As Muslims, we are taught to follow the Quran and the Sunnah which is the way Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lived his life. Sunnah can include extra prayers, Islamic laws and traditions, and a path to the way you should live your life. Islam is such a beautiful way of life because it protects us from things that may harm us and guides us to the right path. Growing up Muslim today can be difficult and test your Faith in so many ways. What does this mean exactly? Today more than ever our faith is tested day by day because of Western society standards. This can come from peer pressure to drink, having sexual relationships, smoking, cussing, and more, just to fit in with the crowd. Growing up in Western society, all the above was considered normal and not looked down upon which makes it harder for Muslims to stick with their faith and follow the right path of Islam.
How do we overcome these obstacles and keep our mindset on the fact that this life is only temporary and so insignificant? It’s much easier said than done because as children growing up, you want to fit in and sometimes may feel embarrassed about the fact that you’re Muslim or that you to pray, or that your mom wears the hijab. These childhood experiences can have long-lasting effects on the way you view Islam growing up whether positive or negative. Throughout your teen years, this can be even more difficult with the constant pressure from looking and acting a certain way that may not necessarily fall in line with Islamic values. Think about it like this, Allah (SWT) made certain things haram for a reason, which is to protect us. He wouldn’t make things haram just for the fun of it, everything has a purpose. For example, drinking alcohol is haram because of the state it puts us in. The state of vulnerability and the lack of self-control. So many people get taken advantage of when drunk and Allah (SWT) just doesn’t even want us to be put in a situation where that could happen.
Written By Anan Helwih