As I reflect on my journey, I see more and more how deeply Allah loves me

Alhamdulillah, the older I get, the more I recognize the countless blessings Allah has bestowed upon me. I was born in Mauritania, a country where the vast majority of people are practicing Muslims. From a very young age, we start learning the Quran, often joining Quranic schools even before we enter regular primary school-and we continue with both studies side by side. Our days are structured around our faith: we spend long hours in lessons in the morning and again later, with good breaks in between to rest and focus on worship. The prevailing school of thought here is the Sunni Maliki madhhab, with some gentle Sufi influences enriching our spiritual life. Other sects are quite rare. Since the laws of the land are deeply rooted in Islamic Sharia, religious occasions like Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr are truly special-the whole country gets official holidays to celebrate. Even during Ramadan, work and school schedules are adjusted slightly to make fasting a little easier for everyone. There's almost no presence of other religions here, which means I’ve grown up learning about Islam from pure, reliable sources, without any distortion or conflicting ideologies. SubhanAllah, I feel Allah has placed me in perhaps the best environment a Muslim could ask for-free from sectarian divisions and surrounded by faith. I can never thank Him enough for this ni'mah. If you’re curious about Islam in Mauritania or our religious life in general, feel free to ask-I’m happy to share what I know!