As I am writing this blog, I am in South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent. With roots in Morocco - the northern part of Africa, the Maghrib - I have experienced before a homecoming feeling every single time I visit a country on the continent of Africa, like Mozambique, Mali and Kenia earlier in my life. Still, South Africa has a different level of impact on me. An impact way more than a homecoming feeling, and for many reasons. Let’s start with one reason - and I will share more blog posts to elaborate on this impact and the other reasons as well.

In Cape Town I have had the honour to meet Doctor Shaykha Haifaa Younis, an American obstetrician and gynecologist with roots from Iraq. She has impressive Islamic knowledge and an even more impressive way of sharing this knowledge with others. She also considers Cape Town as her second home; she visits the city at least once every year. After some days in Cape Town together, I have traveled with Dr. Haifaa to Durban and I am now in Pretoria. We have Johannesburg as next upcoming stop and I will close my adventure with a South African Safari at Kruger National Park, Insha’Allah - also known as “if God wills”.

In each South African city on this adventure, I dive deeper into what it means to connect with Allah - the same singular God that is referred to in the Torah in Hebrew as Elohim, or spoken by Jesus in Aramaic as the strikingly similar Allaha. As Dr. Haifaa says: you are re-connecting with Allah. This means there has been an connection before. Some how in life, just like you loose the internet connection on your mobile once in a while, you might feel you have lost your connection with Allah. But it has always been there, and will always be there, available for you to restore anytime, anywhere.

As shared in my previous blog post, in Islam - which means surrender in peace to Allah - there is a reference to fitra or primordial goodness that exists at the core of all human beings. Muslims believe in the original innocent state of humans after being created by Allah. This means that every human being has the ability to choose or reject God’s guidance. This is just another way to say the same as Dr. Haifaa has been sharing in South Africa, whenever I reflect on my self dialogue as my connection with Allah: it is a re-connection.

One of my favourite ways to restore my connection with Allah, is exploring the Qur’an - revelation from Allah, dictated by the archangel Gabriel, to prophet Muhammed ﷺ to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Last year I have started reading the translation of the Qur’an in English, but now - after some amazing personal 1 on 1 classes with one of the best Arabic teachers we have in the Netherlands, Touria Benali Agrandi - I am finally able to read in its original Arabic language, and an exploration it is!

Qur’an is divided into 114 Surahs (chapters), each divided into Ayat (verses). Qur’an means literally the recitation and is also explained as reading with understanding and learning. There is one particular Ayah that has captured my curiosity since I have been in South Africa and despite the many Tafseers (explanations) by great scholars I have dived into so far, it remains a mystery and definitely a challenge “to read with understanding and learning”:

And He taught Adam the names, all of them; then he presented them to the angels, and said, "Tell Me the names of these, if you are sincere." Qur’an 2:31

What did Adam learn? What did he knew? How is this related to the fitra, the original innocent state of humans after being created by Allah? What about our ability to choose or reject God’s guidance? And how does it relate to self dialogue? What I know for now, is that I am excited to keep on exploring the meaning of this Ayah, other wisdom from the Qur’an and Islam’s timeless message of love, mercy, peace, freedom, justice and unity. What I know now, with special thanks to Dr. Haifaa, is that dialogue means re-connection with others, starting within each one of us as human beings. Some of us verbalise this inner connection as: knowing yourself. I call it self dialogue and maybe at the end of this adventure in South Africa with a tag line: re-connection with Allah.

Although I am very much still a humble student, I do feel like sharing my insights so far. That’s why I have created Messenger of Dialogue - a 1 session of 1 hour online personal coaching with me where I combine my new insights with my-over-6-years-proven-tools-for-powerful-transformation in your personal growth. You can sign up directly and easily for one or as many sessions you wish, click here for more info.

Questions or whatsoever? Leave me a message in the comment section below or send me an email, I'd love to hear from you.

- W.