What Do You Do When Faith Feels Like It's Not Enough?- Light Upon Light by IslamiCity- Episode 14

Have you ever felt like everything around you was closing in?

Like there was no way forward and no way back-only the pressure of fear chasing you faster than your faith could catch up?

For some, that moment comes in heartbreak. For others, it's debt, illness, injustice, or grief. And for many today, it's a spiritual exhaustion so heavy that prayer feels like a burden and hope feels out of reach. These are our personal Red Sea moments-moments when the path is blocked and we're left wondering whether relief will ever come.

It's in these moments that the story of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) speaks to the heart. The Qur'an brings this story to life in Surah Ash-Shu'ara (26:60-63), capturing a moment of terror and divine trust:

"And when the two hosts came into view of each other, the companions of Musa said, 'Indeed, we are overtaken!' He said, 'No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.' Then We inspired to Musa, 'Strike the sea with your staff,' and it parted..."

Musa had just led his people-the Children of Israel-out of Egypt after years of brutal slavery. They had finally stepped into freedom, only to find themselves trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army. Their first taste of hope was met with the threat of destruction. As panic set in, Musa's response was unwavering: "Indeed, with me is my Lord. He will guide me." Not a trace of doubt. Just certainty.

And with that trust, Allah parted the sea.

But that miracle didn't happen in isolation. It wasn't a random burst of divine intervention. It came after years of struggle, obedience, and surrender. Musa's life had always been marked by hardship. He was born into danger and placed in a basket on the Nile as an infant to escape Pharaoh's killing decree. Raised in the very palace of the tyrant who sought his death, he later fled Egypt after accidentally taking a life. He lived in exile in Madyan, only to return with the burden of prophethood-and still, his path was met with rejection, confrontation, and loss.

That Red Sea moment was the result of a lifetime of resilience. It came after years of walking through pain without seeing a miracle. It came when the people around him had lost all hope. And it teaches us something deeply powerful: Allah's help comes not before the hardship, but through it.

The Qur'an echoes this lesson again and again. "Indeed, Allah is with the patient" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:153), and "So surely with hardship comes ease. Surely with hardship comes ease." (Surah Ash-Sharh 94:5-6). The repetition is not a literary choice-it's divine reassurance. That even when we feel like we've reached the end, Allah can make a way forward.

This is also why the Day of Ashura-the 10th of Muharram-holds such spiritual weight. When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) arrived in Madinah, he found that the Jewish community fasted on this day in remembrance of Allah saving Musa and his people. In response, the Prophet said, "We have more right to Musa than they do" (Sahih al-Bukhari). He fasted on this day and encouraged his followers to do the same. In another narration, he added, "Fasting on the day of Ashura expiates the sins of the past year" (Sahih Muslim).

This wasn't just about remembering a historical event. It was about aligning our own lives with the spiritual legacy of those who came before us. When we fast on Ashura, we aren't simply marking a date-we are stepping into the story. We are choosing to respond to fear with faith, to pain with patience, and to uncertainty with trust.

There are countless lessons for us in the story of Prophet Musa-especially in Muharram. When you feel stuck between fear and uncertainty, remember that you're not the first. When your du'as feel unanswered and silence lingers, remember that the sea didn't part right away. When you feel too weak to carry on, remember that it wasn't strength that saved Musa-it was surrender. And when you finally break free from a trial, don't expect the test to be over. Even after crossing the sea, Bani Israel had a desert to survive and a faith to develop. The miracle wasn't the end of their test-it was the beginning of their transformation.

So as you enter Muharram and especially the day of Ashura, take time to reflect on your own Red Sea moments. What feels impossible right now? What fears are pressing in behind you? And where is Allah in the picture you've drawn for yourself?

Sometimes, Allah doesn't remove the obstacle. He moves through it. He asks us to trust Him without seeing the path ahead. To keep walking-even when the sea hasn't yet split.

Because the story of Musa is not just about escaping a tyrant-it's about learning to trust the One who parts seas. And that same trust can carry you, no matter what storm you're facing now.