Family

This summer our (my two youngest and I) journey to understanding collective suffering began with: oppression is not confined to one people or one moment in history. It is a pattern—repeated, documented, and carried across generations.

Nakiyah had always loved how Ahoskie, North Carolina, felt at dusk. Cicadas tuned their small fiddles, and the world seemed to hum like a living drum. On those evenings, the porch at her grandparents’ house became a tiny planet. A dented kettle hissed on the stove.

It was narrated from Salamah bin ‘Ubaidullah bin Mihsan Al-Ansari that his father said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever among you wakes up physically healthy, feeling safe and secure within himself, with food for the day, it is as if he acquired the whole world.’

Anas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said in his illness before he passed away, “Your family relations! Your family relations!”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 463

When considering what they want to leave behind for their children, many parents focus on tangible goals such as generational wealth, passive income, a paid-off home, a thriving business, or a monetary inheritance.

My grandparents live in different states from where I do, so I only see them a few times a year. Because of this, it feels hard to stay in touch and have a good relationship with them. I feel guilty sometimes, as I am sure I will regret not spending more time with them after they pass away.