Deen is my biggest priority, as well as the first thing I'm looking for in a spouse, along with good character and manners. I aim to constantly strive to get closer to Allah, and although I fall short often, I never want to stop trying to put Allah's pleasure at the forefront of everything I do. I fulfill my religious obligations including my five daily prayers, fasting, giving charity, and learning the basics of the deen that is obligatory for every Muslim to know. I also try going beyond fulfilling my obligations and pray my sunnahs, observe voluntary fasts when possible, and listen to podcasts on Islam and spirituality. I would describe myself as a spiritual person, I try to work on purifying my heart and my character and believe that as Muslims, we should constantly be working on our internal state alongside the external acts of worship, which are very important too. 

I would describe myself as more of a conservative Muslim and somewhat of an introvert, but my personality is more fun once I become vulnerable with someone. I wear the hijab and try my best to dress in looser, more modest clothing. However, I think modesty goes beyond how someone dresses and I deeply value observing haya and modesty in character, especially in interactions with the opposite gender. I am a family oriented person, and my family is integral to my life. I spend a lot of time with my family and am very close to my parents and my two older brothers. I would like someone who shares that value and understands the importance of family bonds, as I want to carry that into my future family inshaAllah.

A list of my values include family, maturity, modesty, empathy and understanding, good character, seeking beneficial knowledge (Islamic and secular), health and fitness, hard work and a growth mindset, travel, nature, and culture. 

I graduated last year with a degree in Economics and subsequently started working as a research assistant at a non-profit in DC focusing on economic development. In my free time, I love to travel near and far (10 countries and counting Alhamdulillah), take pictures, paint, read, volunteer, bake, watch kdramas, exercise and journal. I wasn't born nor raised in the US, but moved here right before college because my dad worked abroad all my life. I was born in Bangladesh and raised between Dhaka, Bangladesh and Islamabad, Pakistan. I am a US citizen, although I only moved to Virginia six years ago. I know this is a dealbreaker for many, but I am proud of my background and if people give it a chance, they realize I am only about 5% "fobby" :) I spent the most transformative and growth years of my life in the States, so I can often relate more to people who were born and raised in North America, but I understand people have concerns when they first hear about this. 

I deeply value connection and attraction in the process of getting to know someone but I fully intend to follow a halal way of getting to know someone, respecting boundaries and keeping things more formal for the sake of Allah and to preserve emotions in case things don't work out.