Stories of Muslim Reverts! - Post yours here!

:sl:





jaynekemp-1.jpg


29 Jan 2013 08:04

Police Community Support Officer Jayne Kemp, 28, decided to find out about the faith while helping a Muslim woman suffering domestic abuse




http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...s/eccles-pcso-converts-to-islam-after-1250294
 
:sl:


[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Far-right Dutch Politician Finds Islam





AMSTERDAM – A leading member in far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ party has reverted to Islam after an extensive study about the Islamic religion and Muslims.“


I can understand people are skeptic, especially that it is unexpected for many of them,” Arnoud Van Doorn told Al-Jazeera English satellite channel.“This is a very big decision, which I have not taken lightly.”The news about Doorn’s reversion first came to the surface last month when he tweeted “new beginning”.




He later posted a tweet in Arab pronouncing the Shahadah (proclamation of faith).The politician later announced that he reverted to Islam, giving no more information about the reasons behind the decision.“In my own close circle people have known that I have been actively researching the Qur’an, Hadith, Sunnah and other writings for almost a year now,” he said.“In addition, I have had numerous conversations with Muslims about the religion.”Driven by his party’s anti-Islam discourse, Doorn decided to dig in for the truth about the religion himself.“I have heard so many negative stories about Islam, but I am not a person who follows opinions of others without doing my own research,” he said.“Therefore, I have actually started to deepen my knowledge of the Islam out of curiosity.“






My colleague Aboe Khoulani from the City Council in The Hague has brought me further into contact with the as-Soennah mosque, which has guided me even further.”A member of the Dutch parliament and The Hague city council, Doorn’s name has long been associated with Wilders’ anti-Islam, far-right PVV party.




A member of the Dutch parliament and The Hague city council, Doorn’s name has long been associated with anti-Islam rhetoric by Wilders’ PVV party.Wilders himself is known for his rants against Islam, Muslims and the Noble Qur’an.New Beginning

Doorn’s decision to embrace Islam has won mixed reactions in the Netherlands.“According to some people I am a traitor, but according to most others I have actually made a very good decision,” he told Aljazeera.“



The reactions are generally positive and I also received quite some support via twitter.“It feels good that people who do not know me personally have understanding of my situation and support me in my choice.”For the Dutch politician, finding Islam was finally guiding him to the true path in his life.“I have made mistakes in life as many others. From these mistakes I have learned a lot,” Doorn said.“And by my conversion to Islam I have the feeling that I finally found my path.“




I realize that this is a new start and that I still have much to learn as well.”Departing from his earlier life as a PVV member, Doorn expects much resistance in his political life.“The expectation is that I will continue to face much resistance, also from certain government institutions,” he said.“I have all faith in Allah to support me and to guide me through these moments.”--Source: http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/461645-far-right-dutch-politician-reverts-to-islam.html
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
:sl:




A German lady converts to Islam

Thursday 02-04-2009




Shortly after I was born in 1934 it became a "fashion" in Germany to quit membership of the Church—Catholic or Protestant—and become "gottglaubig" which means believing in God but actually signifies rather the contrary.

In fact when I was about seven years old, an elder girl told me that there was no God at all and as she seemed to me quite an authentic person and I had just learned that also Santa Claus is only an invention for children, turned all my interest towards this world. Yet the world at that time was far from being easily understandable for young people.


There were bombs day after day, there was father who could come only now and then for just one day and mother who knitted gloves and socks for "our poor soldiers," there was a big house in the neighbourhood which was turned into a hospital for the wounded.




When that was over, there were strange people who took away our house and American war-films started coming in which melted my heart. I was unable to judge who was right and who was wrong and everything looked cruel and senseless to me—there were a thousand whys to which nobody could give a satisfactory answer.


I started to be on the outlook for God yet hard though I tried I could neither find Him in Catholicism nor Protestantism nor with Jehova's Witnesses.


The road nearer to God in these religions was barred for me through the fact that all of them had doctrines in which to believe I found impossible, and injunctions to follow which strictly seemed to me impracticable. And how could I accept a faith in which I knew from the very outset that I would be tortured by self accusation for my own imperfection?

It is still a miracle for me that of all girls, I was the one to meet a young European who had already embraced Islam seven years before. The very first time we met I happened to enquire about his religion and when I learned that it was Islam I asked him to tell me more about it.


I was a great sceptic at that time due to the disappointments I had had with other religions, yet when he explained to me the meaning of the word 'Muslim', i.e., one who out of free will surrenders himself to God's Commandments, something started waking up within me.



Then he went on to explain to me that all men, animals, plants and everything else in this universe is already Muslim compulsorily because they would destroy themselves if they would not follow God's laws in matters such as eating, drinking, procreation and so on.

Man alone, so he said, is in a position to accept Islam also spiritually, apart from the material sphere where he practically does not have a free choice but has to follow his inborn urges as animals and plants.

It was the wonderful logic, the pure commonsense in all Islamic teachings which attracted me so much, in the first few fundamental doctrines about which I learned as much as in the books I read in the following years small though the stock of unbiased Islamic literature in German language is. Apart from the help of the young Muslim he now is my husband—who never got tired of explaining things to me and answering all my questions.



Muhammad Asad's book "The Road to Mecca” made me understand the deep meaning behind all Islamic injunctions and thus helped me most while I was on my way to become a Muslimah.




Fatima Heeren
From: Yes I Converted to Islam and here why
By: Muhammad Haneef Shahid​


http://www.islamweb.net/womane/nindex.php?page=readart&id=149687
 
Why Me Lord?


Alhamdulilah il Rabbil Alamin Ar Rahaman ir Rahim
As’alaamu Alaikkum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

I was born into a Roman Catholic family in India where Ispent the first ten years of my life. My earliest childhood memories ofreligion and god is when my grandmother used to wake us up during the crack ofdawn for us to go to church. We would bathe ourselves with buckets of waterfrom the well and at that time of the morning the water was freezing cold. Iremember sitting on the floor sleepy eyed and angry. I used to just follow thechurch service without any understanding nor feeling. I felt I was numb. I usedto look at the figure hanging on a cross and subconsciously I would ask myselfis this God? Other times I was told to kiss the various statues of the ‘virginMary’ and the saints of Christendom. All I remember is the coldness on the lipswhen it touched the cold stone statues.

At the age of ten I and my mother went to live in London,England with my father. It was a difficult time as the cultural and languagebarrier was very significant. However, being relatively young I was able toadjust pretty quickly to English life. As far I can remember I attended thelocal church regularly on a Sunday. Then at the age of fifteen or sixteen Idecided that church, religion and god is not needed in my life. I only attendedchurch for weddings, funerals and special occasions like Easter, Christmas etc.

It was a time when I was without God in every sense ofthe word. Now I began to think of myself as a local and did what the localsdid. Drinking, fornicating and god knows what else. At a certain stage in mylife I decided that atheism sounded pretty good. Although I’ve never openlytold anybody, I decided to myself that I am an atheist. There is no God, whywould anybody need a God in their life. You are born, you enjoy life then youdie and turn to dust. Very simple logic. Looking back though I don’t think Iwas a good human being. I was a hater, I used to hate anything and everything. Itaffected my relationships and I ended up alone. It was as if it was me againstthe world. Sometimes I told my friends that if I had a choice I would get allhumanity together and machine gun them to death. All of them (except me ofcourse).

Just after I hit the age of forty I somehow developed aneed to find out more about God and if He even exists. I went back to churchand attended regularly, even on a daily basis when I was unemployed. It wascomforting to be in the company of elderly ladies and feel kind of self worth.It’s probably the thought that when I reach their age I want to praise andhonour God just like them.

Then I decided to research on the internet, there was anocean of information there and one was spoilt for choice. I joined a fewChristian social networking sites and pretty quickly were banned for all of thefor asking difficult questions and putting forward a different point of view.Eastern religions made me sick as I could never bring myself to worship norbelieve in one thousand and one gods. Why make it so complicated?

At the back of my mind I somehow knew about Judaim andIslam being a monotheistic and an Abrahamiac faith. Judaism was a no-no as they’verejected Jesus and I read or heard somewhere that one has to be born into thereligion, they do not accept outsiders. Good I thought to myself. So the finalchoice would be Islam. I heard rumours that they had ‘borrowed’ parts of theirdoctrine from the Bible. So it would be easy for me to learn it as I knew moreor less the Bible and what it stood for.

So I joined an Islamic social networking site and got onwith most of the Muslims there. However, everybody was always pushing me totake the Shahada and I didn’t even know what that was. Hang on a minute I don’teven have a Muslim neighbor so just go easy on me.

The first time I read an English translation of the HolyQur’an I said to myself “yep, this is definitely borrowed from the Bible, I meanyou’ve stolen our prophets from the Bible like Moses, David, Solomon, evenJesus for crying out loud.

Then I don’t know what happened. I honestly can’tdescribe what took hold of me. As I re-read and re-read the Holy Qur’an sometruths were just glaring at me in black and white. The first thing that Inoticed was the description of the birth of Jesus and how it was completelydifferent from the narration of the Bible. The Qur’anic version made sense tome. A young Jewish woman who brought a new born baby into her household wouldhave been stoned to death. The reason she was not I understood was that Jesusspoke to the people from the cradle. This was an obvious miracle if there everwas one. This was the reason that the people and the family of Mary acceptedthe baby Jesus.

Then over time, I can only describe it as that I’ve beenguided by the Almighty Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala to the Straight Path. Why me? Alowly, insignificant and despicable human being. Why me Lord?

Alhamdulilah il Rabbil Alamin!
 
Assalaam Alaikum

My story probably isn't as interesting as the ones above but I will try to tell it as best I can if anyone would like to hear it. I was raised as a Buddhist but I didn't really understand all the technical details as a child. In high school I became rebellious and leaned more towards agnosticism. However, it left me feeling empty. In my early years of college I became clinically depressed and suicidal. I searched the depths of the humanities - philosophies, religions, arts and sciences. This included existentialism, logic, utilitarian ethics, relativity, physicalism, non-dualism, Neoplatoism, (Shakti) Hinduism, Jainism, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism, Unitarian Universalism, Zoroastrianism, and much more. Even though I eventually recovered from my suicidal tendencies after a stay at the psychiatric hospital, I still didn't find what I was looking for. Priding myself of being open-minded, I studied Islam more closely aside from what I learned in class as I always found myself siding with it. My Muslim friend from school also spurred my interest and fondness of the noble religion. However, I did not take the final leap because I wasn't sure if I was ready for the commitment and was wary of hierarchy.

I struggled to deal with all the injustices in the world - racism, materialism, hubris, selfishness, hypocrisy, etc. I kept wondering, "Is there an answer to all of this?" Finally, as I saw a photo of extreme poverty contrasted with extreme privilege, I thought of the five pillars of Islam - the Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and the Hajj. They all represent everything I've been looking for - humility, charity, sacrifice, respect, and meaning. Subhanallah My Muslim friend then invited me to go to the masjid and I recited the Shahada with the Imam and Ummah. Thus, I reverted to Islam and fitra. (At first my family wasn't too supportive but they are now.) Of course, I can go on and on about the beauty of the deen from the noble, perfect Quran to the prescriptions in the Hadith. For now I'll just say a void has finally been filled and I feel like I have a place in the world with the strength to go on. Allahu Akbar
 
[h=1]May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you[/h]
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
​
[h=1]Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh[/h]I come here in Saudi Arabia for work, to save money and to experience of being an OFW from the Philippines. All are new to me like work in abroad, take airplane, going to an Arab country mostly here in Islamic Country of Saudi Arabia. Before I go here I have already idea and must leaner about the country which I will go for work, their food, language, culture and the people there. Before I revert to Islam, I was a Roman Catholic devotee but mostly I was go to a specific church and pray in home before and after asleep, always thanking God that giving me a 1 day more of living. I have a not good past life but now I’m trying, doing everything to be good in the eye of people and mostly to God. I revert to Islam last August 2013 around 10-8 days of Laylatul-Qadr (10 days before end of Ramadan). Before I revert to Islam I think more times because changing/reverting religion is not easy or just a joke. Its faith to God you’re dealing with. My colleagues introduce and give me more idea about Islam; I take shahadah in a Dawah Center (Islamic Center Foundation: Musrefah District) which mostly people there are Asian like Pakistani, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Pinoy. They welcome me happy. After take shahadah in Dawah Center, I take a shahadah again in Mosque with the help of my good friend, a Saudi guy. After Isha prayer, he asks me to go with him in from of Sheik to take shahadah. I was amaze how they welcome me in Islam, maybe around 100+ hugging me, saying/chanting “Allahu Akbar, Mambrook” or congratulation, welcome to Islam, in Islam we are brothers; one ummah.. I can’t explain how happy I am after I revert to Islam. They give me resources like books for new Muslim, audio files of Quran. I call my mother after 3 weeks since I revert to Islam, I talked to her, I told and explain why and how and what I’ve experience, she told me that whenever I’m happy with, she is also happy and understand and accept my decision unlike some other mothers that they will angry, curse you or forgot you. And I told her, also to my sibling and relative that I will explain more when I take vacation in my home country, InshAllah to guide and make Dawah for them. I have no regrets and I’ve thankful where I’m now which help me to be a better man. Knowing what unlawful and lawful things. Alhamdulillah, I’m very thankful and InshAllah I will try and more have times to no more and learn and apply about Islam and help other about Islam. May Allah help, guide me always to the straight path.
 
"Islam is a religion with an open door; it is there for those who want to enter it.... Verily Allah is the Most Merciful, Most Kind." - posted by tw009, but the author is Cassie (post #607)

Lovely, lovely quote. I love it. I do, I do.

Jazakallah khair! :amin::awesome:
 
:sl:


10903994_793570727385737_7226634654518802507_o.jpg



"My story starts in 2013 when I tried Hijab for the first time.


In the summer of 2014, I went outside with the Hijab on. I felt safe and respected, but also, some people were looking at me very strange.
I didn't mind it so much, but I got a taste of how a Hijabi feels when she is called terrorist and so on. On that day, I met two Arab guys. We became good friends, they told me about Islam.


It was the Month of Ramadan so I went to the Masjid with them. I wanted to find out more about the month of Ramandan, meaning of it, fasting and how it is done. When I was there I never felt that I am with people I've never met or seen before.

Everyone was so kind with me and answered every single questions I had asked. I became very interested in Islam, I read the Quran and other books about Islam and the Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W).


In my family I am the only Muslim.


Alhamdulilah, this Friday I took my Shahada.


I feel very happy because I decided to do this.


I like Hijab because it's my Choice, my Right,
I choose what I want others to see.

Hijab make me feel more safe."
-Kristina (Jana) 17 -Romania


Please Share your hijab experience with us using the following link:
http://worldhijabday.com/submit-story/
‪#‎WorldHijabDay‬ Feb. 1st
Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldHijabDay

Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/worldhijabday

Be part of youtube community: https://www.youtube.com/user/WorldHijabDay
 
Another quote I love in the above post-

"I like hijab because it's my Choice, my Right, I choose what I want others to see".

What ownership of 'cause'!(can't think of a better word, somebody help me...)

I salute you!



:peace:
 
I was a White supremacist for years but I never hated or even disliked Islam, I always found Islam and Muslims to be interesting and studied Iran, and many Arab nations. I've also had Muslim friends since I was a little kid, and I had to keep that a secret from my White supremacist friends. I called myself both a National Socialist and a White Nationalist. I was raised by Christian parents who never took me to church or taught me anything about God, Jesus or anything else Christian. I think the only thing that made me a Christian or even anywhere near one was the fact that I wore a cross sometimes. As I grew older with no sense of direction I found Stormfront and other hate sites that claim to be for "European preservation" or something similar. I liked how they claimed to promote the interests of White people and it sounded positive to me. I thought "The black have it, the Jews have it, the Asians too, so why can't we have our own forums and groups?" Well, they weren't about what I was about.

Sure, I viewed groups like blacks and Asians, and Jews to be inferior but after years of being around these idiots and listening to them spew their hatred for people and wishing that places like the Middle East and Africa be wiped off the map by Atomic bombs I got a little bit uncomfortable to say the least. So, I began researching Islam and trying to get away from both Christianity, and Atheism. At this point I wasn't sure who I was anymore, but after learning more and more about Islam and what's it all about something inside of me - a gut feeling I suppose, told me that "this is your destiny". I was a moderator on two White supremacist forums, and involved in real life organizations. I cut ties from both of them and shocked my friends. They called me a "traitor to my race" and that just sealed the deal even more so. How on Earth am I a "race traitor" for being a Muslim? Wow, the stupidity of some people amazes me.

I still hold some beliefs that some may consider to be "far-right" but I view all races to be equal and I don't discriminate anymore. Mashallah.
 
Masa Allah , Revert Stories are great for the Man or Woman who gets reverts and also for the Human beeing. When one people reverts into Islam then his all sins forgiven by Allah. It is the great reward from Allah at the starting of Islam.
 
:sl:



Make Me a Muslim young British women are converting to Islam -

BBC full movie Documentary 2013




Published on Mar 24, 2013

Make Me a Muslim BBC full movie Documentary 2013 episode 2


Growing numbers of young British women are converting to Islam.


Shanna Bukhari, a 26-year-old Muslim from Manchester, sets out to find out why girls are giving up partying, drinking and wearing whatever they want for a religion some people associate with the oppression of women.

This warm documentary follows the highs and lows of five girls as they embrace their new faith. From adapting to a religion that


allows a man to marry up to four wives to the acceptance of friends and family, it isn't always easy.

STUDENT Alana Blockley had wanted to spend a summer boozing while working as a club rep.



My family are all travellers and we live on a caravan site.

I was baptised as a Christian but church and religion were never a big part of my life.

The 21-year-old, from Bridgeton, Glasgow, swapped her favourite foods and boozy nights out with pals for a new religion in 2010

I started to research Islam because I wanted to know more about his life.
I decided I wanted to convert. I was worried about telling my parents and burst into tears. Mum thought I was pregnant and my dad thought I'd crashed my car.


I miss eating Parma ham but I don't miss alcohol.


I celebrate Eid now, but I compromised with my parents and we all had a halal Christmas dinner.I hope I'm going to heaven now



and I like the rules of Islam. :: CALL TO REAL SALVATION ::


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIJsStKLE7A#t=441
 
:sl:



She found Islām at 81



83fe8a5058d84da7a3e6ea6c7fabbc5c-1.jpg




Source: www.islam21c.com



--Ismael Abdela


I long cherish the day I met this woman as a redefining moment in my life. It was a cold morning in North London with nothing to look forward to besides the Friday sermon. It very quickly turned into a series of divinely orchestrated happenings that nobody could so perfectly organise besides the Lord of that day! Okay, slightly dramatic, but keep reading…



Having only recently returned from abroad, I found myself in North London staying over at my Gran’s house, which has never lost its thrill since childhood. Gran’s sleepovers were awesome – the only snag growing up was that we all knew a ‘Gran sleepover’ meant we would relentlessly be woken up for Fajr! But, given the amount of sweets she would stuff our mouths with, it seemed like a profitable trade off. I remember vividly the morning of the 11th of March.



My Gran, ever full of life, and I playfully raced each other to wake the house up for Fajr. I woke up and carefully made my way downstairs in the dark to turn on the hot water and spare us a torturous cold ablution. I hear her whispering from the top of the stairs, “Son, the hot water still isn’t working.” The boiler man had not come yet, much to our frustration. We brave the cold water, pray Fajr and jump back in our warm cozy beds, rescued from the biting cold. I was in the habit of leaving the house after Fajr at the time, but that morning was lethally glacial. My senses convinced me to stay put. I stealthily snuck up next to my Gran in her much warmer bed, nestling against her like a spoilt child. A few deep inhales and I was sleeping beauty.


It was 11.10am, oh my God, I was late! I hurriedly left the house with my whitest dressing and newly bought Muslim hat, and briskly made my way to the bus stop. I got on the painfully crowded 29 bus. Fortunate enough to fight my way to a seat, I open my Qur’ān and begin reading Sūrah Kahf. A couple of stops further I notice an old fragile woman get on the humid bus with enough shopping bags to agitate passengers as they shamelessly barge her side to side.



My heart warmed to her. I called her over from the other side to take my seat, and that is where it all started. She returned my gesture with overwhelming gratitude. She left an impression on me whilst struggling to mount herself on the seat.
“Poor woman,” I thought to myself.
“Thank you very, very much,” she finally panted with laboured breath. Mounting the chair exhausted her.


“That’s very kind of you to get up for me,” she added in a soft, just about audible, Italian accent.
“My pleasure, you are like a mother to me, your right is far greater than my gesture,” I politely replied, directly translating an expression from Arabic in my head. It quickly occurred to me how terribly awkward it sounds in English. We just do not speak like that over here. Yet, it seemed to resonate deeply with her. She stared at me while her affectionate smile grew wider and wider, complimenting the reddening blushes on her face. I was humbled. I mean, apart from how adorable this old woman was, I was moved by how refreshingly human she was.

“What’s that you’re reading in your hand?” she asked me.



“Is it the Qur’ān?” she said with a smile, beating me to the answer.
“Yes!” I jumped, impressed, increasingly marvelling at this woman. My sympathy for her quickly grew into admiration. A welcome distraction as I close my Qur’ān leaving my index finger as a bookmark; she had stolen my attention. She had something about her; I couldn’t put my finger on it just yet.


“I have always wanted to read the Qur’ān,” she said. The passenger next to her calmly got up for his stop. I rushed to fill the now empty seat and learn more about her.
“This book is from God to raise our conscience and guide us towards happiness and prosperity,” I said excitedly in a trained, slightly awkward, evangelical tone!
“Yes I have come across many Muslims in my life, they are very nice and courteous to me,” she said.



“That’s very kind of you to say,” I replied.
A barrage of questions flooded into my mind, but she seemed to tell her own story much better, to my attentive ear, so I preferred to listen for now.
“Did you see the news today,” she said in shock holding her wrinkled hands to her mouth…
“What happened in Japan, the earthquakes and tsunami?! It’s just terrible. God is fed up with us,” she remarked.
“We have made a mess of everything,” she added.

I had assumed she was Roman Catholic given her Italian background, which she later confirmed. She drew me into a lengthy social commentary of the moral degradation she has had to painfully witness unfolding around her over the years. Our conversation was educational. I felt like I was talking to an older friend, she met my inquisitive questions with deep insight.
“I am 81 years old,” she confessed with a nervous smile. My jaw dropped. This woman was older than my Gran. I had never met somebody so old, yet so alive.
“How do you spend your time?” I rashly ask her.



“I spend a lot of time in the bookshop downstairs,” she replied, which explained a lot. She was well read.
“The catholic church has lost it,” she abruptly added harking the conversation back to religion.
“Only the Muslims have really held on to their teachings and values,” she claimed.
Butterflies wrestled in my stomach. I was overwhelmed. Could it be that Allāh will save this beautiful woman, merely hours before her appointment? ‘Dawah’, I roused myself!
She continued to sing Islām’s praises to me. She was particularly impressed with the Muslim tenacity to their religious teachings, despite living in an unforgiving culture of ‘anti-God’.
She stared at me until we made awkward eye contact.
“I am so happy that I met you,” she said affectionately touching her chest. Her eyes slowly welled up behind her thick glasses.
Strange I thought, but I could see sincerity glowing on this woman’s face. The whole bus was fixed on our story as it slowly climaxed.
My stop was fast approaching; I quickly turned the topic of conversation to what really mattered – Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā). I regurgitated anything I could recall from Aqīdah classes 101.



“Islām is a beautiful religion,” I preached, “it hasn’t left anything out for the guidance of man, the most important of them is His (God’s) service and worship and to get to know Him…

“He created us and was too compassionate to leave us without a messenger to guide us to the straight path – Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Everything between the Heavens and Earth celebrate His praises. He has no partners.”
I struggled to think; I tried my best to keep going. I noticed her leaning more and more towards me. Her shoulders now pressed against mine as she struggled to hear.
Her eyes squinted as she gently pushed her glasses back into position. She was concentrating; I continued.
“In this world, the believer is travelling to her Lord until she reaches Him, those who do not know the path to their Lord, nor do they strive to know it, are truly in loss.”
“I am so happy,” she exclaimed in her very soft tone, with highly emotional break ups in her voice.


By this time I was praying in my heart that Allāh guides this woman, she seemed deeply sincere.
The water in her eyes slowly amassed while I described Allāh to her, until one stream managed to escape and run down her cheek. She interrupted me as she reached for my hand.


“You know… I was in a coma when I was 79,” she said with a nervous chuckle. “Subḥanallāh…” I whispered under my breath as I came closer, exploring deeper and deeper the story told by her face. It was now my eyes that were squinting. The more I navigated around the ridges of her beautiful wrinkles the more I was fascinated by this woman; her face, etched with beauty, told an encyclopaedia of life I wanted to know more of.
“Yes…” she continued, “I am lucky to be alive the doctors tell me, I am so happy that I’ve met you, God has saved me for a moment like this.
“I read that five thousand people in the UK became Muslim last year?” she said semi-inquiring. She was intrigued.
“Oh how I’d love to read the Qur’ān, can you get one for me please…I’ll give you the money?!” she insisted reaching for her bag.
“No, no, of course not, I will not accept your money, it’s honestly my pleasure,” I courteously offered. She smiled in gratitude.
“Let me give you my address,” she said as she wrote it down.


“Here, please send it to this address.”
“Sure,” I replied, “I will drop it off personally.”
“Oh, but do get me a large print,” she requested.
“My eyesight isn’t what it used to be you see.”


She put the pen back in her bag and smiled to herself. I sat there rattling my brain about this woman in awkward silence. I mean she is worryingly old, what happens if she dies before I get to her with the Qur’ān? What if she dies before saying the testimony of faith?! She interrupts my trail of thought with an inquiry.
“So where is the nearest mosque, I know there’s a very big one in Regents Park?”


I’m still not sure what her exact intent was by that question but this was my chance and I would never forgive myself if I didn’t take it. I suspected she wants to take her shahadah, but thinks the conversion is as complicated as a baptism, carried out a certain way, in a certain place. It was my chance; I went for it…



“No Ma’am,” I replied. “You can meet God as a Muslim by saying something on your tongue; a testimony that He is one, and that’s all.”
Her face lit up as she ushered me to keep going…
“Repeat after me!” I instructed.
“Ash-hadu….”, “Ash-hadu”….. all the way to the end.



Slowly we completed the testimony of faith in Arabic and began to pronounce it in English. She struggled heavily and we giggled several times in between, but she showed determination to pronounce every letter. Given that she was from a Catholic background, pertinent to add to the testimony was that ‘Jesus is the prophet of God and that God is above having any offspring’.



Oh no! She didn’t repeat after me, she paused and withdrew her closeness. She looked down as I watched her smile slowly fade away and her wrinkles take position. My shoulders dropped, I was heartbroken. ‘Lā ilāha illa allāh’ I sighed under my breath woefully. I really wanted her to say it, oh how it anti-climaxed.


I watched her as she took deep breaths, a pause; slowly she seemed to come back to life. She struggled to speak as she looked in my direction again.
“What…what a… beautiful thing to say,” she stammers as her voice emotionally breaks up again. Her heavenly smile now restored! She gathered her strength.
“Yes, yes…” she said clenching her small fists as she energetically shuffles herself in her seat.



“Yes,” she insisted. “ Jesus is the Prophet of God, of course he is. You know I have felt like that my whole life and didn’t know… and… I’m just happy, so happy,” she celebrated. She began wiping her eyes now. I couldn’t help but fight back my own tears as my hairs stood on end.
“Please write that down for me,” she requested. I was puzzled.
“That testimony, that testimony we just said, it’s so beautiful,” she added. I happily obliged taking my pen out of my chest pocket.
“And also please, I have a son, he’s not Muslim, please can you speak to him. He’s 45 years old,” she pleaded. I was speechless and so much in awe of what was unfolding before me that I could only nod.


“Of course,” I eventually clarified, secretly hoping Allāh disciplines me to honour that promise.
She smiled unforgettably. “My name is Philomena,” she said clutching my hand.


I grinned back at her trying to match the warm gesture.
“And my name is Ismael.”
“That’s a lovely name,’ she politely complimented, releasing my hand. I smiled at her in warm admiration. I kissed her forehead gently, promising her that I would stay in touch.


My stop came. I pressed the bell, heaved my heavy bag onto my back, offered a polite smile and briskly walked to pray the Friday prayer. I met my friends and shared with them the delightful story of Philomena – now the Italian Muslimah, Allāh had touched. We have been visiting her ever since that day years ago, and although it was a challenge, we did manage to find a Qur’ān translation that was big enough for her to read!


With all the negative propaganda Islām is targeted with in our times, we sometimes overlook the simple, overwhelming appeal that it has with every human being who is connected to their natural disposition—regardless of age, ethnicity or culture.



The sad thing is, that there are potentially millions of Philomenas who we all pass everyday without realising that they are eagerly searching for their Lord. Allāh will hold us to account based on the opportunities and abilities that He gave us to call people to Him. Any Muslim would agree that their īmān is the most precious gift they have been granted; how would we face Him not having shared this gift with others?



My meeting Philomena was a riveting reminder of the prophetic instruction to never overlook a small deed, even if it be offering a smile[1] – or in this case, a seat.


http://www.islam21c.com/islamic-tho...il&utm_term=0_b93a366b6a-a148bde11f-248378469
 
Last edited:
220 Filipinos convert to Islam after iftar

Workers embraced Islam in Saudi

By*StaffPublished*Sunday, June 28, 2015

About 220 Filipinos converted to Islam on the same day in Saudi Arabia after having Iftar (Ramadan evening meal) with Muslims.
The 220 workers at a local company decided to embrace Islam after they were invited to the religion by the Islamic Guidance Office near the Western town of Makkah.
"They had iftar with us for a few days... we then decided to invite them to Islam and they all agreed to embrace the religion," the Office's director Sheikh Salim Al Maabadi said, quoted by Sabq daily.

http://www.emirates247.com/news/220-filipinos-convert-to-islam-after-iftar-2015-06-28-1.595118
 
this is my story

i was born into a catholic family and was very strong in my faith. i had not questioned my faith much until i was 14. whenever i asked questions the answers were always something like ' it is something a human cannot understand'. so i i left with these answers and tried to accept it but it just didn't sit right with me. i soon met some muslims and started talking to them a lot. for a long time i did not know they were muslim but i always knew there was something very special in the things they said and the ways they thought. at the time of meeting them i was struggling with eating disorders, depression and a very low level of self respect. i was doing anything to get a bit of love but that did not last and i was feeling more and more lost. when i found out my friends were muslim i was slightly surprised. i started to research islam to see what it was all about. i found a lot of comfort when i started reading and found that angel Gabriel was part of islam. suddenly the religion didn't seem as foreign. after that i didn't look into islam much more.

then one day my friends were helping me sought out some problems and they started teaching me what islam was saying about what i was going through. they said that they wish i was muslim, at the time i laughed about it and joked to some people at school about me being a muslim. converting had never even crossed my mind and i thought there was no way i ever would. after this i slowly started to look into islam more and more. soon i became almost obsessed. i would come home everyday and jump on my laptop and start researching and reading the quran. i started to think about islam all the time and got to the point where i was overthinking everything. i started to have anxiety and ended up at the doctors. while i was in the doctors we were trying to figure out what was wrong with me i got so overwhelmed and burst into tears. everyone was quite shocked and my mom was sent out of the room. after i settled down i told the doctor that i wanted to convert to islam but i was so scared of what everyone would think. i thought my mom would hate me. the doctors were very understanding and they settled me down and told me if i needed anything i could come to them. i went back out to my mom and she was obviously distressed and got even more worried when i wouldn't tell her what was wrong. that night my mom sent my dad to talk to me and find out what was wrong. when i said i wanted to be a muslim i burst into tears. my dad didn't say anything for a while and then asked what makes you think like that? i explained to him all my doubts about christianity and that i thought islam was so so beautiful. he was quite understanding and kept telling me to not overthink everything because i can't figure earthing out on my own and some things you won't find out until you die. for the rest of the week i tried to focus on my school work and friends and i was feeling a lot better. i started slowly researching again but not in the compulsive way i was before. i was finding a lot more peace and started to accept islam more into my life. i stopped eating pork and i began to stop saying a lot of the prayers at church on sundays because they contradicted what i believed.

i continued to talk to my muslim friends and started to become a much better, happier person. i stopped making a lot of the bad choices i was before and was finding so much joy in learning about islam. i started to try and pray reading off my laptop but i struggled a bit. i was on and off a lot with the praying as i didn't totally understand and didn't have anyone to teach me. for moths i continued researching islam and learning more and i accepted islam as the truth but i didn't say shahada for a long time. i was scared that i wouldn't be a good enough muslim but many people in the islamic board encouraged me to. i was thinking about converting for a long time but i wanted to make sure i was 100% sure.

the weeks coming up to my conversion were some of the happiest days of my life. i had a great group of friends and they were bringing out the best in me. every day coming home from school i would have a sore stomach from laughing too much. i was so happy and realised how truly lucky i was. when i thuoght of happiness all that came into my head was Allah.i realised i would have nothing with out him and on wednesday the 28 october 2015 (today) i finally made the commitment. i have not yet told my parents of my conversion and i probably won't for a long time. i know i am going to struggle but inshallah i will only get closer to God and continue down the path of truth. thank you to everyone who helped me get this far. i have changed so much in a short period of time with islam by my side. i am so lucky that i have been directed down this path and i will be forever grateful. :)
 

Similar Threads

Back
Top