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Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

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    Lightbulb Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here! (OP)



    If you are a revert please add your story here, because it is very inspiring Alhamdullilah.

    There are several stories on this site:
    http://thetruereligion.org/modules/xfsection/

    I'll post a few:
    Lara


    Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
    DISCOVERING ISLAM: A CANADIAN MUSLIMA'S STORY
    April 25, 1996


    As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmahtullahi wa Barakatu (May the peace, the mercy, and the blessings of Allah be upon you).


    I am Canadian-born of Scandinavian and other ancestry, and I was raised in Canada. I have been a Muslima since February 1993 when I was 23. While growing up, I was never affiliated with any religion nor was I an atheist. When I was in my mid-teens I started to think somewhat about religion and at that time I did believe in the Oneness of God (Tawheed). Christianity never interested me.


    My first contact with Muslims occurred when I was introduced to some Muslim international students in 1988. Through them I learned a bit about Islam, such as Ramadan fasting. But it was really not until 1992 that I became interested in Islam. In the summer of that year a Canadian newspaper published a series of articles attacking Islam by using examples of anti-Islamic behaviour of some Muslims in an attempt to vilify Islam itself. Non-Muslims tend to judge Islam on the basis of the behaviour (which is not necessarily Islamic) of Muslims. I was not yet a Muslima but the articles were so outrageous that I sent a letter to the editor in defence of Islam. Now I was curious about Islam. I re-read some articles I had picked up several months earlier from the MSA Islam Awareness Week display at my university. One was about 'Isa (Alaihe Salam) [Jesus] as a Prophet of Islam. Also, I asked a Muslim to get me some books about Islam; they were about the overall ideology of Islam and were written by two famous Muslim authors. Impressed, I thought, "This is Islam? It seems so right." Over the next few months in my free time while attending university I continued to learn about Islam from authentic Islamic books, for example The Life of Muhammad (Salallahu Alaihe wa Salam) by Dr. Muhammad Haykal. One certainly does not learn the truth about Islam from the mass media! Also, newcomers to Islam especially must be careful to avoid the writings of deviant groups which claim ties to Islam so as not to be misled. And just because the author has an Arabic name does not necessarily mean that he or she is a knowledgeable Muslim or even Muslim at all. Also, I learned about Islam from some kind, knowledgeable Muslims and Muslimas who did not pressure me. Meanwhile, I had begun to Islamize my behaviour which did not require huge change. I already avoided consuming alcohol and pig meat. Also, I always preferred to dress conservatively/modestly and not wear makeup, perfume, or jewellery outside my home. I started to eat only Islamically slaughtered meat. Also during this time I visited a masjid (mosque) in my city for the first time.


    Until I discovered Islam, I knew almost nothing about it. I say discovered because the "Islam" that I had always heard about through the mass media is not true Islam. I had always assumed that Islam is just another man-made religion, not knowing that it is the Truth. I had also assumed that a person had to be raised as a Muslim to be one. I was not aware of the fact that all humans are born Muslim (in a state of Islam - submitted to the Creator). Like many "Westerners" I associated Islam with the "East" and did not know that Islam is universal in both time and place. However, I never had negative feelings about Islam, al-Hamdulillah. The more knowledge that I acquired about Islam, the more I felt that I too can actually be Muslim as I found that many of the beliefs that I already had were actually Islamic not merely "common sense."


    So after familiarizing myself with what Islam is basically about and what are the duties and proper conduct of a Muslim person, as well as thinking and reflecting, I felt ready to accept Islam and live as a Muslima. One day while at home I said the Shahada (declaration of faith) and began to perform the five daily salawat (prayers), al-Hamdulillah. That was in February 1993, several days before the fasting month of Ramadan began. I did not want to miss the fasting this time! I found the fasting to be much easier than I had anticipated; before I fasted I had worried that I might faint. At first there was a bit of an adjustment period getting used to the new routine of performing salah and fasting, and I made some mistakes, but it was exciting and not difficult. I started to read the Qur'an (Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation) when I was given one soon after accepting Islam. Before that I had read only excerpts of it in other books. Also in the beginning, I found The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam by Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi to be a useful guide.


    In January 1996 (during Ramadan) I started to wear the Islamic headscarf (hijab). I realized that I could not fully submit to Allah (SWT), which is what being Muslim is about, without wearing it. Islam must be accepted and practised in its entirety; it is not an "alter-to-suit-yourself" religion. Since becoming a Muslima I was aware that the headscarf is required of Muslim women and I had intended to wear it eventually. I should have worn it immediately upon accepting Islam but for many Muslimas (even some from Muslim families) it is not easy to take that step and put it on in a non-Muslim society. It is silly how so many persons get upset over a piece of fabric! Also, it is interesting to note that Christian nuns are never criticized for covering their heads. Never in my life did I have negative feelings toward muhajjabas (women who wear hijab) when I saw them. What made me hesitate to put it on was fearing receiving bad treatment from others, especially family. But we must fear Allah (SWT) only, not others. In the few months before I permanently put on hijab I started "practising" wearing it. I wore it when I travelled between my home and the local masjid on Fridays when I started attending the jum'a salah (Friday congregational prayer). (Of course, since becoming Muslim I always wore it during every salah). A couple of weeks prior, in du'a I began asking Allah (SWT) to make it easy for me to wear it.


    The day I finally put it on permanently I had reached the point where I felt that I could no longer go out with a bare head, and I thought "tough bananas" if others do not like me wearing it since I alone am accountable for my actions and am required to perform my Islamic duties, and I could never please everyone anyway. Sometimes opposition to hijab is a control issue: some persons just plainly do not like those who are determined and independent especially if it is their child.


    Upon wearing it I immediately felt protected and was finally able to go out and not be the target of stares/leers from men. At first I felt a bit self-conscious but after several weeks I felt completely used to wearing hijab. Sometimes other persons look puzzled/confused, I think because they are not used to seeing pale-faced, blue-eyed Muslimas! By the way, wearing hijab is da'wah in a way as it draws attention to Islam.


    Since accepting Islam I continue to seek knowledge about the Deen (religion) which is a lifelong duty for all Muslims--male and female. Currently, I am learning Arabic and hope to be able to read the Qur'an in Arabic soon, insha'Allah. Reading, discussing Islam with other Muslims, and the Friday jum'a khutba are all educational. Striving to be as pious as one can be and fighting against one's own evil traits (jihad al-nafs) takes effort and is continuous and never ending for Muslims.


    I find Islam ever-more fascinating, and I enjoy living as a Muslima.
    Last edited by Ansar Al-'Adl; 05-04-2005 at 01:40 AM.
    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
    "Surely I was sent to perfect the qualities of righteous character" [Musnad Ahmad, Muwatta Mâlik]


    Visit Ansâr Al-'Adl's personal page HERE.
    Excellent resources on Islam listed HERE.

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    Shaakira's Avatar Limited Member
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    Smile Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

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    I grew up in a christian home in Detroit, Mi. I always new alot about religion but to me christianity never made sense. when I reached teenage years I started becomming rebelious and in and out of the youth home as well as placment homes. My mom eventully imancipated me at 15 years old so I was on my own. I started drinking and doing drug because I didn't know where to turn. Then I started to gang bang and commited several different crimes until I was 18 and went to jail but was released on bond. at that point I ben in a bad relationship for 3 years and desided it's time to better my life so I enrolled into Detroit job corps and took up a C.N.A. trade AlhamdulAllah I passed the corse to become a nurse.I soon fell back into rebellion and got hooked up with the wrong peeps [commited some big time felonys]and got locked up again. I had to take a plee bargain to get a lesser sentance witch was 4 years probation under the hida program. I got off in 18 months with no felony or misdamenor rocord they black filed it. I was 19 by then and dicided no more I gonna be a better person to the best of my ability.So I moved in with my best friend and her brother. after I moved in her brother would wiat till his sister would go to work and would try to make me get with him and all his boys,witch I never did[Walahe].So one day I saw an opprotunity to get out of this situation so I left but had nowhere to go. I walked out the appartment and went nextdoor to a gas-station and asked these 2 brothers in a big white van for a ride.I had no idea there were muslim. I never got to where I was going insted I ended up at the drivers wifes house and she told me about Islam.As a kafir I was a sceptic and did not accept Islam right away but these people were so nice,they let me stay for dinner and gave me some clothes.The next day I left and went to stay with another friend of mine for a week. I knew when I left that I wanted to be muslim but I wanted to go to all my hangouts to tell everybody and get all the clubin I did out of my system.One night I was on my way to the club but Allah had different plans for me and led me right back to that sisters house, it was around 12am and I guess the brothers had just got back from Isha becouse they let me in, we sat up till fajr talking about Allah they made salat.After about a week of seeing how real muslims live I took Shahada.A week after I took Shahada I got married.I married into paligamy and absolutly love it. The two men that gave me a ride, the passenger became my wali and the driver was who gave me Shahada and became my husband. It's been 6 years and I'm still married to the same man and still muslim, InshAllah I will die muslim. I also have 4 beutiful children, 2 boys, 2 girls And 1 child that went back to Allah. So ending on that note I love Allah, I worship Allah and I will die for the cause of Allah and Muhammed[p.b.u.h.] is the last pro[het of Allah. Shukran Allah for allowing me to live long enough to become muslim,get married, and have muslim children. SubhanAllah!!! Shaakira
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    format_quote Originally Posted by Shaakira
    I grew up in a christian home in Detroit, Mi. I always new alot about religion but to me christianity never made sense. when I reached teenage years I started becomming rebelious and in and out of the youth home as well as placment homes. My mom eventully imancipated me at 15 years old so I was on my own. I started drinking and doing drug because I didn't know where to turn. Then I started to gang bang and commited several different crimes until I was 18 and went to jail but was released on bond. at that point I ben in a bad relationship for 3 years and desided it's time to better my life so I enrolled into Detroit job corps and took up a C.N.A. trade AlhamdulAllah I passed the corse to become a nurse.I soon fell back into rebellion and got hooked up with the wrong peeps [commited some big time felonys]and got locked up again. I had to take a plee bargain to get a lesser sentance witch was 4 years probation under the hida program. I got off in 18 months with no felony or misdamenor rocord they black filed it. I was 19 by then and dicided no more I gonna be a better person to the best of my ability.So I moved in with my best friend and her brother. after I moved in her brother would wiat till his sister would go to work and would try to make me get with him and all his boys,witch I never did[Walahe].So one day I saw an opprotunity to get out of this situation so I left but had nowhere to go. I walked out the appartment and went nextdoor to a gas-station and asked these 2 brothers in a big white van for a ride.I had no idea there were muslim. I never got to where I was going insted I ended up at the drivers wifes house and she told me about Islam.As a kafir I was a sceptic and did not accept Islam right away but these people were so nice,they let me stay for dinner and gave me some clothes.The next day I left and went to stay with another friend of mine for a week. I knew when I left that I wanted to be muslim but I wanted to go to all my hangouts to tell everybody and get all the clubin I did out of my system.One night I was on my way to the club but Allah had different plans for me and led me right back to that sisters house, it was around 12am and I guess the brothers had just got back from Isha becouse they let me in, we sat up till fajr talking about Allah they made salat.After about a week of seeing how real muslims live I took Shahada.A week after I took Shahada I got married.I married into paligamy and absolutly love it. The two men that gave me a ride, the passenger became my wali and the driver was who gave me Shahada and became my husband. It's been 6 years and I'm still married to the same man and still muslim, InshAllah I will die muslim. I also have 4 beutiful children, 2 boys, 2 girls And 1 child that went back to Allah. So ending on that note I love Allah, I worship Allah and I will die for the cause of Allah and Muhammed[p.b.u.h.] is the last pro[het of Allah. Shukran Allah for allowing me to live long enough to become muslim,get married, and have muslim children. SubhanAllah!!! Shaakira
    Mashallah great story. If you become a muslim all your previous years of disbelieving are forgiven alhamdulillah.
    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    36 83 1 - Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!
    So Glorified is He and Exalted above all that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hands is the dominion of all things, and to Him you shall be returned.
    (Sura Ya-Seen 36:83)
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    Assalamu 'alaikum


    Jazakallah khair brother Henry and sister Shaakira for sharing your stories. May Allah bless you both and keep us all steadfast, ameen.
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    Ameen
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!


    I just read the beautiful and spiritually rejuvenating stories posted by Gavin, Henry, and Shaakira. Its interesting that every story is unique in some way. Shaakira and Henry were introduced to Islam by Muslim friends, while Gavin's was based more on research and was literally a "journey" to Islam. I loved all your stories very much, may Allah Glorified and Exalted reward you for posting them.

    I would recommend the following link to become more familiar with the basic Islamic concepts:
    http://www.beconvinced.com

    And I would strongly suggest reading the Qur'an, God's Last revelation to humanity. You can use either of the following links, choose wichever translatrion you feel more comfortable with:
    quranicrealm.com

    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
    "Surely I was sent to perfect the qualities of righteous character" [Musnad Ahmad, Muwatta Mâlik]


    Visit Ansâr Al-'Adl's personal page HERE.
    Excellent resources on Islam listed HERE.
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    jazakallah for the links brother!
    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    36 83 1 - Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!
    So Glorified is He and Exalted above all that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hands is the dominion of all things, and to Him you shall be returned.
    (Sura Ya-Seen 36:83)
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!



    Maashallah what wonderful stories Sister Shaakira (trully amazing) and brothers Gavin and Henry. I loved all your stories very much, may Allah Glorified and Exalted reward you for posting them.
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!


    subhanallah! allah alone is the guider! allah hu akbar!
    the stories are sooo beautiful! my heart just wants to burst! im so happy for you all alhamdulilah.

    my mom is also muslim revert. She was born in Ireland and come from a very cathlic family.
    when she met my dad she converted to islam alhamdulilah. When i ask her about her life as a non muslim she tells me that she never felt right, incomplete, empty.
    and now alhamdulilah she's my biggest inspiration because she's been through soo much with her family. They didnt talk to her at all, they blamed her for things that went wrong and she stills came out stronger than ever!

    may allah bless the muslim ummah inshallah! ameen!

    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    :rose: A Rose Protects Its Beauty With Thorns, A Woman Protects Hers With A Veil
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    format_quote Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl

    If you are a revert please add your story here, because it is very inspiring Alhamdullilah.

    There are several stories on this site:
    http://thetruereligion.org/modules/xfsection/

    I'll post a few:
    I just read Lara's story and it was fatastic. AlhamdulAllah that she did the reserch before she took Shahada.I knew very little about Islam when I took shahada but I knew it was what I wanted. I to had miscnceptions but it made draw nerer to Islam.
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    ^
    All those stories make me wonder what I've been doing as a born Muslim.
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    format_quote Originally Posted by Munda Pakistani
    ^
    All those stories make me wonder what I've been doing as a born Muslim.

    What do you mean?
    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
    "Surely I was sent to perfect the qualities of righteous character" [Musnad Ahmad, Muwatta Mâlik]


    Visit Ansâr Al-'Adl's personal page HERE.
    Excellent resources on Islam listed HERE.
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    What do you mean?


    Just that they're inspiring. Born Muslims like me tend to take thir religion for granted. I wonder whether I would have had the courage and vision to accept Islam if not born into a Muslim family. It's like wondering whether you would risk your own life to save another. You know it is the right thing to do, but would you do it? Only being in that situation would tell you for sure. That is why I have great respect for reverts; they have done what I only hope I would have done, placed in their position. They are real Muslims; Islam is their way not because it's been drummed into them or because it is the way of everyone around them, but by choice.

    Anyway, do not mean to offend any born Muslims. I'm one of you.
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    errrrrr. I was halfway through a LOOONG story of my reversion when Firefox crashed on me and I think I lost the whole thing. I was going to publish it on my blog and then paste it to this thread.

    How upsetting...
    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    format_quote Originally Posted by Munda Pakistani


    Just that they're inspiring. Born Muslims like me tend to take thir religion for granted. I wonder whether I would have had the courage and vision to accept Islam if not born into a Muslim family. It's like wondering whether you would risk your own life to save another. You know it is the right thing to do, but would you do it? Only being in that situation would tell you for sure. That is why I have great respect for reverts; they have done what I only hope I would have done, placed in their position. They are real Muslims; Islam is their way not because it's been drummed into them or because it is the way of everyone around them, but by choice.

    Anyway, do not mean to offend any born Muslims. I'm one of you.

    I agree with you completely.

    Br. Imadudeen,
    rrrrr. I was halfway through a LOOONG story of my reversion when Firefox crashed on me and I think I lost the whole thing. I was going to publish it on my blog and then paste it to this thread.

    How upsetting...
    That's terrible! You should have typed it into word and saved it first. I hope you will be able to type it again for us. We would really appreciate it. :brother:

    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
    "Surely I was sent to perfect the qualities of righteous character" [Musnad Ahmad, Muwatta Mâlik]


    Visit Ansâr Al-'Adl's personal page HERE.
    Excellent resources on Islam listed HERE.
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    format_quote Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl
    Br. Imadudeen,

    That's terrible! You should have typed it into word and saved it first. I hope you will be able to type it again for us. We would really appreciate it. :brother:

    Yea, I thought about that as I was typing the previous post.

    D'oh!

    I will certainly get at it again soon.
    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    You better Homer!
    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    36 83 1 - Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!
    So Glorified is He and Exalted above all that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hands is the dominion of all things, and to Him you shall be returned.
    (Sura Ya-Seen 36:83)
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    Ibn Syed's Avatar Full Member
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!


    I found this revert story online.


    Former pastor, missionary, professor in Divinity choosed Islam !

    Khadijah 'Sue' Watson - Former pastor, missionary, professor. Master's degree in Divinity "What happened to you !" .....

    This was usually the first reaction I encountered when my former classmates, friends and co-pastors saw me after having embraced Islam.
    I suppose I couldn't blame them, I was a highly unlikely the person to change religions.

    Formerly, I was a professor, pastor, church planter and missionary.

    If anyone was a radical fundamentalist it was I. I had just graduated with my Master's Degree of Divinity from an elite seminary five months before. It was after that time I met a lady who had worked in Saudi Arabia and had embraced Islam.

    Of course I asked her about the treatment of women in Islam. I was shocked at her answer, it wasn't what I expected so I proceeded to ask other questions relating to Allah and Muhammad (pbuh).

    She informed me that she would take me to the Islamic Center where they would be better able to answer my questions. Being prayed up, meaning-asking Jesus for protection against demon spirits seeing that what we had been taught about Islam is that it is Demonic and Satanic religion.

    Having taught Evangelism I was quite shocked at their approach, it was direct and straightforward. No intimidation, no harassment, no psychological manipulation, no subliminal influence! None of this, "let's have a Qur'aanic study in your house", like a counter part of the Bible study.

    I couldn't believe it! They gave me some books and told me if I had some questions they were available to answer them in the office. That night I read all of the books they gave. It was the first time I had ever read a book about Islam written by a Muslim, we had studied and read books about Islam only written by Christians. The next day I spent three hours at the office asking questions.

    This went on everyday for a week, by which time I had read twelve books and knew why Muslims are the hardest people in the world to convert to Christianity.

    Why?

    Because there is nothing to offer them!! (In Islam) There is a relationship with Allah, forgiveness of sins, salvation and promise of Eternal Life. Naturally, my first question centered on the deity of Allah. Who is this Allah that the Muslims worship? We had been taught as Christians that this is another god, a false god.

    When in fact He is the Omniscient-All Knowing, Omnipotent-All Powerful, and Omnipresent-All Present God. The One and Only without co-partners or co-equal.

    It is interesting to note that there were bishops during the first three hundred years of the Church that were teaching as the Muslim beli eves that Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet and teacher!! It was only after the conversion of Emperor Constantine that he was the one to call and introduce the doctrine of the Trinity.

    He a convert to Christianity who knew nothing of this religion introduced a paganistic concept that goes back to Babylonian times. Because the space does not permit me to go into detail about the subject insha'Allah, another time.

    Only I must point out that the word TRINITY is not found in the Bible in any of its many translation nor is it found in the original Greek or Hebrew languages! My other important question centered on Muhammad (pbuh).

    Who is this Muhammad? I found out that Muslims do not pray to him like the Christians pray to Jesus. He is not an intermediary and in fact it is forbidden to pray to him. We ask blessing upon him at the end of our prayer but likewise we ask blessings on Abraham. He is a Prophet and a Messenger, the final and last Prophet. In fact, until now, one thousand four hundred and eighteen years (1,418) later there has been no prophet after him.

    His message is for All Mankind as opposed to the message of Jesus or Moses (peace be upon them both) which was sent to the Jews. "Hear O Israel" But the message is the same message of Allah. "The Lord Your God is One God and you shall have no other gods before Me."(Mark 12:29).

    Because prayer was a very important part of my Christian life I was both interested and curious to know what the Muslims were praying. As Christians we were as ignorant on this aspect of Muslim belief as on the other aspects.

    We thought and were taught, that the Muslims were bowing down to the Ka'bah (in Mecca), that that was there god and center point of this false deity. Again, I was shocked to learn that the manner of prayer is prescribed by God, Himself.

    The words of the prayer are one of praise and exaltation. The approach to prayer (ablution or washing) in cleanliness is under the direction of Allah. He is a Holy God and it is not for us to approach Him in an arbitrary manner but only reasonable that He should tell us how we should approach Him. At the end of that week after having spent eight (8) years of formal theological studies I knew cognitively (head knowledge) that Islam was true. But I did not embrace Islam at that time because I did not believe it in my heart. I continued to pray, to read the Bible, to attend lectures at the Islamic Center.

    I was in earnest asking and seeking God's direction. It is not easy to change your religion. I did not want to loose my salvation if there was salvation to loose. I continued to be shocked and amazed at what I was learning because it was not what I was taught that Islam believed.

    In my Master's level, the professor I had was respected as an authority on Islam yet his teaching and that of Christianity in general is full of Misunderstanding. He and many Christians like him are sincere but they are sincerely wrong.

    Two months later after having once again prayed seeking God's direction, I felt something drop into my being! I sat up, and it was the first time I was to use the name of Allah, and I said, "Allah, I believe you are the One and Only True God." There was peace that descended upon me and from that day four years ago until now I have never regretted embracing Islam. This decision did not come without trial.

    I was fired from my job as I was teaching in two Bible Colleges at that time , ostracized by my former classmates, professors and co-pastors, disowned by my husband's family, misunderstood by my adult children and made a suspicion by my own government. Without the faith that enables man to stand up to Satanic forces I would not ha ve been able to withstand all of this. I am ever so grateful to Allah that I am a Muslim and may I live and die a Muslim. "Truly, my prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are all for God the Cherisher of the Worlds. No partner has He, this I am commanded. And I am the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam." (Holy Qur'aan 6:162-163)

    * Sister Khadijah Watson is presently working as a teacher for women in one of the Da'wah (Invitation) Centers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia


    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    36 83 1 - Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!
    So Glorified is He and Exalted above all that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hands is the dominion of all things, and to Him you shall be returned.
    (Sura Ya-Seen 36:83)
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!


    Br. Imaad Udeen weren't you gonna post your story here? I'd love to see it.
    Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    36 83 1 - Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!
    So Glorified is He and Exalted above all that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hands is the dominion of all things, and to Him you shall be returned.
    (Sura Ya-Seen 36:83)
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    Re: Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

    Assalamu alaikum
    akhi nice post
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    From the KKK to Islam: An Interview with an ex-racist

    From the KKK to Islam: An Interview with an ex-racist



    Few topics touch a raw nerve in the United States like race and racism in America. Given the deeply embedded psychology and history of racism found in American society, it is often surprising to discover individuals who have truly fought against racial hatred with not just their words and actions, but in the two most important battlegrounds: their hearts and minds.

    Abdussalam Sipes is one example of this. Sipes is currently chief of security at a masjid. His calm, frank discussion of his journey from being a member of the virulently racist American white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan (KKK) to his decision to leave racial hatred, and then his acceptance of Islam will make you not only see one individual’s courage to change paths and "see the light" -it will also bring tears to your eyes.

    Sound Vision interviewed Sipes about his former racism, what brought about his change and why he ultimately chose Islam. This is an edited version of that interview:


    SV: What exactly was your connection to racism before your conversion?

    AS: "I was a member of the Ku Klux Klan and before that I was a member of other (white supremacist organizations) too. I was originally just a card-carrying member and I grew up in their ranks. I started with them when I was 14 years old and by the time I was 21, I was a high-ranking official in the Klan organization. I was involved with major recruiting efforts. I was the main organizer of most of the activities in my region. I was in charge of a large geographical region of Klan chapters in the northern district of California. My activities involved everything from media interviews, recruitment drives to literature leaf letting to criminal activities [and went] as far as assaults on people, violent crimes, intimidation. I’ve spent most of my life in prison, over 13 years.”

    SV: What factors in your childhood or personal experiences made you adopt racist views?

    AS: “Just being around the people I grew up around who were racist. I grew up in a predominately white California suburb. All of my family used the word "n*****" (a racial slur against African-Americans) and referred to black people as parasites on society, kind of like cockroaches, just violent and bad in nature. They just [reaffirmed] the stereotypes that white America has of people of color. I went to prison for armed robbery and attempted murder. I was 15 at the time. I was involved with a group that was a paramilitary organization and their activities were intimidating blacks in the town that we lived in. We used to [commit] a lot of violent crimes against people. This particular crime was not race-motivated but we had particular views that were racist. In prison, things [are racially] segregated. You’ve got the blacks, Mexicans and whites. Of course I gravitated towards the white organization. In every subculture, you have organizations and you have groups and individuals. You have a rank and file and you fall into that rank you feel is part of your culture. People that you share a lot in common with culturally.”

    SV: What triggered you to change your racist views?

    AS: “I eventually came to question some of my actions and some of my beliefs through my search and study of genealogy and the origins of man. The racism drove me to study to find out proof and evidence and to find out the origin of my own people (Europeans). The deeper and deeper I got into the subject I began to find evidence that revealed that all human beings have the same origin. So I began to doubt the validity of the supreme, pure race of people anywhere in the world, let alone Europeans of Aryan race. The other element [of my change] was [that] when you hate somebody so passionately and you just live and just consume the hatred everyday, it starts to deteriorate. It’s like a cancer because it destroys your personality, it distorts your soul, and it destroys [those] close to you because it wears off on other people. I was inflicting more harm on myself than the people I hated. I was basically destroying my family and anyone else who had contact with me. Hatred and racism will manifest itself in any people in the world and that’s the interesting thing as far as the world is concerned. Everyone looks at America because of the recent slave trade, because we have the most recent history of slavery. [But] when we look at what the Serbs do to the Albanian or Bosnian Muslims, for some reason because it’s European versus European, we overlook the fact that it’s blatant racism.”
    SV: What made you consider converting to Islam, and did it have something to do with your previous views on race?

    AS: “I made a decision to get out of the white supremacist movement. Unfortunately, I was still living my life without guidance. I ended up going back to prison. I was in the federal penitentiary for possession of Semtax explosives (a solid form of plastic explosives). With the hatred and burden of hate off my shoulders I was able to think, contemplate. My heart was a little more open to spirituality so I knew I was tired of the life I was living, tired of going to prison. I just felt that I hit a plateau in my life where I wanted to make some serious changes again, but I didn’t know which direction to go. I think all sincerely decent, kind, caring, loving human beings always gravitate to whatever is most near to them in their subculture. My interactions with people (Christians) were always pleasant. I would sometimes gravitate towards the church but their way of believing in God, the words in the Bible, their basic beliefs, I just couldn’t grasp it, I never could develop any real belief based on the Christian view of God. The turning point was when I got to federal penitentiary in Pekin, Illinois. At that point, I had given up being racist, the guards came and asked me if I had any problem having black roommates (they interview you to see where they can place you because you have three to four roommates in one prison cell). I said I didn’t care. They usually take advantage of that because most people want to be with their own kind. I got one black roommate. This person had a friend named Fareed who was Muslim. When Fareed came to the cell, [he] noticed I had nothing-no cosmetic items, stamps to write my family, or money.

    One day he came to my cell and he asked me: ‘don’t you have any money or anything like that. I said I didn't ’have any. He said you want some?

    I said no.

    About 15 minutes later, he came back and he had a bag in his hands.

    He said ‘here’ [giving it to Sipes-it contained some basic items he needed].

    I said I don’t want it, I didn’t ask for anything. I said don’t come to me next week saying I owe you something. He said it’s not like that at all, its just part of my religion.

    I just kind of smiled and laughed and said what religion is that? He said Islam; I’m a Muslim. At that point, I said ‘yeah right’. Now I was convinced this guy is going to give me problems. He’ll be back saying I owe him something, I’m going to have to look for [a] knife or some weapon to allow me to eliminate this problem that he’s going to bring to me later. At this time, my understanding of Islam was that it was a black, racist religion [with] their teaching that the white man was the devil. I knew this from run-ins with the Nation of Islam [an African-American nationalist and spiritual movement].

    He [Fareed] came back later. I said why don’t you give me something about your religion, because I was thinking I ‘m going to catch this guy in a lie. I was going to get a hold of some of his literature and ask him ‘how can you believe the white man is the devil and you’re going out of your way to help me? How do you explain yourself? How are you going to share with the devil (me)? He came back with some literature. It was an introduction to Islam. It was just really different from what I had thought it would be. It was something that I was not expecting to find and at the same time it was something that I needed to find. This was a real religion based on truth and that’s basically what I was hungry for and what I was searching for. I found out how simple it was, that there’s no intermediary between man and God, [that] you had a direct link to God. I felt that this is a religion where you can practice without the help of outsiders, putting partners with God.

    Allah created Islam with a purity that could not be rivaled with. I finally got a hold of the Quran. Every page I read I broke down crying because I felt that as I was reading the Quran, in a way my soul was cleansing itself of all the poison. The Ayat (verses) that I was reading, they compared to Christianity, but there were a lot of things that sound so much more believable [in the Quran than the Bible]. [It] sounds so pure. When I read [most of] the first two Surahs of the Quran, that was enough for me. I was convinced the Quran was a miracle and it was the Divine word of God. I couldn’t find anything wrong with the Quran. I felt in my heart that this was the true religion Allah had created for us. I was convinced at that point.

    After I took my Shahada, I read more [in the Quran about] how Allah keeps those people in ignorance and He brings people out of ignorance as He wishes. He had a plan for me to become a Muslim. At this stage in my life, Alhamdolillah, since I took Shahada, everything has been in a Positive direction in my life. Everything keeps getting better.”


    SV: What was your reaction when you read verse 13 of Surah number 49, given your background as a former racist?

    AS: “I broke down and cried. I just wanted to be part of a world religion where there is no racism involved, where everybody’s created equally in the eyes of God. I wanted to be part of a religion in which God did not favor anyone other than those who were most pious. When I read that particular Ayah, it really validated this religion for me because that told me that Islam is the sworn enemy of racism. This is one Ayah of many that jumped out at me. The Quran was answering questions for me. That was a very powerful Ayah for me because of my past. It was proof for me that I could go ahead and be a Muslim because God was saying how mankind should be towards one another. That was complete harmony [and] that was a beautiful, beautiful thing.”

    SV: What would you advise Muslims seeking to rid themselves of racial hatred?

    AS: “Basically, people to have to work on strengthening their Iman (faith) because when you lose your Deen, when you lose your prayer, Shaitan steps in and then he takes over. And then it’s all Fitna (trials and temptations) after that. Other than prejudice in our Ummah, we’re plagued with many other problems. The answer to all of those problems is that we need to start practicing the Deen and becoming better Muslims in our Ibadah (worship). When we lose our Deen, when we lose our prayer, we lose His (Allah’s) favor; we lose His protection from the Shaitan. People don’t realize the power of Shaitan, he gets between people. He manifests the divisions between us. As Muslims, we should have no real difference. Yet if Shaitan gets in there, he’ll make some reason not to get along. That’s my understanding. Every Muslim knows this is a fundamental belief that there is no racism in Islam and everybody knows its Haram (forbidden) but they just take it like any other subject that they know is Haram because the Iman is so weak, the Taqwa (fear of Allah) is [in] such a low state that they continue to commit acts and they get worse. The farther away you get from Islam [the worse its going to be].”

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