Ramadan Notes #20: What’s in a Healthcare worker’s connection to the Qur’an?

As-salamu’alaykum,

One of the intentions that I made earlier on in the month was to shift my focus of this series of Ramadan notes towards the Qur’an aligned with the essence of the Night of Power - Laylatul Qadr -  that we are all seeking intensely during this opportune time. 

This intentional shift comes after a couple of weeks of addressing some of the myriad pain points that healthcare workers across the board have in terms of managing ourselves in a manner that helps us live meaningfully integrated lives that balances our personal wellness needs including our spirituality with our obligations at the bedside or in whatever other capacity you serve within the healthcare space.

As we approach the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan with the “bootcamp-style”  investment in our spirituality, we must start to think about which of the “many” traces of Ramadan that we’ve been blessed to take to the next level this month  will continue with us beyond these 29 or 30 days.

Which new habit or routine will you hold on to with purpose beyond Ramadan to continue your life-long journey of transformation towards your best self?

About 8 years ago, at a small mosque in Shreveport, Louisiana, I met 2 of my closest friends doing what many busy professionals including my own camp of healthcare workers struggle to find time to do - one was reciting the Qur’an in one of the most memorable tunes that I have ever come across and the other was sitting next to him, listening, encouraging and supporting the other’s burgeoning journey with the Qur’an. 

I honestly don’t recall if this was in Ramadan or not but that sight immediately struck a chord with me and so from that point on I would just sit with them to listen. One thing led to another until I finally became a little more active in the process, eventually cultivating a daily habit of interacting with the Qur’an in some way - Alhamdulillah ( All Praise is due to Allah).

Little did I know that this would be a keystone habit that would help me unlock resilience in the face of what was to come in March of 2020 when COVID-19 hit as I was serving as a Hospitalist Medical Director. 

This habit was the thing that I turned to frequently to stay grounded, to stay resilient in the face of the unknown, to stay sane in the middle of the unprecedented chaos, and to stay mindful of Allah’s control of the events unfolding and the divine wisdom behind them in order to focus on the locus of control for my team and I at the time eventually getting through COVID-19 stronger and more cohesive as a team.

Friends and colleagues, today, I am inviting you to also join me and others on this journey of Quranic transformation to start thinking of how you can take your newly rekindled relationship with the Qur’an beyond these limited days of Ramadan.

Surah Al-Isra’ v82: “We send down the Quran as a healing and mercy for the believers, but it only increases the wrongdoers in loss.”

Allah SWT reminds us of the healing powers of this Noble Qur’an in the verse above for our many pain points, much of which we don’t have comprehensive modern solutions to. 

The Qur’an offers the necessary spiritual grounding that can guide us to solve some of the biggest challenges that we collectively experience in healthcare which continue to drive the alarming burnout rates among our ranks.

For the rest of the month, in sha Allah, I will be shedding more light on this in the hopes of helping you to make this connection by Allah’s will.

May Allah SWT allow us to reach Laylatul Qadr and to connect with the Qur’an in a way that it transforms us this blessed month and beyond. Amin

Sincerely,

Sulyman

P.S. Join like-hearted #HealthCareWorkers on Zoom every Thursday this Ramadan for weekly check-ins at 4.15pm CST/9.15pm GMT/10.15pm WAT . Register and join with this link.

P.P.S. What other suggestions do you have for me and others in this regard? Share in the comments section or reply to [email protected]

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