This blog is a reflection about what we’re slowly losing: our unapologetic Muslim identity.
Grateful to Be Born a Muslim
Every day, I thank Allah for blessing me with Islam. Had I not been born a Muslim, would I have sought the truth? Would I have found the courage to embrace it? I honestly don’t know.
If asked to give up my faith, I’d rather die. That’s how much Islam means to me. I owe this conviction to Allah and my mother, whose religious influence kept me close to the Deen — even when the world tried to pull me away.
The Hijab and the Judgement
I wear the hijab — not a niqab or abaya. By today’s labels, I’m a “moderate” — maybe even “confused.” But I know what I believe.
Living in the West, Islamophobia is expected. But what shocks me is the judgment I face from fellow Muslims. When they ask, “Why do you cover?”
I ask in return, “Why not appreciate someone trying to follow the Quran and Sunnah?”
Let’s first fulfill the basics — Prayer, Zakat, Hajj, Fast, and Tawheed — before arguing over what’s compulsory and what’s not.
The Divide Within
We are divided. On one side: those chasing glamour, fame, and validation at the cost of their faith. On the other: those sincerely trying to practice Islam, often mocked for being “too religious.” And in the middle: confusion, judgment, and silence.
Why is it so hard to practice Islam in a country whose foundation was لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ?
When Faith Feels Foreign in a Muslim Land
- Lahore Airport: A fully veiled woman was asked to unveil her face in front of a male officer for identification. Why not hire more female staff to accommodate such religious sensitivities? Pakistan has no shortage of women — only a shortage of respect.
- Restaurants: When I enter with my family modestly dressed, we’re treated like aliens. We are no less in wealth or class — but our appearance apparently violates some unspoken norm. Meanwhile, girls in crop tops and spaghetti straps sit comfortably, unbothered. Why this double standard?
- Religious Scholars: Every mistake by a scholar is magnified. The system seems eager to catch them slipping — as if perfection is required only of them. But are they not human? Shouldn’t we correct with love instead of slander?
- Pakistan’s Identity: I’ve heard young Muslims question why we even separated from India. They glamorize Hindutva-led India while showing no gratitude for a land where Islam is the majority and adhaan still echoes through the skies. How can we forget the blood and sacrifice that earned this soil?
- Beards & Abayas: A man with a beard is “too Islamic.” A woman in abaya is “too conservative.” When did religion become separate from culture? Since when did the Sunnah become suspicious?
- Weddings: Our weddings have become Bollywood’s stepchild — blaring Indian music, girls in revealing clothes dancing, and social media flooded with what looks like public mujras. And the saddest part? The parents not only allow it — they record it. Where is our shame?
- Cultural Confusion: An Indian Hindu once said to me, “Nowadays, it’s hard to tell Pakistanis from us — same Western dress, same values.” That hit deep. Are we really blending in so much we can’t even be told apart?
- Islamophobia Abroad: After any global attack, I silently pray, “Ya Allah, let it not be a Muslim.”
If it is, the label is immediate: “Terrorist.”
If not, “Lone wolf.” “Mentally unstable.”
Why must we always apologize? Every community has bad apples — why carry the weight of others’ sins? If we clearly call our wrong, others will too.
Losing Our Identity
We try so hard to prove we’re “modern,” “secular,” “enlightened moderates.” But at what cost? We believe in the Day of Judgment, the grave, accountability — yet we live as if none of it is real.
Even in Muslim countries, we’re treated with disdain. Other nations disrespect us because we no longer respect ourselves.
Zionists stand boldly by their scripture. We, the people of the Quran, hide our Book like it’s something shameful. Some even say, “If nothing else works, make the child a Hafiz.” Since when did learning Allah’s Book become a fallback option
What Can We Do – Starting Today
We don’t need revolutions. We need revival. And it starts with us.
1/ We don’t need to change the world overnight — but we must begin at home.
2/ Learn your faith — read, ask, seek knowledge.
3/ Practice what you know — even the basics matter.
4/ Encourage good, discourage wrong — lovingly, wisely.
5/ Speak with pride about being a Muslim.
Final Thought
We beg Allah for help, but disobey Him without remorse. How can we expect change without first changing ourselves?
So I ask again — and I ask both you and myself:
What am I, if not a Muslim?
May Allah guides us, forgives us, and makes us brave.
Let us turn to Allah with sincerity— and seek His divine help for our oppressed brothers and sisters across the world. Let us seek forgiveness for our silence and sins, and beg Him for unity, dignity, and the return of honor to this Ummah.
Ameen.
Yours Truly,
قلبٌ يقظان
Qalbun Yaqzaan
— A heart that can no longer sleep
