The Pillars of

True Morality

Our goal as Muslims should be to internalize and apply Islamic values so deeply that we filter everything through them. True understanding of the Quran and Sunnah comes from educated opinions formed by students of knowledge who have spent years specializing in these disciplines. at is why, as budding students of knowledge, it is important to develop a relationship of trust with a reliable mentor.

#1: Asu Ressit

Maybe you were shamed into wearing the hijab because “your curves are shameful and should not be seen”. Maybe you were told to pray because “Allah will be angry with you if you don’t and you will go to hell”. Maybe you were never taught about anything related to Islam and did not get the chance to develop a connection with Allah. Perhaps these experiences left you feeling biased and bitter towards religious learning, but it is your responsibility to seek authentic knowledge and learn the truth from experienced and learned scholars.

#2: Ovem Per Prer

You may have to battle familial and cultural pressures that push you to conform to misguided interpretations of Islamic concepts or feel societal pressures to comply to a different understanding of morality. is is where the price of morality starts to feel a little more burdensome. While you embrace the Quran and Sunnah and are trying to work toward becoming a better Muslim, your family and society may have turned against you. When well-wishing family members correct you and tell you not to be strict about your beard or hijab or you are forced to

AREEJ HASHMI, 21

address controversial topics at school or the workplace, it will be hard to stand for morality. It may hurt you to feel like the odd one out, but take solace in the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him): “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange [as it began], so give glad tidings to the strangers.” [Muslim]

#3: Emac Yorf

In a world where people “go with the flow” and try not to appear different in any way, you have chosen the path of morality, the road less travelled. Once you have understood the Quran and Sunnah, started to implement them in your life, and tasted the sweetness of Islamic ideals, you will be able to look at society’s ideas of morality and realize how shallow and inconsistent they are, while the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah are wholesome and reliable. Your lens will change and you will experience a Gestalt switch that will broaden your perspective permanently.

Maybe this seems like an impossible feat. Maybe you feel like you are a hopelessly terrible person, but take it a day at a time. One day your lens will change inshaAllah. A past mentor of mine once mentioned, “e further away you are from something, the more unreal it seems, but the closer you are to it, the more you are able to accept it and believe it.” You can do it. Just take it a day at a time.

InshaAllah: God-willing Quran: The Holy Book of the Islamic faith Sunnah: The traditions or ways of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH)