لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِىٓ أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ
Transliteration: Laqad khalaqna alinsana fee ahsani taqweemin
Translation: Verily, We created man of the best stature (mold).
[Quran 95:4]
Before this verse, Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala took several oaths:
By the fig and the olive, and the Mount Sina, and this city of peace (Makkah), We have indeed created humankind in the best of molds. [Quran 95: 1-4]
Allah is declaring an oath by some of the most powerful symbols in existence that humankind was created in the best of molds. When Allah swears in this way it is because He wants us to pay attention to something which is very important. He wants us to fully focus and try to pay attention to what is going to be said next. Allah says that He has created man in the best shape. There should not be an atom of doubt about this statement.
Of course that doesn’t mean that everything you do is perfect. It refers to our capacities, our potential. We were created without any flaw, with a pure soul imbued with fitra, a powerful mind, and a body whose magic is still not understood by modern science. We are perfectly capable of fulfilling every obligation that Allah has laid on us; of bearing any burden that is laid on our shoulders; and of achieving any noble dream that Allah has placed in our hearts.
What does it mean when we have to accept that we can achieve any “crazy dream” that may smolder in our hearts? What does it mean when we look at ourselves in the mirror and see perfect, beautiful faces, no matter the shape of our features? What does it mean when we realize that we have within ourselves the capacity to reach the same heights of imaan (faith) as the sahabah, or the same level of intellectual rigor as Imam Al-Bukhari or Sheikh ibn Taymiyyah, or the same purity and unwavering trust as Maryam (may Allah be pleased with her)?
Do we begin to see that they were simply human beings who acknowledged the perfection with which Allah created them? They strove their utmost to live up to that perfection, placing no boundaries or limitations upon themselves. They were not extraordinary people in their creation; they were only extraordinary because they accepted Allah’s words and thrust themselves utterly into the river of the Quran (or in Maryam’s case, immersed herself completely in tawakkul [trust in Allah], and taqwa [consciousness of Allah], allowing themselves to expand to fill the capacity of the flawless mold that Allah created them in, and refusing to allow themselves to be defined or demeaned by anyone else’s opinion. Nor did they allow themselves to be mentally or spiritually diminished or damaged by the harsh circumstances of life.
We have the same option. You, me, all of us.
You are perfect, whether you admit it or not. Go with it. Live up to it. It’s not a burden but a liberty. It is the freedom to be who Allah put you on this earth to be. It’s the freedom to dream and achieve without the chains of self-doubt or self-deprecation. It’s the freedom to accept yourself, love yourself, and allow yourself to love others for the sake of Allah, and to live a full life of meaning and worth.
Let not anyone else define who you are when Allah has already defined that for you. You are beautiful because Allah created you and you can achieve anything you dream off if you put your trust in Allah alone.
May Allah make it easy for you sister! Ameen!
JazakiAllah Khair
Ma'aSalaam