By: Sr. Kanwal Malik Saba
“Put Surah Rehman on Mom!” my six year old beckoned me, as I tried to soothe my wailing baby. I smiled and put on Mishary Rashid Alafasy’s breath taking recitation of Surah Rehman on. This was a habit I had picked up after the birth of my daughter about a year ago. Her colic would come on promptly every night and nothing worked. No amounts of soothing, gripe water, or rocking etc. seemed to make a difference. Until one day, my older sister recommended that I put on Surah Rehman for the baby. She insisted it has healing powers!
As I struggled to google the Surah while trying to placate a very colicky baby I wondered how it would help. When I hit the play button, the most mesmerizing voice started playing. As I listened intently, a calm started spreading over me…I rocked the baby gently back and forth breathing in and out with the highs and lows of the Surah. The words of the Quran seemed to stir something deep within me “So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?” (55:13). Yes! How I can ever be grateful enough for all I have, I thought!
Dhikr, in Islam is remembering and glorifying Allah SWT. The Quran states “So (in return for all that) always remember and make mention of ME (when service to ME is due), that I may remember and make mention of you (when judgment and recompense are due); and give thanks to ME, and do not be ungrateful to ME” (Al-Baqarah Surah, 2:152).
The more I listened, the more relaxed I felt. Much to my surprise, the baby had dozed off! Feeling a huge sense of accomplishment I quickly realized the melodious tune of the Quran had done its magic. Every night after that, I put Surah Rehman on for the baby and within a few minutes she would fall asleep. It became such a routine that everyone knew as soon as the baby would get restless, to put the Surah on…and it worked every time!
A few of my friends commented that it only worked “if you believed it would work”! How could you not believe? I wondered. Hasn’t Allah SWT promised us in Surah Ash-Sharh “Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease” (94:6). Even when Allah SWT tests us there are so many comforts that we still have. We might lose one thing in life and yet Allah SWT grants us with so many ways to resolve it. Even in times of hardship Allah SWT grants us the patience and the wisdom to bear it with grace and submission to HIM. The power of Dhikr and the miracle of the Quran are always there to show us the path. After all, “So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?” (55:13).