:bism:
:sl:
Hi! Welcome. Glad you could join us!
In-sha-Allah, you're doing well. I'm a fellow American myself on IB - so, welcome again to IB and of course you're already part of our growing almost 2 billion Muslim family.
I am so happy to learn that you're making strides in your Islam, and it's so awesome to learn that you've been diligently studying for 2 years. That proves your level of dedication
Masha-Allah (as God-willed), and as you know, knowledge-seeking is a path to Paradise.
So, glad tidings! Well, we're all seekers and hopefully will seek to learn knowledge cradle to grave and place into practice what we've learned and benefit our Muslim and non-Muslim communities with that blessed knowledge.
I'm sure that being an American, some of what has happening in the news concerns you like the headlines and comments for which Donald Trump has been in the news; I sympathize. We can only make
duas (supplications [to God]) that whoever is in the White House, whether it is Donald Trump, or Bernie Sanders, or Hillary, that the next leader of the United States is one who'll honestly have a foreign policy that is kind to Muslims and also is able to take America in a better economic and geopolitical direction.
I don't know how your family has received the news of your conversion or if they do not know; that said, please know that you're not alone, and Allah is with you always and of course
In-sha-Allah we'll support you as your brothers and sisters in faith, your friends, and your servants.
SeekersHub is a great Internet site which offers free courses (though at time of registration they do ask for donation, but you can simply decline to do so) and the free Islamic courses are taught by actual Islamic scholars. The courses are entirely flexible and based on your own schedule and timings and you are therefore at an advantage to moderate your own pace within the courses. If this is something which interests you, please feel free to sign up as the courses start on March 7th, and as I understand, there are limited virtual seats. I myself have signed up for 2 courses,
hehe, which I find awesome. Just thought I'd shout out to you an awesome opportunity!
Take care.
Barakallahu feek (may Allah bless you).
Wishing you health and happiness,
:wa:
format_quote Originally Posted by
al-Andalusi
Hello, I'm a new member, a Muslim for 2 years and looking to learn more about my religion.
I come from an primarily ethnic Spanish background (my maternal grandfather was an immigrant from Spain who married a Native American woman, and my paternal family are Mexican criollos), so I thought that the name al-Andalusi would be fitting. Indeed it was the legacy of Andalus that first drew me to Islam while studying history in University and for hobby, but after careful study and conversation with Muslims, I grew to appreciate the faith for more than just a superficial reason, and eventually was so enamored that I formally took Shahadah at a local masjid in my city. Since then I've been making an effort to learn as much as I can on Islam to better understand it, as well as become proficient in reading and speaking Arabic. I have been studying diligently for 2 years, but I still have so much to learn.