Living Estranged Lives: the story of many Young Muslims Today

When I journeyed to Yemen in the summer of 2007, It was the first time I had seen such a complete manifestation of Islam. From the azan, which woke me up for fajr, to the women who were all sporting abayas and niqaabs, as well as the food, about which I did not have to constantly ask myself: Is it halal? Being in this environment, where the Quran is on the television and our religion is the dominant way of life, I could not help but feel envious of how easy it would be to practice Islam in such a place. When i got back home from my trip abroad, I began to think about just how hard we in the West have it. Although I do admit that not all people living in majority Muslim countries are righteous- because fitnah exists everywhere-, but I do believe that the environment is not as favoring for us western Muslims. We are bombarded with negative depictions of Muslims on television, have a hard time getting along with parents & their cultural baggage, and live in a society where sex and desire are the driving force. In this difficult climate, many Young Muslims are finding it difficult to stay true to their religion without making any compromises. Some of us might know some Muslims who go to jumah prayer on Friday and, that same night, are out partying it up with chicks and booze. Others may struggle with praying 5 times daily- missing a couple of prayers to do a major project or study for an exam.

Essentially, Muslims living in America are strangers, where frequently people misunderstand understand us. Rasul'Allah (the messenger of Allah) tells us that this condition is a privileged one, because "lahum al-jannah" (they have paradise). Muhammad (saws) also said "Islam began alienated and will return as it began, alienated. So, blessed are the alienated ones." The Muslims began as a small group, in a society which persecuted them. In many cases, their own families turned against them. And today, we are once again in a situation where the world cannot understand us. They cannot comprehend why a woman must wear hijab, or why we must pray five times a day. Nor can they understand why we abstain from pork, sex, or alcohol. The common belief in this society is that just being a good person and doing good things will open the gates of paradise to us. But we, as Muslims, must keep steadfast in the way of Allah (swt), while attempting to excel in school, careers, and other important aspects of western life. We know that it is not just our relationship with other humans that is important, but our relationship with Allah (swt) is even more important. Remember that nothing happens if it is not the will of Allah (swt). Therefore, while we try to relate to our society, we should not try to be LIKE them. Muhammed (saws) stated "Whoever imitates a group is amongst them." Always remember who YOU are. You are a Muslim first, and the rest is in the hands of Allah (swt).

-Mohamed Farah and Musa Talib