The common struggles of a Revert - according to AI

Our friend(?) ChatGPT says that the below headings are the most common areas that Reverts face difficulty, I will add to them how I found each bit -

Here’s a bullet point list of common difficulties people who revert to Islam experience:

Family and Social Relationships

Resistance or disapproval from family and friends

Feeling alienated or isolated from previous social circles

Pressure to abandon or reconsider the faith

I would say I have been pretty fortunate in this one. My old friends don't necessarily know, but I also see them very rarely, maybe once every year and a half, perhaps less. My family were accepting too.

I have definitely had a sense of isolation, but not from previous social groups, since I didn't really have any.

I have not really had any pressure to abandon it reconsider beyond low level disapproval from people I don't really know.

Alhamdulilah

Cultural Adjustments

Navigating cultural differences within Muslim communities

Struggling with language barriers, especially Arabic

Feeling "out of place" due to differing cultural backgrounds

I think there are definitely cultural differences. But the differences between mine and, others is usually experienced by me mostly in food. I never liked drinking or anything like that, so don't really stick to 'whatever my culture is' exactly. Pub lunches? Binge drinking? Damaging global stability? It's not really me. I would expect that when I get to start a family, insha'Allah, that differences might become more noticeable to me.

Yes. I am not amazing at languages, or at least haven't been historically. I'll post about my recent and current attempts to learn some basic Arabic. But completely agree with this one.

Again I have felt out of place, but perhaps I will see this more in my future.

Islamic Knowledge and Learning

Overwhelmed by the amount of information to learn

Difficulty finding reliable and authentic sources of Islamic education

I think yes to both of these, especially early on, or in a topic that is completely new to me. I still sometimes find that finding a solid reliable answer can take a while to find. But Alhamdulilah, it is always out there, if you can find it.

Adjusting to New Practices

Adapting to new daily routines (e.g., prayer, fasting, dietary restrictions)

Modesty in dress, especially for women (e.g., wearing hijab)

Finding halal food, particularly in non-Muslim countries

Again this area was all ok for me really, Alhamdulilah.

With the praying and fasting, it was a case of well I have to do it, so I did. Thankful for the way my mind works in that sense.

I already wore knee length or longer shorts, and don't have a comparible journey that a new Muslim woman might face.

And I have been veggie for a long time now, so yeah I sometimes need to double check if the food was cooked with alcohol. But veggie food is almost always halal in that sense.

Discrimination and Islamophobia

Facing prejudice and Islamophobia in society

Dealing with stereotypes or misconceptions about Islam

I have definitely seen and witnessed this, and occasionally felt it myself. Again as mentioned in other posts, I get to live in a bubble of white male privilege. So, yes I have definitely had bad comments or mockery or lesser treatment, but I would say it is relatively low strain. Some of the people were rubbish enough that they would likely have mocked or mistreated even in the absence of their notable Islamaphobia.

I think sometimes stereotypes and miss conceptions are very common. I do find it sad when they are regurgitated by people near to me. And hard to navigate sometimes when expressed in a work environment perhaps. Maybe with some thrown in microaggressions.

Classic egs being

• Islam is bad to women
• Muslim men are aggressive/bad for the family
• Terrorism... Violence...
• Misunderstanding Sharia
• The word Jihad
• Islam being backwards in some way shape or form
• Islam is intolerant

All of these, of course, are very wrong. I might write about some, we shall see

Spiritual Challenges

Initial spiritual high followed by struggles or doubts

Balancing Islamic practices with work, family, and life responsibilities

Experiencing occasional doubts about aspects of the faith

I think this is sort of thought through in this post

There are highs and lower points for sure. Doubts are something everyone must manage and keep in check

I do my best to be myself these days. As in this post

I used to find hiding it hard and challenging. Fortunately now I am able to be myself Alhamdulilah.

I recently did a mini course on 'doubt' and it explained the key differences between "Waswaas" and "Shubuhaat". Whole topics in themselves perhaps. But very briefly Waswaas are internal thoughts or doubts that can come from the Shaytan, or from yourself. And Shubuhaat is more like you heard a thing, and that has stuck with you - perhaps someone said 'actually you need to pray like X' and now you feel unsure, or perhaps you heard something that contradicted your understanding of a core aspect of the religion. The first of which, it's best to ignore, the latter of which, it is best to address.

Community Integration

Feeling excluded or marginalized in local Muslim communities

Lack of strong social or emotional support systems

Difficulty finding a spouse due to cultural or ethnic differences

I have definitely felt some of this and still feel some of this. And sometimes when you've had a long day it does sit in your mind. I am fortunate that in Allah's plan was a predisposition for me to like a degree of isolation at times. But that being said, as humans we crave contact and interaction.

As for finding a spouse, I really hope and pray that this goes well insha'Allah.

Challenges at Work and Public Life

Difficulty finding time and space to pray at work

Struggling with fasting during Ramadan in non-Muslim environments

Yes to both of these really. Sometimes finding a place to pray can be really difficult. I believe that as a man, it is slightly less vulnerable to pray in public, in the street, or a shop corner. But it is still not a comfortable process. And if you need wudu too then you need to find water or a disabled toilet that you can use the sink in. I would imagine in a Muslim country this would be easier. And often here I am able to plan fine - but sometimes it can be hard. This weekend just gone I needed to pray and was moving all round the streets of the city I was in trying to find a corner I could pray in where people wouldn't disturb me for just a few minutes. It was late in a Saturday and people were out drinking, so not an ideal environment at all. Thankfully, as I passed a restaurant I saw a brother inside praying, so I waited for him to finish and asked if it would be ok for me to do so also.

I live far from where I work, and as with many companies that allow a degree of remote working, they've been getting people to come into the office more. The month they wanted me to up my days was also Ramadan. I had asked them for leeway on this and they had agreed so long as my manager was ok with it. However, when it got to the month they doubled back and claimed the HR rep who sent that email was wrong and that I need to come in anyway, despite what they said and that I will be fasting. Of course Islam provides ease, so I could have, if I wanted to, not fasted due to travelling. But that wasn't exactly the point. I think this is some sort of work discrimination possibly, and I am sure I could have challenged them more forcefully. Their response to me calling to ask about it was 'equality across religions'. I definitely think they need to learn more about the difference between equality and equity. An very short google search later:

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome

https://www.marinhhs.org/sites/default/files/boards/general/equalityv.equity0405_2021.pdf

So just because someone gets an adjustment, doesn't mean it is unfair on others. Providing a blanket set of benefits and adjustment - can in itself be a form of indirect discrimination (thanks super boring e-learnings)