allah; for every second of my existence, I lean entirely on Him.

إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allāh often and the women who do so – for them Allāh has prepared forgiveness and a great reward. [Qur'an, 33:35]