My Treasure... Islam!

For those who are not yet Muslim, this one is for you... :)

I was 17 years old. I still remember exactly where I was. Sitting on the sofa by the window, gazing out at the sky. It was breathtaking. Soft blue with a light pink haze, the sun rising with a golden twinkle. The deep green trees swayed gently in the breeze as birds sang in perfect harmony. I was captivated by the scene, and for what felt like hours, I just sat there thinking.

Until that moment, I had been Muslim because it was how I was raised. I followed what my lovely parents taught me, trusting that it was enough. But that morning was different. Something stirred within me as I asked myself... what am I really doing with my life? How is this view so beautiful? How am I able to appreciate it so deeply? Why am I even here? Am I truly on the right track?

You can imagine the irony, a 17 year old juggling university plans, career ambitions, and the endless questions about the future, suddenly consumed by such profound thoughts! Yet it felt like at that moment, my heart needed an MOT, and that morning, it was overdue. For years, I’d been speeding through life, without stopping to reflect on the journey itself.

But then, it happened. A peace settled in my heart, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. If I could bottle that feeling up, I’d gift it to every person I meet. It was the sweetness of faith. A sense of clarity and purpose that transformed me.

I realised with certainty that such beauty couldn’t be random. The delicate balance of everything around me pointed undeniably to God. Take the sky I admired, painted by the sun’s orbit, producing just the right haze. That same sunlight sustains the plants, which shelter the birds I heard singing. And then there was me - marveling at it all through intricate eyes, sending signals to a cognitive brain that could process this moment of consciousness, leading straight to my heart. It was overwhelming to comprehend. 

That week, I dove deep. I spent hours listening to lectures on world religions, the purpose of life, and the existence of God. It was the most life-changing research I have ever done. In short, here’s what I found:

There is a God. The signs around us are too intricate to be coincidence. God is far beyond human comprehension - so perfect, He cannot be represented as an idol or equated with any created being. To guide us, God chose messengers, the best among us, to deliver His message and serve as examples for humanity.

God created this universe and everything within it with immense care, reflecting His infinite love for His creation. He wants good for us. So, as follows, our purpose is to lead lives of goodness: to be kind to one another, to care for the earth and its creatures, to spread love, peace and smiles. Yet our greatest purpose is to recognise and worship the One who created us, as worship deepens our connection with Him.

Every blessing we enjoy (too many to count) comes from Him. This reminds us that God alone is worthy of worship. God will look at our worship, our actions and the sincerity of our hearts. Through this and His infinite mercy, He promises us nearness to Him in this world and eternal joy in the next.

And there must be a next world. This life is a test, filled with trials and blessings, yet it remains imperfect and unjust. The afterlife provides the ultimate justice, where every wrong will be made right and every soul will be held accountable for their deeds. For God to be as loving and just as we know Him to be, there must be an afterlife where every wrong is righted and every good deed rewarded.

And so, I found it - the greatest gift of all: contentment. I arrived back where I started, but this time, I understood the journey. Islam spoke to me in a way no other religion could. It was timeless, logical, scientifically sound, miraculous and nothing short of... my treasure.

In Islam, I found answers that aligned with my heart and reason. It connected every aspect of life; spiritual, intellectual, and emotional into one cohesive truth. There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.

To my loves reading this: I truly want the best for you in this life and the next. Remember that bottle with that feeling inside of it? I may not be able to physically give that but I can give my words and love as my gift to you instead. I hope you accept it, for you might just find the same contentment as I did, and trust me... it changes everything :)

With love and a smile,
Noreena x

'Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation of the night and the day, the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason.' (Quran 2:164)"