Allah is Always On Time

In 2010, I met a wonderful woman during ‘Umrah. We kept in touch for about a year, and then life got in the way. I hadn’t heard from her in over a decade.

A few weeks ago, I suddenly thought of her again, and how kind she was. I wondered how she was doing. I also wanted to send her the Names of Allah book. I don't know why she crossed my mind after all this time, and at this moment in particular.

During this period, I was working on a paper with Sheikh Tahir Wyatt on Allah’s name al-Samī’. Al-Samī’ is the One who hears us and listens to us. He hears us when words are trapped in our hearts and when they are whispered on our lips. He hears us when even the person right next to us cannot. And He responds.

So, I sent her an email, and on the same day, she responded. My jaw dropped in awe. She wrote, "This makes me cry. I went to a bookstore looking for a book on the Names of Allah, but they didn't have any. Allah is always on time."

I couldn't have heard her from a thousand miles away. I hadn't been in touch with her since 2010. I didn't hear her as she asked the clerk at the bookshop whether they had any book explaining Allah's names, and when they responded with a “no”. I didn't hear whether she sighed in disappointment before walking away, or whether she asked the store clerk if there was another shop they knew that would sell the book she wanted. I didn't hear if she said in her heart, "Ya Allah, I want to know you. Please help me."

Allah did though. And indeed, "Allah is always on time."

She received an email from a person she met by the will of Allah 12 years ago. A person who was oblivious to her needs. A person who had not thought of her in all this time. Yet, Allah sent this person with exactly what she needed in the time that she needed it. Because He heard her.

So, talk to Allah. Tell Him about your joy, your pain, and your needs. Talk to Him like you would the person you love the most. Be certain that He hears everything, and listens to you. And know that al-Samī’ doesn't simply listen, even though that would be enough. He responds. He responds to the requests we never managed to formulate into words, and the ones we expressed clearly on our tongues.

Talk to al-Samī’ just to simply express what is in your heart. Know that there is purpose in a closed door at any given moment. Know that the person you met ‘randomly’ was not random at all, but planned by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. And know that what we perceive as a delay in a response is never that. Because Allah is always on time.