Did you pick your religion or were you born into it?

[ChargerCarl]

Pretty straight forward question.

[cuezed]

I was born in a non practicing Muslim family. And Alhamdulillah I, by my own will, accepted Islam when I was 15 years old. Caused a lot of trouble in family but eventually everyone are cool now.

[Rafeeq]

Well, I am a born muslim but I am not muslim because I born in it. I choose Islam after studing it as my way of life, Humdulillah.

[Perseveranze]

Asalaamu Alaikum(peace be with everyone),

I was born into it, deviated from it because of propoganda and my environment, by the will of Allah(swt) got inspired to just study it(even tried to refute it) and came back to it with absolute firm conviction. When I think about it now, I really feel like an idiot for being so ignorant.

[Ramadhan]

I was born into it, deviated from it because of propoganda and my environment, by the will of Allah(swt) got inspired to just study it(even tried to refute it) and came back to it with absolute firm conviction. When I think about it now, I really feel like an idiot for being so ignorant.

ditto.

(12 chars)

[Ğħαrєєвαħ]

Greetings of peace ChargerCarl

I was born into a Muslim family, but wasnt practising, there was a time in my life where i felt something was missing in my life, i was only 15 back then. As years passed i studied the religion and quite a few of other religions and in conclusion Islaam granted me what i needed and not just what i wanted, it answered all my questions etc.

Peace

[GuestFellow]

I was born in a Muslim family. My parents are practicing but the rest of my family are not. I did not know much about Islam either. During my teens, I started to get doubts about Islam to the point I became agnostic, and I think I was heading towards atheism. I used to listen to people like Wafa Sultan, Nonie Darwish, Richard Dawkins, and so on.

I was so confused and I decided to do some research about Islam. I converted back to Islam. I still feel guilty for leaving in the first place. :/

[Pygoscelis]

I was born into a Christian family (Presbeterian). My father is still a member of the church but somewhat lapsed now and goes along with my mother to make her happy. My mother is a church warden, very much a believer, and she and I agreed long ago not to discuss religion much. She knows I'm an atheist and still sometimes sends me things or articles hoping it will make me "see the light" and turn to Jesus etc. My sister is a believer, not as hardcore as my mom. My grandmother on my father's side was very very hardcore fundamentalist christian, to the point that we let her live on and pass away never knowing I was an atheist, because it would have made her very worrisome and upset.

I myself went to church as a child, enjoyed the social aspects, went along with the rituals, but never truly believed. I remember the day when I was 12 or so when I realized that the people there actually BELIEVED this stuff and it wasn't all just theatre and make believe to them.

[PouringRain]

In short, my story is somewhat similar to the Muslim members who posted here-- only Christian.

[Woodrow]

I was born into a very pious practicing Christian Family. It took me 65 years to find my way home to Islam

[ChargerCarl]

Ok thanks for responding

[Ummu Sufyaan]

i grew up into a practicing Muslim family, but even then one day you learn to grow up and become aware of right and wrong...so despite your environment you come to know that islam is the right religion.

[Gator]

Picked it. Family were Lutherans and went to Sunday school as a kid but I don't remember a time ever really believing. Thanks.

[S.Belle]

born into a religious Christian family but later converted to Islam, left Islam and became buddhist then returned to Islam alhamdulilah

[Neelofar]

I alhumdulillah am born into a Islamic family and i one day hope and pray that i bring my own children up into a practising Islamic family inshallah!

[Trumble]

I chose it. My parents were agnostic, and I don't remember either of them ever mentioning religion in a practicing context at all. The only religious person in my family was my paternal grandfather who was a Christian, and became a JW shortly before his death. That always struck me as odd as his wife, my grandmother, was a card-carrying atheist leftie of the old school (she actually met Stalin once!)

Like many, I was looking for something that was clearly missing in my life and found it in Buddhism.

[Zafran]

salaam

Born in a muslim family - not realy religious - anyway after being lost - until university when I read the Quran and that started a journey that I'm still on.

peace

[IAmZamzam]

God guides whom He will. Our actions themselves are predetermined, just not whether we perform them willingly or unwillingly. Barring this I don't know how to answer, as I was initially inspired to come to Islam when I literally woke up one morning wanting to, I read the Koran (namely, Arberry's translation), and I figured that I was feeling compelled for good reason. Then I left the religion some time later and ended up coming back to it when I was brought to understand that my reasons for leaving were B.S. There are no easy answers, are there?