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We live in a world that feels like a race against time.

From the moment we wake up, we rush from one task to another—always striving, always waiting.

Waiting for the job offer, the marriage proposal, the breakthrough, the child, the healing.

And when things don’t come as expected, frustration creeps in.

We ask, When, Ya Allah?
We wonder, Why the delay?

But what if the delay isn’t a denial?
What if the waiting itself is a gift?

A Supplication of Trust

One of the righteous predecessors made a powerful dua:

“O Allah, bless me in the decree that is to come, so that I do not wish for what You have delayed to be hastened, nor for what You have hastened to be delayed.”

This is the essence of true submission—trusting that Allah’s timing is always perfect, even when we don’t understand it.

Delays Are Not Deprivations

We often see a delay as a deprivation, assuming that it won’t come at all because it hasn’t arrived on our timeline.

But Allah reminds us:

“Man was created hasty.” (Quran 21:37)

Our impatience makes us feel entitled to immediate results, yet we fail to see the wisdom in the wait.

The truth is, many of the things we rush toward aren’t being withheld—they are not here yet because we are not ready.

The Lessons Hidden in the Waiting

Think about Malcolm X.

If his only focus in prison had been on wanting to leave, he would have missed the most transformative time of his life.

Instead of being consumed by frustration over his circumstances, he embraced the moment.

He devoted himself to any book he could get his hands on—even reading the entire dictionary, writing it out by hand to internalize every word.

He immersed himself in history, engaged in deep discussions and debates with fellow prisoners, and ultimately found Islam and his true identity during those years.

Malcolm didn’t waste time lamenting his past; he accepted his present and extracted every lesson it had to offer.

His time in prison, though a delay in his life plans, became the foundation for his growth, wisdom, and eventual impact on the world.

The Blessing of Life’s Pauses

Life’s pauses—those moments when we feel stuck—force us to reflect, reconnect with our faith, and appreciate what we have before rushing to what we want.

At the very least, every delay gives us one undeniable blessing:
A renewed connection with Allah.

At the end of it all, what’s meant for you will reach you at precisely the right time.
Not a moment earlier, not a second later.

So, the next time you ask, “When, Ya Allah?”—remind yourself:

He is never late.
He is always on time.