Assalamualaikum
I've been reading some of the posts here concerning new muslims and their hardships with family, but I guess everyone has different situations so let me tell you my story.
So around a year ago I broke the news to my mother that I am interested in Islam. Later my sisters found out, but not my dad..since we thought that he would be really mad if he knew this. They were shocked and panicked, and arranged me to meet with some Christian priests/experts to discuss religious matters. I've met with several people, but I wasnt that interested at all because I think Islam is just the right one. Since I'm studying in the US and my family's at my home country, I am still a bit free in terms of learning.
Then last January I came back home, we didnt talk much about religion with my family, and during my visit I continued to learn Islam, meeting with muslims, getting books, etc. I was at the point that I was learning how to do my prayers, and I tried to make them at the proper times.
A few months later my family came with me to the US, and in one occasion, my mom was looking for something in my drawer and he found my Islamic books. She was very upset because she thought I have stopped learning Islam. Then she told my dad who was also very upset, saying that a muslim in the family would be a disgrace to the family and asked me to stop no matter what. After all this me and my sisters talked, and the bottom line is my parents would never accept if I convert (I havent told them I converted). They asked me to stop contacting muslims and stop learning abt this. My parents also took away my Qur'an and islamic books. They even threaten to stop my education in the US and go home if I dont comply.
As for my situation, I havent declared officially on my Islam, but in my heart I believe what muslims believe, and I guess I have recited the shahada in my heart. After this incident I have stopped praying because I dont know what I should do.
My father is a very busy person and he is in the middle of a tension in his business, and my mom warned me not to bring up matters that might stress him even more. Last month unexpectedly he got a heart attack. His situation has been better now, and my mother says "There...you see he has a condition now, dont do anything that might stress him out. He is sick."
And furthermore "You see, Jesus has saved him from his disease, even him recovering is a miracle, you must believe, He has been so good to us, dont stray." My mom is pretty active in church and she and her friends have all prayed for my father's recovery.
So right now I dont know what to do. In my heart I still believe that God is One, no matter how I think about it, it is the easiest thing to accept in my heart. Lately I've been trying to continue doing my prayers, but being in a non muslim environment (friends), I still had to hide things. There is an empty basement in school that acts as a prayer area but I am still shy if some people or muslims find me there and then ppl then know about my Islam and tell it to everybody.
My parents have asked their friends here to keep in contact with me, to see how I am doing etc, with the main goal to bring me back to christianity. Also my father is still recovering, so I dont know what I should do. Making many contacts with muslims would not be good I guess, so I might just post my problems here.
Thank you for reading..
I've been reading some of the posts here concerning new muslims and their hardships with family, but I guess everyone has different situations so let me tell you my story.
So around a year ago I broke the news to my mother that I am interested in Islam. Later my sisters found out, but not my dad..since we thought that he would be really mad if he knew this. They were shocked and panicked, and arranged me to meet with some Christian priests/experts to discuss religious matters. I've met with several people, but I wasnt that interested at all because I think Islam is just the right one. Since I'm studying in the US and my family's at my home country, I am still a bit free in terms of learning.
Then last January I came back home, we didnt talk much about religion with my family, and during my visit I continued to learn Islam, meeting with muslims, getting books, etc. I was at the point that I was learning how to do my prayers, and I tried to make them at the proper times.
A few months later my family came with me to the US, and in one occasion, my mom was looking for something in my drawer and he found my Islamic books. She was very upset because she thought I have stopped learning Islam. Then she told my dad who was also very upset, saying that a muslim in the family would be a disgrace to the family and asked me to stop no matter what. After all this me and my sisters talked, and the bottom line is my parents would never accept if I convert (I havent told them I converted). They asked me to stop contacting muslims and stop learning abt this. My parents also took away my Qur'an and islamic books. They even threaten to stop my education in the US and go home if I dont comply.
As for my situation, I havent declared officially on my Islam, but in my heart I believe what muslims believe, and I guess I have recited the shahada in my heart. After this incident I have stopped praying because I dont know what I should do.
My father is a very busy person and he is in the middle of a tension in his business, and my mom warned me not to bring up matters that might stress him even more. Last month unexpectedly he got a heart attack. His situation has been better now, and my mother says "There...you see he has a condition now, dont do anything that might stress him out. He is sick."
And furthermore "You see, Jesus has saved him from his disease, even him recovering is a miracle, you must believe, He has been so good to us, dont stray." My mom is pretty active in church and she and her friends have all prayed for my father's recovery.
So right now I dont know what to do. In my heart I still believe that God is One, no matter how I think about it, it is the easiest thing to accept in my heart. Lately I've been trying to continue doing my prayers, but being in a non muslim environment (friends), I still had to hide things. There is an empty basement in school that acts as a prayer area but I am still shy if some people or muslims find me there and then ppl then know about my Islam and tell it to everybody.
My parents have asked their friends here to keep in contact with me, to see how I am doing etc, with the main goal to bring me back to christianity. Also my father is still recovering, so I dont know what I should do. Making many contacts with muslims would not be good I guess, so I might just post my problems here.
Thank you for reading..
