I attended recently a very interesting gathering where some muslims reverts talked about their discovery about Islam and how they took the decision to become Muslims. This is an account of their stories even if I have certainly missed so many interesting facets to their experiences:
1)The latino:
She is maybe 21 ou 23, she is born in Puerto Rico, an island under US rule. She grow up in America knowing almost nothing about Islam.
She was wearing a scarf, I thought she was chinesse at first sight but it turned out to be Latino with a perfect spanish... The first time she came close to Islam was through her friend at high school. Even at this young age she knew deep in her heart that having boyfriends/girlfriends is not a moral thing and by principle she was against pre marital sex. She was so amazed when her muslim friend at a high school explained to her that those were among the Muslims beliefs. That was her first contact with Islam, she started studying the religion and to her family surprise she announced her new status , a new Muslim. She said she was very lucky because her parents were very supportifs! but they kept asking her questions like : Will you accept to be the fourth of 4 wives for your husband? she replied that Islam instead of aboloshing polygamy has abolished cheating on his wife or her husband and has allowed polygamy under some very special circumstances that do happen in every society. Because she has studied Islam so well before her reversion she started teaching people in Puerto Rico about Islam... Her grand mother an old lady told her once that the religion you have chosen is what you need never go astray. She even told her that the way muslims touch the ground with their foreheads during prayers in complete submission to the Creator of the univers was in her opinion the best way to worship God!. This Latino girl was truly amazing, she seemed to me like an angel and her answer to one question about how she became Muslim she said that Allah SWT made it so easy for her and that now when she thinks of her past she sees how everything was like if it was planned in advance.
2)The white:
This guy he is maybe 30, he was born in a remote area in a very cold state called New Hampshir in the north east of the US, he is doing a phd in african studies. He said that was attracted him to Islam was the fact that Islam says Jesus is a prophet of God not the son of God or a God. He said that this was his own belief and the belief also of his mother even before he knew anything about Islam!
So he started reading more about Islam from different sources and he found himself so convinced that he declared himself a Muslim. Not only that but also His mother and two sisters became Muslims after he explained to them what Islam is about! He also managed to convince two of his friends who are now muslims!. He said that before becoming Muslim he never truly knew his friends because their relationship was a superficial one around a glass of beer in a bar but now he feels a deep brotherhood connection with them. He said his brother is actualy a preist! So their house is now four muslims and a preist and they live just fine.
What I loved more in his speech is how conscient of God he seemed to be. He said Islam is all about seeing God in everything around us. I found that to be truly deep and very true.
3)The Jew:
This guy was born in New York in a jewish family and he is maybe 35 or 40. He said that his turning point was when he went to a conference orgonized by AIPAC, a jewish lobbying group based in Washington DC, who tries by all means to influence the forein policy of the USA specialy in the Middle east. He said he was so amazed at how much hate was preched in that conference et he knew from that moment that all those AIPAC guys have nothing to do with the religion of Moise. He was so disgusted by their intrigues and lies that he embarqued on a new search. This search led him to Islam, a religion that does not reject the jewish faith and consider Moise ASWS as a true and a great prophet. A study of Islam led him to become a Muslim. He is now married to a muslim syrian. He reverted to Islam three years ago.
4)The white:
This girl she is maybe maybe 25 or 28. She seemed to be very educated, she was born in a white family. Actually not only she is white but blonde and since he was not wearing any scarf, I could see her very long blonde hair. She said somethig that truly impressed me about the scarf. She said that actually she does wear the scarf sometimes but she delibratly choose to come to this conference withtout a sacarf to teach any one who is considering to be a Muslim that it is ok not to wear it. Because Islam is a process of learning and a path to God, everyone has his ways to reach God. I was very impressed with this thought.
To the contrary of the Latino girl, she was not that lucky with her parents. She said that when young she used to go to church every sunday specialy when the grand parents were in the house but since her grand parents moved to a different state her parents stoped going to church and were not that religious. so her parents even if they were reluctant when she reverted to Islam they were at the end supportifs even if they did not attend the day where she took the Shahada but she said that the understood them and she is not angry about it. However her grand parents were very angry at her. She said one day inshaAllah they will understand.
She said that Muslims who are born Muslims should be very careful with new Muslims and they should not assume that new Muslims know everything or are ready to follow everything... She asked that Muslims should be gentel and kind in their teaching of others. She specially was refering to a story where one of her friends who was curious about Islam went to a local mosque but she did not knwo that she has first to wear a scarf before entring the mosque so some guy was screaming at her and asked her out in a very harsh manner. She said that this is not the way Muslims should treat non Muslims. I could not agree more.
Thank you mdlazreg for this interesting subject. The last girl you mentioned is actually right. Many muslims needs to be pedagigic and show some understanding, if not one would never learn.
cali
Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things.
Russell Baker
Can you please retype or spell your link? Somehow yabiladi has a problem displaying links...
Salaam cali,
I can not agree more. That is why Allah SWT asked Mohamed SAAWS to be gentle and nice while calling people to Islam and that is the exact path we should follow :
3.159. It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou dost deal gently with them Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee: so pass over (Their faults), and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast Taken a decision put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).
Salam, I just wanted to say that I'd seen the video you guys are talking about few weeks ago and it was just awesome I was so amazed mashalah for those guys who had converted to Islam!!! And the video is worth seen. In the video they talk about 2 women who had converted to islam (american) and 2other guys both are american but the first one got after converting he met a moroccan girl who wasnt wearing Hjiab and he conviced her to wear hijab he didnt force her he just explained to her! and they had 2kids they r living in a small town in texas where they are the only muslim family! And the other guy he converted when eh was young and made his wife convert too! I just loved it!
there are many other video! you should watch video and conference of Brother Yusuf Estes he was a Priest in a catholique church then he converted to islam and now he gives conference for Da3wa and taw7id to convince americans to convert to islam .He's a really good Shaikh!!
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. I will try to imagine it
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chargement...
