The Special One
What being special should mean.
We live in a world that constantly tells us we are special.
Be different. Stand out. Build your brand. Chase your dreams. Become unforgettable.
But if we are honest, there is very little that is uniquely ours.
Someone else can run faster than you.
Someone else can work harder than you.
Someone else can achieve what you achieved.
Someone else can lose what you lost.
The victories you celebrate have been celebrated by countless people before you. The struggles you endure have been endured by countless others.
In that sense, you are not special.
Yet there is another truth.
There is a reason why it is YOU.
A reason why you were born in this family, at this time, in this place.
A reason why these opportunities came to your door and not another’s.
A reason why these hardships found you and not someone else.
A reason why you carry the responsibilities you carry.
Allah says:
“Indeed, We have created everything, perfectly preordained.” (Qur’an 54:49)
Nothing about your existence is random. Nothing about your journey is accidental. Every blessing and every trial has been measured by the One whose knowledge encompasses all things.
This realization should not make us arrogant. It should make us humble.
The believer understands that his intelligence is not his own achievement. His strength is not self-made. His wealth, health, opportunities, and successes are all gifts from Allah.
Allah reminds us:
“Whatever blessings you have are from Allah.” (Qur’an 16:53)
When we forget this, we begin to think we are the authors of our success. We start to believe we deserve every good thing that comes our way. We begin to see ourselves as special.
But the Qur’an repeatedly teaches us that greatness belongs to Allah alone.
Even the greatest of mankind, the Prophets, were servants of Allah before they were leaders of people. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, despite being the most honored of creation, would say: “I am only a servant.” He disliked exaggeration in praise because he knew that true greatness belongs to Allah alone.
The more a person knows Allah, the less impressed he becomes with himself.
This is why the path to becoming truly special is not the path that the world advertises.
It is not fame.
It is not wealth.
It is not influence.
It is not being noticed by people.
Rather, it is being known by Allah.
Allah says:
“Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you.” (Qur’an 49:13)
Notice the standard. Not the richest. Not the strongest. Not the most talented. Not the most celebrated.
The most righteous.
A person may be unknown on earth yet honored in the heavens. Another may be admired by millions while possessing little worth before Allah.
This is the path that transforms an ordinary person into someone truly special: faith, sincerity, humility, obedience, and submission to the wisdom of Allah.
Along that path, a person begins to see himself correctly.
He is not the center of the story.
Allah is.
His plans are not greater than Allah’s decree.
His wisdom is not greater than Allah’s wisdom.
His desires are not better than what Allah has chosen for him.
And when he understands this, he finds peace.
He stops asking, “Why me?”
Instead, he asks, “What does Allah want from me in this moment?”
That question changes everything.
The loss becomes a test.
The success becomes a trust.
The hardship becomes a means of purification.
The blessing becomes a reason for gratitude.
Nothing is wasted.
Nothing is meaningless.
There is a reason it is YOU.
Not because you are inherently special.
But because Allah, in His perfect wisdom, chose this test, this provision, this struggle, and this opportunity for you.
And if you walk the path of humility, worship, obedience, and sincerity, you may discover the greatest honor a human being can attain:
Not being special in the eyes of people,
but being beloved to Allah.