Author: Ammara Huda Age 12
Being purposeful with your actions, holding meaning of who you are and having a reason to do what you do best is all a part of committing to faith: believing in Islam. Saying what you want to improve doesn’t benefit anything. However, acting on it will you results- the results you have only dreamt of. If it’s getting into the habit of praying or understanding the Qur’an, Allah (swt) will give you that perfect time to do so, that opportunity. You just have to take it. It won’t be impossible nor easy; it will be challenging, which is why you should try, then you will see improvement of having a closer connection with Allah (swt). Only Allah knows how much you have tried- He can hear even when you are silent. After all, that part of being Muslim: there is always something to get better at, to shoot for.
Things to remember-
First, something to realise that not many people can do- read Arabic. It may be obvious, because the Qur’an is in Arabic or it may be your first language, but in a world of other religions, that is quite the achievement. Arabic is a hard language to read and understand but learning it fluently or the Qur’an by heart is a whole other skill to be proud of.
If you don’t feel like praying, force it, because something is forcing you not to. Praying Salah is quite important, as its one of the five pillars of Islam, so when you can, where you can, if you can, pray. Salah has a much deeper meaning than just worshipping Allah (swt) but you can ask for forgiveness and therefore strengthen that bond with Allah, leading to lots of rewards in this life and the next.
When traveling, on the way to school or just have some free time with not enough space to pray, you can pray dhikr or say some duas in your mind (it doesn’t have to be in Arabic) because just thinking about Allah will make Him happy. Some signs are that when it rains as it’s considered a blessed time. How does this correlate to having challenges being a Muslim you may ask? Because remembering Allah all the time can be a challenge, if you are at school or at work. So, remembering Allah (swt) in difficult\ stressful\ hopeful times can make a real difference. Whether it’s before an exam or eating food, knowing that Allah (swt) is there and everywhere is very impactful.
Asking Questions-
Questions not been answered to? Just ask and that the only way you will get the answer. If someone would’ve told me sooner, I would’ve had the knowledge sooner so don’t be afraid to. No one knows anything and everything- only Allah does, and many mistakes happen, and that how we learn about Islam. Asking plenty questions also relates to the wider world as well. Listening to the Qur’an on an app, knowing when to pray- I have got these answers from the questions I ask so make sure you do too.