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How I Came to Islam
jannah
07/29/02 at 16:06:19
How I Came to Islam

Hayat Anne Osman [previously Anne Collins], in Cheektowaga, NY, USA  http://www.geocities.com/hayatanneosman/How-I-Came-to-Islam.html


From devoted CHRISTIAN to devoted MUSLIM...

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 Testament that I found inexplicable, even bizarre. For example, the Bible teaches an idea called Original Sin, which means that humans are all born sinful. I had a baby brother, and I knew that babies were not sinful.
The Bible has very strange and disturbing stories about Prophet Abraham and Prophet David, for example. I couldn?t understand how prophets could behave the way the Bible says they did.
There were many, many other things that puzzled me about the Bible, but I didn't ask questions. I was afraid to ask?I wanted to me known as a ?good girl.?
Al-hamdulillah (Thanks to Lord), there was a boy who asked, and kept asking.

The most critical matter was the notion of Trinity. I couldn?t get it.

How could God have three parts, one of which was human? Having studied Greek and Roman mythology at school, I thought the idea of the Trinity and powerful human saints very similar to the Greek and Roman ideas of having different so-called ?gods? that were in charge of different aspects of life. (Astaghfir-Ullah!)


The boy who asked, asked many questions about Trinity, received many answers, and was never satisfied. Neither was I. Finally, our teacher, a University of Michigan Professor of Theology, told him to pray for faith.

I prayed.

When I was in high school, I secretly wanted to be a nun. I was drawn to the pattern of offering devotions at set times of day, of a life devoted entirely to God, and of dressing in a way that declared my religious lifestyle.


An obstacle to this ambition, though, was that I wasn?t Catholic. I lived in a mid-western town where Catholics were a distinct, and unpopular minority! Furthermore, my protestant upbringing had instilled in me a distaste for religious statuary, and a healthy disbelief that dead saints had the ability to help me.

In college, I continued to think and pray. Students often talk and argue about religion, and I heard many different ideas. Like Yusuf Islam, I studied the Eastern so-called religions: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism. No help there.

I met a Muslim from Libya, who told me a little about Islam and the Holy Qur?an. He told me that Islam is the modern, most up-to-date form of revealed religion. Because I thought of Africa and the Middle East as backwards places, I couldn?t see Islam as modern.


My family took this Libyan brother to a Christmas church service. The service was breathtakingly beautiful, but at the end, he asked, ?Who made up this procedure? Who taught you when to stand and bow and kneel? Who taught you how to pray??


I told him about early Church history, but his question made me angry at first, and later made me think.
Had the people who designed the worship service really been qualified to do so? How had they known the form that worship should take? Had they had divine instruction?

I knew that I did not believe in many of the teachings of Christianity, but continued to attend church. When the congregation recited pieces I believed to be blasphemous, such as the Nicene Creed, I was silent?I didn?t recite them. I felt almost alien in church, almost a stranger.


Horror! Someone very close to me, having dire marital problems, went to a curate of our church for advice. Taking advantage of her pain and self-loathing, he took her to a motel and seduced her.

Up to this point, I had not considered carefully the role of the clergy in Christian life. Now I had to. Most Christians believe that forgiveness comes through the ?Holy Communion? service, and that the service must be conducted by an ordained priest or minister. No minister, no absolution.

I went to church again, and sat and looked at the ministers in front. They were no better than the congregation?some of them were worse. How could it be true that the agency of a man, of any human being, was necessary for communion with God? Why couldn?t I deal with God directly, and receive His absolution directly?

Soon after this, I found a translation of the meaning of the Quran in a bookstore, bought it, and started to read it. I read it, off and on, for eight years. During this time, I continued to investigate other religions.

I grew increasingly aware of and afraid of my sins. How could I know whether God would forgive me? I no longer believed that the Christian model, the Christian way of being forgiven, would work.
My sins weighed heavily on me, and I didn?t know how to escape the burden of them.
I longed for forgiveness.

I read in the Quran, ??nearest among them in love to the Believers you will find those who say, ?We are Christian': Because amongst them are Men devoted to learning, and men who have renounced the world and are not arrogant.?

"And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, you will see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognize the truth. They pray, ?Our Lord! We believe. Write us down among the witnesses.'?

??What cause can we have not to believe in Allah and the truth which has come to us, seeing that we long for our Lord to admit us to the company of the righteous?? [The Holy Quran Chapter 5, the Table
verses 82-84]


I saw Muslims praying on the TV news, and wanted to learn how. I found a book (by a non-Muslim) that described it, and I tried to do it myself. (I knew nothing of Taharah -- ritural purity -- and did not pray correctly.) I prayed in my own strange, desperate way, secretly and alone, for several years. I memorized some parts of the Quran in English, not knowing that Muslims memorize the Quran in Arabic.

Finally, after eight years of reading the Quran, I found this verse: ?This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor for you, and chosen Islam as your religion.? [The Holy QuranChapter 5, the Table verse 3]


I wept for joy, because I knew that, way back in time, before the creation of the Earth, Allah had written this Quran for me. Allah had known that Anne Collins, in Cheektowaga, NY, USA, would read this verse of the Quran in May 1986, and be saved.


About me:
A versatile specialist - that's me!
I've had five separate careers:
twelve years teaching, eight years with the US government, six years in health care and counseling, three years as a newspaper editor, and thirty as a wife and mother!
While I don't know everything (yet), I'm great at finding the information people need, when they need it.
Whatever you need to know, chances are good that I can help you!

Click: Web page:
http://www.geocities.com/hayatanneosman/American-Musl...


Ask Me!
If you have a question you think I can answer, select one of my areas of expertise by clicking any of my AskMe pages on this link: http://www1.askme.com/Viewprofile.asp?xid=442995


Or contact directly on e-mail: hayatanneosman@yahoo.com


Remember the following verses of the Holy Quran:

?And who does more wrong than the one who invents a lie against Allah, while he is being invited to Islam? And Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers and disbelievers) folk. They intend to put out the Light of Allah (i.e. the religion of Islam, this Quran, and Prophet Muhammad ) with their mouths. But Allah will complete His Light even though the disbelievers hate (it). He it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad ) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islamic Monotheism) to make it victorious over all (other) religions even though the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger Muhammed ) hate (it).? [The Holy Quran Chapter 61, the Table verse 7-9]


?O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers. And spend (in charity) of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says: "My Lord! If only You would give me respite for a little while (i.e. return to the worldly life), then I should give Sadaqah (i.e. Zakat) of my wealth , and be among the righteous [i.e. perform Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah)]. And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.? [The Holy Quran Chapter 63, the Table verse 9-11]


He knows what is in the heavens and on earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal. And Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men).  Has not the news reached you of those who disbelieved aforetime? And so they tasted the evil result of their disbelief, and theirs will be a painful torment. That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs (signs), but they said: "Shall mere men guide us?" So they disbelieved and turned away (from the truth), and Allah was not in need (of them). And Allah is Rich (Free of all wants), Worthy of all praise. The disbelievers pretend that they will never be resurrected (for the Account). Say (O Muhammad): "Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and recompensed for) what you did, and that is easy for Allah. Therefore, believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ), and in the Light (this Quran) which We have sent down. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

(And remember) the Day when He will gather you (all) on the Day of Gathering, that will be the Day of mutual loss and gain (i.e. loss for the disbelievers as they will enter the Hell-fire and gain for the believers as they will enter Paradise). And whosoever believes in Allah and performs righteous good deeds, He will remit from him his sins, and will admit him to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) to dwell therein forever, that will be the great success.

But those who disbelieved (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) and denied Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they will be the dwellers of the Fire, to dwell therein forever. And worst indeed is that destination. [The Holy Quran Chapter 64, the Table verse 5-10]

Re: How I Came to Islam
Asifa
07/30/02 at 04:31:59
Jazak Allah Khair Sister Jannah for sharing this inspiring conversation story. subhan-Allah! Subha-Allah!  These verses of Quran really touched me while reading this post.  May Allah help us to set our priorities, May Allah make this worldly life unattractive for us and bless us all with Janat-ul-Firdos.  Ameen  

[quote author=jannah link=board=bookstore;num=1027973179;start=0#0 date=07/29/02 at 16:06:19]How I Came to Islam.

?O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers. And spend (in charity) of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says: "My Lord! If only You would give me respite for a little while (i.e. return to the worldly life), then I should give Sadaqah (i.e. Zakat) of my wealth , and be among the righteous [i.e. perform Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah)]. And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.? [The Holy Quran Chapter 63, the Table verse 9-11]


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Jazak Allah Khair
Your sister in Islam
Asifa
NS


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