دار محمد Daar Muhammed

When we speak about the fantasies of invisible children, there are several psychological mechanisms at play. An invisible child is exactly that: unseen. If you ask them what they felt like growing up, they often describe themselves as background objects: “like a piece of furniture,” “living in the shadows,” or “present, but not noticed.”

Validation is not a luxury for a child; it is a psychological necessity. This need does not end with childhood. Preteens, teenagers, and even adults require acknowledgement, appreciation, and celebration to develop in a healthy way. When this validation is consistently absent, the child adapts. One of the most common adaptations is the creation of an inner world.

This inner world becomes their coping mechanism. Here, the child makes sure there is appreciation, and again, validation, attention, and also celebration—celebration of who they are. Invisible children often spend long periods of time alone due to not being acknowledged, so their absence is also not noticed. In this solitude, they find relief. And it is there that they begin to craft their world; a safe and affirming kind of world.

This imaginary world creates a kind of detachment from her real world. As negative as the connotation of detachment may sometimes be, this serves the child well. It has to for otherwise, there would be no refuge. Everything the child wishes for but lacks externally, she finds internally in this world. It is a strategy that helps her survive.

For any believer who experienced being invisible, lost, or scapegoated as a child, it is important to pivot your experiences to discover their meaningfulness. What once existed to help you survive must now form a springboard for your healing and building. It is important to shift the essence of the world you crafted to be for Allah.

Because doing this means you have won your test. In all forms of winning.

On the Day of Judgement, when you stand before Allah and He saw everything. Everything. And He recorded everything too—even those moments you may have long forgotten. All while you stand there with this world you crafted, then went on to make a reality and made it be for Him. He is then going to tell you that He saw everything, knows everything, and has accepted it all. What more would you need? This. This is eternal success.

It is not easy being invisible. But as believers, there is a way we take it. And as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, the affair of the believer is all good for him.