This perception in addition to the pressures and persuasion that coincide with being a teenager could lead to a confused and unsure mindset for the Muslim teenager. This confusion and uncertainty could be mitigated by following a few simple steps.
First, as a Muslim teenager you should take time to study Islam and gain a thorough command of the faith. Life can become a bit difficult when you encounter negative judgment and misconceptions of Islam from non-Muslims worldwide. Some statements or beliefs from non-believers may cause you to second guess principles or customs of Islam. Because of these misunderstandings as well as your possible second guessing, you must study Islam and determine what makes sense to you. In order to complete this successfully, you must approach this with an open mind. Consider not only your life experiences, but experiences of friends, family, and associates that you have observed. Take into account everything you have learned from both believers and non-believers. Also, don't let yourself be coerced into believing something just because it is coming from someone you trust. Determine what feels right in your heart and always remember that if it truly feels right in your heart, you can't go wrong.
Next, after you have established your beliefs, practice them without fear and without concern of criticism. Be comfortable in your skin and be able to be different because depending on where you live on this earth, you may be the minority. Being the minority usually means that there will be things about you that others won't understand. So be prepared for condemnation but even more so, be open to explaining to those who are simply curious about a faith of which they are not too familiar. Even if you reside where teenage Muslims make the majority, everyone will have their own interpretations of the different facets of Islam and may criticize your interpretation. As a result, you must have the courage to oppose that in which you do not believe, defend what you do believe, while respecting what others believe.
Overall, as a Muslim teenager, you have to understand that you are going to face problems that are directly related to your religion. Also understand that this is just the beginning and learning how to deal with religion-related problems now will only benefit you in the future. So study hard and fear nothing or no one but Allah!
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