EricWenger
New Member
Salam alaikum, My name is Brother Eric Wenger. I am a Muslim American convert originally from Minnesota. I now live in South Dakota, which is where I was introduced to Islam.
I was first introduced to Islam through a young neighbor boy who used to come to visit me at my home. Then later he asked him mother to bring me a Quran, so I could read. I love reading & I had read most other commonly available books on religion. But I had never read a Quran. So, though I live in a town with only 29 houses, I was blessed with a Muslim family living near me, who was willing to share their faith. She brought over the Quran & I started reading it. I was amazed at what I read. After about a year, I chose to embrace Islam. But not until after I had clarity as to the issue of "Image makers" and "images". YOu see I am a sculptor by training & occupation. I MADE Images! Some Brothers tried skirting the issue with me, fearing that I would reject Islam if they told me the truth. However, my young friend's mother wasn't so shy about laying down the law, as it where. She got the hadiths & the verses in Quran found & printed them all off, so that I could read them. After reading them, I quit making sculptures of human beings (which is what I was trained in). I embraced Islam & now I only make Islamic calligraphy sculptures & abstract sculptures. Nothing that shows images of living things. Alhumdulillah. As for that strong willed Muslim mother of my young friend..... I married her! A Man's got to do what a man's got to do. I respected her strength & alhumdulillah, she was a single divorced mother who was willing to keep up with me. We've been married since 1998. We live in the same small town in eastern South Dakota, that we met in. We have a small art gallery here, which only has Islamically appropriate art. Insha Allah, with time it will take off as a business, at least on the internet. In the meantime I work as a welder in a nearby town to keep food on the table.
I was first introduced to Islam through a young neighbor boy who used to come to visit me at my home. Then later he asked him mother to bring me a Quran, so I could read. I love reading & I had read most other commonly available books on religion. But I had never read a Quran. So, though I live in a town with only 29 houses, I was blessed with a Muslim family living near me, who was willing to share their faith. She brought over the Quran & I started reading it. I was amazed at what I read. After about a year, I chose to embrace Islam. But not until after I had clarity as to the issue of "Image makers" and "images". YOu see I am a sculptor by training & occupation. I MADE Images! Some Brothers tried skirting the issue with me, fearing that I would reject Islam if they told me the truth. However, my young friend's mother wasn't so shy about laying down the law, as it where. She got the hadiths & the verses in Quran found & printed them all off, so that I could read them. After reading them, I quit making sculptures of human beings (which is what I was trained in). I embraced Islam & now I only make Islamic calligraphy sculptures & abstract sculptures. Nothing that shows images of living things. Alhumdulillah. As for that strong willed Muslim mother of my young friend..... I married her! A Man's got to do what a man's got to do. I respected her strength & alhumdulillah, she was a single divorced mother who was willing to keep up with me. We've been married since 1998. We live in the same small town in eastern South Dakota, that we met in. We have a small art gallery here, which only has Islamically appropriate art. Insha Allah, with time it will take off as a business, at least on the internet. In the meantime I work as a welder in a nearby town to keep food on the table.