♡ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

My name is Seerat.

Welcome to The سـ Letters.

I still remember the moment I decided to create this space. It wasn’t just a random idea but a dream.

A dream to build a community rooted in Islam.

A dream to inspire hearts and minds.

A dream to remind myself and others of our purpose.

A dream to serve Allāh to the best of my ability.

A dream to leave a legacy worth standing before Allāh on the Day of Judgement.

At the time, I didn’t have all the answers. I just had this burning desire to create something meaningful, something that could leave an impact.

I remember sitting in front of my laptop, staring at a sign up page of this newsletter platform, imagining all that it could become.

And now, Alhamdulillāh, seeing that vision slowly come to life, even with this tiny step, feels deeply emotional to me.

All thanks to Allāh, without whom I am nothing.

جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا for joining me here.

Before we start, I want to share an ayah which inspires me to this day.

Let’s start.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ.

The First Chapter

I was born into a Muslim family, Alhamdulillāh. But growing up, I wasn’t a practicing Muslim. Yes, I used to pray, fast, and believed in Allāh, but my imān was weak.

I remember going to Quran classes every day, memorizing a few surahs, and dressing modestly.

I was always a smart kid, Alhamdulillāh. I aced my exams, was a prefect at school, and was everyone’s favorite. I had my career path figured out while I was still in school and looked forward to college, excited about the life I was about to experience.

Then, after high school, I asked my parents if I could go to a different city to study. At first, they didn’t agree, but I convinced them (they love me too much, Alhamdulillāh).

This is where my life took a bad turn. I ended up studying at a university that wasn’t Islamic. Whatever little practices I used to do at home stopped the moment I stepped into this new environment.

I became completely astray. I didn’t pray. I didn’t fast. I didn’t follow the teachings of the Quran or Sunnah. My imān faded into darkness.

I saw girls dressed in skirts, showing skin, seeking male attention, and I thought, "This is liberation. This is what freedom looks like." Going wherever I wanted, doing whatever I wanted, dressing however I wanted—without even considering how it impacted my relationship with Allāh. This is something I deeply regret to this day.

My typical day in the dorm was waking up around 8 a.m., attending classes, having lunch, wasting time with useless distractions, dinner, Netflix, and then sleep.

Can you imagine?

Not even taking the name of the One who created me?

Not being a grateful servant to the One who gave me chances upon chances?

The One who fed me, kept me safe in that unknown city, took care of me, and made me who I am today?

This reminds me of this ayah of the Quran

This was the first time I was pulled into darkness in my life.

And the second time? Yes, you read that right. Two times! I needed two lessons to return to Allāh.

The Second Chapter

Once the lockdown hit during COVID, I had to return home and completed my studies while staying at home. This was the time when I had lots of free time on my hands. I somewhat started praying again because of my family and the constant reminders from my parents. (May Allāh forgive all their sins and grant them Jannah. Aameen.)

But yet, my heart was not into Islam. My iman was super weak. I used to listen to Islamic lectures in Ramadan and get religious, but once Ramadan was over, I again fell back into the same habits—praying once or twice a week, not guarding my chastity, and falling deeper into this dunya. I started creating YouTube and Instagram videos, following trends, and doing haram. Astaghfirullāh. May Allāh forgive everyone's sins. And wallahi, the more I fell into this dunya, the more I was hurt, broken, lost, and darkness filled my life.

After I completed my studies, I went back to the city, and this was the second lesson of my life. I started working in corporate, earning money straight out of college, and I felt independent. I thought I had everything I wanted. I had a degree, a somewhat good-paying job, I could shop for what I wanted, eat what I wanted, and go wherever I wanted because now I was “independent.”

I didn’t care about what job I was doing, where I was working, or how much I was hustling without taking care of my body. I used to drink 6 to 7 cups of coffee while working night shifts, all just for the money which I thought was all I needed. Two years passed in this same cycle—wake up, eat, work, sleep, repeat—and on weekends, chill, have fun, go out, and waste time. I was depressed and empty inside, but I didn’t realize it. I thought I was thriving, living the best life.

The Final Chapter

Anyway, fast forward to Nov 2023. As I said, I used to do night shifts, so I used to return to my home around 3 in the morning. In Dec, I started getting nightmares. The route which I took to my home while returning was the same route coming in my dream, along with a dark entity chasing me and trying to hurt me. The same dream every single time for many days. I had only read about sleep paralysis, but this was the time I experienced it, and it was horrible. I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment. I was scared. I used to think multiple times before sleeping if I should sleep or not, or if I will have the same dream. And after almost two decades, I memorized Ayat al-Kursi, just for my protection, out of selfishness and fear. If you come to think of it, how selfish are we as humans? How weak are we as humans?

I turned to Allāh’s help only after facing this trial of fear in my life, which reminds me of this ayah ↓

I memorized Ayat al-Kursi, which I used to recite while going out of my home, while sleeping, and while coming from that route. The nightmares stopped, and so did my fear. I returned back to how I was, but this time with a little spark, gratitude, and curiosity about Allāh in my heart.

After a month or so,

I remember an evening when I was alone in my room, waiting to get going for work.

I was sitting there and asked myself, “What am I doing? What is my life? Who am I? Where is my life heading? Why am I stuck in this job? Is this how I want to spend the rest of my life?” I was not thinking about Islam at first.

I was questioning my life, my job, my routine, and slowly it hit me—the big question which changed my life.

What is my purpose?

Why am I on this earth?

Why was I created?

How can I make my existence meaningful?

The what, why, and how of my life.

And by the will of Allāh, this question changed my life.

I was numb, I was lost, and finally, I saw a light coming into my life through Islam. Alhamdulillāh.

These questions made me reflect on my entire existence—what I had been doing, what I could become if I continued down this path.

And that’s when I decided to reset my life.

I quit my job.

I opened the Quran, and for the first time in my life, I read a few surahs with translation.

I started learning how to pray correctly, what to say in salah correctly.

( All because of my rabb ) I am nothing on my own.

I memorized duas, I learned about the Seerah of Rasulullah Sallallāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam, I started learning and diving deep into Islam.

I’m still on this journey, and I’ve only completed 0.1% of learning.

I learned why covering our body is important.

Then ordered a khimar and felt what true liberation is.

There were so many questions.

What it means to be a Muslim?

Who are we?

What is Islam?

Who is Allāh?

Alhamdulillāh, all because of Allāh, all because of His favors upon me, all because of His command and will. I am nothing on my own.

Hence, my journey to find true purpose began. Alhamdulillāh, it has been a year, and the more I learn, the more there is to know. To find one's purpose is the most fulfilling thing you can do on this earth. (I will cover how I found my purpose, my insights, and journey in my next newsletter, because it is, on its own, a very vast topic.)

The reason for talking about my past was not to publicize my sins; rather, it was my way of explaining that no matter how much you’ve sinned, no matter how lost or faded you may be, REPENT!

Because Allāh says in the Qur’an ↓

This ayah is a reminder of Allāh's infinite mercy and His readiness to forgive anyone who sincerely repents, no matter how great their sins. It’s one of the most comforting verses of the Quran.

Do not despair of the mercy of our Rabb. He is the most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Turn to Allāh before you return back to Allāh.

I have never been truly happy before like I am now. I have realized that true wealth isn’t your money or your freedom to do whatever you want; true wealth is finding your purpose, submitting to our Creator, and doing everything for His sake.

Once you realize this, there is barakah in every single thing you do. You might not be rich, but you will be content. You might not eat in a fancy restaurant, but you will have a fulfilled stomach. You might not shop for whatever you want, but your heart will find contentment in this ayah.

Leaving You With This ↓

Every person has to find Islam on his/her own.

No matter if you are a born Muslim, a non-believer, an atheist, or you come from a super Islamic scholar family—you have to find Islam on your own.

You have to find your connection with Allāh on your own.

You have to learn Islam on your own, experience its beauty, its answers, and find your purpose on your own.

Do not let anyone, I repeat, anyone ever tell you that learning your Deen is impossible for an ordinary person, because Allāh says in the Qur’an ↓

This world is nothing but a place of fleeting happiness. It is shallow, dark, and a trap of Shayāṭān. True fulfillment lies in detaching from this dunya and materialistic things.

This is it—my first attempt to talk about my journey, and you all are the first ones to know. I hope I am able to convey the right message with this letter, In Sha Allah.

Ya Allāh, forgive me for any mistakes I may have made while writing this.

Ya Allāh, guide us all to the straight path.

Ya Allāh, make us among the believers and the people of Paradise.

Ya Allāh, forgive our parents and grant them the highest place in Jannah.

Ya Allāh, make us a pathway to spread Islam and make us the best in akhlāq.

Ameen, ya Rabbul-‘Ālameen.

To My Subscribers - A Little Surprise for You!

In Sha Allāh, to help you make the most of this blessed month of Ramadan, I’ll be sending out a FREE Ramadan Duas, Routine Guide, and Checklist directly to your inbox!

These resources will be designed to help you stay focused, organized, and spiritually enriched during this special time.

Make sure to keep an eye out for it—straight to your inbox, In Sha Allāh!

With love,

𖹭 سـ