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George Anthony - Former Catholic priest

Fr. Antony was a Catholic priest in Sri Lanka. His tale of becoming a true believer and adopting a name Adulrahman for him is quite interesting. Being a Christian priest he was well versed with the teachings of the Bible. He quotes the Bible frequently as he sits to narrate his journey to Islam. While reading the Bible he found many contradictions in it. He goes on quoting verses from the Bible in Sinhalese language and points out the ambiguity.
"He quotes Esaiah 9:12 which reads like this." And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith; I am not learned." This verse is a prophecy towards prophet Mohammed (pbuh), because Mohammad (pubh) was an unlettered prophet and when he was an unlettered prophet and when he was asked by Angel Gabrielto read out the first divine revelation upon him he said, "I am not learned" Contrary to the Christian belief that Jesus is God, Acts 2:22 of the Holy Bible considers Jesus as a man. It says, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words, jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourself also know."
Christianity and the other religions, do not define the prophehood according to him. Nor does Bhudda and is silent about the other prophets. Contrary to this it is compulsory in Islam to believe in all the formaer Prophets and to revere them. According to Abdulrahman this belief is quite convincing and appealing to every body.
Abdulrahman says that there is no reason for the restriction that a Roman Catholic priest cannot marry, when the priests of many other sects of Christianity can marry. Abdulrahman was pondering over the confusions of Christian belief. Meanwhile he got an Audio Cassette of a converted Christian priest Sri Lanka Shareef D Alwis. Cassettes of Ahmad Deedat also attracted him. His continuous efforts to find the truth finally resulted in reversion to Islam. Fr. George Antony
Abdulrahman, hails from the Rathnapura village of Sri Lanka. He was rendering his services as a priest in Katumayaka church. He has ten years of training of the priesthood to his credit.
He wrote letters to his mother introducing Islam. After months of studies she followed the path of her son and embraced Islam. Abdurahman’s only sister is working in Greece. His father and sister still remained Christians.
Abdurahman gave up his highly respected career as a priest for the sake of truth. He happily sacrificed all material gains for the spiritual triumph. He is now working as a trainee in Islam Presentation Committee of Kuwait.
www.erfan.ir

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Mohammad al-Tijani al-Samawi

Mohammad al-Tijani al-Samawi was a Tunisian student who, upon making Hajj, was influenced by orthodox Saudi teachings, against saint veneration and tomb visitation, which were central to the North African Sufi tradition.
A few years later, al-Samawi was in Egypt on an Islamic tour of the Middle East and ran into an Iraqi student, Mun'im, who invited him to Iraq to see shia Islam with his own eyes, and forget what he had heard of them through reputations. Al-Samawi spent several weeks with Mun'im and visited Baghdad, and Najaf, and met with several leading Shi'a scholars, including Grand Ayatollah Abul-Qassim Khoei (al-Khu'i), Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (Grand Ayatollah to-be) and Allameh Tabatabaei, who spent hours teaching him about Shia Islam. [1]. Eventually, he considered himself converted to the Shi'i school of thought.
The middle name al-Tijani in his full name comes from his grand parents who were tijani sufis but he himself is not associated with it. But he likes to keep it with his name. He is never or never was the follower the Tariqa Tijania but his grand parents who were sunniis in there aqidah were the followers of the Tariqa Tijania Sufi Order.
Works
He wrote five books:
Then I was Guided
Ask those who know
To be with the truthful
The Shi'ah are (the real) Ahl al-Sunnah
Fa siru fi al-Ard
Three of his books are also available in Urdu titled as
1. 'Aur Mein Hidayat Pa Gia'
2. 'Hukm-may-Azan'
3. 'Ho Jao Sachchon Ke Saath'
Shi'a view
Muhammad al-Tijani became a respected Shi'a scholar.
www.erfan.ir

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Raphael - Former Jehovah's Witness minister

A forty-two-year-old Latino, Raphael, is a Los Angeles-based comic and lecturer. He was born in Texas where he attended his first Jehovah's Witness meeting at age six. He gave his first Bible sermon at eight, tended his own congregation at twenty, and was headed for a position of leadership among the 904,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States. But he traded in his Bible for a Qur'an after having braved a visit to a local mosque.
On November 1, 1991, he embraced Islam, bringing to the Muslim community the organizational and speaking skills he developed among Jehovah's Witnesses. He speaks with the urgency of a new convert, but one who can make immigrant Muslims laugh at themselves.
He told his story mimicking a cast of characters.
I remember vividly being in a discussion where we were all sitting in my parents' living room and there were some other Jehovah's Witnesses there. They were talking about: "It's Armageddon! The time of the end! And Christ is coming! And you know the hailstones are going to be out here as big as cars! God is going to use all kinds of things to destroy this wicked system and remove the governments! And the Bible talks about the earth opening up! It's going to swallow whole city blocks!"
I'm scared to death! And then my mother turned around: "See what's going to happen to you if you don't get baptized, and if you don't do God's will? The earth is going to swallow you up, or one of these huge hailstones is going to hit you on the head [klonk], knock you out, and you will not exist ever again. I'll have to make another child."
I wasn't going to take a chance of being hit by one of those big hailstones. So I got baptized. And of course Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in the sprinkling of the water. They submerge you completely, hold you there for a second, and then bring you back up.
I did that at the age of thirteen, September 7, 1963, in Pasadena, California, at the Rose Bowl. It was a big international assembly. We had 100,000 people. We drove all the way from Lubbock, Texas.
Eventually I started giving bigger talks - ten minutes in front of the congregation. And a circuit servant recommended me to give the hour lectures that are done on Sunday when they invite the general public. They usually reserved those [sermons] for the elders of the congregation.
[In an authoritarian voice:] "Sure he's young. But he can handle it. He's a good Christian boy. He has no vices, and he's obedient to his parents and seems to have pretty good Bible knowledge."
So at the age of sixteen I started giving hour lectures in front of whole congregations. I was assigned first to a group in Sweetwater, Texas, and then, eventually, in Brownfield, Texas, I got my first congregation. At age twenty, I had become what they call a pioneer minister.
Jehovah's Witnesses have a very sophisticated training program, and they also have kind of a quota system. You have to devote ten to twelve hours a month to door-to-door preaching. It's like sales management. IBM has nothing on these guys.
So when I became a pioneer minister, I devoted most of my full time to doing the door-to-door ministry. I had to do like 100 hours a month, and I had to have seven Bible studies. I started lecturing other congregations. I began to get a lot of responsibility, and I was accepted at a school in Brooklyn, New York, a very elite school that Jehovah's Witnesses have for the crème de la crème, the top one percent. But I didn't go.
A few things no longer made sense to me. For example, the quota system. It seemed like every time I wanted to turn a corner and get into another position of responsibility, I had to do these secular material things to prove my godliness. It's like if you meet your quotas this month, God loves you. If you don't meet your quotas next month, God doesn't love you. That didn't make very much sense. One month God loves me and one month He doesn't?
The other thing I started noticing is tunnel vision. Jehovah's Witnesses are the only ones who are going to be saved in God's new order, nobody else, because all of them are practicing false religions. Well, I thought, Mother Teresa's a Catholic. That's our dire enemy. So I said, Wait a minute, Mother Teresa has spent her entire life doing things that Jesus said: take care of the poor, the sick, the orphans. But she's not going to have God's favor because she's a Catholic?
We criticized the Catholic Church because they had a man, a priest, to whom they had to confess. And we'd say, "You shouldn't have to go to a man to confess your sins! Your sin is against God!" And yet we went to a Body of Elders. You confessed your sins to them, and they put you on hold, and said [Elder as telephone operator:] "Hold on just a minute . . . What do you think, Lord? No? . . . Okay, I'm sorry, we tried our best but you're not repentant enough. Your sin is too big, so you either lose your fellowship in the church or you're going to be on probation."
If the sin is against God, shouldn't I directly go to God and beg for mercy?
Probably the nail that hit the coffin was that I noticed that they started reading their Bible less. Jehovah's Witnesses have books for everything that are put out by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. The only people on the entire planet who know how to interpret Bible Scripture correctly are that group of men, that committee in Brooklyn, who tell Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide how to dress, how to talk, what to say, what not to say, how to apply Scripture and what the future is going to be like. God told them, so they can tell us. I appreciated the books. But if the Bible is the book of knowledge and if it's God's instructions, well, shouldn't we get our answers out of the Bible? Paul himself said find out for yourself what is a true and acceptable word of God. Don't let men tickle your ears.
I started saying, "Don't worry so much about what the Watchtower says - read the Bible for yourself." Ears started to prick up.
[Old Southerner's drawl:] "I think we got us an apostate here, Judge. Yup. I think this old boy's one taco short of something."
Even my father said, "You better watch it, young man, that's the demons talking right there. That's the demons trying to get in and cause division."
I said, "Dad, it's not the demons. People don't need to read so much of these other publications. They can find their answers with prayer and in the Bible."
Spiritually I no longer felt at ease. So in 1979, knowing that I could not make headway, I left, disgruntled and with a bad taste in my mouth, because all my life I had put my soul, my heart, my mind into the church. That was the problem. I didn't put it in God. I put it in a man-made organization.
I can't go to other religions. As a Jehovah's Witness, I had been trained, through the Scriptures, to show that they are all wrong. That idolatry is bad. Trinity doesn't exist.
I'm like a man without a religion. I was not a man without a God. But where could I go?
In 1985, I decided to come to Los Angeles and get on the Johnny Carson show and make my mark as a great comedian and actor. I have always felt like I was born for something. I didn't know whether it was going to be finding the cure to cancer or becoming an actor. I kept praying and it got frustrating after a while.
So I just went to the Catholic church close to my house, and I tried it. I remember on Ash Wednesday I had that ash cross on my forehead. I was trying anything I could. I went for about two or three months, and I just couldn't do it anymore, man. It was:
Stand up. Sit down.
Stand up. Sit down.
Okay, stick your tongue out.
You got a lot of exercise. I think I lost about five pounds. But that's about it. So now I'm more lost than ever.
But it never passed through my mind that there is not a Creator. I have His phone number, but the line's always busy. I'm doing my little movie shots. A film called Deadly Intent. A telephone commercial in Chicago. An Exxon commercial. A couple of bank commercials. In the meantime I'm doing construction work on the side.
We're working on this mall. It's the holiday season, and they put these extra booths in the hallways. There was a gal at one, and we had to pass right in front of her. I'd say, "Good morning, how are you?" If she said anything, it was "Hi." And that was it.
Finally, I said, "Miss, you never say anything. I just wanted to apologize if there was something I said wrong."
She said, "No, you see, I'm a Muslim."
"You're what?"
"I'm a Muslim, and Muslim women, we don't talk to men unless we have something specific to talk about; otherwise we don't have anything to do with men."
"Ohhhhh. Muslim."
She said, "Yes, we practice the religion of Islam."
"Islam - how do you spell that?"
"I-s-l-a-m."
At the time, I knew that Muslims were all terrorists. She doesn't even have a beard. How could she possibly be Muslim?
"How did this religion get started?"
"Well, there was a prophet."
"A prophet?"
"Muhammad."
I started some research. But I just came from one religion. I had no intention of becoming Muslim.
The holidays are over. The booth moves. She's gone.
I continued to pray, and asked why my prayers weren't being answered. In November of 1991, I was going to bring my uncle Rockie home from the hospital. I started to empty his drawers to pack his stuff and there was a Gideon Bible. I said, God has answered my prayers. This Gideon Bible. (Of course, they put it in every hotel room.) This is a sign from God that He's ready to teach me. So I stole the Bible.
I went home and I started praying: O God, teach me to be a Christian. Don't teach me the Jehovah's Witness way. Don't teach me the Catholic way. Teach me Your way! You would not have made this Bible so hard that ordinary people sincere in prayer could not understand it.
I got all the way through the New Testament. I started the Old Testament. Well, eventually there's a part in the Bible about the prophets.
Bing!
I said, Wait a minute, that Muslim lady said they had a prophet. How come he's not in here?
I started thinking, Muslims - one billion in the world. Man, one out of every five people on the street theoretically could be a Muslim. And I thought: One billion people! C'mon now, Satan is good. But he's not that good.
So then I said, I'll read their book, the Qur'an, and I'll see what kind of pack of lies this thing is. It probably has an illustration on how to dissemble an AK-47. So I went to an Arabic bookstore.
They asked, "What can I help you with?"
"I'm looking for a Qur'an."
"Okay, we have some over here."
They had some very nice ones - thirty dollars, forty dollars."
"Look, I just want to read it, I don't want to become one, okay?"
"Okay, we have this little five-dollar paperback edition."
I went home, and started reading my Qur'an from the beginning, with Al-Fatihah. And I could not get my eyes off of it.
Hey, look at this. It talks about a Noah in here. We have Noah in our Bible too. Hey, it talks about Lot and Abraham. I can't believe it. I never knew Satan's name was Iblis. Hey, how about that.
When you get that picture on your TV set and it's got a little bit of static and you push that button [klop] - fine tune. That's exactly what happened with the Qur'an.
I went through the whole thing. So I said, Okay, I've done this, now what's the next thing you got to do? Well, you gotta go to their meeting place. I looked in the yellow pages, and I finally found it: Islamic Center of Southern California, on Vermont. I called and they said, "Come on Friday."
Now I really start getting nervous, `cause now I know I'm going to have to confront Habib and his AK-47.
I want people to understand what it's like for an American Christian coming into Islam. I'm kidding about the AK-47, but I don't know if these guys have daggers under their coats, you know. So I come up to the front, and sure enough, there's this six-foot-three, 240-pound brother, beard and everything, and I'm just in awe.
I walked up and said, "Excuse me, sir."
[Arabic accent:] "Go to the back!"
He thought I was already a brother.
I said, "Yessir, yessir" [meekly].
I didn't know what I was going back for, but I went back anyway. They had the tent and the rugs were out. I'm standing there, kind of shy, and people are sitting down listening to the lecture. And people are saying, Go ahead, brother, sit down. And I'm going, No, thanks, no, thanks, I'm just visiting.
So finally the lecture's over. They're all lined up for prayer and they go into sajdah. I was really taken aback.
It started making sense intellectually, in my muscles, in my bones, in my heart and my soul.
So prayers are over. I say, hey, who's going to recognize me? So I start to mingle like I'm one of the brothers, and I'm walking into the mosque and a brother says, "Assalaamu alaikum." And I thought, Did he say "salt and bacon"?
"Assalaamu alaikum."
There's another guy who said "salt and bacon" to me.
I didn't know what in the world they were saying, but they all smiled.
Before one of these guys noticed that I was not supposed to be there and took me to the torture chamber, or beheaded me, I wanted to see as much as I could. So eventually I went to the library, and there was a young Egyptian brother; his name was Omar. God sent him to me.
Omar comes up to me, and he says, "Excuse me. This is your first time here?" He has a real strong accent.
And I said, Yeah, it is.
"Oh, very good. You are Muslim?"
"No, I'm just reading a little."
"Oh, you are studying? This is your first visit to a mosque?"
"Yes."
"Come, let me show you around." And he grabs me by the hand, and I'm walking with another man - holding hands. I said, These Muslims are friendly.
So he shows me around.
"First of all, this is our prayer hall, and you take your shoes off right here."
"What are these things?"
"These are little cubicles. That's where you put your shoes."
"Why?"
"Well, because you're approaching the prayer area, and it's very holy. You don't go in there with your shoes on; it's kept real clean."
So he takes me to the men's room.
"And right here, this is where we do wudu."
"Voodoo! I didn't read anything about voodoo!"
"No, not voodoo. Wudu!"
"Okay, because I saw that stuff with the dolls and the pins, and I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment yet."
He says, "No, wudu, that's when we clean ourselves."
"Why do you do that?"
"Well, when you pray to God, you have to be clean, so we wash our hands and feet."
So I learned all these things. He let me go, and said, Come back again.
I went back and asked the librarian for a booklet on prayer, and I went home and practiced. I felt that if I was trying to do it right, God would accept it. I just continued to read and read and visit the mosque.
I had a commitment to go on a tour of the Midwest on a comedy circuit. Well, I took a prayer rug with me. I knew that I was supposed to pray at certain times, but there are certain places where you are not supposed to pray, one of which is in the bathroom. I went into a men's room on a tourist stop and I laid out my carpet and I started doing my prayers.
I came back, and when Ramadan was over, I started getting calls from different parts of the country to go and lecture as a Jehovah's Witness minister who embraced Islam. People find me a novelty.
[Two immigrants converse:]
"This guy like apple pie and he drives a Chevy truck. He is a red-blooded American boy. He was a Jehovah's Witness."
"Those people that come in the morning?"
"Yeah, those."
"That never let us sleep on Sundays?"
"Yeah, this guy was one of them. Now he's one of us."
Eventually somebody would come up to me and say [Pakistani accent], "Oh, brother, your talk was so good. But you know, in the Shafi'i school of thought.."
The only thing I could do was turn to them and say, "Gee, brother, I'm so sorry, I wish I knew about that, but I don't know anything about Islam except what's in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Some of them are taken aback and say, "Ha-ha! Poor brother. He doesn't know anything. He only knows the Qur'an."
Well, that's what I'm supposed to know. And it's been a very loving protection. I think it's all in Allah's hands."
www.erfan.ir

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Sheikh Ahmed Amin al-Antaki

Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki’s birth and upbringing

The full name of Sheikh al-Antaki is Ahmed son of Yousif son of Ali son of Qanbar al-Haza . Sheikh al-Antaki was born in a village called ‘Ensow’ on the outskirts of Antakia. The village of Ensow comprises of two words, one of the words being in Arabic and the other in Turkish, the literal meaning of Ensow means eye of water, this name was given to it due to its watery riches and resources.

The Sheikh was born Sunni to a Shafeei sect, he underwent his first classes under the teaching of his father. Sheikh Antaki was born in the year 1893(1311 in the Islamic calendar).

Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki’s academic life

-Sheikh Ahmed was brought up as a Shafeei and obtained his knowledge from his father at the beginning, he then went to study under the guidance of one of the Sheikhs in their village where he studied the basis of his education such as grammar, logic ,etc.
After, Sheikh Ahmed directed his way towards Antakia where he attended classes under the teachings of one of the Sheikhs in the area known as Shiekh Ahmed al-Taweel, furthermore Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki and his brother attended additional classes which included studying under the teachings of Sheikh Saed al-Arfei.
After spending many years attaining his educational foundations, Sheikh Ahmed decided to travel to the ‘city of knowledge’- the Holy Azhar, to continue his strive for attaining knowledge and build upon his education. Upon deciding to travel to Azhar, his brother Sheikh Mohammed agreed to join him on the quest of gaining knowledge.
The Sheikh attended in al-Azhar many classes such as Islamic Theology, Arabic grammar, etc. Sheikh Ahmed received his Islamic theology teaching from the Theologian Mohammed Abu Taha and al-Sheikh Mohammed Bakhit. Both of whom were the teachers in Egypt in the past. Mohammed al-Samloot and Sheikh Hasanian were also teachers of Sheikh al-Antaki.
In the same period of time, the Sheikh of the al-Azhar institute was the deceased Sheikh Mohammed Abu al-Fatheel. After completing his studies at al-Azhar, the Sheikh decided to return back to his homeland and spread the knowledge which he had obtained on his quest to al-Azhar to his friends and family. The sheikh returned to Antakia, however, the Sheikh did not prolong his stay there due to continuous occupation of the area by French forces.

Sheikh al-Antaki’s journey to Hijaz:

The sheikh was invited to a trip to Hijaz, the sheikh received knowledge that the city of Hijaz implements Islamic Sharia at the best of levels.
The sheikhs teaching were generally accepted and appreciated in Syria where he received an invitation from Abdul Aziz al-Saudi where he was given an opportunity to accept a position as Judge of Sharia, however what he observed on his trip from the Salafie’s and Wahabee’s disbelief towards other Muslims generally was the main reason for him not accepting the position as Islamic Judge (which was a position which couldn’t be rejected).

Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki resided in a city in Syria called Halab after the occupation of the evil Mustafa Atartork. The sheikh was appointed as representative in the area by Sheikh Saed Areif who was the head of the Islamic Council at the time.

Sheikh al-Antaki’s conversion to Shia Ithna Ashari faith:

Reason for the change

The change from faith to faith or from sect to sect requires a balance between the two extremes. So whenever the facts become apparent of the faith or the sect, apparent to the logic that is, then a change is required. This is exactly what happened with sheikh Ahmed when he figured that the truth is with the Shia with a the reality of logic used between the two extremes: Shia-Sunni.

It was because of reasons of doubtfulness that the Sheikh first realised about the Shafiee school of thought and the Sunni faith in general. The faith contained disagreements as well as contradictions which disregard the fundamental bases. The sheikh notes this in his book ‘The way I became Shia’ the following:

“we realised that the Shafiee school of thought for example allows the marriage of a girl who is a prostitute to her father, the bases of this argument is that the water of a prostitute is not haram, as the daughter is not linked to the father so its allowable for the father to marry her. Abu Hanifa forbids this.” ( The way I became Shia-page 16).

A further reason of why the Sheikh converted to Shia Ithna Ashari sect was because of his ability to obtain a book by the name of “Morajaat- The right path” by Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharf al-Deen al-Amili, he says about this:

“ I took and browsed through the pages astonished at the literature I was reading, I was really happy with what I was reading, it made me think about this book and its contents from its discussions between Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharf al-Deen (may Allah bless his soul) and Sheikh Saleem al-Bashree. Sheikh Saleem al-Bashree was a scholar at al-Azhar institute, he was asking Sayed Abdul Hussain many questions which the Sayed was answering in the book…..”

When the sheikh was initially given the book, he first rejected it, as it was known to him to be a bias Shia book. The sheikh says about this:

“ my brother sheikh Moraeey must have come across it and said: take this book and read it you will be surprised about it, think about it. I replied to him: from which sect is he from? He replied to me that he is from Jaffari, so I said to him : take this book away from me as I am not interested in it, as I hate the Shia. He told me to read it and not to implement any of its words and he emphasised that reading it will not affect me. Prior to this incident a discussion arose between us in the village of ‘al-Faewa’ and this is the incident took place in a area called ‘adalab’ ‘’ (about his book-page 17).

Another reason which had an impact on his conversion ot the Shia school of thought was to due to reading the book entitled “Abu Horayra” whose author is also Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharf al-Deen al-Amili, where he found out that many hadiths were made up as they did not obey logic neither did it comply with the Quran or the teaching of the Prophet (PBUH). An example is that Prophet Muse (PBUH) slapped the face of the angel of death Izrael and so He opened his eyes. Or for example Musa (PBUH) was walking naked between the children of Israel (bani Israel), or that Allah (SWT) created Adam (PBUH) like his picture?! And many more alike. The author of the book has written it in such a way which allows the reader to realise that “Abu Horayra” who befriended the Prophet (PBUH) for three years or less, was the companion of the Prophet who spread his teachings to the greatest. However the proportion of what the four khailafs saw in comparison to what Abu Horayra saw was only 27% from his traditions!!!.

The availability of strong facts which were not created and which are accepted by both Shia and sunna

- there exists many traditions in regards to household of the Prophet (PBUH), however one tradition which especially caught the Sheikhs attention was about the ark which the Prophet (PBUH) says: “My Household to you is like Noah’s ark, whosoever got on the ark survived, and who neglected the ark drowned” (‘Mostadreek Al Hokom- The book of Laws’ chapter 2, page 342 and Ibin Hijir ‘Sawaiqa’ page 153’)

Also the tradition of the “Thaqalaayn’ where the Prophet (PBUH) says “ I have leave for you two weighty things, the Holy Book of Allah and My household, whosoever keeps with them will never go astray. The two weighty things will not separate until they return to the pond in paradise, so observe how you will do contrary to what I have stated”( tradition contained in Sahih Muslim ch.2 page 238 also contained in Ahmed Ibin Hanbal ch.3 page 17 and Sahih Tarmadi ch.2 page 308).

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has compared his household to (who comprise of Ali, Fatemah , Hasan, Hussain and the nine infallibles sons of Hussain) to Noah’s ark as the survival is only guaranteed with them as the ark was the only means of survival to the people at the time.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) also compared his household to the Holy Quran which is the strongest proof that his Household are the most knowledge of people in the contents of the Holy Quran, and that they are all infallible.

For more guidance we highly recommend you to read the book ‘Morajaat- The right Path’ whose author is Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharf al-Deen al-Amili who has noted the most important references against the sunna’s and the truth of the household of the Holy Prophet(PBUH).

These are some of the reasons why Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki converted to the Shia Inthna Ashari school of thought.

The above was a short piece of literature belonging to a humble individual who was guided to the correct path. Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki has a book called “the way I became Shia” where he outlines the exact procedure of how he converted. Sheikh Mohammed Moraeey al-Antaki also has a book called “why I chose the Shia school of thought” both books are available at all good Islamic bookstores.
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Iran Armenian actress Mahaya converts to Islam

Written by IranMania
LONDON, October 24 (IranMania) - The well-known Armenian actress of Iranian origin, Mahaya Petrossian converted to Shia Islam last week.
According to the Sunday issue of the Persian morning daily of Tosse'e quoting Khurshid website, she converted to Islam following her marriage to a Muslim young man.

Speaking to Khurshid reporter, she confirmed the report and said that she had been in doubt for a long time whether to remain a Christian or convert to Islam.

"However, what happened in my personal life, namely my marriage to a Muslim man, put an end to my doubt and I eventually became a Muslim," added the actress.

It is not yet clear whether Petrossian would change the name by which she is known
www.aimislam.com/advent

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My Journey to Islam

I once knew an atheist who claimed he\'d never believed in God\'s existence. In his view, believers were supposed to be people of weak character who felt the necessity to find a crutch for their inability and laziness, so they attended church. He felt agitated if, when the debating religion, he could not persuade the opponent with his arguments. He despised believers in an almost hysterical way. He had, however, a very good friend who believed in God. They agreed to refrain from discussing religion whenever together.
One day this man, probably in a rare moment of weakness, accepted the invitation of his friend to visit his church. To himself, he laughed at the thought of speaking out in the middle of mass and laughing and pointing his finger at the believers from the pulpit. However, as we know, God works in mysterious ways. He went to church, stood in the back benches, and stared at the people praying.
The mass service started and he gave all of them a sarcastic glance. Then the sermon began, lasting about 15 minutes. Suddenly, in the middle of the sermon, tears welled in his eyes. A strange feeling of joy and happiness washed away his animosity, a feeling that engulfed his entire body. After mass, the two friends left together. They were silent until the moment they were to part ways, when he asked his friend whether they could go to church together again. They agreed to go again the next day.
It\'s possible some of you might have guessed that I was that stubborn atheist. I had felt nothing but contempt and hatred towards people of faith. But after that sermon in 1989, when the priest discussed how we should not judge others if we don\'t want to be judged, my life suddenly took a dramatic turn.
I started attending church services regularly and was thirsty for any information on God and Jesus Christ. I took part in meetings with Christian youngsters where we exchanged our spiritual experiences. I felt resurrected. Suddenly I felt the need to be in the company of believers. I needed to make up for the past 18 years.
I was brought up in an atheist family, who except for having me baptized, did not exercise any attempt to guide my spiritual development. I remember being in sixth grade when a comrade was sent by the Communist Party to explain to us why God does not exist. I remember myself absorbing his every word. In my case, I needed no convincing. I believed everything he said. His arrogance, contempt, and hatred towards believers became mine. But now I had to make up for all those years.
I met with a priest and others who guided me in this new direction. I was full of so many questions, to which they responded. Later I was to realize a big mistake: I accepted everything without contemplation or reflection. I could say that they explained things to me in a "take-it-as-is" manner, but that would not be fair to them. It was, in fact, my mistake. I didn\'t reflect upon their words, nor did I think critically. This would cause me a lot of complications later. In retrospect, I believe an important factor that influenced my behavior was age. I was too young to properly comprehend matters as serious and complicated as faith.
I wished to become a good Christian, and God knows I tried very hard. Yet over time, I could not reconcile the contradictions found in the Bible, such as the divine nature of Prophet Jesus and the concept of inherited sin. Priests tried to respond to my questions, but eventually, their patience began to run thin. I was told that such matters should be accepted on faith and that these questions were a waste of time and would only serve to distance me from God. Till this day, I recall myself quarreling with a spiritual leader, an event that restarted my self-destructive tendencies. Maybe I wasn\'t right after all. I was young.
How I Became Muslim
My path toward Islam wasn\'t easy at all. You may think that since I was disappointed with Christianity, I would have immediately accepted Islam as my faith. This could have been very simple, but all I knew about Islam at the time were things like Muslims refer to God as Allah, they read the Qur\'an instead of the Bible, and they worship somebody called Muhammad. Also, I think I was not yet ready to accept Islam.
So I withdrew from the church community and claimed to be a soloist Christian. I found out, however, that even though I didn\'t miss the community of believers or church, God was "settled" so deep in my heart that I couldn\'t let Him go. I didn\'t even try. Quite the opposite. I felt happy to have God around and hoped He was on my side.
Later I began to engage in one stupidity after another, living a life of luxury and lust. I did not realize that such a road would lead me away from God and towards hell. A friend of mine says that you need to hit rock bottom in order to feel the ground beneath your feet. This is exactly what happened to me. I fell really deep. I can just imagine how Satan must have been waiting for me with open arms, but God did not give up on me and gave me another chance.
In July 2001, I met a young man from Iraq. His name was Ibrahim. We very quickly struck up a conversation. He told me that he was Muslim, and I responded that I was Christian. I was worried that my being Christian would be a problem, but I was wrong. I was glad to be wrong. It was interesting that I did not want to become Muslim and he did not try to convert me.
Although I considered Muslims an exotic group, I had been interested to learn more about Islam. It was a good opportunity to learn more. I realized that I had in front of me a man who could teach me a lot about Islam, so I mustered the courage to ask him to do just that. That was my first meeting with Islam, indeed my first step. After some time we parted ways, and I did not see him again, but the seed had been sown.
I remember once reading an interview with Mohammad Ali Silhavy (an old Czech Muslim) and being eager to find his address and write him a letter. Then came September 11. Because of the political climate, I thought it might not be an appropriate time to contact Mr. Silhavy. So I found myself at a dead end.
About two months later I found the courage to write a long letter to Mr. Silhavy. After a while he replied and sent a package including Islamic literature and leaflets. He told me that he had informed the Islamic Foundation in Prague about me and asked them to send me the translation of the Qur\'an. So this was my beginning. Step by step, I learned that not only is Islam not a militant religion, but to the contrary, it is a religion of peace. My questions were answered.
Because of certain circumstances, it wasn\'t until three years later that I decided to visit Mr. Silhavy. He showed a lot of patience while explaining to me different issues, and suggested that I visit the mosque of Brno (Czech Republic). When I went to the mosque of Brno, I was afraid that I would be seen as a stranger, an outsider. How surprised I was to find quite the opposite. I met K. and L., who were the first persons to help me. Of course, I met other brothers who welcomed me in the warmest way possible way.
I began to delve into all aspects of Islam, and found how understandable and logical Islam is. I gradually started to learn how to pray, and today I master prayer with no problem, even in Arabic. I gave up a bad habit of mine that was not compatible with Islam. I was a gambler and a very good one indeed. It was a difficult struggle with myself, but with God\'s help I won that battle.
If I ever doubted my interest in Islam or whether I could live as a Muslim, I know now that my interest is permanent and I consider myself one of them. Maybe it looks very simple, but again with God\'s help I won this internal struggle. I thought carefully before I definitively decided to embrace Islam. To be honest, throughout 2003 and the beginning of 2004, I was not completely sure if I could manage this. Finally I decided definitively. I am not that young man from the early \'90s anymore.
That\'s why today I feel very happy that I am Muslim. I finally feel free. I still have my imperfections but I am trying to improve upon them. I believe that God will help me. Now, listen to what I want to tell you and consider this my obligation: I believe in my heart and declare by word that there is no other god but Allah and Muhammad is God\'s Messenger.
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دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3795

Christian youths become rightly guided through Holy Qur’an

There were two persons formerly Christians but later on they became Muslim. They lived in a city called Taleetah, perhaps in Morocco. I asked them the cause of their conversion. I asked them how you, former Christians, are now in deep search of Islamic truths. They replied: A few years ago, we were imprisoned in a jail. An Iraqi Muslim was also with us in our cell. Everyday he used to read Qur’an. As we did not know Arabic language, by and by we learned some words from that gentleman and began to understand a little from what he recited. One day he recited the verse:
﴿
وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ
﴾
"…and ask Allah of His grace…
Then he also recited the verse:
﴿
ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
﴾
"Call upon Me, I will answer you…"
And he said that it was God’s Word. God also says:
﴿
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِي إِذَا دَعَانِ
﴾
"And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me…"
If you want anything, say: O Allah, yourself. You don’t have to come to the Mosque. He does not order to come and to give hand in the hand of a scholar, but He says: "Anyone from My servants who wants Me, I am near him." God is not far. He even does not want you to complain. He only asks to seek from Him whatever you want. You can even remember Him from your heart. He knows what is there in your heart. He says it is better if you recite supplication, as it is more effective.
When I heard these two or three verses of the Holy Qur’an, I told my companion, "See what the Prophet of Islam says; being Christians, we do not have such belief. The Christian faith has ceremonies, protocols, and formalities. They say that man cannot approach God unless he comes to the priests and the priests seek forgiveness for his sins. So the helpless person is compelled to come to the church priests, who is the representative of their religion and makes a confession of his sin and gives him money of getting pardoned (whereas this priest himself has no approach to God)."
They also have lengthy machinery for this purpose in all Christian cities. One of the companions said, "Once I had gone to a Church in Paris to observe things. It is a very big church." He said the segments of pardoning were worth seeing. First were people who had sinned. They sat with humility in that section of the church having a pen and paper in their hands. They wrote about the sin committed by them and took that piece of paper to another section from where they got instructions about the amount of money to be paid for the forgiveness of his sin. Then he pays the amount and gets a receipt for it and then proceeds to the last place where he is informed that his sin has been pardoned!
Those two Christian gentlemen said that when they heard the above two or three verses of Qur’an wherein Almighty God conveys through His Prophet, that God is very near; that He needs no mediation; that He is not far; that ask for whatever you want from God, Who answers your request, we became very much astonished. Does Muhammad really tell the truth? Can everybody reach God? We were wondering about this matter in jail when we became very thirsty. There was no water and our thirst was very hard. There was no one to come to our help. We wished to die rather than remain in that condition. Then I recalled this verse and said: O God! If this verse:
﴿
وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ
﴾
"…and ask Allah of His grace…"Is Your Word, and if Muhammad has told the truth:
﴿
ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
﴾
"Call upon Me, I will answer you…"
Then O Almighty! Help us as we are dying of severe thirst. Suddenly, before our eyes, from the wall in front of us, water began to flow. We drank it and quenched our thirst with full gratification. Then and there, we decided to become Muslims. So, after our release from jail, we embraced Islam and put total faith in the Holy Qur’an.
Guidance for some and misguidance for others
The so-called Muslim who used to recite the Holy Qur’an and who had taught some Arabic grammar, saw that these two Christians, who were thirsty got water from an unexpected place in the wall. So he put the Qur’an aside and thought that the Christian faith was true; that truth was with Christianity and hence this miracle. The unwise fellow could not realize that it was due to the Qur’an. He thought that, as they were Christians, their prayer was answered. He fell down in front of them saying: I want to embrace your religion. They asked, "Why?"
The man replied, "I saw, with my own eyes that water flew for you from this wall. So it seems your religion is true." They (the two former Christians) replied, "We were helpless and we clung to the Holy verse of Qur’an." That fellow said, "I do not accept your word. Do you want deprive me and to prevent me from becoming a Christian?" In short, that fellow converted to Christianity and put the Holy Qur’an aside. It was all because of a faulty imagination and an imaginary illusion.
End of a learned Haji
These two gentlemen again said: O God! By the truthfulness of Qur’an and by the honor of Muhammad guide us on the true path. That night, in a dream they were told: Go to Syria and contact scholars of Islam. Subsequently they became very nice people. In one moment two Christians become true Muslims but a Muslim becomes a disbeliever. Man is unaware of his end.
Fortunate is one who looks at his end. (Persian saying)
One of my friends once told me: I myself have seen a man who used to stand in the first row in Mosque for prayer, in those hard days, he had also performed Hajj. He also had religious knowledge and used to answer relevant problems to people. The same Haji gentleman, after some years was seen engaged in house construction work. I was also there. Laborers and masons were busy doing building work in a corner of his garden. Then we saw the Haji was passing water standing facing Qibla. See what is this? I could not restrain myself from asking. I asked him, "O Haji! What are you doing?" He replied, "O sir! We actually did not understand. For several years we prayed in mosque and went to Hajj where Arabs usurped our money." In short, he spoke up his disbelief himself. This man was once praying in the first row. He had performed Hajj. No one knows what and how his end will be. How he can lose Faith!
Pray, so that we die in a good condition
I have repeatedly heard that whenever students and scholar used to visit the late great scholar Mirza Hujjatul Islam Shirazi and also to visit graves, the said gentleman was recommending and requesting everyone: Please pray so that Allah may make my end a good end. How do you know what is going to happen the next moment, or after two days or after two years? In your own view you are a very good person and you look at others with contempt. You are not afraid that maybe in a slip your heart becomes stony and dark. Then you may, by and by, stop attending the mosque and give up supplications and the recitations of Qur’an etc.
We should always seek God’s refuge against a bad end. O the one who mocks others! How do you know, he may be better than you. You may not recognize him. How do you know, he may be a friend of God. Woe unto the one who mocks a friend of God. None except God knows a friend of God. There also is no criterion to know who is nearer to God? No one knows. Only God does.
Three things hidden in three things
Allah has kept three things hidden in three things: First, he has kept his friends hidden from the eyes of the creation so that no one may not mock others and look at them with contempt for fear of the possibility of the other being God’s friend. For the preservation of one’s honor He has kept His friend hidden from the eyes of people. Second, God has concealed His anger in sins. There are some sins, which draw God’s anger. It is mentioned in al-Kafi. There comes a voice: O one who committed this sin! Now you will not be forgiven. The late Majlisi says explaining this tradition: It means that after committing this sin you will not able to repent. It is not that one repents but is not forgiven. What is meant is that, that person is not inclined to repent. Now what is that sin? Neither the Imam tells it nor anyone else knows it. It is kept hidden. Just know only that among sins there are some which, if one commits them it is certain that one will have a bad end and that his Hereafter is destroyed. God’s mercy is not to reach him.
But what sin is that? I do not know. Nor the Imam has pointed it out. Why? So that people may fear all sins and may not go near any sin fearing that it could be the sin which attracts God’s wrath and anger and then man may not be able to find a way to salvation.
Thirdly, among worships also there are some worship acts, which if performed, will give one salvation for sure. What is that act of God’s obedience? It is also not clearly mentioned. We do not know anything. Nor should we know, as it is a hidden matter.
In short, a friend of God (Wali of Allah) is hidden. Nobody is able to find him out. Why? So that man may look at everyone and imagine that perhaps he is a friend of God. Of course, one has no right to imagine that one (he himself) is the friend of God. God forbid, we may be friends of Satan instead! But we must imagine about others that God might like them and they might love God; that they might be obeying God in the right way. So they are better.
O Women! You have no right to look with contempt at other women. You should not mock other women. How do you know? It is quite likely that some of them, who have sinned, may get guidance to repent. They might be having good deeds in their scroll of deeds, which draw Allah’s mercy. How do we know her actual condition? You see that a lady has no veil that she moves in streets and markets without her head wear. Do prevent her, but never mock her. Never consider yourself higher than her. It is possible that her condition may change with God’s guidance and she may become righteous after repenting and may become much better than a number of old women who are ashamed of showing their gray hair.
On the other hand, it is likely that this lady who is not wearing Islamic modest dress (Hijab) may make amends after repentance and conceal her breast, head, legs and feet of God’s sake and may become more honorable in the sight of God than that aged woman who mocked others. The old lady may rank behind the young woman in the most supreme court of Almighty Allah.
Those whose grief will be more
There are three groups of people whose grief in the grand gathering field (Mahshar), tomorrow on the Judgment Day will be more than that of the entire gathering. Firstly, those scholars and orators who advise people to do good and refrain from evil, but who do not act according to what they say. You can see that such and such Haji lady admonished another woman to wear veil or Hijab. That lady did accept her advice and acted accordingly, wearing a veil. But the adviser lady proved so unlucky that she did not conceal herself from a stranger male. Tomorrow, on the Judgment Day, she burns in fire, but the lady who accepted her advice is in a high bliss. Most fear some burning is for the scholars whose sermons made many people benefit and provided salvation to them but they (the admonishers) went to hell, as they did not act themselves in the way desired by God Almighty.
Secondly, in a more severe grief is a rich man who, till he was in this world, did not pay dues from his wealth but only kept it in front of his eyes and finally all of it went to his heirs. Then the latter spent it as liked by God and helped the needy. Tomorrow, on Judgment Day, the former will look at his heirs and see that they are in Paradise. But with the help of whose wealth? With the riches of their unfortunate father! The father burns in hell. He is most grievous and terribly unhappy.
The unwise man only bore the burden and the wise benefited fully. (Persian saying)
He fanned fire for himself with this wealth. How fortunate was his heir who acted wisely and got full benefit from his wealth.
The third group: The master and his servant, the lady and her mistress, the employer and his employee. O Master and servants, you ladies and your maidservants, employers and employees, workers, students! Know that, tomorrow in the Hereafter, the lower cadre will be in Paradise and the higher ups in hell. The master who looked with contempt in this world at his servant will see that the servant is on a high rank and he himself is in the lowest pits. How much he himself burns! How much sorrowful and in grief! So these are the three kinds of groups you are told about. Their grief is terrible. So never look down at your servant, peon, worker or slave.
﴿
عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ
﴾
"Perchance they may be better. (49:11)"
The lowly became high
I shall relate another narration. Waram, teacher of Sayyid bin Tawus has, in his compilation Majmae Waram written that a Messenger of God, in olden days asked God to show him His friend and, as per another quotation, he asked Almighty Allah to inform him as to who will be his (the Prophet’s) companion in the Hereafter. A revelation reached the Prophet indicating that such and such shoemaker would be his companion in the other life; that he was God’s friend. This messenger went to the person indicated in the revelation, sat by his shop to observe what special virtues he had which made him a friend of God. Then he talked with him and asked some questions only to find that neither he has much knowledge nor any intelligence.
Also, he was not a great worshipper either. In short, he could not find any extraordinary virtue in him. At last, the Prophet asked, "My friend! I want to know what virtue is there in you?" The man replied, "Sir, I do not possess anything. I have no knowledge and no specialty in my deed. I am what you see." The Prophet again asked, "No, it cannot be so. You must be having something very extraordinary in your character. Please tell me truly." Finally that man replied, "I have neither any knowledge nor perfection. My condition is that whenever I meet anyone, I imagine that he has much higher rank in the sight of God." The Prophet replied, "This is the virtue which made you high-ranking in the Hereafter."
Such is the humility, lowliness, and courtesy for God. Man considers himself low, weak and servile in front of Almighty Allah. Since he considers God as the greatest, he imagines himself to be nothing. Then, seeing anyone, he says, "Perhaps he is better than me; that he may have a standing in the sight of God." One who is a friend of God considers himself worthless.
Once, angel Jibraeel came to Prophet Ibrahim and gave him good tidings that he was a friend of God. Ibrahim expressed wonder saying, "Me and God’s friend?" The angel replied, "Yes, you are God’s friend." Ibrahim asked again, "I do not have any special deed at my credit. How is it that God made me His friend?" The angel said, "O Ibrahim! You have two virtues, which God likes very much and hence He made you His friend (Khalil). (These two virtues make one lovable). First, you do not ask anything from anyone except God. You seek help only from Him. You never put your need before His creation. Secondly, you never turned away any beggar from your door. You never turned away a needy person empty-handed from your door."
O Lord! It is now known that You do not like the one who turns away the needy empty handed. We also have extended our begging hands before You. Please do not deprive us.
Imam Zainul Abideen, in Dua Abu Hamzah, which you recite in these holy nights, prays: O Lord! You have ordered us not to turn away a needy from our door. Now, we are the needy beggars who have come to Your Door of Mercy. Your Honor will certainly not make us return empty handed. Our need is that kindly, do not leave any of our sins unforgiven by Your Mercy.
"O you who believe! Let not (one) people laugh at (another) people perchance they may be better than they, nor let women (laugh) at (other) women, perchance they may be better than they; and do not find fault with your own people nor call one another by nicknames; evil is a bad name after faith, and whoever does not turn, these it is that are the unjust. O you who believe! Avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy… (49:11-12)"
They mocked her for her short stature and a lengthy dress
The summary of the explanation of this verse is that God Almighty, the Lord of the Universe has issued three commands: First: It is unlawful for a Muslim to belittle any Muslim, to look at him with contempt, to consider him lower. He, sometimes, utters a word or gestures, which indicates that he is mocking or humiliating someone. For example, suppose he points his finger indicating that he wants others to look at that person’s stature; how short it is!
As mentioned with regard to Ayesha and Hafsa who pointed out towards Umme Salma, indicating what a short stature she had! Umme Salma was thus humiliated.
Or, for instance, they said that Umme Salma had put on a long dress; that her clothing dragged on the ground behind her when she walked. Ayesha and Hafsa uttered, "Look, her apparel is dragging behind like a dog’s tongue! Her covering sheet is touching the ground."
To mock someone either by gesture or twinkling of the eye, all of it is unlawful. It is possible that one whom you mocked is better than you in the sight of God. As explained earlier, your imagination is not the criterion for measuring people’s rank.
To disgrace others is to disgrace oneself
Second:
﴿
وَلا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ
﴾
"…and do not find fault with your own people…"
The Arabic word ‘Lumz’ means defect. Do not find faults or disgrace yourselves. This is worth pondering upon. God says: Do not disgrace yourselves. He does not say: Do not disgrace others, do not disgrace a Muslim or do not disgrace a community etc. He says: Do not point out to your own faults and defects. This means that to disgrace a Muslim amounts to disgracing your own self. Outwardly, you humiliated others. But inwardly you yourself have become blameworthy and faulty.
How and why? This requires deep thinking. Those who have intelligence can see how meaningful and effective are the wordings of Qur’an. They deal with deep meaning in brief, clear and eloquent phrases. Qur’an is the word of the Lord of Worlds. It is very high and great. Here He says: When one finds fault with another. He, in fact, has made himself faulty. He says about another person: He is miserly and shameless. The Holy Qur’an says: By so saying, you have pointed to your own defects. So do not disgrace yourselves. Apparently, there are three reasons for saying so.
All are to meet the same one and hence are equal
The first reason indicated is that all of you are united together. Your spiritual father is same, that is, Muhammad Mustafa. The spirits of all the believers have a kind of unity and sameness. Their father is Muhammad and Ali, from the spiritual viewpoint. From physical point of view also they have one father and one mother, that is, Adam and Eve. But from the spiritual aspect, their father is one, that is, Muhammad and also Ali as they are one soul. So now, if one disgraces another, he has disgraced his own brother. There is no difference. All are from one source and origin.
There are some narrations from Imams. One of them says: Ours is a holy tree. Its root and origin is, our grandfather, Muhammad Mustafa. It has twelve branches, that is the Imams, the first being Ali and the last, the awaited Mahdi. Leaves of this holy tree are the general Shias. All believing men and women are the leaves of this holy tree. Due to common leaves and common branches they are all united and one.
According to another narration: Tomorrow, on the Day of Judgment, there would be the holy tree, Tuba. Rooted in the house of Ali, its branches will extend to the houses of all the Shias in Paradise. Thus every believer is connected with the Tuba tree. Thus if one of them becomes faulty, it means all have become faulty. If you want to understand this fully, remember that by disgracing a believer Shia of Ali, you have hurt Ali, especially if that person whom you disgraced was a real and true Shia.
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New Muslims from All the Corners of the World

Iman (Monica) Aparicio Christianity to Islam This sister became Muslim after her daughter started questioning her about various beliefs such as the trinity and she asked why she had to pray to the cross. So Monica started on her path to find the truth, and alhamdulilah she found Islam. This is a really amazing story about how someone found guidance in Islam. She also talks about her own experience in Arab countries with what she sees as problem, with their lack of understanding about Islam.
Turning Muslim in Texas George W Bush may be backed by Christian fundamentalists but in his home state of Texas, Islam is the latest big draw.
Eric was a Baptist preacher before he became a Muslim 14 years ago. Now he prays five times a day – even in the middle of watching a football game. His wife, Karen, also a convert, is covered from head to toe in the traditional Muslim Clothes. Islam, says Eric, ‘is everything I wanted Christianty to be’. His mother has found it hard to come to terms with her son’s conversion and believes he will return to the Christan faith: ‘Then he will be a dynamic preacher.’ Eric says: ‘Maybe some day she’ll embrace Islam.’
Muslim in the Family UK In the current climate, converting to Islam is not an obvious choice or an easy one, either for converts or their families. So, why have 14,000 Brits (and counting) now taken that leap of faith? In A Muslim in the Family, Rageh Omaar tries to find out.
For the four converts featured in the documentary, conversion is a positive step - but one that demands sacrifices of them and can cause worry and confusion for those closest to them.
Ultimately, though, it is a hopeful film. At a time when many people talk about "a clash of civilisations" between Islam and the West, converts just might become a living bridge between Islam and the West.
Sister Amy was a student at Birmingham University. This video shows how she has become Muslim and interviews her family as they find out about her changing from Christianity to Islam. Her father and Brother speak about how she has changed positively. That she never used to like going out to clubs or getting drunk, she was always looking for a better way. Her family realise that she is a lot happier now that she has found Islam. Video also shows Amy discussing her previous life, her views on marriage, finding the right hijab and the way Muslims live.
Spanish Muslim Woman Talks about Islam and Women\'s Rights. Bismillah, Assalamu alaykum, this is a Spanish Muslim sister, she talks about Women\'s rights in Islam. This sister\'s name is Fatimah Milla - Rumayor. She is educated and bought up in Spain, she works as a linguist and is from Spain.
She points out some useful information about Islam and she addresses the misconceptions that many people have about Islam and the role of women in it.
Sister Carolyne in England accepts the truth and becomes Muslim, Love for Islam. Carolyne decided to become Muslim. Carolyne says> "if any human being doesnt question why we\'re here, then... i think there is something wrong in that.One part of me was saying that it might upset people if i did this, it got to the stage in January, three years ago, when i just thought i have to follow this, this is the right way. I like to identify myself as a muslim........ I do think i really should be covering my head......"
She talks about how she first told her parents that she was Muslim. How and Why she became Muslim, as well as her thoughts on Hijab.
Yvonne Ridley Explains the Role of Women in Islam. She Talks about How She was an Active Feminist and how she came to Choose Islam as her way of life.
Clears Misconceptions, She used to believe that the Quran advocated beating of women, subjudation and intolerance. However, when she actually looked in the Quran and read it, She became convinced it was truly a message from God. She left Church of England and Christianity to become a Muslim.
She explains Islam quite well in this video and it is a recommended video to watch for anyone Muslim or non Muslim.Also She Critisises Muslim Haters like Irshad Manji.
Aminah\'s Story. A Revert Sister from England and her family Aminah\'s Story. A Revert Sister from England and her family. She explains how she became Muslim as a teenager, how she knows over 50 Muslim revert sisters like herself.
The film is set just after the september 11 NYC terrorist attacks, and shows the family and how they live. It also shows their decision to go and make Hijrah (immigration) to a Muslim country, the Yemen.
Latifa (Rachel) and her Parents Talk about Islam. Latifa (Rachel) Became Muslim whilst still studying in University as a Teenager. Her family were shocked by her decision. But, as they come to terms with it, they realise that their ideas about it were completely wrong.
Her Mother Says regarding her daughter\'s reversion to Islam, "And Now We have a Very forthright, intelligent, independent young lady as a daughter. And i am so proud of her!"
The Life of Cat Stevens and How he Became Muslim. The Life of Cat Stevens and How he Became Muslim.
This Documentary follows the life of Yusuf Islam, from his family background, his early life and aspirations.. his career and his change to the beautiful faith of Islam and the great benefits it gave his life. It also shows some of the work that he does today.
It is a nice documentary which shows how a famous Pop Star became Muslim. His family and other people from the music industry are interviewed.
Latest Yusuf Islam Interview Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah, This is A new Yusuf Islam Interview, talks about Islam.
He mentions how he was always searching for answers to life. Also talks about his new charity work. And his past and present dawah projects, how he is calling people to Islam.
Yusuf Islam formerly known as Cat Stevens in a recent interview.
A nice interview with a once famous Pop Star who became Muslim after finding the beauty of Islam.
Yusuf Islam in his latest TV interview with the ex-BBC Director Alan Yentob. A recent Video which was made earlier this year.
They Discuss Yusuf\'s Life and how he came from being Cat Steven World Famous Popstar to him finding Islam. Also interviewing his brother and they speak about their family life. They come across as a very close family.
Susan Carland (Australian Muslim of the Year 2004) and her journey to Islam. This short film made and supplied by Sister VerityP. It was made before she became Muslim.
It follows Susan Carland (Australian Muslim of the Year 2004) and her journey to Islam, why she decided to become a muslim. It shows Susan before she was Muslim and shows her family. She talks about Islam and what Islam means to her.
Verity, who was filming this video before she became a Muslim says: "It was the first film I ever made, I converted to Islam shortly after making it."
Malcolm X Story of him Coming to True Islam Malcolm went on the Hajj and found True Islam. This documentary shows how Malcolm Renounced his past with Nation of Islam and had become a True Muslim following Sunni Islam.
Malcolm talks about his experience on the hajj, and what it means to be a Muslim. He suprises everyone on his return from Makkah, and unfortunately just before he could make an even greater impact by calling people to Islam he was assassinated. May Allah bless him, one of the most important people in 20th Century Politics and American History.
Islam in Nederland (Netherlands
Video about Revert Muslim women in Holland. This video focuses on the lives of some Dutch Muslim women and their families. Their life as Muslims in Europe.
MashaAllah, they really love and practise their deen as much as they can. They try their best to make their families be comfortable and understand why they took the decisions that they did to become Muslim and to worship Allah alone. Thanks to sister Hajar for translation.
Sister Crystal Talks about her life Before and After Islam Sister Crystal Talks about her life Before and After Islam. The sister is from Canada. She was from Christian background, she found many inconsistencies in her Religion. She had always wanted to know more about who her creator was. When she was at college she met Muslims and found what they said was interesting. She had a Muslim boyfriend and had relationship with him. A Christian Arab tried to make her stop from becoming a Muslim by giving her biased anti-Islam literature. He would even give the literature to her mother. This made the Sister interested, so she went to the Mosque and tried to discover more about ISlam, she found that what the Arab man was telling her was wrong.
Muslim in the Family UK In the current climate, converting to Islam is not an obvious choice or an easy one, either for converts or their families. So, why have 14,000 Brits (and counting) now taken that leap of faith? In A Muslim in the Family, Rageh Omaar tries to find out.
For the four converts featured in the documentary, conversion is a positive step - but one that demands sacrifices of them and can cause worry and confusion for those closest to them.
Ultimately, though, it is a hopeful film. At a time when many people talk about "a clash of civilisations" between Islam and the West, converts just might become a living bridge between Islam and the West.
British man and French Woman, Two New Muslims! An Englishman recounts his life how he grew up and found Islam. Also he recounts a story of how he went to his childhood home in France and got in contact with a woman he used to know whilst he was a teenager.
They went on to get married. She however, was still a Christian. They adopted an Islamic lifestyle, and she learnt a lot about Islam from him during this time.
Although she was skeptical of Islam at first, partly due to the French style of secularism she was used to. she later saw that Islam was indeed perfect and the true message from God so she too became a Muslim.
This is An interesting story. indeed.
Islam French woman talks about becoming Muslim and Marriage A French Muslim sister talks about Islam, and How she became Muslim.
She explains how her decision to become a Muslim had nothing to do with her husband or anyone else.
So, It was her own decision and this is what Islam teaches
English Brother Yusuf Adam Explains Why He Became Muslim! Yusuf recalls how he spoke to a neigbour about Islam in 1997. She had asked if he had ever read the Quran. At first Yusuf thought this was stupid, but, he decided to read it "just to shut her up", so he could have "an intellectual discussion with her"anyway. It took him six weeks to study the Quran and he was amazed and interested by its beauty and truth. The brother read about the Prophets Abraham, Jesus and others and read about Tawheed, Correct belief monotheistic belief in God.This affected the brother and he became Muslim. Alhamdulillah.
Brother Abu Hafsa Entering Islam! Brother\'s name is Abu Hafsa ( it means Father of Hafsa), Abdul Malik (Servant of God), formerly Jerome is the first 100% blind person who was accepted into ... professional wrestling!!
He came to Islam after reading about the beautiful story of Malcolm X, and then later he studied Islam and began to read the Quran in Arabic Braille.
Walhamdulilah
People who became Muslim Due to 9/11 (i.e. Researching About Islam):
Jewish And Catholic Women Women Become Muslim After September 11. AlJazeera Interviews some American New Muslim women who became Muslim after 9/11. Aljazeera and FoxNews both interviewed Angela Colins, an ex-Catholic from sunny California. Safiya, who used to be an American Jew... Lost 8 of her relatives in September 11, however, this did not make her blame Islam for the actions of the perpetrators of September 11. Instead, she loved Islam and became Muslim. Having studied Islam and the Quran both women found out, that it has little to do with the extremist actions of a few lone people..... but it gives true meaning to worshipping God alone and not associating any partners with him. It is God\'s true message to mankind.
Angela Colins Muslim After September 11 on Fox News - She Became Muslim After 9/11. She had many of her family members who died on September 11th. She studied Islamand came to find it to be quite different from what other people told her. . and the way the media percieved it to be. She reverted to Islam from her Catholic Faith. Now she is a Muslim teacher.
Be sure to check out the Aljazeera interview, which also has an American Jew who turned to Islam after September 11.
New Muslim Reverts This Ramadan! ( Allison Poole& Barbara Cartabuke) in New York, post-9/11 CNN Interview: More And More People are Turning to Islam, especially after 9/11. September 11 has led to the media giving Islam a lot of attention. Although, the media has mostly reported negatively about Muslims and Islam, it has made people research about Islam. This has led to many to find the Truth about Islam and readily accept it as their faith.
CNN states that 1/4 of the 6 Million Muslims in the United States are Revert Muslims (Converts).
Allison Poole was Raised as a Southern Baptist Christian. She became Muslim this Ramadan. Alhamdulilah! Since becoming Muslim, she feels more at peace and finds Islam has made he life much better as she has the right belief in God. Her family is completely behind her decision, but she finds fellow Americans still misunderstand Islam and say bad things.
Barbara Cartabuke is also an American who has found Islam post 911. She was a Catholic who always felt praying to Jesus and reading Hail Mary\'s was wrong. When she found Islam, it was a breath of fresh air and answered all her questions regarding the reality of her existence and of true belief in God.
Youngest Muslim Reverts in The World. Children in England Turn To Islam. This video just Shows kids who were interested in Islam. They were attracted to the Mosque and wanted to learn more about the Religion of Islam.
Nobody has gone around to actually tell these kids what to do, it is by their own free choice and they just like going to the Mosque and like Muslim culture.. This documentary tells their story and how the children miss not being able to go to the mosque. This is juxtaposed to the views of their siblings and family.
4 New Muslims from 4 Corners of the World This is A great Documentary telling the story of Four people who have Reverted to the beautiful and true religion of Islam and how their life has changed for the better. They give accounts of their lives from before Islam and after reverting to Islam.
This is an interesting video for those who want to know more about Islam and what it means to people who follow it.
Brother Rasid from Christianity to Islam Bismillah, Brother Rasheed used to be a Christian and God was always important to him, he grew up and was influenced heavily by the hiphop culture in his teen years and he became materialistic. Alhamdulilah he later found Islam. In This video he talks about his life before Islam and how he became Muslim and why. Interesting story about how he forgot to pay for an item and whilst on his way back to return the good, was caught for shoplifting. This made him embarrassed as he was from a kind and good family, even though he was innocent. It made him think about God and Islam.
Yusuf Estes Journey to Islam. How he became Muslim. Brother Yusuf Estes was a Christian Preacher, but Alhamdulillah he found the light of Islam and became a Muslim.
He gives a very interesting little talk here about his life.. Infact, he looked at Arabs and Muslims in a negative light and only knew what the media presented to him.
It was through his interaction with Muslim people and from studying Islam that he came to understand Islam and know that it was definitely the Truth.
He became enlightened with regards to the true belief in God and in Jesus.
Its quite funny too. Islamic information Video.
Sister Jan is an English Revert to Islam. She explains why she loves Islam so much. She converted from Christianity, "my friends say you were a Good Christian, why have you sold out?, almost is what they would imply.. my answer to that is well i didnt know about the Prophet (Muhammad) so its been enriching of my faith" ..........
..........."It was only in the 1960s (in England), when we (women) could open a bank account without having our husband sign the bank cheque. Islamic Women have always had those rights. If i stick to what the Quran says to me, and what the message is, it is very clear to me, that i have total equality. Just do what it says, and nobody can argue with me on that."..............
New Muslims and Islam in the Phillipines. Discusses Origins of Islam in the Asia Pacific. Historical evidence that Islam was NOT Spread by the Sword!! Islam came by the way of Muslim traders from Yemen.
Many Christian Catholic people from the Phillipines are turning to Islam in their hundreds. Infact, they account for the largest percentage of Reversions in the Middle East as well as in the Phillipines.
This video has interview with a Lawyer who became Muslim after studing Islamic Law. He became convinced Islam was the Truth as he was suprised by the justice that Islamic law gave.
www.imamreza.net

توضیحات

زیر مجموعه: Miscellaneous

دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3797

Becoming Muslim

Born in 1954 in the farm country of the northwestern United States, I was raised in a religious family as a Roman Catholic. The Church provided a spiritual world that was unquestionable in my childhood, if anything more real than the physical world around me, but as I grew older, and especially after I entered a Catholic university and read more, my relation to the religion became increasingly called into question, in belief and practice.
One reason was the frequent changes in Catholic liturgy and ritual that occurred in the wake of the Second Vatican Council of 1963, suggesting to laymen that the Church had no firm standards. To one another, the clergy spoke about flexibility and liturgical relevance, but to ordinary Catholics they seemed to be groping in the dark. God does not change, nor the needs of the human soul, and there was no new revelation from heaven. Yet we rang in the changes, week after week, year after year; adding, subtracting, changing the language from Latin to English, finally bringing in guitars and folk music. Priests explained and explained as laymen shook their heads. The search for relevance left large numbers convinced that there had not been much in the first place.
A second reason was a number of doctrinal difficulties, such as the doctrine of the Trinity, which no one in the history of the world, neither priest nor layman, had been able to explain in a convincing way, and which resolved itself, to the common mind at least, in a sort of godhead-by-committee, shared between God the Father, who ruled the world from heaven; His son Jesus Christ, who saved humanity on earth; and the Holy Ghost, who was pictured as a white dove and appeared to have a considerably minor role. I remember wanting to make special friends with just one of them so he could handle my business with the others, and to this end, would sometimes pray earnestly to this one and sometimes to that; but the other two were always stubbornly there. I finally decided that God the Father must be in charge of the other two, and this put the most formidable obstacle in the way of my Catholicism, the divinity of Christ. Moreover, reflection made it plain that the nature of man contradicted the nature of God in every particular, the limitary and finite on the one hand, the absolute and infinite on the other. That Jesus was God was something I cannot remember having ever really believed, in childhood or later.
Another point of incredulity was the trading of the Church in stocks and bonds in the hereafter it called indulgences. Do such and such and so-and-so many years will be remitted from your sentence in purgatory that had seemed so false to Martin Luther at the outset of the Reformation.
I also remember a desire for a sacred scripture, something on the order of a book that could furnish guidance. A Bible was given to me one Christmas, a handsome edition, but on attempting to read it, I found it so rambling and devoid of a coherent thread that it was difficult to think of a way to base one\'s life upon it. Only later did I learn how Christians solve the difficulty in practice, Protestants by creating sectarian theologies, each emphasizing the texts of their sect and downplaying the rest; Catholics by downplaying it all, except the snippets mentioned in their liturgy. Something seemed lacking in a sacred book that could not be read as an integral whole.
Moreover, when I went to the university, I found that the authenticity of the book, especially the New Testament, had come into considerable doubt as a result of modern hermeneutical studies by Christians themselves. In a course on contemporary theology, I read the Norman Perrin translation of The Problem of the Historical Jesus by Joachim Jeremias, one of the principal New Testament scholars of this century. A textual critic who was a master of the original languages and had spent long years with the texts, he had finally agreed with the German theologian Rudolph Bultmann that without a doubt it is true to say that the dream of ever writing a biography of Jesus is over, meaning that the life of Christ as he actually lived it could not be reconstructed from the New Testament with any degree of confidence. If this were accepted from a friend of Christianity and one of its foremost textual experts, I reasoned, what was left for its enemies to say? And what then remained of the Bible except to acknowledge that it was a record of truths mixed with fictions, conjectures projected onto Christ by later followers, themselves at odds with each other as to who the master had been and what he had taught. And if theologians like Jeremias could reassure themselves that somewhere under the layers of later accretions to the New Testament there was something called the historical Jesus and his message, how could the ordinary person hope to find it, or know it, should it be found?
I studied philosophy at the university and it taught me to ask two things of whoever claimed to have the truth: What do you mean, and how do you know? When I asked these questions of my own religious tradition, I found no answers, and realized that Christianity had slipped from my hands. I then embarked on a search that is perhaps not unfamiliar to many young people in the West, a quest for meaning in a meaningless world.
I began where I had lost my previous belief, with the philosophers, yet wanting to believe, seeking not philosophy, but rather a philosophy.
I read the essays of the great pessimist Arthur Schopenhauer, which taught about the phenomenon of the ages of life, and that money, fame, physical strength, and intelligence all passed from one with the passage of years, but only moral excellence remained. I took this lesson to heart and remembered it in after years. His essays also drew attention to the fact that a person was wont to repudiate in later years what he fervently espouses in the heat of youth. With a prescient wish to find the Divine, I decided to imbue myself with the most cogent arguments of atheism that I could find, that perhaps I might find a way out of them later. So I read the Walter Kaufmann translations of the works of the immoralist Friedrich Nietzsche. The many-faceted genius dissected the moral judgments and beliefs of mankind with brilliant philological and psychological arguments that ended in accusing human language itself, and the language of nineteenth-century science in particular, of being so inherently determined and mediated by concepts inherited from the language of morality that in their present form they could never hope to uncover reality. Aside from their immunological value against total skepticism, Nietzsche\'s works explained why the West was post-Christian, and accurately predicted the unprecedented savagery of the twentieth century, debunking the myth that science could function as a moral replacement for the now dead religion.
At a personal level, his tirades against Christianity, particularly in The Genealogy of Morals, gave me the benefit of distilling the beliefs of the monotheistic tradition into a small number of analyzable forms. He separated unessential concepts (such as the bizarre spectacle of an omnipotent deity\'s suicide on the cross) from essential ones, which I now, though without believing in them, apprehended to be but three alone: that God existed; that He created man in the world and defined the conduct expected of him in it; and that He would judge man accordingly in the hereafter and send him to eternal reward or punishment.
It was during this time that I read an early translation of the Qur\'an which I grudgingly admired, between agnostic reservations, for the purity with which it presented these fundamental concepts. Even if false, I thought, there could not be a more essential expression of religion. As a literary work, the translation, perhaps it was Sales, was uninspired and openly hostile to its subject matter, whereas I knew the Arabic original was widely acknowledged for its beauty and eloquence among the religious books of mankind. I felt a desire to learn Arabic to read the original.
On a vacation home from school, I was walking upon a dirt road between some fields of wheat, and it happened that the sun went down. By some inspiration, I realized that it was a time of worship, a time to bow and pray to the one God. But it was not something one could rely on oneself to provide the details of, but rather a passing fancy, or perhaps the beginning of an awareness that atheism was an inauthentic way of being.
I carried something of this disquiet with me when I transferred to the University of Chicago, where I studied the epistemology of ethical theory how moral judgments were reached reading and searching among the books of the philosophers for something to shed light on the question of meaninglessness, which was both a personal concern and one of the central philosophical problems of our age.
According to some, scientific observation could only yield description statements of the form X is Y, for example, The object is red, Its weight is two kilos, Its height is ten centimeters, and so on, in each of which the functional was a scientifically verifiable is, whereas in moral judgments the functional element was an ought, a description statement which no amount of scientific observation could measure or verify. It appeared that ought was logically meaningless, and with it all morality whatsoever, a position that reminded me of those described by Lucian in his advice that whoever sees a moral philosopher coming down the road should flee from him as from a mad dog. For such a person, expediency ruled, and nothing checked his behavior but convention.
As Chicago was a more expensive school, and I had to raise tuition money, I found summer work on the West Coast with a seining boat fishing in Alaska. The sea proved a school in its own right, one I was to return to for a space of eight seasons, for the money. I met many people on boats, and saw something of the power and greatness of the wind, water, storms, and rain; and the smallness of man. These things lay before us like an immense book, but my fellow fishermen and I could only discern the letters of it that were within our context: to catch as many fish as possible within the specified time to sell to the tenders. Few knew how to read the book as a whole. Sometimes, in a blow, the waves rose like great hills, and the captain would hold the wheel with white knuckles, our bow one minute plunging gigantically down into a valley of green water, the next moment reaching the bottom of the trough and soaring upwards towards the sky before topping the next crest and starting down again.
Early in my career as a deck hand, I had read the Hazel Barnes translation of Jean Paul Sartres "Being and Nothingness", in which he argued that phenomena only arose for consciousness in the existential context of human projects, a theme that recalled Marx\'s 1844 manuscripts, where nature was produced by man, meaning, for example, that when the mystic sees a stand of trees, his consciousness hypostatizes an entirely different phenomenal object than a poet does, for example, or a capitalist. To the mystic, it is a manifestation; to the poet, a forest; to the capitalist, lumber. According to such a perspective, a mountain only appears as tall in the context of the project of climbing it, and so on, according to the instrumental relations involved in various human interests. But the great natural events of the sea surrounding us seemed to defy, with their stubborn, irreducible facticity, our uncomprehending attempts to come to terms with them. Suddenly, we were just there, shaken by the forces around us without making sense of them, wondering if we would make it through. Some, it was true, would ask Gods help at such moments, but when we returned safely to shore, we behaved like men who knew little of Him, as if those moments had been a lapse into insanity, embarrassing to think of at happier times. It was one of the lessons of the sea that in fact, such events not only existed but perhaps even preponderated in our life. Man was small and weak, the forces around him were large, and he did not control them.
Sometimes a boat would sink and men would die. I remember a fisherman from another boat who was working near us one opening, doing the same job as I did, piling web. He smiled across the water as he pulled the net from the hydraulic block overhead, stacking it neatly on the stern to ready it for the next set. Some weeks later, his boat overturned while fishing in a storm, and he got caught in the web and drowned. I saw him only once again, in a dream, beckoning to me from the stern of his boat.
The tremendousness of the scenes we lived in, the storms, the towering sheer cliffs rising vertically out of the water for hundreds of feet, the cold and rain and fatigue, the occasional injuries and deaths of workers these made little impression on most of us. Fishermen were, after all, supposed to be tough. On one boat, the family that worked it was said to lose an occasional crew member while running at sea at the end of the season, invariably the sole non-family member who worked with them, his loss saving them the wages they would have otherwise had to pay him.
The captain of another was a twenty-seven-year-old who delivered millions of dollars worth of crab each year in the Bering Sea. When I first heard of him, we were in Kodiak, his boat at the city dock they had tied up to after a lengthy run some days before. The captain was presently indisposed in his bunk in the stateroom, where he had been vomiting up blood from having eaten a glass uptown the previous night to prove how tough he was.
He was in somewhat better condition when I later saw him in the Bering Sea at the end of a long winter king crab season. He worked in his wheelhouse up top, surrounded by radios that could pull in a signal from just about anywhere, computers, Loran, sonar, depth-finders, radar. His panels of lights and switches were set below the 180-degree sweep of shatterproof windows that overlooked the sea and the men on deck below, to whom he communicated by loudspeaker. They often worked round the clock, pulling their gear up from the icy water under watchful batteries of enormous electric lights attached to the masts that turned the perpetual night of the winter months into day. The captain had a reputation as a screamer, and had once locked his crew out on deck in the rain for eleven hours because one of them had gone inside to have a cup of coffee without permission. Few crewmen lasted longer than a season with him, though they made nearly twice the yearly income of, say, a lawyer or an advertising executive, and in only six months. Fortunes were made in the Bering Sea in those years, before over fishing wiped out the crab.
At present, he was at anchor, and was amiable enough when we tied up to him and he came aboard to sit and talk with our own captain. They spoke at length, at times gazing thoughtfully out at the sea through the door or windows, at times looking at each other sharply when something animated them, as the topic of what his competitors thought of him. "They wonder why I have a few bucks", he said. "Well I slept in my own home one night last year."
He later had his crew throw off the lines and pick the anchor, his eyes flickering warily over the water from the windows of the house as he pulled away with a blast of smoke from the stack. His watchfulness, his walrus-like physique, his endless voyages after game and markets, reminded me of other predatory hunter-animals of the sea. Such people, good at making money but heedless of any ultimate end or purpose, made an impression on me, and I increasingly began to wonder if men didn\'t need principles to guide them and tell them why they were there. Without such principles, nothing seemed to distinguish us above our prey except being more thorough, and technologically capable of preying longer, on a vaster scale, and with greater devastation than the animals we hunted.
These considerations were in my mind the second year I studied at Chicago, where I became aware through studies of philosophical moral systems that philosophy had not been successful in the past at significantly influencing peoples morals and preventing injustice, and I came to realize that there was little hope for it to do so in the future. I found that comparing human cultural systems and societies in their historical succession and multiplicity had led many intellectuals to moral relativism, since no moral value could be discovered which on its own merits was transculturally valid, a reflection leading to nihilism, the perspective that sees human civilizations as plants that grow out of the earth, springing from their various seeds and soils, thriving for a time, and then dying away.
Some heralded this as intellectual liberation, among them Emile Durkheim in his "Elementary Forms of the Religious Life", or Sigmund Freud in his "Totem and Taboo", which discussed mankind as if it were a patient and diagnosed its religious traditions as a form of a collective neurosis that we could now hope to cure, by applying to them a thoroughgoing scientific atheism, a sort of salvation through pure science.
On this subject, I bought the Jeremy Shapiro translation of "Knowledge and Human Interests" by Jurgen Habermas, who argued that there was no such thing as pure science that could be depended upon to forge boldly ahead in a steady improvement of itself and the world. He called such a misunderstanding scientism, not science. Science in the real world, he said, was not free of values, still less of interests. The kinds of research that obtain funding, for example, were a function of what their society deemed meaningful, expedient, profitable, or important. Habermas had been of a generation of German academics who, during the thirties and forties, knew what was happening in their country, but insisted they were simply engaged in intellectual production, that they were living in the realm of scholarship, and need not concern themselves with whatever the state might choose to do with their research. The horrible question mark that was attached to German intellectuals when the Nazi atrocities became public after the war made Habermas think deeply about the ideology of pure science. If anything was obvious, it was that the nineteenth-century optimism of thinkers like Freud and Durkheim was no longer tenable.
I began to re-assess the intellectual life around me. Like Schopenhauer, I felt that higher education must produce higher human beings. But at the university, I found lab people talking to each other about forging research data to secure funding for the coming year; luminaries who wouldn\'t permit tape recorders at their lectures for fear that competitors in the same field would go one step further with their research and beat them to publication; professors vying with each other in the length of their courses syllabuses. The moral qualities I was accustomed to associate with ordinary, unregenerate humanity seemed as frequently met with in sophisticated academics as they had been in fishermen. If one could laugh at fishermen who, after getting a boatload of fish in a big catch, would cruise back and forth in front of the others to let them see how laden down in the water they were, ostensibly looking for more fish; what could one say about the Ph.D.\'s who behaved the same way about their books and articles? I felt that their knowledge had not developed their persons, that the secret of higher man did not lie in their sophistication.
I wondered if I hadn\'t gone down the road of philosophy as far as one could go. While it had debunked my Christianity and provided some genuine insights, it had not yet answered the big questions. Moreover, I felt that this was somehow connected I didn\'t know whether as cause or effect to the fact that our intellectual tradition no longer seemed to seriously comprehend itself. What were any of us, whether philosophers, fishermen, garbagemen, or kings, except bit players in a drama we did not understand, diligently playing out our roles until our replacements were sent, and we gave our last performance? But could one legitimately hope for more than this? I read "Kojves Introduction to the Reading of Hegel", in which he explained that for Hegel, philosophy did not culminate in the system, but rather in the Wise Man, someone able to answer any possible question on the ethical implications of human actions. This made me consider our own plight in the twentieth century, which could no longer answer a single ethical question.
It was thus as if this century\'s unparalleled mastery of concrete things had somehow ended by making us things. I contrasted this with Hegel\'s concept of the concrete in his "Phenomenology of Mind". An example of the abstract, in his terms, was the limitary physical reality of the book now held in your hands, while the concrete was its interconnection with the larger realities it presupposed, the modes of production that determined the kind of ink and paper in it, the aesthetic standards that dictated its color and design, the systems of marketing and distribution that had carried it to the reader, the historical circumstances that had brought about the readers literacy and taste; the cultural events that had mediated its style and usage; in short, the bigger picture in which it was articulated and had its being. For Hegel, the movement of philosophical investigation always led from the abstract to the concrete, to the more real. He was therefore able to say that philosophy necessarily led to theology, whose object was the ultimately real, the Deity. This seemed to me to point up an irreducible lack in our century. I began to wonder if, by materializing our culture and our past, we had not somehow abstracted ourselves from our wider humanity, from our true nature in relation to a higher reality.
At this juncture, I read a number of works on Islam, among them the books of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, who believed that many of the problems of western man, especially those of the environment, were from his having left the divine wisdom of revealed religion, which taught him his true place as a creature of God in the natural world and to understand and respect it. Without it, he burned up and consumed nature with ever more effective technological styles of commercial exploitation that ruined his world from without while leaving him increasingly empty within, because he did not know why he existed or to what end he should act.
I reflected that this might be true as far as it went, but it begged the question as to the truth of revealed religion. Everything on the face of the earth, all moral and religious systems, were on the same plane, unless one could gain certainty that one of them was from a higher source, the sole guarantee of the objectivity, the whole force, of moral law. Otherwise, one man\'s opinion was as good as another\'s, and we remained in an undifferentiated sea of conflicting individual interests, in which no valid objection could be raised to the strong eating the weak.
I read other books on Islam, and came across some passages translated by W. Montgomery Watt from "That Which Delivers from Error" by the theologian and mystic Ghazali, who, after a mid-life crises of questioning and doubt, realized that beyond the light of prophetic revelation there is no other light on the face of the earth from which illumination may be received, the very point to which my philosophical inquiries had led. Here was, in Hegel\'s terms, the Wise Man, in the person of a divinely inspired messenger who alone had the authority to answer questions of good and evil.
I also read A.J. Arberrys translation "The Qur\'an Interpreted", and I recalled my early wish for a sacred book. Even in translation, the superiority of the Muslim scripture over the Bible was evident in every line, as if the reality of divine revelation, dimly heard of all my life, had now been placed before my eyes. In its exalted style, its power, its inexorable finality, its uncanny way of anticipating the arguments of the atheistic heart in advance and answering them; it was a clear exposition of God as God and man as man, the revelation of the awe-inspiring Divine Unity being the identical revelation of social and economic justice among men.
I began to learn Arabic at Chicago, and after studying the grammar for a year with a fair degree of success, decided to take a leave of absence to try to advance in the language in a year of private study in Cairo. Too, a desire for new horizons drew me, and after a third season of fishing, I went to the Middle East.
In Egypt, I found something I believe brings many to Islam, namely, the mark of pure monotheism upon its followers, which struck me as more profound than anything I had previously encountered. I met many Muslims in Egypt, good and bad, but all influenced by the teachings of their Book to a greater extent than I had ever seen elsewhere. It has been some fifteen years since then, and I cannot remember them all, or even most of them, but perhaps the ones I can recall will serve to illustrate the impressions made.
One was a man on the side of the Nile near the Miqyas Gardens, where I used to walk. I came upon him praying on a piece of cardboard, facing across the water. I started to pass in front of him, but suddenly checked myself and walked around behind, not wanting to disturb him. As I watched a moment before going my way, I beheld a man absorbed in his relation to God, oblivious to my presence, much less my opinions about him or his religion. To my mind, there was something magnificently detached about this, altogether strange for someone coming from the West, where praying in public was virtually the only thing that remained obscene.
Another was a young boy from secondary school who greeted me near Khan al-Khalili, and because I spoke some Arabic and he spoke some English and wanted to tell me about Islam, he walked with me several miles across town to Giza, explaining as much as he could. When we parted, I think he said a prayer that I might become Muslim.
Another was a Yemeni friend living in Cairo who brought me a copy of the Qur\'an at my request to help me learn Arabic. I did not have a table beside the chair where I used to sit and read in my hotel room, and it was my custom to stack the books on the floor. When I set the Qur\'an by the others there, he silently stooped and picked it up, out of respect for it. This impressed me because I knew he was not religious, but here was the effect of Islam upon him.
Another was a woman I met while walking beside a bicycle on an unpaved road on the opposite side of the Nile from Luxor. I was dusty, and somewhat shabbily clothed, and she was an old woman dressed in black from head to toe who walked up, and without a word or glance at me, pressed a coin into my hand so suddenly that in my surprise I dropped it. By the time I picked it up, she had hurried away. Because she thought I was poor, even if obviously non-Muslim, she gave me some money without any expectation for it except what was between her and her God. This act made me think a lot about Islam, because nothing seemed to have motivated her but that.
Many other things passed through my mind during the months I stayed in Egypt to learn Arabic. I found myself thinking that a man must have some sort of religion, and I was more impressed by the effect of Islam on the lives of Muslims, a certain nobility of purpose and largesse of soul, than I had ever been by any other religions or even atheisms effect on its followers. The Muslims seemed to have more than we did.
Christianity had its good points to be sure, but they seemed mixed with confusions, and I found myself more and more inclined to look to Islam for their fullest and most perfect expression. The first question we had memorized from our early catechism had been Why were you created? to which the correct answer was To know, love, and serve God. When I reflected on those around me, I realized that Islam seemed to furnish the most comprehensive and understandable way to practice this on a daily basis.
As for the inglorious political fortunes of the Muslims today, I did not feel these to be a reproach against Islam, or to relegate it to an inferior position in a natural order of world ideologies, but rather saw them as a low phase in a larger cycle of history. Foreign hegemony over Muslim lands had been witnessed before in the thorough going destruction of Islamic civilization in the thirteenth century by the Mongol horde, who razed cities and built pyramids of human heads from the steppes of Central Asia to the Muslim heartlands, after which the fullness of destiny brought forth the Ottoman Empire to raise the Word of Allah and make it a vibrant political reality that endured for centuries. It was now, I reflected, merely the turn of contemporary Muslims to strive for a new historic crystallization of Islam, something one might well aspire to share in.
When a friend in Cairo one day asked me, Why don\'t you become a Muslim?, I found that Allah had created within me a desire to belong to this religion, which so enriches its followers, from the simplest hearts to the most magisterial intellects. It is not through an act of the mind or will that anyone becomes a Muslim, but rather through the mercy of Allah, and this, in the final analysis, was what brought me to Islam in Cairo in 1977.
Is it not time that the hearts of those who believe should be humbled to the Remembrance of God and the Truth which He has sent down, and that they should not be as those to whom the Book was given aforetime, and the term seemed over long to them, so that their hearts have become hard, and many of them are ungodly? Know that God revives the earth after it was dead. We have indeed made clear for you the signs, that haply you will understand. (Qur\'an 57:16-17)
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More Hispanic Americans are Converting to Islam

Steve Mort, 9th February, 2007, Voice of America, The number of Hispanic Americans converting to Islam is growing rapidly -- particularly in New York, California, Texas and Florida, which have the greatest concentration of Hispanic residents. Muslim leaders say interest in Islam has increased in the past few years, and they also note that Muslims and Hispanics, many of whom are immigrants, share a number of common concerns.
Steve Mort reports from a mosque in Florida that has seen a steady increase in Latino worshippers.
The al-Rahman mosque in Orlando opened in 1975 and is the oldest Muslim place of worship in the city.
But over the years its membership has changed, and now increasing numbers of Hispanics, like Jesus Marti, are joining the congregation. "It\'s the right way to be worshipping God, and I love the Islamic religion. It really has given me a lot of knowledge, and I have learned so many things from Islam."
Jesus, a Puerto Rican living in Florida, converted to Islam only a year ago. He is one of tens of thousands of Hispanic Muslims in the United States: estimates range from around 70,000 to 200,000.
He says that while he has faced criticism for converting to Islam, he has found broad acceptance as a Muslim in America. "Islam is not a country. Islam is a religion. Islam is definitely a way of life, for discipline where you follow and you try to enhance yourself to get the most positive things out of yourself for the benefit of your own self and for the benefit of your own family and the society as a whole."
Muslim leaders say Jesus Marti and other Hispanics choose Islam for a variety of reasons. They say Muslims and Hispanics face common issues and concerns, like finding their way in a new, unfamiliar country. The media focus on Islam since September 11th has also been factor.
Imam Muhammad Musri is president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida. The society has about 40,000 members. Iman Musri says Latinos and Muslims find they have a lot in common. "There are so many common denominators between immigrant Muslims and immigrant Hispanics who see the issues common to both of them -- immigration issues, as it is a big discussion in the United States, and there are other issues of trying to find a job, keep a job, buy a home -- all the same struggles two groups of people happen to be going through creates this bond between them".
Hundreds of worshippers attend Imam Musri\'s mosque, and there is an increasing demand for religious literature in Spanish.
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Why I Embraced Islam?

Assalamu Alaykum;
My name is Zahida. It wasn\'t always my name, but I changed it because I\'ve changed myself. I\'ve been Muslim for a few years, Al-humdulillah I am married and have two children. I was born in America and raised in Illinois. My nationality is half-Czech on my father\'s side and Italian, English, and Irish from my mother\'s. As for my childhood, there wasn\'t much of it; my parents were divorced when I was young. Later, I was sent to live with relatives. My life was far from a happy one, (Al-humdulillah). I say Al-humdulillah for Allah knows what\'s best for me. Perhaps my hardships helped me appreciate what I have and better understand others.
My great-grandmother was very religious as a Christian. She sent my brothers and sisters along with myself to Church every Wednesday and Sunday. I felt I just didn\'t fit in; the games were fun, but when it came to religion and the Bible, it just never made, since, I always felt that Jesus was not god, which made it more difficult, because they were saying Jesus is god and Jesus is god\'s son. When they prayed they always prayed to Jesus, but what about Allah the Almighty. I decided that when I get older, I would start going to another Church. I went to a Catholic and a Baptist Church but still felt lost. Everything they talked about was so unclear; like someone speaking a foreign language I couldn\'t understand. So I gave up.
So many years later, I met my husband, (Al-humdulillah). And with Allah\'s help, my husband started discussing Islam with me. At first, I said: I will not become Muslim, because I thought it was going to be the same as the rest. Then I found out that Muslims believe that Jesus wasn\'t God or God\'s son. After that, I became more interested and eager to learn more. So I started asking questions and reading everything about Islam I could get my hands on. Al-humdulillah, a year later, I accepted Islam. Six months later, I wore Hijab and three months after that, I wore hijab, Al-humdulillah. Allah guided me to the path of righteousness; I try to apply what I learn, because this is what really counts.
I know some of you are probably wondering about how my family responded to my change. Well, everyone seems to accept it except for the Hijab and Hijab part, they always ask: Why do you have to cover your hair? Do you have to wear the Hijab all the time? My oldest sister does not accept Islam; she is Christian and thinks that Islam is some sort of a cult. She is under the idea that we pray to the sun and moon. My youngest sister doesn\'t know which religion to choose. Of course I tell her about Islam, but she doesn\'t want our other sister\'s opinion or mine, so she doesn\'t choose. I still pray that Allah helps her find the straight path as He did for me and all of you, Al-humdulillah. I wanted to do this web page to share with you what I learned from reading and talking to others. I believe we should share what we know with each other to better ourselves. Inshallah this will happen. It\'s always a pleasure to talk and meet with other Muslims.
May Allah bless you with what you need and keep us on the right path. Also, let\'s ask that Allah helps and has mercy on our brothers and sisters all over the world.
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Anselm Tormeeda – A Convert to Islam

(Extracted from Material on the Authenticity of the Qur\'an: Proofs that it is a Revelation from Almighty God
Great numbers of Christians embraced Islam during and soon after the Islamic conquests after the prophets death. They were never compelled, rather it was a recognition of what they were already expecting. Anselm Tormeeda, a priest and Christian scholar was one such person who\'s history is worth relating. He wrote a famous book The Gift to the Intelligent for Refuting the Arguments of the Christians. In the introduction to this work he relates his history:
"Let it be known to all of you that my origin is from the city of Majorca, which is a great city on the sea, between two mountains and divided by a small valley. It is a commercial city, with two wonderful harbours. Big merchant ships come and anchor in the harbour with different goods. The city is on the island which has the same name - Majorca, and most of its land is populated with fig and olive trees. My father was a well respected man in the city. I was his only son.
When I was six, he sent me to a priest who taught me to read the Gospel and logic, which I finished in six years. After that I left Majorca and traveled to the city of Larda, in the region of Castillion, which was the centre of learning for Christians in that region. A thousand to a thousand and a half Christian students gathered there. All were under the administration of the priest who taught them. I studied the Gospel and its language for another four years. After that I left for Bologne in the region of Anbardia. Bologne is a very large city, it being the centre of learning for all the people of that region. Every year, more than two thousand students gather together from different places. They cover themselves with rough cloth which they call the "Hue of God". All of them, whether the son of a workman or the son of a ruler wear this wrap, in order to make the students distinct from others.
Only the priest teaches controls and directs them. I lived in the church with an aged priest. He was greatly respected by the people because of his knowledge and religiousness and asceticism, which distinguished him from the other Christian priests. Questions and requests for advice came from everywhere, from Kings and rulers, along with presents and gifts. They hoped that he would accept their presents and grant them his blessings. This priest taught me the principles of Christianity and its rulings. I became very close to him by serving and assisting him with his duties until I became one of his most trusted assistants, so that he trusted me with the keys of his domicile in the church and of the food and the drink stores. He kept for himself only the key of a small room were he used to sleep. I think, and Allah knows best, that he kept his treasure chest in there. I was a student and servant for a period of ten years, then he fell ill and failed to attend the meetings of his fellow priests.
During his absence the priests discussed some religious matters, until they came to what was said by the Almighty Allah through his prophet Jesus in the Gospel: "After him will come a Prophet called Paraclete". They argued a great deal about this Prophet and as to who he was among the Prophets. Everyone gave his opinion according to his knowledge and understanding; and they ended without achieving any benefit in that issue. I went to my priest, and as usual he asked about what was discussed in the meeting that day. I mentioned to him the different opinions of priests about the name Paraclete, and how they finished the meeting without clarifying its meaning. He asked me: "What was your answer?" I gave my opinion which was taken from interpretation of a well known exegesis. He said that I was nearly correct like some priests, and the other priests were wrong. "But the truth is different from all of that. This is because the interpretation of that noble name is known only to a small number of well versed scholars. And we posses only a little knowledge." I fell down and kissed his feet, saying: "Sir, you know that I traveled and came to you from a far distant country, I have served you now for more than ten years; and have attained knowledge beyond estimation, so please favour me and tell me the truth about this name." The priest then wept and said: "My son, by God, you are very much dear to me for serving me and devoting yourself to my care. Know the truth about this name, and there is a great benefit, but there is also a great danger. And I fear that when you know this truth, and the Christians discover that, you will be killed immediately." I said: "By God, by the Gospel and He who was sent with it, I shall never speak any word about what you will tell me, I shall keep it in my heart." He said: "My son, when you came here from your country, I asked you if it is near to the Muslims, and whether they made raids against you and if you made raids against them. This was to test your hatred for Islam. Know, my son, that Paraclete is the name of their Prophet Muhammad, to whom was revealed the fourth book as mentioned by Daniel. His way is the clear way which is mentioned in the Gospel." I said: "Then sir, what do you say about the religion of these Christians?" He said: "My son, if these Christians remained on the original religion of Jesus, then they would have been on God\'s religion, because the religion of Jesus and all the other Prophets is the true religion of God. But they changed it and became unbelievers." I asked him: "Then, sir, what is the salvation from this?" He said "Oh my son, embracing Islam." I asked him: "Will the one who embraces Islam be saved?" He answered: "Yes, in this world and the next." I said: "The prudent chooses for himself; if you know, sir the merit of Islam, then what keeps you from it?" He answered: "My son, the Almighty Allah did not expose me to the truth of Islam and the Prophet of Islam until after I have become old and my body weakened. Yes, there is no excuse for us in this, on the contrary, the proof of Allah has been established against us. If God had guided me to this when I was your age I would have left everything and adopted the religion of truth. Love of this world is the essence of every sin, and look how I am esteemed, glorified and honoured by the Christians, and how I am living in affluence and comfort! In my case, if I show a slight inclination towards Islam they would kill me immediately. Suppose that I was saved from them and succeeded in escaping to the Muslims, they would say, do not count your Islam as a favour upon us, rather you have benefited yourself only by entering the religion of truth, the religion that will save you from the punishment of Allah! So I would live among them as a poor old man of more than ninety years, without knowing their language, and would die among them starving. I am, and all praise is due to Allah, on the religion of Christ and on that which he came with, and Allah knows that from me." So I asked him: "Do you advise me to go to the country of the Muslims and adopt their religion?" He said to me: "If you are wise and hope to save yourself, then race to that which will achieve this life and the hereafter. But my son, none is present with us concerning this matter , it is between you and me only. Exert yourself and keep it a secret. If it is disclosed and the people know about it they will kill you immediately. I will be of no benefit to you against them. Neither will it be of any use to you if you tell them what you heard from me concerning Islam, or that I encouraged you to be a Muslim, for I shall deny it. They trust my testimony against yours. So do not tell a word, whatever happens." I promised him not to do so.
He was satisfied and content with my promise. I began to prepare for my journey and bid him farewell. He prayed for me and gave me fifty golden dinars. Then I took a ship to my city Majorca where I stayed with my parents for six months. Then I traveled to Sicily and remained there five months, waiting for a ship bound for the land of the Muslims. Finally a ship arrived bound for Tunis. We departed before sunset and reached the port of Tunis at noon on the second day. When I got off the ship, Christian scholars who heard of my arrival came to greet me and I stayed with them for four months in ease and comfort. After that I asked them if there was a translator. The Sultan in those days was Abu al-Abbas Ahmed. They said there was a virtuous man, the Sultan\'s physician, who was one of his closest advisors. His name was Yusuf al-Tabeeb. I was greatly pleased to here this, and asked where he lived. They took me there to meet him separately. I told him about my story and the reason of my coming there; which was to embrace Islam. He was immensely pleased because this matter would be completed by his help. We rode to the Sultan\'s Palace. He met the Sultan and told him about my story and asked his permission for me to meet him.
The Sultan accepted, and I presented myself before him. The first question the Sultan asked was about my age. I told him that I was thirty-five years old. He then asked about my learning and the sciences which I had studied. After I told him he said. "Your arrival is the arrival of goodness . Be a Muslim with Allah\'s blessings." I then said to the doctor, "Tell the honourable Sultan that it always happens that when anyone changes his religion his people defame him and speak evil of him. So, I wish if he kindly sends to bring the Christian priests and merchants of this city to ask them about me and hear what they have to say. Then by Allah\'s will, I shall accept Islam." He said to me through the translator, "You have asked what Abdullah bin Salaam asked from the Prophet when he-Abdullah came to announce his Islam." He then sent for the priests and some Christian merchants and let me sit in an adjoining room unseen by them. "What do you say about this new priest who arrived by ship?", he asked. They said: "He is a great scholar in our religion. Our bishops say he is the most learned and no one is superior to him in our religious knowledge." After hearing what the Christian said, the Sultan sent for me, and I presented myself before them. I declared the two testimonies that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, and when the Christians heard this they crossed themselves and said: "Nothing incited him to do that except his desire to marry, as priests in our religion can not marry". Then they left in distress and grief.
The Sultan appointed for me a quarter of a dinar every day from the treasury and let me marry the daughter of Al-Hajj Muhammed al-Saffar. When I decided to consummate the marriage, he gave me a hundred golden dinars and an excellent suit of clothes. I then consummated the marriage and Allah blessed me with a child to whom I gave the name Muhammed as a blessing from the name of the Prophet."
[Note: The full name of Anselm Tormeeda is Abu Muhammad Abdullah Bin Abdullah Al-Tarjuman. The title of his book, in Arabic, is Tuhfat al-arib fi al-radd \'ala Ahl al-Salib.]
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Testimony of Yahya Donald W. Flood

Every day the sun shines on new people recognizing the truth and returning to their Creator in repentance and submission to Him. They are ambitious for his reward of eternal happiness in Paradise. These new followers give a new flavor to the Muslims of today with their sincerity, keenness and solid adherence to the teaching of Islam. From their vast experiences in the past, they command strong endurance and a particular understanding of their newly found path of truth to which God has guided them, finding their way with easiness and surety in life. They came to Islam with broad-mindedness and discernment of what is right and wrong. Some of them had reached satiety and disgust with material, promiscuous life and turned to Islam with true love for purity and homage to their Creator.
It is with pleasure that I introduce a friend whom God has guided to Islam, and indeed he has been guided well. Herein he relates his journey. I wish him success and happiness in the right path of God. We look forward to more people following in his footsteps.

Acknowledgments
First of all, I would like to praise God for guiding me to Islam. May He accept this work in His cause, and make it a means for individuals to find and follow the truth.
I’d also like to express my sincere gratitude to the individuals who informed me about Islam and those who were responsible for expanding my knowledge of Islam once I had become a Muslim. In addition, I wish to thank the Muslim brothers who encouraged me to write this story. Furthermore, I would like to recognize Dr. Wajieh Abderrahman, Um Muhammad, Ahmad Nurideen, Dr. Al-Taher Al-Hafez, Muhammad Yaqoob and Abdulhag Darden for reviewing this work. Likewise, I must acknowledge Al-Eman Printing Press for its diligence in publishing this story and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth(WAMY) for its support and distribution of this booklet. Lastly, special appreciation is due to Abdultawwab Abdulmalik for being a liaison between WAMY and Al-Eman during the publishing process. May we all reside in a lofty place in Paradise, God Willing!!!
(Yahya) Donald W. Flood. Madinah, Saudi Arabia, June 1999
Gathering the initial pieces of \'The Purpose of Life Puzzle\'
I once thought my upbringing offered an excellent way of life, especially since I felt satisfied both mentally and physically. As a young man, I lived the life of an average American who had a rather hedonistic lifestyle; I was fond of music, a festive atmosphere, games, sports, travel, ethnic foods and foreign languages. I reached a point, however, where I felt \'spiritually bankrupt\' and I asked myself,“now what?”and I thought, “there has to be more to life than this.” This realization was the impetus that led me to search for the truth through diverse avenues.
I assumed the reason I felt spiritually unfulfilled had to do with my lifestyle in America, which was often tied to instant gratification and impulsive behavior. As a result, I speculated that the answer might lie in finding a better locale. Thus, I began looking for that perfect place. After traveling to numerous destinations, I discovered that it wasn’t so much a perfect location I was looking for, but a particular culture with the most suitable approach to life. When I found what I considered to be the most appealing culture, I recognized that it still had flaws. Thereafter, I surmised that we should learn about the different ways people live and then select the best from these practices. This was perhaps the road to the truth.
Unable to really implement the life of a global citizen, I chose to read materials on metaphysics because the esoteric things in life always intrigued me. I quickly learned everything functions according to universal laws which can be used for one’s own benefit. After reading many books on this subject, I concluded that more important than these laws is the One Who created them, i.e., God I also discovered metaphysics can be a precarious path to follow, in which case, I refrained from any further reading in this area.
On the suggestion of a good friend, we went on a three-month camping trip all over America and Western Canada with the intention of discovering the purpose of life. We witnessed the marvels of nature and realized this world could not have been created by mistake, and that it was clearly a wonderland of signs pointing to its Creator. Hence, this trip reinforced my belief in God.
After returning home, I felt distressed at the busy life of the city, so I turned to meditation for relief. I was able to find inner peace through meditation techniques. Nevertheless, this tranquil feeling was only temporary; once I stood up, I couldn’t take that feeling with me. Likewise, being consistent with meditation became too much of a formidable task, so I slowly started losing interest.
Before long, I thought the truth might lie in self-improvement. Therefore I became a voracious reader of motivational materials and attended related seminars. In addition, I was striving to live up to the US Army’s slogan on TV commercials, ‘Be all you can be’, through endeavors in fire-walking, skydiving and martial arts. Due to my reading and challenging exploits, I gained a keen sense of self-confidence, but in fact, I still hadn’t discovered the truth.
Soon afterwards, I read numerous books on various philosophies. I found many interesting concepts and practices; yet, there wasn’t any particular philosophy that I could totally agree with. Thus, I chose to consolidate what I thought was the best wisdom from among these doctrines. It became sort of a ‘religion à la carte’ which mainly emphasized good moral behavior. I eventually concluded that good morality is good, but it is not good enough to solve ‘the purpose of life puzzle’ a more spiritual approach to life.
Shortly thereafter, I obtained a job in a Muslim country where I had enough of free time to read and reflect on life. While continuing my search for the truth, I found a recommendation in a book concerning the need for sincere repentance to God. I proceeded to do so and felt remorse for all the people I had wronged in my life, to the degree that tears started rolling down my face.
A few days later, I had a conversation with some Muslim friends. I mentioned to them that I was used to having a lot more freedom in America than that was present in their country. One person said, “ Well, it depends on what you mean by ‘freedom’. In your part of the world, no matter how well parents teach morality to their children inside the home, as soon as they go outside, they generally encounter the society in contradiction to that morality. On the other hand, in most Muslim communities, the morals taught to the children at home are very similar to what they find away from home. So who really has the freedom here?” From this analogy, I inferred that the Islamic guidelines and restrictions partially sanctioning human behavior are not meant to curtail human freedom; rather, they serve to define and dignify human freedom.
A further opportunity to learn about Islam arose when I was invited to sit with a group of Muslims over dinner. After mentioning to the group that I had been living in Las Vegas, Nevada before coming to the Middle East, a Muslim from America said, “ You must make sure you die as a good Muslim.” I immediately asked him to explain what he meant. He said “ If you die as a non-Muslim, it is like playing the game of roulette in which you put all of your chips (all of your life, including your deeds and your particular belief in God) on only one number, just hoping that perhaps by the Mercy of God, you will enter Paradise on Judgment Day. In contrast, if you die as a good Muslim, it is like spreading your chips all over the roulette board, so that every number is covered in this way, no matter what number the ball falls on, you’re safe. In other words, living and dying as a good Muslim is the best insurance you will not go to the Hell, and at the same time, it is the best investment that you’ll go to Paradise.” As a former resident of Las Vegas, I could directly relate to this poignant example with the game of roulette.
At this point, I understood I would not find the truth until I established a relationship with concentrate on those religions in which God had sent revelation to His prophets and messengers. Hence, I chose to continue my search for the truth through Christianity and Islam.
Christianity in Focus
Even though I up as a Christian, I had been confused and uninterested in Christianity. I felt like I inherited a mysterious religion beyond understanding. I believe it was for this reason that I was a Christian by name but not in practice. Furthermore, I realized my doubt about Christian beliefs caused me to be in a state of non-religiousness. Nonetheless, while I was searching for the truth, I had a chance to re-examine those beliefs I inherited from my parents yet never bothered to scrutinize.
Through booklets, cassettes and videotapes on Christianity produced by Muslims and non-Muslims, I surprisingly found out about hundreds of verses in Bible which reveal a lack of harmony in Christian beliefs. According to these materials, God was One prior to Jesus (peace be upon him; pbuh). Likewise, Jesus (pbuh) propagated the belief in One God. However, after Jesus (pbuh) Christianity emphasized the Trinity instead of the Oneness of God. Also, before Jesus (pbuh), God was without sons and equals. Similarly, Jesus (pbuh) said he was God’s messenger, whereas after his time, Christianity stressed that Jesus (pbuh) is God’s son or God Himself.
Regarding monotheism, the first of the Ten Commandments upholds Jesus’ (pbuh) assertion for the belief in One God, “…Here, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29)[1] Likewise, there is plethora of verses in the Bible that refute the divinity of Jesus (pbuh). For example, Jesus (pbuh) admitted he could not do miracles independently, but only by the Will and permission of God.[2] Interestingly, it says in the Bible that Jesus (pbuh) prayed.[3] I asked myself, “How can Jesus (pbuh) be God and pray to God at the same time?” A praying God is a contradiction. Additionally, Jesus (pbuh) states that his teachings are not his own, but those of One who sent him.[4] Logically, if what he says is not his own, he is just a prophet receiving revelation from God like those before (and after) him. Moreover, Jesus (pbuh) admits that he does what he taught by God.[5] Again, I asked myself, “How can Jesus (pbuh) be taught and be God at the same time?” In my discussions with Muslims, they concurred with what Jesus (pbuh) commanded with respect to the belief in only One God, as in the following Qur’anic verse: Say, “ He is God, [Who is] One.” (112:1)[6]
I was also surprised to find out about the verses in the Bible which refer to Jesus (pbuh) as a prophet of God.[7] Likewise, I learned about the Islamic view of Jesus (pbuh) which is that he is a prophet and messenger of God. In the Qur’an God says, “The Messiah, son of Mary, is not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded.” (5:75)
Another common belief in Christianity is that Jesus (pbuh) is the son of God.
According to the Bible, it was customary to call any prophet of God, or righteous man, a son of God. Jesus (pbuh) called himself the son of man, not God or God\'s literal son.[8] Evidently, Paul was most responsible for elevating the status of Jesus (pbuh) to the son of God, distorting the teachings of Jesus (pbuh).[9]
What\'s more, Jesus (pbuh) did not appear to be the \'begotten\' son of God (as it used to say in John 3:16) since this word has been cancelled from the Revised Standard Version (RSV), as well as many other new versions of the Bible. Furthermore, God emphatically says in the Qur\'an that He does not have a son.[10] However, God also declared that He created Adam (pbuh) and Jesus (pbuh): "Indeed, the example of Jesus to God is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him "Be", and he was." (3:59)
Subsequent to these modification emperors and clergy made further fabrications, contrary to what Jesus (pbuh) said or did. Of these is the concept of Trinity in which Jesus (pbuh) is one of the three manifestations of the Trinitarian God [the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost].[11] In the Bible, this verse given as the best proof for the Doctrine Trinity, even though this doctrine was never forth by Jesus (pbuh), his disciples, or a Christian scholars. In fact, it was enacted after much disagreement and conflict among Christians in the year 325 AD at the Council Nicea. Interestingly, this verse has been expunged from the Bibles of the modern age.
In addition, the Qur\'an warns the Jews Christians to refrain from disbelieving in revelation of God and against believing in Trinity.[12]
A related area of controversy I read about was \'original sin\' and salvation through \'the crucifixion\' of Jesus (pbuh). Presumably, before Jesus (pbuh), there was no Doctrine of Original Sin. However, after Jesus (pbuh), the Doctrine of Original Sin appeared. Moreover, before Jesus (pbuh), salvation was obtained by obedience to God whereas after Jesus (pbuh), salvation was achieved through his crucifixion so they said.
In Christianity, the Doctrine of Original Sin is the justification for having salvation through the crucifixion of Jesus (pbuh). Nevertheless, I found out that this doctrine is strongly negated in the Old Testament.[13] It seems this concept may have been designed as a way for its believers to eschew their accountability of sins before God on Judgement Day.[14] It was brought to my attention that, according to Jesus (pbuh), man is saved through obedience and submission to God.[15] Correspondingly, in the Qur\'an, every soul is compensated for what it earns.[16] However, it seems that changed this doctrine, making salvation through the crucifixion of Jesus (pbuh).[17]
The theory of salvation through crucifixion holds that Jesus (pbuh) offered himself will to be crucified to ransom and save humanity If so, why did Jesus (pbuh) request help God before the soldiers came to arrest him?: “…Father, save me from this hour.” (12:27) Likewise, why does the Bible say Jesus (pbuh) cried out in a loud beseeching God for help on the cross: “…My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(Matt. 27:46) In addition, how could Jesus (pbuh) have been crucified for the of all humans when he was sent only to the Children of Israel?[18] This is clearly contradiction. I found the foregoing verses be very convincing that Jesus (pbuh)was crucified on the cross to redeem the sins mankind. The Qur\'an says they did not crucify him, but it was someone else who was made to look like him.[19] If this is correct, then it may explain the appearance of Jesus (pbuh) to his disciples after the crucifixion. If he had really died on the cross, then he would have come to his disciples in a spiritual body. As shown in Luke 24:36-43, Jesus (pbuh) met them with his physical body after the event of his alleged crucifixion. Accordingly, I learned it was Paul who taught the resurrection of Jesus(pbuh).[20] Paul also admitted the resurrection was his own gospel.[21]
I came across many sources indicating that Paul and others were frustrated by the Jewish rejection of the message of Jesus (pbuh), so they extended their call to the Gentiles. They reached into southern Europe, where polytheism and idolatry were spreading. Gradually, the message of Jesus (pbuh) was modified to suit the tastes and traditions of the Romans and Greeks of those days.[22] The Bible warns against adding or removing information from its teachings, which is precisely happened.[23] God addresses this point in Qur\'an as well, "So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from God," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn. " (2:79)
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Scriptures
Another interesting point I learned about concerns Biblical prophecies on the advent of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). I discovered that clear prophecies exist in the Bible, (even the original text had been distorted), foretelling the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) after Jesus (pbuh).[24] Muslim scholars have affirmed that the description by Jesus (pbuh) of the one to come after him(in the verses cited in below) cannot apply to any other person but Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Furthermore, there is a verse in the Holy Qur\'an confirming what Jesus (pbuh) said regarding this point, "... O Children of Israel, I am the Messenger of God to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad ... " (61:6) The name Ahmad is another name for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and derived from the same root word.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Qur\'an
I observed that the Qur\'an directs us to believe in God and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as in the following verse: Say, [O Muhammad], "O mankind, Indeed, I am the Messenger of God to you all, [from Him] to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death. So believe in God and His Messenger, the illiterate prophet, who believes in God and His words, and follow him that you may be guided. " (7-158)
I came to know that the Qur\'an also refers to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the last prophet: "Muhammad is not the father of [any] of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of God and seal [i.e., last] of the prophets..." (33:40) Even though God states in the Qur\'an that Muhammad (pbuh) is the last prophet, I discovered that Muslims still believe in and accept all the previous prophets, along with the revelations they received in their original form.[25]
The Qur\'an: The Last Revelation
I comprehended that it was found amen due to innovations attributed to Divine revelation that the need arose for another prophet after Jesus (pbuh) with another revelation after the Gospel. This is why God sent Muhammad (pbuh) with the last Message, (i.e., the Qur\'an), to bring all of mankind back to the belief in and worship of One God, without partners or intermediaries. According to Muslims, the Holy Qur\'an is the permanent ultimate source of guidance for mankind offers a rational and historical elucidation of the magnificent role of Jesus. The name Jesus (pbuh) is cited twenty-five times in the Qur\'an, which contains a chapter called Maryam(Mary), named after the mother of Jesus (pbuh).
Regarding the Divine authenticity of this revelation, I found the following Qur\'anic verses very compelling: "And it was not [possible] for this Qur\'an to be produced by other than God, but [it is] a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of the [former] Scripture, about which there is no doubt, from the Lord of the worlds." (10:37) and "And indeed, it is the truth of certainty." (69:51) Similarly, I was concerned about the adulteration of the Qur\'an since this was a major problem with the previous revelations. I read that the Qur\'an will never change or be abrogated: "Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur\'an], and indeed, We will be its guardian. " (15:9)[26]
I was also informed about some of the scientific phenomena mentioned in the Qur\'an, which give credence to the belief that the Qur\'an is the literal word of God. There are verses describing human embryonic development,[27] mountains,[28] the origin of the universe,[29] the cerebrum,[30] seas,[31] deep seas, and internal waves[32] and clouds.[33] It is beyond explanation that anyone, more than fourteen hundred years ago, could have known the facts, which were found or confirmed on recently by advanced mechanisms a sophisticated scientific procedures.
Islam: The Essence and Culmination of Revealed Religions
Muslims believe that the essential purpose for which mankind was created is the worship of God. As He said in the Qur\'an, "And I did not create the jinn [i.e., a type of creation, created by God from fire] and mankind except to worship Me" (51:56) Related to this, a well known Islamic scholar from the West says, "The most complete system of worship available humans today is the system found in the religion of Islam, The very name \'Islam\' means \'submission to the Will of God\'. Although it commonly referred to as \'the third of the three monotheistic faiths, it is not a new religion at all. It is the religion brought by all the prophets of God for humankind. Islam was the religion of Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.\'\'[34]
In addition he states, "Since there is only One God, and humankind is one species, the religion that God has ordained for humans is [essentially] one... Human spiritual and social needs are uniform and human nature has not changed since the first man and woman were created”.[35]
Uncovering the fact that the message of God has always been the same, I realized it is the duty of all human beings to seek the truth and not just blindly accept the religion that their society or parents follow, According to the Qur\'an, "You worship besides Him not except [mere] names you have named, you and your fathers, for which God has sent down no authority..." (12:40) Regarding fitrah [i.e., the inherent nature of man to worship God prior to the corruption of his nature by external influences], Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Every child is born on Al-Fitrah, and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism. As an animal delivers a perfect baby animal, do you find it mutilated?"[36] Furthermore, God says,, \'So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining toward truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of God upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of God. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. " (30:30)[37] Moreover, I learned there no other religion acceptable to God besides Islam, as He clearly states in the Qur\'an: "And whoever desires other than Islam as a religion, never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. " (3:85). I deduced that man might neglect the guidance of God and establish his own standards of living. Ultimately, however, he will discover it is only a mirage that alluded him.
A Traveler
As I continued to read the Qur\'an and learn about the sayings and doings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) [the Sunnah], I noticed Islam views man as a traveler in this life and the \'Home\' is in the next life for eternity. We are here for a short period and we cannot take anything with us from this life except our belief in God and our deeds. Thus, man should be like a traveler who passes through the land and does not become attached to it. As travelers on this journey, we must understand that the meaning of being alive is to be tested. Hence, there is suffering, joy, pain and elation. These tests of good and evil are intended to evoke our higher spiritual qualities. Yet, we are incapable of benefiting from these tests unless we do our best, have complete trust in God and patiently accept what He has destined for us.
The Road to Paradise
It was very meaningful to learn about Paradise since this must certainly be the ultimate goal of every individual. Regarding this eternal home, God says, "And no soul knows what has been hidden for it of comfort for eyes [i.e., satisfaction] as a reward for what it used to do. " (32:17) 1 also became aware of a pleasure that is beyond all imagination, which is to be in the Presence of the Creator Himself. I wondered who are the souls worthy of such a reward? This reward of Paradise is too great not to have a price. I was told the price is true faith, which is proven by obedience to God and following the Sunnah(way) of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
I grasped that mankind must worship God to attain righteousness and the spiritual status necessary to enter Paradise.[38] This means human beings have to comprehend that worship is as indispensable as eating and breathing and not a favor they are doing for God. Likewise, I found out that we need to read the Qur’an to find out what kind of people God wants us to be and then try to become as such. This is the road to Paradise.
Overcoming an Obstacle
At this point, I felt about 80% sure I wanted to become a Muslim, but something was holding me back. I was concerned about the reaction of my family and friends if they knew that I had become a Muslim. Shortly thereafter, I expressed this concern to a Muslim who told me that on Judgement Day, no one will be able to help you, not your father, mother or any of your friends.[39] Therefore, if you believe Islam is the true religion, you should embrace it and live your life to please the One who created you. Thus, it became very lucid to me that we are all in the same boat; every soul shall taste death and then we\'ll be liable for our particular belief in God and for our deeds.[40]
A Meaningful Videotape
By this stage in my search for the truth, I was on the verge of embracing Islam. I watched an Islamic lecture on videotape about the purpose of life. The main theme of this lecture was that the purpose of life may be summed up in one word, i.e., Islam (peaceful submission to the Will of God).
An additional point was that, unlike other religions or beliefs, the term \'Islam\' is not associated with any particular person or place. God has named the religion in the following Qur\'anic verse: "Indeed, the Religion in the sight of God is Islam..." (3:19) Anyone who embraces Islam is called a Muslim regardless of that person\'s race, sex or nationality. This is one of the reasons why Islam is a universal religion.
Prior to my search for the truth, I had never seriously considered Islam as an option because of the constant negative portrayal of Muslims in the media. Similarly, it was disclosed in this videotape that although Islam, is characterized by high moral standards, not all Muslims uphold these standards. I learned the same can be said about adherents of other religions. I finally understood that we cannot judge a religion by the actions of its followers alone, as I had done, because all humans are fallible. On that account, we should not judge Islam by the actions of its proponents, but by its revelation (the Holy Qur\'an) and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The last point I picked up from this lecture concerned the importance of gratitude. God mentions in the Qur\'an that we should be grateful for the fact that He created us: "And God has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect that perhaps you would be grateful. " (16:78) God has also cited gratitude along with belief, and has made it clear that He gains nothing from punishing His people when they give thanks to Him and believe in Him. He says in the Qur\'an, "What would God do with [i.e., gain from] your punishment if you are grateful and believe? ..." (4:147)
The truth Unveils Itself
As soon as the videotape had finished, I experienced the truth being unveiled to my spirit. I felt a huge burden of sins flying off my back. Moreover, it felt like my soul was rising above the earth, refusing the makeshift delights of this world in favor of the eternal joys of the Hereafter. This experience, coupled with the long process of reasoning, solved the \'purpose of life puzzle\'. It revealed Islam as the truth, thereby replenishing my \'spiritual landscape\' with belief, purpose, direction and action. I therefore entered the gate of Islam by saying the declaration of faith required to become a Muslim: Ashhadu an La ilaha illa Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasoolu llah. (I bear witness that there is no deity but God and Muhammad is His Messenger). I was informed that this formal testimony confirms one\'s belief in all the prophets and messengers of God, along with all of His Divine revelations in their original form, thereby updating and completing one\'s religion to the last of the prophets [Muhammad (pbuh)] and to the final revelation of God [the Qur\'an]. The following point became overwhelmingly clear to me: Had Jesus (pbuh) been the last prophet of God an had the Gospel been the final book revelation, I would have attested to that. As a result, I have naturally chosen to follow the final revelation from the Creator as exemplified by the seal of the prophets.
Impressions of a New Muslim
During my search to find the truth, the lesson, which, transcended all lessons, was that all objects of worship other than God are mere delusions. To anyone who sees this clearly, the only possible course is to bring one\'s own will and actions into complete unison with that of God. Acquiescing to the Will of God has enabled me to feel peace with the Creator, with others and finally, with myself. Consequently, I feel very grateful, that by the Mercy of God, I have been rescued from the depths of ignorance and have stepped into the light of truth. Islam, the true religion of all times, places and peoples, is a complete code of life Which guides man to fulfill the purpose of his existence on earth, and prepares him for the Day when he will return to his Creator Following this path in a devout manner enables one to gain the pleasure of God and be closer to Him amid the endless delights of Paradise while escaping from the punishment of Hellfire Another bonus is that our present life will be much happier when we make such a choice.
A Deceptive Enjoyment
Embracing Islam has given me more of an insight into the illusive nature of this life. For instance, one basic object of Islam is the liberation of man. This is why a Muslim calls himself \'Abdullah\', the slave or servant of Allah (i.e., God) because enslavement to God signifies liberation from all other forms of servitude, and although modern man may think that he is liberated, he is in fact a slave to his desires. He is generally deceived by this worldly life. He is \'addicted\' to hoarding wealth, sex, violence, intoxicants, etc. But above all, he is often seduced by the capitalist system that tends to work through the invention of false needs, which he feels must be satisfied instantly, As God says in the Qur\'an, "Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him? Or do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are not except as livestock. Rather, they are [even] more astray in [their] way. )” (25: 43-44)
Correspondingly, we should not let our zeal to enjoy the pleasures of this fleeting life jeopardize our opportunity to enjoy the ecstasy of Paradise. As God says in the Qur\'an, "Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of, worldly life, but God has with Him the best return [i.e. Paradise]. Say, "Shall /inform you of something better than that? For those who fear God will be gardens in the presence of their Lord beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and purified spouses and approval from God..." (3:14-15) Therefore, the real competition in this life is not the accumulation of wealth or the desire for fame; it is facing with one another to perform good deeds to please God, while having our lawful portion of enjoyment in this life.[41]
The Right Path to God
There are many religious alternatives available to man and it is up to him to choose the one he wishes to follow. He is like a merchant with many goods in front of him, and it is his choice which one to trade in. He will obviously select the one he thinks will be the most lucrative. However, the merchant is unsure and has no guarantee of prosperity; his product may have a market and he may make handsome returns, but he could just as easily lose all of his money. In contrast, the believer in the Oneness of God who submits to His Will (a Muslim), is completely sure that if he follows the path of guidance [the Qur\'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)], there will undoubtedly be success and reward waiting for him at the end of this path. Fortunately, this success also starts at the beginning of the path. Narrated by Abu Sa\'id Al-Khudri(may God be pleased with him)- God\'s Messenger(pbuh) said, "If a person embraces Islam sincerely, then God. shall forgive all his past sins, and after that starts the settlement of accounts: the reward of his good deeds will be ten times to seven hundred times for each good deed, and an evil deed will be recorded as it is unless God forgives it .[42]
Epilogue
Based on my search for the truth, I concluded that the precise way we believe in God and the deeds we perform determine our future condition for eternity. Our Creator is giving us all an equal chance, regardless of our circumstances, to earn His pleasure in preparation for Judgement Day, as in the following Qur\'anic verses: "And obey God and His messenger that you may obtain mercy. And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden [i.e., Paradise] as wide as the Heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous. " (3:132-133)[43]
If we sincerely seek the truth of this life, which is Islam (peaceful submission to the Will of God), God will guide us there, God Willing. He directs us to examine the life and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as he represents the best role model for mankind to follow Furthermore, God directs us to investigate and ponder what He says in the Qur\'an. One will see that the Qur\'an is indeed like a persistent and strong knocking on a door, or loud shouts seeking to awaken those who are fast asleep because they are just completely absorbed by this life on earth. The knocks and shouts appear one after the other: Wake up! Look around you! Think! Reflect! God is there! There is planning, trial, accountability, reckoning, reward, severe punishment and lasting bliss!
Clearly and unequivocally, the best way to live and die in this world is as a righteous Muslim! When one comes to the conclusion that Islam is the truth, he should not delay in becoming a Muslim because he may die first, and then it will be too late.[44]
A few months after embracing Islam, I found two verses in the Qur\'an that mirror what the American Muslim told me regarding how we should live and die: "And Abraham instructed his sons and [so did] Jacob, [saying], “O my sons! Indeed God has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims." (2:132) and “O you who have believed, fear God as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]." (3:102)
References
All Biblical references were cited from Life Application Bible, New International Version, Tyndale House Publishers, In Wheaton ILL., USA, 1991.
All Qur\'anic references were cited from The Qur\'an- Arabic Text with correspond English Meanings, English revised and edited by Saheeh International, Abul-Qasim Publish House, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1997.
[1] Also see Num. 23:19; Deut. 6:4,13; Matt. 4:10, 22:36-38,23:9-10; Mark 10:18; Luke 4:8.
[2] See Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20; John 3:2, 5:30; Acts 2:22.
[3] See Matt. 26:39; Mark 1:35, 14:32; Luke 5:16, 6:12.
[4] See John 7:16, 12:49, 14:24, 31.
[5] See John 8:28.
[6] Also see 4:48; 5:116; 39:67.
[7] See Matt. 13:57, 21:11, 45-46; Mark 6:4; Luke 4: 43, 13:33, 24:19; Hebrews 3:1.
[8] See Matt. 13:37; Luke 12:10; 1 Tim. 2:5.
[9] See Acts 9:20.
[10] See 19:88-92.
[11] See 1 John 5:7.
[12] See 3:19; 4:171; 5:73.
[13] See Ezekial 18:20; Jeremiah 31:30.
[14] See Ephesians 1:7; Romans 3:22-26, 4:25, 10:9.
[15] See Matt. 5:19-20, 6:4, 7:21, 19:17.
[16] See 3:25; 41:46; 74:38.
[17] See Romans 3:28; 1 John 2:1-2.
[18] See Matt. 10:5-6, 15:24.
[19] See 4:157-158.
[20] See Romans 5:10-11; Acts 17:17,18.
[21] See 2 Timothy 2:8.
[22] See 1 Cor. 9:19:-23.
[23] See Rev. 22:18-19.
[24] See Deut. 18:18-19; Isaiah 29:12; John 14:12-17, 16:5-16; Acts 3:22.
[25] See 2:136.
[26] Also see 4:82.
[27] See 23:12-14.
[28] See 16:15; 78:6-7.
[29] See 21:30; 41:11.
[30] See 96:15-16.
[31] See 25:53; 55:19-20.
[32] See 24:40.
[33] See 24:43.
[34] The Purpose of Creation, Dr. A. A. B. Philips, p. 49, Dar Al Fatah, Sharjah, UAE, 1995. See Qur’an 3:67; 3:84.
[35] Ibid . p. 50.
[36] Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, Hadith No. 467.
[37] Also see 2:170; 10:19; 31:21; 43:23; 49:6; 53:23.
[38] See Qur’an 2:111-112; 10:63-64.
[39] See Qur’an 31:33; 82:18-19.
[40] See Qur’an 29:57; 3:185.
[41] See Qur’an 28:77.
[42] Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, Hadith No. 40A.
[43] Also see 20:82.
[44] See Qur’an 23:99-100; 63:10-11.

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دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

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Edoardo Agnelli

Edoardo Agnelli was born on June 1954 in New York city , his father was Christian and his mother was Jewish . His mother (Marella Caracciolo di Castagneto ) was a Jewish princess and his father was senator Gianni Agnelli, a famous and rich man in Italy . He was the owner of automobile factories, Fiat, Ferrari, Lancia, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo and Iveco and also factories producing industrial parts, many private Banks, companies of fashion, design and clothes, important published newspapers such as (LASTAMPA) and (CorriereDellaSera), the clod-house of Ferrari motoring and the Juventus football club. In addition there are many building constructions and road construction companies, medical equipment and helicopter production companies in which his family are the main shareholders. The amount of his family's wealth and influence are so great that the press in Italy calls them the Italian royal family. The economic experts estimate the annual income of Agnelli's family to be many times more than the petroleum income of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ...

Edoardo is the only son of senator Agnelli . His only sister Margarita has 2 children which are the results of her two marriages. Her first husband was Jewish and her second husband Christian. She has three children by her first husband and four children by her second husband.
Edoardo completed his school education in Italy and for higher education he travelled to England. There he went to the Atlantic College and after that he continued his studies in Princeton University in the United States in the field of Theology and Eastern Philosophy in which he was able to obtain his PhD. During the time he was a student in New York (at the age of 20) one day while searching in the library he comes across a copy of the Holy Koran and starts reading. Later in speaking to his friends about this incident he says "One day in New York while I was in a library looking for some books I suddenly saw the Koran and was curious to know what it had to offer. I picked it up and started to read the English translation of the segments. While reading I felt that the words and phrases had a special power and light in them and that they couldn't be written by mankind. I was very much impressed so I borrowed it and studied it more. The more I read the more I felt that I completely understood and believed these words." After this he goes to an Islamic Center in New York and declares his desire about wanting to become a Muslim. There he becomes a Muslim and they give him the name "Hisham Aziz". Muhammad Is-haq Abdollahi one of his friends relates, "Edoardo would stay up many nights and study the Koran till morning." Some have claimed that the reason for his becoming a Moslem was due to his frequent companionship with Moslems but the real reason is completely something different as mentioned before( due to the economic and political position of his father no one dared to mention such matters or to invite Edoado to a new religion).
After becoming a Moslem Edoardo had met Dr Ghadiri Abyaneh and it was through him that Edoardo became a Shiite Moslem. Dr Ghadiri Abyaneh had gone to Italy in 1972 for the purpose of higher education and after the Islamic Revolution of Iran had become a member of the Iranian embassy and his acquaintance with Edoardo was at that time because of Edoardo's inclination and request. Dr Ghadiri relates his acquaintance with Edoardo as, "After a press conference in which I acted as the press counselor of the Iranian Embassy, on a Sunday when I was at the residence of the Embassy , the gatekeeper of the Embassy informed me that there was an Italian young man who wanted to see me. I told him to tell the young man to come back the next day but after some minutes the gatekeeper told me that the young man says 'God opens every closed door.' I Therefore told them to let him in and went to meet him.He was a tall, thin young man with an old motorcycle and he introduced himself as Edoardo Agnelli. Without expecting a positive answer I asked him whether he was related to the famous Agnelli family and to my surprise he said that he was their son."
When Mr. Fakhrodin Hejazi visits Italy in 1980 and meets Edoardo he asks Edoardo to confirm his becoming a Shiite once more and after Edoardo confirms the fact he chooses the name Mahdi for him. Edoardo used the name Hesham Aziz in most of his letters and correspondence but in correspondence with his Iranian friends he used the name Mahdi.
Edoardo traveled to Iran many times and on March 1981 he went to see Ayatollah Khomeini, and it was during this meeting session that the Ayatollah had kissed his forehead. He also met Mr Hashemi Rarfsanjani during his position as the chief of Islamic consultation assembly and Ayatollah Khamenei before his presidency. He also had a trip to Mashhad and visited the holy shrine of Imam Reza. The first time he visited Imam Reza he was told that whatever wish he may have shall be granted by the Imam because it was his first Ziyarat and when asked about his wish he had answered that he had asked the for his fathers love and kindness towards him.
From the beginning of his youth he had no desire to manage his father's wealth according to his father's methods and he was only in charge of the Juventus football club for a few years before they replaced him with his cousin. Towards the end of the 80's concerning talks about a successor for Senator Agnelli as the central leadership for Fiat, Edoardo was considered as inappropriate due to his religious views, but since he was the rightful successor they had to find a good reason for putting him aside. Around this time the media announced that Edoardo had been arrested in a city in Kenya charged with carrying 300g of heroin. The charge was completely false and the Kenyan Police and Court soon realized their mistake. But the Italian ,media which were mainly under the influence of his family continued the charges and some even called him a smuggler and claimed that his freedom was due to his father's power and influence. Later, even though some of the media admitted their mistake, the rumours had made the general public tendency in favour of a successor other than Edoardo.
In the early 90's his cousin Jovanni Amperto was chosen as successor. Edoardo was not against this decision and even congratulated his cousin on his new position advising him not to become a toy in the hands of money-hungry, worldly people. But some years later Jovanni died young because of an unknown kind of cancer. (the interesting thing was that Georgo, the brother of senator Agnelli had died young many years ago, a suspicious death, and all his wealth had been divided between the others) Very soon after his death the head committee, chose Jacob Alkan, Edoardo's Jewish nephew, as the new successor. This decision greatly alarmed Edoardo. This time he did not remain silent and when he found out that his family was trying to change Jacob's surname from Alkan to Agnelli severely opposed the decision and did not let that happen.
Edoardo had an interview with the "munifest"(a newspaper belonging to the leftist party of Italy and opposed to his father's political inclinations) and greatly protested against his family's choice. In the interview he said that right after his cousin's funeral, his nephew Jacob Alkan had been chosen as the successor and that he believed that his appointment as the head of Fiat would bring a downfall to the company.
In the 90's Edoardo had no responsibilities in any part of his family's organizations and spent most of his time reading, travelling, working as a journalist and being involved in humanitarian activities. His father had threatened that if he did not forget his Islamic beliefs Edoardo would inherit nothing after his father's death, but he was prepared to forget his "million-dollar" inheritance rather than forget Islam. His family was continually putting him under severe pressure to desert Islam, but they never succeeded
www.erfan.ir

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Chadi

I was born in lebanon,my father is druze(non-mslim) and my mother christian. I had all christian learnings from my christian school, and my mother home encouraged me to learn more about jesus. This lasted till my late adolescence, when i realised that Bible,although a good book,did not penetrate to the depth of my Soul. It is the story of jesus and his actions ,but i could not find in it the majesty of the words of God. So i asked God to guide me to his way,in any religion he chooses for me,but since my home embiance is not favoring islam ,i could not imagine that God wanted me to be a Muslim. I was even very bothered to hear Azan or see any Islamic activity. After that , i travelled to russia to study ,there i lived with my Christian girlfriend. My neighbour was muslim, sometimes he told me about Islam but as usual i could not hear anything about it. One day, my girlfriend was in the bus,she heard people telling jokes about Islam,. she,herself ,did not like Islam but she asked them:"do You know anything about true Islam " , they replied:"no", so she told them :"how can you judge a religion without knowing anything about it ?"
And she left. After that she asked our friend to bring her some translated books about Islam for her to know if the things told about islam are true or not. Meanwhile, i had this strange dream,that was the message of God that i waited for,the vision was so clear and not blurred as most dreams are.
I was in a green place,splendid in it's beauty, the earth was totally green,beauty that i did not see anything like it before, then i saw in the sky ,the sun,the moon and a star between them. The dream ended when someone gave a piece of paper on which was written " 5 times a day and if i tell you azzen(pray) fa azzen(so pray)" i woke from my dream very pleased by the visions but i did not understand the other sightings. So i asked my friend and he told me that muslims pray 5 times a day and the vision i saw is mentioned in koran in different souras,like youssef and kiyama(judgement day) when people will see the sun , the moon together.
Since I did not read koran before, I was astonished that how something I saw was mentioned in the book of Allah, without this being a picture from my memory.
After that i took the koran and started to read it ,then i felt totally taken by this book, i felt the truth, the majesty behind each word, i felt at last what can penetrate the deepest parts of my soul.
So my girlfriend (who felt the same attraction to the word of Allah) And I embraced Islam, and married after that. I do not say that only my dream made me a Muslim, this dream was only the message of God that i waited for. My knowledge of Islam and Koran teachings made me a Muslim. Anyway God does not want us to believe blindly in him, in Koran he asks us to test the truth of his book and to face it every time with the modern knowledge to believe that it is the truth.
God gave us our brains to think, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, if we have to check about Islam so check it from a good source to have the clearest idea about Allah, and stay far from those who are only trying to harm the book of Allah without knowing their true goal in that. My situation now is like someone who found a treasure and wants to share it with everybody.
I want to tell you how believing in God can change your life dramatically, how we can obtain this purity of soul, how we can enjoy life after knowing why we are in this life
www.erfan.ir

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The Ex-Sunni Scholar Sheikh Hassan Shehatah

Written by Sheikh Hassan Shehatah
The Allamah Shekh Hassan Shehate was born in Egypt 1946 in a family flowing the shafiyy doctrine. He was raised in a religious environment. He started acquiring the Religious knowledge at a very young age. His father sent him to Quran class when he was four years old. He memorized the Holy Quran by heart with 'tartil' (reading correctly with 'tajwid' rules) when he was five years & six months old. Then he joined Al-Azhar in Egypt & studied many fields of knowledge.
He majored in Shafiyy fiqh & Science of the holy Quran. He earned his Master’s degree in Science of Explanation of the Quran. He is also an authority in the Fiqh and Usul of the other three doctrine’s : Maliki, Hanafi & Hanbali.
Sheikh Hassan was considered as a Sunni learned man & Quran scholar. Sheikh Hassan started giving Juma preach since he was thirteen year’s old. In 1973 he became a preacher of Egyptian army beside his other duty’s as a Imam of mosque & teacher. He had a weekly TV program. Sheikh Hassan was known as a honest person so he used to fustigate the contradiction’s, mistake’s & myth’s in the Sunnism creed & propagate to mildness & prudence .
Sheikh Hassan conversion to Shiism began in 1994 when he saw prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) in a real vision in his dream & ordered him to follow Imam Ali (a.s) & he saw Abu baker & Omar in a shape of dog standing far away of prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) & Imam Ali (a.s) , after that vision Sheikh Hassan realized that is a message from the holy prophet(s.a.w.a) so he took it seriously & investigate in the history & start a deep research’s in Sunnism & Shiism creed & compare the both sides evidences. In 1996, Sheikh Hassan announced that he convert to Shiism & declared the truth through on TV & after that he challenged Al-Azhar chief (shekh Dr. Tantawi) & sunni’s scholars to a debate broadcast live through TV to prove for the people the truth & challenge them to gather all of them in one place to pray to God to condemn the liars if they disagree in the debate to prove who is on the right path, but they reject this challenge & sent Sheikh Hassan to jail for nine months because hundred thousands of Egyptian Sunnis convert to Shiism & there was no way for the sunnis scholars to prevent & control the fast expand for Shiism creed in Egypt except to keep shekh Hassan away of the people. After Sheikh Hassan got out of the jail, they exiled him for some time.
There are many reasons that led to Sheikh Hassan's conversion to Shiism True Islam besides his dream (vision). Because Sheikh Hassan from the beginning were disagreed with many sunniest principles & not really convinced by sunnism creed because of the contradiction & the mistiness in sunnism creed such as there is no authentic source for the hadith's in sunnism creed because most of hadith’s in Sunnism book’s narrate through liars such as abu Hurayra & Abu Hurayra acknowledged by him self that he is a liar [ sahih Albukhari ] & Imam Ali (a.s) announced that Abu Hurayra is the biggest liar [ Nahjul-balagha ] & sahih Albukhari plus the other hadith books narrate hadiths through the enemys of Ahl albayt (a.s) such as Umran ibn Hatan & narrate through hypocrites such as the jewish rabbi Ka'ab Alahba'ar & the sunnis accept the narration of this people while they reject most of the hadiths narrated through Ahl albayt (a.s), Sunnism tafseer (Explanation of the Quran ) it’s really contradictive & many verses are mystical for them & cannot find an explanation for it & many verses has been explained wrong on purpose to cover the facts & Shekh Hassan realized that because he were expert in Quran & one of the greatest sunnis scholars , other reason for his conversion is fiqh (Jurisprudence) because Sunnism fiqh is really contradictive & some times it’s against Quran & hadith such as Imam Alshafiyy allow for the man to marry his daughter of adultery & Imam Malik allowed for the mans to have sex with each other if they in a long travel (buggery) & Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal allowed for the womans to breast feed adult foreigner mans ( adults breast feeding ) & Imam Abo Hanifa allowed incest….etc
Today shekh Hassan is a renown Shiite scholar in Egypt & spends most of his time in teaching his students Ahl albayt (a.s) science & propagate to Shiism

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Sheikh Ahmed Amin al-Antaki; Ex-Sunni

Written by Sheikh Ahmed Amin al-Antaki
Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki’s birth and upbringing
The full name of Sheikh al-Antaki is Ahmed son of Yousif son of Ali son of Qanbar al-Haza. Sheikh al-Antaki was born in a village called €˜Ensow’ on the outskirts of Antakia, in Turkey. The village of Ensow comprises of two words, one of the words being in Arabic and the other in Turkish, the literal meaning of Ensow means eye of water, or oasis. This name was given to it due to its watery riches and resources.

The Sheikh was born Sunni to a Shafeei sect, he underwent his first classes under the teaching of his father. Sheikh Antaki was born in the year 1893(1311 in the Islamic calendar).
Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki’s academic life
-Sheikh Ahmed was brought up as a Shafeei and obtained his knowledge from his father at the beginning; he then went to study under the guidance of one of the Sheikhs in their village where he studied the basis of his education such as grammar, logic, etc.
After, Sheikh Ahmed directed his way towards Antakia where he attended classes under the teachings of one of the Sheikhs in the area known as Shiekh Ahmed al-Taweel, furthermore Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki and his brother attended additional classes which included studying under the teachings of Sheikh Saed al-Arfei.
After spending many years attaining his educational foundations, Sheikh Ahmed decided to travel to the €˜city of knowledge’- the Holy Azhar, in Egypt, to continue his strive for attaining knowledge and build upon his education. Upon deciding to travel to Azhar, his brother Sheikh Mohammed agreed to join him on the quest of gaining knowledge.
The Sheikh attended in al-Azhar many classes such as Islamic Theology, Arabic grammar, etc. Sheikh Ahmed received his Islamic theology teaching from the Theologian Mohammed Abu Taha and al-Sheikh Mohammed Bakhit. Both of whom were the teachers in Egypt in the past. Mohammed al-Samloot and Sheikh Hasanian were also teachers of Sheikh al-Antaki.
In the same period of time, the head of the al-Azhar university was the deceased the Allamah Sheikh Mohammed Abu al-Fatheel. After completing his studies & achieved the Al-almya degree which is the highest degree at al-Azhar, the Sheikh decided to return back to his homeland and spread the knowledge which he had obtained on his quest to al-Azhar to his friends and family. The sheikh returned to Antakia, however, the Sheikh did not prolong his stay there due to continuous occupation of the area by French forces.
Sheikh al-Antaki’s journey to Hijaz:
The sheikh was invited to a trip to Hijaz, a region in Saudi Arabia, the sheikh received knowledge that the city of Hijaz implements Islamic Sharia at the best of levels.
The sheikhs teaching were generally accepted and appreciated in Syria where he received an invitation from King Abdul Aziz al-Saud where he was given an opportunity to accept a position as Judge of Sharia, however what he observed on his trip from the Salafie’s and Wahabee’s disbelief towards other Muslims generally was the main reason for him not accepting the position as Islamic Judge (which was a position which couldn’t be rejected).
Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki resided in a city in Syria called Halab after the occupation of the evil Mustafa Atartork. The sheikh was appointed as representative (mufti) in the area by Sheikh Saed Areif who was the head of the Islamic Council at the time.
Sheikh al-Antaki’s conversion to Shia Ithna Ashari faith:
Reason for the change
The change from faith to faith or from sect to sect requires a balance between the two extremes. So whenever the facts become apparent of the faith or the sect, apparent to the logic that is, then a change is required. This is exactly what happened with sheikh Ahmed when he figured that the truth is with the Shia with a the reality of logic used between the two extremes: Shia-Sunni.
It was because of reasons of doubtfulness that the Sheikh first realised about the Shafiee school of thought and the Sunni faith in general. The faith contained disagreements as well as contradictions which disregard the fundamental bases. The sheikh notes this in his book €˜The way I became Shia’ the following:
“we realised that the Shafiee school of thought for example allows the marriage of a girl who is a prostitute to her father, the bases of this argument is that the water of a prostitute is not haram, as the daughter is not linked to the father so its allowable for the father to marry her. Abu Hanifa forbids this.” (The way I became Shia-page 16).
A further reason of why the Sheikh converted to Shia Ithna Ashari sect was because of his ability to obtain a book by the name of “Morajaat- The right path” by Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharf al-Deen al-Amili, he says about this:
“ I took the book and browsed through the pages astonished at the literature I was reading, I was really happy with what I was reading, it made me think about this book and its contents from its discussions between Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharf al-Deen (may Allah bless his soul) and Sheikh Saleem al-Bashree. Sheikh Saleem al-Bashree was a scholar at al-Azhar University; he was asking Sayed Abdul Hussain many questions which the Sayed was answering in the book…..”
When the sheikh was initially given the book, he first rejected it, as it was known to him to be a bias Shia book. The sheikh says about this:
“My brother sheikh Moraeey must have come across it and said: take this book and read it you will be surprised about it, think about it. I replied to him: from which sect is he from? He replied to me that he is from Jaffari, so I said to him: take this book away from me as I am not interested in it, as I hate the Shia. He told me to read it and not to implement any of its words and he emphasised that reading it will not affect me. Prior to this incident a discussion arose between us in the village of €˜al-Faewa’ and this is the incident took place in a area called €˜adalab’ €˜’ (about his book-page 17).
Another reason which had an impact on his conversion to the Shia school of thought was due to reading the book entitled “Abu Horayra” whose author is also Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharf al-Deen al-Amili, where he found out that many hadiths were made up as they did not obey logic neither did it comply with the Quran or the teaching of the Prophet (PBUH). An example is that Prophet Musa (PBUH) slapped the face of the angel of death Izrael and so He opened his eyes. Or for example Musa (PBUH) was walking naked between the children of Israel (bani Israel), or that Allah (SWT) created Adam (PBUH) like his picture?! And many more alike. The author of the book has written it in such a way which allows the reader to realise that “Abu Horayra” who befriended the Prophet (PBUH) for three years or less, was the companion of the Prophet who spread his teachings to the greatest. However the proportion of what the four khalifas saw in comparison to what Abu Horayra saw was only 27% from his traditions!!!.
The availability of strong facts which were not created and which are accepted by both Shia and Sunna
- there exists many traditions in regards to household of the Prophet (PBUH), however one tradition which especially caught the Sheikhs attention was about the ark which the Prophet (PBUH) says: “My Household to you is like Noah’s ark, whosoever got on the ark survived, and who neglected the ark drowned” (€˜Mostadreek Al Hokom- The book of Laws’ chapter 2, page 342 and Ibin Hijir €˜Sawaiqa’ page 153’)
Also the tradition of the “Thaqalaayn’ where the Prophet (PBUH) says “ I have left for you two weighty things, the Holy Book of Allah and My household, whosoever keeps with them will never go astray. The two weighty things will not separate until they return to the pond in paradise, so observe how you will do contrary to what I have stated”( tradition contained in Sahih Muslim ch.2 page 238 also contained in Ahmed Ibin Hanbal ch.3 page 17 and Sahih Tarmadi ch.2 page 308).
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has compared his household to (who comprise of Ali, Fatemah , Hasan, Hussain and the nine infallibles sons of Hussain) to Noah’s ark as the survival is only guaranteed with them as the ark was the only means of survival to the people at the time.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) also compared his household to the Holy Quran which is the strongest proof that his Household are the most knowledge of people in the contents of the Holy Quran, and that they are all infallible.
For more guidance we highly recommend you to read the book €˜Morajaat- The right Path’ whose author is Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharf al-Deen al-Amili who has noted the most important references against the sunna’s and the truth of the household of the Holy Prophet(PBUH).
These are some of the reasons why Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki converted to the Shia Inthna Ashari school of thought.
The above was a short piece of literature belonging to a humble individual who was guided to the correct path. Sheikh Ahmed al-Antaki has a book called “the way I became Shia” where he outlines the exact procedure of how he converted. Sheikh Mohammed Moraeey al-Antaki also has a book called “why I chose the Shia school of thought” both books are available at all good Islamic bookstores.
www.shiarightpath.com

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Abdullah Ahmed Al-Osayri; Ex-Salafi... Now Shia!

Written by Abdullah Ahmed Al- Osayri

Abdullah Ahmed Al-Osayri was born in the city of Mahaweet in Yemen in the year 1977. With respect to his academic studies, he was a medical student, however with respect to his religious studies; he attended lessons for Wahabis/Salafis in one of the institutions in his area for a period of three years as well as taking part in the propagation of Wahabism/Salafism for a period of one year.

 

The Beginning

Abdullah talks about the events which led to his guidance. €˜In the beginning I took a decision to live according to the laws of God, and to strive with respect to Islamic principles because it is the best way to live in this life and the hereafter. I had nothing but Islam, but in the Wahabi way. When I attended the lessons I was told to ridicule my intellect for according to them intellect leads man astray and so I believed them for three years learning from them and preaching for them. So brother Abdullah was misguided by the Wahabi ideology that does not permit one to use his intellect to think.

Coming closer to Shiism
Abdullah says: €˜I was lucky that I knew a Wahabi/Salafi scholar Sheikh Ali Al-Herazi because we had a family tie as well as a good friendship and one day I heard from his family that he became a Shia. So I went to him with an intention to guide him, according to my views at that time. We started by discussing the issue of combining the two Salaats, and he told me that it is permissible to combine the two prayers and that this was verified in Sahih Bukhari.

On the next occasion of their meeting, the discussion was about theological issues rather than Fiqh (jurisprudence) issues as the last time. Sayed Abdullah says: €˜We started talking about Allah (SWT) attributes for the Wahabis/Salafis say that Allah is physically present on his throne so my Shia friend asked me from where we had this ridiculous ideology ?. I replied from the Sahih hadiths. Then we discussed the issue of hadiths and the correctness of the hadith books. I argued with him although I could not answer his questions at all. However, I wrote down all the points he mentioned and decided to go to my Wahabi/Salafi teacher and get a response.

I went to my Wahabi/Salafi teacher immediately and informed him of the discussion I had, and gave him the paper on which I wrote all the points. He promised me to give me a response the following day. So I went to him the next day and he recited the words of Ibn Tamiyah: The Shia are polytheist and are misguided and talking to them is dangerous. I said to him that I know that but I wanted a reply to convince my Shia friend and in a more general way it is important that when preaching I should show the people that I am on the true path and that the Shia are wrong. He said to me that if Allah (SWT) had wanted to guide my friend then he would have and no one can be Shia and be guided’.

This is the way in which Wahabis/Salafis run away from the truth- false accusations and never ever answering questions or points made to them that prove the Shia are on the right path. It is because the Wahabis/Salafis are based on a vicious falsehood, a lie, and they are truly misguided.

The Change

Abdullah recalls how he felt: €˜
For the first time I lost respect for this sect, Wahabism/Salafism, for it admits that it has no answer to reply the Shias, and that it does not know anything except saying that the Shias are misguided. Why? Just because Ibn Taymiyah said so. I took from my Wahabi/Salafi teacher a book about the Shia. He gave me a book called €˜The wide lines regarding the religion of Imamah’ so I took the book and went to my Shia converted relative Shekh Al-Herazi and I mentioned to him the accusations that the book made about the Shias, one after the other and he was very patient with me. The Shekh replied each one until I acknowledged with certainty that the Shias have not fabricated the Holy Quran, and the correctness of their beliefs regarding the companions of the Holy Prophet and his wives, and also the correctness of temporary marriage: mutaa.

Then we entered into a discussion about Islamic history after the death of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and we discussed the political system in Islam. We debated whether the Shura is a system of leadership or whether the Immamah is the system of leadership in Islam. We talked about how the Prophet clearly stated that Ali was the leader of the Ummah after him and how Abu Bakr usurped the Caliphate. After long discussions regarding these matters, the Shaykh gave me a book called €˜Al-Murajaat’ and this book just convinced me that the Shias are on the right and all my previous beliefs were ridiculous. After that, I learnt of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and I changed to a person who was on an enlightened path following the ways of the Prophet (SAW) and his Holy Infallible progeny (AS).

The Wahabis- troublemakers
The Wahabis/Salafis started making trouble for Abdullah. They caused fitnah and problems between him and his older brother and family. Furthermore, they turned everyone against him and started making more problems for him so that he did not get his wages(his salary).

However, Abdullah Ahmed Al- Osayri was never dissuaded and was patient. He preached the glorious path of Ahlulbayt so that his family, including his older brother, and his friends were all guided to the correct path of True Islam.
 

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Me, my father and our conversion story

Written by H110
Since the age of 20, my father has been studying comparative religions such as Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism. Due to this, he had an extensive collection of various books from different faiths. I was shocked that my father kept a bible in our house, since it was a taboo for Muslim families to have a bible in their household then in Singapore. His readings about Islam led him into being a staunch Wahhabi.
He was attracted to their motto of having the “Quran and Sunnah” as their sole source of guidance. Which true Muslim would oppose the Qur’an and Sunnah?
His encounter with Shia Islam was like a rude awakening. Since the Shia population in Singapore is small he has never encounter Shias, and he did not seriously look into the belief of the Shias. One day in my father’s workplace he saw his friend Ishaq performing the zuhr (noon) prayers. My father noticed that he was praying without his arms folded, and there was a small piece of clay (turba) on the prayer mat. He waited for Ishaq to complete his prayer and approached his friend and inquired about his practice.
“Ishaq, my friend, I see that you pray with your hands down instead of folding. Is it not the sunnah of the Holy Prophet to pray with hands folded? We will get thawab if we follow the sunnah. And may I know why you are doing your sajdah on a stone? I have never seen anyone pray like this before.”
Ishaq smiled and asked my father, “Do you believe in hadith?”
“Yes, I believed in the Holy Quran and the hadith. Whatever I do, all are based from these two sources,” replied my father.
Ishaq asked him to recite the salawat. “Allahumma solli ala Muhammad wa ale Muhammad,” recited my father.
Ishaq asked him for the meaning of that phrase. “Allah send blessings on Muhammad and his family,” replied my father dutifully. He was curious of where this discussion was leading.
“You know about Muhammad, our Holy Prophet. However, do you know who is his family? Where is his family?” My father was flabbergasted. He has never seriously thought about who was implied by “his family” in the salawat. His mind started to race, he did not know how to answer.
Ishaq asked my father if he was aware of the Prophet Muhammad’s saying “Oh Ali you are to me like Harun was to Musa, except there will be no prophets after me.”
My father nodded. “Then where is Ali?” Once again my father was silent. “If the salawat was important that we have to recite in our solat as well as in our duas, wouldn’t it be very important to know who exactly these family members were?” inquired Ishaq. My father pondered again on the hadith and almost suddenly, it triggered him of the verse from the Holy Bible that says:
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
(Deutronomi 18:18)
He saw somewhat of a connection and he wants to find out more. My father was in a deep thought and Ishaq continued…
“You have to find out. Since you believed in hadith, you have to know which one is sahih, which one is hadith daef (weak) and so on. Because one false hadith can lead you astray.”
My father said that he would believe only if there is strong evidence. Ishaq gave him a book titled, “Saqifa Bani Saidah”. Upon reading that book, my father was shocked to learn that those whom he thought were close companions of the Holy prophet are the very ones who oppressed and hurt his family. It didn’t take a long time for my father to convince of the beliefs of the Shia, and he converted and Alhamduli’llah he brought us all into the light of the Ahlubayt.
At the time of my conversion, I was ten years old and I could see the minor and obvious differences between Sunni and Shia Islam. I noticed some changes of the things my father did the whole family to a place called Imambaragh, a Shia worshipping place. I was able to observe a lot, rather than understanding the reason behind the conversion. I didn’t know who or what are the Ahlubayt. I thought Ahlubayt was a title for us because people keep saying Ahlubayt out of admiration and I heard someone saying, “We are the followers of the Ahlubayt”. There was even a verse in sura al-ahzab (33:33) about it.
“Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O Folk of the Household, and cleanse you with a thorough cleansing.”
Witnessing the first majlis of Muharram was a new and emotional experience for me. I saw people weeping and beating their chests in grief when the speaker was narrating the events of Karbala and the sufferings of Imam Hussain and his followers. Most surprising for me was to see men cry, especially my dad. I have never seen my father cry before, and grew up believing that real men don’t cry.
Gradually I learn more about Shia by attending religious classes. I couldn’t eat my favorite barbeque crabs anymore because we can’t eat animals that lived in two worlds. (Crabs lived in water and land). I wasn’t really into religion until I reached the age of 16 where realization crept into my heart. I read the books from my father’s library and whenever I have doubts, I always asked my father who was ever so patient with me. By the time I was 18, I was more serious in studying religion. The lessons I attended during Muharram enlightened me so much that I was moved to tears. If for the past few years, my father has been spoon-feeding us, I want to ensure that I have not followed him blindly and that I am not just a Muslim by name. My heart was touched by a story I read in the book called “An enlightening commentary into the light of the Holy Quran” with the following verse:
“Our Lord! Lo! we have heard a crier calling unto Faith: "Believe ye in your Lord!" So we believed. Our Lord! Therefore forgive us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and make us die the death of the righteous.” (Holy Quran 3:193)
I have never cried so much in my life as when I studied about the Ahlubayt and what happened to them. It makes me feel more close to Allah and knowing Him better. My heart aches when I discover the many sacrifices they did in the name of Islam.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) lead his ummah for 23 years with love and patience seeking no rewards but love for his family, only to have people turn against him when he was on his deathbed and the cruel things they did to his family. Imam Ali (as), who was deprived of his caliphate for 25 years, chose not to rise up against the caliphs over seizing his rights back was martyred in such an honorable state which is prostration before Allah SWT in the holy month of Ramadhan. And Lady Fatima (as) who suffered a miscarriage of baby Mohsin whom she conceived, Imam Hasan who was poisoned and his blessed body was arrowed when the so-called Muslims prevented his body from being buried beside his grandfather and when Imam Husayn sacrificed his family and friends for the sake of Islam, the greatest sacrifice in history…
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajion.
Verily everything is from Allah, and to him we shall return ..
AlMujtaba Islamic Network

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How I became a Muslim

In the Name of Allah, most Compassionate, most Merciful
Diana Beatty
I was raised in a moderately Christian home in Colorado. Religion was never much of an issue in my house. My father was raised as a Mormon, my mother as a Protestant. I can remember my parents dropping my brother off at Sunday School, but instead of going to church while we were in religious classes, they would go home.
As I grew to adolescence, I became curious about God, wondering whether He really existed and if so, what He wanted from us humans. I studied the Bible and other Christian literature earnestly. As a high school student, I was mature enough as a reader to notice apparent discrepancies in the Bible, particularly about the nature of Jesus (peace be upon him). In some places, the Bible seemed to indicate that Jesus was the Son of God, and in others, a man.
At that time, however, I did not believe that there was any problem with the Bible, I thought the problem was one of me being of limited capability to understand what I was reading. You see, as Christians we are taught that religion is somewhat mystical; religion does not have to make sense or be logical or stand up to reason because God can do things however He wants.
So, when things don't make sense, it is because we as humans are incapable of comprehending God's truth, and thus we must just accept on faith that which we cannot understand. Even so, I was unhappy with the way most Christians practiced their religion because it seemed like a mere pastime to me. I learned about a sect of Christianity called the Church of God through their literature, and I liked very much some of the things they did.
For instance, they abstain from eating pork because they are told to in the Bible, and they do not celebrate Christmas because it is not mentioned in the Bible. When I came to college at Colorado State University, I met a girl who attended this church and I went with her once, but I quickly became disinterested in the group.
The leaders of the church had recently divided and all its followers were arguing over which leaders to follow and I did not want to get involved in anything like that. So, I was back to being just a generic Christian again. I was involved in Bible Studies via Campus Crusade for Christ in my dormitory. At the studies, I was on a personal quest to figure out what the Bible was really saying, although at the time I didn't see that so clearly.
Also at that time, I met a Muslim man, the first Muslim I had ever met. I have always been attracted to people from different cultures, and we soon became good friends. Slowly, I became curious about Islam.
I wondered, “Why does he pray a certain way?” I wanted to know why he believed what he believed and why he did what he did. Christians do not pray in any particular way. As a Christian, I learned just to ask God for whatever I needed or wanted, and to do it in the name of Jesus (peace be upon him).
The concept of actual worship in prayer instead of just asking for your wants and needs is largely lacking in Christian prayer, although we are taught to thank Jesus (peace be upon him) for dying for our sins. I wanted my relationship with God to be more than just asking for things. So, in this state of curiosity and of searching, I started to read Pickthall's translation of Qu'ran.
When I first started to read it, I had a mixed reaction. On the one hand I was amazed that many of the same histories of the prophets of Christianity and Judaism were in Qu'ran. I never before realized that there was a relationship between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam; I had always thought of Islam as an Eastern religion, like Hinduism or Buddhism.
On the other hand, whenever I read verses about Jesus (peace be upon him) which clearly stated that he was not one of three, or the Son of God, I felt compelled to just shut the book. This went against everything I had ever heard, and yet everything else in the Qu'ran went along so well with everything I had learned. I began to question why I believed everything I had been taught about Christianity.
I asked the leader of my Bible study and the other members of that group to explain to me what verses in the Bible tell us that Jesus (peace be upon him) was God in the flesh come to save us from our sins, and that all we had to do to be saved was to believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) was the Son of God.
They all had answers, but for every answer they gave, I found a verse in the Bible which said the opposite. They told me we have to take it on faith, but I was now thinking that if God would give us a religion, it would be a logical religion that we could understand, so that we could do what He willed.
The leader of my Bible study had done missionary work to Muslims in Algeria, and I decided to talk to him because I thought he would know about Islam and could tell me what was wrong with it and right with Christianity.
First, I asked him what would happen to my Muslim friend, and he sighed and told me that he would undoubtedly go to hell unless he “accepted Jesus [peace be upon him] into his heart, but Muslims rarely do that.” I had trouble accepting this, because my Muslim friend seemed so much more pious and sincere in devotion to God than most Christians are, and I couldn't understand why someone like that would go to hell.
Then, I asked him how the Qu'ran could be so similar to the Bible and yet be totally rejected by Christians? He told me that the Qu'ran was sent by Satan to trick and deceive men into unbelief, and that its similarities to the Bible were part of the deception.
I was almost crying at this point, but then I asked him if he had read the Qur'an, because I wanted to ask him about some specific verses. I was shocked at his answer. He answered that he had briefly looked at parts of it, but couldn't continue because it made him sick to his stomach.
I left quickly, amazed at the realization that I, who had been reading Qur'an for only a few months, had studied more about Islam that my respected Bible study leader who had missionary work to Muslims in Algeria!
I realized that he could not correctly make such a judgment as he had made about the Qur'an if he had not even read it. I was so angry at him and at all the Christian religious leaders who told us all these things without study and without explanation. It was nothing more than heresy, yet it was being preached as divine doctrine.
This was a turning point for me, because at this point I concluded that I couldn't trust anyone to help me in my search, but that I had to do it within myself. Slowly, I found myself tearing down the belief that Jesus (peace be upon him ) was one of three or the Son of God. It was difficult, because always in the back of my mind was the thought that if I am wrong, I will go to hell.
Yet, I could not deny that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) had to be the prophet of Allah, and that the Qur'an had to be the Word of Allah, and if the Qur'an were the Word of Allah, then what was in it had to be true. So, a few months after the talk with the leader of my Bible study, I became muslim.
That was a little more than a year ago as of today (2/14/96). Learning about Islam has not always been easy. That muslim man whom I met is now my mut'ah husband although we live in different states, and we hope for a permanent marriage when we are done with college. He is Shi'a, and so after several months I was to the point that I needed to learn the difference between Sunni and Shi'a.
I started by reading web pages, and I found the Shi'a Encyclopedia to be so helpful. I used to get so frustrated, though, because I would learn something and think that I knew it, and then someone who was Sunni would tell me something that I had no answer for, and so I was left wondering how I would ever find the truth when it seemed to be entangled in contradicting traditions.
Also, I wanted to be sure not to become Shi'a just for the sake of my mut'ah husband; I really needed to believe in its truth. But the Shi'a Encyclopedia convinced me, as did Tijani's books, by the Grace of Allah. Since then, I was introduced to the Ahlul-Bayt Discussion Group which has been very helpful. I have met some wonderful people who have helped me greatly, and they should get a good reward for all the help they have given me.
This semester, I started wearing hijab, and I am so glad that I did. I feel much better about myself, I feel more feminine and I think that God has helped me more than ever before since I decided to wear it. My non-muslim classmates and friends don't mind my hijab; some even like it. My family, however, hates it.
They have never understood or accepted my conversion, and they try to tell me that I converted only to please my husband and that I don't really believe in it, even if I can't see that now. They tell me I am going to hell. They tell me I am abandoning my American culture and trying to be something I'm not.
They tell me I am turning away from them, and that my wearing hijab is a slap in the face to them and is very disrespectful. My mother cries about me, my father doesn't like to talk to me. I know they are concerned for their daughter and that they mean well; I love them and only want to be kind to them and I hate to see them this way.
No matter what I say, they just don't understand me; logic doesn't work because emotions are too strong. Still, I think there is hope for our relationship, and I know that my conversion to Shi'a Islam is the best thing that ever could've happened to me.
Despite the little troubles I may have, I feel more complete as a person, more directed, and more at peace than any Christian on this earth could ever know. I wish more people on this earth could experience the revelation that I have experienced.
Looking back, I can't see anymore how Islam could ever have been so hard to understand or accept; it is so obviously the truth to me now that it practically screams it out.
Alhamdulil-Lah!

Imam Reza (A.S.) Network

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Coming Home To Islam

Muhammad Beck Architect, Maryland
"I believe that a person\'s Islam changes all the time."
Early in my life I wanted to learn about Muslim culture and often visited my elementary school\'s library to read about Islam. I remember media coverage of the Iran-Iraq war, the Russians in Afghanistan and the siege of Beirut, all of which occurred in the early 1980\'s. I started to realize that the politics of the world were very much against the Muslim people of the Middle East and, as I would later learn, against Muslims everywhere.
In High School I wanted to visit Yugoslavia because I watched the Olympics and learned about this country where the people sounded like Russians but followed Islam. I studied Islam every chance I got and developed the habit of introducing myself to anyone I recognized as Muslim. I never drank alcohol nor indulged in illicit sex. I avoided drugs and gossip circles, that dominate so many schools. I knew that one day when I became a Muslim I would not be allowed to do those things, and recognized that such indulgences are not healthy, so I distanced myself from them.
When I enrolled in a local college I met Muslims from Pakistan who explained many things about Islam in a gentle, non-forceful way. This is a theme in Islam from the Holy Qur\'an: "There is no compulsion in faith." I enrolled at the University of Maryland after my parents refused my request to study Islamic and Arabic Science at the American University of Egypt. I was devastated, but realized that if I disrespect my parents my Islam would be incomplete, so I accepted their decision. The situation helped me realize that you do not have to be in another country to be Muslim, you do not have to be from a particular ethnic group or even a certain age. I then considered myself a Muslim regarding my relationship with Almighty Allah and I converted at age twenty-one.
I began a daily reading of the Qur\'an, studying how I was living my life and if my actions reflected this profound "message" from Allah (swt). I changed my dietary habits, the way I interacted with people and my basic views of life around me. I was "Islamisizing" myself.
I visited Islamic Centers around the Washington area and became active in an awareness campaign on the war in Bosnia. One day a brother called me to talk about the situations of the Bosnian Muslims and we made plans to go the offices of our Congressional Representatives. I had familiarized myself on the matter and thought that if we could change the American foreign policy on Bosnia that our effort would save innocent lives. Senator Barbara Mikulski was impressed with our presentation on Bosnian genocide, which totally changed her views. That cause was the start of my activism in Muslim politics. I began to write articles criticizing the aggressors in the conflict and demanding a halt to the Balkan holocaust.
I believe that a person\'s Islam is something that changes all the time. If you area good Muslim today you can not assume you always will be. One must continually work towards improving their submission to Almighty Allah. Life is full of challenges from Allah (swt) and there are many tests that we must pass. I try to promote peace and kindness in this world because here we are given a chance to submit ourselves in goodness.
Muhammad Amin Bootman Vice President, Bank of America
My wife and I converted to Islam a few years ago and, more recently, some of our older children have as well. Admittedly, our path to this religion has been traveled in slow motion. I had studied the ideas of George Gurdjieff for over 30 years, all of my adult life.
Here in California, where New Age religions and Eastern philosophies flourish, there has been a decided lack of popular interest in Islam. Negative press is certainly part of the reason, but at a personal level I can only say that Islam was simply invisible.
In this culture, everyone loves to shop. New malls, subcultures and belief systems seem to pop up overnight. Ironically, locked within the confines of the ultimate secular state, increasing numbers of people are shopping for religions.
As a convert, I can now see that it is a great pity that this religion is not at the top of the shopping list because, in some strange way, Islam includes everything else. As a newcomer it was something of a shock over the last few years to encounter the marked Islamic reverence for all the prophets of the Torah and the Gospels. There seems to be a lot more about Moses and Abraham in the Qur`an than the Prophet himself, (peace be upon all of them). When you think about it, such deference and innate modesty would, indeed, befit the bearer of God\'s final and perfected message to all of mankind. A faith such as Islam, which resolutely focuses on the unseen One, has an uphill battle to get noticed at all.
My hope at this point, as a husband and a father, is that Islam will provide a much-needed balance for my family. Children learn by example, and this religion presents a standard of behavior quite beyond anything I\'ve encountered in my own culture. This religion is imminently practical and yet profound. In fact, Islam seems to be constructed along the lines of a whole series of balances. It is direct and yet sophisticated.
Dr. Robert Crane Center For Public Policy Research, Washington, DC
And so I told him about this. And he said, "Oh, that\'s very simple. You experienced Allah."
I said, "Wow, you have a word for it!"
I studied and studied, and I spent years reading Saint Thomas Aquinas, all the great philosophers, and wanted to become...well actually, I wanted to become a Jesuit priest, and then I decided to become a Franciscan because the Franciscans had been commissioned by the Pope to convert Russia. I spent a year writing about the spiritual dimensions of resistance against a Totalitarian state, and I escaped from communist prisons twice.
I figured there must be a secret to opposing evil. The ones who continued and were successful were all spiritually very deep. I figured the Franciscans are not intellectual--I was much too intellectual. That\'s why I didn\'t become a Jesuit, as I thought, "This intellectuality isn\'t going to lead anywhere, so I\'d better become a Franciscan." And I did. As a matter of fact, because I\'ve never left the Order, I\'m--probably--the world\'s only Muslim Franciscan!
I was a Muslim, actually, because of a religious experience I had when I was 20 years old. I almost died. The doctors told me later that they assumed I was dying. It must have been a massive infestation of trichina worms, millions of them, all through my body. Every muscle of my body was full of little worms. Normally if you have an infestation like that you die. And I actually think I did. But then I had this religious experience, and I lived.
I didn\'t make shahada until 1980, until I was in Bahrain. I was doing some sight-seeing with my wife in Muharraq, which is the old merchant town, you know, winding alleys...we got lost and I met this old old man, the last of the pearl-diving captains. He loved me and he loved everybody--you know, a really remarkable person. And so I told him about this. And he said, "Oh, that\'s very simple. You experienced Allah." I said, "Wow, you have a word for it!"
Jennifer McLennan Former Marketing Officer, British Columbia
It happened so gradually that I didn\'t recognize what happened until I sat down to tell this story. I bought a computer with a free CD-Rom encyclopedia, and the first thing I did was look up "Islam." A colleague at work learned of my budding research and asked very casually if I\'d learned about the Sufis. He was from the South Pacific himself, but had read extensively about them. So off I went to the library and checked out all the books on Sufism. I didn\'t get very far, though I enrolled in a course on Islamic Art.
I was floored. The professor\'s approach was to teach the basic tenets of Islam before delving into the art. Since everything in Islam is done in the Name of God, I learned, it seemed to make sense.
It was like everything I had come to believe on my own--through informal explorations as a teenager, formal schooling as a university student, and self-analysis--was rolled up into a neat little package and handed to me. I had never felt so much like I belonged to something and that something was made for me. The Islamic concepts of God and angels, its recognition of all holy books, its respect for other religions and policy of tolerance for other religions, and many other truths rang true to me.
I went to my professor after the course was over and asked what I should do. At that moment she became the guiding light in my life that she remains today.
A few people questioned my conversion: they thought it too hasty and not well thought out, but most expressed their apprehensions, however gently, about the religion of Islam. The funny thing is, I didn\'t know what they were talking about. Born in 1975, I wasn\'t exposed to the fame Islam was subject to until the Gulf War. Even then I didn\'t understand enough of what was going on to develop prejudices against Islam. What I learned, I learned in my heart, and when I converted it was because my heart was telling me to, not because it made sense in any other way, because in the worldly sense, it didn\'t.
I know now that it was the greatest decision I have ever made--the first one I made for my heart and soul. And I know now that I was right to do so because the obstacles I might have expected to encounter early on this path have not appeared for me. My family and friends have been beyond supportive, and the Muslim community has been very open in welcoming me. Alhamdulillah.
Abdul Jalil Under-Grad Student
While living in Minneapolis, I had been attending martial arts classes for some time, when I came to learn that the instructor also led a small dhikr group. At the time I was around 16, and was interested in Malcolm X, revolution, poetry and, among other things, the religions of the East, although in reality, I knew very little about the religion of Islam.
I went to check out the group. Considering I knew next to nothing about their practices, but was full of zeal and interest in the subject, I came with an open mind and desire to learn. I was greatly moved by their practice of reciting the Qur`an and the names of Allah (swt) together in a harmonious, yet very simple and humble way. I was intrigued as they spoke of the careful succession of tradition from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saws), and further so when they explained the principles upon which Islam was founded and the ideals which it encompasses, those of love, understanding, and peace.
The only definition of Islam I had previously known was "submission," although never fully explained as was the meaning they offered, that one achieves peace and balance in this world when one fully submits to the Divine Will that exists in all things. Needless to say, this peaked my fascination and drew me to return and learn more.
Without mentioning the details, as I learned more of the many scholars and saints that have lived over time, and their many inspiring stories and triumphs, I began to think that this was a religion I would want to follow. When I chose to accept Islam, I too accepted the belief that all the mystical, contemplative and enlightening aspects of all the religions of the East--and indeed, all religions of the world--were encompassed in this single, most perfect and most refined religion, Islam.
I found a place in which I was welcomed: as if it were a home built and waiting for me; or rather, it found me.
Jamaluddin Hoffman, Journalist Iman Meyer-Hoffman, Under-Graduate Student San Francisco East Bay Area
It has been just two years since my wife and I embraced Islam, and were embraced by it. But the change wrought in our lives by the utterance of one simple phrase—There is no God but God and Muhammad is his messenger--has been so profound and so all-encompassing that it is, at times, difficult to remember what it was like not to be Muslim. Our journey to Islam began long before we met.
Iman and I were both born into Christian families and baptized in the Roman Catholic Church. However, neither of our families were anything resembling devout, so our religious training was informal, at best. We both developed a keen interest in the questions of faith at a rather young age.
By the time we were in high school, Iman and I had begun searching for alternatives to Christianity. We found many. While America has failed to realize its goal of becoming a racial and ethnic melting pot, it has succeeded in becoming a nation in which all of the world\'s faiths are blended to the point of absurdity. Iman and I plunged headlong into this confusing melange of religiosity. We tried everything, but ended up with nothing. I was the first to encounter Islam. There were many Muslim students at the university I attended, and we American leftists made common cause with them on the Palestinian and other issues.
As I got to know them, I was increasingly impressed by their sincerity, their sobriety, and their lack of hypocrisy. More than anything else, I was impressed by the way in which their religion was integrated into every facet of their lives. I sensed that they had found what I was looking for. My interest in Islam continued, but I found little to satisfy my curiosity in a country that has made the demonization of Islam a matter of foreign policy.
I may have been the first to encounter Islam, but Iman was the first to see it in our future. One night, as I was reading a verse from the Qur`an to her, Iman turned to me with a serious look in her eyes. "You are going to be a Muslim," she said. "I am certain of it."
One night, I had an inspiration. I ran into my office, turned on the computer, connected to the Internet, and typed in the word "Islam." In a matter of seconds, the names of dozens of Internet sites with information about Islam were flashing on the screen. On one specific website were volumes of writings by learned men of the faith. When I began to read what was there, I knew that I was approaching the end of my quest. Here was what I had been looking for. Here was Islam as presented by scholars who clearly penetrated the essence of this religion. Here was the missing piece of the puzzle, the key that unlocked the mystery of Islam for me. At that moment, my heart opened to Islam.
However, while Islam has proven the solution to the puzzle of faith that had confounded Iman and me for so long, our conversion has not always been easy. Wearing hijab (head scarf) was a challenge for Iman. "Today, I can\'t imagine not wearing it. It protects me, and it also continually makes me aware that I am a Muslim."
The path of Islam may be clear to those who have spent a lifetime walking it, but to newcomers like ourselves it often seems like a maze fraught with pitfalls and dead-ends. In this regard, Iman and I have been most fortunate. We have found sheiks to guide us, to illuminate our way with the light of their knowledge and understanding. With their help, and with the mercy of Allah (s.w.t.), we will continue our journey into Islam.
Jamila
A few years ago, I had the honor to meet with special beings who are beacons for mankind. I met the Sheikh and his wife at someone\'s home in Canada. I immediately felt attracted to both of them. The Sheikh with his turban and his wife\'s sweet smile seemed so familiar, as if my heart knew them though I could not place them in my memory. My feelings of love and trust toward them were instantaneous. Therefore, I took shahada at this first encounter.
There I was invited for dinner by an Eastern African family. I was surprised to see that the women of the household were served first--by the men, who then proceeded to clean the table and the dishes. I was flabbergasted and told the young leader of this family that I had never witnessed men behaving this way. He answered that the Prophet (saws) loved three things above all, "women, prayer, and perfume" and, therefore, women should be honored and treated kindly. Before then my only image of Islam was of political violence, appalling treatment of women and intolerance.
When I met my future husband, we decided to visit London during Ramadan where we could take shahada and get married by the Grand Mufti of Cyprus, Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani. At the time, I was aware of Sufis but thought they were a thing of the past that had thrived mostly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. I had no idea that their teaching was alive today nor that it was thriving in North America.
It has always been our conviction that holy people exist on earth. We were blessed to have met holy people such as these.
It is not by the demonstration of their knowledge that we were attracted, but by their behavior. Our hearts knew them as saints. While they are still physically present in this world, their souls have reached heavenly stations.
But through the perfection of their manners and their deep sense of humanity, we were no longer repelled by Islam and the infamy it suffers in Western countries. Finally, it was in hopes of imitating them that we pledged to be Muslim and follow their path.
The Lutz Family of New Mexico
As narrated by Rahmah Lutz
We first encountered the teachings of Islam over twenty years ago when we were a young married couple with two beautiful children. We had sought a spiritual path for awhile and had met many good and sincere people from different disciplines. Every path had benefits that we enjoyed, but none of them "fit" comfortably. We were seeking the "Divine Order" for our own destiny.
We experienced a great attraction to the writings of Sufi masters, and had come to realize that these saints who had lived over the past centuries were all practicing Muslims. This led to a study of the teachings of Islam, and we began to repeat the key word that surfaced over and over: "Allah." We fasted during Ramadan although we still didn\'t understand the regulations of the fast, and we made simple attempts to pray as best we could.
At the time we were isolated in a small town in southern Colorado and had never met any Muslims. In the summer of 1977, I attended a Women\'s Weekend at Lama Foundation, a spiritual center located on a beautiful and remote mountain top in northern New Mexico. For the first time I prayed with Muslim women and asked questions about Islam. I returned home convinced that Islam was the "way of the family."
My husband, Abdur Rahim, then visited the Lama Foundation himself, and we were invited to spend the winter studying Islamic texts at the Intensive Study Center. There were available copies of Qur\'an al-Karim and collections of ahadith. Abdur Rahim accepted the invitation, came home, quit his job, packed up our family and we moved to the mountain.
We were directed to some young American Muslim families living in Santa Fe. When they discovered we were interested in Islam, they took us into their homes so we could pray with them and ask questions. Never once did they suggest we might be burdening them, although they were struggling to support their families on very little income. Never once did they suggest we should pay for spiritual instruction. They believed that Allah had sent us to their door and they opened their doors wide to receive us. We not only studied Islam from books; we directly experienced the way of Islam--the beauty of people striving to live a spiritual life, who share their knowledge, provision and blessings without question.
Eileen Rodan Psychotherapist, New Jersey
For most of my life, off and on, I was what some describe as a "seeker". I was particularly drawn to the mystical path. As a teen I would rush to chapel to pray before lunch and kneel in the dark by candlelight to pray, feeling much inner joy.
After years of agnosticism, I found God again through a twelve-step program, evolved through "new age" and meditated with Quakers until the day I was moved by God to take shahadah in 1995 during Ramadan. I, who usually talk a lot, felt total peace and wanted not to talk for weeks.
It had taken me a year of struggle to read an English translation of the Qur`an and to work through my typical Western stereotypes of Islam. I worked hard to reconcile my liberal feminism with Islam and was able to embrace my new faith wholeheartedly because it is pro-woman, and is based on equality, peace, justice and brotherhood.
Nevertheless, I was "turned off" by rigid, dogmatic Muslims who refused to acknowledge or respect differences in perspective and scholarship on various issues such as hijab, polygamy, obedience, male dominance, and sufism. I could not have become Muslim that day if it was not at a Sufi mosque. I read everything I could to find my way and place in this religion. Two years ago, I joined a local Muslim women\'s group in order to live my belief in tolerance, diversity, and unity.
For me, Sufism is the heart of Islam. My soul\'s journey is to reconcile my Islam with my life
as an active American woman.
I found love, but the rigid insistence on one perspective, and harsh judgments has caused me much pain. It has made me lose my serenity, become angry and, more than once, regret becoming a formal Muslim. I remember being told I could not associate with non-Muslims, and the Qur`an was actually used to bolster my opponent\'s debate. I read that I can\'t pray for the souls of my non-Muslim loved ones. I\'ve been told many things which may be majority teachings, but any scholarship regarding minority views are rejected, invalidated, and not permitted to be shared.
Once a friend of mine, a new shahadah, filled with love and joy in her new Islam, was immediately told she must not wear nail polish, must wear hijab, must remove all body hair, must this must that, must divorce her non-Muslim husband, and must learn Arabic so that God can understand her in Heaven. She lost all joy and seriously considered leaving Islam.
After a recent confrontation with some Muslims over the above issues, I came home in tears and said to my husband, who is a born-Muslim from the Middle East, "Why did I become a Muslim? I can\'t undo it but I am being pushed away from Islam."
My experience last summer at the International Islamic Unity Conference in Washington D.C. was like cool water in a desert. I found myself in a sea of love, joy, and tolerance. The focus was on Allah and self-purification. I was "high" for weeks. The recording of NAMIRA women\'s group from Indonesia (who performed at the conference) always brings me back to that tranquil state.
I look at my experience as a Muslim over these four years as like breaking in a new pair of shoes, nursing blisters and making the hard leather softer, until the foot and shoe find a comfortable accommodation to each other. For me, Sufism is the heart of Islam. My soul\'s journey is to reconcile my Islam with my life as an active American woman.
The Qur`an tells us not to associate with those who try to pull us from Islam. I believe we must also answer to Allah if we rigidly impose our practices, customs, and devotions--beyond the core requirements--on to new Muslims and potential Muslims, driving them away. We all have a duty to reflect the love, peace and brotherhood of Islam and attract others to the light of Allah reflected through these qualities.
Leonardo "Khalid bin Waleed" Stoute Martial Arts Master, Michigan
I got the first scent of Islam as a student of the greatest of martial arts, "Pencak Silat," which traces its lineage back to Sayiddina Ali (kw) through an unbroken chain of masters. My guru always began with Allah\'s name, but refrained from discussing Islam. The principles of the art, however, were full of Islamic references, including the spelling of kalimat ash-shahada in the well-rehearsed movements we practiced daily.
After many years, one of the students of my guru, a Muslim, said, "You must know that Pencak Silat has its spiritual roots in the Islamic tradition. Why don\'t you come with me to meet a spiritual teacher?" I didn\'t know what to say, so I accepted his invitation. Little did I know my whole life would be changed.
I entered the hall where the teacher met every Thursday night for Islamic remembrance of God, dhikrullah. Immediately I could sense the roots of the Silat tradition originated in this spiritual path. As the teacher spoke--about essential and deep concerns that were deeply rooted in my own heart, about God, and about man\'s relation with the Divine--I was overwhelmed. He had read me like an open book.
I said to the teacher, "Whatever it is you have, I must have. I am asking you to grant me that permission.\' He assembled those present and they all joined in helping me say the shahada. I always remember that night, because my watch stopped right at that moment--11:11pm.
The teacher never once pressured me to practice, but used to say, "Islam will grow on you, and you must always dress it like a suit of clothes. It must fit, and it must not be a suit tailored for any other person." With that kind advice I soon found myself drawn to the prayers. I gave up all kinds of vices and subhanallah, have never returned to them.
Ismaeel ZhulQarnain Computer Programmer, California
I embraced Islam while serving in the United States Navy. I was stationed on the small Aleutian island "Adak" near Alaska. My isolation offered a lot of time for reflection. I wanted to know who was God and what was the purpose of my life. And then it was that Allah (swt) brought Islam to my little-known outpost.
My spiritual journey started when a friend of mine, the most intelligent one in our company, traveled home on a military leave. Somehow he knew--even before he left the island--that he would return as a Muslim. The military personnel were both shocked and amazed over his conversion. And his change of character earned him the respect of those who new him and those who did not. I was very impressed, and asked him about Muslims. What do they do? As a recent convert he knew little, but the details he shared with me seemed like a deep fountain.
SubhanaAllah, how Allah (swt) places everything in its right time and place. We were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with very little outside contact with anyone. I was trying to decide if I could handle the conditions of becoming a Muslim, and my friend began to learn his new religion. Miraculously, an Egyptian contractor arrived on a temporary assignment, certainly not expecting to meet any Muslims. He placed an ad in the local newspaper for Muslims or anyone interested in learning about Islam to come to such-and-such building.
To his surprise, we joined him, and my conversion came shortly thereafter. As I look back, I remember that after my Shahadah everything seemed different: the air, the walls of the room, even people. After my Shahadah our prayer ranks grew five worshippers. We engaged in interfaith dialogue with the Church of the Base, which was a big success. All this, from the Blessings of Allah (swt).
Imam Reza (A.S.) Network

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British Women Embracing

Richard Peppiatt
Record numbers of young, white British women are converting to Islam, yet many are reporting a lack of help as they get used to their new religion, according to several surveys.
As Muslims celebrate the start of the religious holiday of Eid today and hundreds of thousands from around the world converge on Mecca for the haj, it emerged that of the 5,200 Britons who converted to Islam last year, more than half are white and 75 per cent of them women.
In the past 10 years some 100,000 British people have converted to Islam, of whom some three-quarters are women, according to the latest statistics. This is a significant increase on the 60,000 Britons in the previous decade, according to researchers based at Swansea University.
While the number of UK converts accelerates, many of the British women who adopt Islam say they have a daily struggle to assimilate their new beliefs within a wider culture that both implicitly and explicitly positions them as outsiders, regardless of their Western upbringing.
More than three-quarters told researchers they had experienced high levels of confusion after conversion, due to the conflicting ways Islam was presented to them. While other major religions have established programmes for guiding new believers through the rigours of their faith, Islam still lacks any such network, especially outside the Muslim hubs of major cities.
Many mosques still bar women from worship or provide scant resources for their needs, forcing them to rely on competing cultural and ideological interpretations within books or the internet for religious support.
A recent study of converts in Leicester, for example, found that 93 per cent of mosques in the region recognised they lacked services for new Muslims, yet only 7 per cent said they were making efforts to address the shortfall.
Many of the young women – the average age of conversion is 27 – are also coming to terms with experiences of discrimination for the first time, despite the only visible difference being a headscarf. Yet few find easy sanctuary within the established Muslim population, with the majority forming their closest bonds with fellow converts rather than born Muslims.
Kevin Brice, author of the Swansea study A Minority Within a Minority, said to be the most comprehensive study of British Muslim converts, added: "White Muslim converts are caught between two increasingly distant camps. Their best relationships remain with other converts, because of their shared experiences, while there is very little difference between the quality of their relationship with other Muslims or non-Muslims.
"My research also found converts came in two types: some are converts of convenience, who adopt the religion because of a life situation such as meeting a Muslim man, although the religion has little discernible impact on their day-to-day lives. For others it is a conversion of conviction where they feel a calling and embrace the religion robustly.
"That's not to say the two are mutually exclusive – sometimes converts start out on their religious path through convenience and become converts of conviction later on."
Another finding revealed by the Leicester study was that despite Western portraits of Islam casting it as oppressive to women, a quarter of female converts were attracted to the religion precisely because of thestatus it affords them.
Some analysts have argued that dizzying social and cultural upheavals in Britain over the past decades have meant that far from adopting an alien way of life, some female Muslim converts are re-embracing certain aspects of mid-20th-century Britain, such as rigid gender demarcation, rather than feeling expected to juggle career and family.
The first established Muslim communities started in Britain in the 1860s, when Yemani sailors and Somali labourers settled around the ports of London, Cardiff, Liverpool and Hull. Many married local women who converted to Islam, often suffering widespread discrimination as a result.
They also acted as a bridge between the two cultures, encouraging understanding among indigenous dwellers and helping to integrate the Muslim community they had joined. Today, there is growing recognition among community leaders that the latest generation of female converts has an equally vital role to play in fostering dialogue between an increasingly secular British majority and a minority religion, as misunderstood as it is vilified.
Kristiane Backer, 45
Television presenter and author, London
I converted to Islam in 1995 after Imran Khan introduced me to the faith. At the time I was a presenter for MTV. I used to have all the trappings of success, yet I felt an inner emptiness and somewhat dissatisfied in my life.
The entertainment industry is very much about "if you've got it, flaunt it", which is the exact opposite to the more inward-oriented spiritual attitude of my new faith. My value system changed and God became the centre point of my life and what I was striving towards.
I recognise some new converts feel isolated but, despite there being even fewer resources when I converted than there are now, it isn't so much an issue I've faced. I've always felt welcomed and embraced by the Muslims I met and developed a circle of friends and teachers. It helps living in London, because there is so much to engage in as part of the Muslim community. Yet, even in the capital you can be stared at on the Tube for wearing a headscarf. I usually don't wear one in the West except when praying. I wear the scarf in front of my heart though!
I always try to explain to people that I've converted to Islam, not to any culture. Suppression of women, honour killings or forced marriages are all cultural aberrations, not Islamic ones. Islam is also about dignity and respect for yourself and your femininity. Even in the dating game, Muslim men are very respectful. Women are cherished as mothers, too – as a Muslim woman you are not expected to do it all."
Amy Sall, 28
Retail assistant, Middlesbrough
I'd say I'm still a bit of a party animal – but I'm also a Muslim. I do go out on the town with the girls and I don't normally wear my headscarf – I know I should do, but I like to do my hair and look nice! I know there are certain clothes I shouldn't wear either, even things that just show off your arms, but I still do. My husband would like me to be a better Muslim – he thinks drinking is evil – so it does cause rows.
I haven't worshipped in a mosque since I got married, I find it intimidating. I worry about doing something wrong; people whispering because they see my blonde hair and blue eyes. Middlesbrough is a difficult place to be a Muslim who isn't Asian – you tend to be treated like an outsider. Once, I was out wearing my headscarf and a local man shouted abuse. It was weird because I'm white and he was white, but all he saw was the scarf, I suppose. It did make me angry. My family were surprisingly fine with me converting, probably because they thought it would rein me in from being a bit wild.
Nicola Penty-Alvarez, 26
Full-time mother, Uxbridge
I was always interested in philosophy and the meaning of life and when I came across Islam it all just clicked. In the space of four or five months I went from going to raves to wearing a headscarf, praying five times a day and generally being quite pious – I did occasionally smoke though.
I felt very welcomed into the Muslim community, but it was a mainly white convert community. My impression of the Asian community in west London was that women felt sidelined and were encouraged to stay at home and look after the men rather than attend mosque. I think this was more a cultural than religious thing, though.
Non-Muslims certainly treat you differently when you're wearing a headscarf – they're less friendly and as a smiley person I found that hard. After a year-and-a-half of being a Muslim I stopped. I remember the moment perfectly. I was in a beautiful mosque in Morocco praying beside an old lady and something just came over me. I thought: 'What the hell am I doing? How have I got into this?' It just suddenly didn't feel right. Needless to say my husband, who was a fellow convert, wasn't impressed. He remained devout and it put a lot of strain on our relationship. We split up, but are on amicable terms now. I'm not really in contact with the Muslim friends I made – we drifted apart.
I don't regret the experience. There is so much that I learnt spiritually that I've kept and I haven't gone back to my hard partying ways.
Donna Tunkara
Warehouse operative, Middlesbrough
I was a bit of a tearaway growing up – drinking, smoking, running away from home and being disrespectful to my parents. I converted 10 years ago because I met a Muslim man but I've probably become more devout than him.
Sometimes, I miss going shopping for clothes to hit the town and then going home and getting ready with my mates, having a laugh. The thing is no one is forcing me not to – it's my choice.
It did come as a shock to my family, who are Christian. They've not rejected me, but they find it difficult to understand. I feel bad because I don't now attend weddings, funerals or christenings because they're often at pubs and clubs and I won't step inside.
There needs to be more resources for women who convert. I know some mosques that won't allow women in. But in the Koran there is an emphasis on women being educated. I've learnt about the religion through my husband's family and books – if you want support you have to look for it. It's taken time to regain an identity I'm comfortable with. Because I'm mixed race and a Muslim ,people don't see me as British – but what's important is that I know who I am.
Imam Reza (A.S.) Network

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An Open Letter to My Family and Muslim Brethren

I am writing this for all my Muslim brothers and sisters who have converted (or reverted) to Islam, and have had the courage, against all odds, to stand firm on their beliefs -- no matter how great the cost. I want to convey the sorrow I share with many of my fellow brothers and sisters in Islam, that have had to distance themselves from their families, because of their acceptance of the religion of Islam. I want to first tell you, "I love you", you are my family, I have not forgotten you. It breaks my heart that if you do not agree with my life choice, that you have chosen to reject me. If you do not agree with me, then at least respect my decision.
If you only knew how difficult this decision was for me, how difficult it is to be a Muslim -- especially, a Muslim woman. Did you ever try to imagine what kind of commitment it takes to be a Muslim? It is not as easy as you may think.
I want to let you into my mind. I want you to look through my eyes, and just know -- if only for a moment -- how I have felt, what I have dealt with and what it is like to for me.
Think for one minute about something that means so much to you, something that you feel so strongly about, that you are willing to undergo losing your entire family and friends, as you know it. Becoming estranged to the same people that you have known all your living years.
All of a sudden, you are the outcast, the lost soul who does not have enough sense to know what you are doing, everyone is telling you that you are throwing your entire life away.
Think about how strong you must feel about the actions you are taking. Not just any actions -- mind you -- but actions that take sincerity and a firm belief. Actions that are not to be taken lightly.
Actions with consequences, which include: sacrifice, loss, humiliation, degradation and racism to name only a few. Continue to think about something in your life that means this much to you. Would you be willing to sacrifice you career? Money? Your new car? Your house?
Would it be easy for you to give up many of the pleasures that this life has to offer? Think about your family.
How would you handle losing your entire family for this \'something\' that means so much to you? No longer are you wanted to even talk for a while, for fear that you might mention this \'something\' that means so much to you. You mention it, why?
Because it is the \'something\' by which you base and dedicate your entire life to. Of course, if talking means to discuss the things that means so much to others, you should not be offended, you should only be quiet and listen.
After all, it is important to them. Maybe they might bring up the something they heard on the news, the \'something\' that you dedicate your entire life to, but do not disagree -- nor tell them what you know from hands-on research and personal experience -- only listen, because the TV knows more, and so do they.
You must realise, as well, that because of this \'something\' you have chosen, you know longer have a right to discuss or comment on any matter about the city, state or country you have spent your whole life in. If you do -- you now are told (instead being respected for an intelligent opinion) you should be expelled from the country.
Think about going to the store just to pick up some bread. As you get in your car and drive down the road, someone begins screaming curse words at the very sight of you, dressed according to this \'something\' that you believe so firmly about, probably they think that you do not understand them -- but you do, and all too well. Just get used to it, it happens quite often.
Also, remember that you are oppressed and you are looked at with pity and contempt, as an oppressed woman -- having no mind of her own. All this, even though this \'something\' is what you chose, what you live everyday -- not by force, but because you believe it is right.
Keep all of this in mind as you are driving in your car. Walking into the store, you feel all eyes are on you -- all of a sudden, you hear laughing -- you think to yourself, they are not laughing at me, are they? But of course, you know better, because every time you leave your house, people are constantly either making fun of you or cursing you, one of the two. All because of this \'something\' you love. At the bread aisle, you notice the grocery store security guard seems to be following you up and down each aisle in the store, when you look in his direction, he discreetly glares at the kitty litter boxes on sale, not wanting to give himself away.
As you get to the cashier, ready to check out -- you notice how courteous the cashier is to the woman in front of you. Don\'t get your hopes up, there will be none of that when it is your turn. They really don\'t care, \'How are you doing, today?\' They just take your money, and glare at you. Never mind, you are on your way home. In your car, you notice your gas guage and panic a little.
It is on empty, and you need some gas, but don\'t chance it, do not stop -- if you were to try to pay for the gas, even though you could be waving your money, they will most likely assume that you are there to rob them.
It is better for you straight to go to your home, home is comfortable. By the time you get home, hoping for relief, you notice a crowd of kids around your house, and wonder what they are up to.
After you get in the house, someone starts knocking at your door. You answer the door, but no one is there. You walk outside to get the mail, and the kids run from behind the corner of your house yelling, "You don\'t belong here!"
A while later, the teenagers in the neighbourhood decide to join in on the fun by standing in your driveway and cursing you, as you are standing inside your own home.
And this is only the beginning of the days in your life, but wait, there\'s so much more... Now stop and think. Is there anything that you love so much? Well, you may ask, \'Is it worth it?\' I will tell you without hesitation. Yes, it is. All that and many more.
Because of this \'something\' -- Islam -- is my way of life, my love, my peacefulness, and my hope. You may think, "That doesn\'t sound very peaceful, being harassed and all".
But it is. Not the harassment, of course, but the purpose behind it. The reasons that I dress as I dress, and I live in the manner I have chosen. And I want to say again, do not think for a second I take this lightly.
I believe and know this way of life to be right and true. If you cannot be happy for me, at least be content to know that you have raised someone that stands firm in what she believes.
Not just a blind follower, not just one of the crowd, not someone who will be swayed at the drop of a hat. If you cannot support me in my decision then be satisfied to respect me for my convictions, morals and values.
Not an immoral, vulgar and dishonourable life. Know that what I believe in, Islam, is not something I believe in because it is the popular thing to do, or that it the best way to \'gain friends and influence people\'. Realise, this is not a faze I am going through and I am not an over-zealous fanatic.
I am striving to be the best Muslim that I can be. That is something that is not easy, but I believe that it will lead me to Paradise if I strive hard enough, and stand firm on the beliefs that "There is nothing worthy of worship but Allah alone, associating no partner with Him".
Where was it that I learned that I should strive to be the best I can be, and to try my hardest to stand firm on the things that I believe are just and truthful? Hey, wasn\'t that you? Didn\'t you teach me that?
Imam Reza (A.S.) Network

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A British Teacher Finds Islam in Ramadan

We can all look back at memorable times in our lives. People and places can have a special significance for us and we need to look back, from time to time, to see how the hand of Allah has been at work in our lives, even though we did not notice.
We are often too busy to see the pattern which our life has taken and which has led us to where we are today. By reflecting on what has been, we can learn to be grateful and learn to see all things as part of Almighty Allah\'s eternal plan for us.
I look back at my first Ramadan as a Muslim and ponder on all that has happened in my own life since then. That first Ramadan was very special. Before talking about that, though, I need to say something about the two Ramadans before it.
I was Head of Religious Education in a Boys\' School in South London and it was my responsibility to teach the pupils about the world\'s different religions. In English schools the pupils learn information about the six major world faiths: Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism, although no preference is given to any.
Whilst providing information, it is supposed to be a way of encouraging tolerance and understanding in an increasingly multi-cultural world. It is one way, if handled sensitively, of counter-balancing the wrong ideas about Islam which British people get by the stories they see on the television news.
I had already visited Egypt and seen for myself how sweet and gentle Muslims can be. Now, though, I had to teach about Islam. Since I was not Muslim, reading about Islam was one of the ways I prepared for my lessons, learning as much myself as I would teach the pupils.
In schools in the UK, as in many non-Muslim nations, there is usually no allowance made for pupils of any religion who wish to pray. Many of the boys in this school where I taught were Muslim, and many of them were from the Arab world.
Just before the first Ramadan I was at the school, the pupils approached me and asked if they could use my classroom to pray, even though they knew I was not Muslim. Allah works in very extraordinary ways, using the simple things of life to work marvels in our lives.
My classroom was the only room in the school with a fitted carpet and a washbasin, essential for the prayers, so it was my classroom that was to be used. I agreed to their request, but the head teacher asked that a teacher be present to supervise the pupils. So, for the whole of Ramadan I sat at the back of the classroom every lunchtime, while the boys prayed the noon prayer and, on Fridays, the Friday congregational prayer.
By the end of that Ramadan I knew how Muslims prayed and I could recite the prayers to myself, even though I didn\'t know what they meant. After Ramadan we kept using the classroom at lunchtime for prayers, and this continued all year.
The following Ramadan, while still not a Muslim, I fasted along with the pupils, to show my solidarity with them. Not long after that, Al-hamdu lillah , I embraced Islam. But that is another story. The example of the students had led me to become Muslim. I then joined the pupils each day for prayers, the newest Muslim and the least knowledgeable of all.
My first Ramadan as a Muslim, then, was to be very special. At the end of the holy month the pupils and I organized a special iftar meal for ourselves. Iftar is quite literally the breakfast, when the fast is broken. To celebrate the blessed night of Laylat Al-Qadr, when Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) is received the first revelation of the holy Qur\'an, the boys stayed behind after school.
During the time between the end of lessons and the Call to Prayer we watched a film about the life of the Prophet. We then prayed the sunset prayer together, with the oldest boy leading the prayers and reciting the holy Qur\'an in a very beautiful voice.
As the sun was setting, gathered together in that simple classroom, it was as though an angel came down to visit us. After prayers we had an iftar party. Everyone had brought some food or drink, however little or how lavish, to share with the others and we had a splendid meal.
Although this took place after the events of September 11, 2001 when many in Britain were deeply suspicious about Islam and Muslims, many of the non-Muslim teachers came to congratulate us and to wish us a happy Ramadan.
The head teacher had to be in a meeting, but he took some dates with him to eat at the time we were going to break the fast. The headmaster had learned from us that the Prophet used to break the fast during Ramadan by eating some dates, and so he wanted to do this out of respect for what we believed.
In a Muslim country it is easy to take one\'s Muslim faith for granted. Friends and family are there to encourage us in our fasting. There are special programs on television to help us know more about Islam and to keep it constantly before our eyes.
Celebrating Ramadan in a country that is not Muslim, on the other hand, can be difficult. Often you can be the only one who is fasting. After breaking the fast there may not be anything special to do in the evening, especially if there is not a mosque nearby.
That evening of my first Ramadan as a Muslim was a very special evening that I will never forget. It gave witness to others about the message of Islam and, for those present, it was a real celebration of the joy and the brotherhood of Islam which touched all of our hearts. Al-hamdu lillah.
British writer who became Muslim a few years ago. Previously, he was head of religious education in different schools in the United Kingdom. Before embracing Islam, he was a Roman Catholic priest. He now lives in Egypt.
Imam Reza (A.S.) Network

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The Personalities Who have Converted to Islam in France

Every day in France a number of women and men by western culture and Christian religion are being freely converted to the religion of Islam and among the huge masses who every day gather around one another to perform their praying we can witness the presence of a great number of people who perform their prayer along side the other Muslims in the regular lines. Every day considerable number of the French come to the great bureau of the Grand Mosque of Paris while calling the phrases of “there is no God except Allah” and “Mohammad is the holy prophet and messenger of Allah” are being converted into Islam as well as every day the New Muslim are being taught the teachings of holy Quran and they complete their awareness with regard to the religion of Islam.
It could be said that since today the world of west particularly France have never been so much the scene of inclination towards Islam. The new Muslim women of France have become duty-bound to the ideals of Islam with the purpose of seeking purity and neatness as well as the complete performance of the instructions and teachings of holy Quran mentally and spiritually. In the meantime they have completely turned away from the corruptions prevailing in the world of west.
It seems that in Paris every day 10 persons are being converted into Islam. So far at least 400/000 people there have been converted into Islam in France. One of the reasons of the infatuation of the French to Islam is moral seeking against fall of the western values, because Islam bestows a sacred meaning to the daily life and emerges such as a light of guidance.
Even though the French Muslims are in the minority but they have plentiful attractions so far a great number of the Christians there have been converted into Islam. The official number of the Christian that merely in France have been converted into Islam is estimated as 100/000 people.
The presence and the communication of the youths who are residing in the suburbs of the big cities and towns who most of them are Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, African and Laotians in the mosques and getting married with the Muslims is a reason of increasing the number of the French Muslims. In the meantime more important than all is their association and communication with the Muslim youths hence they become more inclined to Islam. Even though the French youth\'s inclination towards islam is owing to their social experiences but the role of the propagation organizations such as, the “Propagation Community” is very important.
It could be said that one of the most important Islamic influential personalities in France is Dalil Abubakr, head of the Islamic Institute as well as the Grand Mosque of Paris. He is the son of Hamzah Abubakr the famous Algerian Jurist who due to the Islamic activities also Translated the holy Quran into French language has acquired plentiful reputation.
Abubakr himself is physician as well as member of the Physicians Association of that country. Of course his political stance is the presentation of a kind of Islam on the basis of leniency that is acceptable and confirmed by French government and the west.
He says he will attempt to take away the Islamic Institute and the grand mosque of Paris from the influence of Algerian government and he has begun many activities in line with expansion of the opinions of Al-Azhar University particularly its Sheikh who in supporting the antiveil activities of French government against the Muslims does not have a clear record or evidence. In this respect he has had various visits with the dean of the university. Dalil Abubakr has French nationality.
One of the other great Islamic personalities in France is Roujé Garoudi who due to his Lectures and his scientific activities is famous and renowned among the French people and the world Muslims. This French thinker a few years ago established a great institute of Islamology in Spain and has concentrated his ministries there.
Roujé Garoudi was one of the members of the French Communist Party as well one of the most famous personalities who has been converted to Islam in France. Owing to his criticizing of the leader of the French communist party with respect to his secret support of the aggression of ex- Soviet Union to the ex- Czechoslovakia in 1968, initially at the beginning of 1970 was fired from the central committee of French communist party and after a few months from the party itself. In strife against Existentialism which after the end of the Second World War had taken root in France, Garoudi was the main upholder of the Marxism ideology. At the end of the decade of 1950, particularly with respect to the humanitarian view point in 1950, in the various books he promulgates a kind of the Marxist Humanism that not only allows the association with existentialism but also welcome Lommology as well as Neo-Tamisty Individualism.
After severance from French communist party that had constituted his thought for 3 decades, Garoudi increased much more of his exchange of opinions with the other ideological incidents. In the most of his writings such as the human speeches (1975), the project of hope (1976), and with the subsidiary interest title of the west is an accident (1977), the summon of the alives (1976) Garoudi emphasized upon this point that the west has been converted into a destructive machine that destructs the share of the other civilizations with respect to constructing the humanistic civilization. After wards, in 1981, coincidence with his nomination for the presidency, Garoudi was converted into Islam. This stage of his life has been recounted in the books such as the good news of Islam (1981), Islam embraces our future (1981) and biography of the twentieth century with subsidiary title of "the philosophical will of Roujé Garoudi. After converting of Garoudi to the new religion of Islam, he had been the popular guest of the Islamic countries. In 1983 he was invited to give lecture in the millennium ceremony of Al- Azhar University.
In 1939 he entered in the French military and in 1940 he was arrested by the Nazi soldiers and became captive of them for three years in the Algerian war camps that were under the surveillance of Nazi Forces.
In the years 1945 to 1958 Roujé Garoudi was the deputy of French Assembly and in the years 1952 to 1962 he was senator of French Senate. For a long time he was in the leadership position of French Communist Party. During this period of time Garoudi wrote the books such as the Marxist problems, The theory of Materialism and Lenin studies.
After a number of researches who carried out around Islam and, after many years of experiencing Christianity and Marxism, in the age of 70 he was converted into Islam. That time the Muslims became very happy that he had been converted into Islam, because he was reckoned as one of the distinguished writers, lecturers as well as the philosopher of French communist party.
He was so extravagantly welcomed that after his conversion into Islam no one pondered.
To know his opinions deeply, he wrote a number of books concerning Islam and against the civilization of west that among others he wrote the books such Islam the Future religion as well as Islam and the Future program.
Garoudi has compiled a famous book about usurper regime of Israel under the title of the File of Israel which its dissemination caused the stance taking and hard reaction of the cultural and political circles in Europe and the Zionist circles submitted a complaint to the court against him.
Certainly the trial of the French philosopher in the French court with the accusation of expressing his studies with regular to the commission of anti humanitarian crimes against Jews confirms one point and it means that “Freedom of Expression” when doesn\'t embody the world Zionist interests, is not more than a claim.
Another book of Garoud is "Palestine the land of prophets". Garoudi chose the Islamic title of Rejah for himself and he took a number of trips to the countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the other Islamic countries and has rendered lectures in the universities of the mentioned countries. Before and after the glorious Islamic revolution, Garoudi seven times has taken trip to Iran. In his recent trip to Iran he expressed that he wants to present New Face of Islam to the people.
He says that, he has not accepted Islam but he has come towards Islam. He says that by delving upon the verses of holy Quran he has realized that Islam is not a new religion. If Islam was a new religion it was in contradiction with the other religions. Islam was the summary and complementary of the previous religions. Because the principle of the religion is the same and difference existing is relevant to the approach of their presentation by the prophets (AS) to the people. Islam was emerged by Abraham, hence he is the first Muslim. He says: “when I was converted into Islam I started my path from the era of Abraham and used nothing except the Quranic verses. After my personal experience and paving a long way I was inclined towards Islam, I began from absolute philosophy and by passing from Christianity and Marxism I reached to Islam without leaving my previous opinions. My transfer into Islam does not mean that I have left my past but it is in the continuation of it. The religion that today I believe is a mixture of the previous religions. The religion of Abraham in its historical meaning is neither Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism nor Islam. I am also Muslim in its general meaning of the word which it is not in contradiction with my previous religious and philosophical thoughts because Islam invites the entire monotheists and the followers of the other religions to be gathered under its banner.
Professor Vansan Mansour Monti is also recounted as one of the Muslim luminaries in France. In addition there could also be reminded professor Abdul Halim Herbert that the three recent persons with the French origin who have been converted into the true religion of Islam. Among them Professor Abdulhalim Herbert has chosen the Islamic school of thought of Shia. This French professor previously used to teach in the universities of Saint Atin and Lyon as a specialist in the sociology courses who has taken several trips to the I.R of Iran so far.
It is to be mentioned that a group of French luminaries also have been converted into Islam, but owing to the various reasons inducing fear of dismissing there jobs, they don’t reveal their Islamic faith.
The ethos of Mourice Bejar who recently has been converted into Islam in France is that contrary to the most of the people who have been converted into Islam in France as Sunni he has become shia.
Also among the distinguished figures that in France have converted into Islam could be named the personalities such as Cood Kivij managing director of Soy Publication, as well as the translator of religious works of Amir Abdul Qader,or Lady Eva Devitrah Mirovic, the writer of various works in connection with mysticism who is also the professor of philosophy in the University of Sarbon. These two personalities have grown up in a catholic milieu.
Among the other persons who have been concreted into Islam in France, the personalities such as Mr Gharoo Borzh could be named who for many years have been under taking the directorate position of television of France and Mr. Christian Bono who has changed his name to Yahya Bono and he is one of the Muslim thinkers in France. Yahaya Bono has been studying philosophy under the teaching of the professors of Qum Theological Seminary such as Ayatollah Ashtiani, the student of the late Imam Khomeini, the great Founder of I.R of Iran. In the French University of Sorbonne he has gotten his doctorate degree in the field of late Imam Khomeini’s philosophy and mystic. He says: “Before my inverting into Islam even I was not a proper Christian such as those ordinary Europeans that most of them are infidel. I was also superficially a Christian. Even I didn’t know the difference between the mammary Christian religion and the real Christian religion. Among the oriental religions that were prevailing in France, there were much the religions such has Buddhism and Hinduism that when I became Muslim even I did not know what is the difference between Sunni and Shia. At the first year I became familiar with the books of martyr professor Motahhary who was student of Alameh Tabatabaiee that through those books I became familiar with Shia and I confess that at first I was Sunni.
Undoubtedly in France Islam has benefited from curiosity, but becoming a Muslim except in a few exceptions in France could not have been political aspect because inclination towards Islam in the most times has been the cones quince of aspectual research.
For a number of Catholics there exists only a stage of their converting into Islam that owing to it the numbers of Muslims in Europe are rapidly increasing. The main part of this growth is reckoned as the simple cones quince of the International Migration. Due to various reasons the persons come from Islamic countries with a religious background and there is a number of European who convert into the religion of these migrants. Even though they are insignificant in number but this also happen that they (by a curious mind with respect to their new religion) also bring with them the new interpretation of Islam. Thus they co-operate with respect to the constant evolution of Islam and its compatibility with the circumstances of the contemporary face of Europe.
Hence converting into Islam is not a new phenomenon. No one has definite information with respect to the number of Muslims in Europe. But perhaps it is a fact that we say that they constitute a top much more important role that the people imagine. For instance France has more than 6milion Muslims. Thus, if we consider protestant as an independent religion, Islam is recounted as the second religion in France. According to the official speaker of Muslims in Paris, based on the estimation, the number of the people who have converted into Islam are at least 400/000 people.
Even if we take into consideration the least statistics, again it constitutes a considerable number that are increasing extensively. Hence of it the journalists and the researchers have paid more and more attention to this phenomenon. The people who convert into Islam are not merely confined to the intelligentsia chains but Islam attracts its new followers from the entire strata of surety with the various spiritual and practical reasons. These intelligentsias who have been converted into Islam not only are found in France but also in the countries such as Switzerland, England, Belgium and the other points of Europe Continent.
Imam Reza (A.S.) Network

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Sister Buthaynia

Written by Sister Buthaynia
My name is Buthaynia, and I have been a Muslim now for five years. I was once a Christian. When I say Christian I mean I was one of those who had a ministry which I would go to the women's prision once a month. I also taught a Sunday school class and I used to be in the choir, and secretary in a women's group. Ok getting the picture now?

Well, I had many Muslims friends and every time they would talk to me about Islam I would get more interested each time. And I saw that they loved Prophet Jesus (pbuh) more than the Christians did.
It had gotten to the point where each time I would go to church I began to lose interest in it. It had gotten tot he point where on Sunday's I would make up an excuse to my friends who I ride with for not going. And I also saw just how empty hearted the Christians were.
I had even got to the point to where I would ask the ministers and elders at the church "How could Jesus be God and how can he be three people", well guess what? They couldn't answer my question and I also noticed that these people were supposed to be people who loved God, but were very prejudice against other races. I mean in there Bible doesn't it say that God so loved the world? I guess they never saw that part.
Five years ago I met a very special person in my life who is my husband. I would always ask him to please teach me about Islam, and Alhamduallah he did. He gave me a book about a Muslim student and a minister who were debating.
The more I read the book the more I noticed how eloquent the Muslim student spoke and I saw just how the supposedly minister who was suppose to have knowledge was always contradicting himself. So can you guess who kept my interest? Yes the Islamic student.
After I read it that is when I decided that I wanted to become a Muslim, I said the shahada which is:
There is only one God and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is his Messenger.

I have been a Shia Muslim now for five years, and I am so happy that Allah (God) opened my eyes. I was blind but All praise to Allah he lifted the veil from my eyes. Now I have been concentrating on helping people to open their eyes and help lead them to the right path. And now I admin a room called Shia The Right Path Of Islam, and all Praise to Allah there are great brothers and sisters there who also admin to help lead others to the right path.
So, now you are reading this and if you are not a Muslim, I pray that you will also get the veil lifted from your eyes.
Thank you so much for reading my story and May Allah Guide You All.
By Sister Buthaynia.

www.shiarightpath.com

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Sister Fattoum

Written by Sister Fattoum
Then in 1990, in Montreal, I enrolled my son to the Muslim School. This was the first time I had encountered with shia Muslims. One day, this Iraqi lady told me while we were waiting to pick up our kids: "Komeini is good!". To hear from her, whose country had a long war with Iran, made me think; because, all I have heard about Sayed Khomeini, rahmatullALLAHu aleyhi, was having picked up up sunni Muslims with excavators and drop them to the ground! -estaghfiruLLAH!

Second instance was again with an Iraqi lady who invited me her home, and at the time of prayer gave me a turba to pray on, and saying that there were more merits if our fore head touched it while sajdah. Strange enough, I was quite convinced with her explanations; although, it was the first time I have heard them! I knew that she was watching me while I was praying. I didn't mind, as if I felt a superiority from her over me!

I should say, this overwhelming experience of discovering their strong faith made me approach to them even more! Nevertheless, had I not frequented their huseiniyya, I would not have admitted that I had become a shia. So it happened one day: while I was there, another Iraqi lady asked me if I was a shia. I have answered that I didn't know, and I added that I loved the "Ehl ul Bayt". She then answered: " SO YOU ARE A SHIA!" I was happily surprised, and I have smiled at her that I have been convinced.

Then I have started my research: I have read a lot of books, I have asked a lot of questions. I was teaching my son as well. One day he said that all his friends were suniis. I said to him that I have proved that to follow Imam Ali a.s. was the order of our Prophet (s.a.a.w), and I knew that, my son had become a shia at that moment. MashaAllah, he was nine years old then. ElhamduliLLAH. May Allah Swt guard us all in the right path. Amin!

P.S. My all sunni friends were worried, and they were trying to save (!) us .:).. they were saying that shias don't like Aisha, Abu Baqr... etc. Who is the incomparable Ehl ul Bayt, and who are those c............s ? <<<< I couldn't careless :)
fattoum/paltalk
The 5th of January, 2003,
Ottawa, Ontario Canada

www.shiarightpath.com

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Sister Vickey

Written by Sister Vickey
It was almost a year ago I said, "Ash-Hadu Anla Elaha Illa-Allah Wa Ash-Hadu Anna Mohammadan Rasul-Allah", (There is no God worhty of worship but Allah and Mohammed is His messenger.) the words that forever changed my life. The time from me learning about Islam and becoming a Salafi, to the time of me finding the REAL Islam, the REAL Ahluls Sunnah, the path of the Shi'ite Ahlul Bayt was marked with great confusion, but also great learning, as well as growth.

I was born January 20, 1988 into a poor urban family. My father was an illegal immigrant from El Salvador and my mother was three times divorced with three other children. My father was abusive to my mother, so when I was two years old my mother moved from Texas to Missouri. That was the last time I saw my dad. Perhaps this why I felt a void in my life or maybe it was my childhood.
I didn't have a real childhood, although, it could have been worse. I had to grow up fast. We struggled and struggled which I believe made me humble inside. When I was about seven years old, I would ride the church bus to Sunday school. People were sort of nice to me, gaveme candy and little token-gifts for coming to church. Soon, my mother started going to church and my sister also.
My mother never liked to stay in one place too long so when I was almost 11 years old we moved back to Texas. Almost immediately my sister's father grew ill. After about a month, he couldn't even walk. We knew there was something more to his illness then what the doctors at the local clinic had said. We took him to a hospital and he was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors said he had 6 months to 2 years to live. He died in 6 months.
After his death, my sister started to question God, her beliefs, her religion. I did also. She was struggling with her beliefs and it in part took a toll on me as well.
We found out my sister was pregnant a couple weeks after her father died. She stayed with my mother and her boyfriend in their apartment. I stayed at the second apartment (really my mothers, where my sister, her father, and I lived) alone. However, my mom was there everyday. Now, I am sure you think that is absurd. But mentally, I advanced well before I should have.
It was summer time, and everyday I would wake up and go to the pool, hang out with the older teenagers, and live careless. I stayed out late at night, had coed sleepovers with out my mother knowing, started smoking, drinking, and began practicing Wicca (witchcraft/Paganism) with a "friend".
Before school started my mother moved back into her apartment full time. I remained careless and disrespectful. I had joined a gang "Latin Queens" . I was absent from school constantly. I had been in several fights and was reassigned to an alternative school for about two months. I was on probation and even had to do community service for the crimes I committed.
I finally knew I was going about life the wrong way. I was living like an animal, partying, being lustful, and listening to no one. I couldn't think of anything else to do, but pull away from everyone, at least till I figured out something certain in life. As a result of leaving the gang I couldn't go outside without fear so I had to stay indoors all the time. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't talk to anyone. I was all alone.
Finally, we moved a few hours away from where we lived to the suburbs and I had a chance to start over. Life was looking good. I was in advanced classes making wonderful grades, but for some reason I wasn't happy. I was insecure about everything. I felt like cattle just doing what I had to do. I was depressed all the time.
In the middle of the first semester I started dating a certain person. The relationship got emotional abusive. I felt like I had to have him, that I wasn't worthy of anyone else, and I did everything he said. I thought who else would love me? Who else would even bother with me?
My depression got worse and I started cutting my wrists. I wanted the pain and the hurt to leave me. I wasn't trying to kill myself. I was too afraid to go to hell or some place bad. I was tense and upset all the time. I cried nearly everyday , yelled at anyone who spoke to me, I hated life. I thought life was a waste!
My mother finally got sick of me, and sent me to Missouri for three months. After lots of fights and arguments with my mothers friend I was staying with, I started going to church again. I poured myself into studying Christianity. Normally the more you study the more you understand, but the more I read the more abstruse the religion became. The denominations were founded by simple people who wanted to add and change the religion from the true text. The doctrines seemed in accurate with what the Bible actually said. Every version and ruling in Christianity was different. How could I know what was right? How could this be right with all this confusion? I went to the library and read everything I could possibly find on the denominations in Christianity. Baptist, Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Non-Denominational, Greek Orthodox, Catholicism, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian...etc . I wanted to find the truth, but I couldn't do so in Christianity.
Eventually I stopped caring about religion all together. Logic and politics became my focus. I loved watching debates, reading about politics, and what not. As I started to study the Middle Eastern conflicts , I became more and more curious about the Arabic culture. Now, I had known a few Muslim people, but only one person I talked to on the internet decided to tell me about it in depth, even after I told him I wasn't interested in religion. He was a wahabi (salafi). He gave me a website to go to listen to lectures. I listened to "Why you should be a Muslim." "What's the purpose of life?" among others.
I thought about what the man told me and how much it made sense. (The basics of Islam that all schools of thoughts follow such as the real story of ISSA (JESUS) Peace Be Upon Him) Constantly, I was reading articles online. I submitted my name, address, and telephone number Islamicity in order to receive a free translation of the Quran and other Islamic literature.
Everyday I was learning something new, and everyday I started understanding the true purpose of life. We are to serve Allah, our creator. We are to fully submit ourselves to Him and purify ourselves so that we will be ready for the next life. I started to feel ashamed of the life I was living and had lived before. I was scared, shy and nervous about talking to anyone, but then one day.....
On January 24th, 2002, I received a call from a man who was volunteering for Islamicity. I was cooking at the time, but I let it burn. I wanted to hear what this man was saying. I wanted what I then thought was TRUTH! My heart had been crying silent tears from the beginning.
After hours of conversation, he asked me if I was ready to make Shahada (two testaments of faith). I made my Shahada. Yes, over the phone, before (via speaker phone) 7 brothers and sisters. First he told me what I was about to say in English, " There is no god apart from The God , and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Then he told me to repeat after him in Arabic. At first I was nervous to say it in front of them, but as the words came out my mouth, "Ash-Hadu Anla Elaha Illa-Allah Wa Ash-Hadu Anna Mohammadan Rasul-Allah." I felt peace. I felt at ease and for the first time, I felt real love.
What lead me to say my Shahada was not the stories of the sahaba or the stories of the Ahlul Bayt (Peace and Blessings upon them), but rather the Miracles of the Qur'an. The beauty of the Holy Qur'an. It wasn't until later that I learned about the Sahaba and the Ahlul Bayt (Peace and Blessings upon them).
Now that I became a 'Muslim', I tired hard to do what I was told. The Salafi rulings are very much extreme and things I was told seemed harsh but I tried my best to do them. Things about a woman's voice being awrah, niqab fardh, a woman being unable to even wear her hair in a high ponytail in the privacy of her own home, extreme segregation, among others. Every salafi was telling me do this, you cant do this. This is haram (forbidden) or this was biddah (innovation). So slowly I backed away and stopped trying to learn more. I felt like I was a failure and I couldn't do anything.
Before I had even become Muslim, I did however, meet one Shia man. I had some curiosity as to why the things I did he said I didn't have to do or were innovation, so I asked the wahabi shiekhs and they told me all sorts of things, all far from the truth. Lies like the Shia worship Ali (as), Shia think Ali (AS) should have been the Rasul instead of Mohammed (SAW), the Angel Jibrael (Gabriel) had made a mistake, that they believed the Qur'an wasn't perfect and even that they had another Qur'an. I thought this was absurd!!! Crazy! I became a Muslim because of the Qur'ans perfection! Little did I know.
After awhile from my 'break' of Islam, I started to feel the way I felt before and I started to slip into my old disgusting self again. For awhile I didn't practice Islam like I was taught. I just sort of went with the flow of what I wanted to do. Then finally after lots of hurt and what not, I got in touch with the people I took my Shahada with in order to get some more materials and so I could gain knowledge. I started to study more and more and I started to wear hijab fulltime during late September.
During my conversations with Salafi ladies online, I was told to download PalTalk (a messenger service similar to Yahoo). I did and I talked to several people online. I began sitting in during online classes as well. During my time in the rooms I met a sister from the Ahlus Sunnah wa jamal of the Hanafi school of though. She would take me to private chat and talk to me. Many of things she said were down right contradictions to what I was taught. Then one day she started to talk to me about the wahabi. I rememberd once I had asked a 'friend' of mine what a wahahbi was and she told me the called Salafis wahabis. And she 'explained' to me why they did such. She said we are Salafi and Ahlus Sunnah. So I told they lady from Paltalk, what are you talking about? I am Salafi. I'm not kafir. I believe in Allah and His Messengers and the Angels and the Day of Judgement, etc. Then we had a long conversation and she directed me to many AICP sites for me to read and learn from. How could I possibly have thought such ways of Allah as to compare Him to His creation like the wahabi? How could I say that He has hands, "but not like our hands"? How could I say that Allah was above His throne? ASTAGAFURALLAH!! I decided then to seek more knowledge on the different sects of Islam and different schools of thoughts.
I didn't know exactly how to go about searching, but I decided while I was on PalTalk to go the room Shia The Right Path. While there, I just listened to them. Heard different arguments and listened to debates. I asked questions and got answers. The manners of the Shia were above all the other Muslims I have met. I started to truly realize everything I was being taught was wrong. What I was practicing was not Islam. Islam is following the Ahlul Bayt (Peace be upon them). I was directed to Shia websites where I could read more. I read A Shi'ite Encyclopedia and Then I Was Guided. I used my common sense and logic to figure it out. Who could be greater then the Prophet Mohammed's (Peace be upon him) family ? Who really knew the Sunnah of our beloved Rasul (Peace be upon him) more, His family or His companions? Who is the Household?
Finally, I had insight to the real Islam. The Islam that makes you happy and content. I feel now greater then I ever have before. The more I study and the more I learn, the more I am thankful to Allah that I am a Shia. I am a Shi'ite of the Ahlul Bayt. I am a follower of the Prophet's Mohammed Sunnah, his REAL Sunnah.
Becoming a Muslim wasn't easy. I lost friends and family members became upset. I have had to deal with a lot of verbal abuse from people. The only way I stayed strong and am staying strong is through the duahs and help of my Muslim brothers and sisters.
People do not change over night. One must realize that when he becomes a Muslim it still takes time to change all your ways. It is how ever easier with the help of Allah. ALLAHU AKBAR! Allah is the Greatest!
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Sister ShiaRose

Written by Sister ShiaRose
I was around Muslims since I was a teenager, yet I wasn’t informed about Islam because all I seen was "Muslims" I had ignorance in my heart as I generalized about all the Muslims I wasn’t at that point in time willing to see the truth I guess one could say I was "deaf dumb and blind” I refused to see the truth and For many years as I played follow the leader with my friends I teased the Muslim women calling them oppressed and basically not in control of their own mind when in fact it was me that wasn’t thinking with my own mind I was following my friends.
Though I said all these things I felt compelled towards these modest women of which I secretly admired in my heart I would never admit these things out of fear that my friends would reject me. I was not a very good Christian for most of my youth but then as I was getting older I realized that I needed spirituality so I started attending church and became "born again" I was quite passionate about my church ,my new family at the church and my new personal relationship with God as I loved God with a passion I couldn’t explain .I went every Wednesday and Sunday to church and we had many activities between those times I was on a roll yet I hadn’t studied much into Christianity I just went on what the preacher said. I started dating a Muslim and I started to try to convince him of Christianity and was pleading with him to accept Jesus (Little that I knew he already accepted Jesus As I soon found out.)I started to have religious conversations with my boyfriend’s brother about the faiths which brought about doubts about my faith in Christianity. I tried to suppress these doubts by convincing myself that it was the devil leading me to such doubts, but the thought was there so I had to see for myself .So as any confused individual would do I went in search of truth (actually hoping to prove Islam wrong) it would have been a lot easier than admitting I was wrong. First of all I spoke with my pastor and he told me that Muslims deny Jesus as a messenger and as the son of God .He warned me that Muslims would claim to love Jesus so we (Christians) would open our heart and accept Muslims So they could in effect get the souls of the Christians (almost like a competition between Muslims and Christians) I later found out that the competition was purely from the Christians side. my pastor then told me that he himself had doubts before but he overcame those doubts thru love of Jesus Christ .which led me to the question that I think made him upset with me I said If he had doubts why did he not go seek the truth instead of having just blind faith, I also made the comment that if he was so sure in faith He would not be afraid of seeking further into it for if he seeked truth he would have been set free “the truth will set you free" If he was so confident then why not as a reconfirmation of faith confirm the truth yet he denied that simply saying thru the love of Jesus we will be saved and doubting the love of Jesus was a grave sin. Well My next step towards truth was going to the Mosque .I remember entering the mosque for the first time I wasn’t wearing Hijjab(veil) and the lady came over to me and handed me a hijjab So I put it on out of respect . The first thing I noticed was a wall hanging that said "In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful" I was taken back by that phrase as I stood there in a trance I thought about those words that had so much meaning to them My first thought was "most gracious what would God be gracious to mere sinners like us since we were born sinners why would we have such an honour" I then I concentrated with the words Most merciful wow a God that is automatically merciful forgives our sins because he is merciful "I was astonished at these words I mean this whole time I was searching for a personal relationship with Allah All mighty thru Christianity when in fact the relationship I could only dream of forming was thru Islam. See in Christianity I realized that your relationship with God is thru Jesus and well I am sorry but I believe that if we need an intercessor then the relationship is no longer "personal" i.e. becoming as personal as the relationship you have with your insurance company thru the mail carrier. As I was standing there a lady approached me and asked if I needed help I replied Can I purchase a Quran she replied no need to If you do me a favour I will give you a Quran I said of course So she then took Me in the bathroom (I was a bit hesitant) but I went anyway She went to the sink and washed her hands, face, arms head and feet each three times and she showed me how to do this and she explained it was purification For reading the Quran and praying. I thanked her As she handed me a Quran and a couple books One book teaching Salat and the other about Fatimah Al Zahra "Fatimah the gracious “we bid farewell as I went on my way .I read the Quran for all of that week As I was very intrigued with the stories in it and well to be honest before I was even through with Surah Albaqarah (the second book in the Quran) I was convinced of the truth in it .The following Friday I went back to the same mosque and said My Shahaddah.....LA ILLAHA ILLALLA MOHAMMEDUN RASOOLILAH ALLAH HU AKBAR ALLAH HU AKBAR ALLAH HU AKBAR
Alhamdillah!!!!!!!!!!

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In February of 2001 I purchased a computer and immediately learned How to chat. I went to yahoo rooms mainly and conversated with many brothers and sisters. I remember giving this sister a site about some miracles of Islam and she quickly got harsh with me. She said that is a SHIA SITE and SHIAS ARE KAFFERS. Well this astonished me because in fact I was Shia yet I did not know much about what Shia's believed. In fact I didn't know much about Sunni's either. My husband is Sunni but we never discussed religious matters so I decided to come on the net to learn more about what Sunni’s believed.

As I sat in chat rooms I defended my belief as a Shia yet my knowledge was very limited so I couldn't argue with people. I still remember being ashamed of myself when salafi's would win arguments due to my lack of knowledge. As I grew to know many of the Muslims I befriended many of them (salafi's mostly) and they started teaching me about what they considered True Islam to be. Many of them grew very tolerant to my questions knowing I hadn't equipped myself with enough knowledge of the Shia path.

As I learned more and more it seemed that Shias were wrong but I never verbalized it until one day I went to a store with a friend and the owner of the store was Iraqi who was Shia and became salafi. As I sat in his store I read many books pertaining to the salafeh saleh and it seemed rather logical still I didn't believe. So one day the owner asked me to stay at the store while he ran some errands and I said yes. As I was sitting in the store a brother came in who also was Shia and became salafi and we started to talk. He told me that Imam Khomeini (ra) stated that Ali is a physical form of Allah (astaghfirr Allah) and he informed me that he knew more about Shias then I would ever know. As we discussed more and more I became convinced of what he was saying. I thought to myself well why would he lie. He used to be Shia and now is salafi so obviously he had more knowledge than me. I did not question him further as I had submitted to his lies and decided that I wouldn't even ask for daleel(truth) since there was no place he could show me from. *i.e. in Khomeini’s books*.

As I started to become salafi I surrounded myself around more and more salafi sisters. I seen how they were and admired them for their strength and Eman. I was almost envious because they were so knowledgeable. I much like many new reverts expected that extremism had to be right. I thought because they were so extreme that they had to be right so I retook my shahaddah in front of some sisters in Ohio and proclaimed to the world that I was salafi. As time passed I started ridiculing Shias ever so much to the point of calling them kaffers and saying I couldn't eat their meat. I had Shia friends still but I always thought they were wrong so I stopped associating with them

. One day as I nestled down on my comfy chair I read Sahih Bukhari as I did every night to increase my knowledge and I came across the hadith that talked about the tragedy of Thursday. Just then I remembered reading the same hadith in a book called then I was Guided and remembered where I hid it so I got up to get it to read it more. I do admit though that I was looking to read it so I could have a better argument against the Shias. I sat down on my bed with My Quran on my lap, Then I was guided in my hands, and Bukhari sitting on the bed next to me so I could reference it. As I read this book I started doubting more and more what My beliefs were. I found the references in Bukhari and the Quran and wished I had Sahih Muslim to reference from that also but I was satisfied with Bukhari. As I read further and further into the book I threw it a few times in complete frustration.. I always went and picked it up so I could read it again. I didn't know what to do after reading that book and I just fell on my face weeping and crying to Allah for guidance.

I was so depressed because I didn't know how to please Allah. I asked Allah to send me a sign or to do something that would show me which path I should take and He did. It was rather weird also because it came via the internet. After I was finished praying I went to the internet to perhaps get some answers to some of Tijani's questions. My msn messenger popped up that I had a message so I went to read it. It was a sister looking for someone to accompany her to Washington Dc for the Rally for Palestine. Well of course I was truly happy because I called all the Masjids previously that day to find a seat on a bus so I could go but to no avail. I wrote the sister back saying I was willing to go and I would even help out with the finances for the trip. I eagerly awaited her reply. She wrote me back a couple hours later and said that she was about to go to sleep and just give up when she just had the feeling to check her email. She was surprised to see that I wrote her and she was quite happy to have me. So we connected on AOL messenger to talk more about it. She picked me up the next morning and we were off to Washington.

As we were in the car I told her about being salafi and how I was having doubts and just as she started telling me about the Ahlul Bayt I remembered that I asked Allah to guide me and show me a sign. I kept this inside as I listened to her speak about the Ahlul Bayt and the way of the Shia. I tried to tell her some of the things that I heard but she quickly refuted them. As we were traveling we got tired and decided to spend the night at a Hotel. I was so tired so this came as a blessing to me. I also needed to pray because it passed the time. As I stood in prayer with my arms crossed I was so nervous. What if she thought I was wrong What if she interrupted me during my prayer to correct me as many salafi's ladies have done? I couldn't even concentrate but I finished my prayer without a peep from her. After I was finished praying I felt the need to explain or rather excuse my methods of praying and she informed me that it was ok.

As we talked throughout the night she told me that she has PhD's in religion and she has studied religion allot. I was impressed and kept asking her questions. We didn't get much sleep that night because I had so many questions and she had the answers to them. I felt so fulfilled after I woke up that I rushed to pray before she woke up. As I stood in prayer I prayed like a Shia and felt so much Taqwa and Utter light upon my heart. The same light I felt when I became a Muslim in the first place.

On the way to Washington we visited some of her Husband’s friends in VA and they were so kind. I also asked them many questions trying to take advantage of every moment of my journey. We attended the Rally and it was a success and I was just so happy to have gone. On the way back I told her that I know that Allah has guided me back to the path of Shia Islam and I wanted to take my Shahaddah. So on the freeway I Stated ASHADU ANLA ILLAHA ILLALLA WA ASHADU ANA MOHAMMEDUN RASOOLILAH WA ASHADU ANLA ALIUN WALI ALLAH.. She started crying and I did also. When I returned and told my husband and friends of my discovery they all thought I was a joke. They said next I will be Buddhist.. But who's laughing now. I am and forever will be SHIA insh Allah. Alhamdoolilah.

Having your eyes covered by duct tape is never someone's choice,
Through arrogance the Shaitan will keep the tape on your eyes.
If you want to see you have to pull the tape back.
It may hurt but the beauty is worth it.
Try it; pull the tape back a little.
Tell me do you like what you see?
Do you want to see more?
It’s ok. It will hurt but the pain goes away.
Soon as the tape is off the beauty from Allah's light will overpowered the pain,
What are you waiting for?
By sister: ShiaRose
www.shiarightpath.com

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دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3602

Sister Tears_4_Zahraa

Written by Sister Tears_4_Zahraa
My name is Emina and I was born in a country that was known as Yugoslavia at the time. The communism had made people forget all about religion, and true Islam was nowhere to be found. People were adoring and praising this communist dictator who died before I was even born. I saw something wrong with this even at a tender age of six. I was six years old when I went to the masjid for the first time. Neither my mother or father told me to go , but they didn't prevent me from going either.

I still remember the my first day at the masjid, the sheikh was teaching children basics about islam. I came in and found a seat. I was really scared or maybe excited, I am not sure.When the sheikh approached me, and told me to repeat after him simple suras, I started to shake but obeyed him anyways. I came back to the class every weekend and felt good about it. I continued going all throughout elementary school and the beginning of high school untill I left my country. I am sad to say that in those nine years I only learned how to pray and read from the Holy Quran. Islamic history was NEVER mentioned, the companions were almost never mentioned and neither was Ahlul Bayt as. The only thing i knew about Fatima as was that she loved her father tremendously, that Ali as was the first youth to accept Islam and that Hassan as and Hussein as were two precious little boys who were loved very much by the Holy Prophet saws. At that time I wasn't aware that there is such thing as Sunni and Shia sects in Islam, but I loved being a Muslim and I loved all Muslims, that is until my mind was poisoned by a wahabi man.

I moved to Canada in 1996 and subhanAllah, in this Christian country I had found the true Islam. I was thrilled to see ladies with hijabs and wanted to wear one myself. I wanted to do everything that would bring me closer to Allah swt. I tried talking to my mother about hijab but she always hated the idea of me wearing one and still does. But that doesn't not concern me at all.

I had heard about sunni/shia issue from a wahabi man, who was our neighbour at the time. His wife was my friend and so I visited there often. Because of that i was often given tapes and lectures by him, which did a very good job at brainwashing me. I started disliking shia just because they were different from me, just because someone told me to dilsike them. I also started doing things that are too extreme to have anything to do with Islam, but I never knew the difference.

My family decided to move from Saskatchewan to Ontario. My life was about to change.............for the better. A friend introduced my family to a wonderful young man who's face was bright and who had the best manners. "He would make a great husband", I thought, "If he just wasn't shii." Short time after meeting this man, he proposed to me. Before answering him, I went to see a bosnian sheikh and asked his advice. "Is it allowed for me to marry a shia man?" -I asked. Sheikh's answer both surprised me and confused me: "Shia are our brothers." He said " And I wish all muslims were like shia!" As I was leaving I felt relief and knew that I was about to marry my husband.

Nevertheless, in my heart I still hoped that he would change and be sunni, just like I am. So we debated and debated...My husband mentioned issues like Fadaq and The Battle of Jamal. I was shocked !!! What was he talking about?! How can Abu Bakr, who is such a good companion deny the daughter of the Holy prophet saws her inheritance and make her so upset that she never spoke to him again untill she passed away??How can Ayesha, The mother of believers lead a battle against the Imam of her time, Imam Ali as?!
Wasn't there a fairy tale-type relationship between all companions??? Didn't Abu bakr and Omar love ahlul Bayt as??? Didn't Ahlul Bayt as Love them back???!!

"No, this couldn't be true, my husband isn't being honest with me" - I thought, untill I found what he was talking about, on a sunni site, from sunni books. It was all true. My heart was aching, I was so confused. I wanted to be on the same side with Ahlul Bayt as but at the same time I couldn't let go of Abu Bakr, Omar, Ayesha, and Othman. I went to see that bosnian Imam again hoping that he would help me... All he said was " All those companions are good people." "Is that it?"-I thought , greatly dissappointed.

SubhanAllah , one of the hardest things a person can do is admit that he or she is wrong. I decided to search for truth, and this time without hoping to prove shia wrong. I finally started reading the sermons of Imam Ali as . I was amazed at what he wrote and realized what a wonderful person he was and what a great worshipper as well!!! The sermon of Shiqshiqiyyah especially cought my attention: "Beware! By Allah the son of Abu Quhafah (Abu Bakr) dressed himself with it (the caliphate) and he certainly knew that my position in relation to it was the same as the position of the axis in relation to the hand-mill. The flood water flows down from me and the bird cannot fly upto me. I put a curtain against the caliphate and kept myself detached from it."

So there it was, all the proof I was looking for. I took Imam Ali's as word over Abu Bakr's anytime. After all, Imam Ali as wouldn't lie and Fatima as would never claim something that isn't hers. At that moment I knew I was free from my confusion, and that I finally know who's side I am on. Alhamdulillah for that.

I am still learning a great deal about "shiaizm" . I cannot thank enough all sisters and brothers from the Shia The Right Path room. The more I learn, the more certain I become that I chose the right path. After all, the Holy Prophet saws told us to follow the Holy Quran and Ahlul Bayt as. This hadith is viewed as authentic by both shia and sunnies.
Thanks for reading my story and may Allah swt bless you all.
ALLAHU AKBAR!!! ALLAHUMA SALLI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALE MUHAMMAD!!!
www.shiarightpath.com

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دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 4193

Sister Zahraa

Written by Sister Zahraa
I remember being a very young toddler and being in church. I remember being taught verses from the Bible, and knowing that it was the verses that I needed to remember, not the Bible as a whole. When I became conscious of my existence on this earth, I remember praying to God alone.
I prayed to God alone at all times until I was around 9 years old. When I was 9, I recall being told that God doesn't answer or even hear prayers that are not ended in the name of Jesus(as). For this reason, wanting to be correct in my supplications to God, I ended all prayers in the name of Jesus(as).
Never during my life as a Christian, did I view Jesus(as) as God Himself. Nor did I feel that he was equal to God. I changed churches several times because each denomination seemed a little different as far as the view of Jesus(as) went. Finally I settled into a Pentecostal church where my grandfather was a preacher. It was taught there that women are to be modest. I liked that. Even at a very young age, I felt that scantily clad women were women deprived of common decency. The Pentecostal church is of the thinking that women should wear long sleeves, and skirts, and never dress like a man; wearing pants and such. I did wear pants, but always wore shirts that went near the knee. This caused my mother to be very irritated with me as when I didn't wear long shirts over my pants, I'd tie a long sleeve shirt around my waist to cover my self from view. I recall crying when my mother bought me a dress to wear when I was 6 years old because when I sat down, my under clothes would show. I have always been modest in dress. There is a picture of me in that dress along with my brother. You can clearly see the tears in my eyes from having to wear that dress. My point here is that God, I feel, has created girls with a degree of shame and a desire to be modest until it is corrupted by society and popular fashions; making women and girls feel inadequate if they don't dress in a manner suggestive of sexual readiness, even at a young age.
I remember being afraid of the dark to the point of going to bed well before it would get dark. Because of this fear, and my reliance on God to help me, I would leave room beside me for angels. I recall during those nights where I would be terrified with nightmares and my fears of having them that I always, for some reason unknown to me even now, pleaded with God, alone, to protect me. It never entered my mind that anyone else had more power to help me.
When I was in the 4th grade, 11 yrs. old. I met a young Jewish girl. She never ate lunch at school and this made me quite curious about her beliefs. I spent many nights at her home and the talk of religion was open and it was made known that her house was a Jewish house. No pork would ever be served. I knew that Jesus(as) was a Jew, in all respects. He lived as a Jew, taught Jewish scripture, and came as a confirmation of verses in the Old Testament. I continued to eat pork, but my mind always felt ill at ease with it.
We soon moved from the school were I met my Jewish friend. We moved from a rural area to the city and I began school in the public schools in the city. I had at that time stopped going to church. My parents never forced my brother and I to go, so it wasn't an issue. The inner conflicts about religion had began at that time to make me quite confused and although not to the point of doubting the existence to God, but the confusion was such that when I would hear someone begin a prayer with, " Dear Jesus," I would feel as if I had totally missed out on something. Hearing things such as, " Jesus loves you, " would create such inner turmoil for me, that I began to think that I didn't believe what I was supposed to believe and was therefore different, even undeserving of that love. Singing the song " Jesus loves me," was in it's self a point of mental exhaustion as I recalled that Jesus(as) said that he done only as God willed and required him to do. Did this credit of love then not go to God who cared to effort into my salvation in the first place? Why didn't we sing "God loves me?" If God was All Powerful and Almighty, didn't that mean that at some eventual point all credit for anything would go to God?
Some time during this stage of questioning what I was being taught took me to my grandfather. He was the preacher and he knew what was right; in my mind, he was the one to ask. I asked him, " Grandpa, is God one or three, or one with 2 more slightly below Him. What exactly should I know about this subject in order to have the right belief?" He answered, " Honey, we don't question such things. These are things that we take on faith. God said that He sent his son as a means of saving us from our sins. God's son is part of God, therefore we refer to one and both are glorified. The Bible says that there are three that bear record, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost. These three are one in spirit and so that means that they are one in total." My grandfather's answer only left me with a bigger thirst and more confusion as I remembered vividly the Jewish slogan " Hear Oh Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is One." The Bible and all of the world calls the Jewish people God's chosen people, and they believe that God is one, alone in His authority and power. This was the only thing that remained a point of logic and ease of belief for me.
Within months of talking to my grandfather, I had to put everything about my belief in God to the side. The only person that I thought would know had only given me more confusion. In my mind it was me, I was the problem; maybe I was wicked and evil. Maybe God didn't love me as He loved everyone else because I sure didn't feel secure that I was going to be saved due to the fact that none of it made sense. I couldn't get to the step of just having faith in something and accepting it when it made no sensible connection in my mind. I only kept the belief that God existed, and the rest was undetermined or something to eventually learn and understand.
It was at this point in my life that I made most of my mistakes. Although I wouldn't change any of it, as it has made me who I am today, I can clearly see in hindsight that my ignorance wasn't a chosen type of ignorance. I had tried so hard to grasp something that I just couldn't see. I had asked about my doubts and asked about what was proper to believe only to find that nothing that was given to me satisfied my mind. Again, I was feeling as if there was something wrong with me, it had to be me, otherwise I wouldn't have felt so alone. Since I felt that I was evil because of my doubts, I began to do things against my taught belief system. What good did it do me to believe anything when it never made sense and I was evidently mad anyway?
Setting this next stage is necessary because I continue to feel that my mistakes are what has made me who I am today. Of course they were awful. Of course I am filled with regrets. However, if I had not made these mistakes then guidance would not have come to me. It wasn't the mistakes per se, but the growth of conscience that occurred as a result of them. At this stage in my life I had left the church. At the time, it seemed an awful thing to do, but today I know it was the best thing to do and I can elaborate on that a little later.
When we moved into town, we moved into an area that was mainly retired people. The only young adults were the ones that every mother warns you about. They were folks who drank heavily. They also done drugs on a daily basis. I was introduced to this lifestyle at the age of 13. In the summer after I turned 13, I had too much time and little guidance. Both of my parents worked so my whole day was unsupervised by any responsible adult. I had been a good girl and had always listened to my parents. My mother has always said that the only reason she had another child after I was born was because I was always obedient and good. My parents being gone all day at work and leaving me to take care of my brother was something that I had earned, I felt. My days consisted of cleaning the house for my mother, feeding my brother some lunch, and then going two houses down where the loud music was. I would always come back home in good time to get food starting to cook for my mother. Not long after this routine I began to be sucked into the life of these neighbors. I wanted to do what they done all day. They made it seem like so much fun. No responsibilities was the rule of each day. Accountability was never brought to mind. They had offered me beer and drugs and I drank and done drugs with them daily. It got to a point where I started sneaking out of my window at night on the weekends when they had parties.
The neighbor and his wife had separated and she moved to Indiana, back to her mother's house. For a few days after she had left, I stopped going. I then got a message that just because she was gone didn't mean that I wasn't welcome there. Of course I went. There were more men now. At this point I had only drank and done drugs, but having a drunk and drugged mind isn't good for a very young girl around a bunch of drunk men. I knew that everything I done was wrong, but it didn't seem to matter. Nothing made sense to me anyway. I justified things to my self in two ways; I was evil anyway because I didn't believe what I was taught, and secondly, God was forgiving and nothing I done really mattered. One night I was drunk, and high on drugs, and at 13, I became pregnant. This would break my parent's heart. The fear of seeing their faces in such utter disappointment lead to me running away from home one day during the fall of 1982. I left with the father of my baby who was 21. This was a time slumber for my good conscience. I had to put it to sleep otherwise guilt would incapacitate me. I was however a spoiled young girl. My parents gave me and trusted me in everything. I was accustomed to eating and getting new clothes when I wanted them. Both of my parents worked and money wasn't ever a concern for me. Leaving home was a battle within myself of sleeping and crying, being hungry, and feeling like I was the worst of God's creation. I had to steal clothes from clothes lines at night. I had to lie my way into people's homes. I had stopped drinking and doing drugs because I was pregnant, but my babies father continued to drink and do drugs. I began to see him in a different way and I would bring things up to him about morality. Since I wasn't drunk and my mind was sober, I disagreed with everything he did. He began to abuse me. He beat me and drug me by my hair up and down stairs. I began to wonder if this was what I had resigned myself to. Was this going to be how my life was always? For six weeks I was gone. During that six weeks I grew a bit. My parents were walking as zombies with no thought except that of my safety. Putting them through that is a huge regret. I went back home after that six weeks with a different vision in my life. I no longer thought that a life with no responsibilities was ideal. In that six weeks, my mind grew into that of an adult. I say that because much of my thought process is the same now. I was going to be a mother. I needed to grow-up and be an adult, even if my age reflected something different. As winter came and I reached the age of 14, I was mentally prepared to be a mother. I had broke any relationship with my baby's father after he physically and mentally abused me one last time that winter. After my daughter was born, I gave him a chance to be involved with her, but he wasn't interested in being a father or supporting a child and went his own way. My parents were there for me for support, both financially as well as emotionally. My first daughter will be 20 this year, and her natural father has still never cared to contact or support her.
I started school two weeks late due to recovering from childbirth at 14. I started in classes for students in special circumstances that only required me to be in school for 3 hours a day. Near the time of my 15th birthday in December, I started to feel as if I were taking and asking too much from my parents. They gave willingly and without complaint, but I felt like I was a huge financial burden on them. I wasn't even old enough to get a proper job. If I were to get a job, it would mean that I would need day care because both of my parents worked. I had resumed going to church for a short while only to find that nothing had changed really. It was important to me however, that my child learn to know about God early on.
I feel that it is important to include all of this because it all plays such a huge role in my acceptance to Islam. The summer after my 15th birthday I met my husband. Honestly, I had no idea about Islam, although I knew he was a Muslim. He never prayed or fasted, or practiced anything in the religion at that time. We married on my 16th birthday. My husband accepted my daughter as his own and she has only ever known him as Baba. The only thing he requested was that we not eat or bring pork in the house.This brought me again to my memories of my Jewish friend. I decided in the fall of 1985, just prior to marrying him, that I would no longer eat pork, nor feed it to my child or future children. I felt that certainly Jesus(as) didn't eat it, so there must be something to the rule. My conversion to Islam was surrounded by this law.
When I was 17, I started going to church again. We had a daughter together in February, a few months after my 17th birthday and it seems from looking at it now that each time after I would have a child I would be more and more pushed mentally to worship God in some way. The process of a a child growing within me, and celebrating the new born life felt like such a huge blessing to me. When I returned to church, the Easter meal was planned and I attended only to find that it was a meal of a baked ham. A huge disagreement started with me and some church members. I was offended and repulsed that someone would celebrate the newly risen Jesus with a meal that he, himself would never have touched. A meal that was totally representative of filth on an occasion supposedly representing a cleansing of sins. I got up and tried to convince the congregation that this was wrong. It had to be. Jesus(as) was a Jew, he would have never eaten this meat. Moreover he wouldn't have been in the company of those enjoying it in such a manner. Jesus(as) said that he didn't come to change the law, so why then is it changed in this church who follows him? My grandfather got up and opened the Bible and showed me a verse in the Bible that allegedly meant that all meat was cleansed. He then showed me a verse saying that it is not what goes into a persons mouth that makes them unclean, but what makes them unclean is what comes out and what resides in the heart. It didn't jive. I couldn't make sense of it. Regardless of what the other verses said, Jesus(as) still said that he didn't come to change the laws, but to confirm them. This was an inconsistency and I opted to follow what Jesus(as) said over the vision of some starving man on his roof hearing a voice telling him to go down and eat unclean food. Upon further investigation by myself, I found that the verse wherein Jesus(as) stated that it is not what goes into a man that makes him defiled was completely not about eating unclean meats, it was about following a law with no sense of anything except a habit with no thought of God and obedience to Him at all. I determined then, within myself, that the church had only hoped to deaden my conscience. They constantly encouraged me to feel as if I were forgiven, not to feel guilty about anything, and to be free and happy as God wanted me to be.
This next stage of my path towards Islam brought me to believing that I was a Jew. I was a Jew in my mind, but a Jew who accepted Jesus and his mission. I intended to follow the laws that Jesus followed; the laws that he taught as well. For 3 years I lived in this manner. I considered myself again as something different from anyone else. I had never believed that God literally had sons, or daughters for that matter. I never believed that Jesus(as) was part of God with the same authority. It was my ardent desire to emulate Jesus in my life in all respects. The question of the day was, " What Would Jesus Do?" I answered it daily with, " He wouldn't eat pork, he wouldn't praise himself, he wouldn't put up a tree on his birthday, he wouldn't do anything that praised anything or anyone other than God, The Creator of all. I dove into the Old Testament and found 637 laws or commandments that God gave the Jews. I grew bitter towards the church for not lifting these laws as they do the Ten Commandments. Why just ten when God gave so many more? Did God give these other laws in vain? Did God put Moses in a life of trials and difficulties from his very birth all for nothing? I started to see Christian beliefs as beliefs of convenience. If it suits them, they embrace it; if they don't like it and want that ham dinner on Easter, they cast aside what they don't like and teach one another to not feel guilty about it. After further investigation into Jewish laws, I came to the point of sacrificial rituals. These rituals were required of those Jews who committed sins unintentionally. In the Torah, God continually says that He places these sacrificial rituals as part of their lives so that they may learn gratitude and other things such as a conscience that guides them to continually try to do what is right and good. I began to study the definition of the word sacrifice in Biblical terms. It is basically a gesture wherein one gives up something that they love or value in order to show sincerity to God. A blood sacrifice is not always necessary and was rarely done for sins. When it was done however, it needed to be done correctly. Sometimes, if a person is poor, they need only give a bit of flour, or make a humble meal. The word "qorbanat" or sacrifice in Hebrew, means to make an offering to show sincerity of repentance. Most of the time, this would be for purposes of meat to eat. This was the only allowable way to eat meat; when it was/is sacrificed in a proper manner. This has nothing to do with forgiveness of sins. The best means to be forgiven according to the Torah is to pray for forgiveness and make gestures of obedience to God. any gesture of sacrifice, however, is not for sins done intentionally. Not like the church had taught me at all. These are the things that Jesus(as) taught and lived by. These things made sense to me.
After living for three years believing and thinking that if Jesus was a Jew, then I am too, I met the first practicing Muslims in my life. My father works for an oil company and the company had signed some contracts with Egypt. The company brought in some Egyptian men to train them in the supervisory level on how to instruct the assembly of submersible oil pumps. My father quickly called my husband and told him that there were some Arabs in our small town. He thought that this would please my husband because my husband was the only Arab around for a good 50 miles and he hadn't seen any Arabs or even spoken Arabic in several years. The response from my husband was unbridled enthusiasm. He was ecstatic, to say the least. The Egyptians were here for 3 months and during that time I saw what Islam in practice was. My husband had started to connect with his religion, although he didn't fully practice until I became a Muslim of that same year. The Egyptian brothers were excited to teach me about Islam. They thought that I was a Christian so they were making points of disagreement with Christian doctrine including the trinity which I never accepted anyway. I didn't really learn anything new except one thing; Muhammad was the final messenger of God.
At this point I was asking all kinds of questions to my husband. I found that he would never answer me enough to satisfy my curiosity though. I didn't find out until a few years later that my father had made an agreement with my husband before he would agree to our marriage. The agreement consisted of my husband never trying to change my religion. Never. My husband agreed with this stipulation in order to marry me and he didn't want to appear to be encouraging me to change my religion and disappoint my father. He didn't know that I was committed to finding out about Islam. He didn't know that I was searching to an extent that if I had to by-pass him, I would do it. I had to know who Muhammad was. The brothers from Egypt spoke of Muhammad being in the Bible. I was either going to find that they were right, or prove them wrong, somehow.
A few months had passed and my aunt (mother's sister) married one of the Egyptians who came to train with at my father's work place. Of course he had to go back to Egypt, but he kept in contact with her by phone and it was planned that he would return to the USA in one month. Everything went as planned and he was back in the states and he and my aunt had rented a house in Tulsa. Since they were an hour drive away, I didn't see them much. In September of 1990 I had another child. A baby girl. My aunt and her husband came to the hospital to see me. When she came in my room she had a scarf on her head, and another American woman was with her who also had a scarf on her head. I looked at my aunt and I asked her, " What are you wearing?" She answered, " I became a Muslim and so now I cover my hair." I was really shocked at her news. It was the first time I had ever seen a woman in hijab and although I was shocked initially, after I had studied the two of them closer, it was a thing to admire. I invited my aunt and her husband to our home while my husband and hers spoke in Arabic. I hated it when he done that because I couldn't understand a thing. I was constantly asking what he was saying.
When I came home from the hospital my aunt and her husband came for a visit. I was full of questions but felt a little shy to ask them. It seemed like every time I would ask my aunt something, her husband would answer. It annoyed me. Finally, I said, " Auntie, I am asking you, what made you change what you believe?" She answered, " Well, my husband began to explain what he believed and it made such perfect sense that I accepted it. It also makes him happy." I commented, "What exactly is it that you believe?" She answered, " That there is no god, other than God, Allah; and that Muhammad is the final messenger and prophet sent by God." I asked, "How do you know who Muhammad is?" "She said, "Well, I brought you these tapes, video cassettes, by a man named Ahmed Deedat. He completely explains in a better way than I can. The only thing is, is that he speaks with a heavy accent and I can't understand him very well." I asked her to go get the tapes and she brought them in, there were 3 of them. We put one in the VCR, it was titled Crucifixion or Crucifiction. I thought the title was catchy. We sat and watched it from beginning to end. It was a long process because I stopped the tape several times to write down references of what he was saying. My aunt said that I could keep the tapes until the next weekend. After they left I spent the rest of the evening copying the tapes. I must admit that it felt wicked to copy them, but I was so very driven to remember the tapes and what was said.

I spent the entire week watching the tapes and intensely caring for my new baby. She was placed on a heart and sleep apnea monitor because sometimes when she would sleep, she would briefly stop breathing. I was constantly worried for her and afraid that there may be a time that I would not wake up when the alarms sounded. I was watching those tapes and reading the Bible making sure that there were no misquotes, nothing taken out of context, and I found it all to be exactly as Ahmed Deedat had said. I was at a point in my life where I was thankful for the blessing of another child, I was thankful that she was with me, but I was afraid that she might not keep breathing and from my tiredness, I wouldn't be able to reach her to begin CPR. What stress that was I can never fully explain to anyone who hasn't experienced it. I remember vividly when she was 3 weeks old, I was downstairs with her feeding her and I was so terribly tired that the fear of not waking up and hearing the monitor alarms that I began to pray. I prayed so fervently and I wanted so much to know what God was hearing my prayer. In my exhaustion, carrying her about the living room, I walked towards the fireplace mantle. Sitting on the mantle I had a plaque of the Lord's Prayer. Instantly in my mind, the story in the Bible of how this prayer came about entered my mind. The followers/disciples and the multitudes came to hear Jesus(as) speaking on a mountain and he instructed them in supplication to God. Jesus said, when you pray (supplicate) do it in this manner: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, they will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
I looked at the prayer after I said it. Something was missing. What was it? I read it again, looking at every word instead of saying it from memory. I then saw what was missing. There was no "in Jesus' name" at the end. This was a prayer that was directly to God from Jesus as he instructed his followers to do. This prayer was specifically directed to God alone. This is how Jesus prayed, and how he instructed to pray. I stood there for what seemed a very long time thinking about the instruction of the prayer and the absence of what the church demands as far as acceptance and proper closure for prayer; it was not there. It simply was not there. Jesus said over and over as he was grieved, "Why do you call me master, and do not what I say?" My mind was going, my tears were flowing; my mouth opened and uttered the words, " There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger."
My belief in Islam took me as a storm that was unexpected. I knew inside when I was reading those verses in the Bible that they were being repeated correctly. I feel now that I was hiding from submission for some reason beyond my conscious knowledge. But once I became conscious of it, there was no turning back. God was and is One; I had always, always felt that within myself. Now the hard part of learning about what I believed needed to run it's course. I had never read the Quran. This book that I felt was true revelation from God, I had never seen. I kept my belief as a secured secret inside of myself. Knowing that I had submitted, yet thinking that I was in some way falling deep into something that would require a change in my life that would effect everyone around me. My parents would be hurt, my husband...would he understand? I mean he wouldn't talk to me about religion at all.
I constantly went over the tapes, my notes, and read the Bible more than I had in my whole life for the next week. I made myself read the New Testament and began discounting everything that went against the Oneness of God in the Old Testament. This made the process easier to know what was placed there by someone uninspired, and someone truly inspired. God is consistent, perfect, and free from errors. His true prophets and messengers too would be consistent in a like manner. Since I had already considered my self to be a Jew of sorts, this was not a difficult task.
After a week or so had passed of my delving into the Bible extracting truth, and rejecting lies, I decided to tell my husband of my belief. He called from work at his lunch time. He asked how I was, and how the baby was doing. I commented that we were both fine and laying beside each other on the couch. I said, " Honey, I need to tell you something." I didn't even give him time to ask what it was, I just said it. " Honey, I am a Muslim and I believe in Allah as one, and in Muhammad and what was given to him, but I need a Quran." He answered, " This isn't some kind of thing someone just jumps into. This is something that requires thought and total conviction. We'll need to talk about this when I get home." I was stunned by his reply. He seemed to be discouraging me in what I believed in. I was intent on telling him that he had no say in the matter and that he couldn't change my belief for any amount of money, or any length of time discouraging me. I didn't learn until some years later that he broke down crying after he hung the phone, and he thanked Allah, and made an oath to practice what he knew was right. He asked God to forgive him and when he got home, he recited the athan in our baby's right ear, and the iqama in her left ear; something he had never done with any of the other 4 children.
He came home and was silent for a length of time. He then said, " Are certain that this is what you believe? There is no going back now if you say yes." I replied that I was totally sure and I felt like God had been guiding me to this time for my whole life. The next day he brought me a Quran and we went to Tulsa. On October 14, 1990, In front of my aunt, her husband, and my husband, I recited: AshaHadoo Ana La illaha illalah wa Ashadoo Ana Muhamadan Rasoolulah. I took a shower saying bismillah Alrahman Iraheem over my head three times, then over my right and left shoulders, respectively. I was a Muslim. Alhamdulilah.
I was dedicated to learn the salat in Arabic and in three days time I had perfect pronunciation. My only hurdle was hijab. I said for a month that I would never cover my hair. After a month I thought better when I had read the Quran and from that time on I have been Muhajibah. All praise is Allah's.
I think Allah for guiding me in the manner that He has. So many things make sense now. All of the what-ifs are clarified and understandable. If I hadn't had my first child so young, my parents would have never agreed to let me marry so very young. If my husband had practiced his religion while I was not a Muslim, this would have caused a lot of conflict. Although it was wrong of him, it happened, and for each thing there is a reason beyond our comprehension. If the church had succeeded in killing my conscience and guilt process as I mentioned earlier, I would have felt free to do anything with no fear of accountability. God gave us a conscience to guide us. We should feel bad when we do something wrong, it is a needed trait for true repentance. In order to be really humble, one has to remember their sins and forget their good deeds. Otherwise we will become prideful and boasting; a major sin.
I am also thankful that I knew Islam before I really knew Muslims. People still today, more than 1400 years after the advent of Islam can't differentiate between culture and Islam. Some combine them even opposing Islam altogether. Indeed, in some cases, culture is more important.
For any Christian reading this, I really recommend learning about how Jesus lived his life as a Jew. Jewish beliefs were taught and studied by Jesus at every point in his life. You cannot know about what Jesus was like by reading what the man who killed his followers wrote. There is an excellent website describing Jewish beliefs at: http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm
You will be surprised to learn that there is little ritual difference between Islam and Judaism. Also, there is little difference between the two in major aspects in foundations of belief.
If you really want to know what Jesus would do, if you really want to know what Jesus taught and believed, learn about the Jewish beliefs. It is imperative to know that blood sacrifice is not only unnecessary, it was never done as it is explained by the church. It is so important to know that the laws of the Torah were viewed as a form of blessing and guidance and never the burden as it is implied as when it is explained to you that you are freed from the laws under the New Testament. If Jesus said that he didn't come to change the laws, then even if you accept the church doctrine of salvation, the laws remain valid. Read, Read, Read. Salvation is obtained by repentance; it was the manner of forgiveness before Jesus(as) and it remains the same now. Jesus prayed to God by falling prostrate on his face. If he were God, this would seem ridiculous. Don't limit God by saying that He can't forgive without blood, no where in the rituals as practiced by Jesus is this written or believed. God does as He pleases and cannot be contained in any form, whether you have a vision of it or not. Muslims have the same God of the Biblical prophets. Arab Christians refer to God as Allah. Allah is the Arabic word for God. Allah is not the "Muslim God."
Finally, may God be with you in your search for truth, or even just understanding. If you're sincerely seeking, God will never abandon you in disbelief. I hope that truth will flood over you, making plain all things, and truly making your cup overfill.
Some day in the future I will inshaAllah explain how I came to be a Shia, inshaAllah.
www.shiarightpath.com

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Sister Um Ali

Written by Sister Um Ali
When I was 7 my cousin married a man from Saudi Arabia. He was muslim. My Christian family was not very practicing so I became very interested in the things he did and he answered many questions that i had. He went back to Saudi Arabia when I was 9. At age 10 my parents divorced and i went to live with my grandparents and started attending church regularly.
I had lots of questions because the things he said had stuck with me and i wanted to know why the Baptist church I now was attending believed and did things differently from him. But when I asked questions I was labeled a bad seed and trouble maker. I was told I did not have faith and I needed to pray more. When I was 16, I went to work at a fast food place and met a guy who was from Iraq. He was a refugee. He had been here in the USA for less than a year. We would discuss many things, especially religion. We married 4 months later. And he was adamant that I study and if I wanted to become Muslim it would be for the right reasons and not because of him. While he was a good Muslim, he was not close to all of the things that make you a true Shia. So I was kind of a Muslim in name only. A year after our marriage I had my son and a year later my daughter. I almost died giving birth to my daughter and when we returned home from the hospital I decided to wear hijab. I was 19 years old then. I lived in a small southern town and at the time was the only hijabi. Now, 7 years later, there are 4 sisters who wear hijab. I wanted to raise my daughter the right way and I never wanted her to question hijab. I often wonder if I had had two sons would I have worn hijab back then or not.. but alhamdulillah I am glad I was given the strength to wear it back then. I feel like I took shahada twice, once at age 17 and once at age 25. At 25, I was divorced and I took it very hard so i dived head first into studying my Islam more and to find out the things I did not know.. My ex-husband never commemorated Moharram. He is deeply opposed to it. So this year was the first time my kids and I could openly and freely practice our Islam. Sometimes I feel very ashamed at all the years I wasted as a Muslim. But inshallah I am learning now and teaching my kids and inshallah I will make up for lost time inshallah.
www.shiarightpath.com

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Sister J.L. Ahen

Written by Sister J.L. Ahen
I was born in the Midwestern America to an upper middle class family. My mom was catholic, my dad Christian, although he didn't go to church. His family was Baptist. I went to a number of different churches / denominations growing up. Since I was 5, I can remember being confused about the concept of the trinity, and the fact that all you had to do was accept Jesus as your saviour seemed too easy. I couldn't understand how God could have a son, and sacrifice him for others' sins. This didn't effect my belief in God, I never denied his existence, rather, just didn't know how to reach him. I went through subsequent periods of being 'religious' (blindly accepting faith) and rebelling / questioning.

My father was an alcoholic. He was physically abusive to my mom, and verbally abusive to my brother and me. He was quite prejudiced - due to his affiliations with certain white supremecist groups... as well as freemasons... something I didn't know until much later in life. He was so prejudiced that he believed all Mexicans were lazy, and if you ate too much rice you'd get slanted eyes like Asians! He severly condemned blacks (as descendents of apes) and Arabs weren't much better. Alhamdulillah my mother divorced him and remarried, taking us as far away as possible from him. He still had visitation, and continued to drink until it ruined his marriage, career, and family ties. My step father was terrific, a father in the true sense of the word.

I was always at the top of my class in school, but was quite a trouble maker, clever enough not to get caught very often. I was never a part of any 'group' or clique in jr high or high school. I had friends from each group, even from other nationalities just to spite my father, but I was pretty independent. I went throught the different teen phases from sports, to rock and roll to punk rock (weird hair experiments) to anarchism to radio/tv/modelling... I, like many, thought that independence / freedom would make me happy. When I got a car and a job at 16, look out! I hate to remember all the grief I caused my poor mother.... it was fun for awhile, but I still wasn't happy. I rushed thru highschool and into university without thinking, just intent on finishing. That, I thought, would make me happy. All the time, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking: Where does it end? There has to be more to life than this. My next question when I found myself unhappy was always, then what?

When you grow up in a society that doesn't place much emphasis on religion, you look for guidance from other sources, which may be the reason so many people are heading down the wrong path. Divorce, drug / alcohol use, the break down of the family unit, materialism, etc.. are 'normal' or common in that society. Unfortuanately, sports heroes and musicians are not necessarily good role models. My mother was a good influence on me, but I was quite rebellious and very head strong. I had to find out for myself.

The Rude Awakening......

When I was 17 I took an honors course in comparative relgion. It really got me thinking. I started my 'investigation' into different relgions. I tried Christianity again, to no avail. Judaism from the beginning didn't appeal to me. I delved into Atheism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism.... Wicca... you name it. I started to meet people of different religions and have discussions with them. I could see some good in most of them, but not enough to convince me. I was an avid reader and remembered something I had read years before (I even used to read encyclopedias and dictionaries... ) about Saudi Arabia... about pork and alcohol being forbidden and there being a Prophet called Mohammed.... like many at the time, I erroneously believed that muslims worshipped Mohammed, in the same way Christians believed Jesus is the son of God (astaghfirallah).

My first encounter with Islam in a course wasn't too convincing. They talked a lot about poetry: sufism, the pillars of faith, the Prophet Mohammed and very little about the history of Islam. Somewhere about this time I started to meet muslims/Arabs. I thought the women were oppressed and never dreamed I'd ever become muslim. Not me, I'd never be fooled by 'the false Prophet'.... (God forgive me) Subhannallah, once I started reading about Islam, I couldn't stop. It was like a hunger, that only more knowledge could satisfy. I started with a translation of the Holy Quran. I was mezmerized by the Arabic recitation, even though I didn't understand it. The pillars of faith sounded noble and logical.No trinity! One God, pure and simple. Islam was a comprehensive religion, covering all aspects of life. I marvelled at the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). I was amazed at how I could have spent 18 years learning, and yet feel that I knew nothing. I felt ashamed at my ignorance. All these years, I had been wrong. How could that be? Later it would become obvious why we were never taught about the true Islam. I knew it was only a matter of time before I converted, but I was still stubborn then, and wanted to be sure it wasn't just another phase I was going through. In my heart, I was muslim, but needed more conviction before openly professing it. It was a big leap that I was going to take. I was aware of the Shia since the revolution had been in full swing for some time now, this was late 1980s. Ofcourse I thought they were the bad guys. I thought the sunni were right, until I got into reading about the history of Islam. I wondered what happened after the Prophet died.... and when I read about bani Saqeefa, I thought, this is not democratic! This arose my suspicion, and further investigation. I bought or borrowed any books I could find. One of the arab guys from the university (who later became my DH ) took me to meet some of the other guys' wives, who were mostly shia. They were a great help to me. They answered my questions and accepted me into their study circle. (May Allah reward their efforts) My life changed forever, alhamdulillah. I became muslim, got married, and started covering, praying, fasting... My husband provided me with every opportunity to learn, taking me to conferences and arranging for me to talk/discuss with many imams/ sheikhs / sayyids. With their help (rakabt safinat ahlul bayt ) I became a follower of the ahlul bayt .

I was mentally at peace and satisfied with my decision. However, then I had my parents to deal with. My mom was a bit apprehensive at first, but supported my decision. I lost lots of 'friends' and some family members. My father was difficult and made my husband and I miserable until we came here. However, he did quit drinking and I have forgiven him for what he did. We now have a good relationship. He has accepted my conversion and my husband and children. Although I felt alienated from my family and friends, Allah has blessed me with good muslim sisters as friends ever since.

No regrets......

I lived in the US as a muslim for over 2 years before coming here. I've been in the Gulf for 13 years. When I go back 'home', it is a serious culture shock for me. I look at things much differently now. I see the value of Islam, what it has given me, like salvation, peace, true freedom, and dignity. Before, everything was grey area.... now it's black and white. Islam became the white, the light of my life. For those of you born to muslim families, you don't know what a gift you have been given for free. Don't take it for granted. It is the most precious thing you can ever imagine to possess! I have been truly blessed and hope and pray that Allah (swt) Lord of the worlds, will accept my good deeds and forgive my sins, and help me to guide as many as possible to the religion of Islam, through the teachings of the Holy Quran, the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) and the infallible ahlul bayt. Allahu Akbar, alhamdullillahi rub al alimeen! Alla homa sulli ala Mohammed wa ahli Mohamed!
AlMujtaba Islamic Network

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Brother Ali Husayn al-Mahdi

Written by Brother Ali Husayn al-Mahdi
My real name is Greg Sowden. I converted to Islam from the Roman Catholic church on December 15, 2001 (Ramadan 29, 1422). I have chosen the Muslim name Ali Husayn al-Mahdi. I'm 19 years old. My birthday is July 26, 1985. I would like to become a high school history teacher. I would also like to study Islam one day at the Hawzah in Qom. I want to travel as well.

I go to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. My family lives between Port Dover and Simcoe in Ontario, Canada on a 400-acre poultry/beef cattle farm. Port Dover is on Lake Erie. I'm interested in geography (countries), world history, world events (especially in Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and the entire Islamic world) and (Shia) Islam.
I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship but Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful and that Mohammad is His final Prophet and Messenger and Ali ibn Abu Talib is his rightful successor until the Day of Judgement!
I am a convert to Islam! Alhamdolellah!
I will tell you about my life....
My family is Roman Catholic. Before I became Muslim I went to church every week and never questioned my beliefs. I was a devout Catholic and whenever I heard someone say something wrong about Catholicism I would try to prove them wrong. My uncle is Protestant and he and I would often talk about which religion was right. My mum says that I am not the "right religion" anymore. She keeps telling me I was happy with my religion before, so, she wonders, why did I change? I became a Muslim because I found out about Islam and became very interested. I became convinced that al-Islam is the true faith sent down by God. By learning more and more everyday about my faith I have "fell in love" with Islam.
My e-friend from Kuwait, who I met from www.PenPal.net in 2000 taught me about Islam. I knew very little about Islam before before he began to teach me, so I guess he "opened my eyes" to Islam: the truth!
I never thought about converting to Islam because I thought I was happy being Catholic. But then I started taking a course at high school called "World Religions" and in my textbook it had some information about Jesus (PBUH) in Islam. So, I went home and looked this topic up on the Internet. The information I found sounded convinced me that what Islam said was the truth. The arguments were good. And there was proof of it in the Bible! I found information about the miracles of Islam and those in the Quran. I read a few more articles about Islam and they "enlightened" me.
So I emailed my Kuwaiti friend and told him about my findings. I told him that "maybe I should convert!" I didn't plan on doing it soon. I thought I would convert after I turned 18 because I couldn't get to a masjid. I told my Kuwaiti friend this and he said I could say the Shahadah to him. So on December 15, 2001 (Ramadan 29, 1422) I said the Shahadah to him over MSN Messenger (I have said it to some other Muslim friends since then as well). By saying those wonderful words I became a Muslim! Alhamdolellah! All Praise be to Allah!
My other e-friend sent me a Qur'an in the mail in January 2002, and it is the most beautiful book I have ever read. I have to keep it hidden because my brother wants to burn it!
I became Muslim because the religion makes so much more sense than Christianity. The Trinity makes absolutely no sense. 1+1+1 does not equal 1! Nabi Mohammad (PBUH) is mentioned in the Bible, and the arguments refuting Christian teachings were so true. The Quran has so many miracles in it, and it obviously was written by Allah!
My family is against my conversion. But they do not know what Islam is. I have tried to teach them but they do not care and criticize me! Before I left for university my mum made me go to church every week. I wanted to go to a Masjid, but I lived in in a small town where there is no masjid near me and I couldn't drive to the city to go to one. Alhamdolellah, I can now go to a masjid.
On Wednesday, September 10, 2003, I went to the masjid for the first time, Alhamdolellah! I went with Brother Hasnein (who I know from ShiaChat). He and I are going to university in Waterloo, Ontario. He goes to University of Waterloo, and I go to Wilfrid Laurier University; which are about a 15 minute walk apart. We went for the Birthday of Imam Ali (AS). We took the bus there and we kind of got lost walking down the street because the masjid is in the middle of a residential area. Then we saw a woman in hijab going into the masjid and so we went in. We got there late but we caught most of the Khutbah, which was in English. I didn't understand some of the Arabic used at the masjid but I caught a few phrases. After that, we did Maghrib and Isha' prayers. That was the first time I have prayed with other Muslims, and it was a wonderful experience. Alhamdolellah! After that Hasnein introduced me to a few people, and we talked for a few minutes. And we had ice cream and chocolate bars. Then it was time to back to university. Sheikh Saleem drove Hasnein and I home and showed us the Halal/Muslim places in town. Since then I have gone to every masjid event that I can go. I thank Allah (SWT) that my masjid has accepted me as a member of their community, and has done so much to help me.
Hopefully my mum does not find out about this because I would be in deep trouble. I talked to her on the phone and she said that that she phoned earlier and I wasn't in. I told her that I went out with some friends (not a lie, Alhamdolellah. because I did go out with friends). She didn't believe me because I am a "stay at home" type of person. Alhamdolellah!
Since I have become a Muslim, I have made many good Muslim e-friends. They are there for me when I have questions and when I need prayers.
I am proud that I have found the true path - Shia Islam. I know that following the AhlulBayt (AS) of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is what Allah wants all of us to do.
Wa Salam!
Ali

AlMujtaba Islamic Network

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Brother Yahya Dhulfiqar Abdus-Salaam

Written by Brother Yahya Dhulfiqar Abdus-Salaam
Asalaamu Alaikum W/r W/b,
My name is Brother Yahya Abdus-Salaam, I am a 17 year old revert to Islam who has chosen to personally submit to the Jafar'i Madhab of Islam.

I grew up as the youngest of two boys raised by my single parent Filipina Mother, I was given a very strong and well disciplined upbringing by her and she also raised both me and my brother to have the foundations of faith in our hearts. Being a Filipina from the capital city of Manila, she was of the Roman Catholic denomination of Christianity (he ancestors were taken from Islam into Christianity by the Sword of the Spanish Inquisitors) and so I too was raised as a Roman Catholic. From the age of 9-13, I stopped attending any religious gatherings what so ever, but I always remained interested in all aspects of theology, I read of Hindu, Ancient Egyptian and Buddhist legends as a child and the more I read, the more I became interested.
Little was I aware of it at the time, but I was exposed to Islam for much of my life, my father (whom I`d see for 2 weeks a year) worked in Indonesia for 12 years of my life, before moving to Kuwait then Egypt, each of which I have visited. However I was not aware of Islam to a very high extent, in fact my ignorance was to such an extent that before going into High School, I thought the Hijab was a Hindu sub-continental practice!!
At the age of 13, I went through a difficult experience, I started to let stress from school get to me and to help cope with these difficulties, I became a "born again" Catholic and I took my first communion at the late age of 13 along with kids of 9 years old etc. I became a firm believer of the Christian doctrine and believed at that time with all my heart that Christ was the Son of God (Astagfirullah), I could never accept he was God himself.
When I was 14 going on 15, I visited Egypt for the second time and decided to pay a visit to the world's oldest University in existance- The Al-Azhar Theological School of the Sunni Madhabs, it was a life-changing experience for I was given my first translation of the Holy Qur'an.
I returned to the UK, with the copy of the Holy Qur'an Translation by Pickthall, and I continued my studies of religion etc at home. I decided that at that time after completing High School, I was going to train to become a Minister outwith the Catholic Church because I couldn't agree with either the divinity of the Pope nor with the Divinity of Christ or pact of celibacy anymore. I was drawn to the various denominations outwith Catholicism but couldn't agree with the divinity of Christ anymore so I left the faith of Christianity and became an Agnostic.
I continued my studies of religion and was drawn to the following faiths:
Judaism (Kabballah)- Was put off by the Racial Superiority teachings within the Jewish Faith.
Jehovah's Witnesses- Seemed to be very cult-like and I could never fully take it seriously.
Bahai'ism- I realised it was a very bad attempt at uniting all the various faith's founders/prophets despite the fact all of them contradicted each other.
Then came Islam, I had forgotten about Islam for a while, It seemed as if It was the only faith I never taken the time to study, and Alhamdulillah- I'm glad I had chosen to study it at this time, if it had been during my Christian believing child days, I may have rejected it. Islam was everything I wanted Christianity to be and I could accept everything so easily. I had many issues over how I'd break the news to my family, but I went ahead and read more about the religion for a complete year, I was damned not going to be joining a religion through ignorance only to leave it one year later.
Alhamdulillah after one year of reading, I decided I was definitely to become a Muslim so at the age of late 15, I recited Shahada to myself without any witnesses at first. I openly told my family after 3 months but since I knew more about religion in general as well as Christianity I had the ability to refute whatever lies they had to throw at me.
I became a Shaf'i Sunni Muslim, and at first I honestly believed that I wouldn't go near Shia Islam with a barge pole, I saw them as Catholics of Islam, and thought of Imamate to be Islamic Popery. It was just my irrationaly hatred for the Catholic Church that had allowed my emotions to take over, also I must admit for someone who has just come into Islam after researching concepts on the internet (often Salafi), We are often propelled into a drastic change where we are turned into Over zealous Monotheists who due to insecurity of their Monotheism turn to accusing many practices of Shirk (Associating partners with Allah) or we accuse them of being Bidah (Innovations).
I started going to my local Mosque, I learnt Islam under the Sheikh of the Mosque and I learnt to love the companions of the Prophet, but most of all I learnt the strength of love for Allah (SWT) which is uncomparable and I learnt to love the Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (SAW) as well as his relatives.
After a year of sharing this deep love for Allah (SWT), Muhammad (SAW) and his companions(ra), I began to have a stronger Aqeedah and Iman, I was no longer insecure- so at the age of 17, I decided I would approach the path of learning about all Sects of Islam because they are all my Brothers (as in all those Islamic Divisions recognised as Muslims).
After reading about the Shia beliefs and why they hold such beliefs, I realised that if we as Muslims love Allah (SWT) as much as we claim we do, then we should love the mercy for all mankind which he sent to us (Muhammad SAW) and if we love his Final Messenger then we should listen to what he wanted us to do and we should love those whom he loved dearest. It all began to make sense, We should love the Ahlul Bayt(as) of the Prophet (SAW). I read the story of Ghadeer and I wept, I realised that so many people had gone astray from the Prophet's wishes and that we had turned our backs on a key principle of Islam which in my opinion was Justice.
Where was the justice in sitting back whilst Ali(as) was kept away from his divine right as Imam of the Muslims?
Where was this Justice when Fatima az-Zahra(as) was humiliated and treated cruely by the first two "Caliphs" of Islam?
Where was this Justice when Imam Hassan(as), the grandson of the Prophet(SAW) was poisoned?
Where was this Justice when Imam Husayn(as) and his family members were slaughtered on the plains of Karbala, including his sixth month old baby son whilst defending and saving Islam from a Tyrant Ruler who was the epiphany of Drunkedness?
The Shia teachings all started to make sense, and I could relate to the opression of the Innocent, Pure Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet(as), I read books like Peshawar Nights and Nahj ul-Balagha and it all made sense, I could see, the veil was lifted completely from my eyes instead of just half way.
Ashadu anna ilaha ilAllah, Wa Ashadu anna Muhammadar Rasoolallah.
Allahoma Sali Ala Muhammad wa alla ali Muhammad,
Jazak'Allah Khair and Allah Hafiz,
Bro Yahya Dhulfiqar Abdus-Salaam.

www.shiarightpath.com

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زیر مجموعه: Miscellaneous

دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3907

Why Did They Choose Islam As Their Religion?

By discarding the fog of psychological perversion and propaganda, subversive disinformation, man can unbiassedly examine social theories like capitalism, communism, existentialism, Judaism, Christianity, paganism, Buddhism, Brahmanism, atheism and similar thoughts and concepts.
To get a better insight into Islam he can delve into studying from its first sources; the Qur'an and the prophet's traditions, in addition there are works by Muslim intellectuals, philosophers and thinkers.
Accomplishing this, he is in a position to realize the greatness of Islam as the necessary faith that man should adhere to.
Throughout history there are innumerable instances of great and imminent men and women who attained this truth, understood the greatness of Islam and discovered that it is their responsibility in life and the sole path leading to happiness, and so they embraced it. Since they are respected personalities in our age, let's look at what they say about their conversion:
The renowned French professor and thinker Roger Garoudi who was a Justifyist tells us in a few lines of the greatness of Islam and the secret behind the transformation in his life:
"Only in following Islam can the world find a way out of its crisis. Islam holds the key to reform. It has two important attributes: sublimation and the spirit of the group."
"The Qur'an teaches us to find in any occurrence, and in everything a sign of Allah and a symbol of a higher existence moving us, nature and society. The main goal of religion is the achievement of harmony and unity which issues from Allah and returns to Him. His will to achieve the Will of Allah is what grants man his humanity.
"The West is now much in need of Islam more than at any other time. Islam can give life a meaning and history a sense. It can alter the West's method of separating science from wisdom, thinking from the means, and thinking from the results. Islam never erects a wall between science and faith. On the contrary, it ties them together as being an inseparable whole...
"Islam calls man to search and seek the final end and his fate. In our western societies, split apart by individuality, Islam can revive the hope in our world which is heading toward suicide."
Professor Haroon Mustapha Lion, the general secretary of the World Association of the Science of the Origin of Languages, Sciences and Fine Arts, and the editor-in-chief of the London-based scientific magazine "Philomat", says:
"One of the traits of Islam is that it is based on mental aptitude. It does not call its followers to kill their intellectual abilities. Its position regarding thought runs counter to other doctrines which coerce their followers to blindly believing in ideologies and certain opinions."
Marshila Michelangelo, an Italian lady who embraced Islam says:
"I have found intellect and logic in Islam. I cam to find the Muslims believing in Allah and His Apostle who is a human being like them, but among them. He was the one chosen to convey the message of faith to mankind, and recite to them Allah's Book which is their life's constitution, and which manages their affairs so that they can live plainly and happily, cooperating with one another, without false appearances."
Haj Dr. Abdul-Karim Satio, a Japanese professor of economics who teaches in one of the Japanese universities declared:
"In Islam the proofs of the existence of Allah are plain and clear and are taken from the depths of life. This indicates the truth. Allah is the truth. This truth, the target of the whole of mankind, is with the Muslims. If it is made available, all mankind will enter the religion of Allah in groups."
Dr. Grenier, a French national who worked for the French Council of Representatives, said:
"I have studied all the Qur'anic verses in relations to medical, health and natural sciences which I knew from childhood very well. I have found that these verses are perfection in harmony with our modern knowledge. Because I became sure that Muhammad had conveyed the clear truth more than 1,000 years ago, before being taught by any human being, I contentedly embraced Islam. Should any artist or any scientist study closely the Qur'anic verses in comparison to what he himself has learned, as I had done, he would embrace Islam if he is sane and unbiased."
Alfonse Etienne Denier (1861-1929), the artist who embraced Islam and chose the Islamic name of Nasiruddin, said:
"The religion of Allah is one. Islam came to corroborate the previous divine messages and correct the distortions which had befallen them at the hands of the priests. The Holy Qur'an is now the only divine book which has not been distorted and will never be distorted or tampered with. Allah has promised to keep it intact as He is its guardian."
Leopold Weiss (Muhammad Asad) the well-known Austrian writer-journalist says:
"Today I cannot say what aspects of Islam appealed to me more than others. Islam is, as appears to me, a perfect construction. All its parts are made to complete each other and to connect with each other. There is nothing untoward in it. There is no fault in any part of it. The result is inevitably a balanced, compact whole. It is perhaps this feeling that all the teachings and religious duties are perfectly positioned which is the strongest attraction as I perceive it."
Lord Douglas Hamilton, an English millionaire, who embraced Islam and changed his name to Adil Hamilton, said:
"Islam is the one powerful religion which can stand in the way of the waves of atheism and laxity under which the present industrial communities are suffering. Islam attracts many university graduates, particularly those who are burdened and weary of ideological wrangling."
Marmaduke Pickthall (1836-1936), the renowned Englishman of letters, who embraced Islam and called himself Muhammad, and whose translation of the meanings of the Qur'an is highly esteemed, said:
"Never is there a worldly grace every enjoyed by man greater than that of being happy and content after being guided to Islam by Allah: to see, by the light of Islam, the truths of the world and the Hereafter and to distinguish between right and wrong and the path of happiness from that of misery. I prostrate myself gratefully to Allah, for this great grace He endowed me with, which flooded my being with true happiness and made me stand in the shade of this great fruitful tree which is the tree of Islamic brotherhood and family."

Imam reza network

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زیر مجموعه: Miscellaneous

دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3628

“He Brings Them Out of The Darkness Into The Light” (The Holy Qur’an 2-257)

Written by Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump
The story of a convert.
“In the Name of ALLAH, the Beneficent, the Merciful”
The Darkness:
The aeroplane had not yet left the ground and I felt a pounding in my chest, I have flown on planes many times, so I knew it was not fear of flying. I had just finished visiting some people that I knew and I was rather full of anxiousness, looking forward to going home after a rather strange, bizarre and uncomfortable visit. I told myself the things that I had seen on this trip I must put behind me and forget. When I finally got to my seat my heart was overcome with grief, a kind of grief that I had never experienced before. I was lucky I was seated alone so I took a blanket, covered myself, laid down and cried bitterly and painfully for the entire 5 hour flight home. Little did I know that flight home would forever change my existence. The Prophet Muhammad (saww) said: “ALLAH the Almighty loves any grieving heart”. (Al-Seyed Nasih al-Din/ Mishkat ul-Anwar fi Ghurar il-Akhbar 1646.)

Many months before this incident, I had been reflecting very deeply about existence, creation, life, death, good and evil. I realised during this visit that these people whom I knew for many years, where somehow different to me and I sensed that I seemed somehow different to them. My heart and soul was very far from them, I had very little to say to them and did not find myself comfortable around them. I changed my flight to leave there one and a half weeks earlier than scheduled, I could no longer support being around these people. I found myself distant; upon my return I found my apartment a sort of prison chamber, however, when I went out to breathe, the society around me disappointed and angered me, yet I had lived in this city all my life. I suddenly felt deep regret about my life, my conduct, my behaviour, my goals, my morality and my entire existence up to that point. I did not feel like someone in a depression, no this was much more spiritual and much more repentant, and not just a case of feeling sorry for myself. “And HE is it WHO accepts repentance from HIS servants and pardons the evil deeds and HE knows what you do”. (The Holy Qur’an 42 Al-Shura-25)

Many times I had looked for answers to my questions by different sources and every time I searched with what the Occidental social system had to offer. I found myself in a deeper state of confusion and destitution. Their answers always had the same old themes to their so called solutions: “HAVE FUN!” and in order to have what they call fun, you need a lot of material things and money. In order to get more material and money, you must then work much harder and longer. They keep pushing their materialistic illusions and dreams to the population, through their 24 hour media (television, magazines, radio, music, etc…), to the point that man ends up working himself away in useless jobs (except for making the system richer), he soon starts to loose touch with himself to the point he turns to intoxicants to relieve his ever growing stress. While his debt grows, he turns to crime in order to try and gain more money and then he becomes a social problem. The authorities then take full advantage of this poor deprived ignorant worker and blame him for all the problems of their heartless system. And if you dare to say to them before all this happens, “perhaps I can find my answers from God?” They answer you “Perhaps we can recommend a very good doctor for you”. “Evil is that for which they have sold their souls-that they should deny what ALLAH has revealed, out of envy that ALLAH should send down of HIS grace on whomsoever of his servants HE pleases; so they have made themselves deserving of wrath upon wrath, and there is a disgraceful punishment for the unbelievers”. (The Holy Qur’an 2 Al-Baqarah 90)

But let’s not drift away from the subject at hand. Once I finally realised that the social system could not, in any way attend and cater to my needs, I decided to find another path. At this point I had now realised my heart was cold, hard and empty, my life no longer had any reason or essence. I woke up like an animal, I spent my day like an animal and I ended my days like an animal. “Surely the vilest of animals, in ALLAH’s sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand”. (The Holy Qur’an 8 Al-Anfal 22).

The Distant Dawn:

In order to find something to give me life again, I decided to turn towards God and religion. I studied some different religions; the first was to go back to my origins Christianity. I always deep down believed in a God, but the Christian point of view for me was limited, closed and very hard to accept. I recalled that whenever I questioned Christian authorities about certain issues, they could never give me an adequate answer. It seemed their policy was “take what we give you and be quiet”. My heart cracked even more when I attempted to go to a religious gathering, given by a certain Christian group. I felt like I was attending a social club, where each person was put into his or her social class. The orator spoke of nothing of true importance, his speech lacked any traits of morality and was little more then a sing along after reading verses with no apparent objective, later he told us how after many years of material success, it was then, perhaps, a good time for people to think of marriage. “And what should we do in the meantime and can we receive support from this community if we were ready to be married and were not materially successful?” I asked. The whole congregation gave me a cold stare as if my questioning the speaker was a sin. The worst was when I overheard some people there, planning their activities for after the religious gathering, I cannot even repeat the things I heard, said by them, they who claimed to be religious people. I guess they practiced the so-called “HAVE FUN!” policy constantly fed to us by every means possible. At that point I got up and I left very disappointed, I thought surely Christianity would be far from the material traps of our Occidental society. I was wrong. “And be not like those who came forth from their homes in great exultation and to be seen of men, and (who) turn away from the way of ALLAH, and ALLAH comprehends what they do”. (The holy Qur’an 8 Al-Anfal 47)

To be honest I always got very confused when God was described in forms, with body parts, with partners, in groups, as objects or as human. My idea of god at that time was much greater than any of the religions I explored. I could not understand why they insisted to put God in a certain image and then tear down that image in order to fit their groups’ (religious movements) desires. As if they, in some hidden way, wanted to have some sort of control over God (may ALLAH Azz wa Jall forbid such blasphemous ways of thinking), much like the idolaters of ancient times. Truly I only found ignorance in their calling for somehow they lacked any sense of truth in what they preached. But I don’t want to go far from the subject at hand. I needed to find The One Creator and the Only Originator above all existence; I had not yet discovered Islam. “And most of them do not follow (anything) but conjecture; surely conjecture will not avail aught against the truth; surely ALLAH is cognizant of what they do”. (The Holy Qur’an 10 Yunus 36)

Then one day I read: “La ilaha illa Llah” (There is no god but ALLAH) on a short booklet from Iran, that a man showed me, who said he was going to become a Muslim in order to get married to a certain lady. My interest drifted away quickly from his story, for the words I had just read on the booklet are the words I longed for so long to hear. The sight of such miraculous words took me away far from where I was. I politely asked him to borrow the booklet and quickly went home. When I arrived, I pulled the booklet out of my back-pack and began to read it. Never had I read such words, I only imagined such great things or seen them in dreams, I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness and at the same time full of repentance and regret not to have found such truth before. I needed to know more so the next day, I returned to the man who lent me the booklet, I asked him if he had any other literature on Islam or knew anyone who did. He knew very little about the subject, however, he did lend me another booklet and a translation of the Holy Qur’an. I decided to read them carefully and to try to find answers to my questions, a new day was dawning. “He said: O my lord! Expand my breast for me”. (The Holy Qur’an 20 Ta-Ha 25)

The Purification of my Heart

I closed myself in my apartment and began to read it, or did I? I felt more like I was being absorbed into the miraculous sentences written within the pages. I kept telling myself this was for sure not written by any man. My true understanding of the Holy Qur’an at that time was very limited, but believe me my brothers and sisters, I, at that very second testified to my most inner self that I was holding in my hands the Greatest Miracle to ever come down to mankind. My heart was beating rapidly, the more I read the more I fell into a deep state of repentance. As I read more I kept asking myself “What have you been doing with yourself all of this time?” I wasted 33 years of my life, living with no heart, ignorantly, arrogantly, in painful lies, amongst the non-merciful, wasting my time and life in idle activities, living only for the temporary joys of this transitory life. I felt so much remorse, regret, disgrace and pain. Besides this I felt so incredibly overwhelmed that despite all the wrong I had done ALLAH (swt) in all His Mercy and Compassion gave me the chance to discover the truth and purity of ALLAH’s chosen religion Islam. For 2 days and nights I stayed in my apartment reading the Holy Qur’an, reflecting, repenting and crying. “Yet surely your Lord, with respect to those who do an evil in ignorance, then turn after that and make amends, most surely your Lord after that is Forgiving and Merciful”. (The Holy Qur’an 16 An-Nahl 119)

I cannot put into words or in feelings the incredible effect and overwhelming impact that the discovery of Islam had and still has on me. Every second of my life ever since that day I am so thankful to ALLAH (swt) for opening my heart to this Miracle. The first thing I did I searched to find how I could take the pledge (shahadatayn) of faith and to begin my life. I found a Sheikh that I could easily go and visit and open my heart completely to ALLAH, to beg forgiveness, to re-discover life and Insha’ALLAH take the Straight Path. After a very interesting discourse I made the pledge with the words: “Ashhadu an la ilaha illa-Llah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulu-Llah”. It was only a week or so before the Holy month of Ramadan; even though I did not have knowledge of all the facets of fasting (physically, emotionally, spiritually, religiously, etc…) I did decide to fast this most privileged month and the first experience of fasting was a great one. I also began to purchase books in order to learn more and to gain closeness to ALLAH Azz wa Jall. My life forever changed at that moment I began to sleep better, I began to notice and see things I had never understood before. I began my Jihad against my €˜self’, I repented so much and I realised the inner battle will be one that will never end, this new inner conscious and code of morality, not only imprinted in my mind, but in my heart and soul as well. Imam Ali (a-s) said: “A man’s personality is imperfect before he learns the religious questions, manages the affairs of his livelihood moderately, tolerates the misfortunes that befall him and finds sweet the bitterness of friends”. (Tuhaf Al-Uquul chapt Imam Ali (a-s) hadith # 148)

Into the Light of Islam

The deep regret and repentance I felt traveled with me at all times, along with the new light of hope. Until this day I ask myself WHY? Why did ALLAH Azz wa Jall open my heart, why did he fill me with so much love, never did I ever do anything to ever deserve one tiny little small microscopic blessing or mercy. But ALLAH (swt) gave me the greatest and biggest blessing man can ever possibly want and need. ALLAH opened my heart to ISLAM in HIS Enormous and never ending Generosity, HE gave me the opportunity to strive in his way and possibly enter paradise to live in felicity and blissful happiness for all eternity. And every day that I raise from my bed I thank ALLAH (swt) for this amazing chance; I reflect and thank ALLAH (swt) for this is possibly my last day in this life. And I go to sleep at night thanking ALLAH (swt), reflecting and knowing that the Angel of death may take me tonight. Truly ALLAH (swt) saved me from the darkest possible place on earth, and HE filled me with the greatest of lights, the Light of truth, the Light of ISLAM. Glory to ALLAH (swt) THE MOST HIGH, THE MOST MERCIFUL. I became very interested in studying Islam in a deeper way, I tried to get knowledge were I could, I began to buy many books on many different Islamic subjects. Its now been about 4 years since I’ve embraced Islam, I now have over 400 books about Islam in my home, until now I’ve read over 130 books on different Islamic issues (Alhamdulillah wa Shukranlillah), I read constantly and study what I read, I try to practise what I learn. I dedicate all the free time I get in order to learn more, not out of obligation, but out of pure and deep love for ALLAH (swt). I’ve chosen to follow the school of the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s), and when I embraced Islam with all of its glory, I embraced it as a Shia. For Shi’ism was the only logical way to the True Islam. I now hope Insha’ALLAH to have an opportunity to advance and to go to study in the Hawza and to gain even more closeness to my most beloved Lord ALLAH Azz wa Jall, I truly pray that this opportunity will come to me Insha’ALLAH. “Therefore remember ME, I will remember you, and be thankful to ME, and do not be ungrateful to ME”. (The Holy Qur’an 1 Al-Baqarah 152)

My Teacher:

I am also constantly blessed by ALLAH (swt) in so many different ways. One week after converting to Islam, I decided that it would be very important to learn Arabic in order to understand many of the deeper meanings of the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (saww) and his Ahlul-Bayt (a-s). With the guidance of ALLAH (swt) I obtained the name and phone number of a scholar, I contacted him and met him at his office. He was very kind and has been extremely patient with me. He taught me the Arabic alphabet then to read, write and speak. May ALLAH (swt) bless him and his family with the best of blessings both in this life and for the hereafter. He also showed me the Salat (prayer) and many other Islamic Issues; he became a best friend, a trustworthy companion and the very best of brothers. He always took the best care of me since the beginning. May ALLAH Azz wa Jall be pleased with him. “They shall have the abode of peace with their Lord, and He is their guardian because of what they did”. (The Holy Qur’an 6 Al-An’am127) “Surely (as for) those who believe and do good deeds for them will ALLAH bring about love”. (The Holy Qur’an 19 Maryam 96)

My Brothers:

As I began to understand more about the deeper aspects of Islam, I began to visit Masjids (mosques) and met many good and supportive brothers. I also got the chance to exchange ideals and knowledge with them. Many of them took a lot of care to be sure I was always comfortable in all circumstances. They always made me feel very happy. They truly have a place in my heart and all my support in all occasions. The brotherhood they showed me, I never thought possible before I embraced Islam. To them all I owe many thanks, they have followed the lead of their Prophet Muhammad (saww) in promoting equality and brotherly love. Surely I can never say enough good things about them, they are an example for all. They are truly righteous and good. Imam Sajjad (a-s) said: “The meeting of the righteous invites you to goodness”. (Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol.78, p.151)

Our Community:

The support and good hearts of the people of our Islamic community shines like no other. We must continue to spread the true message of Islam; we are the guides for the ignorant and lost. We must now more than ever stand together in a strong bond, so we can reach even further and go beyond our expectations. We must not forget we are the followers of the religion of ALLAH (swt) and it is this religion that HE chose for our Prophet Muhammad (saww) and for all of mankind. Believe me brothers and sisters if you knew what life was like far away from Islam, you would protect your beliefs, your morals and your Islamic faith above all things and until your death. We must not forget that our Imam; Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi (a-s) (may ALLAH (swt) hurry his advent) will re-appear, we must be an outstanding community to receive such a great honour and privilege. And by the power of ALLAH Azz wa Jall he will be commanded to judge amongst us. We must be to him as the companions of Imam Hussayn (a-s) were to Imam Hussayn (a-s) on the day of Ashura in Karbala. I thank you all for your continuous support. Imam Ali (a-s) said: “The best of you are those whom when seen remind the people of ALLAH (swt)”. (Mishkat-ul-Anwar fi Ghuraril-Akhbar Hadith # 525)

As for myself:

It is very difficult for me to put into words all the greatness and all the blessings and peace Islam has given to me. For all of us it is not so important how and when we became a Muslim (by birth or by conversion), it is much more important the fact that this extraordinary blessing of purity and truth has deeply touched and effected our lives and it is at very least our duty to protect it, to follow and obey the word of ALLAH Azz wa Jall (The Holy Qur’an), to follow the teachings of our beloved and infallible Prophet Muhammad (saww) and his pure and infallible Ahlul-Bayt (a-s). I pray that I may be successful in my travel towards the Straight Path. I strive to turn away from this transitory life’s material distractions, I tremble and shake to be one who on The Day of Judgement has a bright and clear face and not a blacken and mournful face. I beg and plead to ALLAH (swt) to please give me protection from all evils around, in front, in back, above, below me and those contained within me. I cry and repent to ALLAH (swt) for guidance in all my affairs and to make me one who lives completely and only to be close and near to ALLAH (swt). I beseech and Implore for forgiveness for all the sins, errors, misdeeds, transgressions, offences and wicked acts that I had committed, that I am committing, and that I will commit. All praises and all thanks are to ALLAH (swt) The CREATOR and The ORIGINATOR of absolutely all existence; never can I thank ALLAH Azz wa Jall enough for saving me from the horrible darkness that I lived in and the most atrocious hell fire I was preparing for myself in my extreme ignorance. Now the veil has dropped to the ground around me and for the first time in my life I can see the TRUTH. O ALLAH, please protect us from the fire, O ALLAH, bless Muhammad and his Ahlul-Bayt just as THOU hast guided us by him! Bless Muhammad and his Ahlul-Bayt just as THOU hast rescued us through him! Bless Muhammad and his Ahlul-Bayt with a blessing that will intercede for us on the Day of Resurrection, the day of neediness toward you! THOU art powerful over everything, and that is easy for YOU! “ALLAH is the guardian of those who believe. HE brings them out of the darkness into the light”. (The Holy Qur’an 2 Al-Baqarah 257).

A Very Special Thank-you:

I wish to thank all the entire Community of Islam and in particular my very dear brothers at Al-Hawra.com and Masjid Al-Hawra Zainab (a-s) Foundation for all of their support and encouragement, for their great friendship and brotherhood. May ALLAH AZZ wa JALL bless them and their families.
The most meaningless and insignificant: Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump.

AlMujtaba Islamic Network

توضیحات

زیر مجموعه: Miscellaneous

دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3751

Sister Khadija Story

Written by Sister Khadija
Bismillah hir Rahman nir Rahim
ShukranLillah that I have been able to become a Muslim after so many years of searching for the Truth. I am even more grateful to Allah swt for having me learn about the Ahlul Bait a.s. so that I could become a Shi'i and come to the Oriiginal Islam.
I was born Muslim (submissive to Allah swt), as everyone is because Allah swt has placed submission to Him within our human nature. I was raised by my adopted family as a Christian. As a young child I went to church every Sunday with my parents and went to Sunday school. After my parents got divorced my mother and i stopped going to the church since they treated us poorly because of my parents' failed marriage.
As a teenager, I realized that I needed to have a stronger connection with God and with religion than just doing personal prayers and Bible readings at home. Even though I did not really believe that there was a dire need to have an intermediary (like a priest) within the relationship between God and humans, I wanted to become more involved in a religious community.
I returned to the church I had gone to as a child thanks to being friends with someone who went to this same church. After becoming an active church member, I realized that the church taught about God being in three parts-the idea of trinity, that Prophet Isa a.s. was the son of God, and that through Nabi Isa's a.s. sacrifice on the cross, we were forgiven of our sins.
I did not believe that God could possibly be three different entities or personalities. I believed that God was One essential power that had numerous traits and qualities like humans do, except that He was the Best and had the Best of qualities and traits (for example patience, love, and forgivenness).
I also did not understand nor believe that Nabi Isa a.s. was the son of God in the literal sense. I could understand that figuratively Nabi Isa a.s. could be described as the son of God because he, like all of us can be seen metaphorically as being either sons or daughters of Allah swt since He created all of us!
The Christian viewpoint that is and was taught to me in church about God coming down in the human from of Nabi Isa a.s. to understand us better, that Nabi Isa a.s. died on the cross to have our "original sin" forgiven, and that our sins will be forgiven no matter how bad they are as long as we totally give ourselves to Nabi Isa a.s. did not make sense to me and seemed ridiculous.
In my high school studies, I do not remember being taught much about other religions other than Christianity, though I had respect for other religions as long as they made sense to me and did not contradict what I knew to be True. By the end of high school, I had come to realize that what I believed to be true (from what I understood the Bible was saying) was in conflict with what was being preached in the church.
Later on in my studies at college, I learned more about Islam and became interested in furthering my search for the "most truthful religion". I still remained involved in the church's charity work, but didn't go to the Sunday sermons very often. I wanted to learn more about Islam, but also about Judaism, since I knew there was a lot in common between both of these religions and of course, with Christianity.
Interestingly enough I came to learn more about Islam not from a Muslim, but from a Jew. He was one of my teacher's that I had in college who was teaching a course about the "Arab-Israeli conflict". It was basically a course about Israel and Palestinian issues. He taught what was truthful and was of the belief that there was more in common between the two groups than any of their differences.
This teacher spoke about both Judaism and Islam which led to my interest in learning more outside of the classroom. Due to my shyness, I did not feel comfortable directly getting any information by asking a Jew or a Muslim a question in person, so I did my own research through any readings I could find.
During the course taught by the Jew, a debate occurred about the hijab. I surprised both myself ans I imagine both my teacher and fellow students when I said that the reasoning behind the hijab made sense to me and that I did not see anything wrong with it. The teacher had explained that the hijab was meant to protect a Muslim woman's modesty and that it was followed by the women as a moral obligation because God had told them that they should dress with only the hands and face showing.
I decided that I wanted to know how people would react to me if I wore the veil in public. I knew that Muslim women were treated differently becuase the wore more clothing than most women do who live in the western world. I wanted to have first hand experience of what people's reactions are to those who wear hijab.
As a whole, my experimentation with the hijab led to my own self-realization that I felt comfortable and more secure, more respectable when I did have the veil on, compared to when I did not. Od course, I got the stares and odd, sometimes uncomfortable looks. Overall, I had not had anyone say or do anything to me that was violent or overly rude(that I can remember).
My explorations led to me realizing that to become a Jew did not make sense since I would see myself as going backwards in terms of revelation since Nabi Isa a.s. is not accepted by Jews and I would not learn anything about Nabi Muhammad (P.B.U.H.&H.P.). I would also not be accepted very easily by the Jewish community since I was not born a Jew, I would be seen as being at the bottom of the Jewish community's "ladder of respectability and legitimacy". So even though I could have learned Hebrew since I was accepted in the college course, I dropped out and aslo left behind any interest in becoming a Jew.
Upon starting my university studies, I looked into Islam whenever I had the time and the interest. It was more towards the end of my B.A. that I paid more attention to being more devoted to learning all that I could about Islam. Unfortunately, I had better results with the materials than with actual Muslims!
One of the reasons why the books were more reliable than the Muslims, is because the Muslims I met were all men who did not practise Islam the way I knew it was supposed to be practised. I never tried to speak to any Muslims myself, it was always the Muslim men who came to me! I never really had any women who were doing dawa. There was only one time that I remember when some Muslim women were handing out flyers, but by then I had decided to stay away from most Muslims because of my encounters with the men who were drinkers and who only seemed to want sexual relations with me or any woman who was not Muslim! I started feeling as though Muslim men saw non-muslim women as not being of respect or fair treatment.
After taking some time away from my studies to decide whether or not I should actually become Muslim or not, I realized that even though some Muslims may not act the way they are supposed to, I should not let my disappointment with some Muslims stop me from becoming Muslim myself. By the time I got to this point in my life I had met a man who was helping me with becoming Muslim.
Alhamdulillah I took shahadah with him, may Allah swt bless him for that. Unfortunately, he did not teach me about salat or anything else and he didn't appear to be practising Islam nor did he give the impression that he even wanted to be Muslim! I decided it would be better for me if I cut my ties with him. Even after all of this my interest in being Muslim didn't lessen, alhamdulillah!
I had no idea where to get specific information from, who to speak to, or where to go. I had already encountered the differences in madhab and was very confused. For example I had read hadith from volumes of Muslim and Bukhari that did not make sense and seemed to be outright stupid. One that I can remember is about Prophets a.s. not being infallible and committing sins like adultery or drinking alcohol.
If I had not met a Shi'i woman through my cashier job, I do not think that I would have become a practising Muslim as soon as I did. You see, I did not even realize that i was already Muslim after taking shahadah with the Brother. So I did not realize that I was expected to pray or fast nor did I even know how to pray nor about any of the other obligatory practises.
I feel very privileged to have been able to come to the True Islam right away instead of being Sunni first. It is very rare for this to happen and I know that the only reason I am Shi'i is because Allah swt directed me to this Straight Path. Without His help I would have remained lost and searching for the religious fulfillment I needed.
We are so much more enriched than any other religion or sect because of the light and truth that comes from being followers of the Ahlul Bait a.s. Their lives are examples of how to live with dignity and respect. Their wisdom and knowledge can not be claimed by anyone else, only Allah swt has the right to claim even more knowledge than the Ahlul Bait a.s. since His knowledge is infinite.
Being able to have other positive Muslim role models is very important for any Muslim who wants to be practising properly and to have a community of other Muslims who place the same amount of attention and importance onto their religion as you do. Insha'Allah our community will continue to learn and to place more importance upon being better Muslims. Until we show Imam Mehdi a.s. that we are prepared for his return, it won't take place...and this is what I fear, that his a.s. return might not come sooner than later because of our community's lack of commitment and readiness.
Fe aman illah
Khadija
www.almujtaba.com

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Out of the Darkness

Written by Brother Paul
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful…
I was raised Christian (Protestant) from birth and went to church on a regular basis with my grandmother, my mother is not religious, and my father was not around at all. It was that way until I was about 8 years old, then my mother informed me that I didn’t have to go to church anymore if I didn’t want to…man, did that sound good as an 8-year-old, no more church! That meant sleeping in and being able to play with my friends all day without any interruptions. Of course I made that decision based on an 8-year-old mind and not my love or understanding of God. I soon became what I would call more of an Atheist then anything else, I grew to feel a resentment towards God and believed that organized religion was a joke and I didn’t want any part of it. As I got older, my life started to fall apart, my grades dropped, I lost my friends, and my relationship with my family got to an all time low. I found myself in a state of severe depression that left me dead to myself. All of this peaked in the eighth grade when I decided that life was no longer worth living.

My family was destroyed by the economy. My mother lost one job after another and she would always complain about how much it cost to raise me. I figured that since I saw myself going nowhere, my life spiraling downward, not having any good friends left, feeling that my family resented me, because of all this I felt I had nothing to live for. Most important, though I didn’t realize it yet, I hadn’t brought God into my life.

On one fateful day in April, 2003 I made the decision to stop the pain and what I saw as suffering. I gathered all of the pills I could find in the house and set off to a secluded island in the middle of a river close to my town. I ditched my bike, waded into the chilled early spring water in nothing but a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I made it to shore and moved through the thick, leafless brush and trees, and finally found a rock about the size of a dinner table sunk into the ground and partially covered with leaves, I sat down, and began to cry. I didn’t really know why I was crying, I was thinking about my whole life, everything that was negative to me. I thought about all the kids who had tortured me in school, mentally and physically, all the teachers that made my life so hard, my family who I was positive hated me and wouldn’t care less if I died, but they would never know. That’s why I went out to that rock on a hidden island, deep in the woods. They would never find me, and they would just assume I had run away. I laid back on the rock, resting my head on some moss, still crying and becoming filled with anger as I reminisced about my failed life. It started to rain slightly, a cold icy rain that soaked my sweatshirt and pants; I could hear shallow thunder off in the distance.

I could feel something shifting around in my pocket, I pulled it out and I remembered that I had brought along the pills. I started to shove them down my throat not stopping to realize that I was actually going through with it. I began to get light headed and dizzy, after this I cant recall how much time passed but I do remember, as cliché as its sounds, my life pass before my eyes, but this time nothing negative, but everything that I would be missing in life, my future. I saw myself in high school, in college, I saw myself getting married, everything that I would miss if I had died right then and there. The thing that saved my life was throwing up, I threw up multiple times, releasing the poison that I had ingested. I ended up stumbling back home, calling 911, and getting to the hospital.

That incident changed me completely. I figured out that there was something missing in my life, that I just didn’t have that was acting as a void and damaging everything else. So from this point forward I was determined to find what was missing, and fix it. I started to get more involved with friends, it helped but I just found myself struggling to hard and getting no where. So I tried doing better in school when high school started in the fall, it also helped but I just didn’t feel how I wanted to and started getting discouraged once again like in eighth grade. After a lot of thought I finally figured out that which was missing, God, and religion. The logical thing to do was go back to Christianity, so I did. I went to church every Sunday once again but after a few weeks, nothing made sense to me, I found myself bored and resentful of the pastor for wasting my time, just like I was 8 again. Even though Christianity didn’t work for me it still made it clear that religion was what I needed, so I began to intensely research all religions, all sects of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, you name it I probably did some kind of study into it. When I came across Islam, every little bit I read made so much sense to me, it illustrated to me how I wanted to live my life as an adult and it reinforced all of the morals that I had and that my family had taught me.

Even though the factual knowledge appeased my thoughts for a right religion, I still had to make sure; I began to change my life a little bit at a time. I first stopped eating pork. Any person who has ever eaten pork knows that it is very addicting, but I was able to stop, cold turkey. This was the first sign to me that I was on the right tract; if I could stop eating one of my favorite foods then I knew that I was heading down the right path.

The next thing that I changed, or rather, started, was fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan in 2004. I didn’t know much about what to do, nor, was I praying yet, but I figured that the fasting would prove my self-discipline and help me to mature. I completed it, nearly perfect. I considered it another sign I was following the right path. After the month of Ramadhan I considered my self to be Muslim, I still didn’t start going to a Mosque for about 6 more months, that includes my Shahada, but nevertheless, I called my self a Muslim.

One of the worst events that I have ever experienced and one of the greatest tests came on New Years Eve 2004. It was a beautiful night, warm (for Michigan) which was like 45 degrees, and it was clear. I had made it my New Years Resolution to exercise more and get in shape and get on the football team come spring. So that night I had gone out jogging at around 8pm. I went to the park near my house, only about ¼ mile from my home. I jogged around the wooded path about 3 times when I stopped to take a break at the top of a hill. There were a few kids up there standing around in black sweatshirts and smoking. I sat down on the freezing cold metal bench about 10 yards from where they were standing. I leaned over to stretch my legs when I hear laughter coming from one of them. Then one of the girls, that accompanied them, begins to make jokes about how I was dressed (I was wearing a tee-shirt and running pants), I guess they thought it was funny because it was so cold. I stood up and turned to face the group. I told them to “shut up” and turned to walk away and started up running again, I could feel the atmosphere growing quite bad and so I just wanted to get out of there. The only thing I remember hearing was a guy yelling out some profanities along with the phrase “where the hell are you going?”

I started running down the hill when all of a sudden I felt myself hit the ground and I went blank. I heard a loud ringing and could feel, but couldn’t see, myself getting dragged. It felt like a dream, it was surreal, like it wasn’t really happening but I knew it was. When I came to, I looked up and could see the stars and the tops of trees swaying in a calm breeze. I then realized that I couldn’t feel my body, in fact, I couldn’t feel much at all! I was numb all over. I then tried to move my arms to push my self up, I couldn’t. I yanked them forward, nothing, I tried to turn my body around but my arms just weren’t there. I was finally able to look over my shoulder and see that my arms were bound with something behind my back, making them useless. I tried to pull them apart but nothing worked. I tried to stand up and I felt my hip pop and I stumbled over, I looked over at my legs and they were tied by something to a tree. I tried to pull them away but there was no use. They were also bound together with some kind of boxing tape. I could hear it crunch and crinkle as I tried to move. My whole body was numb, but now that I had started to move I started to get really cold as feeling slowly began to fill my skin. There were only a few spots on my body that felt warm; I could feel the blood oozing out of wounds. I laid back exhausted from struggling, and with the little light there was left I could see that the lightly snow covered ground around me had been soaked with blood, How long had I been out there to bleed this much? This is where I panicked, fear swept over me. I knew that I was going to die, I was in the middle of the woods, tied to a tree, bleeding profusely and I had been there for hours. My body began to shut down, my vision, my movement, my hearing was almost gone; my mind was running all around and my heart felt like it could stop at any minute. I tried to scream for help, but no sound came out. I tried to scream at the top of my lungs, I felt something pulling at my face around my mouth. It was tape; it was wrapped part way around my head and gagging me at my mouth.

After what seemed like hours more of muffled screaming the tape finally came loose from the moisture of my mouth and it slid down enough so that I could finally be heard. I managed to sit-up and continued screaming for help I could taste blood and I could feel it running down my face. My lips felt frozen and torn. After a long time I gave up, I collapsed back down. I was going to die, this was it, I was going to face my whole life soon, and Allah would be there, that is all I could think about. My mind was racing around, thinking about everything.

I suddenly saw light as it swept across my face, burning my eyes as I tried to open them. I could hear yelling in the distance. I could see the light reflect off of the tall oak tree that I was bound to. I was scared, I felt confident the light was coming from that group of kids who had done this to me. They were coming to finish me off. I was defiantly going to die now. I blacked-out again, some how I saw my self praying, I knew nothing about how to pray as a Muslim, yet there I was, alone, and praying, some how without any prior knowledge of proper Islamic prayer, I knew what I was doing and doing it right.

Subhan Allah, my eyes then opened and I managed to cry out once more, a man overheard my cry and came to my rescue untying me. He flashed a light on me as he continued to unbind me. At this point I could see the extent of the damage to my body. My skin was in shreds. He made an attempt at unbinding my arms but they were too tightly bound. The man then managed to help me up but my legs were weak and I fell to the ground into a puddle of water. The icy water felt like fire as it drenched my scarred body. On a second attempt I was able to manage to walk with his assistance. I was barefoot and half-naked. As we struggled to make it to the man’s house only a few hundred yards from where I laid I noticed flashing lights and paramedics and police. I looked down and could see that behind me I left a blood trail through the snow. Immediately police officers and paramedics surrounded me, they cut the tape from around my arms, and I then blacked out again. I didn’t wake up completely until I was in the hospital, where I would recover for two weeks.

The kids that perpetrated this crime were not found and they probably never will be but I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. This crime against me made me the person that I am today. This misguided group of kids showed me the true worth of life and they proved to me that I am a Muslim.

I do recall that when the paramedics rushed me to the hospital I was in a dream like state of mind. I could see myself as a Muslim. I saw myself praying once again, but this time in a Mosque. I was praying in a small and quiet Mosque somewhere in an oasis of trees and shrubs that looked foreign to me. To this day I still don’t know where that Mosque is or if it even exists, all I’m certain of is that one day I will find it whether it’s a thousand miles away or as close as inside me.

www.aimislam.com/advent

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Muhammad Legenhausen

Name: Muhammad Legenhausen
Home Community: Qom
Country: Iran
Major: Philosophy
Age: 54
School: IKI

Profile Sketch:
born 3 May, 1953 in New York City, New York graduated from Holy Child Jesus School 1967 graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School 1971 graduated from the State University of New York at Albany 1974 with a B.A. in Philosophy. M.A. in Philosophy — Rice University, Houston, Texas, 1979 Ph.D. in Philosophy — Rice University, Houston, Texas, 1983. Thesis: Matters of Substance. From 1979 to 1989 Iwas employed by Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas, to teach the following courses: introduction to logic, symbolic logic, introduction to philosophy, aesthetics, philosophy of science, ethics, philosophy of religion. In 1979 I also taught a course on Metaphysics at Rice University. Although I was brought up Catholic and was given a religious education, I abandoned Christianity shortly after beginning my studies at the University. My philosophical outlook after that was influenced by atheistic existentialism and logical positivism, while in morals I was most impressed with such writers as Pierre Proudhon and Peter Kropotkin. In 1979 I became acquainted with Islam through my Muslim students at Texas Southern University. The first student with whom I had extended conversations about Islam was Shahíd Akbar Maliki Nouchdehi, who gave me translations of some works by Dr. Shariati, Allamah Tabataba’i, Shahid Mutahhari, and most important of all, a translation of Nahj al–Balaghah. Over the course of the next three or four years I found myself increasingly attracted to Islam. I was particularly impressed with translations of stories from Mawlana Jalal al–Din Rumi, Sa‘di, Attar, and others from the Sufi tradition, while I admired the intense desire for justice and political activism combined with genuine spirituality in Imam Khomeini and others who sacrificed so much to bring about the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. I also came to respect the courage of Malcolm X, as well as the traditionalism of Dr. Nasr. Finally, in 1983, in the parking lot of a mosque in Houston, I recited the shahadatayn. After that I became one of the founders of the Muslim Students’ Association of Texas Southern University. In 1985, I had the opportunity to visit Iran for the celebration of the 6th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, and in 1989, I was invited to teach philosophy of religion at the Islamic Iranian Academy of Philosophy in Tehran. About a year after I started teaching in Tehran, I was invited to teach philosophy and to study at the Bàqir al–‘Ulum Foundation in Qom by Ayatullah Misbàh Yazdi. I am presently teaching and doing research at the Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute in Qom. Among my published writings are: Islam and Religious Pluralism (London: Al–Hoda, 1999) translated as: اسلام و كثرت گرايى دينى (قم: مؤسسه طه, 1379 ) (تلفن طه: 7744624 ) Contemporary Topics of Islamic Thought (Tehran: Al–Hoda, 2000). Translations of my writings have also been published by معرفت and نقد و نظر.
www.erfan.ir

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Reality: Returning Back to the Truth

Written by H110
Caught between a world of enjoyment and acceptance and a world of truth and reality, I found myself booking a flight to Italy. I had to get away from it all. I was a bar tender in a popular Italian cafe and spent my weekends singing shows with my band. On the outside I was your typical Italian girl, just trying to have a good time, but on the inside, I was dying. I couldn’t live this life any longer. I couldn’t just serve drinks all day and sing all night, and then come home and try to do five prayers all at once with the right state of mind. And people had begun to notice the change. I no longer wore my hair down and my usual dramatic makeup had faded significantly. Some people thought I was depressed, others just pointed at that Muslim guy, Mohammed whom I’d been seeing. But my mother was the most disturbed of all. Why don’t you sing like you used to she’d ask. I’d tell her, I don’t know mom, it just doesn’t feel the same as it used to. I feel differently now.
She’d ask me what was on my mind, but no matter what I told her, she had already made up her mind that my boyfriend had been forcing me out of this business. In all honesty though, I had become sick of being on display, for all their enjoyment. Do they really know who I am? Why are they cheering so fervently and calling out my name? They have no idea what is in my heart right now or what I like or don’t like, so why are they talking so highly of me in the streets? It’s all so fake. I’m just an attraction, which will be replaced with a better attraction one day, and this exhilarating feeling will turn into emptiness and dejectedness instead. I kept on thinking, is this really what we’re here for? Is there more to life that the Creator wants us to experience? In which direction should I allow my life to be pulled so strongly? Something transient like a record contract that could fling my life full speed into the opposite direction that my heart has curiously been pulling me? Or should I listen to this nagging feeling that there is much more than this. I knew it. I knew what I had to do, but it was so difficult from where I was standing. I knew I could not break free and do what was right for me because of my family, who was highly critical of this religion, and heavily pressuring me into signing with the record label; my job which was family owned, and hard to get out of; my band, which played regularly and made money. All these commitments that were locking me down, but I was really somewhere else entirely and they were in no way ready to accept it.

I could no longer handle the pressure from my mother to wear more makeup, put on more revealing clothes, do my hair nice like I used to, nor could I take the mocking that came if I attempted to explain the concept of humbleness or modesty. I couldn’t take the pressure anymore. After being told enough times by so many people, “you’re just doing it for him or you’re just in love and that’s why you can’t see that he’s brainwashing you!” I began to wonder, What if I AM doing this for the wrong reasons and I just can’t see it? What if I wake up one day down the road and realize that they were all right!? I had to leave. I had to get away from all of the influence and find out for myself. I didn’t want to be pulled in any direction except my own. I would be free to listen to my heart and let God lead the way to what is good and true and pure. So I left.

The moment I was up in the air, an exhilarating feeling of freedom came over me. I was free to think, reflect, search. The fear of God was instantly felt as I gazed down at the world which symbolically looked so small and insignificant as I moved further and further away from it. Leaving my world behind, even if only for a summer, I think, was the most important thing I’d ever done for my spirit. As I flew over the great Atlantic, I made a promise to never miss one prayer, no matter how difficult the situation. I felt an instant closeness to God; something I hadn’t felt so intensely since I first converted.

When I arrived in Italy, I knew very little of the language and was unable at first to communicate almost anything. This may have been a blessing in disguise because it caused me to stop and listen for a while. I was humbled and I had no one but God to talk to. About a week in, I had a dream that made me feel like He was with me every step of this journey because He knew that I walked upon it in order to seek nearness to Him. Travelling through cities, I didn’t know how to find the Qibla (the direction towards which we pray) so I just put my rug in any direction that fit the room I stayed in. The dream endured only 3 seconds: I grabbed my prayer rug, adjusted it to the right, and woke up. So, I copied what I saw in my dream, because, who knows, right? SubhanAllah, I later found out with the help of a map, that my dream directed me perfectly southeast to Mecca.

By the second week, after much prayer, contemplation and supplication, I had already started to see things in a new light. I envisioned the world in its entire greatness, and my small existence in my city and it dawned on me that I was making this tiny insignificant thing out to be much greater than it was. Why did I fear those situations and people around me more than I feared Allah? I suddenly had this feeling of empowerment and my heart began to reach out in search of direction. I desired it so fervently and I knew that nothing could change my mind once I reached it. It came to me all at once one night while I was reading my English Quran. I felt as if Allah had spoken to my heart in such a gentle and unique way and I had never been so sure of anything else in my life. I could already picture the reactions of various family members, and of the Italian community to which I somewhat belonged. People had already been talking about me in worried tones behind my back. And now, in a matter of moments, I had made a firm decision that would soon throw my so-called secure world of 18 years upside down. Not only was I ready to go public about being Muslim, I intended to step off my plane proudly wearing the hijab.

It is worth mentioning that my mother had given me the time off work and sent me off with high hopes that Italy would make me €˜see the light’ and leave all this religious play behind. There was no doubt in her mind that the atmosphere, which can be conducive to Islamic spiritual decay if you let it, would most definitely sway me from my plans to be with Mohammed and live an Islamic life of modesty - a life devoid of the parties and entertainment that I would soon be exposed to on vacation. She thought it would be impossible to resist and even dropped hints to her cousins to really show me a good time. She even went as far as promising me that if I spend two and a half months with her family, and return still wanting to be a Muslim, that she would give me her respect and finally believe that I’m not doing this for Mohammed. She told me to go, clear my mind, decide what I really want for my life, and find what really makes me happy. So far, this had been happening, but to her dismay, it was the exact opposite effect that she wanted.

So I was off to Rome to visit my dear cousin. She was a bit of a wild child so I wasn’t sure how it would go. Earlier, I made a sincere prayer that if I noticed God was opening the doors for me, I would not hesitate to walk through them. I intended to tell my cousin of my newfound passion and my plans to wear the scarf. I am so overjoyed to say that when you do something sincerely for God that normally would’ve been horrifying, that you’d never have the courage to do, He somehow makes it so easy for you, like a breath of fresh air. He removed this burden from me the instant I put my trust in Him. I expected my cousin to be very tough with me regarding my decision to be a Muslim. I anticipated that she would reprimand me for letting a guy brainwash me this much and encourage my independence from all of this. Instead, to my surprise the conversation went much differently. I told her, I have to tell you something. She said, Ok what is it? So I continued, I want to wear the Islamic headscarf. All the time? She asked. Yes. In fact, I was planning to just put it on, on the plane and return home wearing it. She really shocked me when she replied, why don’t you just start wearing it now? I mean if it’s really what you want, why would you wait €˜till you go home. This left me quite beside myself. I took her advice and put it on that very afternoon.

Being a €˜ninja’ in Rome was a unique experience. My cousin had remarked that I was definitely the first scarf-wearing, English-speaking young woman Rome will have ever seen. There were some uncomfortable situations, but nothing beats when you’re in a huge tourist venue, like the Vatican and you spot the one other woman in the crowd wearing hijab and a comforting smile is exchanged between you, knowing that you are the only two out of thousands who look this way here. There were also encounters with people who were so encouraging and uplifting that I could swear they were angels sent to ease my way on a road never travelled before. You’d be surprised how many unexpected people really do appreciate the hijab and have a deep, immense respect for dignified women who choose to cover themselves.

I can never stress enough how amazingly helpful it is to have even one family member give you moral support. From the moment my cousin showed me that she would stand behind my decisions, I felt that even if it would just be her and nobody else in the universe, that it was truly a gift from God and that I would be more than fine. All I needed to know was that Allah Himself was with me, and He showed that to me through many intricate ways.

Still, I worried about what my family would say or think, particularly since I had always judged myself through the eyes of others, but this trend, by Allah’s mercy, didn’t end with my cousin. To my astonishment, people that I expected to react the worst, ended up showing me the most love and open-mindedness. Even in Italy I received compliments and blessings of encouragement from people who I could only describe as angels.

Coming to terms with all that had been happening within myself, I realized it wasn’t going to be a passing thing, like everyone thought. Instead of moving away from Islam, I was steadily heading straight into the depths of it. Contrary to what I considered as a possibility, I knew I wasn't ever turning back. And this trip was a necessary step to allow my soul to truly learn that. I felt it was necessary since this important change in my life occurred, to touch base with my life back at home, so I called my producer, who was also the leader of my band. Since we had many important shows to play soon after my arrival in Canada, I found it only fair to give him notice. I gathered myself, and made the phone call, and told him, with some difficulty that I had begun to observe Islamic dress and that my life would be taking a new direction from now on. My heart was beating so hard, I thought he might hear it. I expressed my apologies for the unexpected news, and explained it would be best if he found a new lead singer. He was definitely taken back by this news, as would anyone that knew me. Singing was my life; what could have possibly inspired such a change of interests in me? I don’t really expect anyone to understand why I would want to give it up, I just know in my heart where I would be right now if I hadn’t made that decision.

Contrary to what he promised, it seemed my producer had spilled the news to my mother who in turn spread it to everyone else in my life. She had not taken it well. Her husband told me that she had been crying and very sick for 3 days since she found out. It is very difficult to see people hurt so much when you know that there is nothing to be upset about at all. Where you see peace and guidance, they see ugliness and nonsense. But this is expected since the Holy Quran attests to this fact. The more guided one is to the spiritual life, the more those immersed in the worldly life will mock at you and think you’re crazy. In their eyes, you have gone off the deep end, but in your heart, you have a certainty that can never be shaken. Anyhow, she made clear to me that I was no longer welcomed in her life if I chose to dress this way. She forbade me from even nearing the street where our business was and assured me that I was about to lose my entire family over this, so I better be really happy with what I’m doing.

When I look at the big picture, I find that this whole trip was a mercy from God and that He used this event in my life to guide me. When I left, I was a different person. Sure, I had said the Shahada and meant it, but there was so much missing in my life and also, so much negative influence. The things I was doing, the places I went and the people I surrounded myself with were of no benefit to my true discovery of what Islam has to offer. I was involved in many haram situations and most of the time, it never struck me as something that I needed to change.

I noticed a phenomenon that I later realized affects many people. I started off as a new convert, with an open heart and so much to learn. But then time went by in which I didn’t progress because I was too caught up in the life of this world and ignoring all that I had so recently been guided to. What happens is you let one small thing slide by without instructing yourself against it and you think God couldn’t possibly put me in hell for this. Things are made to be fair-seeming to you, but soon enough that one thing grows into another small thing, which eventually spreads like a virus and soon enough, you find that you don’t even recognize yourself anymore because you’ve come so far from where you were, not too long ago. I’m so lucky that I broke out of this pattern, maybe as a result of some people’s prayers for me, but if I can tell of one thing that I learned from this trip, it was that you have to always move forward in your faith and you can’t ignore the things that Allah has put here for us for our benefit. We must read the Quran everyday. Not to would be a shame and a crime against ourselves. If we don’t worry about the little things, they will eventually defeat us and our standing still in Islam will eventually lead us to move backwards. This is the greatest atrocity because with a faith as perfect as this, there is no reason to let yourself move backwards. Also, the people we surround ourselves with are paramount to our spiritual growth and moral development. If we call ourselves Muslims and lead our lives like the average kafir, how can we expect Allah to look favourably upon us when we need Him? The thing is, He will have mercy on us when we’re in need anyway, even if we don’t deserve it, as I have demonstrated in my story today, so we owe it to Him and to ourselves to pay some attention to that certain man of history (saw) that brought us this message of truth and also, the man of the moment (atfs) who continually sees it through to it’s inevitable fruition.
www.aimislam.com/advent

توضیحات

زیر مجموعه: Miscellaneous

دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3737

In Search of God - My Story

Written by Sister Melanie Czekaj
We are all born with a free spirit (God given free will over mankind). And with the free spirited attitude that I have, I chose to go about my conversion to the path of I in an unusual way. I chose not to let my struggles with the non-Muslim community, in which I live, affect me. This is because of my confidence in the tradition that the Prophet Mohammad advises us: If one does what the creator loves, than the creation will love it, although they disliked it; however, if one gives into the creation and what they love, while the creator disliked it, eventually the creation would dislike it.

*

And the creator, the one, unique God loves it when a human being chooses to devote himself to the orders or commands specifically designed for his own nature for the betterment of his individual enlightenment to eventually reach unto the betterment of humanity in general. This is Islam, to acknowledge our lowliness compared to God and the beauty of his merciful gifts, to accept them by surrendering ourselves.

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That became my goal in this life, after I have lived in that western life of over-rated individuality, where each person seeks in their life to become their own, unique individual. I sought to find out who I was in life. I bent over backwards trying to do this, experimented things, living in the fantasy world, wanting to satisfy or fill that magnetically God attracted hole inside of my heart (but not knowing that it was God that I was searching for, in order to really know my true individuality.)

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Ever since I was a young girl I analyzed the happenings of my experiences in life. Learning to love others, to feel the pain of hurt feelings, to watch people with less fortune than myself, with physical illnesses, or even the disease of having everything and still not being happy, I turned to God. I would watch in his sky, the stars at night, and really contemplate the question of “Why.”

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Although I was raised Christian, skipping school, running into my church trying to heal the uncertainty that I started to feel, after I heard of the truth of I from some friends, I would pray to God, “Oh the friend of mine that I knew all of my life, the creator of those stars, that I would watch, please show me the truth.” Because I knew that if you seek the Lord he would reveal himself to you.

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“La ilaha ill Allah” (there is no deity to be worshiped, but the unified God) was the truth, that I have found, God sent to me to conclude with. Under this heavy phrase lies, the faith and actions that come hand to hand in the religion of Islam for the happiest life, the completion of my spirituality that could never be fully filled from the similar respected religion of Christianity or any other due to their lack of really knowing God’s unity, the core of understanding the prophets though out mankind teaching us the origins of the true human individuality, and answers to all of those questions that lead people to depression and dissatisfaction that give reason and meaning to virtues and the value of any struggle or difference one may have and really striving for justice.

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I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart have never felt like I was really myself, my own individual. I am truly happy, a joy that comes from inside. It may not be understandable to the outside, seeing eye. I even cover myself with hijab, so how could that be. Me? Melanie Czekaj? An individual? She doesn’t have any style now, only the piece of cloth on herself. I hear people say when I go here and there, “life is short, live it up”. But this phrase is lack of faith to me.

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The faithful eye, the one who could see beyond this world, would not take this constantly changing world that the human being can not keep up with and leave it. Due to his faith in the afterlife (the eternity compared to this short life.)

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I would not have ever known or valued true faith without God’s guidance, and I would have never known the true I or “la ilaha ill Allah” with out the guidance of the Ahlul Bayt (the prophet and his household.) I was a witness to this in February, 2003.

www.aimislam.com/advent

توضیحات

زیر مجموعه: Miscellaneous

دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3804

Memoirs of my journey to the World of Shi'i Islam

Written by Sister Janaan Da’wah
Bismillah hir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful

I’m a female convert to Islam and I believe I was always a Muslim, I only needed to find my path. I was born, after all, with €˜fitrah’ (innate nature) and so it was natural for me to eventually find Islam if I could see the light of truth, which I did.

“Thou set thy face in the right direction to receive the Primordial Religion, the Law of Allah, that Religion which is inherited innately for people to follow. No change in what Allah has set forth. That is the Religion to be appreciated: but most among mankind understand not" (HQ: 30:30)

I have only just begun my conversion and I have only preformed my shahaada (confession and testimony of a Muslim) at home in private between Allah (swt) and myself. However I soon look forward to reciting my shahaada at the Masjid in which I have found a place where I am welcomed and a place to worship Allah (swt) with the rest of the ummah Maa shaa Allah.

The signs were many and the feelings overwhelmed me, as I grew closer to Islam by the day. I have attempted to write down my experiences, as I felt relevant to finding Islam. I will tell you a little about my childhood and my belief system already in place and then how I discovered and eventually converted to Islam. I write about moments in my life where I felt very close to God and moments when I did not and was lost.

My life is forever changed and I am now a Muslim here’s my story.

When I was young, I was aware of my soul. I grew up in an Anglo-Protestant Canadian family hanging out in Montreal through the 70’s and 80’s, my family later moving off to Ontario when I was a teenager. We did not go to church very often, if we did it was usually Mom forcing us to go around the holiday season. Boring, you stand you sit, you stand you sit, I wouldn’t listen I’d just daydream. I didn’t mean any disrespect but I just never found it grabbed my attention. We were not a religious family however we were and still are a close family with a whole lot of love and respect for one another. We are the kind of family that hangs out together every weekend even as adults.

I do not recall ever being told to pray or to believe in God but yet I always did. I don’t remember how it started but I always remember praying to God and thanking him and asking for forgiveness. I felt very connected spiritually and with this I felt very aware of my soul.

I was about four years old when I asked my parents a very peculiar question that had to do with the awareness of my soul, “Why is it that we only have our eyes to look through? Why can’t we look through our bodies? I feel so trapped in”. You can imagine, my parents thought it was a rather odd thing to say and they more or less dismissed it politely and replied “Hmmmm, Well, dear, that’s a very interesting thought”, (or at least this is how I recall it) but they always encouraged me to discuss anything that may concern or interest me so I continued to ponder life and ask questions much like most kids would.

A sensitive child. “Yes, be careful how you are around her she’s very sensitive you don’t want to have her in tears.” They were right I was very sensitive and I still am. I was always concerned about making sure everyone around me was ok. Making sure everything around me was ok. I would worry about everyone even strangers. (still do)

We use to have this lovely big maple tree out at the front of our house. I would climb it frequently and I would sit in my favorite spot at the top. I looked it over, the branch, and its every detail, so rigid, so strong. I would inspect the leaves and stems to check for anything out of the norm..not that I ever really new what €˜out of the norm’ might look like. I simply had affection for this tree it was life.

The branch jutted out in a way that allowed me to sit in it much like a mothers arms as she cradles her child. I marveled over its creation and I would sit there feeling comforted as though I was a part of the tree. I would sit and I would daydream about life, the sky, the air, friends and this tree. However, sometimes I just daydreamed about that cute little boy down the street that smiled at me. I loved that tree it was nurturing and I had respect for it.

Another stray cat, a dog, squirrels, so many injured birds, chipmunks, mice…the list goes on. I was forever bringing home animals. I felt very connected to them and I went out of my way to make sure they were safe. I use to feed the squirrels in my backyard with peanuts that I dangled precariously from my mouth. My Mum would warn me to be careful that I would likely be bitten but I never was. Foolish though, Mum was right I could have been.

I regarded all forms of life and did my best to remind myself of their worth.

The Monarch butterfly flew into my hand. I was just 8 years old. It was so lovely to look at, those wings as they gently moved back and forth; the colours and it perched there on my hand as if about to tell me a story. I loved it immediately. I was so excited by its beauty.

“Oh let me get a glass and I’ll catch it for my artwork”, my Aunt yells out to me. My grandmother points out to her sister not to bother that the butterfly will be gone by the time she returns from the house with a glass to capture it. My grandmother looks over to me, my eyes were as big as saucers and welling up with tears she looked so concerned. My grandmother new that I had realized why my aunt wanted to capture the butterfly she wanted to kill it for her artwork.

My Aunt would press butterflies and flowers under glass and somehow convince people it was €˜art’. “Don’t let it go now hold on to it” my aunt yells out to me as she makes her way from the backyard to the back door and into the house. My heart was racing I knew that if I were to let the butterfly go that my aunt would be very mad with me but how can I not let it go? I’m responsible for the life of this butterfly, as God had made me aware of it. I didn’t hesitate for more then a few seconds I waved my hand up into the air and it flew off. My grandmother looked at me and smiled.

My aunt came rushing out with the glass in her hand, she saw my empty hand, she was mad….I wasn’t.

To be aware: It’s my belief that if you are made aware of a plight of a person, animal, nature that if you are made aware of it, it is because God made you aware and it is your obligation to then try to do something about it to the best of your ability. So stopping in the middle of traffic to help the stray dog cross the road is not an uncommon thing for me to do (just a heads up if you happen to be in the passenger seat with me at some point (giggle) ).

I know of many that share this view and in particular many Muslims seem to. The Muslims that I have met have all been very welcoming, caring and ready to be there for me when and if I need something. My experience with my conversion and becoming part of the Muslim community has been a very positive one.

Offer your zakat all things belong to God, and our wealth is therefore held by us only in trust, I believe this to be true.

I have acknowledged the five pillars of Islam. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca and one of the pillars. It is the center of the world. (Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia, where the Kaaba sits and was built by the Prophets Ibrahim (pbuh) and son Ismail (pbuh)). Mecca is the city in which Muhammad revealed the words of God for approximately a dozen years before leaving to Medina. This pilgrimage is one that will help to define me as a Muslim. I pray to achieve this goal some day.

Islam, I’ve been made aware I know the truths now so it is my obligation to let others know the truths.

My Dreams I always wrote my dreams down or told my father about them. I would look forward to sleeping as I enjoyed analyzing my dreams the next morning. There were some dreams that made no sense at all then there were the ones that left you with a funny feeling and then the lucid dreams when you are aware you are in a dream and the recurring dreams these were the ones I enjoyed most.

I dreamt of angels. I was a young teen and I had experienced something rather traumatic. I was the unfortunate victim of a young man's lust. I knew him and I trusted him, this is where I went wrong. At the time I did not know I had any legal rights and the thought of saying anything to my parents left me feeling shameful. I decided to stay quiet but I soon became distant from my friends and family.

During this period in my life I found my dreams changed in mood. They became darker as every day my thoughts became darker as well and I grew more distraught. The dreams were often of Shaytan but it was not only Shaytan who occupied my dreams. I had two angels on either side of my shoulders at all times. They encouraged me to fight the devil and to be strong. I could feel their love for me. They held close to me and whispered advice in my ears. Much like the coach at the corner of the ring once the bell rings he massages your shoulders throws water in your face and tells you how great you are “You can do it, you can beat this guy!” and you believe him and so you fight and you win.

I felt touched by an angel. One late night, during this dark period, I sat on my bed in my bedroom and I drew my knees up to my face and rapped my arms around them as I rocked myself gently. I was so sad so despondent so full of shame and fear and anger. I sat and I prayed to God and I asked God why I had to feel this way? I had thoughts of wanting to end my life that night.

Then something happened and I often wonder if it was only a dream but it all felt so real. I felt a hand come under my chin and it raised my chin to look towards the sky. Then this voice, not sure if it was in my head or where it was from, reassured me and told me that I only needed to speak to God and to God I should speak with full sincerity and intention and he would take me from my pain.

I felt frightened but calm at the same time as much as this contradicts itself. I spoke to God that night, I spoke to God knowing that he was listening, knowing that he was there for me and I asked God for his help. I then felt this warmth wash over my body, like a bucket of warm water spilled over me from head to toe and I cried and I cried and I cried. I felt exhausted and fell asleep. I did not dream of Shaytan again.

I crawled out of my black hole that night and I no longer had these sad feelings that overwhelmed and crippled me. I got on with my teenage years. I reflect on this a lot. This was a sign from God that he is there for me when I am sincere and when I truly believe in him.

After this event my life became busy and my soul took a back seat while the material world stepped in for a few years. This was a time when I made plenty of mistakes in my life.

A recurring dream about a book. This recurring dream started so far back that I’m not sure how old I was. I would have it maybe twice or three times a year right up until just a few years ago.

I entered a dimly lit room. The room was baron except for an old wooden table that sat near the middle. There were no other people in the room but there was a presence. On the table there laid a large opened book. I would attempt to move towards the book but I would struggle something or someone was usually holding me back. I would wake feeling frustrated and reminded of all the other times I had experienced this dream in the past, never once being able to read this book. On occasion in my dream I would brake free and make it over to the table and to the book but when I looked down at the pages I could not read the words. I could not understand the words. What was this book trying to tell me?

An epiphany. I made the purchase and the teller handed me my first English translated Qur’an and when I looked down at the Qur’an, time seemed to stand still; my dream suddenly came to the forefront of my mind. I hadn’t thought of the dream for so long.

I was holding €˜the book’, the book on the table, the book I had been longing to read. The feelings were overwhelming a rush of heat came over my body and my hands began to tremble. This was the beginning of my life with Islam. This was a sign.

When I discovered more about Islam my dreams seemed to begin telling me messages. I had this veiled woman come to me she pointed to parts of the world that were in trouble that had lost their way to God. I was shown war and violence and the homeless. I saw myself talking to people about Islam. I was shown three stones and the stones were moved together to become one stone. I interpreted this dream to mean the three major religions are meant to be one. I was told I needed to help spread the deen and to do it as soon as possible. I was also shown ways to express my art to bring attention to Islam. It was clear that all my dreams were telling me that not only do I convert and submit to Allah (swt) but that I should also spread the truths of Islam.

I believe my dreams were signs and I saw them as such at the time and so they only helped to encourage my efforts to study slam.

What triggered the changes in me to begin a search for truth and a rediscovery of my soul? As I write this, five years ago I gave birth to my second child. It was a difficult birth as I had to have cesarean section and the unfortunate or fortunate experience that occurred during this operation was what began to alter my life.

I was given what’s referred to as a €˜spinal’ rather then an €˜epidural’, it’s an anesthetic. The anesthesiologist will take a very long needle and insert into your spinal canal, which is next to your spinal cord, to cause freezing over your lower torso. The operation was going well my son was born and I was overjoyed to see him. This perfect little son, this life, this miracle of God. I love my sons.

The nurses hurried him off to check him over as the Doctor’s continued to clean me up and begin the process of sewing me up layer by layer. I thought things were going all right until I realized I could move my feet, then my legs and then this unbelievable sensation of heat and searing pain began to build in my belly. In a panicked but steady voice I told the anesthesiologist, who stood just over my shoulder, that I could feel everything. He seemed very concerned and he attempted to comfort me by telling me the Doctors were almost done the operation. He was right they were done approximately fifteen minutes later but it was the longest fifteen minutes of my life.

During this fifteen-minute window of pain something very strange happened to me. The pain I was experiencing was not my focus after the first two or three minutes. My attention was on this odd sensation this pulling of sorts or a sucking. It had nothing to do with the operation itself. It felt as though my soul was being sucked or pulled away from me. I laid there panicked but focused on this sensation, focused because I felt I had to hold on to my soul or I felt I would die, I had to be here for my son, my new baby who needs me, my baby needs me. I concentrated as hard as I could to stay focused on my soul. This sensation is one that I have never experienced in my life nor do I ever want to again. Was this a near-death experience? I don’t know, but I know it triggered a change in me, a refocusing of my soul.

The nurses rolled me into the €˜wake up area’ of the operating room and they instructed me to let them know when I could wiggle my toes. I lifted my legs from the gurney, they gasped and ran for the Doctor.

I began to feel confused maybe a little lost. Who am I? After the birth of my second son I found myself thinking a lot about my soul again. I submerged myself into my artwork and I began to visit with an artist friend of mine who I was studying under, every three months. When I would visit him and his family I would feel comforted emotionally and it was filing some of my soul but there was still so much missing. My husband worked out of town more then he was home but he was always home on weekends and a loving man and great provider. The distance, however, grew us apart and I cried in private a lot during this time. It was very difficult on all of us. A change was happening within me. I felt I had to search for something, but what? It was all so confusing.

I played games on the net and oddly enough I was introduced to Islam. I often played games with my children. I love spending time with them and we enjoy playing games on the systems for TV and on computer. My older son introduced me to this very popular online multiple player game. Hundreds of thousands of players from all over the world play online in this virtual world. So my son and I played this game together on line. He played on his pc I played on mine. It was a learning experience we had to fend for ourselves finding food and items of survival. The other feature offered by this game and the feature I most enjoyed was the ability to be able to talk to other players. It was so much fun to help people in the game that you knew were people somewhere out there in the world. I always lectured my son to be kind to the other players as they are real people with real feelings. He is so kind in nature I really didn’t have to say this.

One morning while playing the game I bumped into a player that needed some help. After I assisted him I found he was so polite and so kindhearted that I asked if I could put him on my friends list. (For his privacy I will not divulge his real name so I will refer to him as Din) Din agreed and when he came online I would talk to him about the game and ask for advice. One day we some how got to talking a little about life. There were others, around us at the time we weren’t alone. He told me he was a Muslim. I have never known a Muslim and I was very intrigued. I asked him about his religion and he told me about Islam. Din mentioned that he thought maybe I was Muslim at first because of how I represented myself in the game. He always joked that I was much too nice and that I spent more time helping people out then actually playing the game.

When he came online we would often talk about Islam and I found myself becoming more interested in Islam so it wasn’t long before I decided I would do some research on my own. Din advised me as to which sites to visit and to which books to read that pertained to Shi’a but he also encouraged me to look into all of the Muslim sects. He never pushed Islam on me he would wait for me to ask then he would answer and encourage. Din made it clear that I was not meant to talk to him because of my gender so we kept our conversations to Islam and the game. I mentioned to Din that it was unique to get to know him through the Internet because we could not see one another and I equated this as a form of €˜hijab’. We were forced to see whom we were inside. We contacted each other through the game, e-mail and on occasion messenger however I respected his concerns about my being female. I understand this situation more now that I am Muslim. I am very grateful to Din for introducing me to Islam; however, Din takes no credit and tells me it is all the will of Allah (swt).

I read and I read and I read. I couldn’t stop reading about Islam; it was as if I had been walking the driest desert my whole life and now finally finding a source of water to revive me. The more I drank/read the more connected I felt the more energized my body became and the more my life began to change.

Shi’a, to be a Shi’a Muslim this sect was slowly beginning to show true to me. I discovered my connection with Shi’ites while reading extensively about the two major Islamic sects, the Sunnites and Shi’ites. I read about many other sects as well such as Sufis, Nizari, Ismailis and even wahhabis (and others). I even began to touch on Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism.

I read extensively on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his loving wife Khadija. I fell in love with them and their journey together. I have such admiration for the relationship that Muahammad’s (pbuh) and Khadija maintained even with their age gap. I sincerely believe they held a very special love between them; it was their gift from Allah (swt), in this life, for their surrender to his will.

As I continued to read about the Imams I fell in love with each of them. Ali Ibn Abi Talib (pbuh), once having read about him I found myself in awe of him. This Imam truly was a pious and virtuous man, a man that men should aspire to. I would (and do) wake up at night and read about Islam any available moment I have I spend in study. I would listen to audio lectures (some of which Din sent through email) and I watched anything to do with Islam through documentaries. I would download and watch lectures by Imams on the Internet and many have inspired me. I have audio lectures copied over to mp3 player so that I can listen while in travel. I even started the process of learning to speak Arabic.

This beautiful religion was unfolding in front of me. The light was turned on and I could see the truth with my own eyes. I could not get enough.

Why did I choose Shi’a? It made the most sense to me. Allah (swt) had sent message to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and as Muslims we believe all of his messages as we believe that Muhammad (pbuh) is the messenger of Allah (swt) the All Knowing, the Creator. Because of this fact we should believe in all that he had stated.

It is my belief that Muhammad (pbuh) designated Ali Ibn Abi Talib (pbuh), The Commander of the Faithful, who was cousin and son-in-law to the Prophet, to be his true successor (the first Imam). If Muhammad (pbuh) had instructed us whom to follow then we should listen. If we believe that Muhammad (pbuh) is the messenger of Allah (swt) then how can we disregard his message?

"I leave two things of value amidst you in trust which if you hold on to you will never go astray: the Quran and the members of my household. These will never be separated until the Day of Judgment."
It is of my belief that the descendants of the Prophet are blessed with an innate ability to see Islam in a way that most of us who are not descendants do not and if these descendants choose to study Islam they will be most successful and if they go astray it is a great loss. I have read of many Muslims that do not hold the lineage of the Prophet behind them but they are very pious and highly knowledgeable of Islam. I express my tolerance for all religions and for many of the other Muslim sects. I would only voice that we find our comparisons rather then our differences.

The pressures of growing up female in a western culture. I was told I’m pretty and I have a nice figure. I hate compliments never been good at knowing what to say. “You have such a lovely figure why hide it? show it off”. This is what I was told by many and it always made me so uncomfortable. As I got into my teen years I began to dress a little more provocatively. (Tighter jeans and tops and high-heeled shoes). Following the fashion guidelines of many of my peers.

This style did not change much for me, as I got older. I would dress to draw attention to myself. It was not uncommon to get catcalls, rude comments and stares or having a man talk to my breasts rather then to me. (Long blond hair, lots of makeup, miniskirts and jewelry). I have even been stalked not just once but twice, one stalking lasting over two years.

You grow up in a western culture concerned on a regular basis about your appearance. Everywhere you look you see ads and billboards of scantily clad women selling products with perfect figures and flawless features. My weight, even though I never had a weight problem, became an obsession for me and I lived by the scales. I’m five feet five inches tall (although I’m told I look taller, could be the heels :) ) and in my teen years I dropped down to 95 pounds at one point. I wouldn’t eat. I felt I had to stay thin to look good, to feel good about myself and to remain attractive to the opposite sex. Fortunately I struggled and got out of this starvation/anorexia mode. I didn’t know any girl in my class though that didn’t feel the same way. We were all obsessed with our weight and appearance. I knew of girls that were throwing up in the school washrooms in attempt to lose their lunch and they would come out smiling. How sad.

So I know first hand the pressures of being a woman living in a western culture. I was rarely looked at for who I am on the inside. I was always judged by my appearance first as many women are. The opposite sex was drawn to me because of how they viewed me they didn’t care about my level of intelligence or my spirituality and or interests. Some might say, don’t complain at least you’re an attractive person but there can be a very negative side to drawing attention to your physical make-up. As a Muslim today I can’t help but notice that I draw less attention modestly dressed.

When I met my husband we were very young I’m sure his original attraction was physical as was mine but he soon took the time to really get to know me. Even though we are separated today he stands by my decision to convert to Islam and he remains a constant support. He thinks that my decision to become Muslim and my wish to spread the word of Islam to non-Muslims is commendable. He is proud of me even through our difficulties. You can imagine we have had our share of debates about Islam but they have all been a learning experience for me as much as they have been, at times, frustrating. It’s good to be prepared with quick retort for future non-Muslims that will cross my path with lots of questions and possibly charged with a negative attitude towards Muslims. I want to stand prepared.

The miracle of sura Al-Faitha (the opening) the words of Allah (swt). Din recommended I should learn this sura first so he sent me an audio file and wrote it out for me and emailed it. When I first heard it I thought it was beautiful but I also thought how in the world was I ever going to be able to learn this? I practiced every day for weeks. I was finally able to say it and say it rather well. I would say it as much as maybe 30 times a day because I soon realized that when I said it out loud it was doing something to me physically, something really nice.

When I would say sura Al-Fatiha out-loud I felt very calm and secure and again this warmth washing over me as it had done at other points in my life. I mentioned how I was having these sensations, while reciting Al-Fatiha, to Din and he informed me “Yes this is how you are meant to feel it is part of the miracle that is the Qur’an”. I thought how incredible is that? I do not know the miracle of the Qur’an at that point. I know now that the Qur’an is itself a miracle and I have read that the words are so pure that they can bring converts in upon hearing them recited for the first time and most effectively sura Al-Fatiha.

I can see that had I been told it can effect you this way that maybe on a subconscious level I might have some how altered my body, but I had no idea. I felt so moved every time and still do when I say out loud sura Al-Fatiha. These words from God are the most powerful words that have ever crossed my lips. I looked at this as a sign and more compelling reason to further my studies.

I met a Shi’a Muslim Sister, a friend. After several months I realized I needed to begin to speak with other Muslims I wanted to reach out to the community to the ummah but I felt shy. Din was full of advice on these matters and he mentioned a forum on the Internet called shiachat. For the first few weeks I stayed silent but I finally had the courage to post and once I started I kept on posting. It was a great way to talk about Islam and life with other Muslims and for me mainly the sisters. I then posted my conversion story and to my delight I received so many replies and welcomes to Islam. I felt so thrilled to be accepted it was a great comfort. A big warm hug.

This one shi’a sister lived only an hour from me and she wanted to meet me and take me to Friday Jumah prayer. We sent several long emails before we got together. I met not only her (who I will refer to as Q) but I also met her Mum and her sister. Q was very welcoming and caring she hugged me and handed me a gift, a hijab. We then went to an Islamic shop where I purchased some clothes that I then wore to Friday Jumah prayer at the Masjid she attends. The day was momentous for me and I felt welcomed into the Masjid by all the sisters. I prayed for the first time with others and I felt so good inside.

Q adjusted my hijab and assured me I looked fine. We agreed that we would become great friends that we can foresee a good connection. We further agreed that Allah (swt) had chosen for us to meet and that together we will learn more about Islam and we will support each other Maa shaa Allah. Allah (swt) knows best. Q expresses her feelings in an email to me after we first meet she writes “Janaan the second I saw you smile I knew you were one of those people who have big hearts and the ability to change someone's day with a simple smile. I’m sure many people have told you this, but you're beautiful and you have a radiant personality that shines through.” This was the nicest compliment I had ever received as I knew her words were sincere and that she could see who I was inside. I cried upon reading this. I feel blessed to know her, she is my sister, she is my friend.

The conflicts of being a female converted Muslim in a very western culture. It became clear very soon into my study of Islam that most around me were not comfortable with it. Some even accusing me of loosing my mind?? There was a lot going on in my life with the separation to my husband and my interest in Islam and my family was confused by my actions. The fact that I was embracing Islam with my heart and soul was a shock for everyone around me. A religion they knew very little about and were partly influenced by what they hear in the media as I was before taking the steps to learn the truth. It’s very trying to be experiencing such an altering of oneself a reawakening of your soul and a focus on your spirituality and not be able to have your close friends and family to share it with.

They were listening but not really understanding so it was frustrating for me and still is at times. I know that my family will always love me no matter what and I know they will never abandon me. So many in my circle of friends and family thought they knew me well but didn’t as they said things like “Well you were an €˜atheist’ now you love God?”… “ Atheist??” I replied.. “When have I ever stated that??”. I’m a fairly private person when it comes to my spiritual side I do not divulge a lot of my intimates to others. They assumed because I did not practice a religion that I did not believe in God. I also never really told any of them (nor had they ever asked) whether I believed in God so I can see why they assumed but they assumed wrong.

I’m sure if any of my family/friends circle read this memoir of conversion they will be surprised but I hope it gives them some idea of where I’m coming from and where I want to go. I am Muslim for me not for anyone else.

People are confused to see that I want to wear hijab. Why would I cover my long hair and cover my body that was normally showing to the world? They don’t understand and most see it as oppression rather then how I see it as liberation. The changes to my wardrobe were dramatically different but I did not have to think long and hard about it. I understood it when I read the virtues of modesty practiced within Islam and so to dress modest was a must for me and it was part of my submission to the will of Allah (swt). Modest dress is a great virtue to help establish the proper workings of a society under Islam. To those non-Muslims that say but why would you hide your body like that you have no reason to hide it. I tell them my body will be for the Muslim man that I choose to marry if I choose to re-marry again and for only him. Does this not make it more special? It does, in my opinion. I have nothing to prove I struggle to be seen for who I really am.

As a convert I have taken it upon myself to study Islam as many hours as I can. I know that as a convert I will be asked (and have been) many questions from non-Muslims and Muslims as to my intentions and my understandings of Islam. The more knowledge I build the more power I will have for friendly debate. I want to make for a good representative of Islam and of Shi’a Muslims as I am obligated.

It’s a comfort that I have a handful of very understanding friends. I have a few friends that live near by I have one in the US and a very close friend who lives in England. They have all shown me respect in my choice to become Muslim and they have done their best to try to understand what I’m going through. My US friend is Catholic and we have had some great conversations comparing our religions and our love for God. My British friend and I connect on a spiritual level, she is very understanding and compassionate.

I think my family is afraid that I will change, that I will not be the same person. They are wrong however as I am the person I was meant to be since I was a child. I had temporarily stepped off my path but I am now back on it and I will continue along this path to the end. My parents will eventually understand my quest and they will respect it. I know this because of their understanding nature and love for me. I respect my parents and I am grateful for all they have ever given me and that they continue to give me.

I now find patience with those that do not understand my choices as Allah (swt) has given me the strength to do so.

All my life I felt a €˜building towards something’ feeling inside me. This feeling was there from a very early age. Maybe it’s the same feeling that one has when you question at some point why you’re here? Is there more to life?.. I have always felt that I was building towards something important. Every momentous event that would come up in my life I would wonder if it was the event that would help clarify this feeling of building towards something big. It was always there in the back of my mind and it always had me wondering. I would often have this strange day-ja-vous effect when something significant happened in my life. For only a few seconds I felt I was in a dream like state then in my minds eye I see a path in front of me, and it forks off into different directions, I choose one. This strange day-ja-vous or this visual in my mind of pathways happened to me several times in my life and it would always signify my life would be taking a different direction. It happened at momentous events such as my first job, boyfriend, my artwork, the birth of my sons, my marriage. Just before the separation to my husband and the discovery of Islam I had another €˜pathway visual’ so I prepared myself. It was yet another sign.

One more sign. I prayed to Allah (swt) to show me another sign to please show me that I am meant not only to be true to Islam to be a Muslim but also to spread my story of conversion to tell others about Islam and its truths. Is this something I am meant to do? The next day I was asked if I would be interested in submitting this memoir to AIM. Question answered.

To convert, to be a Muslim and to try to enlighten others with my conversion to Islam, is my path.

I wake up automatically in the morning around 3:30, 4:00 a.m and do you know what I hear in my head? I hear call to prayer and it’s beautiful.

I am a Shi’a Muslim and I am so proud to tell you this fact. Allah (swt) most Beneficent, the most Merciful, has led me to him and I surrendered.

www.aimislam.com/advent

توضیحات

زیر مجموعه: Miscellaneous

دسته: New Muslims & Mustabserin

بازدید: 3611

Sister Gwana (Ajibola)

Written by Sister Gwana (Ajibola)
The sister I have come to know as Sister AlSabira asked me to write about how I came be Muslim. Mashaa Allah, the truth is that this story started before I was born, when my mother ask Allah (whom she called God) for a child and dedicated the child’s life to His service.

Sometimes, when we forget that Allah is in the prayer answering business and because the answer does not resemble what we believed we asked for, we think we have been forsaken. Recently I wrote my mother telling her

“See how God works! He has made your prayer a reality for me. Sometimes we can’t see that God does answer prayers, but I am a witness to His answering your prayer for me.” Alhamdulillah.

I was raised in a very strong Christian home. Most of my family members are evangelists and preachers) (father, mother, sisters and brothers). It is truly a miracle that at age 12 when I went to the church doctrine class, I could not believe their teachings because these teachings were against, what I came to know later as “Tawhid.” It was in this church that I learned the 10 commandments, the first three of which address the oneness of Allah and His intolerance of associations.

1. You shall have not other gods before me.

2. You shall not make unto yourself any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is I the heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

3. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God...

In 1985 as a young woman, when I was introduced to Al Islam, I had no problem with “I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah. He has no partner.” I only needed to learn about Prophet Muhammad (SAAWAWS). From 1985 to 2000, while Muslim (for the most part practicing), I refused to call myself a sunni. Even after 13 years of being Muslim, I had never chosen a school of thought. I didn't want to commit to be a Sunni and already had a healthy disdain for the 2nd Caliph, Umar, (May he suffer continuously for his transgressions).

I began learning about Shi’a from my best friends (Hasanah, Asiila and Ali Talib) who I met in 1989. May Allah bless and reward them with the best for their dawah and constancy. So while I refused to be called “sunni” on the one hand, on the other, I did not want to be part of the 'political' rift and call myself Shi'a. The truth is, for years I did not commit to trying to find out about it (I thought ignorance was bliss).

Bro. Ali tells me he recognized long ago that I was shi’a, but I did not like politics and definitely I was against splintering into sects. I resisted discussions about Shi’aism for 10 years. May Allah forgive me. Ali finished his epic poem on the life of Imam Husayn in 1998. For two years I held onto the tapes without listening to them.

When I finally listened, I realized how ignorant of the history of Islam I really was. By time the tape got to the battlefield of Karbala, I could not stop crying. You see this served as my first real introduction to the Ahlul Bayt (Alaiyhus Salaam). You see I was one of them "Muslims" who didn't know anything about the history of Islam.

Bro. Ali's tape made it easy for me. Madhab-"less," I would listen to them driving to work. There were times when I would just sit in the parking lot and be late listening to them. My personal experience was that the description of the murder of Imam Hussein (AS) was so vivid that I was could actually "see" it. It was like I was there watching it all. Mashaa Allah, even as I write this, my eyes tear...

The gift was a mercy to me. Allah has been so very merciful to me because this gift softened my heart (mind) and opened up my mind to finally study the history and after serious heart searching, I pronounced that I had chosen the Jafferia Madthab...and would follow Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAAWAWS) as taught by the Ahlul Bayt (AS). Alhamdulillah.

Since then I have really started studying the religion of Islam as taught by the Ahlul Bayt. Where ahadith before was so contradictory, not there was consistency. Now Al Qur’an has taken on new meaning for me. May Allah bless all those who have provided me literature, listened to my rantings, and provided me instruction about the Ahlul Bayt (AS). Please make du’a for me that I will continue to grow on Al siratal mustaqeem and be of those who are momineen.
~Sister Gwana (Ajibola)

www.shiarightpath.com