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| My Journey to Islam |
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| medina |
| 02/21/03 at 06:32:27 |
| [glow=red,2,300]MY JOURNEY TO ISLAM[/glow] All praises are due to ALLAH. He whom ALLAH guides none can misguide and he whom ALLAH leaves to stray none can guide and unto him is our final return. Before I continue I would like to offer sincere thanks and much felt appreciation to my dear friend who gave me much needed encouragement to participate in this forum. God willing I am going to tell about my journey to Islam. The events of September 11th are undoubtedly forever etched in the memories of many people and have inevitably put the spotlight on Islam. Lately Muslims have been put under the microscope and the word Muslim has been made synonymous with words like “terrorist” and “militant” and “dictator”. As a Muslim I know that this simply isn’t true. Islam is a religion of peace and love and Muslims are very peaceful and loving. Even before September 11th my first contact with Muslims was during the ‘90’s when a group of Muslims staged an attempted coup in my country. It lasted only a couple of weeks but it had a lasting impression in my mind. At the time I was still quite young and did fully understand the ramifications which such an event would have on my life. When it was all over they were severe back-lashes to the Muslim community. They were described by the media as “cruel, savage beasts” who held the country at ransom in total disregard to the socio-economic needs of the country. Sufficeth to say these were the same sentiments echoed throughout society. Despite all this bad publicity and negative criticism of this particular group of Muslims I couldn’t help but admire their courage for standing up to the government, who at the time was corrupted and pilfering and thieving from the country. They demanded that justice and fairness be established. This was unheard of in my country, many people just accepted things as it were and complained mostly amongst themselves but never took such drastic actions. Thus was my introduction to Islam, albeit under clouds of negativity. :'( I t would be another couple years that the beauty and elegance of the religion would shine through the clouds of negativity and I would be captivated by it. :) I grew up as a Catholic. My parents weren’t frequent church -goers; we mostly attended church for the major Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas. My mum seldom ever attended though, she said that the church was filled with hypocrites, people who preached one thing and practiced another. Despite her criticisms she never prevented us from attending church if we ever wanted to, she just cautioned us not to get caught up with the hypocrisy that existed. My parents always encouraged us to seek out the truth and to have an open mind. Thankfully they instilled in us from an early age a sense of morality, decency, and discipline. They encouraged us to be truthful in our speech and actions and to be fair and humble not puffed up with pride. These were the guidelines by which I tried to live my life. The number of Muslims on the island is few and therefore seldom seen; as a result it would be a couple of years before any of my questions about Islam would be answered. Mostly I wanted to know why they were so bold and fearless. Until my first chance encounter with a Muslim, I had lived in a world that had no connection to Islam. I lived a very privileged life. I was not at all familiar with prayer or Islamic covering or what being a Muslim meant. Yet something happened within me every time I happened to see a Muslim woman or man dressed in their Islamic attire. They looked so beautiful, strange but beautiful. Deep down in my heart I knew I wouldn't mind dressing like that one day. I remember commenting to one of my friends about how beautiful the Muslims looked in their clothing , but she responded with such disgust and anger that it shocked me and thence forth I kept such feelings to myself and in my heart, where it wasn’t rejected or ridiculed. Many people wonder why I chose such a path. To them I didn’t need the burdens, which they thought Islam involved. Those who have little knowledge about Islam commonly share this naïve point of view. Accustomed to secularism and religious eclecticism, non-Muslims are simply unable to comprehend why anyone would want to mold his or her life to conform to a religious system established many centuries ago. They do not understand Islam’s strength and appeal, which is universal and eternal and does not conform to any one nationality or race. They are disturbed by the fact that an increasing number of men and women of divergent nationalities all over the world are turning to Islam and covering themselves. I used to contemplate a lot about life. What was the purposed of life? Why were we here? I believed there must be some other reason for us being here besides just “having a good time”. I also wondered about God as a Supreme Being. Who really had control? “God the father?” “God the Son?” Or “God the Holy Ghost?” It was all so confusing to me. I became a regular church-goer only because I sincerely wanted the answers to these questions, but it seemed the more I went to church and listened to the preacher it’s the more I became confused. ??? It was all like riddles to me. When I questioned a nun about this she told me that everything was a mystery and only when we die would it become clear to us. ::) Now this really convinced me that it was riddles these people were dealing with and that they themselves did not know anything. I was very disheartened and disappointed. :'( :( Not long after I met a Muslim and my confusion was cleared. ;) All the questions I had were answered and the amazing thing to me was that it all made sense. Their belief in one God was so simple and sensible, reasonable and logical. The sheer simplicity of it all makes you just tap your head and think well “duh” why didn’t I think of this before. :-[ This simple belief that there is one God is what unites the hearts of the sympathizers of truth, the Muslims, all over the world. My desire to enter the fold of Islam was so strong that I did not really worry about what awaited me following my conversion. Indeed, it seems remarkable, but I was guided into Islam by the grace of Allah. My heart, so hungry and starved for spiritual nourishment was finally being fed. It absorbed everything like a dry sponge absorbs water. My mind was finally being emancipated from the mental slavery and prison of ignorance that it dwelled in for so many years. Like many others, I believed in my own power of reasoning and continuously questioned the need to adhere to any existing authority or system of values. However, at this point in my life my will spontaneously conformed to Allah’s will, and I was able to fulfill my Islamic duties without any feeling of having been compelled, al-hamdulillah. Understandably my parents and family weren’t at all too pleased with my decision to accept Islam, but they respected my decision. Secretly they hoped it was just a phase I was going through, and perhaps some might have even felt uncomfortable around me especially when I started to observe the hijab. Yet I felt uneasy looking at the exposed thigh of my younger sister in shorts. My father felt sorry for me because I was covered even on the hottest day. Everyone is hot in summer, but I found the hijab a convenient means to avoid the direct sunlight on my head and neck. I encountered neither rejection nor mockery when I started to wear the hijab. People assumed that I belong to a religion. I overheard a man telling his friend that I was a Bahai and he corrected him by telling him I was a Muslim. When I first put on the hijab I sensed a difference within myself. I felt purified and protected. I felt closer to Allah. It is not only a covering, but also a sign of my obedience to Allah and an open manifestation of my faith. A Muslim woman who wears a hijab is easily identifiable in a crowd. In contrast, it is only through verbalization that a non-Muslim’s faith can be known. My hijab prompts me, “Be careful, you should conduct yourself as a Muslim.” Just as a policeman in uniform becomes more conscious of his profession; my hijab strengthens my identity as a Muslim. It also enhances the feelings of sister hood amongst Muslim women. Viewing Islam from the outside, one can never perceive what is observed from within. We see the matter from two completely different perspectives. To a non-Muslim, Islam looks like a prison with no liberty and freedom. But living within Islam, we feel a peace, freedom and joy, which is known in no other way. One might claim that a person born into Islam believes that it is best only because it is a way of life with which he has always been acquainted – that he grew up without experiencing the outside world. But I am a convert. I abandoned the so-called freedom and pleasures of modern life and chose Islam. If it is true that Islam is a religion, which oppresses women, why are so many women in Europe, America, Japan and elsewhere embracing Islam? If only people would reflect upon that. |
| Re: My Journey to Islam |
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| Maliha |
| 02/21/03 at 08:21:57 |
| [slm] Mashaallah, your journey is beautiful:) Thanks for Sharing! Welcome to the board sis, and may we all benefit from each other..May Allah continue to guide us (Amin)! :-* Sis, Maliha :-) [wlm] |
| Re: My Journey to Islam |
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| Abdullah |
| 02/21/03 at 08:24:47 |
| asalaamu alaikum, I remember the event you are talking about. When I heard about that, as I am not a native of the country in which the coup took place, I was also non-muslim and it left me with a pretty bad impression of muslims. Interestingly enough, I had the chance to meet the leader of that group while he gave Jumu'ah khutbah at the masjid there, and I realize from the message of it how different that specific group is to other muslims around him. I must admit I was impressed by the guts it takes to stick up for your beliefs, but the way you do things is essential in determining what others will think of you and your religion. We have to look deeper, past the surface, to see the truth. Now, in the eyes of a muslim, I quickly saw how muslims are not all from the same mold- where as once I would have judged them all by this man (I don't need to mention his name because he IS still our brother), I now saw how "fringe" these guys were and that Islam encompasses all kinds of people... there have been muslim tyrants who helped preserve the Qur'an, and freedom fighters who opposed them still in the name of Islam. Once we realize that muslims are from a wide spectrum, we begin to appreciate how truly vast Islam is- and how the system of Islam, no matter what the actions of the muslims, will always be pure and untouched because it is from Allah SWT and from the actions of our dear Prophet SAW. One thing I must say, it is very nice to hear your story of coming to Islam, but I would say your island is one of the more Islamic places to be in in certain areas compared to North America; I see no lack of muslims in TT and in fact, if I wanted an Islamic environment, I wouldn't mind making a move down to certain parts (ie. Monroe Road). Masha'Allah I stayed there for months and all the time,in every city, I remember seeing women in hijab and brothers in topi and that was very comforting. |
| Re: My Journey to Islam |
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| medina |
| 02/21/03 at 10:58:34 |
| I see that you are familiar with the place, in that case it would benefit you to understand that I live on the smaller of the two islands. Back in those days it was very rare to see a Muslim, but alhamdulilaah I must say that the numbers are steadily rising and there has been a resurgence especially amongst the younger muslimahs to observe the hijab and Islamic dress code......masha'Allah Yes indeed TT is one of the better places to be in Central & South America Islam wise.......there are excellent Islamic institutions in Trinidad especially some of which you already know. Thanks for your kind remarks also. |
| Re: My Journey to Islam |
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| BroHanif |
| 02/23/03 at 03:25:44 |
| [quote]My hijab prompts me, “Be careful, you should conduct yourself as a Muslim.” Just as a policeman in uniform becomes more conscious of his profession; my hijab strengthens my identity as a Muslim. It also enhances the feelings of sister hood amongst Muslim women. [/quote] Masha-Allah an inspiring story for even us Muslims to behave even when we are practicing. Salaams Hanif |
| NS |
| Re: My Journey to Islam |
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| Sabr |
| 03/27/03 at 11:18:27 |
| [quote author=medina link=board=lighthouse;num=1045827147;start=0#0 date=02/21/03 at 06:32:27][glow=red,2,300] My heart, so hungry and starved for spiritual nourishment was finally being fed. . [/quote] MAy allah continu to satisfy your thirst so that purification of the soul would be attained and make you among those who are successful. Ameen I live in the larger of the 2 islands and i remember when the coup took place and the negative impression and mind set that was created about Islam that is still so prevalent today Recently a brother was telling me he is interested in islam because of the "militant image " portrayed. !! :'( And brother Abdullah you are right ....islam is growing . There is a strong resurgence and a driving passion now more than before allhmadulliiah . This is in part attributed to most improtantly the guidance and will of allah and events of sept 11 and attack on iraq. Muslims have a compelling drive to learn ......and i c this exemplified by the large crowds at the masjids,lectures seminars etc . Subhanallah it is great to c alot of our youths becoming more inclined as well . [quote but I would say your island is one of the more Islamic places to be in in certain areas compared to North America; I see no lack of muslims in TT and in fact, if I wanted an Islamic environment, I wouldn't mind making a move down to certain parts (ie. Monroe Road). Masha'Allah I stayed there for months and all the time,in every city, I remember seeing women in hijab and brothers in topi and that was very comforting. " [/quote] Allhamdullillah this is very true ....Its is an absolutely wonderful feeling to b walking tru any town and being greeted with "assalamu alikum ". One has to be constantly saying it (of course u may get the occasional stares and coments but it just makes us stronger muslims) Wasslam Sis Sabr |
| 03/27/03 at 11:33:23 |
| Sabr |
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