Did you cut your diamond yet?

When I first thought of this analogy I have to admit I felt it was a little crèche. But it was the only example I could think of that really described the way I feel about my rediscovery of the Quran. When you don’t study the Quran in depth it’s like an uncut diamond, they tell you that its valuable but you can’t really see it. When you start studying the surahs, you start shaving and cutting the diamond unit you start to see the true value of what you’ve taken for granted so long.
I have always been an anxious person, especially when it came to matters that affected my family. My anxiety level would sky rocket over the simplest thing. Through the years I have learnt to handle it on my own. But I had a minor setback a few years ago (ok. Not so minor…) and had a tough time getting out of it. I looked for guidance and strength in many places, like my family, friends, meditation, and medication. But nothing seemed to really help and I was starting to feel hopeless. Two years later we started studying Surat Alkahaf. When we started little did I know I was going to find treasures and answers to all my worries and anxiety? If you asked the majority of Muslims what is surat Alkahf about, they would tell you the surah is about young boys fleeing their tribe and hiding in a dark frightening cave... that's what the name implies. That’s exactly what I thought this sura is... only history... it has nothing to do with me and nothing to do with us these days. As we progressed in the sura, i realized that I was wrong and it was speaking to me. It had all the answers I was looking for. The first bombshell came when I saw the first paradigm shift and realized that these young boys that hid in what seemed to be a frightening place was actually a safe haven for them. My first lesson was learned, things don’t always seem what they are. Something could look bad on the outside but in fact is good and is in your best interest. In all three incidences, the boat, the killing of the child and the building of the wall, it seemed like he (Alkhuder) was doing damage... But in all three situations, he was doing them good. Subhan Allah little do we know

أَمَّا السَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَاكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَاءهُم مَّلِكٌ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصْبًا (18:79)

18:79 (Asad) "As for that boat, it belonged to some needy people who toiled upon the sea -and I desired to damage it ^[77] because (I knew that] behind them was a king who is wont to seize every boat by brute force.

وَأَمَّا الْغُلَامُ فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَا أَن يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا (18:80)

18:80 (Asad) "And as for that young man, his parents were [true] believers - whereas we had every reason to fear ^[78] that he would bring bitter grief upon them by [his] overweening wickedness and denial of all truth:

فَأَرَدْنَا أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُ زَكَاةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْمًا (18:81)

18:81 (Asad) and so we desired that their Sustainer grant them in his stead [a child] of greater purity than him, and closer [to them] in loving tenderness.

وَأَمَّا الْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَامَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُ كَنزٌ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَالِحًا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَنْ يَبْلُغَا أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي ذَلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا (18:82)

18:82 (Asad) "And as for that wall, it belonged to two orphan boys [living] in the town, and beneath it was [buried] a treasure belonging to them [by right]. ^[79] Now their father had been a righteous man, and so thy Sustainer willed it that when they come of age they should bring forth their treasure by thy Sustainer's grace. "And I did not do (any of] this of my own accord: ^[80] this is the real meaning of all [those events] that thou wert unable to bear with patience."