What this Article is About?
This article talks about the role of mothers and elders in shaping young people with purpose and strong values. It says that youth today face many distractions and influences that can pull them away from meaning and good conduct. The piece stresses that guidance, love, and example from family and community are vital for raising grounded, purposeful youth. It argues that when young people are taught faith, responsibility, and self‑respect, they grow into positive contributors. The writing calls on adults to be intentional about the morals and lessons they pass on. Overall, it urges a return to conscious care in nurturing the next generation.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Islam began as something strange and it will return to being strange, so blessed are the strangers.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 145
We are living in a time where it feels like the more you hold on to your deen, the more out of place you become. Not just in public spaces, but in classrooms, media, even within conversations among peers. For many of our youth, this reality hits hard. You’re not just navigating school – you’re constantly managing your identity, defending your beliefs, and trying not to feel like the odd one out.
People often say:
If you care so much about Islam, why not just move back to a Muslim country?
Why stay in a society that doesn’t reflect your values?But what they don’t see is this.
We’re not here by accident. We are here with purpose. Allah put us in this place, in this time, for a reason.
We’re not hiding. We’re standing. This isn’t about comfort. It’s about conviction.
To the youth who feel like strangers – I see you. I remember that feeling. Trying to stay true to your faith while everything around you pulls in the opposite direction. Just resisting what’s wrong became the daily goal. But I don’t want that to be the bar anymore. Not for you. Not for my children. Not for any of us.
We want more. We want to raise and become young Muslims who don’t just survive… but thrive. Who know that being different isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s something to embrace. Because you’re following a path that few are willing to walk. The path of the Prophets. Of the Sahaba. Of those who carried the truth when it wasn’t popular.
You are the best nation produced for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.
Surah Aali ‘Imran 3:110
To the mothers reading this… your work matters more than words can say. As someone who now homeschools, I’ve seen the difference it makes. My kids don’t feel like they have to defend their identity every day. They’re growing up proud to be Muslim. Free to love the Prophet ﷺ. Free to connect with Allah without feeling like they’re stepping outside the lines.
It’s not that the challenges have disappeared. They’re still there. But now we’re building from a place of strength instead of fear.
One of the things I’ve found so powerful about homeschooling is the ability to shape the learning environment through an Islamic lens. No matter what curriculum I start with, I can modify it. I can change the storylines. I can provide a narrative that reflects our values – a Muslim narrative – because most mainstream curriculums only reflect one version of the world: the Western version.
So when my children are learning about things like kings and queens or the feudal system, I’m able to explain to them that even if a king is just, that system is still not in line with what Allah has revealed. I teach them about the concept of Khilafah, about how leadership in Islam is not based on bloodline or royalty, but on justice, shura, and accountability to Allah. That lesson alone shapes how they view power, governance, and justice.
And that’s something we, as mothers, really need to hold onto – the responsibility to teach our children that learning isn’t just about academics. It’s about worldview. It’s about identity. It’s about connecting every subject, every lesson, every topic back to Allah.
Because what good is knowledge that disconnects us from our deen?
Our education should be holistic. Our history is rich. Our heritage is deep. And our children deserve to know it. They should learn about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the rightly guided Caliphs – not just as religious figures, but as real leaders who shaped the world. They should hear about their contributions, their character, their decisions… and see them as the true heroes of our past.
Because when the classroom teaches them to admire figures like Winston Churchill, but says nothing about Umar ibn Al-Khattab or Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi, that shapes how they define greatness. That shapes how they see themselves.
Homeschooling has given me the ability to protect and build that foundation. To teach with purpose. To align their knowledge with their faith. And to make sure that deen is not something they fit into the cracks of their day – but the lens through which they see the world.
That’s how we raise confident Muslims. That’s how we raise youth who carry Islam, not as a label, but as a living, guiding force.
I remember what it felt like growing up here. The pressure. The subtle looks. The not-so-subtle comments. The weight of constantly trying to hold your ground while the world pulls you in every direction. I don’t want our youth to live stuck in survival mode. I want them to live Islam with joy… not just silence.
