My First Substack DM and a Realization

This One Message Made My Day

Today something unexpected happened.

As I opened my Substack dashboard, I noticed a message request.

Honestly, I paused for a second. This platform still feels like a quiet, personal space for me, like I’m writing into the void. So, to see someone had reached out directly felt... surprising.

Then I opened it... and I was truly touched.

A sister someone I’ve never met here before, wrote to me saying, my words touched her deeply.

She had read one of my writings. She said she related to what I wrote as if I had written her own story.

She told me she’s a born Muslim, but only recently started understanding the real Islam like me, not just the cultural version. And she was looking for a safe space to talk with other Muslim women. A group to ask questions, share experience, support each other, and grow.

She didn’t know who I was. She just felt a connection. And somehow, she guessed reading my essay, I was from Bangladesh too. That made it feel even more special. It felt like two souls from the same soil finally meeting through words.

She asked if I have a group for Muslim women. I don’t. Not yet. But maybe... that’s a sign.

Maybe it's time to build one.

What struck me most is how her experience mirrored my own. That confusion, that loneliness, that slow rediscovery of faith, I’ve felt it too. Maybe you have as well. And when you find even one person who understands that... it feels like a small mercy and guidance from Allah.

Actually her small message felt like a big milestone for me. Not because it brought attention. But because it brought connection. It reminded me why I write. Not to impress, but to reach. To remind someone else that they’re not alone in the journey back to Allah.

And it also made something very clear to me, something I’ve been feeling in my heart for a while:

We, as Muslim women, especially in South Asia need each other. We’re going through unique struggles. Faith. Family. Culture. Identity.

And far too often, we have limited safe, soft place to talk. A space where there is no judgment. No harsh advice. Just warmth. Listening. Sisterhood.

So today, I want to take the first step.

In shaa Allah, I’ll start a Substack Chat just for Muslim women. It will be a safe circle where we can speak freely, ask questions, share wins and worries, and feel less alone. No performance. No pressure. Just presence. And to open our heart and take breathe peacefully.

If you like the idea and want to join this little space of connection, reply to this post or message me. I’d love to welcome you in.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one message to remind us that we belong.

P.S. If you're reading this and feeling the same know that this space is for you too. You are welcome here. Always.