Too many people think we are only all the same (logically impossible and practically not all that helpful) or we are completely different (practically unhelpful and relationally damaging).

I prefer to honestly and graciously acknowledge our differences while at the same time pursuing common ground in relationship with one another.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write out the translations. It is helpful!

Alhamdulillah: All Praise is for God (Alhamdulillah, his autism is moderate.)

Sabr: Patience, Steadfastness, Perseverance, all rolled into one. (And then, Allah gave me sabr, and then a diagnosis, and then the understanding that Khalid wasn’t disobeying, he just had no idea what was going on.)

Dhikr: Remembering God through prayer of recitation of His Names, like prayer beads or a rosary. (I just sit in the dark and do dhikr)

Jannah: Heaven- The Garden of Paradise (We have been told that a child’s Jannah is beneath his or her mother’s feet, but in some cases, a mother’s Jannah may be beneath the feet of her special needs child. )

AllahuAalim: God Knows Best/All (And perhaps the father’s too, Allahu Aalim)

Shaitaan: Satan/The Devil (When we look at our children, and Shaitaan whispers “Why you? Why your child? How could God do this to you? It’s not fair,” we can bravely answer back. Allah chose me for this because He knew I could handle it, and He never gives anyone more than they can bear.)

Rabb: Creator/Provider/Caretaker, sometimes translated as Guardian Lord (I am not Khalid’s Rabb, Allah is, and when I die, He will look after Khalid with a love seventy times greater than my own.)

Rizq: Provision for this world- food, drink, shelter, etc. (His rizq is with his Lord. )

Taqwa: Trust in God (Is your taqwa greater than your fear?)

Iman: Faith ( it has definitely saved me from living in the unreal world – one where I care more about my child’s postgraduate degree than his iman.)

Al-Kauthar: A stream from which the righteous will drink on the Day of Judgment (If that means waiting until the resurrection to see my son as a normal young man, then so be it. Khalid and I will meet again at Al-Kauthar,)

Ameen: Amen