Dear inner Muslim child - Ramadan Letters

Jannah

What did Paradise mean to me as a child? In this episode, I revisit my earliest understanding of Paradise — not just as a place of reward, but as a space of reunion. From imagining its beauty to questioning what eternity feels like, I reflect on how a child interprets something so vast and unseen. But more than anything, this episode explores a deeper truth: Was it ever about what Paradise has… or who is in it? From love, loss, and early thoughts about death, to longing for closeness with God and reunion with loved ones — this is a reflection on how our understanding of the hereafter evolves, yet somehow stays the same at its core.

Wonder

What happens when a child stops asking questions about God? In this episode, I dive into curiosity — the kind we are born with, and the kind we sometimes lose along the way. From asking “Where is God?” to learning how to filter my questions, I reflect on how curiosity was nurtured, redirected, and sometimes quietly restrained. This is about more than questions. It’s about what questioning represents: seeking, connecting, understanding. Because a child who is allowed to ask becomes an adult who seeks. And a child who is silenced may learn how to perform… but not how to connect. What does it look like to rediscover wonder in a faith that was never meant to feel robotic?

Earn it

When did being “good” start feeling like the only way to be loved? In this episode, I return to a subtle but defining shift: when faith stopped feeling like a space of connection and slowly became something measured, observed, and quietly judged. Growing up within structure, expectation, and discipline, I reflect on how “being good” shaped not only my actions, but my sense of self — and how I began to interpret my standing with God through that lens. This is a reflection on conditional acceptance, on the voices we inherit before we ever form our own, and on the quiet confusion between who we are and what we do. What happens when devotion loses its warmth and becomes something you simply need to get right? And how do you return to a relationship with God that feels alive, honest, and deeply yours?

Egg shells

For many of us, the earliest feelings we formed about faith were shaped long before we had the language to understand them. In this episode, I reflect on the moment when mistakes in worship — especially my struggle with salah — began to feel like proof that I was failing Allah. Growing up hearing warnings about punishment, accountability, and “doing things the right way,” it became easy to internalize the idea that failure in practice meant failure as a person. But was that really coming from Allah… or from the voices around us speaking about Him? This episode explores childhood emotional formation, parental approval, and how fear-based approaches to religion can sometimes shape the way we see ourselves before we even realize it. And more importantly, how unlearning those ideas can transform our relationship with Allah. Reflection question: Have you ever felt like you were disappointing Allah — and where did that feeling come from?

Why so heavy?

When did practicing Islam start to feel heavy—and why? In this episode, I reflect on childhood expectations, struggles with prayer, and rediscovering the ease and mercy within our faith.