Religion.

My religion is Islam, and I am a Muslim. I've never had any trouble believing it. My parents brought me up in the States and you would expect me to be loose in morals and not to care about religion at all. But my mother made sure that I kept in touch with all the basics, and by the time I was 10, I had completed reading the entire Quran twice. Mom did force it on me, but she did the right thing, it's all about conditioning. I knew how to read Arabic, I knew how to pray, while living in America. In Pakistan, my faith became stronger, because I could hear the Azaan 5 times every day (in the US, you can't) and I've been on and off in my prayer, but I definitely do remember it, and I pray when I can. Religion is very important to me. I will admit, sometimes, I place other things in more importance, material things. But in the end, the only thing that will be important to me is the fact that Allah is there. Sometimes, when my heart is bursting with emotion, and I can't talk to anybody, I talk to Allah. And I cry and cry, but I feel better later, knowing that somebody heard me.

I think about death all the time. It's all around us, people die every day. I do have some conlflicting thoughts about what will happen after death. I believe in what the Quran says, there will be a Day of Judgement, and we will be accounted for, but these thoughts are only because of my nature, not of my belief. I always want to have proof to make sure it's there, it's real. I've been thinking for awhile to go into deep research of my religion to strengthen my faith. Because Allah knows I love who I am and what I stand for, and I've never though of conversion. But I am guilty of weak faith.

Islam, in every way, is perfect. It makes total sense. And it's just so...peaceful. If one prays a prayer in the middle of the day, and does it at normal speed, everything calms and slows down, and all you can think about is your offer of worship to Allah, and you feel innerly content. It's an amazing feeling. I've had bouts of impatience and craze and hysteria, and when I would go into prayer, I would read slowly, do everything slowly, to calm myself down. It's a major stress reliever.

I really cannot say more because Islam is more of a feeling than an explanation.

It's unique, and it's just right. I wouldn't change it for the world.