The Mirror That Doesn’t Reflect You

1. The Old Gift

Amina was a quiet, thoughtful teenager raised in a household grounded in Islamic values. Her mother taught her the importance of humility, truthfulness, and salaah. But as she grew older, the world around her seemed louder and faster. Social media painted pictures of perfect lives. Fashion trends, popularity, and validation became more attractive than prayer mats and inner peace.

One afternoon, while wandering through an old market with her father, she came across an antique mirror at a dusty shop corner. The seller, an elderly woman with kind eyes, stopped her.

> “This mirror doesn’t show what others see,” she said softly, “It shows what you will become… if you keep going the way you are.”

Amina smiled politely, thinking it was just a clever sales pitch. Her father bought the mirror anyway, saying, “Even old things can teach new lessons.”

2. The First Reflection

That night, Amina placed the mirror in her room. It looked ordinary, a bit foggy, with a golden frame. But when she glanced into it after skipping her Isha prayer and spending hours scrolling through social media, she froze.

The mirror didn’t show her in her pajamas.

It showed a version of herself wearing excessive makeup, flashy clothes, and empty eyes. Her face was beautiful — but hollow. There was no peace, only a haunting loneliness behind the glamour.

Startled, she stepped back. The image faded. She looked into her regular mirror. Everything seemed normal.

But the unease didn’t leave her heart.

3. Downhill Choices

In the following days, Amina kept seeing different reflections. Every time she lied to her parents, skipped Quran recitation, or mocked someone online, the mirror showed an older version of her — each time colder, lonelier, more disconnected from faith.

In one image, she saw herself surrounded by expensive things — yet weeping alone in a dark room. In another, she wore expensive jewelry but was looking in the mirror with regret written across her face.

She started avoiding the mirror.

But it didn’t stop.

Even in her dreams, it appeared — reminding her that the future is shaped by today’s choices.

4. The Realization

One day, Amina overheard her little brother telling his friend:

> “My sister doesn’t talk to us anymore. She’s always on her phone. I miss the old her.”


His words pierced her heart. She sat silently for a long time, the weight of her actions settling in. That night, she stood in front of the mirror again.

“Is this who I’m becoming?” she whispered, tears in her eyes.

The mirror responded with a new image — one of her kneeling in prayer, surrounded by light, her face calm and content. It was a version of herself she hadn’t seen before — one at peace.

5. The Turnaround

From that day, Amina began returning to her roots. Slowly, she deleted apps that wasted her time. She replaced music with Qur'an recitation. She started talking to her parents more, playing with her younger brother, and reading books that lifted her soul.

She made sincere du‘a to Allah to guide her and forgive her. Her salah became regular again — not just in practice, but with presence.

Each time she looked into the mirror, the dark images grew fainter.

Instead, she saw light — sometimes just a flicker — but it gave her hope.

6. Sharing the Lesson

Months passed. Amina began volunteering at a local Islamic center, helping younger girls navigate their identity. She shared her story — not about the magic of the mirror, but about the consequences of small daily choices, and how easily we can lose ourselves in the noise of the world.

> “Every choice writes a line in your future,” she told them. “Don’t trade your akhirah for temporary likes or fake attention.”

One of the girls asked, “Did you ever see yourself in the mirror again?”

Amina smiled gently. “I now try to make sure the mirror — and my soul — have nothing to be ashamed of.”


7. Final Thoughts

The mirror now hangs quietly in her room. It doesn’t show anything unusual anymore — or maybe, Amina no longer needs it to.

She had learned the real mirror was her heart.

And the best reflection came from a soul close to Allah.