"Strong legs, Strong heart, Strong mind."

As-salamu alaykum,

At the 36 kilometer mark, my legs were screaming, my mind was questioning everything, and then I saw them—three words painted on the kilometer marker that would carry me to the finish line: "Strong legs, Strong heart, Strong mind."

Just five kilometers earlier, completing the Kuching Marathon felt impossible. My first marathon. My body was depleted, my resolve wavering. But those words became the reminder I needed about what this race truly represented—not just physical endurance, but an all-encompassing test of conditioning, perseverance, and mental fortitude.

Alhamdulillah, I crossed that finish line with just three minutes to spare before the race window closed. The overwhelming gratitude in that moment sparked a deeper reflection on the journey that brought me there.

The Unexpected Marathon

At the beginning of this year, running a marathon wasn't even on my radar. But when one of my mentors challenged me to consider it, he framed it differently: "It's not about the achievement," he said. "It's about the transformation that happens during preparation—the commitment to process, embracing setbacks, developing long-term thinking, and testing your endurance."

His words stayed with me because they perfectly capture what we face in healthcare every single day.

Your Daily Marathon

Our healthcare careers are marathons in the truest sense. We navigate long, irregular shifts that test our physical limits. We carry the weight of difficult diagnoses and the emotional burden of caring for others. We push through system pressures that seem designed to break our spirit.

Yet station by station, patient by patient, we evolve. We unlock something profound within ourselves—resilience—that, when we pay attention to it, can serve us in ways we never imagined, by Allah’s will.

Prophetic Wisdom on Resilience

Listen to what Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us about this very quality:

Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties). And an impious wicked person is like a cedar tree that stays hard and straight till Allah cuts (breaks) it down when He wishes." — Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 5644; Sahih Muslim, no. 2809.

Every patient encounter, every challenging shift, every season of difficulty in our healthcare journey requires this same agile resilience. We bend but we don't break. We adapt without losing our grounding.

The beautiful truth? There's a sweetness that follows—a gratification and fulfillment that's hard to replicate elsewhere, even when it's delayed.

The Marathon Mindset

Running 42 kilometers taught me that each stage brings different challenges. At 18K, you're still strong. At 21K, you start to wonder how you will repeat what has taken almost everything to accomplish. And fast forward to 39K, you're running on pure determination. But here's what matters: you keep moving forward, one kilometer at a time.

This isn't a call to sign up for a marathon. You're already in one.

The beauty lies not in the finish line, but in who we become during the journey. Every day, we're called to embrace and recommit to:

• Service to humanity — the patients whose lives you touch and transform

• Sincerity (Ikhlas) — staying true to your calling for Allah's sake, in spite of the struggles

• Sacrifice — enduring temporary discomfort for lasting growth and impact

Your Five-Point Training Plan

My challenge to you (and to myself) as we run this healthcare marathon together:

1. Renew Your Intention Daily
Start each shift by remembering why you chose this path. 

2. Elevate Through Sincerity
Show up with ikhlas. Let your healthcare work become worship.

3. Focus on Process, Not Just Outcomes
Small, incremental improvements compound. Celebrate the daily progress, not just the major milestones.

4. Seek Allah's Acceptance First
Ground your worth in Allah’s pleasure, not in accolades or outcomes beyond your control.

5. Find Your Running Partners
Surround yourself with mentors, coaches, and peers who support your growth and share your values.

The Question That Changes Everything

Before we part ways today, sit with this question: Where in your healthcare journey are you being challenged right now—and how can you reframe it as training for your marathon towards something greater, perhaps even towards Allah, the Most High?

The struggles you face today are building the spiritual and professional muscles you'll need tomorrow. The difficult patients, the system failures, the moments of doubt—they're all part of your preparation for something greater.

May Allah, the Most High, make us from among those with strong legs, strong hearts, and strong minds who embrace our calling with ihsan (excellence) and serve humanity with ikhlas (sincerity). Ameen.

The marathon continues. Let's run it together, supporting each other kilometer by kilometer, until we reach our ultimate destination.

BaarakAllahu feek,
Sulyman

If this message resonated with you, I invite you to join our SakeenahMD Community, where we're intentionally cultivating the habits of highly successful, spiritually intelligent Muslim healthcare professionals. Together, we're learning to thrive in our careers and lives—grounded in faith. Join us here or book a free coaching conversation to explore how to anchor your healthcare journey in barakah and resilience.