How to live as a Muslim Teenager

Dear Fatima,

Assalamu alaikum. I’m a muslim teenager who suffers with serious anxiety. Recently I’ve been going through anxiety about death and have been asking dua for me to live a long life in which i can worship Allah(swt) and die a Muslim. However, the more rewards i try to gain by constant Zikr and rememberance there still seems to be this burden in my heart. Rather than being completely content now that I’m making efforts to become closer, every moment I’m filled with anxiety and dread that nothing I’m doing is enough and that the time i spend after prayer such as on my hobbies such as rearing or just watching YouTube videos are all sins and it’s just that i know you’re supposed to find peace by becoming closer to Allah. Is it because I’m being too hard on myself or im not working hard enough. I’ve always prayed my five daily prayers but now I’m making more efforts to be conscious in what i do when i pray and to ask for forgiveness. I want to have peace in my heart and contentment and the most positive outlook in life. How can i balance of all of this while still enjoying my hobbies such as watching videos on YouTube or reading.

Assalamu alaikum,

Thank you for reaching out. It sounds like your Iman is very strong, which is something to be proud of. As Muslims, we do need to strive to constantly improve ourselves, but remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s true that we will never reach full contentment and feel like what we’re doing is good enough that we can stop trying to better ourselves. However, in addition to fearing Allah and working towards the Hereafter, we also need to have faith in His mercy. To paraphrase a hadith, Allah (SWT) tells us that we will only enter paradise through His mercy, not through our deeds [Sahih Bukhari – Book 76, Hadith 470].

As you perform Salah and Dhikr, make dua for Allah to accept it, and leave it at that. In fact, this is a dua that Prophet Ibrahim (as) used to make with his acts of worship. There is also a Sahabi, Abdullah ibn Amr, who would constantly worship Allah to the point that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had to talk to him about the importance of moderation and balance in Islam. We also have rights to this world and to ourselves. Having fun with friends or family can be an act of worship. By having a mindset of appreciating and remembering Allah, your daily activities for this world can also serve as good deeds.  

The hobbies you listed are not inherently sinful and you should not be hard on yourself for enjoying them. If the content of the YouTube videos you watch or the books you read is sinful, you can start by changing what you watch and read. It doesn’t necessarily have to be Islamic, but there is a lot of clean entertainment out there. Even if there are moments that you slip up, and watch or read something you shouldn’t have, just make sure to repent right away. After all, a bigger sin is being hopeless in Allah’s forgiveness and mercy.

You also mentioned that you suffer from serious anxiety. If you’re anxious about other aspects of your life, I would definitely recommend reaching out to a mental health professional who can help with this. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is extremely common and can really interfere with daily functioning, so it would greatly benefit you to get the help needed so that you can succeed in this world and the Hereafter. 

Sincerely, 

Your sister in Islam

“Fatima SK”