LoveIslam
ALLAH FORGIVE US
assalamuayakum brother and sister this is my 100 post allhumdulilla i thought to post some thing intresting so while surefing the net i found a story of brother Khalid from Greece(former Christian) discover ISLAM :mashallah: now i will not waste your time here is the story I was born in a typical greek family. My parents are both christian theologists who teach christian religion in school. This means that I had access to more religion books than my friends. Although they are theologists, they don’t go to church except on special occassions. When I was a child, my mother used to go to church every Sunday and used to take me with her. When in church, I couldn’t help staring at all pictures that depicted Jesus, Mary and saints. I watched people going to kiss the pictures, light candles inside, kneeling in front of the pictures etc. I couldn’t find a logic in all this. My mother and my grandmother took me in front of the pictures and told me to kiss the picture, so that the saint depicted would help me. Being a 5 year old, I couldn’t see any benefit and I thought that maybe when I grow up I will understand.
While I was growing up my mother went to church more and more rarely. I prefered to sleep on Sundays or watch cartoons in TV. My grandmother who still went to church, always adviced me to go to church, but I didn’t want. I didn’t really like being in church, since most of my friends didn’t go too and I didn’t understand a word from the chants which were in ancient greek language. In school we were taught about religion, but this subject was among the most boring and noone paid much attention to it. I could hear different opinions about christian religion by people around me.
When I became 10 years old, we were taught byzantine history, so inadvertently, it was when we were first taught about Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) and Islam. Our teacher was very ignorant about it and told us silly things, that I couldn’t believe. I thought that if those things he told us were true, then how could so many people in the world be stupid and follow them?
When I was teenager, I discovered my interest in religion and sociology. I was studying and reading a lot about other coutries, religions and customs. I liked very much discovering how the others thought. My mother, who had divrced my father at that time, told me to stop reading about this and pay more attention to my school lessons.
Meanwhile, my mother’s best friend went to Alexandria, Egypt, to teach in the greek school there christian religion. My sister and I were very good friends with her daughters and we were very sad that they were leaving for another country. They came in Greece for the christmas holidays and they were telling us about muslims in Egypt. I was fascinated to listen to these stories. I told them to bring me a book, because I wanted to learn some Arab. They brought this book to me next summer and I learnt to read and speak some Arab.
When in high school, we were first taught about the other religions. I was interested in finding out more about Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. I started reading about those religions and I also started to do yoga. But since it was the last year in high school, I had to study hard to get to university next year, so I gave up those interests of mine and I devoted to my school lessons. Alhamdu lillah I got in the university, in medicine more spcifically. My dream to become a doctor became real subhannallah. I went to a city in north Greece to study, where there is a muslim minority.
Before I left my home to go there, I told myself that this would be a great opportunity to speak with muslims and discover their religion, customs, lifestyle and culture. And then I found in my mother’s bookcase a book that immediately took my attention. It was named “World religions: Islam” and was written by a greek christian scholar. I immediately took it and I started reading it. I really couldn’t stop and I didn’t know why. Of course the book was very biased towards Islam, but at least I learnt some basics. I then thought if Islam was the real religion and not christianity, but I was still very immature to understand this.
I moved to the other city to study medicine. I immediately met some muslim students from the muslim minority. I didn’t yet talk about Islam with them, but I noticed that they drank alcohol, which I knew that it was totally forbidden in Islam and didn’t pray. I was very disappointed and I thought that Islam is just like christianity and muslims don’t practice it in everyday life.
But then I met an arab student who had come to the very same city in Greece to study medicine. I immediately remembered all the arab words I had learnt and spoke some arab to him. He was surprised by this and we immediately became friends. As we were talking our talks ended up in Islam. He told me that he had never drank alcohol and I uderstood that I had finally found a practicing muslim. I was happy and wanted to ask him more. He was confused by my interest, because he thought that I was asking about Islam only to make fun of him, since some other students had done this to him. I ensured him that this wasn’t the case, that I was interested to learn.
Some months later, we became roommates. Living together, I noticed him praying. Meanwhile, there were always scandals in the greek church and I was very disgusted. He asked me why I never go to church since I was christian and I told him that even if I wanted to go, those priests were repelling me with all those scandals. I began thinking inside me that since Islam is so pure and free of such scandals could be the real religion. I had many nights thinking and thinking. I decided to try becoming a muslim and see where it would lead. I began searching the internet about Islam and told my friend that I wanted to try. He promised to help me and went to find some books. During my searches about Islam and after reading some parts of the Quran, I realised that Islam is the only true religion. I said the shahada inside me at first and loud then and alhamdu lillah I was a muslim and felt so great! I still remember the date, it was 6th March of 2005, the day when I felt like been born again!
I immediately learnt how to pray, I visited the mosque for the first time and started reading the Quran. How great it was! I didn’t want to lie to my mother, so I told her that I am interested in Islam and later that I embraced it. She was angry with me and stopped talking to me for a while. I decided to let her calm and not provoke her, so I decided that the best solution would be to stay away from her for some time and then she would be the one to look for me. And that’s exactly how it happened alhamdu lillah.
Meanwhile, I revealed to the other muslim students from the minority that I embraced their religion. Some were really happy and some others very confused, since they had never seen something like that before. I met many people who helped me a lot. Slow by slow I also told my christian friends about my reversion to Islam and they had absolutely no problem with this.
My mother had always thought that if I was a muslim I would lose all my friends and that everyone would avoid me and this is why she was sad and angry. Alhamdu lillah she realised how wrong she was and our relationship became better than ever!
During my first Ramadan in October 2005, I discovered the benefits of fasting and felt a better and more complete person than before. During the Eid prayer I realised that if muslims are united noone can harm them. I even discovered muslims in my hometown and when I go there for the vacations I spend some time with them.
I explained to my mother the great difference between a religious person and a fanatic and she was very reliefed when she realised she hadn’t lost her son as she originally thought.
Now the most important things for me are to become a good muslim, to finish university and become a good doctor and save many people and to make da’wah to my family and friends inshallah. It is a big burden, but God knows best.
"Ashadu anla ilaha illallah wa ashadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasulhu"
rember me in your:tti_sister:
:salam2:
http://www.backtoislam.com/?p=134#more-134
for sharing sis
