I saw an Instagram post the other day that got me thinking about how often Islam is treated as ‘all or nothing’.

Someone had asked for advice about concentration in prayer. They said they sometimes forget which Surah they’re reciting, or even whether they’ve read Al-Fatiha.

Some people responded with kindness and understanding. But one comment stood out:
“How can you even forget if you’ve read Al-Fatiha?”

It was an ‘all or nothing’ response.
The kind that says, “If you can’t get it right, then why even try?”

Since when was Islam about perfection?
Since when did we decide that struggling makes you less sincere? That harsh comment stayed with me. Not because it was unique, but because it’s so common.

We see it everywhere – with prayer, with hijab, with almost anything. Someone shares a struggle and instead of compassion, they get correction or shame.

But faith isn’t strengthened by fear. It grows in safe spaces.

People need to feel safe to be honest about where they’re at; to say, “I’m finding this hard,” without worrying they’ll be judged.

If our goal is to bring hearts closer to Allah, then empathy isn’t optional. It’s the path.