Finding My Way Back to Islam
Salam everyone, sorry if this is a bit all over the place, I wrote it in a hurry. So I lived in a North African Muslim country until I was 11, then we moved to the West. I still speak Arabic, but it's gotten weaker since I use English more now. Around age 8, I stopped praying properly and skipped wudu-honestly just out of laziness. It started as a one-time thing and became a habit, but I still thought of myself as Muslim. After moving, my faith wasn't a big issue at first. For a year or two I was still devoted in my own way-I believed in the teachings and told people I'm Muslim. But my parents, especially my mum, made modesty a huge problem and pushed me away. We have a bad relationship, and I still have resentment, partly because they used Islam to shame me constantly. For girls, Islam would be fine if it weren't for the modesty pressure and ''aib'' culture. Honestly, without that, I'd have no issue. I ended up rebelling against the religion just to annoy my mum, saying things like "Stop pushing your religion on me." I've never worn hijab except during prayer, and I'm not interested in it. My social circle is diverse; I have one Muslim friend but haven't opened up to her-it doesn't feel like a huge deal. To be really honest, I used Islam selfishly-only turning to it when I needed something, so now I'm scared to come back, thinking my du'as might not be accepted. I'm just looking for guidance, not judgment. Please keep me in your prayers.