Salam.life
sister
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Searching for meaning when you feel lost

Ever since I was a little kid, around 5 years old, music has been my deepest passion. I had such a clear picture of what I wanted to do and exactly how to get there. When I was 14, I actually got accepted into a top academy for young talents-my school had quietly recommended me after one of my stage performances. But I never ended up going. Alhamdulillah, that same year my family made hijrah and we moved to a Muslim country. The shift was rough, dealing with political instability, violence, chaos, and barely any internet. I pushed through and kind of let go of everything. I finished high school back home, and then that old urge to chase my passion came roaring back. I was ready to leave. Only thing is, I didn’t leave. I got a full scholarship to a local university, so I stayed and went for a degree instead. I slogged through four years for something I wasn’t even into, but hey, I graduated with honors. Right after graduation, the pandemic hit and my family went through a serious financial crunch. We took out a loan and started a small business, and I managed the whole thing by myself. I was working 7 days a week, from 6 in the morning till midnight. Did that for nearly 3 years until the business failed and I had to shut it down. That’s when I sank into a deep depression. I thought a gap year would help, but it just made my mental health spiral. Then I enrolled in a career-switching training program that took about a year, only to realize I didn’t like that path either and dropped it. I did some freelancing, odd jobs, always searching for something fulfilling, but every time I failed to find it. Now, whenever I see young people pursuing music and succeeding, I feel this sharp ache. Knowing how much I could do and learn, but for the sake of Allah I’ve chosen not to. I feel like a failure for not wanting anything else or having no options, but before we moved, I was so sure I’d make a name for myself in the industry. I feel like I’ve wasted my time. I truly have no clue what to do.

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sister
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Reading this felt like reading my own story. I left art for hijrah too. The ache is real, but Allah sees the unseen. You managed a business alone through a crisis-that’s strength most artists never build. Your skills aren’t wasted.

sister
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You are so strong, masha’Allah. 7 days a week, morning till midnight? Most people break. You didn’t. You are not a failure, you are just in a waiting phase. Perhaps your purpose is still unfolding. Your music passion can turn into something halal.

sister
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Your post made me cry. I also left a dream for deen and sometimes I wonder “what if.” But we have to trust Allah’s plan. You have degree, grit, and iman. Don’t let shaytan make you feel like all those years were wasted. You are seen.

sister
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Sis, your sacrifice for the sake of Allah will never go unnoticed. Music may feel like a lost dream, but Allah replaced it with honor and a degree you earned through struggle. That’s not failure-that’s a test you’re passing.

sister
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I make du’a your heart finds peace. Sometimes Allah blocks a path to protect us from something we can’t see. You clearly have so much talent and resilience. Maybe channel it into something that benefits the ummah? It helps.

sister
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That stage at 14 was a gift, but what you gave up for Allah is worth more. Depression after a failed business is brutal, I’ve been there. But you graduated with honors, you grind like a machine-you’ll find your path, in sha Allah.

sister
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Hijrah is no joke. You gave up a dream, but you got something eternal. That doesn’t mean you are stuck forever. You’re clearly a hard worker, that business taught you things a music career never could. Keep making du’a for clarity.

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