This won’t be an “About us” page like the others, because there’s no “us”. Maybe you stop reading already, seeing how lengthy this is, but I know this will reach the hearts of those who are meant to read this by the Will of Allah.
Whether you like it or not, whether you think this fits a website or not, this will be human and raw, because that’s what Tales of Imaan will be about. Mistakes on the path of Allah, learning curves, drops of sweat and drops of tears. Whether it is the mundane character Kugo or the elemental Queen Rakia, they’re all imperfect, and in it is the perfect plan of Allah.
You might have noticed that across my social media and this website I use the pronoun “we” and the possessive pronoun “our”, but the truth is, there is no team behind Tales of Imaan, at least not yet. It’s just me. A psychology student working in retail to survive, striving to leave this dunya only after his niyyah (intention) wins over his ego when he’s standing in front of the scale of deeds.
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Story time
I’m just some guy, a dot on planet Earth. But like everyone else, I also have my unique human experiences…
I grew up in Italy as an atheist, not understanding why I had to pick a religion from a selection of sacred “made up” texts that came from “some man” for “world control”. Texts that went against what I wanted in life: my dream career, social company and ambitions. They were all impermissible in the Qur’an and, to be fair, any other religious text. I persisted with my life as it was, committing the deeds that I wished to commit, pursuing what I thought were “dreams”, believing that morals are subjective, living in a freedom of choice that one day somehow became daunting.
Although from a Muslim family, I was actively against Islam. Publicly. And this was because of the values and principles I allowed to take my critical thinking away. To be fair, I always believed in a Creator, but not One that comes from religious “fantasy” books, as I used to call them.
When I moved to the UK, things changed while I adjusted to this cloudy, grey country. And it hit me. It hit me hard. The realisation that freedom of choice is an illusion that looks like happiness, but it isn’t and it never will be. The realisation that freedom does not exist and it never will, because we are coded to be enslaved to something by standard human nature. Whether it is money, beauty, social recognition, materialism, passion, or Instagram followers. Ourselves. The sweetness of true peace could have never come from any of these. As Nouman Ali Khan once said, outside of Islam, we are all little Pharaohs (Firaun) with our own little inflated sense of self-worth and audacity.
I finally grasped reality. Morality is not subjective. It cannot be. Without God, it cannot be defined. Whether we want to do something that makes us happy or something that doesn’t physically harm others, it’s still something we cannot declare as permissible or impermissible without guidance. We must have an instruction manual like any other complex creation that needs a guide to thrive whether a car or an iPhone. Leave alone a whole living being made of clay, blood and dust of iron, as complex as the galaxy of billions of stars and lightyears. Such a creation surely does not meander purposeless or confused. There must be something out there…
How did this thought suddenly hit me, you may be wondering? On this platform, I want to first of all thank Allah Azzawajal for guiding me to the truth in the most beautiful of ways, and allowing my life to roll out the way it did. And then, I want to thank the human who redirected me with kindness and patience towards this very same profound actualisation.
Urwa, if you are reading this and I know that you eventually will thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the best, patient cousin in the world. Thank you for showing me the truth of Islam step by step and bringing me on the journey of Allah’s Mercy in a time in which I was lost between one sin and the other, clouded with little light to rely on. You are an incredible treasure of knowledge and unshakeable integrity: a true servant of Allah. BarakAllahu feeki, you stand strong against any claim that attempts to neglect the Power of your Almighty Lord.
I could say so much more about you and your inspiring struggles, and one day I will maybe through my own tales but right now I don’t want to shower you with too many praises either. For an inflated ego is something I have been a victim to, and its presence is transparent like the sound of a moving snake on its way to stab its fangs into your soul and leave you misguided. And even though I know you are not that person, Allah guides whoever He wills to the straight path (2:213).
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Tales of Imaan
Fast forward, I was standing in Hyde Park, on a very rare sunny Sunday in London, in front of a precious student of the deen that I do not always entirely agree with, but I still wholeheartedly admire for his academic grounding and knowledge.
One day, Hijab gave something incredibly powerful. Alongside all the beautiful and undeniable scientific miracles and historical predictions he mentioned about the Qur’an, he shared a powerful analogy: the train and the dunya.
Hijab said, “If you were to go to sleep in your own bed, but then you woke up in a moving train with other people, what would your first questions be?”
An atheist man responded, “Well… What am I doing here on this train? What’s my purpose here? And where does this train end?!”
That, my dear Imaan Family, left me shocked. It was such a simple yet powerful metaphor, explaining the importance of God in a question of unmeasurable wisdom and priceless depth. It truly left me astounded, in awe, with my jaw dropped to the ground.
As if it wasn’t already powerful enough, Mohammed continued, “If you were to see people on that train living their lives normally, and you were to ask them what they’re doing, and they responded with the most current contemporary response ‘We make our own purpose here’, would you think that’s a critical response or uncritical?”
The humble atheist gentleman stood there, murmuring in his thoughts deeply, and then a grin of realisation made its way on his face, “Uncritical” he responded.
Needless to say, this analogy was illustrated on Tales of Imaan as the most loved series as I write this post today. You can watch the three episodes of “Belief in Allah” here, featuring Hamza the fox who almost left Islam after being influenced and whispered to.
For the following days, as I continued my job like every other regular day, that interaction I witnessed in London singlehandedly gave me depersonalisation episodes continuous goosebumps. I felt my soul leaving my body, ready to accept reality for what it was. But not so quick.
My life is predetermined by my Creator, but and it’s a big but I wish to not leave this world without advocating for the truth. Without explaining the unique light I have felt in my life. Why I believe Islam is the most beautiful way of life. I do not want to leave without translating my experiences and thoughts into visuals, stories and love that pass on the truth of Allah’s Mercy.
Growing up with RPG videogames, I had always been fascinated by Nintendo. The nostalgic and powerful feelings portrayed in most of the videogames I have played have always been an incredible inspiration for me, so today I am compiling pieces of my work to create “our” messages to the world, in my favourite art style.
Tales of Imaan is a tool, a megaphone of truth. All the characters in Tales of Imaan exist to explain why Islam is the safe exit from our contemporary problems from deception to addictions, the normalisation of pornography, the influence of media on Muslims who struggle with same-sex desires, detachment from spirituality, objectification of our bodies, hypnosis of immoral music, and, worst of all, the idea that God does not exist or isn’t necessary.
I aspire to help in restoring the sight of blind hearts around the dunya because I’ve been there. And it’s not nice at all even if in the moment you don’t feel the demons of that so-called “freedom” in the blindness.
Tales of Imaan is a powerful project letting the world know why Islam is crucial for a human being’s emotional, physical, and psychological functioning. Why Allah is life-changing for a society’s integrity and morals. Why the Prophets (may peace be upon them) have left lessons in the Qur’an to uplift and authenticate the hearts of people to make people think and reason.
If you’ve made it this far, perhaps you’re not here by accident. Maybe your heart is searching too aching for meaning, for truth, for something real in a world that profits off the artificial.
Tales of Imaan is not a brand. It’s not a business. It’s not here to tick boxes or please the algorithm. This is da’wah in disguise. This is my heart poured into pixels. This is my attempt, my act of ‘ibadah, my legacy-in-progress. And if even one heart softens because of a story, a scene, or a sentence from this project… then Alhamdulillah, it was worth it. Every tear, every restless night, every doubt, every deleted draft. Worth it.
We live in an age where silence is comfortable and truth is confrontational. But I’m not here to stay silent. I’m not here to water it down. I’m here to remind you and myself that the path back to Allah is always open, even if you crawl on your knees.
This is not just about faith. It’s about healing. It’s about waking up from the hypnosis. It’s about recognising that even if the entire world tells you you’re free, you’re still enslaved so choose your Master wisely.
This is Tales of Imaan.
And if you ever forget who you are… come back here.
Read these words again.
You were made for more.
With love,
H
