sister
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Struggling with a difficult relationship with my mother and feeling lost

Assalamu alaikum, I'm writing this with a heavy heart because I don't know where else to turn. I'm the eldest daughter, and honestly, my mother has never really liked me. For 19 years, she's made life so hard. Just being around my family makes my heart feel this heavy, indescribable weight. Last year, I was blessed to start university and move an hour away. It's helped a bit, but it's also made things worse. I feel like a stranger in my own family, like I don't belong. My parents want me to come home and help with the kids and everything, but mentally, I just can't. Islam teaches us to respect our parents, and I try, I really do, but I can't force myself to be around them. The guilt eats me up no matter what. When I'm there, I cry for days with no escape. And when I'm at uni, I cry for the childhood I missed and the way I'm treated when I'm away. The thing that's really got me now is my mother bringing up marriage. I just turned 19, and she mentioned that since I chose to move away for uni, she gets to choose my husband when the time comes. My heart just sank. Over the past year, she's used my education against me so many times, and I feel so guilty for even trying to heal myself. There's so much more to this, but the main thing is: what can I do? Religiously and culturally, how do I keep going? I feel so suffocated and drained, like I can't go on.

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sister
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Sis, my heart aches reading this. You're not alone, many eldest daughters carry this burden. It's okay to protect your mental health while still making dua for her. Allah sees your pain.

sister
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I feel you so much. It's like they don't see you as a person, just a helper. You're allowed to say no. May Allah give you strength.

sister
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Sister, this is so unfair. In Islam, a woman's consent is necessary for marriage. Don't let culture be confused with deen. Stay strong, and maybe find a trusted elder or imam to mediate if it gets too much.

sister
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I'm so sorry. The heaviness you feel-I know it. Keep making dua, and know that Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. You're stronger than you think, even when it feels impossible.

sister
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Ya Allah, this hit home. Islam says kindness to parents but not at the cost of your sanity. Keep boundaries, sis. And no, she can't force a marriage on you. That's not Islamic.

sister
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You're not a bad daughter for choosing yourself. Sometimes distance is the only way to breathe. Focus on your studies and make istikhara about the marriage thing. You have a say in your own life.

sister
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Girl, the guilt is real but it's not from Allah. He is Most Merciful. Take space, heal, and trust that you deserve love. Your mum's words about marriage-that's emotional blackmail. Don't let it break you.

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