Summary

A pregnant woman faced verbal abuse in a Masjid but chose forgiveness, leading to an unexpected and heartwarming friendship.

Abstract

The author, who was eight months pregnant, experienced a distressing encounter at a local Masjid when another attendee harshly accused her of raising a potential terrorist due to her child's behavior. Despite the hurtful words, she found solace in a verse from the Holy Quran and chose to respond with peace, praying for the woman's replacement with a compassionate companion and for her son's future as a leader of kindness. Her prayers were answered when she met Grandma Kawther, a loving and selfless friend who has since become a significant support in her life. The author reflects on the transformative power of forgiveness and the rewards that come from leaving trials in God's hands.

Opinions

The author believes that trials can be treasures when entrusted to God.
She emphasizes the importance of kindness and generosity, especially during the month of Ramadan.
The author values the teachings of Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, which guided her response to the situation.
She holds a strong opinion that forgiveness leads to divine rewards and inner peace, as opposed to harboring grudges, which she likens to a mental prison.
The author is grateful for the unexpected friendship that emerged from a difficult situation, considering it a priceless gift from God.
She suggests that making positive choices, such as choosing peace over rage, can have a lasting impact on one's life and the world around them.

She Called Me A Terrorist — And My Reward From God Was Priceless

Trials Are Treasures When You Leave It To God.

I was eight months pregnant when my family and I visited the local Masjid in Tustin, California, for Taraweeh Prayer ( It’s a set of prayers performed during the month of Ramadan).

A lady was praying when we arrived. I quietly tried to attend to my little ones to keep them calm, but one of my kids, who has ADHD, escaped my sight and ran in front of the lady.

The Nightmare Began

The moment she finished her prayer, the lady came rushing towards me with rage like a wildfire.

She said, “Do you know why there are many terrorists in the world killing people? it is because mothers like you who raise kids like yours who run around the masjid.” while pointing her finger on my head.

I honestly felt like a stab of knives went to my heart.

Those words were heavy; it led me to burst into tears. My anxiety came flooding every part of me.

I was in total SHOCK of how heartless one can be, especially in the house of God.

And especially in the month of Ramadan, where we as Muslims suppose to be more kind and generous than all the previous months of the entire year because now our deeds are multiplied fifty times for every act of good we do.

I tried to breathe and remembered a verse from the Holy Quran from a recent class by my favorite teacher in the world Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan.

The Verse that Changed Everything

The Holy Quran, Surah Al-Furqan — 25:63 Almighty Allah says,

“And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace}”

I whispered to my heart and said, Today, I will honor my God, My excellent teacher Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, by doing my best to put this verse into action. I gathered my kids and didn’t say a word but peace.

Yes, I could have given her a piece of me. Yes, I could have called my African American sisters who would put her in her place because I know from the depth of my heart those sisters of mine though we may not share the same womb they would stand up for me no matter what was cracking!

But I wanted a priceless rewards from My Wonderful God. I chose forgiveness and handing my brokenness, my shattered heart, to Him.

I Pour all Out In Prayers

While I was sitting outside and fighting the tears, I said, God, replace this lady with a golden companion and forgive this lady for the scars she left in me.

And bless my son and make him a leader who spreads kindness, love, and compassion.

Few mins later, God brought my prayers to fruition, and He gave me a noble, diamond, priceless companion named Kawther Khureshi. I call her Grandma Kawther.

Gift From Heaven

When the time came to leave, I had to go back to the Masjid to get the purse that I forgot, and there she was, Grandma Kawther, who embraced me with profound love and told me not to cry. She’s from Pakistan, in her 70s, and she has a heart that loves God.

It has been six years since the incident. With all those years behind me, my diamond gift friend has been my biggest supporter. I mean, who willfully volunteers, especially someone of her age, to babysit eight kids?

In this time we live in, you’ll find some people who are blood-related to you don’t have the time to call in and check on you, yet here God gave me a priceless friend who’d be mad at me if I didn’t deliver the kids to her house. She watched my seven kids for two days while I had to go to the hospital to deliver baby number eight.

She brings clothes, cash gifts for the kids, furniture, special invites to her mansion for her out-of-this-world Chapli Burgers. Once in a while, she comes to kidnap me from the kids to gift me with peace of mind.

All of that kindness and compassion she selflessly serves my family and me is beyond what I thought possible.

Here are the gems I leave you with:

Gut-wrenching moments and all types of trials, if handled with patience and loaded off to the Hands of God, trust me, He’ll most definitely replace it with countless rewards in your life from sources that will leave you in chills and awe!

Forgive those who wrong you not because they deserve it because your soul deserves peace. When we hold on to grudges, it puts us in a mental prison to keep reliving past pain, leading to unhealthy relationship to your body.

No matter your life circumstances, you have a FREE will to make the BEST choices in your life. You can always choose peace over responding with rage, and the message you send out to the world will echo back to you.

Interested in reading more of my stories? Then come on over and say hello @ my website: www.withlovezahra.com

Stay safe, be a blessing, stay blessed.