Loving for the sake of Allah is a selfless love. It’s doing something for someone with no wish for anything in return. Better still, it’s doing something for someone we don’t even particularly like but doing it solely for the pleasure of Allah.

Wearing hijab and growing a beard are also a difficult milestone to reach. You do not have to do this the day after your shahadah. If you can, great! But if you absolutely can’t because you’re afraid or you just aren’t strong enough yet then that’s ok.

Everyone knows the basics of visiting a mosque; dress modestly, men and women in different sections and no shoes. Simple! But no one warned me about the kissing! I’ve lived in France, so “la bise” was not unfamiliar. But in the mosque it’s a slightly more complex issue.

Before I accepted Islam I was Christian. Jesus (peace be upon him) was the one I would always pray to; for Christians he is the mediator between God and Man. Becoming Muslim called for a lot of adjustment and, to begin with, it was very difficult.

Do I worry that my beliefs are compromised? Absolutely not. In fact, my beliefs are very much respected. Are there any elements of Christmas Day that could be leading me to commit shirk? No way. I don’t go to church, I don’t believe Jesus (peace be upon him) was born on December 25…

After diagnosis, the world looked like a different place, it was as if my vision had sharpened. There is so much beauty if you take the time to notice it, not just in the most breath-taking natural settings, there is beauty even if you live in a suburban neighborhood…