Assalamu alaikum!
Sorry, this is going to be a bit long...
I really want to revert to Islam, insha Allah. But, there are a few things that are keeping me from actually doing it. Not religious things, I mean, I don't doubt at all that Islam is the perfect religion, that I absolutely want to be Muslim. But if anyone could possibly give me some advice, I would really appreciate it. Here goes...
Alhamdulillah, I one of my best friends since I was 12 is Muslim. She was for the most part a good example, and once I started to learn more about religion (I was raised an atheist), I actually had a good opinion of Islam. I began to learn about it, and it felt so good and made so much sense, alhamdulillah I decided last year that I wanted to be Muslim. Eventually, I could make myself tell my friend my "secret". She was happy, of course, at least she sounded happy.
We went to different schools this year for the first time, and she's working, and she's very busy and I almost never get to see her. When I told her that I want to revert, at the end of summer break, I expected she would be really eager to make it happen. I have dreamed so many times of taking my shahada, of being in the mosque with all my Muslim sisters -for the first time, people who I didn't have to keep such a big part of me hidden from.
But, well, I'm still not a Muslim. We haven't really talked about it since then, except the many times I have nagged her about taking me to the mosque, on facebook because I never see her. She's always "too busy", and her replies, even when I ask her a serious question or something, are short and unconcerned. I wait for almost a month before asking again; I know she isn't free every Friday, and I hope when she is she'll invite me like she said she would, but she doesn't. And I end up nagging again. One week I heard that a different friend was going to the mosque with her, just because she wanted to go to her house that weekend. I have to say, that made me mad. She wasn't the one who wanted to be a Muslim, who had been waiting and nagging for several months.
So I told myself, I would definitely happen over winter break. She has 3 whole weeks off. But it hasn't and that's where I am now. It feels like she wants nothing to do with me. But even if she stopped liking me as a friend, it seems like she'd still try to get me to the mosque, as a Muslim.
I'm 16, and I can't drive myself there. At first, I didn't even think about going without my friend. When I imagined it all, she and her mom were always standing next to me as I took the shahada, and they were the ones who dropped me back off with encouragement before I broke the news to my mom. Now, I don't care so much about that. I doubt it's going to happen. But then the problem is that I can't drive, and they aren't going to be taking me, and neither is my (staunchly atheist) mom who still doesn't know. I could take the bus, but mom would want to know where I was going. I of course don't want to lie to her, and she'd find out even if I did when I came home and told her I was Muslim.
I could just tell her. I could tell my mom that I want to be Muslim, let it sink in, and ask if I can go to the mosque. She'd say yes, I'm pretty sure. Alhamdulillah, I really don't think she's one of those people who would try to prevent me from being Muslim, like some of the reverts I've read stories of. But I think it would work so much easier if I just did it first, took my shahada at the mosque, officially became Muslim before telling her. That way she couldn't try to talk me out of it, or keep worrying as if she could prevent it. It would be much easier and quicker for everyone.
I'm not exactly sure about how to take the shahada if not at the mosque (I've seen websites that say you can do it online and stuff, or by yourself), and maybe this is dumb, but I really want to do it at the mosque. I've been looking forward to that so much for almost a year, even before I was positive that I wanted to revert. It just doesn't seem right to do it in my house, at the computer. It wouldn't feel official, I don't think I'd feel like I'd really done it.
So, that's it. Alhamdulillah, these problems are very minor compared to those that many reverts face. And rather than turning me away from Islam, they are making me want to be really welcoming and helpful and friendly to any new reverts that I may meet, insha Allah! But if you have any advice, I would really like to hear it. Jazak Allah Khayr.
Sorry, this is going to be a bit long...
I really want to revert to Islam, insha Allah. But, there are a few things that are keeping me from actually doing it. Not religious things, I mean, I don't doubt at all that Islam is the perfect religion, that I absolutely want to be Muslim. But if anyone could possibly give me some advice, I would really appreciate it. Here goes...
Alhamdulillah, I one of my best friends since I was 12 is Muslim. She was for the most part a good example, and once I started to learn more about religion (I was raised an atheist), I actually had a good opinion of Islam. I began to learn about it, and it felt so good and made so much sense, alhamdulillah I decided last year that I wanted to be Muslim. Eventually, I could make myself tell my friend my "secret". She was happy, of course, at least she sounded happy.
We went to different schools this year for the first time, and she's working, and she's very busy and I almost never get to see her. When I told her that I want to revert, at the end of summer break, I expected she would be really eager to make it happen. I have dreamed so many times of taking my shahada, of being in the mosque with all my Muslim sisters -for the first time, people who I didn't have to keep such a big part of me hidden from.
But, well, I'm still not a Muslim. We haven't really talked about it since then, except the many times I have nagged her about taking me to the mosque, on facebook because I never see her. She's always "too busy", and her replies, even when I ask her a serious question or something, are short and unconcerned. I wait for almost a month before asking again; I know she isn't free every Friday, and I hope when she is she'll invite me like she said she would, but she doesn't. And I end up nagging again. One week I heard that a different friend was going to the mosque with her, just because she wanted to go to her house that weekend. I have to say, that made me mad. She wasn't the one who wanted to be a Muslim, who had been waiting and nagging for several months.
So I told myself, I would definitely happen over winter break. She has 3 whole weeks off. But it hasn't and that's where I am now. It feels like she wants nothing to do with me. But even if she stopped liking me as a friend, it seems like she'd still try to get me to the mosque, as a Muslim.
I'm 16, and I can't drive myself there. At first, I didn't even think about going without my friend. When I imagined it all, she and her mom were always standing next to me as I took the shahada, and they were the ones who dropped me back off with encouragement before I broke the news to my mom. Now, I don't care so much about that. I doubt it's going to happen. But then the problem is that I can't drive, and they aren't going to be taking me, and neither is my (staunchly atheist) mom who still doesn't know. I could take the bus, but mom would want to know where I was going. I of course don't want to lie to her, and she'd find out even if I did when I came home and told her I was Muslim.
I could just tell her. I could tell my mom that I want to be Muslim, let it sink in, and ask if I can go to the mosque. She'd say yes, I'm pretty sure. Alhamdulillah, I really don't think she's one of those people who would try to prevent me from being Muslim, like some of the reverts I've read stories of. But I think it would work so much easier if I just did it first, took my shahada at the mosque, officially became Muslim before telling her. That way she couldn't try to talk me out of it, or keep worrying as if she could prevent it. It would be much easier and quicker for everyone.
I'm not exactly sure about how to take the shahada if not at the mosque (I've seen websites that say you can do it online and stuff, or by yourself), and maybe this is dumb, but I really want to do it at the mosque. I've been looking forward to that so much for almost a year, even before I was positive that I wanted to revert. It just doesn't seem right to do it in my house, at the computer. It wouldn't feel official, I don't think I'd feel like I'd really done it.
So, that's it. Alhamdulillah, these problems are very minor compared to those that many reverts face. And rather than turning me away from Islam, they are making me want to be really welcoming and helpful and friendly to any new reverts that I may meet, insha Allah! But if you have any advice, I would really like to hear it. Jazak Allah Khayr.