EVEN HAJAR DEALT WITH HOPELESSNESS
(A story of isolation, fear, and the courage to trust Allah when nothing made sense)
Alone in a Desert With Nothing but Faith
Hajar (عليها السلام) faced one of the greatest tests a woman and mother could ever endure.
By Allah’s command, Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام) left her and baby Isma’il in an empty, lifeless desert — no water, no shelter, no people.
She looked around and saw nothing that could support life.
Just sand, heat, and silence.
A moment where any human heart would break.
But Hajar didn’t collapse.
She didn’t surrender to fear.
She ran between Safa and Marwa again and again, desperately searching for water — refusing to give up.
Her effort, her tears, her duʿā, and her trust became the reason Zamzam burst from the earth.
Her story is the story of a woman who stood alone — and Allah made her footsteps part of the pilgrimage of billions.
Key lesson: Hopelessness doesn’t mean the end it can be the beginning of miracles.
When you put in your effort and trust Allah, He brings relief from where you never expect.
His Duʿā — The Prayer of Regret and Hope
The Qur’an honors her struggle indirectly through the story of Zamzam and the command for Sa’i:
“إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ”
“Indeed, Safa and Marwa are among the symbols of Allah.”
— (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:158)
Her running, her fear, her persistence Allah turned it into a ritual of worship.
Mental health reflection:
Hajar’s story is deeply human:
moments of panic, running back and forth, searching, crying, feeling completely alone.
This is what despair looks like.
But her every step shows an emotional truth:
You can feel hopeless and still choose to try.
You can feel alone and still turn to Allah.
Her courage teaches that faith doesn’t remove fear, it transforms it into action.
Sometimes your breakthrough comes in the middle of your panic, not after it.
What to Learn Today
Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you lack faith; even Hajar felt fear.
Keep moving, even if you don’t see the outcome yet.
Allah creates relief exactly where your struggle is the greatest.
Your effort, your tears, your prayers, none of them are wasted.