believer
Esteemed Member
- Messages
- 212
- Reaction score
- 35
- Gender
- Male
- Religion
- Islam
Allahu-akbar! Allahu-akbar! Allahu-akbar!
Alhamdullillah! I am so happy and thankful to Allah (SWT) for guiding me and helping me find the company of the righteous here in cyberspace.
I am also glad to find a fellow former seminarian (Woodrow) who also discovered the truth and embraced the true religion preached by all prophets sent by Allah, One God Almighty.
My journey in discovering Islam is one long and lonely road. I really never had any chance to come across any Islamic material or literature whatsoever before and I would say that my entrance to Islam was a divine journey.
Eversince I was a child… I read in the bible that we shouldn’t be calling anyone father… since there is only One father… but how come I need to call the Jesuit Rector in my school as Father Lutz?.... I grew up with this hanging question in the back of my head. I joined many sects of Christianity in their Sunday services before I entered the seminary in 1986. My entry into the seminary was actually accidental… I was frustrated with so many things that time – I wanted to enter a Monastery and be a monk… even Shaolin Monk or Budhhist – whatsoever – as long as I can live in seclusion and be away from the cares of this world. It turned out to be a secular order seminary… Nevertheless, I though I can find the answers in this formation house.
I didn’t, however – I learned many things… in fact, I learned a lot…. Since it was a formation house… I have to live there with problematic adolescents… so I learned to drink, smoke and everything that is associated with alchohol and nicotine and Bars.
Since I befriended the Bishop and some Major Seminarians… I have advanced my Regency… but it’s actually an excuse to get out of the seminary and get busy with the family business.
To cut a long story short. I became a man of the world… Been there… done that…. You name it… I’ve been it. And eventually, got married… had a child… became domesticated by a Christian wife… underwent into a long marriage crisis. Lost one of the family houses… Lost 2 family Businesses… Family broke apart…. Almost lost my own family… Almost died for about 7 times more or less, Became down and out… Hitting rock bottom. I have been at many times experiencing the downs of life… but this time 2 years ago – was the lowest and the darkest. I locked myself in a room and faced the floor with my hands stretched… crying and surrendering. I knew that there are only two things that can happen to me after this. It was –1. asking for the devil and end my life… or 2. Surrender to God. I cried so hard until I couldn’t cry anymore… talking to God directly… somewhat having a conversation with Him. I have seen my life flashing back in front of me starting from the day I was born to the turmoil to the present… all the bitterness, hardships and pain… all rushed in as if it was a wild stream. And suddenly… it was peace and calm. I felt like a veil was suddenly lifted up and it’s as if I can see the sun rising for the first time in my life. I felt like it was the first day of my life…
After that incident… I attended my brother in laws Ecumenical Prayer Group and also my Mother in Laws Protestant Church… I became active in both and they all wanted me to become a pastor since they were all touched by my testimony.
My brother in law who knew me for so long couldn’t believe that I really have changed. He recall that I was always critical about protestants before… due to my Catholic family background. But I was ecumenical already even before I entered the priesthood seminary. I just became my real self once again before I was introduced to the dirty world.
But, this was just a short introduction to where I was truly led for. I was without a job for about a year already and the small business I am setting up was cut short due to my raptured appendix last January 2006. Since I surrendered to God, I will accept whatever He will provide for me… no matter what. I was prepared to accept even a small job like selling Fishballs in the market – and I will not be ashamed – even if this will be embarrassing for somebody whom a lot of people in my area would consider as among the upper class of society. I really don’t care about family pride anymore, I was already a new man. As most Christians would say… I was born again.
Then after a few weeks… although my family is still at the risk of breaking up… I asked and prayed with the Christian Groups I was involved in and I was only encountering miracle after miracles. But this is not yet the gist of the story.
I just received a call from Saudi… I never wanted to go in this place, I never applied for any job whatsoever specially not here anyway. It was a job offer… and it was an offer I cannot refuse. The job was something I always dreamed of doing for so long since childhood. To cut the long story short…
I asked my Saudi employer when I got here last September to buy me an English Qur’an… after he heard my story, he told me… my friend… you are a Muslim. I was shocked to hear it… I asked how and why? He told me the definition of Muslim and Islam… and eventually, bought me an English Qur’an.
I read it and I was crying while I was reading it. At last! I have found the truth! I FASTED that October since it was Ramadan after I made my informal Shahadah… I made 3 informal Shaddahs since every place I visited thought I didn’t made shahadah yet. But I Didn’t have a Muslim guide who can always be with me… but the Qur’an. I have read it day and night… prayed in the mosque 5 times… Been friends with the Imam… The Imam who don’t speak a word in English except Good Morning! whose name is Muhhamad always kid me that I will become Imam when he goes back to Egypt. I never took him seriously… I know he’s just kidding – It was impossible for me to learn Arabic… it was like a tongue twister… moreover, I am nearly 40 and memorizing a foreign language would be really difficult.
My dear Brothers and sister… for the past months… I was occasionally the Imam and I don’t recall how it happened and when it happened. I am recognized already a the official Muazzine. I sometimes wonder… how it could be.
But – I have never felt more happier… “a day in the courts of the Lord is better than a thousand elsewhere…” -
Please pardon me for writing long… since this is not off topic… it is still introducing myself. I tried my best to summarize my story but it’s hard to give the big picture without showing the small ones that make the connection.
What I really wanted to say… “When Christ mentioned in the book of Timothy: Ask anything to my Father using my name, cast evil using my name… but there will come a time when you can pray directly to the Father without using my name,” - I am not sure what verse but I was grasping the context of that chapter. I was wondering why… no apostle of Jesus (Issa AlleihiSalaam) asked.. WHEN?
Then I found myself into Islam… all my hanging questions were answered.
I believe!… I surrender!…. I submit!…. I follow!...
May Allah be pleased with us all and Bless Us always to Say the Right words, think the Right Thoughts, Do the right Deeds and all at the Right Time, all the time.
Sallaamu Alikum Warahmatullahi wabarakathu Brothers and Sisters in faith!
A Believer.
Alhamdullillah! I am so happy and thankful to Allah (SWT) for guiding me and helping me find the company of the righteous here in cyberspace.
I am also glad to find a fellow former seminarian (Woodrow) who also discovered the truth and embraced the true religion preached by all prophets sent by Allah, One God Almighty.
My journey in discovering Islam is one long and lonely road. I really never had any chance to come across any Islamic material or literature whatsoever before and I would say that my entrance to Islam was a divine journey.
Eversince I was a child… I read in the bible that we shouldn’t be calling anyone father… since there is only One father… but how come I need to call the Jesuit Rector in my school as Father Lutz?.... I grew up with this hanging question in the back of my head. I joined many sects of Christianity in their Sunday services before I entered the seminary in 1986. My entry into the seminary was actually accidental… I was frustrated with so many things that time – I wanted to enter a Monastery and be a monk… even Shaolin Monk or Budhhist – whatsoever – as long as I can live in seclusion and be away from the cares of this world. It turned out to be a secular order seminary… Nevertheless, I though I can find the answers in this formation house.
I didn’t, however – I learned many things… in fact, I learned a lot…. Since it was a formation house… I have to live there with problematic adolescents… so I learned to drink, smoke and everything that is associated with alchohol and nicotine and Bars.
Since I befriended the Bishop and some Major Seminarians… I have advanced my Regency… but it’s actually an excuse to get out of the seminary and get busy with the family business.
To cut a long story short. I became a man of the world… Been there… done that…. You name it… I’ve been it. And eventually, got married… had a child… became domesticated by a Christian wife… underwent into a long marriage crisis. Lost one of the family houses… Lost 2 family Businesses… Family broke apart…. Almost lost my own family… Almost died for about 7 times more or less, Became down and out… Hitting rock bottom. I have been at many times experiencing the downs of life… but this time 2 years ago – was the lowest and the darkest. I locked myself in a room and faced the floor with my hands stretched… crying and surrendering. I knew that there are only two things that can happen to me after this. It was –1. asking for the devil and end my life… or 2. Surrender to God. I cried so hard until I couldn’t cry anymore… talking to God directly… somewhat having a conversation with Him. I have seen my life flashing back in front of me starting from the day I was born to the turmoil to the present… all the bitterness, hardships and pain… all rushed in as if it was a wild stream. And suddenly… it was peace and calm. I felt like a veil was suddenly lifted up and it’s as if I can see the sun rising for the first time in my life. I felt like it was the first day of my life…
After that incident… I attended my brother in laws Ecumenical Prayer Group and also my Mother in Laws Protestant Church… I became active in both and they all wanted me to become a pastor since they were all touched by my testimony.
My brother in law who knew me for so long couldn’t believe that I really have changed. He recall that I was always critical about protestants before… due to my Catholic family background. But I was ecumenical already even before I entered the priesthood seminary. I just became my real self once again before I was introduced to the dirty world.
But, this was just a short introduction to where I was truly led for. I was without a job for about a year already and the small business I am setting up was cut short due to my raptured appendix last January 2006. Since I surrendered to God, I will accept whatever He will provide for me… no matter what. I was prepared to accept even a small job like selling Fishballs in the market – and I will not be ashamed – even if this will be embarrassing for somebody whom a lot of people in my area would consider as among the upper class of society. I really don’t care about family pride anymore, I was already a new man. As most Christians would say… I was born again.
Then after a few weeks… although my family is still at the risk of breaking up… I asked and prayed with the Christian Groups I was involved in and I was only encountering miracle after miracles. But this is not yet the gist of the story.
I just received a call from Saudi… I never wanted to go in this place, I never applied for any job whatsoever specially not here anyway. It was a job offer… and it was an offer I cannot refuse. The job was something I always dreamed of doing for so long since childhood. To cut the long story short…
I asked my Saudi employer when I got here last September to buy me an English Qur’an… after he heard my story, he told me… my friend… you are a Muslim. I was shocked to hear it… I asked how and why? He told me the definition of Muslim and Islam… and eventually, bought me an English Qur’an.
I read it and I was crying while I was reading it. At last! I have found the truth! I FASTED that October since it was Ramadan after I made my informal Shahadah… I made 3 informal Shaddahs since every place I visited thought I didn’t made shahadah yet. But I Didn’t have a Muslim guide who can always be with me… but the Qur’an. I have read it day and night… prayed in the mosque 5 times… Been friends with the Imam… The Imam who don’t speak a word in English except Good Morning! whose name is Muhhamad always kid me that I will become Imam when he goes back to Egypt. I never took him seriously… I know he’s just kidding – It was impossible for me to learn Arabic… it was like a tongue twister… moreover, I am nearly 40 and memorizing a foreign language would be really difficult.
My dear Brothers and sister… for the past months… I was occasionally the Imam and I don’t recall how it happened and when it happened. I am recognized already a the official Muazzine. I sometimes wonder… how it could be.
But – I have never felt more happier… “a day in the courts of the Lord is better than a thousand elsewhere…” -
Please pardon me for writing long… since this is not off topic… it is still introducing myself. I tried my best to summarize my story but it’s hard to give the big picture without showing the small ones that make the connection.
What I really wanted to say… “When Christ mentioned in the book of Timothy: Ask anything to my Father using my name, cast evil using my name… but there will come a time when you can pray directly to the Father without using my name,” - I am not sure what verse but I was grasping the context of that chapter. I was wondering why… no apostle of Jesus (Issa AlleihiSalaam) asked.. WHEN?
Then I found myself into Islam… all my hanging questions were answered.
I believe!… I surrender!…. I submit!…. I follow!...
May Allah be pleased with us all and Bless Us always to Say the Right words, think the Right Thoughts, Do the right Deeds and all at the Right Time, all the time.
Sallaamu Alikum Warahmatullahi wabarakathu Brothers and Sisters in faith!
A Believer.
