Maybe some of you saw me in my other thread but this is a problem I find myself visiting quite often. I live in a country where Islam is looked on in a negative matter. I live in a country where it´s normal to sleep around at age 15. People start drinking and using drugs at a young age. Parents don´t even mind kids drinking or sleeping around. My own parents actually has said that they want me to explore, which I find really weird. Why would my father say to me that it´s okay to be with different boys.
I say to people I don´t drink alcohol. Still they try to pressure me into drinking. When I walk in the street and it´s warm outside I see so many girls wearing almost nothing. And wearing a long dress I am the one that gets looks.
I have friends that also are like this. I mean this is what I have grown up with. I want to live a life as a muslim but how do you do it when everyone around you is like this. I get people are different, but everytime someone almost naked walks by me I feel some kind of sickness inside of me, and I just dont want to feel this. I feel like I will not be accepted as a muslim, and I will not really be accepted by "my own countrymen" anymore either because I cant stand it anymore and I disagree with them on almost every level.
If you are a muslim in a country like this. How do you live a fullfilling life when everyone seems to be completely Godforsaken. How will I be able to stay close to God and keep my sanity when I feel a push from this all the time. And how do I stop noticing all these things happening, all these people wearing this, the people partying and so on. It just feels so wrong being a witness to all of it. Even walking in the street it makes me sick. Sometimes I want to move to a more conservative country but my country has good schools, health benefits and stuff like that. Great possibilities for education. But a very feminist country.
Last edited by Muhammad; 06-29-2020 at 03:19 PM.
Reason: No need to mention explicit details
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said: «There will come upon the people a time when holding onto the religion will be like holding onto hot coal. » (Tirmidhi)
It is most definitely harder for those in more western/modernized areas to keep their iman high. Although uncontrollably, living in the west, you will be exposed to sin and you will have to bare with it. An important tip for you is to lower your gaze! I'm not just talking about lowering your gaze when you see indecently dressed men and women (lowering your gaze to these people is required actually because you cannot look at the awrah of a man or woman), but I am also talking about when you see sin. If you see people drinking, acting inappropriately, etc, it is best to immediately look away and stay away! It is good that you feel sick from indecency, however the more you keep thinking about it, the more it will get to you and the shaytan can whisper and make you become influenced by this behavior! Believe me, I am talking from personal experience!
Living in the West is a test from Allah that you must bare with, it is most definitely a challenge
It is true that SOME people will not accept you. They will think wrongly of you for being a muslim or for wearing hijab etc. They wont understand you. But do not let this influence you in anyway or put you down. These people are following the beliefs of society in order to be accepted. Women believe they must wear revealing clothing in order to be accepted into society. Men believe that objectifying these women is normal and part of society. This is true though, because our society is corrupt. Anything different is looked upon weird.
But you are different!! You are Muslim. This is a label that completely changes your perspective, if you truly are a believer, realize that your morals are NOT based on SOCIETY. You do not have to feel insecure or be accepted by anyone! What is beloved to a believer, is that to be accepted by Allah! So if you do stand out, congratulations. You are different, you are the one who decides what is wrong and right. NOT your society that decides what is right and wrong!
So go out proud, believing in your faith. You will have ups and downs, being pressured. But show the people who you are. Make your intention to spread dawah just by leaving your presence in society. You may never know, in each multitude of people who don't accept you and view you as abnormal, there may be a person hiding behind those shadows, looking up to you.
Remember our beloved prophet Muhammad pbuh when he first started giving dawah. He was ridiculed. These people thought he was a LOSER. Why? Because the society was so promiscuous as it is now. But over time, look at the impact he made. The mark he left. The inspiration and change he created. You may not be able to do that, but you can try whatever you can.
Do mini good deeds, and you may never know. You helping another person in the most simplest way can end up bringing him/her to islam. Then that way, you saved at least one person from the burden society has placed on us.
It wasnt easy when I started, but Alhamdulillah Allah has made it easier as time goes by.
I accepted Islam not because of other people - muslims or non muslims - but because I believe it is the Straight Path that comes from Allah.
So I dont let other people actions affect me, regardless they are muslims or non muslims.
Allah grants us free will, but we are not free of the consequences.
I chose to be a muslimah, so I have to accept consequences of that decision.
Its not just the West, its hard for muslims living anywhere in the world, let alone practice Islam. Its just different type of hardships.
As mentioned in the hadith : It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “This world is a prison for the faithful muslim and a paradise for the disbeliever.’” (At Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Jabir bin 'Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:'A slave (of Allah) shall not believe until he believes in Al-Qadar, its good and its bad, such that he knows that what struck him would not have missed him, and that what missed him would not have struck him." (Jami 'at Tirmidhi)
It wasnt easy when I started, but Alhamdulillah Allah has made it easier as time goes by.
I accepted Islam not because of other people - muslims or non muslims - but because I believe it is the Straight Path that comes from Allah.
So I dont let other people actions affect me, regardless they are muslims or non muslims.
Allah grants us free will, but we are not free of the consequences.
I chose to be a muslimah, so I have to accept consequences of that decision.
Its not just the West, its hard for muslims living anywhere in the world, let alone practice Islam. Its just different type of hardships.
As mentioned in the hadith : It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “This world is a prison for the faithful muslim and a paradise for the disbeliever.’” (At Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
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