Choices. The religion is a choice. You don’t have to be Muslim. I’m serious. You don’t have to wear Hijab, you don’t have to be modest, you don’t have to wait until marriage, you don’t have to tell the truth, you don’t have to honor your parents, you don’t have to care for your neighbors, you don’t have to go on Hajj or give alms. You don’t have to do any of it.

You have a choice.

Every day you are given a choice whether to follow God and His messenger or not. Every day you are in a battle with yourself, and unfortunately, sometimes with your society as to what is best for your hereafter.

Islam isn’t inherited. Islam isn’t hereditary. Islam is a choice. It’s not a cultural phenomenon. It’s a path you take because you decided you want to please God and gain His pleasure. It’s a path you take because you want what is best for you in your life, not for the sake of others.

The choice ultimately is your own. Of course, there are going to be obstacles in the way of your choice. If you’ve been around long enough then you’ve either told someone, or been told, “Nothing good comes easy.” There is truth to that statement, though I have to admit that I’ve had some good things in life come pretty easy. The greatest of gifts in life is guidance, and the greatest of paths to God is Islam. With that being said, many of you will agree that sometimes the greatest of tests in life have come when you decided to follow God.

That’s okay.

That is part of the journey. What you need to do is decide whether the journey is worth it or not. Whether you’re prepared to give up some luxuries, some stability and some wealth to make this journey happen. During this journey you’ll have to pack light, you can’t take everything with you, sometimes you’ll only have space for your heart.

“Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler along a path.”

The question is, are you willing to take the path? If so, as a family of believers we can do it together, helping each other every step of the way.

Are you ready? Let’s do this together.

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