How I came to Islam

Radko, Ex-Atheist, Czech

I once knew an atheist who claimed he'd never believed in God's existence. In his view, believers were supposed to be people of weak character who felt the necessity to find a crutch for their inability and laziness, so they attended church. He felt agitated if, when the debating religion, he could not persuade the opponent with his arguments. He despised believers in an almost hysterical way. He had, however, a very good friend who believed in God. They agreed to refrain from discussing religion whenever together.

One day this man, probably in a rare moment of weakness, accepted the invitation of his friend to visit his church. To himself, he laughed at the thought of speaking out in the middle of mass and laughing and pointing his finger at the believers from the pulpit. However, as we know, God works in mysterious ways. He went to church, stood in the back benches, and stared at the people praying.

My Journey to Islam - Raphael Narbaez, Jr. – Former Jehovah’s Witness Minister

A forty-two-year-old Latino, Raphael, is a Los Angeles-based lecturer. He was born in Texas where he attended his first Jehovah’s Witness meeting at age six. He gave his first Bible sermon at eight, tended his own congregation at twenty, and was headed for a position of leadership among the 904,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States. But he traded in his Bible for a Qur’an after having braved a visit to a local mosque.

On November 1, 1991, he embraced Islam. He speaks with the urgency of a new convert, but one who can make immigrant Muslims laugh at themselves.

He told his story mimicking a cast of characters.

I remember vividly being in a discussion where we were all sitting in my parents’ living room and there were some other Jehovah’s Witnesses there. They were talking about : “It’s Armageddon! The time of the end! And Christ is coming! And you know the hailstones are going to be out here as big as cars! God is going to use all kinds of things to destroy this wicked system and remove the governments! And the Bible talks about the earth opening up! It’s going to swallow whole city blocks!”

INTERVIEW WITH SILVIA: HER ISLAM SHOOK ITALY

Silvia Romano, an Italian aid worker was kidnapped in November 2018 by gunmen linked to the Somali armed group al-Shabab in northeast Kenya. At the time of the attack, Romano was volunteering for an Italian NGO in an orphanage.

Finally, word surfaced in May that she had been released after 18 months in captivity. Italians were overjoyed after weeks of gloomy coronavirus-driven news. The joy, however, was short lived.

When she stepped off the Italian government plane wearing a full green hijab, her welcome not only turned ugly, but also dangerously hostile.

The conversion of Silvia to Islam opened the door of insults on social media. She has also been met with threats. Right wing media and politicians left no stone unturned in criticizing and spewing hate against Silvia.

MY JOURNEY TO ISLAM

My name is Aysha, and I am from Northern Hungary. My interest in Islam began from the history lessons we took at my secondary school. I learned that Hungary had been a territory of the Ottoman Caliphate for 150 years. My interest increased when I met Muslims at my university. I took molecular biology, and met many Muslim foreign students. Looking at them, I always wondered why they were so proud to be Muslims! I was Catholic, a good one, but I always had my reservations towards my faith. I didn’t agree with some parts of my religion such as, Jesus being the Son of God and the issue of Trinity, which was simply not believable for me.

I made many Muslim friends and began engaging with them. Once, when we were having dinner the Adhan (call to prayer) started and one of my friends wanted to stop it, but I insisted to listen to it. It mesmerized me and truly touched my heart. During that summer, I downloaded a Quran program, I don’t know why I really did this, but I would listen to the Quran in Arabic and read its meanings in English. I was thinking a lot about Islam and I was reading many books about it.

AMINAH ASSILMI – MY JOURNEY TO ISLAM

I was completing a degree in Recreation when I met my first Muslims. It was the first year that we had been able to pre-register by computer. I pre-registered and went to Oklahoma to take care of some family business. The business took longer than expected, so I returned to school two weeks into the semester (too late to drop a course).

I wasn’t worried about catching up my missed work. I was sitting at the top of my class in my field. Even as a student, I was winning awards in competition with professionals.

Now you need to understand that while I was attending college and excelling, ran my own business, and had many close friends, I was extremely shy. My transcripts actually had me listed as severely reticent.  I was very slow to get to know people and rarely spoke to anyone unless was forced to or already knew them. The classes I were taking had to do with administration and city planning, plus programming for children. Children were the only people I ever felt comfortable with.

I CHOSE TO BE MUSLIMAH INSTEAD OF A NUN

I was raised in a religious Christian family. At that time, Americans were more religious than they are now—most families went to church every Sunday, for example. My parents were involved in the church community. We often had ministers (Protestant “priests”) in the house. My mother taught in Sunday school, and I helped her.

I must have been more religious than other children, although I don’t remember being so. For one birthday, my aunt gave me a Bible, and my sister a doll. Another time, I asked my parents for a prayer book, and I read it daily for many years.

When I was in junior high school (middle school), I attended a Bible study program for two years. Up to this point, I had read some parts of the Bible, but had not understood them very well. Now was my chance to learn. Unfortunately, we studied many passages in the Old and New Testaments that I found inexplicable, even bizarre.

A MESSAGE FROM MRS. MARYAM PETRONIN TO THE FRENCH PRESIDENT MACRON

Mr. Macron

Peace be upon those who followed the guidance and, as for what follows… I received that you are in astonishment at how Sophie Petronin, a French woman of pure white race, Catholic Christianity, had converted to Islam after 75 years of Christianity and during 4 years of captivity among Muslims!

Let me simplify things for you Mr. Macron…

Yes, I was a prisoner of the Muslims … but they never touched me badly and their treatment of me was all appreciation and respect. They used to offer me food and drink and influence me on themselves despite the scarcity of resources .. and they respected my privacy. No one ever subjected me to verbal or physical harassment, and they did not insult my religion, Jesus or the Virgin Peace be upon them both as you do with the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him
They did not impose Islam on me, but I saw in their morals people who purify themselves with water and pray the Lord the five prayers and fast the month of Ramadan

HOW I CAME TO ISLAM

By Sariya Islam

My story starts in 1979 when God bought me into this world into a very religious and spiritually aware family. We were Orthodox Roman Catholics before our reversion to Islam. My family being quite well to do was actively involved in Church and Parish affairs. And so we had, and still do have Priests, Nuns and Missionaries (They still try their antics, but we know how to handle them) as part of our family. My grandfather has even built a church in our native Kerala, India. But my family was one that stuck to its ideals, we loved our Creator albeit misguidedly and always tried to be good human beings. We prided ourselves to be pious people and the best among us was my mother. There were many times when our Parish priest would make her an example to the other ladies.

AMINAH ASSILMI – MY JOURNEY TO ISLAM

I was completing a degree in Recreation when I met my first Muslims. It was the first year that we had been able to pre-register by computer. I pre-registered and went to Oklahoma to take care of some family business. The business took longer than expected, so I returned to school two weeks into the semester (too late to drop a course).

I wasn’t worried about catching up my missed work. I was sitting at the top of my class in my field. Even as a student, I was winning awards in competition with professionals.

Now you need to understand that while I was attending college and excelling, ran my own business, and had many close friends, I was extremely shy. My transcripts actually had me listed as severely reticent.  I was very slow to get to know people and rarely spoke to anyone unless was forced to or already knew them. The classes I were taking had to do with administration and city planning, plus programming for children. Children were the only people I ever felt comfortable with.

I WAS FORCED TO ACCEPT ISLAM

By Danielle LoDuca

I never aspired to be a Muslim. I didn’t even want to be a Christian.

The whole concept of ‘organized religion’ was distasteful. I sought to use my mind, not resort to some ancient book for assistance in living my life. If you had offered me millions of dollars to join one faith or another, I would have declined.

One of my preferred authors was Bertrand Russell, who maintained that religion is little more than superstition and generally harmful to people, despite any positive effects that it might have. He believed that religion and the religious outlook serve to inhibit knowledge and promote fear and dependency, in addition to being accountable for much of our world’s wars, persecution, and misery.

MATHEMATICIAN WHO CHALLENGED QUR’AN

Dr Gary Miller (Now Dr Abdul Ahad) was a very active missionary and was very knowledgeable about the Bible. This man likes mathematics so much, that’s why he likes logic. One day, he decided to read the Qur’an to try to find any mistakes that he might take advantage of while inviting Muslims to convert to Christianity. He expected the Qur’an to be an old book written 14 centuries ago, a book that talks about the desert and so on. He was amazed from what he found.

He discovered that this Book had what no other book in the world has. He expected to find some stories about the hard time that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) had, like the death of his wife Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) or the death of his sons and daughters. However, he did not find anything like that. And what made him even more confused is that he found a full “Sura” (chapter) in the Qur’an named “Mary” that contains a lot of respect to Mary (peace be upon her) which is not the case even in the books written by Christians nor in their Bibles. He did not find a Sura named after “Fatimah”(the prophet’s daughter) nor “Aishah” (the Prophet’s wife), may Allah (God) be pleased with both of them. He also found that the name of Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) was mentioned in the Qur’an 25 times while the name of “Muhammad” (Peace Be Upon Him) was mentioned only 4 times, so he became more confused. He started reading the Qur’an more thoroughly hoping to find a mistake but he was shocked when he read a great verse which is verse number 82 in Surat Al  Nisa’a (Women) that says:

I CHOSE TO BE MUSLIMAH INSTEAD OF A NUN

I was raised in a religious Christian family. At that time, Americans were more religious than they are now—most families went to church every Sunday, for example. My parents were involved in the church community. We often had ministers (Protestant “priests”) in the house. My mother taught in Sunday school, and I helped her. 

I must have been more religious than other children, although I don’t remember being so. For one birthday, my aunt gave me a Bible, and my sister a doll. Another time, I asked my parents for a prayer book, and I read it daily for many years.

When I was in junior high school (middle school), I attended a Bible study program for two years. Up to this point, I had read some parts of the Bible, but had not understood them very well. Now was my chance to learn. Unfortunately, we studied many passages in the Old and New Testaments that I found inexplicable, even bizarre.

I REVERTED TO ISLAM BECAUSE OF A MAN WHO HAD ALZHEIMER’S

My name is Cassie. I am 23 years old. I graduated as a qualified nurse this year and was given my first position as a home nurse.

My patient was an English gentleman in his early 80’s who suffered from Alzheimer’s. In the first meeting I was given the patient’s record and from it I could see that he was a convert to the religion of Islam, therefore he was a Muslim.

I knew from this that I would need to take into account that some modes of treatment may go against his faith, and therefore try to adapt my care to meet his needs. I brought in some ‘halal’ meat to cook for him and ensured that there was no pork or alcohol in the premises as I did some research which showed that these were forbidden in Islam.

My patient was at a very advanced stage of his condition so a lot of my colleagues could not understand why I was going to such lengths for him, but I understood that a person who commits to a faith deserves that commitment to be respected, even if they are not in a position to understand. 

WHERE IS THE “POT OF GOLD?”: QUEENIE’S CHANGE OF HEART

Being human beings and not angels we often desire material comforts and worldly recognition. Many rich and famous personalities who have searched for happiness and success in material things have reached the end of the rainbow and indeed found no pot of gold. Indeed Allah Ta’ala has kept the real pot of gold i.e. true happiness, peace of mind and eternal prosperity ONLY in his deen (Islam). This true happiness we will not find anywhere else but in the Deen of Islam.

Allah Ta’ala the Most Wise says: “Whoever desires (and strives to gain) the harvest of the Hereafter, We increase him in his harvest; and whoever desires the harvest of the world (material things), We grant him out of that, and he has no portion in the Hereafter.” (Qur’an 42.20)

The following is an inspiring story of a Muslimah who had “reached the top” materially and then later discovered that true success and happiness lies not in worldly riches, pleasures and fame and but in the sublime and noble Deen-ul-Islam.

FROM TEMPLE TO BAITULLAH

From temple to Baitullah –

Hamza Chinsamy’s journey from Hinduism to Hajj

Hamza Chinsamy’s journey to Islam began about twenty years ago, as a teenager completing high school. Now, eight years after embracing Islam, he is about to embark on what many call “the journey of a lifetime” – equipped with “lots of baggage and lots of sabr” as he has been advised.

“Allah has been kind to me. In 2012 I was afforded the opportunity to go for Umrah. This will be our first Hajj. The emotions are strong. I mean you’re doing a fard action of Islam and you always have that fear of, will Allah accept the little and broken efforts, and yes, you are excited but at the same time the fear is there. You’re not going to meet just a king but you’re going to your Rabb. It’s emotional for me.”

Chinsamy and his wife recently arrived in Madinah. The last month of farewells, preparations and relocating have been tumultuous for him but Chinsamy says the realisation that Allah Ta ‘ala’s invitation to His Bayt (House) was taking him away from the calamities, made it easier.

WHY MUSLIMS BELIEVE THAT ISLAM IS THE TRUTH

Many Christians & Jews don’t know that Muslims believe in their prophets and holy books. Muslims believe that the Bible and the Torah were changed by people for their personal benefits. This is why God sent Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, not with a new religion, but to correct the people who had gone astray, those who were worshipping idols and being misguided by their forefathers.

Islam is the last message to the world and God wants the miracle of Islam to be witnessed by the people from Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, time till the day of Judgment. The miracle is the Qu’ran, Muslims holy book.

HOW I CAME TO LOVE THE VEIL

By Yvonne Ridley

LONDON

I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures — until I was captured by the Taliban In September 2001, just 15 days after the terrorist attacks on the United States, I snuck into Afghanistan, clad in a head-to-toe blue burqa, intending to write a newspaper account of life under the repressive regime. Instead, I was discovered, arrested and detained for 10 days. I spat and swore at my captors; they called me a “bad” woman but let me go after I promised to read the Koran and study Islam. (Frankly, I‘m not sure who was happier when I was freed — they or I.)

Back home in London, I kept my word about studying Islam — and was amazed by what I discovered. I‘d been expecting Koran chapters on how to beat your wife and oppress your daughters; instead, I found passages promoting the liberation of women. Two-and-a-half years after my capture, I converted to Islam, provoking a mixture of astonishment, disappointment and encouragement among friends and relatives.

A VOICE BEHIND A VEIL

By Khadijah Natalie Arbee

 

I am a muslim women. I wear the niqaab (face veil).

I’m one of those to whom the new law in France would apply. I’m one of the ones being discussed by politicians, human rights groups and the media.

I’m one of those whom many feel the need to liberate.

I’m one of those you may think is oppressed.

I’m one of those many of you detest the sight of…

I’m one of those whom you may believe is uneducated; one of the ones you may think has no voice.

But I do. So let me speak.
I am not Arab, Asian or even African. I am Australian. No, not ‘first generation’, ‘second generation’, or an immigrant. On my mother’s side, I’m of French-Canadian descent, and on my father’s side; British. I grew up as a Christian, and attended church occasionally. I was in the school swim team, and district netball team. I holidayed with my family in the summer on the Gold Coast, and I’m educated. I have a university degree.

SCIENTISTS ON THE QUR’AAN

Keith L. Moore

Professor Emeritus, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Toronto. Distinguished embryologist and the author of several medical textbooks, including Clinically Oriented Anatomy (3rd Edition) and The Developing Human (5th Edition, with T.V.N. Persaud).

Dr. Moore was a former President of the Canadian Association of Anatomists, and of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists. He was honoured by the Canadian Association of Anatomists with the prestigious J.C.B. Grant Award and in 1994 he received the Honoured Member Award of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists “for outstanding contributions to the field of clinical anatomy.”

“For the past three years, I have worked with the Embryology Committee of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, helping them to interpret the many statements in the Qur’an and Sunnah referring to human reproduction and prenatal development. At first I was astonished by the accuracy of the statements that were recorded in the 7thcentury AD, before the science of embryology was established. Although I was aware of the glorious history of Muslim scientists in the 10th century AD, and some of their contributions to Medicine, I knew nothing about the religious facts and beliefs contained in the Qur’an and Sunnah.”[2]

YOUNG. BRITISH. FEMALE. MUSLIM.

From Times Online

May 29, 2010

Thousands of young British women living in the UK decide to convert to Islam – here are some of their stories. It’s a controversial time for British women to be wearing the hijab, the basic Muslim headscarf. Last month, Belgium became the first European country to pass legislation to ban the burka (the most concealing of Islamic veils), calling it a “threat” to female dignity, while France looks poised to follow suit. In Italy earlier this month, a Muslim woman was fined €500 (£430) for wearing the Islamic veil outside a post office.

And yet, while less than 2 per cent of the population now attends a Church of England service every week, the number of female converts to Islam is on the rise. At the London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park, women account for roughly two thirds of the “New Muslims” who make their official declarations of faith there – and most of them are under the age of 30.