Living in the West, we are hounded and attacked from every corner. We struggle to find a place for ourselves in this society.

We often do not realize how much the religion of Islam is taken for granted by many of us. We like to think we are great Muslims when we are living with our families and close friends, but once we step out of the luxury and safety of our communities, we tend to hesitate, doubt and question our entire belief system. When removed from the Muslim setting and environment we begin to falter. This is because once we are given a choice to either accept or reject, we start questioning our Muslim identity. It is a form of Jihad for us living in the West. And those that do not understand what Islam truly stands for will unfortunately fail. This may come off as frightening, and living in the west may pose a grave danger to our faith. Yet, I cannot think of anything better for my faith that is to know that in these surroundings I will be forced to address the questions of what is Islam and why I am Muslim. Back in Muslim countries, many Muslims practice a faith of convenience, never really questioning their relationship with Allah (swt) because their faith has never really been challenged by the larger society that is already Muslim.

However, for us living here in non-Muslim surroundings, it means we are constantly being bombarded with situations and concepts that basically boil down to a decision between Islam and ignorance; precisely because Islam is a way of life and not something we limit to the temple or church like other religions, it is always there in the foreground of our lives–  in our interactions with others, our opinions of people, the way we carry ourselves, the future we decide to build for ourselves and our families— nearly every decision we make and the way we lead our lives must be based on the principles set forth by Islam. Islam demands that we be righteous and just human beings every step of the way. If we can succeed in living under such a liberal environment and come out with our deen stronger and more refined, then I firmly believe that we are the better Muslims than those who are never challenged.

The college setting is a great example of an environment that requires us to negotiate our faith with the dominant American culture, especially for those that go away for college, like myself. Once we go to college, we, as individuals, have the freedom to do what we like. We have the ability to do almost anything. Your new friends, Muslim or not, and your professors will question you about your faith repeatedly. They will ask you “why are you Muslim?” Do we even know why we are Muslim? Is it because our parents are? Or is Islam something more than just an inheritance? If we are not properly prepared to answer these simple questions we may easily get stumped, which may lead us to doubt or worse, abandon our faith altogether, the faith that was sent to all mankind as a mercy in order for us to achieve proximity with our Creator.

On campus Muslim students will be confronted with temptation after temptation, and all sorts of peer pressure that threaten to distract us from the righteous path of Allah (swt). Alcohol, drugs, fornication, etc will all be “easy access.” If one cannot recognize oneself and his or her relation to the deen, one becomes easy prey and will most certainly fall victim.

In order to avoid all this, we must arm ourselves with the proper knowledge. However much we may read, we must be consistent. Not only must we read, but we also must reflect at the same time. Furthermore, we need to apply what we have read in our day-to-day interactions. And The Holy Prophet [s] said: ” Knowledge is Allah’s deposit on the earth and scholars are His trustees of it. Therefore, he who acts according to his knowledge, has really delivered His deposit….” Further, Imam Ali (a) has stated, “Knowledge without application is useless.”

We will never truly appreciate Islam until we apply it to our lives. We must practice Islam the way we do in here. Islam is a way of life meant to be practiced in and out of the masjid. At RIT, where I attended college, we sometimes had to pray on the fourth floor of the library, especially during finals week, when they would close the prayer room. At first people would stare, but eventually people got very comfortable and some even started to “observe” our prayers. They were astonished at our discipline and commitment. This in turn gave Muslims a good impression and strengthened our faith and gave us encouragement.

Another time a professor of an Islamic Art class I took unintentionally said, that “Men are superior in Islamic scripture than the women…” I was forced to correct him. He apologized for his comment and clarified himself, stating that he did not mean it to come out like that. Ever since that incident, which seemed pretty insignificant at the time, that professor has been corresponding with me and asking me questions that he has on Islam and Muslims before he makes any judgments. If we want to be a true leaders you must show it through our character and actions as a practicing and observant Muslim.