Najwa Awad, LCSWC, PMHC

08/01/2025

It’s natural to seek fairness and to hold our relationships to high standards, but overlooking mistakes and shortcomings is part of healthy human connection. Without this understanding, a person may eventually end up with no relationships at all.

In long-term relationships, whether family, friendship, or marriage, there must be room for forgiveness, flexibility, and acceptance of human imperfection. This doesn’t mean being taken advantage of, ignoring boundaries, or becoming a doormat. It means recognizing the need for realistic expectations. Real human interactions rarely look like curated AI responses, theories in books, or whatever pop psychology is trending on social media.

The goal in relationships has never been perfection. It’s connection. And connection requires grace.

07/25/2025

07/18/2025

07/04/2025

SubhanAllah, we move through things we once longed for without pause, forgetting they were once heartfelt dua'as.

Picture from the children's book "A House is a House for Me" by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Betty Fraser.

Quote origin unknown.

06/04/2025

Allaah says of His slave and Close Friend (Khaleel) Ibrahim (peace be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

"And he said (after his rescue from the fire): “Verily, I am going to my Lord. He will guide me!”

“My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous.”

So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy.

And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offering you in sacrifice to Allaah). So look what you think!” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded, In shaa’ Allaah (if Allaah wills), you shall find me of As-Saabiroon (the patient).”

Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allaah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering);

We called out to him: “O Ibrahim!

You have fulfilled the dream!” Verily, thus do We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers).

Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial.

And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. a ram);

And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among the later generations.

“Salaam (peace) be upon Ibrahim!”

Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers).

Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves.

And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaaq (Isaac) a Prophet from the righteous.

We blessed him and Ishaaq (Isaac). And of their progeny are (some) that do right, and some that plainly wrong themselves.”

[Quran, 37:99-113]

05/30/2025

"The days of the ten of Dhul-Hijjah are better than the days of the last ten of Ramadan, but the nights of the last ten of Ramadan are better than the nights of the ten of Dhul-Hijjah." Ibn Taymiyyah

05/23/2025

We seek validation from those who hurt us because a part of us still hopes they’ll acknowledge our pain, show remorse, and give us the love, respect, or recognition we feel we deserve. It’s a way of trying to rewrite the ending- to make sense of the harm by getting the person who caused it to admit what they did was wrong and repair the hurt they caused. But this keeps us trapped in a cycle of emotional dependency, tying our healing to someone else's appraisal of our self-worth, which often leads to more disappointment and diminished self-esteem. Healing begins when we no longer look to those who broke us to put us back together.