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There is an inspiring poem by Carolyn Joyce Carty entitled, “Footprints in the Sand”, which succinctly illuminates the presence of The Almighty in our lives. It says that a man saw his life in a dream as footprints on a sandy beach. He understood that two sets of prints represented his walking through life with The Almighty’s help and guidance. He observed that through difficult times there was only one set of footprints. So, he asked about this. He was told on those occasions he was being carried by his Creator.

It is the same with all of us. We undertake our daily activities — raising a family, earning a living and living with others without a conscious thought that The Almighty is guiding and protecting us in every situation. Even with His guidance, sometimes life’s challenges give us pause.

We may find ourselves in terrible circumstances, having come face to face with a problem that we cannot resolve. It may be a situation requiring knowledge or one requiring financial resources that we do not have. In these times, the Almighty intervenes and provides peace and comfort in our hearts and souls. Over time, with faith in His omnipotent power, our circumstances change.

We are reminded in scripture that “Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great,” (Act 26:22). Also, we find, “With every difficulty there is relief; Verily, with every difficulty there is relief; So, when you are free from your immediate task still labor hard and pray for The Almighty’s guidance. (Quran 94:5-9).

Perhaps the most amazing experience that we have is sometimes referred to as a “God wink”. These are situations in which an unexpected solution to a perplexing problem seems to fall out of the sky. This often occurs when we are least expecting it. Funds needed to improve a personal or family situation suddenly become available to us. Or perhaps we would like to pursue a new educational or business opportunity.  Then all of a sudden there is a crack in the barrier that had excluded us and we get a chance to entry. Our ambitious goal is now possible.

These “God winks” occur throughout our lives. The young and uninitiated see them as luck but the human soul that has become spiritually inspired recognizes these events as the Hand of God or Divine intervention.

Qadir Abdus-Sabur, Ph.D. is an Imam at the Islamic Center of Prince Edward. His email address is qas1944@gmail.com.