About me

My name is Farhan Ahmed and I was born in Sheffield, United Kingdom in the late 80's. As a teenager, I attended afterschool "Islamic Awareness" sessions where a question was raised that would stay with me forever: Where should a Muslim live? It was at the age of 14 that I first heard the idea that Muslims should reside in Muslim-majority countries. This theme continued to resurface throughout my life, especially in college and university, where new friends shared a similar goal of one day making Hijrah to Muslim lands.

Whenever Myra and I traveled to a Muslim-majority country, I would feel a strong pull to move there. The desire grew during our Umrah pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah in 2012, and again on holidays to places like Marrakesh in 2016, and later to Abu Dhabi and Turkey.

Finally, in 2017, Myra and I visited Pakistan for her cousin's wedding, a trip we hadn't made in over a decade. I finally realised that Pakistan was an excellent option for Hijrah. Before this trip, I had been reluctant to visit again due to the living conditions and family politics in the village. However, I discovered a small but growing community of expats and dual nationals thriving in Pakistan's major cities. After years of research, I finally convinced Myra, and in October 2022, we booked our one-way flight to start our new life.

Three months after our move to Pakistan, our home was burgled. It was a jarring experience, especially since we live in a secure area with a low crime rate. Our home was targeted. We realised that our simple locks and the lack of CCTV cameras made us vulnerable, even with the constant watch from local shopkeepers and night guards in our cantonment area.

This event was a turning point for us—a true test of our faith. Leaving everything behind in the UK had been difficult, but having our home violated, even without many valuables, brought a new level of emotion. Myra and I thought long and hard about what to do next. We decided to stay, and in time, we came to believe the burglary was a calculated attempt to drive us out of the country. Perhaps it would have worked on others, pushing them to leave and never return. But we had faith that Allah is the best of planners.

After the burglary, we renovated our flat, determined to make it a true home. Despite having zero experience and not speaking Urdu fluently, I took on the project myself. For 15 months, I navigated the challenges of not knowing local rates or which materials to use. But the hard work paid off, and I completed the entire renovation.

Soon after, I created a community for expats and dual nationals. We began meeting and socialising, and I eventually started offering services that would have helped me when I first arrived. Since I didn't receive much support myself, I wanted to provide others with what I had always wanted.

Today, I offer consultations, provide tours, and even renovate and build homes for clients. All the things that would have made my own transition to Pakistan so much easier are now available to anyone considering a move. We are settled here, and we are finally home, Allahumabarik.