Was it because you were raised as Muslim? Did you convert from another religion? Did you come from an atheist/agnostic position? How did it happen for you? Thanks in advance.
Was it because you were raised as Muslim? Did you convert from another religion? Did you come from an atheist/agnostic position? How did it happen for you? Thanks in advance.
I was raised in a pretty casual Sunni Muslim household, which basically meant that we didn't really practice the religion to it's full extent (many in my family still don't and have even gotten worse). I eventually grew up to become a hardcore Atheist, but after while I then looked into other religions that were offshoots of Islam (mainly the Shia and Quranist ideologies), and after that I re-evaluated my decision to not believe in Sunni Islam and eventually went back to it, before then becoming an Atheist again, and then I started on this cycle of switching between the two ideologies every few months for quite some time. Eventually, I just gave up on Islam and decided to look at what other religions had to offer (mainly Buddhism and Christianity), but they did not satisfy me so I just remained an Atheist for a little longer, before finally coming back to Islam. However, this final reversion to Islam was a little different to the others in my cycle of switching because this time I had become a fully orthodox Salafi Muslim (which I remain to this very day), and this time I managed to find much better evidence for Islam.
Abdur Raheem Green has a great series about why Islam is the truth:
In Islam, everyone is born a Muslim. You're no longer a Muslim when you are brought up as something else.
I never left Islam, but I wasn't fully practicing. In my search for understanding this world, my purpose, and learning about other faiths I consciously chose Islam.
Something interesting about the Shahada (declaration of faith), is that you denounce and reject the belief/existence of any god (atheism) before bearing witness to only Allah. I personally find this fascinating, profound, and unique to all other faiths.
I like to think that atheists are a halfway to becoming Muslims
nosmarter: I was never fully satisfied with Christianity; so at the age of 53, I started looking into other religions, and then finally realised that Islam was indeed the only true religion; especially after reading The Holy Qur'an; So I converted/reverted to Islam in that same year; I'm now 57 year old, and so I've been a Muslim for 4 years now.
In Islam, everyone is born a Muslim. You're no longer a Muslim when you are brought up as something else.
I never left Islam, but I wasn't fully practicing. In my search for understanding this world, my purpose, and learning about other faiths I consciously chose Islam.
Something interesting about the Shahada (declaration of faith), is that you denounce and reject the belief/existence of any god (atheism) before bearing witness to only Allah. I personally find this fascinating, profound, and unique to all other faiths.
I like to think that atheists are a halfway to becoming Muslims
Yes in Islam we reject all the false gods first then recognize the God (Allah). Islam is somewhere between atheism and paganism. It is the straight path.
Wow, Al Khorasani - that's a wild path you took to get there! I find that fascinating. I'd love to hear the whole story .. if you every write a book about it, I'll be your first customer
When I was born as an Orthodox Christian, my Muslim father taught me stories and Islamic stuff, about prophet Muhammad, Solomon and so on. And he told me that God doesn’t have no son and there’s no god but He alone. And, at the age of 15, he asked me to say the shahada. And now, voila! I’m a weak Muslim for now, I started to pray sometimes. And till now at age of 19, I’m still a Muslim and I hope I can become sooner a strong Muslim. And that’s how I have become a Muslim.
My parents are Muslims but was exposed to Christianity (education), some of my besties were Christians. Till this day, I'm still intrigued by Cathedrals and familiar with it's teachings and songs. Although, there were a couple of attempts by my parents to keep with faith, I strayed. Becoming confused at some point and praying for guidance because my faith in God never changed. I simply didn't like the examples portrayed around me of being a Muslim. So, there was a point whereby I just wanted to be spiritual only but reading and knowing more about Islam from direct sources was enough to regain/truly know my faith. Also, some signs and dreams etc. Also some amazing lecturers, teachers and people I met along the way. May Allah bless them all abundantly. Ameen.
I sincerely hope Allah will also chose me (and all of us) to remain Muslims (and guide those who are confused). Really I'm so far from the perfect ideals we ought to be, but the beauty of Islam truly shines forward splendidly, seeing a place that i'm yearning for desperately. May Allah help me (and us all). Ameen.
Last edited by HisServant; 08-20-2018 at 03:23 AM.
As an adult - George Bush and his hateful enmity, the lies and distortions about Islam in the media that i could easily see through due to a basic knowledge of Islam, biographies of the Prophet which made me a passive supporter (i'd usually prefer to crawl up on the sofa and read books instead of watching tv which i also did but couldn't get too engrossed in), a sense of psychological injury from the constant attacks by the lamestream newspapers, newsletters through the door from the bnp and later ukip that would enrage me, and the later realisation that Islam wasn't simply a religion like others that i had happened to inherit - but rather the actual truth - which was so significant that the perfidious secularist enemies were fighting tooth and nail against it.
Reading the Quran in English was what sparked the beginning of regular prayers of my own freewill for the first time in my life, then the switching off of the t.v and constant study of books (some of which were at home before, and others which i'd purchased during pilgrimage though hadn't ended up reading)
Otherwise it would have probably been zionist dupe style "our thing that we just stick up for because bush is worse than hitler" despite being quite careless of it's depth and necessity of implementation even after many amazing events - (especially during and after pilgrimage mainly as a mahram for my mother and guide to around 20 members of extended family), so basically it was a mix of many scenarios that culminated in the logical realisation that it was impossible to ignore and foolish to live and die in denial of - even though it began as a reactionary political leaning rather than out of the later conviction that it is the undeniable truth.
Reading "Islam for children" (with it's very simple stories of prophets and their struggles with evil tyrants) loads of times as a child must have also contributed somehow - along with most (if not all) of cs lewis' chronicles of narnia and enid blyton's famous five, and the auobiography of malcolm x as a child. All those baselines managed to get me through a life of hanging out with idiots, idiot girls, bank scams, drugs, alcohol, porn, apathy etc with so many rock-bottoms until i've realised that only Islam can feed the intellect, keep a person more balancedly self-disciplined than any other way, and ensure that the person lives a life that achieves success during weighing on the inevitable day of judgement.
I'm still no angel but i definitely know i'm not like the almost totally undisciplined animal i was, and am glad that my discipline isn't based entirely on greedy financial capitalism.
I was brought up Christian though it was only by name. I didn’t know much about Christianity, but I carried the title. I never thought about God or my purpose here until I was diagnosed with cancer at age 12. Thankfully it wasn’t something severe and I was cured from it easily. However because of it, I had to quit traditional school, I lost all my friends, it was just me alone in my room wondering what I did to deserve this. I had questions, Allah answered them and I was totally oblivious at the time. I discovered Islam through the internet, the more I researched the more I fell in love. Islam just clicked for me, it made sense and filled me with hope again. Two years later here I am, a Muslim. Something I never imagined I’d be. Allah has guided me and blessed in ways I could never repay him for. What’s your story
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and familiar with it's teachings and songs. Although, there were a couple of attempts by my parents to keep with faith, I strayed. Becoming confused at some point and praying for guidance because my faith in God never changed. I simply didn't like the examples portrayed around me of being a Muslim. So, there was a point whereby I just wanted to be spiritual only but reading and knowing more about Islam from direct sources was enough to regain/truly know my faith. Also, some signs and dreams etc. Also some amazing lecturers, teachers and people I met along the way. May Allah bless them all abundantly. Ameen.
which made me a passive supporter (i'd usually prefer to crawl up on the sofa and read books instead of watching tv which i also did but couldn't get too engrossed in), a sense of psychological injury from the constant attacks by the lamestream newspapers, newsletters through the door from the bnp and later ukip that would enrage me, and the later realisation that Islam wasn't simply a religion like others that i had happened to inherit - but rather the actual truth - which was so significant that the perfidious secularist enemies were fighting tooth and nail against it.
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