Asalaam Alaikum

[newmuslimah]

Hello, Asalaam Alaikum,
I am a new muslimah and I am having some dificulty with the job. When I converted I didnt know that male contact was prohibited, I was in Massage Therapy school, and working with men as my clients. and then when I learned that after I converted I stopped working and almost dropped out of schoool, then I tried to look for a new halal job but none of the jobs would pay me enough so I could support myself. I live alone and my family cannot help me. So I started losing money from my savings and was really getting scared so I went back to school and started working again. I am targeting females now but they do not call me, and I cannot work in a salon until I finish school, and even then if I dont take male clients I will not get paid well, and since I live by myself I need to support myself. So I am in a big dilemna right now. I am very depressed because I am not doing the right thing, but my bills are high. I want to go to school for something else but I dont know what for and whatever I choose is going to take time. Please help give me some guidance Inshallah. Thank you.

[syed_z]

InshA Allah Allah (swt) will help you sister, for you took a step for Him and He will make things easy for you, for He is Able to do all the Things. All this happening with you is to test you whether you would turn back or move forward and continue being a Muslim and follow Allah (swt) commands. Have you tried getting other jobs ? Cut down on your expenses ? Try marrying, so your not single and some one will carry your burden, contact your local Islamic Centre or Masjid and inshAllah they'll help you with your marriage. Just ponder over these Verses of Quran....

(65:02) And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him (or her) to get out (from every difficulty).

(65:03) And will provide for him (or her) from where he (or She) does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him.

[tigerkhan]

what i can say is there is no strictness in deen.....eg if someone cant pray salat while standing...he can say it in sitting...if he cant sit then can pray in laying down position....but the matter to determine, whether he can stand or not.....no1 else can predict this...its only matter b/w Him and ALLAH SWT....HE knows what is our hearts .......so u may ask guidance from some scholar about halal way of earning for ur necessities......but be relax...islam is not for making our life tough but it a great nihma of ALLAH SWT to guide us how to spend our life in better way so that we can be successfull in both the worlds..
may ALLAH SWT 4give if i say something wrong....

[newmuslimah]

Thank you sister, I have been looking for a better job but they will not pay enough since I will be entry level, and my bills are just for my rent and electric and my car payment and car insurance. It isnt that much but just making mininum wage wont cover them and food and gas and those necessities. I have gone to the mosque, and I have met with a possible husband (inshallah) a few times. But I need to wait until I am fully divorced from my last husband (from before I converted) before I can marry, so I need to find a solution until then. But it does make sense that this is a test to see if I give up or not, and I dont want to give up at all, but I feel bad inside. I hear that Allah (swt) will keep on guiding me as long as I stay true to him inshallah. To me I want to be a 100 percent perfect muslim, but I realize that I am a convert and it will take time for me to fully be able to change my life so it is inaccordance to islam, inshallah. Thank you again. I will just keep trying and not feel very very depressed. inshallah

[newmuslimah]

Thank you brother. I hear that if I cannot survive than I have to adjust it to me until I am able to survive on my own with Allah's (swt) help. inshallah

[Muslimman]

Salam Sister,
Be sure that all you are going through is normal. Allah is testing you so you become a better Muslim. When you read the biography of our prophet Muhammad as well as all prophets, you find that their lives are all full of testing and hardships. This is necessary for faithful people to be classified and rewarded accordingly in the hereafter. Just be patient and be sure that you will be able to overcome all these hardships with patience, understanding and wisedom.
I won't advise you that you keep company of some people so they find you a job, or try to seek another job, etc. But, I would advise you that Allah will help you when Allah wants and when this is for the benefit of you, and such help will come from some where you have never expected.
Take care and may Allah be with you

[newmuslimah]

Thank you sister, Mashallah, Allah has given me little surprises already and I read that Allah likes the challenge to overcome obstacles for the believer. So inshallah I am staying on the right path and not giving up because it is too difficut inshallah.

[Muhaba]

Sister welcome to Islam, may Allah make it easier for you and help you get a better job, etc.

Islamically, a woman automatically gets divorced when she reverts to islam (and her husband remains a kafir) or if her husband converts to another religion from Islam because a muslim woman isn't lawful to a nonmuslim man.
See verse 10 of chapter 60.

This is of course for the benefit of the woman as she is weaker physically and if she remains with a nonmuslim husband, he might harm her and anything is expected of a kafir as they have no fear of Allah. already there are so many cases domestic violence in the kafir countries where women are in so much trouble.

So in your case, while you may be still legally married to your husband, islamically you are no longer married to him and i believe you can marry someone else islamically. Talk to your imam or scholar about this and see if it's possible to get married to the brother now so that he may be able to help you with adjusting to your new islamic lifestyle where you have restrictions of halal and haram.