The Unsung Pillar of a Resilient Healthcare Professional

A Moment at 35,000 Feet

I wrote this newsletter on my flight back home this past Friday after attending my brother’s nikkah (wedding) ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria.

One may wonder what the nikkah ceremony has to do with our mission at SakeenahMD.
But when you slow down enough, you’ll realize — it has everything to do with it.

Marriage as a Mirror for Resilience

Marriage is the defining pillar of our societies where two become one — when we choose another person from an, hitherto, unrelated family to become a partner in our life design journey — to hold hands together
in our moments of anxiety and worry,
in our vacillation between life's highs and lows,
shaping our performance and resilience at the bedside and outside of work,
and impacting our likelihood of success in this life and the Hereafter profoundly.

Watching my brother exchange vows made me grateful for my own journey—how every win or loss at work, every moment of patience or joy, connects back to that covenant I made several years ago now and renew daily with my spouse.

Divine Wisdom

“And among His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you love and mercy.”

— Surah Ar-Rum (30 : 21)

Marriage was designed as a source of sakeenah—inner calm that nurtures balance.

When this is a core niyyah (intention) behind the union, the spouses become a means through which Allah, the Most High, nurtures their inner states — strengthening them in faith, love and mercy,
something deeply correlated with increased professional resilience in modern psychology.

So how might we, as healthcare professionals, intentionally activate this central pillar of life — to bolster our performance, resilience, and barakah both at home and at work?

Four Anchors for a Barakah-Aligned Marriage

1. Renew Your Intention

It sounds simple, but it’s everything.

Elevate your niyyah for marriage—from personal comfort to divine service.

Let your union be a vehicle for service to humanity and the pursuit of the pleasure of Allah.

2. Recommit to the Haqq of Your Role

Create space to nurture the foundations of a beautiful marriage.

• Ground your marital journey in faith.

• Engage one another with love and mercy as Allah commanded.

• Communicate proactively and leverage each other’s unique perspectives through shūrā.

• Build forward through agreements, not untested expectations.

• Commit to growing together by Allah’s will.

3. Be the Best to Your Spouse

“The best of you are those who are best to their wives.” — Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

We strive for excellence at work yet we oftentimes don’t give the same accord to those who deserve our best most, our spouses.

It will naturally enhance your performance at work because their emotional safety impacts your professional performance.

4. Anchor Yourself in Duʿāʾ

Allah teaches us a profound du’a in Surah Al-Furqan (25:74):

“Our Lord, grant us from among our spouses and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us leaders for the righteous.”

In this du’a, Allah, the Most High, correlates seeking comfort in our families to taking up the responsibility of leadership with righteousness as the scholars explain.

For us as healthcare professionals, the tranquility in our homes is connected to our capacity to serve, with resilience and courage, our patients, their families and the teams we lead.

When we cultivate peace at home, Allah, the Most High, places barakah in our work, leadership, and legacy.

A Personal Gratitude Note

As I flew back home, I was filled with gratitude for my wife—my partner in this dual-physician life—whose quiet sacrifices make my service possible.

Too often, we overlook how our spouses’ support sustains our resilience and allows us to show up with Ihsan (excellence).

Closing Reflection

Whether you’re preparing for marriage, newly married, or years into the journey—pause and recognize its divine impact on your resilience as a healthcare professional and as a believer.

Give it its due investment.

Intentionally cultivate it so you can be your best—in life and at work.

May Allah, the Most High, bless your home, fill it with tranquility, and grant you the resilience to continue serving humanity with Ihsan. Āmīn.

Sincerely,

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.