Salaam Reader,

I haven’t been writing much these days despite having projects I want to work on — picture book drafts that need revision, an idea for a novel, and even a memoir.

When life gets busy and hectic, the easiest ball to drop is my writing.

And when I’ve gone on long enough without having written, it feels like I’ve lost my stride, like I’ll never be able to write something good again. And that spirals into: what’s the point of writing anyway because there is so much other important work that needs to be done.

It’s hard to climb out of that hole of self-despair. The best way I know how to get back on track is to continue making dua for my writing.

When it comes to dua, I love the story of Prophet Zakariya in Surah Maryam.

I love how he doesn't just ask Allah for a child; he starts with acknowledging the impossibility of his ask. But then he reminds himself that he doesn’t have to worry about what’s possible or impossible when it comes to asking Allah:

“My Lord! Surely my bones have become brittle, and grey hair has spread across my head, but I have never been disappointed in my prayer to You, my Lord! (19:4).

I love this story for many reasons, but mostly because it gives me hope that despite all the odds stacked against us, despite how impossible it may seem that any of our writing dreams will ever come true, all of it is easy for Allah:

An angel replied, “So will it be! Your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, just as I created you before, when you were nothing!’” (19:9)

I remind myself that the writing duas I used to make years ago — to find a good writing teacher, to get my first publication, to be awarded grants — all of them felt impossible at the time.

But it was easy for Allah and I have to remind myself to continue to turn to Him and ask for the things that feel impossible now.

I have to have conviction that there will come a time, by His permission and grace, when the things I'm making dua for today will be answered in one way or another, because I too, have never been disappointed in my prayer to Him, Alhamdulillah.

And I want to remind you of that too because it's so easy to fall into our own individual holes of despair when it comes to our writing. It's so easy to feel like there's no point climbing back out of that hole and doing the work we need to do.

As we reach the end of these blessed days of dhul hijjah, let us remember to make space in our duas for our writing dreams. Alhamdulillah we have a Lord who never disappoints us when we call out to Him.

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With best wishes for your writing,

Hajera Khaja Writer + Creative Writing Teacher & Coach