Create A Heart Portrait
Our hearts are sacred spaces, full of our deepest values, Iman, special people, memories, hopes, experiences, and a range of emotions we carry within us. What might our hearts look like if we could see what truly lies inside?
As I think about my heart, I can feel myself going into a state of deeper contemplation, imagining a picturesque heart with hills and valleys, quiet spaces, volcanos of excitement and energy to create and give back, alongside passing clouds of doubt, droplets of sadness, and meadows of angst about all things I cannot control. I can imagine my heart as a reminder of hardships overcome with Allahs’ help and resilience, such as (what felt to me like) an astoundingly difficult first pregnancy, and being the eldest daughter of three as my father went through back-to-back heart surgeries in my early years of middle school.
I imagine my heart filled with hopes like a bag of floral potpourri, wishing to travel and wanting to be accepted by those who may never understand me, even if they are near me. My heart is a place that feels most alive while writing, reading, sipping, and reciting Surahs in a way that fills the room when I am alone, just me and my Rabb. A heart that can lose all sense of time in the middle of a forest on a Fall day. It seeks tranquillity but loves to create more than it loves to rest.
My heart is home to memories of Pakistan that are starting to fade with each passing day. It is a heart frequently in a struggle with the idea of “home” and “identity,” as nothing around points to familiar roots or culture. It fears losing language and cultural traditions that were passed down with love and intention, all to be washed away with modernity without a cemented understanding of traditions.
This lump of flesh within me needs constant tending to remove old habits and unhelpful thoughts. It oscillates between positive and negative forces, drawn easily to nafs-inspired whims, yet it yearns for a legacy that gives for the sake of uplifting others to reach their potential, just as I am propelled to reach mine.
This heart is home to an unimaginable love for a father whose sincerity and simplicity are unmatched, and whose tarbiyah has planted life-long seeds that nurture a love of Allah and His Messenger (saw) within. It is home to an ever-growing love for the generous husband I’ve been blessed with, and a daughter who’s eyes look towards me as her entire world.
This heart has felt compassion for strangers from an array of backgrounds, and it has absorbed stories from youth and families living through pain and trauma. It is a heart filled with passionate impatience to see the reveryesults of creativity, yet it learns the lesson of slow, steady progress each day. This heart is easily startled by crowdsaeverynd too many options on a coffee menu. It struggles with being present and being hopeful, but it knows deep down, both are necessary for a life well-lived.
Writing Prompts // Reflection
Just like stamps make an imprint on a canvas, there have been so many moments in your life that have left an imprint on your heart. In your journal or on a sheet of paper, write about what fills your heart and all the “imprints” you can recall. Include people, ideas, hopes, memories, experiences, challenges, and anything else that stands out to you. If you prefer, add dates to make it a heart-timeline.
Start to notice what is deeper within you and what is pulling you forward. Are there ideas you’ve had and or hopes you’ve imagined in your heart that you pray will one day become reality? Notice what brings your heart true joy, and what is weighing it down?
If you heart could speak and tell you its story, what might it say? (I definitely cried several tears as I wrote my own heart reflection above, so do keep a couple kleenex near by as you do this. ♥)
Turn your hopes and challenges into du’as. Turn your du’as into plans.
