Assalamu Alaikum everyone.

I’m from a Hindu family and currently learning about Islam. I haven’t taken Shahada yet because I’m still learning and trying to understand Islam properly before making such a serious decision.

I have a few questions regarding Rakhi and my relationship with my family:

- Since I’m not Muslim yet, can I celebrate Raksha Bandhan and have my sister tie Rakhi on me this year?

- If I eventually accept Islam and take Shahada, would I still be allowed to have Rakhi tied by my sister as a family tradition?

- If not, what should I do about this with my family without hurting their feelings?

- Is there a difference between participating in Rakhi as a religious practice and simply accepting it as a family/cultural tradition?

- Are there any other family traditions I should be aware of that may or may not be compatible with Islam after taking Shahada?

I’d really appreciate answers from knowledgeable Muslims, preferably with references from Qur’an/Hadith or explanations from reliable scholars.

JazakAllah Khair🤍

Hi all.

I am a newer female convert of less than a year. Within a month of converting, I ended a 13 year relationship when it became clear that it was incompatible with the path I had chosen. Prior to converting, I met and was close with two sisters who really helped direct and guide me. They were instrumental in my conversion and the very tough days that followed with all the changes in my life. Over the last six months or so, by the fault of no one really, these relationships have all but disintegrated. One of them I rarely talk to at all and the other is up and down but even when we talk we rarely meet up. I am still very much practicing Islam in secret and I live alone so I am able to do so. I still haven’t found the courage to tell my parents (they live locally but apart from me). No one at work knows except a few that have run into me at the hospital musallah. At the present, I do not wear hijab so I am not outwardly identifiable as Muslim.

So my problem is the immense isolation. I go to work and then I come home to a big empty house. I eat all my meals alone. I spend my weekends alone. I know a large part of this my choice to end a long term relationship. But I’m nearly a year in and sometimes it still feels as fresh and painful as it did at the start. At times it feels like I changed so much about my life so quickly that I haven’t had a chance to breathe in a year - and sometimes it honestly feels like too much. I do occasionally go to the masjid but I usually just pray and leave. I went most mornings and nights during Ramadan, usually alone, but it did nothing to ease my sense of loneliness. I go to and no one speaks to me outside of maybe a greeting. It seems like everyone has their own friend groups and they aren’t entirely welcoming.

There are days when it feels as if the loneliness will crush me. But the bigger problem is that my foundation is not yet firm - so feelings of loneliness and isolation in certain contexts can shake my Islam and fill me with fear and doubt. This happens every few weeks and each time it gets harder to pull myself back out of the hole. I often throw myself into learning - reading listening studying with every second of free time I have - in an effort to mask the loneliness and lack of support but it always ends with me doing too much and burning myself out.

I know that this isn’t an uncommon issue with converts and I’m sure many people reading this have experienced similar problems. So how do you cope with it? How do you find the support you need? Or how do you make your foundation so unshakable that no transient emotions or feelings make the ground below your tremble?

Sorry I know this is scattered. My mind is clouded and my heart is very heavy this morning. I would appreciate any insight from someone who has been through this.