
SubhanAllah! Before sharing this reflection, I want to take a moment to appreciate my husband, who played an incredible role in teaching me how to drive. His patience and steadfastness, despite his hectic work schedule, are truly commendable. May Allah Ar-Raheem bless him with abundant khair in both the worlds. Ameen.
Alhamdulillah! Not to boast, but based on the honest feedback I have received, I drive quite safely and well now, mashaAllah.
However, that’s a different thing that I still failed my driving road test yesterday, due to a few mistakes! 😊
SubhanAllah! As believers, we put in our best effort, make du’a, and then place our trust in Allah’s will, knowing that His plan is always best.
Perhaps, had I passed on my first attempt, I might have become overconfident.
Allah Al-Hakeem (The All-Wise) has His own wisdom behind every delay, every setback, and every test.
SubhanAllah! Even though,
I failed apparently in the road test in beautiful Bristish Columbia, but I have learnt some deep insights while learning driving, and would like to share some.
🌺 As good drivers we need to keep our eyes on the road far ahead – Just like checking the road ahead helps avoid accidents, focusing on our goals prevents distractions from derailing our purpose inshaAllah.
🌺 Checking Mirrors.
Reflect on your past, but don’t dwell on them. Mirrors help us stay aware of our surroundings, but staring at them too long can be dangerous. Similarly, learn from the past but keep moving forward.
🌺 Just as we follow road signs and lanes to reach our destination safely, Islam provides guidance (Qur’an and Sunnah) to direct life upon siratal mustaqeem.
Straying from the path, whether in driving or in faith, can lead to dangerous harm.
🌺 Traffic jams, reckless drivers, or delays can test our patience. Reacting with anger can cause harm, just like impatience in life can lead to regret. Islam teaches us to practice sabr and restraint in challenging situations.
We need to learn to respond wisely, and not react hastily.
🌺SubhanAllah! When we are on road, our one mistake can impact others as well, similarly in life, we should make informed choices, because the choices we make will influence, impact those as well who are around us, either they will stay safe OR they will suffer the harm.
🌺 While on road, as a new driver, sometimes it feels like so many traffic rules to follow and it might feel like overwhelming or might look like “imposed restrictions” but deep down, we know it is for our betterment, for our safety only. Islam has laws which looks like “restrictive” but if we study deeply then it is for our betterment only. Imagine! if people on road start practicing “my vehicle, my choice” then there will be a complete havoc and serious accidents will start to occur to a point of no recovery.
🌺 We Watch for Blind Spots before making a turn to
avoid assumptions.
Just as blind spots in driving can cause serious accidents, blind spots in relationships and judgments can harm people.
Islam teaches us to give others the benefit of the doubt (Husn ad-Dhann) and avoid jumping to conclusions by assuming otherwise.
🌺 Driving too fast is reckless, and driving too slow can also cause inconvenience, and subhanAllah both are dangerous.
Islam emphasizes balance in giving others from your bucket and also encourages filling your bucket too.
🌺 Good drivers use signals to alert others of their intentions. Similarly, clear communication and honesty are crucial in relationships, as Islam commands of qawlan sadeedah (speak straight with no discord or gaps).
🌺 A good driver focuses not just on reaching the destination but on driving safely. Likewise, Islam emphasizes on the throughout journey of life, rather than just the end. Islam guides throughout our different ages of journey, and is not confined to old age.
🌺 A considerate driver makes space for others, avoids unnecessary honking, and helps where needed.
Islam teaches Ihsan (excellence and kindness), going beyond the minimum to help and respect others.
🌺Driving in the dark without lights is dangerous. Similarly, navigating life without Islamic knowledge (Ilm) can lead to misguidance. Seeking knowledge is like turning on the headlights, it helps us to see clearly and make the right choices.
🌺Constantly comparing yourself to others can lead to unnecessary stress, just as swerving between lanes can be dangerous. Islam teaches us to focus on our journey with sincerity (Ikhlas) and trust in Allah’s plan (Tawakkul).
🌺Parallel parking might feel impossible at first, but with practice, it becomes second nature. Similarly, in Islam, mastery in anything, requires patience (sabr) and effort. Just as a driver slowly improves with practice, a believer grows spiritually through continuous effort and perseverance. Allah loves those who strive in His path consistently.
This one specifically for me 😄
Failing a driving test doesn’t mean one can’t drive, it means one needs more practice. Similarly, in life, setbacks are not the end but tests from Allah Al-Aleem. Islam teaches that failure is an opportunity for growth and improvement.
Last not the least –
The examiner is the one directing the test taker to take this turn, to merge, to park in a particular way, it is NOT the test taker who tells what he/she wants to do, or take the route, he/she simply follows the directions. Similarly, we are in this dunya (world) as a test taker, we follow the instructions, directions given by The Ultimate Examiner even if we sometimes want to do something else.
SubhanAllah! The result in my driving road test was a fail, and alhamdulillah as per law, I can retake the test after 14 days again (which I am planning to give after a couple of months inshaAllah) BUT the test of this dunya is not a retake one, isn’t quite scary that the results given on THAT DAY will be the final one, and that will be either a true success (fawzan azeem) or a complete failure followed by immense nadamah (immense regret) as there will be no retakes.
May Allah Al-Haadi guide us all, and bless us with true success here and hereafter.
And may I pass my next road test with flying colours.
Ameen ya Al-Mujeeb.