In a recent post a Muslim revert described their fears around moving from an country where Islam was dominant to a location in the West where there were few, if any other Muslims.
She expressed her fear for her young sons …
“I’m worried about my boys. They’re doing so well here and of course learning Arabic and Qur’an and hadiths, duas, Islamic etiquette, etc. Masha’Allah. I’m afraid that if we go there and stay for a while, which is what we’re planning on doing, that my boys will be negatively impacted by the culture there, especially in school. …I just keep thinking, my boys are so wonderful Masha’Allah… what if they change? Then it’ll be my fault for bringing them there.“
My own daughter experienced significant changes when moving from India to the UK to complete her schooling and she is now in a gap year before University. We likewise live in an area with few Muslims and have only one mosque within an hours drive from us.
My daughter has many western friends, even one who is going through a gender change. She lives in a world where alcohol is an essential component of any gathering.
But importantly her faith and the strength of her moral upbringing has kept her on the straight path, and her approach to life is starting to shape others around her, some have stopped consuming alcohol for example.
I’m in the process of establishing, with my employer a prayer space to use during work hours. They’ve never been asked before but are supportive and its about to happen.
Its easy to fear that we don’t have the strength to survive outside of an Islamic community. But significantly we seem to question to power of our Islamic faith. This is sad.
Yes, life in a world vastly different to our beliefs is challenging but if we all retreat to places we feel are safe we then we make little difference in this world and fail to spread our faith.
Da’wah is the act of inviting or calling people to Islam and I believe that we can do that most effectively by the example we set in our every day lives.
If those lives are only lived amongst fellow Muslims then the impact will be small. If those lives are lived amongst the wider world then the potential is incredible.
So my response to anyone who is asking the same question is worry less about where you live and more about the example you set. Most importantly believe in the strength of your faith.
Let’s believe we can make a difference in this world rather than fearing the world will change us.
*Quoted from Ghandi