There’s nothing better than starting with identity when learning a language. Even if the phrase doesn’t match my level, I honestly don’t care. If it’s the only thing I can say in that language, so be it.

The most important phrase for me is simple, powerful, and timeless:

“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad—peace be upon him—is His messenger.”

In Spanish, this becomes:

“Atestiguo que no hay más dios que Alá, y que Muhammad —la paz sea con él— es su mensajero.”

And just like that, I already own something sacred in Spanish. It’s not just vocabulary. It’s identity, belief, and purpose wrapped into one sentence. From here, I can build outwards—step by step, phrase by phrase, always carrying the core of who I am into the language I’m learning.