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The Marshmallow Test & the Secret to Sabr
This Ramadan, The Daily Sunnah is partnering with Islamic Ummah Relief to support orphans and widows in Africa—because no one in our Ummah should go hungry or thirsty.
Bismillah. Welcome to DailySunnah.
Patience is a science-backed success predictor.
A decades-old psychology experiment proved it; an unassuming desert plant has shown us it for centuries.
Curious? Let’s dig in.
🧠 The Power of Patience
👶 SunnahStories: The Frog In The Well
📚DeenDigest: Patience and Gratitude Abridged- Ibn Qayyim (PDF)
Ummah Spotlight: Championing Her Country
🍉 WatermelonWatch: Day 517
😆 Wholesome Meme of the Day
🤲 Du’a for Hafiza
In the ‘60s, researchers at Stanford took over 600 children and placed them in a simple test: wait a little longer for two marshmallows or take one immediately.
They then kept track of these kids for the next 40 years, conducting psychological evaluations, interviews, and even speaking with their friends and families.
The findings?
The kids who waited for the two marshmallows grew into adults with better academic performance, stronger relationships, and were healthier—proving that the ability to delay gratification can shape an entire lifetime.
Sound familiar?
Because that’s sabr in action—the ability to hold back now for something greater later.
Sabr and The Aloe Vera Plant
Did you know that the Arabic word sabr shares roots with sabbar, the name for the Aloe Vera plant?
This desert warrior thrives in harsh conditions, needs almost no care, and still gives back—healing burns, boosting circulation, and providing countless benefits.
Sabr is exactly that: active, resilient perseverance that transforms difficulty into something valuable.
Allāh mentioned patience in the Qur’ān in close to seventy places.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Fasting is half of patience.”
So, what better time to strengthen our sabr than Ramadan?
The Prophet (ﷺ) also said, "The real patience is at the first stroke of a difficulty."
A moment of patience before speaking.
Before reacting.
Before giving in.
Those moments?
They shape our character. And in the grand scheme, they shape our akhirah.
Because sabr isn’t just about waiting, it’s about who we become while we wait.
Reflect on this:
What’s one small area of your life where you can practice more sabr today?
(We interrupt this broadcast with an effective remedy against shaytan)
$50 Feeds A Family For A Month
Islamic Ummah Relief is on the ground, actively providing aid across 5 countries, reaching over 300,000 Families—but they can’t do it alone.
Right now, 800,000+ orphans and millions of widows in Nigeria are struggling for survival.
1 in 3 children are malnourished.
With just $50, you can provide a family with meals or clean water for a month.
Every donation will go directly to a family in need.
Be the answer to their du'as today.
( bismillah, now back to the broadcast)
👶 SunnahStories:
Deep inside a well so round,
A little frog could there be found.
He leaped and swam, he laughed with cheer,
"This well is all—there’s nothing near!"
"The sky’s a circle, blue and small,
This place is best, I know it all!"
No need to leave, no need to go,
For nothing else exists, you know!
One day a turtle, old and wise,
Peered inside with knowing eyes.
"O little frog, come see the sea,
With waves so vast and deep as can be!"
The frog just laughed, "That can’t be true!
No place is bigger than my view!"
"But come and see," the turtle smiled,
"You’ll learn much more than as a child."
The frog then thought, "Could I be wrong?
Have I been trapped right here too long?"
So out he leaped, his heart now bold,
To see what wonders life would hold.
The fields were wide, the trees stood tall,
The sky stretched endless over all!
But nothing shocked him more that day,
Than when he saw the ocean’s sway.
"SubhanAllah! My world was small,
I knew so little, yet knew it all!"
"For wisdom grows when we explore,
And seek to learn forevermore!"
And from that day, through land and sea,
He sought to learn eternally.
For knowledge vast, both far and near,
Will help us see Allah more clear.
Reflection Questions:
1️⃣ Why did Basim believe his well was the whole world?
2️⃣ What made him realize that the world was bigger than he thought?
3️⃣ How does Islam encourage us to seek knowledge?
4️⃣ Can you think of a time when learning something new changed your perspective?
5️⃣ How can we apply this lesson in our daily lives?
🌎️ Ummah Spotlight:
Championing Her Country
Meet Mariam Bsharat, Palestine's first gold medalist in karate! Let's celebrate her incredible achievement and show our support. Follow her journey and inspire yourself by following her on Instagram @mariam_b2009.
📚DeenDigest
🍉 WatermelonWatch: Day 517
🇺🇸 Axios: US to use AI to go through foreign student’s social media posts since Oct 7 & revoke visas of those considered “pro-Hamas”
🇵🇸 7 Palestinians injured, 6 bodies recovered in Gaza in 24 hrs
🇵🇸 Ceasefire violation: IOF drone strike targeted group of Palestinians in Shujayea (north), killing 1 person & injuring others
🇵🇸 Israeli forces mass abducted 30+ Palestinians incl. kids across West Bank (WB) overnight & this morning
🇵🇸 62 y/o Palestinian Ali al-Batsh abducted from Gaza in 2023 died in Israeli custody in Feb 2025
🕌 Israel to deploy 3,000 police to occupied East Jerusalem ahead of 1st Ramadan Friday prayer. Settlers stormed Al-Aqsa mosque again w/ IOF backing
⛽️ Israel’s ongoing 5-day aid blockade threatens to shut down last functioning desalination plants amid lack of fuel
🇵🇸 WB: IOF stormed Arroub camp in Hebron, assaulted & fractured a young Palestinian’s face & jaw. IOF shot & injured 14 y/o boy
🇵🇸 IOF shot & injured 20 y/o woman amid raiding Nablus (WB)
“م”of the Day
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