A Spooky Movie Sparked My Return to Faith: My Unexpected Journey Back to Allah

Salaam everyone. I was raised Muslim, but as a teen, I left the deen. I was struggling with OCD and severe religious anxiety. I mistakenly blamed Islam itself, thinking it was the source of my problems, not my own extreme and rigid understanding. I walked away. Then, about three months ago, I was watching a seriously terrifying film and got so scared that I instinctively started making dua, asking Allah to protect me. In that moment, it hit me: every single time I've ever been stressed or afraid, my heart has always turned to Allah. I just never allowed myself to see it. I'd have these long, sleepless nights thinking about Islam, praying but feeling like a hypocrite because I wasn't being truthful in my life. I realised I'd been suppressing this deep, natural longing for a connection with my Creator. I asked myself, 'Why am I fighting this?' So I stopped. I began to nurture that feeling instead. I also realised my understanding of Islam had been so distorted. I used to believe extreme things-like feeling empathy for a non-Muslim was haram and would send me to hell. I've now started listening to more balanced, moderate scholars. Merging spirituality with managing OCD isn't easy, but alhamdulillah, I'm here, and I'm trying to continue on this path.