format_quote Originally Posted by
jenn2
Salam. I am looking to see if there are any former Catholics who reverted to Islam. I am with a Muslim partner, and I am considering converting. However, it's a big decision and something I feel a lot of stress with. There is so much that I don't know, and there are things I know I'm not ready for yet.
Salaam aleykum Jenn. I am born muslim...but there is also so much that I do not know...I mean do not worry about how much you know or don't know...just take little steps and you will get there. Nobody expects to see a full educated experienced muslim from you right away. take the right decicisons first, then do the things you are comfortable with...and the rest will follow in time inshaallah.
format_quote Originally Posted by
jenn2
Already I don't eat pork (or any meat actually, I'm vegetarian) or drink, etc. But there are things that I'm not ready to take the step for yet. For example, I know I'm not ready to start wearing a hijab. I'm not ready to tell my parents. I don't know how to pray in Arabic.
There are a lot of muslim woman who do not wear a hijab. I'm not saying that is a right choice to make...but hey, not being a muslim at all is more worse than that...but maybe to wear a hijab may be one of your later decisions too...just remember that during salaat..you HAVE to wear one...otherwise your salaat will be invalid.
But again...one step at a time...first your decision to convert, then learning to pray, etc....
format_quote Originally Posted by
jenn2
Is it wrong for me to convert and still do things in little steps? I am stressed because if I convert, and start practicing, but am not wearing a hijab I would be sinning as soon as I started. But also it might be better to convert now instead of wait. Can I start by praying in English? How do you connect and pray in a language you don't know?
you are sinning right now too...whether you converted or not...so where is the problem? converting without hijab is always better than not converting at all.
about praying in English:
there are two thing that can be translated into "praying", which is "dua" and "salaat".
Dua is the kind of praying Christians are used to. you open your hands and just talk to Allah. you need nothing in between, no preacher, no objects, just your thoughts. you can ask whatever for help and guidance and in any language you like.
Salaat is the obligatory prayer you have to do 5 times a day and is strictly prescribed how to perform. you have to memorize some parts of the Quraan and recitate that during salaat and it has to be in Arabic. in the learning fase you can of course read it from a book...but it has to be in Arabic.
about connection, every person should speak for himself, and me personally, I connect with my religion through knowledge...not through language. everything makes much more sense...you know your on the right path...so, the connection is always there...it is not like...you connect, pray, and then disconnect and go back to your normal life...the connection is always there, you just have to open your hands and start praying.
I do not speak Arabic unfortunately...so I do not understand it either. but I do like to listen to a quraan recitation in Arabic. you can hear how poetic it sounds. and it calms me down.
For knowledge purposes I am very happy the Quraan is in Arabic...That way I have the guarantee the verses are original verses, and not translated ones. working with the original is always more accurate than working with translations of it.
I will then read the translated versions in English, Dutch and Turkish, and I will have a better understanding of it than when I only read the english version of it.
format_quote Originally Posted by
jenn2
I would also really appreciate anyone who was Catholic first to tell me their feelings on reverting/converting from Catholicism. I feel like I would be really losing something, and I was wondering if anyone felt the same way/how they got through it. I have always believed that Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same God, but as much as I pray to God, I have also been used to praying to Jesus. To be fair, the trinity concept has not always made sense to me, but I still grew up praying in a completely different way.
Any and all advice appreciated. Thank you.
your feeling is right...we all worship the same God. "Allah" is just the arabic word for "God"...the Christian arabs also use the name Allah to refer to their God.
And yes, it is the same God that send Adam as, Noah as, Moses as, Solomon as, Jesus as and all the other prophets to us...to guide us.
and please...stop praying to Jesus...Jesus as was one of the best prophets of Allah. We muslims have great respect for him, but he was not a God himself. but that is a different discussion.