Those Who Remain

“We will surely test you with fear and hunger, with the loss of wealth, lives, and fruits. But give glad tidings to those who remain patient.”

Surah Al-Baqarah (2:155–156)

Another Friday arrives, and almost without realizing it, we breathe out in relief. Another week has passed. Not perfect. Not easy. But endured—and that alone speaks volumes.

To survive does not mean we did everything right, nor that we were always strong. It means we are still standing despite the weariness, the burdens, the uneven days. It means we held on when letting go would have felt simpler.

And through all of this, God was there.

He was present in the full days and in the empty ones. In the moments when answers came easily, and in those when only questions remained. Sometimes His presence was unmistakable; other times quiet and hidden—but never absent. God never promised a life without trials, yet He promised His nearness, week after week.

Friday thus becomes more than an ending. It becomes a pause for gratitude, a recognition that reaching this point was not achieved by strength alone, but by a grace that carried us—even when we were unaware of it.

To survive with God is to learn trust, to keep moving forward even when energy is scarce, knowing we do not walk alone. It is to close the week with gratitude and to open the weekend with hope.

And then, gratitude deepens still further—even when some trials feel unfair.

Do not lose heart: Allah—God—the Creator—is with those who endure patiently. Even what feels heavy, even what presses from within, carries a future. Entrust yourself to the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and you will find peace beyond the trial.

Surah An-Nūr (24:19)

“Allah knows, while you do not know.”