Nur Aaila had her first Ramadan this year as a revert after trying out fasting for 8 years! She sat down with us and talked about her journey throughout Islam as a new revert.
Nur Aaila's Journey
Nur Aaila had her first brush with Islam through her previous partner, which was when she started to try fasting. As the years go by, her interest in Islam deepened and she started to seek out knowledge regarding the religion.
Her journey was not smooth sailing, though, and there were many ups and downs that made her question the world around her. Despite it being a painful experience, she retold her story with a lightness and thoughtfulness, saying how it was more fulfilling and had made her feel more at peace now.
She officially started her journey when she went for classes at Convert Central, held at Masjid Abdul Gafoor! Surrounded by fellow reverts, she felt more confident and at ease, knowing that she had someone to rely on through her journey.
Her group of friends from the classes became one of her strongest supporters and were always there for throughout her journey!
Family is always a hard topic to talk about, especially on the topic of religion. Nur Aaila's reversion to Islam was hidden at first. Her family knew that she fasted and was practising but never to the extent of her fully embracing the religion.
At first, she wore the hijabs only when outside of the house, going so far as to pass the hijabs to her friend to wash as she was afraid of her parents finding out.
As the months passed, she dressed more modestly and did her prayers at home when she could. The truth came out eventually, and under now say circumstances either.
However, it was heartwarming to know how open her family was after finding out that Nur Aaila had reverted. She could leave her prayer mat in the open and wash her modest clothing at home without worry. Her family has also helped her with her laundry too. It still takes time for Nur Aaila's parents to get used to seeing her in a hijab, though!
First Ramadan As A Revert
Her first Ramadan as a revert started this year where she shared the experience with, not only her friends at her class but as well as those she's known for longer. One of her fond memories that she recalled was coming over to her friend's house and breaking fast with her family.
Nur Aaila recounted moments in her fasting journey where it was tough to go through this first experience alone. She was grateful for the many invites by her friends to go iftar with them as well as terawih!
One of her friend's father was an ustaz at Masjid Khadijah and invited her to terawih with her family. There were times when she would terawih at her friend's house instead after breaking fast with some delicious meals.
While asking her about her terawih experience, Nur Aaila told us that she did the full 20 rakaats for her first time!
One of the hardest parts of fasting wasn't the hunger or thirst, but incorporating ibadah into her everyday life. Learning how to wake up for sahur and pray afterwards, as well as taking some time off work to pray was challenging at first, but with support from not only her friends but also her workplace, she was able to do so,
Her First Umrah
A pivotal point in her journey was her being able to go for Umrah a few months after reverting! This amazing opportunity was thanks to her ustaz and allowed her to reflect within herself and fully embrace the teachings of Islam.
Her jemaah consisted of only 4 people but over 20 people came to see her off, she joked. While chatting about her experience, it was heartwarming to hear how many people went out of their way to help her prepare. In addition to classes, she was also gifted jubahs and hijabs, many of which were limited due to her newly being in Islam.
Much was revealed from her Umrah pilgrimage that changed her mindset. And one of the quotes that stood out to us was when she was recounting her journey that led her to stand in Mecca, in front of the Ka'baa. She realised that for the past 8 years, Allah s.w.t was guiding her back to Islam and wanted to invite her to His house.
It was a touching moment and truly encompassed the peace and sanctity that Islam has.
Credit: Nur Aaila
Out of curiosity, we asked her what drew her to Islam and eventually reverting. Taking a moment to think, she talked about how learning that Allah s.w.t is the greatest planner gave her peace that she hasn't felt before. That everything happens for a reason.
It got her through her tough moments in life and is a good reminder to all of us!