-in the name of Allah-

So today it is that I attempt to recreate a ship which once was afloat, then dared to sink, yet now dares to float and navigate the roughest of oceans. Is it I who was or am captain of this ship? Indeed, this thought is perplexing. I could, in one sense be, for it is my decisions which factor into the fate of the ship. However, upon seeing the stormy, turbulent nature of the waters around me, I can in no way be assured that I am in any capacity to be the captain of this ship. Therefore, with my possibility excluded, there is that of a single crewmate. Would she be bold enough to captain this burgeoning vessel in the most trying of seas? Perhaps being bold enough is not a proper means of ascertation. In one sense, as it was in mine, she could be captain, as her decisions clearly impact the fate of the ship in much the same way as mine did. But, if this is the case, and we possess equal means and abilities as to where the ship goes, but I am not captain, then how is it that she could be? No, this is not chauvinism, nor it is a case for femenism to arise anew, but it is a realization that in life it takes more than two human beings, in whose nature lies fault and error and unbridled hope, to be aided by one more powerful than all of their conceptions combined. This one who sustains, is but Allah. It is He who guides the ship when it is being by the waves swept astray. It is He who comforts our hearts when the challenge of nagivation and destination become blurred by the concern of the moment. Alas, it is He, who will be the means by which, if it be encompassed by His will, we will ever reach the end of our journey.

Such metaphors are some of the ways in which we can understand our roles in life. Surely, aims for this life can be merely finite, so the best of the best resides in the life to come. By traversing the plains of this life, and crossing the river of death into a land unfathomable, why should we be daunted? Our guide has promised us a place, the best of places for those whom towards mercy inclines. Seek Allah wherever you are, and every time He shall find you, if He wills.