STG Episode 8 - Why Do I Look Like This?

Is it better to be tested with wealth or poverty? Are you better off because you work harder than others? Is it your fault if you're in poverty? How can we understand the blessing of rizq, while also understanding the blessings of being poor? It all starts from a single truth: Allah has already decreed your rizq for you.

STG Episode 9 - Why Am I Responsible for Someone Else’s Mistake?

Whether you’re burdened by providing for your family, caring for your loved ones, or carrying the emotional wounds of others, Allah promises great reward in carrying the burdens of others and maintaining ties of kinship. And if you turn away from all of that, Allah promises loss, not just of reward but of self.

STG Episode 10 - Did I Ever Choose To Be Muslim?

Some people have the trial of discovering Islam for the first time later in life. Others who were born Muslim, however, may find themselves at a point where they ask, "Am I really a Muslim or was I just raised that way?" The act of renewing your faith can be just as hard as discovering it for the very first time. What both of these cases have in common, in whatever circumstances or trials that they hold, is Allah's decree to draw you closer to Him.

STG Episode 11 - Why Won't Allah Answer Me?

Despite your desperate pleas, why does it feel like Allah isn't listening to your duas? The answer is heavy with the wisdoms of the All-Knowing, and touches upon circumstance, intent, and the hidden ways Allah lays out paths for you that you could've never imagined. Sometimes, the ability to pour your heart out into du'a is itself a blessing, and other times, the greatest reward is in patiently waiting for the answer to your prayer. And just as du'a is a means of changing your decree, building that regular communication with God might just be what He has written for you in the first place. And what better could you ask for?

STG Episode 12 - Why Did Allah Send Me Down This Path?

When you make Istikharah du'a, you're asking Allah to guide you towards the right choice, a special consultation with Him. But if the results don't turn out good for you, why was it facilitated? What was the point of your Istikharah? Ibn al-Qayyim said, “If the veils were lifted and you could see behind the scenes what Allah does out of kindness for you, your heart would melt out of love for Him…” Allah answers every prayer according to His time and plan and gives the best results for it. So when you ask for good, and something bad happens, know that it was His Wisdom that deemed what you thought was bad to be better for you. And when you finally decide to let go of the outcome you so desperately want and humbly submit to Allah's Wisdom, the tranquility you'll feel will be unparalleled.

STG Episode 13 - Will I Ever Find True Love?

A lot of us grow up with fairy tales about magical encounters, butterflies, perfect fantasies, and happy endings. But is there such a thing as true love and soulmates in Islam? What does Islam say about love? The Seerah is full of stories about marriage and love that are timelessly relatable, and speak of all types of fates. Because just like rizq, romantic love is also decreed by Allah, and what Al-Wadud writes for you of love is more perfect for you than anything you could ever desire.

STG Episode 14 - Why Were These People Put in My Life?

People can be the greatest blessing in your life, but they can also be the source of immense pain. But why does Allah put evil people in your life? And how do you show grace to those who've wronged you? Getting over heartbreak and betrayal and controlling your anger and envy may be difficult, but it isn't impossible, and the wisdom in Islamic tradition is rife with practical advice and motivation.

STG Episode 15 - What If I Could’ve Changed Things?

"If only things had been different..." "What if I had done something else..." The phrases "what if" and "if only" are often used for regret or to dream of a seemingly better reality...but if you adopt a more fruitful perspective, you can use the phrases to see what you were saved from instead. Regret can be inescapable, but when we wonder "what if" that regret has the potential to turn into something worse. Why does "what if" open the doors to Shaytan, and what are positive ways to use "if only"?

STG Episode 16 - Why Do They Get the Life I Want?

Why do seemingly undeserving people always get everything good in life? Why does everything seem to come harder for you, even though you've worked so hard? And why do other people take credit for your hard work, while you are left in the dust? Sometimes, what you see as someone else being unfairly favored might actually be qadar at work in your favor. So beware of envy and defeat overtaking you, and make an effort to recognize the wisdoms in your life. Because when it comes to Allah's decree, it's not the most materially blessed or loudest mouth that gets far ahead, but the most grateful and perceptive heart.

STG Episode 17 - Why Did I Hurt Them?

What if you were the oppressor where you thought you were being oppressed by someone else? What if you were the aggressor instead of the victim? What if you were the one who wronged someone else? Perspective is often a flash of insight from Allah that helps you grow and realize how you could've been better, and that introspection can be one of the greatest gifts He has bestowed upon you that can change your qadar completely.