When I first embraced Islam, it seemed so light and easy. The thing that brought me into Islam was the Shahada – the declaration of faith. The belief that only Allah is worthy of worship, and that the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was the last and final messenger.

That simplicity lasted a couple of years…but over time, the version of Islam that Muslims were presenting to me became noisy. Do this, don’t do that, what’s your opinion on XYZ…

For a while, I let that overwhelm me. Perhaps you’ve felt that way too.

But then I learnt to always anchor to that very thing that brought me into the fold of Islam – the Shahada. As long as I can say those words deeply, with heart, Alhamdulilah I feel close to that beautiful simple essence of Islam.