Religous Family Tree

Religion is a tradition that has been a central part of society for thousands of years. Religion provides people with answers insight into the unknown, and provides security and comfort to people who desperately desire those safeguards in an ever changing world. I, for one have a religious history that is very interesting. I was born in Morocco and immigrated to America when I was 8, but for all my life I have been Muslim. I was introduced to Islam at a very young age as is common with children who have parents who are very religious, as mine were. This led me to believe that everybody in the world was Muslim, since that was my environment. However it was not until I came to America and grew older that I realized that my way of life was more than just a way of life, it was a religion. As grew older I was able to reflect on my religion and how I came to be a Muslim.

I decided to look back at the religion of my grandparents on both sides. Both my mother’s parents and my father’s parents had similarities in terms of their religious involvement. My father’s parents lived in Morocco and they were both Muslim. They both practiced Islam, and that included all the aspects of Islam, such as Sharia law, and praying five times a day. They taught this religion to their children at a young age. What I found on my mother’s side was also very much similar. My mother’s parents also practiced all aspects of Islam and incorporated it into their daily lives. They also taught Islam to their ¬children when they were young. When I questioned my mom about this, she told me that many people at that time were very religious and taught their religion to their children. I realized that the world today is very different in comparison to when my parents were...

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...it is difficult to be truly religious in today’s world. It is even more difficult when you are a teenager growing up in a city like New York, where there are so many different distractions that compete for my attention. This differs from Islam which look to instill a sense of wholeness into life. It is because of this that I definitely want to continue practicing my religious tradition. I was introduced to Islam at a young age and unlike many other people I have talked to, I did not grow up to not like my religion. I think this is in part to how my parents raised me and how they taught me about Islam. They did not say “you should do this because I tell you and that’s” it but rather, they went to great lengths to educate me and to allow me to make my own choices. They presented Islam to me, and I saw the benefits of this religion which is why I chose to accept Islam.