The same sky

Lately, I’ve been disturbed by how people can look down on others — often for things as simple as not knowing enough, or not being like them. It hurts when you’re at the receiving end of that judgment. It makes you feel small, as though your efforts or sincerity don’t count.

But at some point, I caught myself. I realized I’ve done the same — not out loud, but in my thoughts. I’ve silently measured others, assuming things about their worth or intentions. It was a hard truth to face.

So I tried to step back and see myself from the other side. To picture what it’s like when I start forming silent hierarchies in my mind — who’s right, who’s wrong, who’s doing better. And it hit me how absurd those thoughts are. How quickly they drain the mercy and warmth that faith is supposed to nurture.

When I began to change myself, everything started to feel lighter. I saw people differently. Their goodness began to shine through the differences I once fixated on. I could breathe better, because I was no longer carrying judgment.

It feels freeing to realize that what truly matters is not how much we know, or how perfectly we appear, but how sincerely we try — and how merciful Allah is toward all of us who are trying.

There will always be a gap in what each of us knows. Some will understand more, some less — but that doesn’t make anyone’s effort less sincere or valuable.

People come from different backgrounds, follow different influences, and live by different priorities. Those experiences shape how they see the world and what they choose to focus on.

We can’t measure everyone by a single metric of knowledge. Yes, knowledge brings a person closer to the truth — but in the sight of Allah, sincerity carries far greater weight.

Because sincerity can move hearts, soften divides, and draw people toward the truth in ways that pure information never can.

Such diversity also means people will have different priorities — and that’s okay. It was never our purpose to make everyone agree on everything. Maybe that’s the beauty of it. Maybe that’s how it was always meant to be.

Allah, in His absolute wisdom, created us different — not like robots following protocols or moving in perfect sync, but as individuals shaped by unique experiences, thoughts, and temperaments.

At times, this diversity might bring discomfort or even displeasure. But that shouldn’t turn into resentment. The love between believers is something invaluable — let’s not allow our differences to rob us of that.

Think about it: the only thing standing between us and a world filled with mutual love and respect among believers is our recognition of diversity. It’s natural for people to disagree; what would be truly absurd is expecting perfect agreement from those molded by such different journeys.

May our hearts remain free of resentment and full of compassion for one another, as Allah reminds us in the Qur’an:

“Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.”

(Surah Al-Hashr, 59:10)