A Shukr-Coated Life

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Naziyah Rahman

 

Shukr, the Arabic word for gratitude,

Is not a word, but a way of life.

 

Alhamdulillah – All praise is to God

For the clothes on my body

For the food that I eat,

For the air that I breathe,

For the company I keep.

 

Look at the world around you

See it, hear it, feel it. 

Remove your mind from your life,

Recognize all your privileges.

 

No matter what I endure, 

The hardships and the suffering,

The blessings in my life are countless

Alhamdulillah for everything. 

 

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Naziyah Rahman writes, “Hi! My name is Naziyah Rahman, and I’m majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Creative Writing in the Class of 2024. I’m from South Brunswick, NJ, and I like to use poetry and other forms of Creative Writing to expand my own lens on life and make the world seem a little brighter.”

Naziyah wrote this poem in a creative writing class taught by Professor Susan Miller. Miller selected this piece for inclusion in WHR.