My Lifeboat Islam
Learning to Breathe Above Water
I could feel the water gushing down my throat, attempting to leave me
breathless as I frantically struggled to find a way to escape. The salty,
infected sea of materialism engulfed my being, and the more I struggled to
flee, the more it held me under its power.
I eventually made my way to the surface of the sea only to feel abandoned
and insecure. I had spent my life learning to swim in this body of water
known as mainstream pop culture. I devoted my life to perfecting each stroke
of music and each splash of aesthetics. And now, after all my devotion, I
felt as though I was drowning, unable to bear the empowerment of its
over-rated lifestyle. I needed a way out.
I spent what felt like years searching for a rescue method. There, floating
in the transience of the sunlight, was Islam, a lifeboat of hope, faith, and
security. I wondered how long it had spent floating at my fingertips, how
many years it had tickled the edges of my dreams only to be pushed away. I
wondered, also, when it decided to find me-when it was my time to be
rescued.
And for the first time in my life, I learned that I wasn't waiting for the
lifeboat to find me, but rather, for me to find the lifeboat. But more
importantly, I learned that there would be times I may veer away from the
lifeboat, and test the current, but only by doing so, could I fully
appreciate the haven I now knew as Islam.
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Islam, and the concept of its presence, is consistent and transcends time.
No matter how far you attempt to swim away from its helping hand, it'll
always just be there, waiting for you to accept it as your means of
protection and guidance.
We can all swim for only so long, and eventually, we need to find our way
back to shore. In the sea lurks unknown and unpredictable creatures waiting
to pull you in, but regardless of how far out into the sea you swim, a
lifeboat will be right where you left it.
~Zeina N.