Facing Challenges to Practicing Islam at Home - Need Advice, Please
Assalamu Alaikum brothers and sisters. I’ve put my thoughts together and want to share some questions and concerns with you. I come from a family where everyone else follows a different belief or has no religion, so if I choose to live openly as a Muslim I expect frequent tensions at home. Our cultural practices, like ancestral rites, and common things in the household such as pork and alcohol, will make practicing Islam difficult for me. There are even clashes with my work life. One big worry is the living situation. On days my family eats pork at home, I feel I must stay in my room so I don’t get exposed to pork residue. Doing chores like washing dishes or cleaning after they cook pork is very stressful for me because of the oil and splatter involved. I don’t know the proper fiqh rulings for handling these kinds of shared-space issues. I’m afraid that constant exposure to these situations will wear me down, lead to waswas (whispers), and weaken my iman. Ideally I would move out to avoid conflict, but I don’t have the financial means right now. I believe the best way forward is to learn Islam properly. If I truly understand the religion, I think I can be steadier against waswas. But living in Korea, there are very few places to study Islam, and language barriers make it harder. I’m using a translator to write this, so I hope I’m making myself clear. I’m honestly envious of those born into Muslim families or countries where Islamic education is readily available. I’ve been trying to learn on my own using the internet, but that has limits and I worry about learning things incorrectly. The Seoul Central Mosque has good teachers and offers classes, but their staff are few and I feel reluctant to burden them with frequent questions. Also, I work six days a week, so their class times often don’t fit my schedule. I want to relearn the basics and deepen my knowledge so I can practice confidently, but I don’t know how to start or where to turn next. I did take some basic classes at the mosque, yet I want more detail and a more reliable learning path. I’m not old, but none of us know when our time will come, and I don’t want to die disconnected from the deen. Please, may I ask for advice from my brothers and sisters: how can I learn Islam properly given my family and work constraints? Are there practical fiqh rulings or approaches for living in a non-Muslim household with things like pork and ancestral rites? Any guidance on accessible study options or tips for dealing with waswas would be deeply appreciated. Jazakum Allahu khairan.