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Living as a Muslim in America can be a very challenging, but worthwhile experience. I've had many trials come up in my own personal life where I felt alone, even though I was married and have four children. My Ex-Wife and my children aren't Muslim, a choice my Wife chose to make, and I respect. It has been a source of conflict in our marriage, and part of the reason we are divorced. Of course I don't blame my faith. I don't blame my wife, either. Sometimes life throws us a trial, or a situation to test our faith, and to just give up because it appears hard, or impossible would be missing the point. At the moment that I am writing this I'm Homeless, no home, no job, and sometimes I get the feeling of hopelessness. Which is why I always go back to the Qur'an. If nothing else my faith in Allah- Subhannah wa ta'laa (Praise the Lord) brings hope where my physical condition in this cold world leaves a void. Many Homeless men, and women lose hope. They succumb to drugs, prostitution, and other worse conditions because they feel they can't get a leg up in life so they might as well submit to the state they are presently in despite the fact that thier hearts, and minds are telling them, " You don't have to live like this.", or " Why would any human bieng want to sleep in an alley next to a dumpster?"

As a Muslim I refuse to sleep out in the street, or anywhere I feel is unbecoming of me, not because I am too proud, or I"m vain, or any of that, but because I believe Allah doesn't want that for a muslim. It is I feel unIslamic to accept something unfit for a human bieng. A Dog maybe, a cat, I guess so. But a person, a human bieng with a soul. A human bieng that has a will, feelings, No! I'm the only Muslim, I know of in the set of circumstances I face, and I know why. The Quran speaks of poverty as something of the shaitan, to keep Man away from the remebrance of Allah. It's true, bieng homeless doesn't afford you the time to dwell on the things of God, because you are too busy looking for a meal, or looking for a Job, or looking for somewhere warm to sleep at night. Fortunately Allah as been with me. I have been able to read the Qur'an, pray, although not as often as I like.

Learn more about this author, Ahmed syeed ali Muhammed.
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