 Today we'll be discussing the grief of our beloved Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, who experienced a grief so intense after the passing of his beloved life and internal protector, Sayyid al-Khadeesha, and his uncle and external protector, Abu Talib. Now, pair that with social and economic boycott of the early Muslims in Mecca and the heavy persecution they faced. Our beloved Rasulullah experienced intense grief at the state of his Dawah work, and when he attempted to go to Ta'if, the people of Ta'if ordered their children to throw stones at him and his dear companions, Zaynab and Haritha, to where they bled profusely. This year is known in our Islamic history as the year of Sorrow or Aam al-Huzad, and we learn a number of things from the story of the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Number one, sometimes we work so hard for the sake of Allah that it may not actually be successful. You see, we're held accountable for our actions, but not the results of our work. In fact, many times the results of our work may not even come to full fruition within our lifetime. Let's take the example of a parent who may have spent their blood, sweat and tears advocating for their special needs child at their school. And maybe that child themselves did not receive any benefit, but from that tireless work thousands of kids afterwards have benefited from that advocacy. And for that those parents are rewarded for their intentions and their efforts manifold. Secondly, we learn that experiencing emotions other than happiness, like sadness and grief, are normal, and they are not a sign of weak iman or faith. And as we discussed previously, Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala is there for us. Allah comforted the beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in this period of heavy grief in the most unimaginable way. One evening, he sent the angel Jibril to cleanse the Prophet's heart with Zem Zem water, and this signifies the importance of cleansing our heart whenever we are going to speak or meet with Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala. And then he brought him the buraq, a majestic animal whose name comes from the root word buraq or lightning. And that's because this animal, the buraq, can travel at lightning speed. And Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala took Rasulullah in an incredible, miraculous journey during this most difficult time of the Prophet's life. The buraq took the Prophet on the Isra'ah, the night journey, to Masjid al-Aqsa, where he met every single Prophet ever sent to mankind, the ones we know and the ones we don't know, and he led them in Salah or prayer. And from there, the angel Jibril took our beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam on the Ma'raj journey through the seven heavens, where he was greeted and met various prophets and reached the utmost boundary and spoke directly to Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala. And it was there that he was given a gift for the Ummah, the gift of the five daily prayers, Salah. Now there's something very special about Salah, so let's look at its root word too. Salah comes from the root word in Arabic of Sila, which means to connect. So we learn that when we are faced with heavy grief, we too can directly connect to our Lord and ask Allah whatever it is we need in our Salah. Talk to Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala in your prayers. Even one moment of really deep connection with Allah in your Salah can make a major difference in your overall mood and well-being. And remember that the feelings of sadness, even if they're intense and grief are normal, and that Allah will be there for us just like he was there for the Prophet ﷺ. Let's open our eyes for the times when Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala showed up for us and be grateful for it and heal in knowing that it's okay to grieve. But it's also that we've been empowered to use the tools that Allah has given us in the Sila of Salah, a direct connection to him in prayer. And we've also been empowered by other tools like connecting or Sila to those who are knowledgeable and experts in healing grief, sadness and depression when we experience it. Was there a miracle you've witnessed in your life or a time you felt as though Allah was there for you during your tough times? Share with us more in the comments below.