Youth Case Study -
I cannot overstate how much this masjid has helped me - Youth Sister
I come from a good, well-respected family alhamdulillah. My parents always put great effort into instilling good morals into me and my older sisters. I was raised in a privileged environment; my parents are both cardiologists and so growing up, we always had the best opportunities. My two older sisters studied hard and got into very good universities. I also take my studies seriously and have always done well alhamdulillah.
I have always been a curious person. I’m quite sociable and enjoy getting to know everyone around me. I find faith and philosophy interesting, so I often find myself engaged in discussions about belief and ethics at school. I was one of the only girls who wore a hijab at my school, and sometimes I’d find it really challenging. I’d have to stand up for the hijab when people at school would ask me difficult questions about it, and inside I’d feel hollow and tongue-tied. It was frustrating.
When I started year 11, I suffered a big loss in my life. I was betrayed and manipulated in the worst way possible by someone I loved. The ground beneath me had been yanked away, and I felt rattled. I started to suffer from intense panic attacks and bouts of anxiety. I couldn’t regain my balance. Everything suddenly felt impossible. My exams were creeping up, my parents were concerned, and I felt more distant than ever from my faith.
I was really hurting. In the meantime, my friends were going to parties and concerts and were enjoying themselves in the way most teenagers currently do. They always asked me to go with them, but I always declined. ‘But why not?’ they’d ask. Each week, my conviction in my answers was getting weaker and weaker. I was finding it difficult to relate to my deen and felt as though it was holding me back from the life I wanted to have. My hijab was starting to feel suffocating, and ultimately, I felt it was restricting me.
That summer, I went with my older sister to a tafseer class for sisters at Green Lane Masjid (GLM). I entered into a room of 60 sisters, and suddenly, I wasn’t the only hijabi anymore. I sat down, and realised that I didn’t stand out, and that no one was looking at me. Everyone was focused on the teacher, and what she had to say. As I sat with all of the sisters, I no longer felt strange or alone. This class helped me to fall in love with my deen all over again.
One of the sisters from GLM noticed that I was a new face and started to talk to me. I eventually opened up to her and told her that I was struggling with my deen, mental health and Muslim identity. Without delay, I was put in touch with a counsellor, and was invited to help the GLM youth team with their summer project. I cannot overstate how much this masjid has helped me. Day by day, I was able to re-build myself and that summer I found myself again. Alhamdulillah, I still wear the hijab, pray five times a day and feel proud to be a Muslim.
Alhamdulillah, I got through my GCSEs and A-levels with flying colours, and I’m now studying medicine at a leading UK university. I am actively involved in my Islamic society, and I have a good group of friends. Thanks to your support, things are now better than ever, Alhamdulillah.