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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
Former pastor, missionary, professor in Divinity c |
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amatullah |
11/28/03 at 10:16:52 |
Former pastor, missionary, professor in Divinity choosed Islam ! > > > Khadijah 'Sue' Watson - Former pastor, missionary, professor. Master's >degree in Divinity "What happened to you !" ..... > > This was usually the first reaction I encountered when my former >classmates, friends and co-pastors saw me after having embraced Islam. > I suppose I couldn't blame them, I was a highly unlikely the person to >change religions. > > Formerly, I was a professor, pastor, church planter and missionary. > > If anyone was a radical fundamentalist it was I. I had just graduated >with my Master's Degree of Divinity from an elite seminary five months >before. It was after that time I met a lady who had worked in Saudi Arabia >and had embraced Islam. > > Of course I asked her about the treatment of women in Islam. I was >shocked at her answer, it wasn't what I expected so I proceeded to ask >other questions relating to Allah and Muhammad (pbuh). > > She informed me that she would take me to the Islamic Center where they >would be better able to answer my questions. Being prayed up, >meaning-asking Jesus for protection against demon spirits seeing that what >we had been taught about Islam is that it is Demonic and Satanic religion. > > Having taught Evangelism I was quite shocked at their approach, it was >direct and straightforward. No intimidation, no harassment, no >psychological manipulation, no subliminal influence! None of this, "let's >have a Qur'aanic study in your house", like a counter part of the Bible >study. > > I couldn't believe it! They gave me some books and told me if I had some >questions they were available to answer them in the office. That night I >read all of the books they gave. It was the first time I had ever read a >book about Islam written by a Muslim, we had studied and read books about >Islam only written by Christians. The next day I spent three hours at the >office asking questions. > > This went on everyday for a week, by which time I had read twelve books >and knew why Muslims are the hardest people in the world to convert to >Christianity. > > Why? > > Because there is nothing to offer them!! (In Islam) There is a >relationship with Allah, forgiveness of sins, salvation and promise of >Eternal Life. Naturally, my first question centered on the deity of Allah. >Who is this Allah that the Muslims worship? We had been taught as >Christians that this is another god, a false god. > > When in fact He is the Omniscient-All Knowing, Omnipotent-All Powerful, >and Omnipresent-All Present God. The One and Only without co-partners or >co-equal. > > It is interesting to note that there were bishops during the first three >hundred years of the Church that were teaching as the Muslim beli eves that >Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet and teacher!! It was only after the conversion >of Emperor Constantine that he was the one to call and introduce the >doctrine of the Trinity. > > He a convert to Christianity who knew nothing of this religion >introduced a paganistic concept that goes back to Babylonian times. Because >the space does not permit me to go into detail about the subject >insha'Allah, another time. > > Only I must point out that the word TRINITY is not found in the Bible in >any of its many translation nor is it found in the original Greek or Hebrew >languages! My other important question centered on Muhammad (pbuh). > > Who is this Muhammad? I found out that Muslims do not pray to him like >the Christians pray to Jesus. He is not an intermediary and in fact it is >forbidden to pray to him. We ask blessing upon him at the end of our prayer >but likewise we ask blessings on Abraham. He is a Prophet and a Messenger, >the final and last Prophet. In fact, until now, one thousand four hundred >and eighteen years (1,418) later there has been no prophet after him. > > His message is for All Mankind as opposed to the message of Jesus or >Moses (peace be upon them both) which was sent to the Jews. "Hear O Israel" >But the message is the same message of Allah. "The Lord Your God is One God >and you shall have no other gods before Me."(Mark 12:29). > > Because prayer was a very important part of my Christian life I was both >interested and curious to know what the Muslims were praying. As Christians >we were as ignorant on this aspect of Muslim belief as on the other >aspects. > > We thought and were taught, that the Muslims were bowing down to the >Ka'bah (in Mecca), that that was there god and center point of this false >deity. Again, I was shocked to learn that the manner of prayer is >prescribed by God, Himself. > > The words of the prayer are one of praise and exaltation. The approach >to prayer (ablution or washing) in cleanliness is under the direction of >Allah. He is a Holy God and it is not for us to approach Him in an >arbitrary manner but only reasonable that He should tell us how we should >approach Him. At the end of that week after having spent eight (8) years of >formal theological studies I knew cognitively (head knowledge) that Islam >was true. But I did not embrace Islam at that time because I did not >believe it in my heart. I continued to pray, to read the Bible, to attend >lectures at the Islamic Center. > > I was in earnest asking and seeking God's direction. It is not easy to >change your religion. I did not want to loose my salvation if there was >salvation to loose. I continued to be shocked and amazed at what I was >learning because it was not what I was taught that Islam believed. > > In my Master's level, the professor I had was respected as an authority >on Islam yet his teaching and that of Christianity in general is full of >Misunderstanding. He and many Christians like him are sincere but they are >sincerely wrong. > > Two months later after having once again prayed seeking God's direction, >I felt something drop into my being! I sat up, and it was the first time I >was to use the name of Allah, and I said, "Allah, I believe you are the One >and Only True God." There was peace that descended upon me and from that >day four years ago until now I have never regretted embracing Islam. This >decision did not come without trial. > > I was fired from my job as I was teaching in two Bible Colleges at that >time , ostracized by my former classmates, professors and co-pastors, >disowned by my husband's family, misunderstood by my adult children and >made a suspicion by my own government. Without the faith that enables man >to stand up to Satanic forces I would not ha ve been able to withstand all >of this. I am ever so grateful to Allah that I am a Muslim and may I live >and die a Muslim. "Truly, my prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life and >my death are all for God the Cherisher of the Worlds. No partner has He, >this I am commanded. And I am the first of those who bow to Allah in >Islam." (Holy Qur'aan 6:162-163) > > * Sister Khadijah Watson is presently working as a teacher for women in >one of the Da'wah (Invitation) Centers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia > |
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