About faith and God

 Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullah all :) how are u?

I didn't go anywhere today, just enjoyed this sunny Sunday at home, organizing things and having some coffee on the balcony like I posted on Instagram earlier. I wasn't supposed to write today since I wrote already yesterday..

.. but there's so much islamophobia everywhere on social media once again, so I feel like I gotta write few things to cope.

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I have been a muslim for 11 years. So I am a revert, a western revert woman living in a western country. I don't claim I can speak for everyone's experience, I am only still a newbie on my path of islam and as I am a revert, I don't have the same experience as of someone who has born in a muslim family. Not that it needs to be a dividing matter, no. We all muslims are connected through our beliefs, may they vary and be many. But just for context.

Actually I do think that there's as many ways to practice islam as there are muslims. To each person it will look their own, even if we have certain guidelines. But let's say that I travel now to any country, and go to a mosque there, maybe a Sunni one since I'm Sunni too. The service will look the same, we pray the same, we all know how it will go and it will build a sense of togetherness and unity. I have prayed on the other side of the world, as I have in the mosque I like to go here in Finland, and once you step into the mosque, it's the same. That's the power of islam, our strength comes from a sense of community, may it be that we would be strangers. Having the same faith will connect people more deeper level. For example, if I greet a muslim lady on my way to the market, it's the moment we share together. We say "assalamu aleikum", "may peace of Allah be upon you", and between the lines we also say "hey, you are my sister, I see you, I'm on your side, how do you do". 

I don't know how it has been attending a Qur'an school as a kid, or be the first born daughter of immigrant parents. I don't know how it feels like to be a target of hate since childhood. I don't also know how is it like to grow up with having divine wisdom guarding you like a shield. Or the pressures to forget all that. Even though the islamophobes hate reverts too, I do have some privilege which has made things easier.

What I think is amazing about every muslim, is that everyone are able to recite Qur'an. It may be a few surahs, some know the whole Qur'an, but everyone can recite something. We, new and experienced, young and old, carry inside our memory a part of God's words every day.

That's why it would be so important to also act upon it always.

And that is the critical question, used as a spear in the filthy conversations going on. There seem to be two stereotypes always in the media: either it's the extremists and terrorists, or then the "liberal muslims", who will be more 'better' the less they feel passionate about their faith.

Now like I said, there's as many ways to practice as there are muslims. There's different opinions, scholars, schools of thought, sects. And if you are then less passionate, you are. And that's your path right now. I just meant that there seem to be a very black and white roles to a heterogenous group, a worldwide group of people. There usually isn't much space and voices given to the regular muslims, who practice their religion and love being a muslim, who study and talk about it, who live in a peaceful, regular life. Who are muslims and go to work. Who are muslims and take care of their kids. And so on.

So how do I practice islam and what do I do?

- I pray 5 times a day

- I fast the month of Ramadan

- I give to charity

- I try to keep good manners

- I have good relationship with my parent

- I accept invitations 

- I do home chores and cook (which both my husband does too, so that there's no questions hehe)

- I greet those I know and those I do not know 

- I have quit using any substances and been sober

- I wear hijab, but I don't condemn those who don't

- I focus on having a peaceful life

- I don't gamble or cheat

What else.. well, as you can see, mostly the list is not frightening at all, right? I just live a regular life. The prayers give a rhythm on my day, it's an obligation but also I think it as a small moment of meditation which keeps my head more clear. Fasting also might raise questions, but just look online, there's so many ways to fast in a non religious way like intermittent fasting, which is basically the same than what we do on Ramadan (minus the spiritual practice). But as you can see, being a muslim doesn't mean anything scary or even too strict, if you ask me. It's a lot about finding a clear path, the middle road, while navigating life's obstacles and easier times. Because I also

- pray when I have a hard time

- trust that God has a plan for me, which will be the best for my wellbeing

- know that God also loves me

- try to be patient and find something good in everything

- keep trying to build up my character and be a better me, not that I have to change but for example control my emotions better and so on

- respect other people and life

So I just wonder.. why so much hate? It seems that majority have fallen into the propaganda being spread. I'm not gonna go to politics to protect my mood right now, but if you are civilized and you keep learning and stay with an open mind, you probably know already. 

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But ok, you might say, this is about islam but what about your God, Allah, then?

Allah is an arabic word for God, like in Finnish it would be Jumala. It means a single deity, and actually the word Allah is not feminine or masculine. God is not like a human, but a different entity.

I do believe God has created everything there is. And to me, God has always been the same one I have believed in, even before the time I reverted to islam. He has always been the same and always there for me. For me, my faith is really personal so I'm not gonna write much about it. But I love God, that's how much I like Him, hehe :)

There's 99 names or attributes which we connect to Allah. I like how in islam there's a lot of information about Allah and how He is. How the names also are, you can see that God is the source of these things. Like peace, and love, or prosperity. He is the source where all things come from, and also where we all go once our times end on this planet. God is so much more than we can even think of. We have the information, but we also have to know that we are limited when it comes to God. There's no comparison, it would be like comparing a grain of sand to a mountain.

The most important thing about believing in God, is that He is for all of us. The sinners, the repenting ones, those who struggle, those who have it too easy too. You don't have to be perfect, you can be just yourself and it is enough. God has created you just the way you are, and decided that the world needs one of you's here. So don't even fall into despair.

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I have to admit I'm a bit tired now. I could write about this so much, but my batteries finish! :/ But this is not my last blog post, hehe, so there will be more in sha Allah! Thank you for reading, take care.

Aisha