Muslimahs just wanna have fun!?

I want to be a better Muslim, but I have this fear that if I were to commit, I would no longer be the fun person I am. Would submiting to Allah not take away my freedom,would i stil be happy and do fun things or would I have to be all 'religious' all the time?

 “Allah did not send me to be harsh or cause harm, but He sent me to teach [people] and make things easy [for them].” (Saheeh Muslim: 1478)

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatulahi wa barakatu!!!!

 My dearest sissy! Masha'Allah how wonderful to receive a question like yours which I could totally relate to! I actually was struggling with this EXACT same challenge not long ago, so when I saw your question, I thought I had to definitely reach out to you right away bidhniAllah!

First things first, Alhamdulillah that you have intentions to want to strive to be a better Muslimah. This is a very wonderful goal and I think we should all be striving to achieve this! We must always strive to be the best Muslimah in the sight of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala and we must always strive to follow the correct Qur'an and Sunnah as best as we can and aiming to have the mother of believers (May Allah be pleased with them all) as are role models!

Secondly, pleasing Allah, The Almighty, is something that will result in true happiness. The real bliss comes from remembering Allah and doing things that will please Him, and Him alone.

That said, I really want to let you know about my personal experience my dear sissy, and maybe you can even relate to how I once felt  !  When I first converted to Islam, I was so excited and had so much zeal with learning the religion. I practically ate, breathed, sleep-ed (is that a word!) Islam ( I mean even though we should be incorporating Islam with everything because it is a lifestyle and not just a 'cultural practice" contrary to what many believe!) I was so absorbed into the religion and I rushed to study and learn as much as I could and I even set unrealistic goals for myself!  In the end, I burnt myself out and I became even more overwhelmed and stressed. I started feeling lazy and exhausted and I neglected the most important part of being a Muslim, and that is BEING CONSISTENT AND MODERATE with every aspect of worship! 

That is why he also noted, “Take upon yourself only those actions for which you have the strength to carry out consistently.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: 1100)

I was so strict upon myself to keep seeking knowledge and I made it a top priority because I thought that Allah loves those who surround themselves in seeking knowledge only! I would leave all my hobbies and dedicate all my time to reading and learning and then I started asking myself why I was feeling so stressed and I even became depressed at one point (astughfurAllah!) but then a dear sister of mine gave me the most valuable advice I could ever receive and it has helped me soooooooo much with all of my affairs!!!! She told me that Islam is a religion of moderation and balance and that I should not overburden myself with all this learning to the point that I lose myself and forget about who I am as a person! Yes, Alhamdulillah I am a Muslimah first and foremost, but I am by no means even close to being a student of knowledge. I thought that the only way to get close to Allah was through seeking knowledge 24-7 and being so strict and "boring" ! Alhamdulillah Allah guided me to the straight path and gave me the tawfeeq to realize that Islam is a lifestyle and it is not something that should feel like a burden or change you into some strict, boring person! Islam teaches us to excel in the things that we are good at and it helps to perfect our personalities and character to that of our beloved prophet (peace be upon him).

Islam doesn't dismiss desires, it just disciplines them.

So as you can see my dear sissy, you are free to pursue your hobbies and be yourself (as long as it does not mean jeopardizing your religion or doing haram things) and you are free to be the sweet sister I am sure that you are! As long as we know that we are not doing something that displeases Allah (i.e- being immodest, cursing, slandering, engaging in TOO much idle talk, listening to music, and doing the things not permissible for us) then we can even do it with the intentions of worship and be rewarded for it!!!!! For example, we can listen to the Qur'an while doing some embroidery, sewing, or any crafts you are interested in and you can use that finished product and donate it as sadaqah and at the same time memorize the Qur'an all at once! I know that for some, sitting at a desk and memorizing the Qur'an can pose as a challenging and frustrating task, even though we are doing it for the sake of Allah, we can still find ways that are better suited to our learning style! Playing the surah over and over while you are unconsciously focusing on a task such as embroidery, crocheting, or even knitting can really really help you absorb and learn the Qur'an that much easier!  There are so many things that you can do that is productive and all the while counts as worship to Allah, the Almighty! The opportunities are endless but you just have to get a little "creative" and make sure you don't do anything haram or outside of Islam! Be yourself and have fun! Enjoy the life of a Muslimah ! It is so rewarding!

Islam is made to be easy and “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Qur'an, 2:286) Though it is important to live our lives as Muslims in this dunya, we must remember that we are ultimately striving for Jannah and all our actions and goals should be to earn the pleasure of Allah and a home in Jannah Insha'Allah!!!

Remember, everything in moderation! 

Anas reported that some of the Companions of Allaah's Messenger (SAW) used to say: "I will not marry women"; someone else said: "I will not eat meat"; and someone else said: "I will not lie down in bed". (On hearing this): The Prophet (SAW) praised Allaah, and glorified Him and said: "what has happened to these people that they say so and so, whereas I observe prayer and I sleep too. I observe fast and I break my fast; I marry women also. And he who turns away from my Sunnah (i.e., my example or lifestyle), he has no relation with me" [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim vol. 2. p703. no. 32361].

“Beware of extremism in religion, for the only thing that destroyed those before you was extremism in religion.” (Sunan Ibn Maajah: 3029)

Don't wear yourself out with excessive worship to the point that you will leave it completely (audhubillah), and find things that you love to do and do them with the intentions for earning the Pleasure of Allah, the Almighty! Observe proper hijab (clothing as well as attitude) in public and in private (with your friends and family) you can be the fun person you truly are as long as you know and always remember that Allah is All-Seeing, All-Hearing, and All-Knowing, then you will not overstep your boundaries and behave inappropriately! Being a Muslimah is a fun and easy job! We just need to know how to do it! Starting a crafts club, a halaqah pot-luck, or even a small workout group for your friends at home are just some fun and exciting ideas that you can pursue! Focus on your favorite hobbies and excel in them all while remembering to include Allah in your intentions! I guarantee you will not feel stressed or that Islam is "too strict" and you will even find yourself being happier then ever and and the best thing is that your emaan increases and so does your knowledge! May Allah grant you success !

May Allah forgive me for anything that I've said that has offended you, anything good I've said is from Allah and anything bad is from my own self and I seek refuge in Allah from shaitan the accursed. Ameen! 

Please also see this older post called "Is everything Haram": http://dearlittleauntie.blogspot.com/2010/07/is-everything-haram.html