Peace2u
Turn To Islam
Salam,
I just read a nice story on the internet and thought I'd share it with the brothers and sisters.
Enjoy!
I was born and raised in West Virginia in a Christian family. My father was a Jew. Needless to say we never talked much after my reversion to Islam, not that we really talked much before then. My father and mother divorced when I was only 1 year old. My older sisters said it was because I was born a female, and he had wanted a male. I think he was a man that could not handle the responsibilities of his actions. So he left my mother with four daughters to raise and support without his help. Thus, we grew up very poor.
My father died in July of 2003 as a Jew. He refused to talk to me during those last few years since I reverted to Islam. We did talk a little before then. I am afraid that when I was older and met my father, I did not like him as a man. My mother believed in God but also was a scientist of some sort. But, al-hamdu lillah, she believed in charity and in helping others. I came from a mostly Christian family that knew fear of God and practiced it to the best of their ability. In the area where I grew up, people did even know what a Muslim was, and they certainly never saw a woman walking down the street wearing hijab!
Reversion to Islam
I met a Muslim lady who had moved to our town. She gave me a few pamphlets on Islam which I read. Although I did not revert, she did open up a door for me to the inside life of a Muslim. I liked how she practiced her faith by being nice and honest to all. She not only talked about Islam but also walked Islam! I am thankful to her — may Allah reward her greatly.
My daughter was in college at that time where she met some friends. After visiting Minnesota, she loved it there and liked the college where her friends went. Consequently, we also moved to that area. She moved first because I was in the middle of classes at my own college (I went back to school when I had her almost raised and she did not need me quite as much). She met some Muslim people from Sudan, Pakistan, and the UAE and started studying Islam. By then, I too had been looking more and more into Islam. It was one of the religions I was studying. For one reason or another, I kept coming back to studying Islam and the Qur'an again and again until I came to realize Islam to be the truest religion. I never told my daughter that I was studying Islam those past years. I kept it to myself. At that time I was truly a Muslim but did not confess it.
One day my daughter came to me and asked me if she could revert to Islam. She had a very scared look on her face as she knew that I was a strong Baptist woman.
I only said, "Oh! Why?"
She told me that the lady she had been talking to told her to ask my permission because of what the Qur'an states about the importance of the mother. I questioned her to make sure she knew what she was talking about. She just sat there with a very scared look on her face, afraid of what I might say! Sure enough, she understood Islam very thoroughly. I then confessed to her that I had also been studying Islam. This came as a surprise to her.
A few weeks later, after she had introduced me to her Muslim friends, we took our Shahadah (Testimony of Faith) together. We said the statement of faith in front of a group of 12 ladies at a friend's house. Allah Akbar! It was July 2001.
It is amazing how many people take different journeys and end up at the same place.
Trials of September 11
Being Muslim has not been easy. As a white, I was part of the majority where I lived. Now, as a Muslim, I was a minority. My mother instilled in me very well the belief that color has no meaning. It is the heart of people that count, not their color.
Unfortunately, as a new Muslimah, I received a hard time from some Muslims about certain things, such as wearing hijab. Hijab should come from the heart! I wish more people would study Islam and look at their hearts. I have known Muslim women who wear hijab to the mosque or social gatherings and have great hearts, and I have met women who wear hijab and even full niqab [editor's note: niqab means face veil) but who have don't have much affection for Islam. Some thought that I should dress like them and act like them. I say that these women looked beautiful in their native dress. But I was just me! I wore a blue jean skirt, a hijab, and a long-sleeved blouse. The imam at the mosque told me not to worry about what some people said to me. To him, I looked properly dressed for prayer.
After being Muslim for less than two months, another incident happened. On September 14, 2001, a young man attacked me in a grocery store. Motivated by his hatred for Muslims, he jammed his cart into me so hard that it cut my back, ankles, and one of my legs. The force pushed me into the shelf of cans, causing one of the shelves to fall down on me. As the cans hurled down, they cut my head and hands. Some of the cuts later required stitches. The aisle happened to be in the view of the store security camera, which captured the man as he was about to run away. The authorities soon caught him. He stayed near me and didn't run far. I think he was truly amazed at what he himself had done. He later said that he thought I was an Arab, as if that was a reason enough to hurt someone. He was surprised that I spoke clear English. He was further amazed when he came to know that I was a disabled American veteran.
He was facing serious charges. I gave him the choice of either going to jail or attend lecture on Islam in ten one-hour sessions. He chose the lectures. I made sure that if he did not come to the lectures, then I would retain my rights of recourse with the court system.
That very morning, I had just read a hadith about our wonderful Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who had trash dumped on his head every morning. One morning he was not treated this way and he went to check on the neighbor who was found to be sick. He had compassion for this person. Having read this on the same morning of the incident, what else could I do? I too had a daughter about the same age as that 20-year-old man. One mistake could ruin the life of this young man. Would I not want compassion for my daughter if she did something like this? He had been a good college student and was just young and had not received any education about Islam. Sometimes when one does not know about something, it can be scary.
He continued with the classes and actually studied Islam longer than he was required by the contract. About six months later in February, 2002, he declared the Shahadah. I was so very happy when I got that e-mail from him. I had moved out of the area where he was living. He then joined the local Muslim Students Association and engaged in da`wah (inviting people to Islam) work. Allah Akbar!
Every day, I look at the scars that I received from that attack, and I feel happy. I remember where they came from and I thank Allah for allowing this to happen.
My Third Year As a Muslim
I finally feel at home in a mosque and at home in my heart as a Muslim. And I finally feel as if I am praying more normally and fully, although not as well as I would like to, but at least I am doing much better than in the beginning. I love how Allah helped me find the ADAMS Center and the activities that occur there daily. It is strange that it took me three long years to finally feel comfortable in a mosque.
My path on Islam has not been easy, but I know I am not alone, Allah is always with me. And when the trials and tribulations come, I know they are a test to help me learn to be stronger.
It is very important that as a Muslim, you practice in the company of others. Never try to practice your religion on your own. We need each other to survive in this difficult world. We need each other for support and to pull us up when we are down. But most importantly, we need Allah.
As a revert to Islam, each day is a challenge to me, but I know that Allah is my guide. As a new Muslim, I am, of course, not going to be perfect, and even when I end this life I will not be perfect. But I always remember Allah, and I no longer feel alone! Allah did not promise us that life would be perfect, but I know that He will not give me any burden that is more than I can stand, and that He would never leave me.
I just read a nice story on the internet and thought I'd share it with the brothers and sisters.
Enjoy!
I was born and raised in West Virginia in a Christian family. My father was a Jew. Needless to say we never talked much after my reversion to Islam, not that we really talked much before then. My father and mother divorced when I was only 1 year old. My older sisters said it was because I was born a female, and he had wanted a male. I think he was a man that could not handle the responsibilities of his actions. So he left my mother with four daughters to raise and support without his help. Thus, we grew up very poor.
My father died in July of 2003 as a Jew. He refused to talk to me during those last few years since I reverted to Islam. We did talk a little before then. I am afraid that when I was older and met my father, I did not like him as a man. My mother believed in God but also was a scientist of some sort. But, al-hamdu lillah, she believed in charity and in helping others. I came from a mostly Christian family that knew fear of God and practiced it to the best of their ability. In the area where I grew up, people did even know what a Muslim was, and they certainly never saw a woman walking down the street wearing hijab!
Reversion to Islam
I met a Muslim lady who had moved to our town. She gave me a few pamphlets on Islam which I read. Although I did not revert, she did open up a door for me to the inside life of a Muslim. I liked how she practiced her faith by being nice and honest to all. She not only talked about Islam but also walked Islam! I am thankful to her — may Allah reward her greatly.
My daughter was in college at that time where she met some friends. After visiting Minnesota, she loved it there and liked the college where her friends went. Consequently, we also moved to that area. She moved first because I was in the middle of classes at my own college (I went back to school when I had her almost raised and she did not need me quite as much). She met some Muslim people from Sudan, Pakistan, and the UAE and started studying Islam. By then, I too had been looking more and more into Islam. It was one of the religions I was studying. For one reason or another, I kept coming back to studying Islam and the Qur'an again and again until I came to realize Islam to be the truest religion. I never told my daughter that I was studying Islam those past years. I kept it to myself. At that time I was truly a Muslim but did not confess it.
One day my daughter came to me and asked me if she could revert to Islam. She had a very scared look on her face as she knew that I was a strong Baptist woman.
I only said, "Oh! Why?"
She told me that the lady she had been talking to told her to ask my permission because of what the Qur'an states about the importance of the mother. I questioned her to make sure she knew what she was talking about. She just sat there with a very scared look on her face, afraid of what I might say! Sure enough, she understood Islam very thoroughly. I then confessed to her that I had also been studying Islam. This came as a surprise to her.
A few weeks later, after she had introduced me to her Muslim friends, we took our Shahadah (Testimony of Faith) together. We said the statement of faith in front of a group of 12 ladies at a friend's house. Allah Akbar! It was July 2001.
It is amazing how many people take different journeys and end up at the same place.
Trials of September 11
Being Muslim has not been easy. As a white, I was part of the majority where I lived. Now, as a Muslim, I was a minority. My mother instilled in me very well the belief that color has no meaning. It is the heart of people that count, not their color.
Unfortunately, as a new Muslimah, I received a hard time from some Muslims about certain things, such as wearing hijab. Hijab should come from the heart! I wish more people would study Islam and look at their hearts. I have known Muslim women who wear hijab to the mosque or social gatherings and have great hearts, and I have met women who wear hijab and even full niqab [editor's note: niqab means face veil) but who have don't have much affection for Islam. Some thought that I should dress like them and act like them. I say that these women looked beautiful in their native dress. But I was just me! I wore a blue jean skirt, a hijab, and a long-sleeved blouse. The imam at the mosque told me not to worry about what some people said to me. To him, I looked properly dressed for prayer.
After being Muslim for less than two months, another incident happened. On September 14, 2001, a young man attacked me in a grocery store. Motivated by his hatred for Muslims, he jammed his cart into me so hard that it cut my back, ankles, and one of my legs. The force pushed me into the shelf of cans, causing one of the shelves to fall down on me. As the cans hurled down, they cut my head and hands. Some of the cuts later required stitches. The aisle happened to be in the view of the store security camera, which captured the man as he was about to run away. The authorities soon caught him. He stayed near me and didn't run far. I think he was truly amazed at what he himself had done. He later said that he thought I was an Arab, as if that was a reason enough to hurt someone. He was surprised that I spoke clear English. He was further amazed when he came to know that I was a disabled American veteran.
He was facing serious charges. I gave him the choice of either going to jail or attend lecture on Islam in ten one-hour sessions. He chose the lectures. I made sure that if he did not come to the lectures, then I would retain my rights of recourse with the court system.
That very morning, I had just read a hadith about our wonderful Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who had trash dumped on his head every morning. One morning he was not treated this way and he went to check on the neighbor who was found to be sick. He had compassion for this person. Having read this on the same morning of the incident, what else could I do? I too had a daughter about the same age as that 20-year-old man. One mistake could ruin the life of this young man. Would I not want compassion for my daughter if she did something like this? He had been a good college student and was just young and had not received any education about Islam. Sometimes when one does not know about something, it can be scary.
He continued with the classes and actually studied Islam longer than he was required by the contract. About six months later in February, 2002, he declared the Shahadah. I was so very happy when I got that e-mail from him. I had moved out of the area where he was living. He then joined the local Muslim Students Association and engaged in da`wah (inviting people to Islam) work. Allah Akbar!
Every day, I look at the scars that I received from that attack, and I feel happy. I remember where they came from and I thank Allah for allowing this to happen.
My Third Year As a Muslim
I finally feel at home in a mosque and at home in my heart as a Muslim. And I finally feel as if I am praying more normally and fully, although not as well as I would like to, but at least I am doing much better than in the beginning. I love how Allah helped me find the ADAMS Center and the activities that occur there daily. It is strange that it took me three long years to finally feel comfortable in a mosque.
My path on Islam has not been easy, but I know I am not alone, Allah is always with me. And when the trials and tribulations come, I know they are a test to help me learn to be stronger.
It is very important that as a Muslim, you practice in the company of others. Never try to practice your religion on your own. We need each other to survive in this difficult world. We need each other for support and to pull us up when we are down. But most importantly, we need Allah.
As a revert to Islam, each day is a challenge to me, but I know that Allah is my guide. As a new Muslim, I am, of course, not going to be perfect, and even when I end this life I will not be perfect. But I always remember Allah, and I no longer feel alone! Allah did not promise us that life would be perfect, but I know that He will not give me any burden that is more than I can stand, and that He would never leave me.
