Sakeenah MD Newsletter

As-salam alaykum dear friends,

One of the highlights of this past week for me, like for many US residents, was taking out time to be with family and friends. While my family does not celebrate Thanksgiving in its traditional American sense, the opportunity to engage in something as sacred as nurturing family ties is one to be thankful for and leveraged intentionally in our increasingly busy modern lives – especially among healthcare workers!

Last Friday, November 24, 2023, also had a more pressing significance in the eyes of many across the globe – Muslim or otherwise – the beginning of a 4-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that has now been extended. For many of our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza, this was a long overdue reprieve from the several weeks of incessant airstrikes and countless loss of lives. For many of us following globally, it also signaled hope that the myriad efforts from protests to Twitter campaigns and other organized synergies, in support of the Palestinian cause, was not falling on deaf ears and importantly, the relief, albeit temporary, provides an opportune time to pause and reflect on where we are individually and collectively while expressing sincere gratitude to Allah SWT who is always in control.

As a community of healthcare workers, we have been especially concerned by the loss of lives of healthcare workers on the frontlines of care in Gaza and the impact on the overall healthcare resources in the region! According to the Healthcare Workers Watch – Palestine, as of the 23^rd of November 2023, 1249 healthcare workers/students have lost their lives in Palestine since October 7, 2023. We ask Allah SWT to accept them among the many others that have been martyred over the last several weeks and pray for Justice and Peace in the region. Ameen. The cease-fire is, therefore, a time for us to take stock and at least consider 2 things;

1. Reflect on our privileged position as healthcare workers in more stable environments and how we can support the efforts of those serving in the face of war!

2. Be thankful for the many perks of being in the service of others through the delivery of healthcare (especially if you are in healthcare in a Western economy!)

The concept of counting our blessings i.e. gratitude has a very strong foundation in our faith – Islam! Allah SWT addresses this profusely in the Quran as we see in this example from the Qur’an;

Herein, Allah SWT highlights the faculties of vision, hearing, and the intellect – that are key to our capacity to function and deliver high quality healthcare and, quite frankly, to experience in great depth the world around us including the time we spend with loved ones. Alhamdulillah for these blessings and many more!

Expressing gratitude has immense benefits demonstrated in research from improved overall wellness including physical health and a decreased desire for material gains (something we all struggle with these days!). Gratitude is a core value in the barakah culture paradigm that helps you improve your performance at work and at home and fosters resilience that is grounded in faith. So don’t let a day slip by without tapping into this simple but profound practice of counting your blessings!

Sincerely,

P.S. As we approach the end of the Gregorian calendar year 2023, I wanted to share an upcoming opportunity to join a live online Peak Performance Masterclass for Healthcare Professionals with me starting Sunday 11^th Jumada Al-Thanni 1445 AH (December 24, 2023) in sha Allah  Register your interest here