11.04.2026✍️
A Quiet Unfolding of Mawaddah & Rahmah
“…Your spouses are a garment for you, and you are a garment for them…” [Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 187]
Indulge me…as I soften the edges of an ordinary day into something worth remembering.
Because dentistry, beyond skill and precision, is a journey of humility.
A space where we learn, unlearn, and relearn…daily.
Yet, the deepest lessons don’t come from textbooks or techniques.
They walk in, sit in the chair,
and bring with them stories, fears, love, and unseen strength.
It is in these moments,
in their words, their emotions, their presence
that my days find their true highlights.
There are unwritten rules in dentistry…
Quiet wisdom passed from hand to hand.
One of them whispers:
“Never leave a difficult extraction for the end of the day—especially a Friday/Saturday.”
Because some teeth…smile deceptively.
They look simple,
Until they aren’t.
That was me today.
I sweated.
Extractions have a way of humbling you,
and wisdom teeth…are a beast of their own.
The upper ones are usually kinder,
so this one lured me into ease.
I had taken out its twin sometime back in minutes,
so I told myself,
“This will be the same.”
Little did I know…
No crown to hold on to.
Just fragments…crumbling with every attempt.
Limited access, blurred visibility—
salt on the wound.
And a patient gripped by fear. Dentophobia at its best.
Her teenage son held one hand,
the nurse, the other.
Soft voices, steady reassurances.
“How long will it take?” she kept asking.
And I told her, as I always do.
Tooth extractions are like births.
Some come with ease,
others take time…
but eventually, they arrive.
Today…
It truly felt like a delivery room.
Tears.
Tension.
Hands tightly held.
“Is it out yet?” echoing between breaths.
Despite the room being full,
two dentists, a nurse, her son,
her heart still searched for one more presence.
She called for her husband.
And when he entered,
everything softened.
Relief washed over her face.
Concern lit up his.
He kissed her hand gently,
spoke words only her heart could hear, spiritual affirmations—duas…
Allahumma Baarik!
And suddenly,
calm.
Within minutes,
the tooth was “delivered.”
A small, stubborn thing
with short, curved, fused roots.
But what lingered wasn’t the procedure…
it was them.
The quiet, undeniable strength of their bond.
The way she needed support.
Not just anyone’s,
but his.
Not just hands to hold her…
but a presence that steadied her soul.
His care was not loud,
it was certain.
Firm, yet gentle.
Words wrapped in رحمة,
in a love that didn’t need translation.
Because love like that…
is understood.
She, in her vulnerability.
He, in his unwavering presence.
And it made me think…
Women may overlook many things,
but there are moments they never forget.
Moments that define love.
Not candlelight and roses,
but presence in pain.
In sickness.
In fear.
In the trembling spaces of the human experience.
Love is not proven under perfect skies,
it is revealed in storms.
In the way he held her
like a garment of warmth and mercy.
A soft landing…
After turbulence.
P. S. This was not a typical “young and reckless” couple. She was in her 40s, and he was much older. Traditional Yemenis with little to no Swahili in them.
There is love that is outwardly performative and borderline imitative, inwardly ruthless and unempathetic. And then there is pure, simple, genuine love rooted in Taqwa! Allahumma Baarik!
The Lesson
Not every extraction is about removing a tooth.
Some reveal something far deeper.
That strength is not always found in resilience alone,
but in allowing yourself to be held.
That love is not measured in ease,
but in who remains beside you in discomfort.
That Mawaddah & Rahmah are not abstract words,
they are lived…
In trembling hands being steadied,
in gentle reassurances,
in presence that refuses to leave.
And perhaps the greatest reminder of all…
We are, all of us, fragile in our own ways.
But Allah, in His Mercy,
places in our lives those who become our garments…
Covering, comforting, protecting—
exactly when we need it most.
يا رحمن ارحمنا
By- Dr. Yusra Baalawy