I’M as MUSLIMAH in United States of America

United States of America, I heard before this is a liberal country. I don’t know how to be a Muslim here. First, the hardest thing before I came to America is when IUSYLP staff tell us to give our photos to make the Visa and everybody must show their ears. It is really hard for me to show my ears because I use a hijab. I did it with reluctance. Hopefully God will understand what I did.

When I arrived in America, I imagine how to take ablution. Taking ablution is the most important thing that Muslims have to do before they pray. No tap water, just wasteful. So, I must to go the shower for that till the water splashing and it made my clothes wet. I move from Indonesia where Islam is the majority and here it is not, so there are many challenges for me. No problem for me to know where is the Kiblat to pray because I have Muslim Pro application on my cell phone.

Islam has 5 times to pray every day (shubuh, dhuhur, ashar, maghrib, and isya’). Because the schedule is full everyday it is an obstacle for me to leave to pray. That’s my obligation. When I pray shubuh in USA I always oversleep, when I set my alarm, I rarely hear it. I keep shubuh after I wake up. Then, when it is time for dhuhur and ashar I do it at one time, usually in ashar’s time, and call it jama’ qashar. Sometimes I do it in the car. I am just scared that the journey is long and if I cannot pray in the car I will miss the prayer. Islam is easy just how the person keeps faith. Alhamdulillah (Thanks to God) I never miss the prayers. The other difficulty is when I have to look for a place to pray. Sometimes I do it in the corner of a room. I keep the Al-Quran to read as my holy book. If I do not read it, my heart is not calm.

Something that I have to always learn is how to have an open mind to all people. In Indonesia I always live in my religious community. But here, I live among almost all of the religious factions, like atheists, agnostics, Christians, Catholics, Hindus and others. How to keep faith here? In feel more in touch with Islam after seeing it as a minority here. Challenges that I’ve never seen before. The other challenge is I have the obligation as a Muslim to remind the other Muslims to keep their prayers, and sometime we do pray together.

Keep spirit on !! Life is never flat as long as you try to always move
Keep your faith . Allah is always belongs !