First of all, Assalamu'Alaikum (Peace be upon you).

I want to say welcome to all. Whether you are Muslim or not, this story is still for you.

I am extremely grateful to you for clicking on this story and deeming it worthy to read. Allah (God) has brought you here, and He has brought you here for a special reason. As I am working on making this story something that changes your heart, Allah is guiding me through the entire way. I pray He makes it easy for me and allows it to become a source of enlightenment for you. Ameen.

It took me a while to convince myself to post the first chapter. I like to complete my stories before I post them, and I started this one a few months ago. But I realized that I don't know how long that will take, and Allah help me, but sometimes I tend to have commitment issues. I think publishing a chapter at a time will force me to continue writing, to fulfill the vow I made to myself to write something that will touch your hearts.

I have also waited too long for myself to write the "perfect story". I would constantly read other people's work and notice how I didn't write the way they did. It took me quite some time to realize and happily accept that every writer writes with a different pen — that is, every writer will have something different to say. In different words. In a different style. And I should not hold myself to so many different standards and expect my writing to fall into the same style as the writing of others. For anyone who is struggling with this, I understand completely and I really suggest you take a step back and read your work proudly — know that no two minds and no two styles are the same.

I accredit all of my inspiration to Umera Ahmed's Pir-E-Kamil, or The Perfect Mentor. May Allah bless her. As her book changed my heart, I hope that mine can change yours as well.

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale has also been a driving force behind some of the messages in my book. To me, The Handmaid's Tale portrays the powerful message of how religion is sometimes wrongfully used as a tool and a scapegoat in political and worldly affairs.

And lastly, Yasmin Mogahed's Reclaim Your Heart has deeply influenced the last third of my story.

Small note: I'm trying to provide brief explanations of any cultural or religious references mentioned in the chapters. If there is still something you don't understand, you can message me privately and I'd be glad to help you out. But please don't hate comment or argue with one another in the comments. I want this to be a positive environment.

Another note: I am attempting to write a proper Muslim story, but of course, none of us are perfect and my characters will be flawed, as is human nature. My story may not represent Islam in its entirety, but I am going to try my absolute best, Insha Allah (God willing). If you are looking for the "perfect" Muslim or the perfect representation of this beautiful religion, I suggest you research the Prophet Muhammad and his lifestyle. You'll be awed by not just the Muslim but the human that he was, peace be upon him.

Lastly, this story has now been completed. Please be patient with me as you read because this story is very close to my heart.

So once again, thank you. And I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Wa Alaikum Salam

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