Bismillah 

Assalamu Alaykum (May peace be with you),

Having reverted August 2018 and Ramadan 2019 being my first, I wanted to raise awareness about the difficulties that we revert sisters go through. So I made a pledge to raise £1000 to SOLACE UK after attending an iftar event! Even though ramadan is such an important and special period of time for the muslim community, for some sisters it can be a month filled with more tears, more isolation, more heartbreak and even more misery. 

Being a revert means being alienated from your family and them refusing to go outside with you. They insist that you have become brainwashed, that you have become radical and they have lost the daughter/sister/friend they once knew. You stand there fidgeting with your new garment wondering what is so wrong with being a muslim when you feel most at peace now than you ever have.

Being a revert means having to lock yourself away in your bedroom with your back against the door, fearing each footstep you hear coming up those stairs, afraid that they will catch you praying. You're in prostration with tears streaming down your face knowing that only your Lord will listen to you and only He can put your heart at ease.

Being a revert can mean homelessness and complete abandonment. Single mothers being left to raise their children without any help or comfort because their friends and loved ones that they once knew have disowned them. 

Being a revert means vulnerability and fragility. You are exposed to people that can and sometimes do end up manipulating and abusing you. Starting a whole new life on your own is incredibly scary and frightful and all you need is somebody by your side. 

Being a revert means never feeling like you fit in. You try your best to reach to sisters but you feel as though they don't understand, that they don't stick to their promise of helping you. You feel like a burden.

This is where Solace UK comes in to help. Founded by a revert sister in 2011, their Support Scheme service  provide long term support for revert sisters that require help with matters such as: abandonment, isolation, homelessness, emotional/physical abuse, marital problems, wearing the hijab, building bridges with non-muslim family members and finally, dealing with thoughts of wanting to leave Islam due to hardships. 

They do this by providing...

• Mediation service for service users experiencing difficulties with non-Muslim relatives
• Emotional support for service users who feel down due to strained relationships with non-Muslim relatives
• Help in improving social network
• Emergency temporary accommodation for those who are homeless as a result of reversion
• Counselling for victims of emotional and physical abuse
• Helping service users work through their marital problems
• Step by step action plans for service users who are finding it difficult to adopt Islamic practises such as wearing hijab, praying 5 times a day, fasting through Ramadan
• Emergency support for revert sisters who have doubts in their faith as well as thoughts of wishing to leave Islam

For more information on how Solace UK carry out their services head over to https://www.solaceuk.org/our-work/how-we-help/.

If Allah wills I aim to fulfil my pledge of £5000. With your money, you can help our revert sisters in need and help Solace UK to continue providing the amazing and much needed service. 

Please donate what you can, a little goes a long way. Do not forget to share. 

JazakiAllahu Khairan. 

ONE UMMAH. ONE BODY. ONE UNITY.

Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5665, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2586

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

عَنْ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى

5665 صحيح البخاري كتاب الأدب باب رحمة الناس والبهائم

2586 صحيح مسلم كتاب البر والصلة والآداب باب تراحم المؤمنين وتعاطفهم وتعاضدهم

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever relieves the hardship of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever helps ease one in difficulty, Allah will make it easy for him in this world and in the Hereafter. Whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah helps the servant as long as he helps his brother. Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise, for a people do not gather together in the houses of Allah, reciting the book of Allah and studying it together, but that tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will cover them, angels will surround them, and Allah will mention them to those near Him. Whoever is slow to good deeds will not be hastened by his lineage.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2699

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَنْ نَفَّسَ عَنْ مُؤْمِنٍ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرَبِ الدُّنْيَا نَفَّسَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَمَنْ يَسَّرَ عَلَى مُعْسِرٍ يَسَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَمَنْ سَتَرَ مُسْلِمًا سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ فِي عَوْنِ الْعَبْدِ مَا كَانَ الْعَبْدُ فِي عَوْنِ أَخِيهِ وَمَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَمَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ فِي بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِ اللَّهِ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَيَتَدَارَسُونَهُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِلاَّ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِينَةُ وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةُ وَحَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِيمَنْ عِنْدَهُ وَمَنْ بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُهُ

2699 صحيح مسلم كتاب الذكر والدعاء والتوبة والاستغفار باب فضل الاجتماع على تلاوة القرآن وعلى الذكر