mashallah amazing to jus read stories. its a real booster and welcome to the new ummah family, all reverts broz n sistaz.

From Catholicism to Islam
By Angela Collins


Related Links

• US Mayor Embraces Islam
• An American Mormon's Journey to Islam
• An American Police Officer Discovers Islam
• An American Teenager Discovers Islam
• American Performing Artist Discovers Islam
• Canadian Catholic Discovers Islam

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/...am%2FDIELayout

I converted to Islam when I was fifteen. I was never raised in a particular religion, but I had always, even when I was tiny, believed in a God. I just didn't know which one. For a long time, I considered myself a neo-Pagan with Islamic influences, but I felt very uneasy with my spirituality right before I converted.

There are a number of reasons why I felt as though my spirituality was not in a good place. I was into drugs, alcahol, sex... You name it, I did it. I was also raped when I was fourteen on my high school grounds, and the attacker only got a five day suspension from school (this not only included the attack, but that he had smoked marijuana on school grounds), so I still saw him every day after that, and I still see him twice a week (I changed schools, but we live in the same town). Obviously, after I was raped, the amount of substances in my body shot sky high. Not only this, but I was very depressed. I ended up starving myself for a time, and I lost twenty pounds. I was already thin, too, so at this point, I was just a stick.

I convinced myself that there were no good people in the world and that God did not care about me anymore. But, that all started to change about eight months before I converted. I had a dance teacher at that time who started to notice my deteriorating body. Everyday before I went to her class, she would show up early, because I always did too, with a box of pizza that she forced me to eat. Slowly, my dance teacher got my appetite back. With my appetite came self-confidence, happiness, and in a way clarity. Before my dance teacher got me eating, I didn't want to do anything. I didn't even want to think, or grow intellectually. But now, I'm the top student in my class. As I slowly healed, I thought that maybe, in fact, God did still care about me.

At that point, I went on a journey to find my spirituality. Since I was already familiar with Islam, I decided to start there. I read the Qur'an cover to cover, and read many informative books about Islam. I visited a Mosque for the first time with a Muslim friend of mine. Everything about Islam gave me such a sense of peace. After reading the Qur'an every night, I could fall asleep in a wink, and when I learned to pray for the first time, I felt so good, almost accomplished. Everything about Islam gave me a warm feeling in my tummy, and I didn't want the feeling to leave. So, I became a Muslima.

Awful Past you have Sis But that doesnt matter anymore you have found The Light and may Allah bless you with good and happiness in this life and the hereafter ameeeen

( PS. and Sis, I see that you like to smile, So smile)

My story is far over due.

Grew up in Iowa on the usual Iowa farm. A Catholic upbringing...let me change that, a VERY Catholic upbringing. The area is/was about 95% Catholic. Attended Catholic school right through 8th grade.

You get the point.

As I grew up and matured I had a growing feeling of unease and distrust in the religion that had been thrust so heavily upon me. Call it the feeling that something just wasn't right.

Forward into my 20's when I shed the whole idea of religion. With Christianity and more specifically Catholicism simply not something I could be a true believer in it was my only choice given my surroundings in small town America. Did my lack of faith and religion cause issues. When I look back on a failed marriage in my 20's I say "yes", that a strong faith would have helped me through tough times but one cannot dwell on that.

Fast forward to my 30's and moving out of small town America. I met my now very loving wife and we have a combined (she was also previously married) six children whom are my pride and joy. I slowly was introduced to Islam. I guess you could say that I was slowly "drawn" to Islam. It fell within my belief strusture, simply put, it all made sense to me in a way that Christianity never did in two decades.

My family back in small town America were not thrilled....at all. I had some difficult times, lack of acceptance, etc. It was very difficult for me. I found strength after some time in someone I call my "mentor" who I met at our masjid.

When going back home I get the strange looks, people wondering what is up with the local looking guy but who is sporting a pseudo-beard and the, as someone said, "one of those Muslim lookin' hats". "For the record it is called a skull cap or kufi" was my reply. Some people ask, being intrigued. Anything I can do to educate people I do, but it isn't always accepted.

So that is my much abbreviated story.

Assalamu Alaikum to you all and thank you for reading

There r so many journey we made
There r so many taste we take
There r so many thing we see
There r so many thing we dream
So many....

But when we got sick & tired of our self. We want so badly some place to sit and take rest with peace.

Subhanallah amazing stories ...keep striving brothers and sister