Salam alaikum ! My name is Liz , and I reverted to Islam in 2023.

I initially became interested in Islam around 2016 as I attended a very diverse high school and this was the first time I was exposed to Arabs and Muslims on a large scale in my daily life . I felt drawn to Islam because I saw it was a peaceful religion and the Muslims I had met in real life were very different than the way I saw Muslims portrayed in the media .

I almost thought about reverting back then in my senior year of high school , but unfortunately I became disillusioned with the idea of any religion . In 2022, I found myself going through an existential crisis and decided to search for the meaning of life. After having spent some time in the UAE not long before that , I found myself drawn to Islam again . I spent a year seriously researching Islam before finally taking my Shahada in July 2023.

I did face some challenges when I first reverted such as having to drastically change my lifestyle , being the only Muslim in my immediate family , and starting to wear hijab . Alhamdullilah, these challenges became much easier over time . I am lucky to have supportive family and friends. I also took things slowly such as learning how to pray and transitioning my wardrobe towards being hijabi-friendly , which made these changes less intimidating.

I have really grown a lot as a person and made positive changes in my life since embracing Islam ! I’ve now been wearing the hijab for almost 2 years , fasted Ramadan twice , read the whole Quran 3 times , and praying 5 times a day has become a seamless part of my schedule . Islam has given me a purpose in life as well as a sense of peace , and the tools for how to navigate the world and remain resilient in the face of any challenges. I am so grateful for being guided towards this beautiful faith.