Need guidance on balancing faith, hijab, and everyday life
Assalamu alaikum, I hope someone can offer some advice. I'm a working hijabi and I've had doubts about different things for a while. I know we should follow Allah's commands, but sometimes it's hard to know how to act in everyday situations. Most of my colleagues aren't Muslim, except two who don't seem to have the worries I do. I'm the only hijabi at my job. I get invited to game nights and hangouts - at first I was hesitant because men might be there, but I also felt glad to be included since it helps build friendships. They were considerate and now hold these meetups in public places because I mentioned I can't go to men's houses. I've tried hobbies like animating and drawing to deal with stress, but people telling me since I was little that drawing people is haram made me afraid to try and test my limits. So I mostly draw buildings, flowers, and things like that. I bike and want to try roller skating too. It's tough to know if I'm dressing modestly for physical activities - I do wear my scarf, but my clothes sometimes feel a bit tight and show my shape. I also like dressing nicely, but I get comments that I look like an aunt or a teacher; I brushed them off then, but they still stick in my head. I worry I'm thinking about all this the wrong way, or that the people around me aren't the right ones to encourage me toward better choices. I feel my foundation in faith is weak and I don't know how to learn more to strengthen it. These thoughts hit me at night and I find myself crying over feeling stuck with these issues when there are others with harder problems. TL;DR: I enjoy hanging out with coworkers but worry it might not be right, I'm unsure if my hobbies are Islam-friendly, and I'm sad I don't know enough about my religion to decide confidently. I do love Islam and my hijab - I notice small signs from Allah that reassure me - but right now it feels like I'm clutching at straws and I don't know what to do. If anyone has gone through something similar or has practical advice on learning more about the faith, modest dress during activities, or balancing friendships with non-Muslim colleagues, I'd really appreciate your help. JazakAllahu khairan.