The Ride I Narrowly Escaped From

My life is like the roller coaster that seriously went wrong. The one where the ride is stuck at the highest loop and the riders are suspended upside down, hundreds of feet in the air. Fear and blood equally coarse through my veins for such a long time, I don't remember what it feels like to be at peace.

I am a young woman disowned by her parents, who despise her enough to want her dead. My only crime is that I want to pursue my education in Canada and not go through with an arranged marriage.

Ever since I was a child, my parents were always tough on me. I thought they were pushing me to reach my full potential. I believed their consent for me to study in Canada confirmed this, but I was wrong.

I discovered that they consented to my studying overseas because my value as a bride would increase if I was educated in a country like Canada.

After studying for some time, my parents came to Canada with the intent to bring me home to marry a man I've never met. When I refused, they beat me, verbally degraded me and threatened that they would completely cut me off financially. Their abuse escalated to the point that I feared for my life. I escaped one night with no thoughts of where I would go, except to hide from them.

I eventually took refuge with a kind Muslim family I met at a local masjid. They were compassionate towards me. They reminded me of how Muslims are supposed to behave.

Ever since leaving my parents, I contemplated the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on maintaining family ties. I heard from other family members that my parents returned to our home country, so I called them in hopes of a reconciliation. They were angrier than ever and threatened to kill me if they saw me. Hearing those words nearly crushed my soul because I knew they meant every single word.

My parents' anger manifested in seizing the funds from my bank account. I didn't have five cents to my name and I was heavily in debt from student loans. Consequently, I couldn't continue my education.

I applied for a Visiting Visa and am waiting to hear back from the government. A denial could result in my death sentence if I went back to my parents.

The family I was staying with was very kind, but I couldn't impose myself on them any further. I needed to buy my own food, get winter clothing and a jacket now that the weather is getting colder. The unrelenting stress and fear was becoming too much, I needed help. I asked Allah to help me get out off this 'roller coaster ride'.

I found out about National Zakat Foundation from the masjid and was told to apply for assistance. The caseworker patiently listened to me as I explained my desperate situation. Alhamdulilah, I was given food and clothing gift cards. I am so grateful to Allah that He prescribed Zakat and that people still adhere to this divine command.

The support I received from National Zakat Foundation and the counselling I get from the masjid is the long awaited relief I needed. I feel as though I've been rescued from this broken roller coaster and my feet are finally on stable ground.

Based on a true story of Zakat recipient Fatima