We are all influenced by someone.
It could be your closest friend.
Your parents.
Your siblings.
A teacher.
A person you follow online.
A celebrity.
Or even a group of people whose opinions matter deeply to you.
But have you ever stopped to ask:
Who has the biggest influence on the person I am becoming?
INFLUENCE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU THINK
Sometimes you don’t notice influence because it happens gradually.
You start using the same expressions as your friends.
You become interested in the things they like.
You adopt their attitudes.
You begin seeing certain behaviours as normal simply because everyone around you does them.
That is why the Prophet ﷺ said:“A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so let each of you look at whom he befriends.”
(Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2378; Sunan Abi Dawud 4833)
Your environment can affect your heart.
LOOK AT YOUR CLOSEST CIRCLE
Ask yourself:
Do the people closest to me remind me of Allah?
Do they encourage me to pray?
Do they respect my boundaries?
Do they make me want to become better?
Or do I find myself compromising my values just to fit in?
And don’t only think about people.
Ask yourself what influence your phone has on you.
What you watch every day.
What you listen to.
Who you follow.
What kind of content fills your mind.
All of these things can shape you.
CHOOSE YOUR INFLUENCES CAREFULLY
You cannot control everything you encounter, but you can be intentional about what you allow to become a major influence in your life.
Surround yourself with people and reminders that strengthen your faith, character and purpose.
And remember:
You are also an influence on someone else.
Someone may be watching how you live.
Your choices may encourage another young Muslim to pray, to leave a sin, or to return to Allah.
HEART CHECK
If you became more like the people and content influencing you today, would you be closer to Allah one year from now?
3SIXTYISLAM
At 3SixtyIslam, we believe Islamic knowledge should reach every generation. From Hajj and Umrah guidance to practical Islamic lessons for everyday life, our goal is to help Muslims learn, grow and strengthen their connection with Islam.
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