Voice of British Muslim Women

As 2024 draws to a close, Lajna members share their memories of significant times during the year.

Ayesha Naseem Mirza

2024 brought all sorts of changes and experiences and strangely they happened in a pattern. The year started with a challenging time personally, a phase when I could say I was lost and uncertain about life and, as is the natural cycle, things got worse before they got better. Despite the difficulties I was facing, Allah the Almighty was my source of comfort. Now when I look back and reflect on the year I had, I barely recount or remember the bad days. When every day of your life reminds you of how it is the result of an accepted prayer, the belief and love for Allah the Almighty just engulfs you in warmth and contentment. All I remember and think of now are the good days of this year, the immense blessings of Allah the Almighty, the acceptance of all the prayers I made, and the sheer grace and affection of my Beloved Huzoor whose prayers and guidance have always empowered me to never give up.

Danila Jonnud

2024 was an interesting year for me. I had a lot of plans for this time as I was halfway through my gap year when it began, and though I’m not sure I succeeded in any of those, it’s a year which I’ll remember because of how I had to grow. In the first place, I left the country for the first time in years for the last two weeks of April, and connecting with family members whom I only knew by name was a nice experience and reminded me of the blessings of having a big family. Towards the middle of the year, I was confronted with two things. First was a dip in my mental health, where I struggled for a while in seeing the good in the world, and fought to keep my sense of hope. With prayers and family around me, I managed to get over this period, and return to optimistic ways. The second thing was entering the last of my teenage years, and realising that now I am truly an adult, which I have mixed feelings about.

In September, I moved into university accommodation, and began life as a student alone in the city, which was a huge change for me. As the youngest of four sisters, growing up in a small town, being suddenly alone in the centre of London was at first daunting but after a while the self-reliance and independence taught me more about myself than I think I knew before, and I’m so glad that the change gave me what I needed. Going into 2025, I have the same hope for myself as I have for the rest of the world, and that is to be able to move forward in a positive direction, and I have hope, insha’Allah, that we will be able to do so.

Savia Ahmad

Reflecting on this year brings three themes to my mind: motherhood, war, and prayer. Motherhood because being blessed with a newborn this year has been an immense gift from Allah. We rotate around the new baby lovingly, like the planets rotate around the sun. War because seeing the burial of tiny white shrouds and the destruction of families who would circle around their loved ones just like mine has been incomprehensible. And lastly, prayer because the perfume of prayer is the only solace I can offer my own family and others in this difficult world.

Faryal Janood Nasir

I was blessed to go to Umrah (pilgrimage to Mecca undertaken at any time of the year unlike Hajj which is performed in a specific Islamic month) last month, an experience which has profoundly deepened my love for Islam and strengthened my connection to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Standing in the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina, where his life and teachings continue to resonate, I felt an indescribable sense of peace and purpose. Witnessing countless Muslims from all walks of life gathered together, united in worship and devotion, was a truly humbling experience. Despite our diverse cultures, languages, and backgrounds, we were all there for one purpose: to seek Allah’s mercy and follow the footsteps of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It made me reflect deeply on the strength and potential of the Muslim ummah (community of common identity). If we can come together in such harmony to worship, imagine the incredible impact we could achieve if we were united in solving the challenges faced by mankind.

Upon returning home, I now understand what people mean when they say that the Holy Land calls to them. A part of me feels as though it has been left behind in those blessed places; in the mountains sprawled as far as the eye can see, in the courtyard around the Kaaba, in the hike up to Cave Hira – I find myself yearning to return, to relive that spiritual closeness and to continue learning from the lessons I found there. This journey has inspired me to carry the spirit of humility and devotion with me in my daily life, while holding onto the hope that I will one day have the honour of being called back to the sacred lands. And insha’Allah, one day, the call to Prayer which echoes in the courtyards of Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, will be the voice of an Ahmadi Muslim, and the ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is the Greatest) which resounds loudly in Masjid Al-Nabawi in Medina, will also come from an Ahmadi Muslim – and I will stand in front of the Kaaba and proudly declare my pledge of allegiance to the Messiah of the time and to the institution of Khilafat which has come after him, all for the rest of the Muslim ummah to witness.

Iffat Mirza Rashid

This year was the year everything doubled for me. As I now have two surnames, two sets of parents, two sets of siblings…by the Grace of God, it was the year I got married. It was the year that I moved from my big home city, London, and small-yet-bustling student city, Cambridge, to the countryside in the South of England where all of a sudden it felt like things move in slow motion. As bizarre as it was at first, day by day, I am learning to enjoy the slower side of life, and have a rethink of who I am in the world around me. But with this, the year also taught me that continuity exists. To be completely vulnerable for a brief second, I have always been terrified of change; even if it is for the good, it never comes easy to me. This was particularly a fear that had overcome me in the years 2022 and 2023. And despite the enormous changes in my life this year, what I learned is that my old life never really went away either, rather I was able to seamlessly bring what was important to me from my old life, into my new life. I hope, and pray, that this means that change need not be scary, because the things that are worth keeping, get to be kept.

Sameea Jonnud

“Merry Christmas!” I heard the voices of friends I happened to see while in town; then, before I replied they said “oh, do you celebrate?” I gave the same answer I always do, that I don’t celebrate Christmas itself but my family and I, like many others, celebrate the day off work and school by taking the opportunity to get together at my parents’ house and have a roast dinner followed by board games. At the same time I give them my warmest season’s greetings and hope they have a good Christmas and peaceful New Year. Sending season’s greetings with cards and gifts, has become customary for us and something we, as Ahmadi Muslims are encouraged to do; it brings happiness and fosters a sense of good will with our non-Muslim friends and neighbours, creating a feeling of togetherness.

2024 has been a year of ups and downs, but I end it reflecting on the fact I am thankful for living in a country which is tolerant, where friends and neighbours will generally find common ground if the opportunity is given and hope for a brighter and better New Year.