My Dear Sister in Islam, One of the many challenges before you is to learn how to pave your own path and set very clear boundaries around it. You see, even though God is the one who created you and told you exactly what you are capable of and what is expected of you, there are many, many people in this world who believe that by virtue of your gender you are simply unable to think for yourself. They will discourage you from creating your own path by making you doubt yourself and then they will encourage you to follow their path. They will tell you what size you should be, how you should dress, how you should walk, how you should talk, how long or short your hair should be, what color your skin should be, what you should or shouldn’t eat, where you should go to school, what you should or shouldn’t study, when you should get married, who you should marry, where you should live, how many kids you should have, how you should raise your kids, who you should or shouldn’t trust, and on and on and on. This will go on for the rest of your life, and unfortunately there isn’t anyway to stop the constant stream of unsolicited advice that you will receive. What you can do however is learn how to use the intellect that God has equipped you with and the sources He’s made available to you to learn how to be an independent thinker. You should start by examining the Qur’an and Hadiths and the countless verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that deal with the individual rights and responsibilities of every Muslim. Once you understand exactly who you are in the sight of God and the potential you have, you will not lose yourself on someone else’s path, rather you will firmly plant your feet in your own. You will learn that your body is sacred and must be protected, your mind is a machine and must be used, and your tongue is a tool and must be useful. You will also learn that your first priority is to please God and His Prophet (peace be upon him) and to judge every decision you are ever confronted with according to what would please them. Whether it is a worldly matter or a spiritual one, when you learn to put your trust in God above your trust in everyone else, including yourself, you will develop a very strong sense of identity and self-assuredness and no one will ever make you doubt yourself again. May God fortify you with wisdom, strength, health, perseverance, and high aspirations in all that you do for His sake.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 02:49:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015