I find myself censoring my day-to-day speech among my non-Muslim friends and my teachers where I won’t say Alhamdulillah, Inshallah, or Mashallah around them. This makes me uncomfortable. How do I work around this?

Although these words are second nature to us as Muslims, since they are in Arabic, others will understandably be confused when hearing them. Most people are too polite to ask questions, but if you notice them looking confused and you explain the meaning of your words and why we say them, they will be more understanding in the future. However, if you are still unsure and uncomfortable with explaining yourself, then just practice saying these words in your heart. I do this, but the friends that I meet regularly now know that it is part of my faith so I can say these words openly. Just remember, what you are saying is nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, you are doing someone a favor by telling them what you mean, so that they know more about all the Muslims they hear saying Inshallah. If we can spread understanding about who we are, there will be more tolerance on both sides.