We’re getting married!!!

It was my best friend Allie’s 21st birthday so of course I made my way down to Winona for the night to celebrate at her home. She was good friends with Oliver & wanted us to meet as she felt we had similar interests. We were both wearing long flowing garments & referred to our stylized outfits as ‘cape gang’ & had to get a picture together, having no idea how special the capturing of that moment would be. We had love & respect for each other from the start & kept in touch from time to time but I left to travel the world & he headed to Michigan for business. He has always been deeply interested in religion & admired me for the way I chose to convert to a traditional religious path during my travels in India. I remember thinking ‘I want to end up with someone like Oliver, he’s devoted, kind, loving, has good style, & is the coolest guy I know!’ & Thanks be to God, I get to cherish this life with THE Oliver. So fast forward, It’s July 11th 2023 & I’m in my room in San Diego on the phone with my older sister Paige when Oliver calls me, I scream Oliver?! (We hadn’t connected in awhile) & I hung up on my sister to answer. We talked for over 2 hours & it felt so nourishing to speak on topics of devotion & spirituality in a depth that can be rare to find amongst other people. I felt so seen & united. I thought oh my I think I LIKE him. A couple weeks later on July 26th I flew home to MN to visit my family & of course him too to see if this crush was for real. It was now July 29th & I had gone to visit my Grandma that day; coincidentally she told me that she wanted to give me her wedding ring from her & my Grandpas marriage. (She had no idea about Oliver yet) That same day, Oliver took me to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, he shared with me his journey to Islam & he gave me a book by A. Helwa called Secrets of Divine Love; I started crying on the first few pages. It was like everything I had already believed yet was yearning for. I flew back home to San Diego & moved to Minnesota a month later. I gradually came to learn more & fell in Love with all that is Islam & took my shahadah on January 12th 2024. From the beginning, we’ve always held a conviction that it’s been our faith & love for God that has united us, and it will continue to be what keeps our relationship strong & in remembrance. Fast forward a year later; we were visiting Duluth for a few days for Oliver’s work. On the last day of our trip, we went to check out the beach in the morning right outside of our Airbnb. As we approached the water, I asked him to take a picture of me from behind to capture the beautiful view & I turned around & literally SCREAMED. He was on his knee & I don’t even remember if I said anything other than screaming and putting my hand out LOL. It is such a gift to get to share this life together. In Islam it is said that marriage completes half of our religion, which shows how high we value coming into union in the name of God. It is seen as the foundation for a healthy thriving society. It is an honor to become each others daily reminder of what is most important in this life. To support & love each other on this journey to God is a blessing that we pray to always have gratitude for. We are infinitely grateful for all of you that are showing up on our wedding day to celebrate, or sending love & blessings from afar <3