Don’t praise me, but pray that Allah overlooks my shortcomings: Zaira Wasim

Srinagar: Former Bollywood actress Zaira Wasim who is being praised by a section of social media users for her decision to quit cinema after athlete Babita Phogat dragged her name has urged people to not praise her.
Phogat in a video message had accused Wasim of quitting acting after being pressurised by some people and that she wasn’t going to “succumb” like her to the threats.
Babita said, ‘I am not Zaira Wasim. I would not get threatened. I have always fought for my country. I stand by my tweets. I wrote nothing wrong.’
Wasim who had created ripples in Bollywood with her performance in Dangal last year had shocked people by saying that she was quitting films as it was “interfering with her faith and religion”.
Since then, the 19-year-old has been seen in The Sky is Pink, alongside Farhan Akthar and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Now, late on Friday, the teenager took to her social media account to ask fans not to praise her anymore — as it is dangerous for her ‘Iman’ (faith or belief). She said the love people shower on her isn’t gratifying at all and is a big test for her, as she’s not as righteous as many believe.
She posted, “While I acknowledge with humility all the love people shower me with, I cannot emphasise enough how the praise that comes my way isn’t gratifying at all for me and how big of a test it is for me and how dangerous it is for my Iman. I’m not as righteous as I might lead many to believe.”
Zaira added in her statement, “Instead, I urge everyone to not praise me in any manner but pray that Allah overlooks my shortcomings, which are too many to count, and fills the void in my heart with the light of His Mercy, Taqwa and increases me in Iman, rectifies my intentions and grants me knowledge that is beneficial and a heart and tongue that remembers Him at all times and turns to Him often in repentance, and allow me to perform righteous deeds only for His sake, allow me to remain steadfast and cause me to live and die as a Muslim (wholly submitting to Him) Jazakum Allahu Khayran. Regards.”
The actor has not signed any films in the recent past.