Yet again, a song came to mind. I know enough of the words, making it unnecessary to ask with Artificial Intelligence. PHEW! These are the words and I do know the source. Why this song came to mind is a mystery which may be resolved as I continue to write and share the song with you.
“Always, Always, I’ll walk with you Always
Always, Always I’ll walk with you Always
Through pastures green he leadeth me.
I’ll walk with you always.”
I do know that this is from the 23 Psalm which served, for some reason, as my guiding light during my Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada days from 2017 to 2019. Those were a portion of my pre-Islamic years. Joo Kim Tiah, the Malaysian multi-billionaire, was attempting to convert my atheism into this faith as a born-again Christian. He failed. I laughingly say, “You cannot blame a man for trying. “ Apparently It’s one of those classic idioms that has been woven into the fabric of the English language for so long, making it impossible to pin down its exact, single ‘inventor’ Instead, it evolved as a common proverb. The exact phrasing, “You can’t blame a man for trying,” really gained traction in the 19th and early 20th centuries through American and British literature, theater, and journalism.It became a staple colloquialism in vaudeville theater, old westerns, and early detective fiction. It was typically used by a character caught red-handed making a cheeky request, attempting a bold gamble, or shooting their shot with someone out of their league. It served as a lighthearted, conversational shrug to disarm criticism.
I guess it popped into my head because it’s a linguistic “handshake”—a universally understood piece of folklore. It usually surfaces when someone is thinking about someone who, pushed a boundary, or refused to give up on a long shot.
That was true of Joo Kim Tiah, the Malaysian multi-billionaire. He was pushing a boundary – my faith, (or lack of faith at that time) was my business- not his, And goodness knows it was a long shot because, only about two years later, I became a Muslim. Now if he were a Muslim his life could bee a lot easier for him. He could inherit Malaysian property – including the famed Alix Residences. Hahaha.
Back to my life on this June 7, 2026 morning. This last day of the conference entailed an incredible journey – by boat, an amazing voyage. The destination was Pulau Besar and to visit sacred sites. But it required much dexterity – which I no longer have. Then to complicate matters further, I am water phobic. I bravely planned to undertake the journey. Self preservation, self protection and self care emerged. I canceled.
Me: I am afraid my health will not allow me to o participate in the rather arduous trip today.May all of you have a blessed and a meaningful day. Alexis
They: May Allah grand you good health and well being.
They: May Allah give you Shifa Inshallah
After Fajr prayer, and sending my regrets, went to the breakfast buffet located on the first floor of this hotel. I was once again drawn to the paintings along the wall. One had great meaning. Sent the photo (which you shall see at the conclusion of this blog) with the following good morning greeting.
“Good morning. This painting from the breakfast room of the conference hotel. It is called the Bridge. The time here has been a bridge for me to a new life. Alhamdulillah
Received many responses. I present a few of them.
She: Good morning Alhamdulillah. May Allah continuously bring you closer to Him one bridge a a time.
Me: Such a wondrous message. Alhamdulillah
He: I pray that you are well. Shaykh said in the other day, this life is actually a bridge. A bridge from alam run to akhirat. No one should build a house in the middle of a bridge. We should just cross the bridge in the best manner. Our final destination is Jannatul Firdaus. If you do not find me there please search for me in hell.
Me: I love your knowledge and will include your quote on my blog with your permission.
He: All from Allah SWT, you are free to quote. Not my knowledge, I just repeat what I learned from my teacher
Me: Alhamdulillah
She: Alhamdulillah! I love your Beautiful observations, and thank you for sharing them. And Alhamdulillah this time has been beneficial and impactful for you. Praying for your good health and well being.
Me: And I for yours. Alhamdulillah
Then a response of a different complexion
He: Good morning. Busy day for you as part of the conference. Enjoy your Monday
Me: I am taking a day off so I will be rested for Raffles Hahaha
He: We are looking forward to welcome you back tomorrow evening.
Me: I want SO to be with you.
And then a dear friend send a GIF which you can hopefully view at the conclusion of the blog. It was a dog in a beret painting an exquisite work of art.
Me: How funny!!! Love you silly. I sent it to many people saying a dear friend sent it to me.
Oops, interrupted again by my phone. But at least this is amusing. Photos and a reel from the arduous trip that I managed to avoid.. Oh my Allah SO glad I did not go. I did respond.
Me: So glad I am not there I never would have survived.
Then this.
They: After lunch, we’ll depart fro Masjid James al-Faizin, Kampun Bukit Tembakau for dhuhr prayers.
Me: I certainly could not eat after that motion sickness inducing trip.
Nadia: I’m sure you would be walking on the water
Me: I am NOT our Prophet Isa. Hahaha 😂
All was not jolly. I did face a personal crisis in the morning, not of my own making. I was requested to bail someone out financially. It all began with the request at 9:12; was eventually resolved at 2:22 – WOW. Over five hours of stress for the two of us. There were moments where I was not exactly gracious. Hahaha But finally I laughed at myself and learned something about myself which I had suspected for many- a- year. I expect myself to be perfect – therefore, I expect that others should live up to that standard. I laughingly told the ‘victim’ that the first step out of that dynamic is to stop expecting myself to be perfect remembering the ‘saying ’t Allah does not expect perfection, only progress.’ I need to explore that concept in the Islamic Faith. This was a moment to turn to Artificial Intelligence because it is difficult to know what is ‘out there’ when entering into the wonderful world of Hadiths.
Gemini: In Islamic thought, demanding perfection from oneself is actually considered a subtle misunderstanding of why human beings were created. Perfection belongs exclusively to the Divine (Al−Kamil). Humans, by design, are built to learn, stumble, and pivot.
Here are a few foundational concepts and specific Hadiths that explore this exact dynamic of “progress over perfection”. Humans are ‘wired to stumble.’There is a famous and incredibly reassuring Hadith that directly addresses the idea that perfection was never the goal. Prophet Muhammad is recorded as saying: “By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace you with those who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them.” (Sahih Muslim) This isn’t an encouragement to make mistakes, but rather a radical acceptance of human limitation. The beauty isn’t in a flawless track record; it is in the return—the self-correction and the progress that happens immediately after we fall short.
It is important to remember that there needs to be consistency over intensity. When it comes to expectation management, Islam heavily favors small, sustainable growth over massive, exhausting leaps toward perfection. In a well-known narration, the Prophet’s wife, Aisha, was asked about his practice, and she conveyed this enduring principle: “The deeds most beloved to Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)This concept (Istimrariah or consistency) is the ultimate antidote to perfectionism. Perfectionism demands an “all-or-nothing” approach, which usually leads to burnout. This Hadith reminds us that a steady, imperfect stroll in the right direction is vastly superior to a sprint that leaves you collapsed by the side of the road.
Me: I totally love that – strolling in the right direction considering the fact that I can only stroll these days, not sprint. Hahaha
Gemini: Then there is the concept of Tawbah (Continuous Turning) In the Hadith tradition, spiritual progress is circular, not linear. The word often translated as repentance, Tawbah, literally means “to return” or “to turn back.” The Prophet himself, who Muslims believe was protected from sin, used to say: “O people, turn to Allah in repentance. Verily, I ask Allah for forgiveness a hundred times a day” (Sahih Muslim). If the archetype of the faith was constantly seeking a course correction, it implies that the spiritual life is entirely made of adjustments, not a permanent state of arriving at a flawless destination. Then there is a final admonition. One must be moderate and gentle with oneself. Perfectionism is rigid, but the Hadith tradition explicitly warns against letting rigidity ruin your peace. The Prophet noted: “Verily, the religion is easy and no one burdens themselves in religion but that it overwhelms them. So be moderate, seek closeness to perfection, and receive good glad tidings…” (Sahih al-Bukhari)Notice the phrase “seek closeness to perfection” (sadidu in Arabic, which means to aim straight or point in the right direction). It doesn’t say achieve perfection; it says aim for it, do your best, and celebrate the closeness.It takes a lot of grace to look in the mirror, laugh at a lifelong habit of high demands, and decide to loosen the grip. By letting go of the expectation that you must be flawless, you automatically give the rest of the world permission to be beautifully human around you, too.
Me: this is super helpful. The idea of “aiming straight” rather than “hitting a perfect bulls-eye” does reshape how I look at my past high expectations. But what about the maxim Practice makes Perfect. Hahaha
Gemini: Ah, the old “practice makes perfect” trap! We have that maxim drummed into our heads from childhood, usually by well-meaning music teachers, sports coaches, or parents. It sets a beautifully packaged but incredibly exhausting trap for a perfectionist mind.If we look at it closely, that maxim is actually a bit of a logical flaw. In reality, practice just makes permanent. If you practice a flawed tennis swing a thousand times, you don’t get a perfect swing; you just deeply engrain a flawed one. Because of this, modern psychology and performance coaching have largely discarded that phrase and replaced it with a much healthier upgrade:”Practice makes progress.” or “Deliberate practice makes improvement.”
Me: Is there an Islamic counterpart having to do with striving for excellence?
Gemini: Interestingly, the Islamic tradition has its own profound answer to the “practice makes perfect” philosophy. It completely bypasses the concept of “perfection” (Kamal, which belongs only to God) and replaces it with “excellence” (Ihsan). There is a famous Hadith where the Prophet Muhammad defines Ihsan as:”…to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, know that He sees you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)Notice the shift in focus. The goal isn’t a flawless, mistake-free execution. The goal is presence, sincerity, and effort.In another narration, the Prophet said:”Allah loves that when one of you does a job, they do it with Itqan (mastery/precision).” (Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat)Itqan and Ihsan are about putting your heart into the practice itself, not torturing yourself over a flawless outcome. It’s about being a dedicated craftsman of your own character, knowing that the “flaws” in the wood are exactly what make the piece authentic. When you apply “practice makes perfect” to your internal life, you end up grading your soul on a rubric that doesn’t exist. But if you practice showing up—practicing patience, practicing gentleness with yourself, practicing a course-correction when you stumble—then the “practice” itself becomes the victory.
Me: Thanks! I am great at showing up. I am now free of stress and almost happy with myself. Thanks!
