I was the only Muslim in my class. Not one of. Literally the ONLY one.

At first, I didn't really care. I went to class, submitted assignments, came home. Normal college life. But eventually, I started noticing the little things. When Ramadan came, nobody around me was fasting. When Eid came, nobody really understood why I was so excited. If I wanted to go for Jumu'ah, I'd have to explain it.

And whenever Islam came up, somehow I'd become the unofficial spokesperson for 2 billion Muslims 😭😭. I wasn't unhappy. I had friends. But something was missing.

Apne log nahi the...

Then someone invited me to an SIO meeting. My first thought was, "Yaar mujhe nahi jana. Bohot awkward hoga." I went anyway, and honestly, I'm glad I did.

The first thing that surprised me was the people. Engineers, architects, medical students, law students, people from different colleges, cities and backgrounds. Within minutes, people were saying "Assalamu Alaikum" like we'd known each other for years. For the first time, I wasn't "the Muslim kid in my class." I was just another Muslim among Muslims, and that feeling meant more than I expected.

Then I started volunteering. At first I thought volunteering meant carrying chairs and putting up banners, but there's a lot more to it. Helping raise funds, talking to students, discussing community issues, organising events and working with teams. Sometimes we'd spend an entire day preparing for an event and go home completely exhausted, but weirdly happy.

I realised that if I wanted to see change in my community, I couldn't just complain that "nothing is happening." I had to actually do something.

"Tab samajh aaya ki community sirf milti nahi hai. Community banani bhi padti hai."

So, what does SIO offer?

Beyond friendships and community, SIO provides opportunities for students and young people to grow in different areas:

📖 Islamic Learning

Quran study circles
Discussions on Islamic thought
Camps and spiritual development

🎓 Academic & Career Development

Career guidance
Scholarship awareness
Educational seminars and workshops
Personality development

🎤 Leadership

Event organisation
Public speaking
Teamwork and project management
Campus leadership

🤝 Networking

Meet students and young people from different colleges, fields and backgrounds
Build lifelong friendships
Learn from mentors and seniors

🌍 Community Service

Volunteer opportunities
Relief work
Educational initiatives
Social awareness campaigns
Opportunities to serve society

💡 Personal Growth

Confidence
Discipline
Responsibility
Ethical leadership
A stronger sense of purpose

Looking back, I may not remember every lecture at college, but I remember the people I met at SIO and the feeling of contributing to something bigger than myself. For someone who started college feeling like the only Muslim in the room, finding SIO meant I no longer felt like I was standing alone.

If you've ever thought, "Yaar, kaash mere aas paas bhi aise log hote" or "Kaash main apni community ke liye kuch kar paata" maybe give it a try. You might just find your people.

If you're a student or young person and you're interested in getting involved with SIO, you can explore the membership requirements and find out more here:

👉 Join SIO: https://sio-india.org/join-sio/

I was the only Muslim in my class. Not one of. Literally the ONLY one.

At first, I didn't really care. I went to class, submitted assignments, came home. Normal college life. But eventually, I started noticing the little things. When Ramadan came, nobody around me was fasting. When Eid came, nobody really understood why I was so excited. If I wanted to go for Jumu'ah, I'd have to explain it.

And whenever Islam came up, somehow I'd become the unofficial spokesperson for 2 billion Muslims 😭😭. I wasn't unhappy. I had friends. But something was missing.

Apne log nahi the...

Then someone invited me to an SIO meeting. My first thought was, "Yaar mujhe nahi jana. Bohot awkward hoga." I went anyway, and honestly, I'm glad I did.

The first thing that surprised me was the people. Engineers, architects, medical students, law students, people from different colleges, cities and backgrounds. Within minutes, people were saying "Assalamu Alaikum" like we'd known each other for years. For the first time, I wasn't "the Muslim kid in my class." I was just another Muslim among Muslims, and that feeling meant more than I expected.

Then I started volunteering. At first I thought volunteering meant carrying chairs and putting up banners, but there's a lot more to it. Helping raise funds, talking to students, discussing community issues, organising events and working with teams. Sometimes we'd spend an entire day preparing for an event and go home completely exhausted, but weirdly happy.

I realised that if I wanted to see change in my community, I couldn't just complain that "nothing is happening." I had to actually do something.

"Tab samajh aaya ki community sirf milti nahi hai. Community banani bhi padti hai."

So, what does SIO offer?

Beyond friendships and community, SIO provides opportunities for students and young people to grow in different areas:

📖 Islamic Learning

Quran study circles
Discussions on Islamic thought
Camps and spiritual development

🎓 Academic & Career Development

Career guidance
Scholarship awareness
Educational seminars and workshops
Personality development

🎤 Leadership

Event organisation
Public speaking
Teamwork and project management
Campus leadership

🤝 Networking

Meet students and young people from different colleges, fields and backgrounds
Build lifelong friendships
Learn from mentors and seniors

🌍 Community Service

Volunteer opportunities
Relief work
Educational initiatives
Social awareness campaigns
Opportunities to serve society

💡 Personal Growth

Confidence
Discipline
Responsibility
Ethical leadership
A stronger sense of purpose

Looking back, I may not remember every lecture at college, but I remember the people I met at SIO and the feeling of contributing to something bigger than myself. For someone who started college feeling like the only Muslim in the room, finding SIO meant I no longer felt like I was standing alone.

If you've ever thought, "Yaar, kaash mere aas paas bhi aise log hote" or "Kaash main apni community ke liye kuch kar paata" maybe give it a try. You might just find your people.

If you're a student or young person and you're interested in getting involved with SIO, you can explore the membership requirements and find out more here:

👉 Join SIO: https://sio-india.org/join-sio/

I was the only Muslim in my class. Not one of. Literally the ONLY one.

At first, I didn't really care. I went to class, submitted assignments, came home. Normal college life. But eventually, I started noticing the little things. When Ramadan came, nobody around me was fasting. When Eid came, nobody really understood why I was so excited. If I wanted to go for Jumu'ah, I'd have to explain it.

And whenever Islam came up, somehow I'd become the unofficial spokesperson for 2 billion Muslims 😭😭. I wasn't unhappy. I had friends. But something was missing.

Apne log nahi the...

Then someone invited me to an SIO meeting. My first thought was, "Yaar mujhe nahi jana. Bohot awkward hoga." I went anyway, and honestly, I'm glad I did.

The first thing that surprised me was the people. Engineers, architects, medical students, law students, people from different colleges, cities and backgrounds. Within minutes, people were saying "Assalamu Alaikum" like we'd known each other for years. For the first time, I wasn't "the Muslim kid in my class." I was just another Muslim among Muslims, and that feeling meant more than I expected.

Then I started volunteering. At first I thought volunteering meant carrying chairs and putting up banners, but there's a lot more to it. Helping raise funds, talking to students, discussing community issues, organising events and working with teams. Sometimes we'd spend an entire day preparing for an event and go home completely exhausted, but weirdly happy.

I realised that if I wanted to see change in my community, I couldn't just complain that "nothing is happening." I had to actually do something.

"Tab samajh aaya ki community sirf milti nahi hai. Community banani bhi padti hai."

So, what does SIO offer?

Beyond friendships and community, SIO provides opportunities for students and young people to grow in different areas:

📖 Islamic Learning

Quran study circles
Discussions on Islamic thought
Camps and spiritual development

🎓 Academic & Career Development

Career guidance
Scholarship awareness
Educational seminars and workshops
Personality development

🎤 Leadership

Event organisation
Public speaking
Teamwork and project management
Campus leadership

🤝 Networking

Meet students and young people from different colleges, fields and backgrounds
Build lifelong friendships
Learn from mentors and seniors

🌍 Community Service

Volunteer opportunities
Relief work
Educational initiatives
Social awareness campaigns
Opportunities to serve society

💡 Personal Growth

Confidence
Discipline
Responsibility
Ethical leadership
A stronger sense of purpose

Looking back, I may not remember every lecture at college, but I remember the people I met at SIO and the feeling of contributing to something bigger than myself. For someone who started college feeling like the only Muslim in the room, finding SIO meant I no longer felt like I was standing alone.

If you've ever thought, "Yaar, kaash mere aas paas bhi aise log hote" or "Kaash main apni community ke liye kuch kar paata" maybe give it a try. You might just find your people.

If you're a student or young person and you're interested in getting involved with SIO, you can explore the membership requirements and find out more here:

👉 Join SIO: https://sio-india.org/join-sio/

Quick about me:

I'm in corporate sales, working with a mid-senior level recruitment firm. I interact daily with HR leaders and CXOs on hiring across technology and non-technology functions. In my free time, I enjoy reading fiction, biographies, history, politics, Islamic thought (especially Imam Al-Ghazali), and current affairs.

Feel free to ask me anything about hiring trends, recruitment, job search strategy, B2B sales, higher education, career planning, or books.

I came across this video from Deenathletic in Berlin.

It's about waking up early and building discipline. Pushing yourself with others instead of by yourself. Building brotherhood and accountability. Connecting faith with a healthy lifestyle. Then hanging out afterwards, talking, eating fruit, and just building a real community.

What I liked most was that they aren't just organizing workouts but creating a culture.

As Indian Muslims, it feels like we're being targeted or put under the microscope more and more each year. Whether it's online, in the media, or in day to day life, that can leave people feeling isolated and disconnected. I think communities like this can genuinely help. They give people a support system, healthier habits, new friendships, mentors, professional connections, and a stronger sense of belonging.

Instead of only coming together when something bad happens, why not also come together to become healthier, more disciplined, and stronger as a community?

Whether you make edits, memes, graphics, reels, write scripts, or create any kind of content drop a comment. Just curious to see how many of us there are.

Might be cool to connect or collaborate on something in the future.

Whether you make edits, memes, graphics, reels, write scripts, or create any kind of content drop a comment. Just curious to see how many of us there are.

Might be cool to connect or collaborate on something in the future.