The test of faith is a constant theme in all of our lives; it just shows up for each of us in different ways. For myself, the current challenge I am facing in my life is paying for school. As a graduate student who is working two jobs, one work study, and another side hustle, I am striving to put in the work on my end to show my sincerity and dedication in achieving this education. Some days it seems impossible, other days I feel like as long as I give it my all, my Lord will complete the rest. There is an easier path for me to take, and that is taking out student loans to cover my tuition. While I understand that this is the typical path that is taken in American education, the reason I have not followed suit is because in my Islamic faith, giving or taking interest-based loans is considered to be a major sin. The idea behind it being that those who can afford to lend their money to someone in need should not exploit the other’s hardship by requiring them to repay more than they are already struggling to afford. Although I knew that this would be difficult, I realized that if this degree is destined for me, then there is no need to abandon my morals. To have faith is to live with the conviction that something better lies ahead, even when the present moment is filled with hardship. I have faith that as long as my belief in His mercy is strong and sincere, I will receive something even greater than what I am aiming for. I hear many opinions about how taking out the loan would make life easier, and that God will understand if I have to make some compromises. While I do not doubt that He is The All-Seeing and The Most Compassionate, I cannot help but feel that this is simply another test of my faith. When the path ahead looks difficult, will I trust only what I can immediately see with my own eyes, or will I trust in the promise that God has given me, even when I cannot see very far ahead? This life experience has shown me that humans are incredibly ungrateful beings. Many of us go about our days thinking that everything would be perfect if we just had that one thing or if things were just this one way, casually dismissing how blessed we are to have everything else in our lives. The biggest irony is that we once prayed to be in the very positions we now complain about. I am of course no exception to this reality. In the past I would catch myself thinking that if I just had the money, then I would have no complaints. However, what I have come to learn is that God has already provided for me in all the ways that matter. With all praises to Him, my family is alive and healthy, my rent is always paid in full at the beginning of the month, and I have never gone to bed with an empty stomach. God has shown me, every day of my life, that He will provide, without me doing anything to deserve it. So how could I be so ungrateful as to question whether He will reward my efforts in faith? Therefore, I will continue to believe that His relief will come from places where I expected it least. It is this faith that gives me the strength to keep chasing my dreams.

My mom and auntie started their phonecall just reminiscing about their youth. The nostalgia in my mom’s voice felt contagious, and I couldn’t help but break into a smile, feeling happy to hear her stories of a lively childhood. However, my smile faded once they shifted from stories of the past to the realities of the present. After a bittersweet pause, my mother shared that she felt regret for not having pursued higher education in her youth. “Sometimes I think that all it would have taken was a little more effort. The older my children get, the more I think about what I’m going to do with my time.” I felt disturbed at having overheard what I did and couldn’t help but question whether having children is what held my mom back from continuing to pursue school. I began to reflect on my own strenuous relationship with education. I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Throughout my academic career, finances have been a challenging obstacle to overcome. As a Muslim, I refuse to accept interest-based loans as I believe that they are exploitative. However, Islam also stresses the importance of being a life-long learner. Trying to achieve my education without compromising my morals has been quite a challenge. There have been many times where I have considered dropping out One afternoon, choking back tears, I shared my financial worries with my mother, who reminded me of my great-grandmother, Maasi. Forced to flee India during the Partition in the late 1940s, Maasi left behind her home and even lost members of her family while crossing a newly formed border in search of safety and hope. I couldn’t help but recognize those same parallels in my mother, who left Pakistan in her late twenties and raised her children in a city where the only people she knew were her husband and brother. Both made sacrifices for the future of their children. The women in my family and their perseverance through life's tests inspired me to fight for my own education. What held these women up was their faith in Allah and their belief in a better future. I realized that I don’t have to passively endure my challenges. With Allah’s guidance I can face them with conviction. Ḥasbiyallāhu wa ni‘ma al-wakīl. Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs. As a future speech-language pathologist, my dream is to serve South Asian communities, many of whom lack access to the multilingual services essential for quality care. I hope to create culturally sensitive materials that educate my community about the role of SLPs, while also hosting workshops and free screenings to expand access. By empowering families with these resources, I aim to increase the quality of life for those who are in need of such curated healthcare services. I realize now that my passion and belief to serve my community is enough, and with Allah’s will, the rest will work itself out. This story isn’t just about me. Just as my mother encouraged me to pursue my education, I wanted to do the same for her. It wasn’t easy. She was nervous, and it took several tries, but after a few months, she enrolled in an online multi-year program for Islamic Studies. Her transformation is evident in our phone calls. Where she once responded to “What did you do today?” with, “I cooked this, talked to that auntie, and scrolled through Facebook,” she now says, “I have a class in a few minutes that I’m prepping for. I’ll call you back later.”