Thank you everyone. It may seem quick that I have made this decision after joining this forum, but the truth is, it has been a long journey back to Islam which started when I was 8. My search has been genuine and at times caused me a lot of emotional pain. For many years I wanted nothing to do with Islam because I had believed everything western society was telling me. It didn't help that my mother very much disliked and distrusted Muslims as well.
This has not been my first journey toward Islam either. I was exploring it last year but in Allah's wisdom, it was not the right time. This time, I have been led to the right people and had many more of my questions answered than I did before. I've also been led to some more intense, meaty questions, which I take as a sign that now is the right time for me to take this step and revert.
Since joining this forum I have spent quite a few nights, up all night reading threads, following links to other pages (getting lost!) and watching youtube videos on various things. All this time I felt a kind of melting in my heart, as if all the years of anger toward God were being gently removed. I felt a small warmth growing inside me and a softening, I can't explain it better than that. The moment I knew a great change was happening in me was when I watched a documentary on the rise of the Taliban. I no longer felt rage/anger toward them, but watched the movies of the men, including bin Laden, and all I could see were men doing what they believed was right. Don't be mistaken, I do not approve of what they did one bit, it was a horrible thing to do and not the way of Islam, but now I could separate the men and the deeds and realise they are just human.
That was the moment when I knew something was happening inside me to change me in a profound way. I was up all night last night yet again. It was very early hours in the morning here when I was sitting down to write down my thoughts and I just knew the time was right. I felt the moment had come and I felt washed over with complete and utter peace that this was the right decision. And it did happen a couple of hours after that.
I'm putting this here not because I feel I need to, I don't. I don't feel I need to explain why so 'quick'. What you see as quick is just the tip of the iceberg to how long it's really taken me in my search. I just wanted to explain more fully why now. All praise to Allah, He really knows the right time :muslim_child:
Michelle