If anyone were
to ask me when I became Muslim, I guess the only feasible answer would be that
I was born Muslim, but just wasn't aware of it. We are all born into a state of
Islam, but what is unfortunate is that many people never recognize this fact,
and live lost in other circles of religion and lifestyles.
I was horribly
lost, and I suppose this was a good thing, because Allah felt my suffering and
reached out to me. (al humdulilah).
My first
introduction to Islam was through a course at the University where during
Ramadan we were invited to Friday prayer. It was here where I met a wonderful
Muslim sister who invited me to her home for study and food. I declined at the
time because it seemed too foreign to me. I had built up so many stereotypes
that I was not willing to open my mind to anything surrounding Islam, even an
invitation to knowledge.
The next
message Allah sent me came by my friendship with several Arab Muslims at one of
the Technical Colleges near my home. This is where I was exposed to the Islamic
lifestyle. I was amazed at the fact that they refused invitations to wild
parties and drinking alcohol.
How could they
sit and pray so many times a day. And fasting for a whole month, what had
gotten into these people? From that point forward, I thought I was the American
authority on Islam. But in actuality I knew nothing. The height of my confusion
hit at this point. I was an observer, but never had any understanding of what
it all meant.
So, when I
became a Muslim it was like Allah found me and gave me the answers to all the
confusion that ran around in my head. It is so mind boggling to me that I was
oblivious to the fact that I was so miserable. I was successful in the material
aspects of life, but my mind and heart were uneasy. I was so weak in spirit
that I tricked myself in believing that the material things that laid at my
feet, were enough to cushion any hurtful blow that life dealt me. I was wrong.
My mother died
when I was 23, and all the money, my home, my education, the cars, jewellery,
they all meant nothing. I tried to go on with life as though her death was just
another event. But it was at this point that I could no longer ignore Allah. If
I went on in my current state of mind, then my mother's life had been in vain.
What purpose did she serve here on this earth? To what greater significance did
her life have in this world? I could not believe that she meant so little. It was
at this point that I began to hunger for this knowledge, and I opened all of
myself to Allah.
It is almost
too difficult to describe what it is like for someone who begins to feel Allah
in their heart. Islam means so much more than rituals, language, culture or
country. Islam is a glorious state of being, and it is a fundamentally
different experience than what I had previously been learning. My husband
taught me much of what I know about Islam today. While observing, listening and
opening my heart, I slowly began to understand. Allah presents himself to
people in different ways, and Allah impacts everyone's life differently. I had
to come to an understanding of what Allah meant to me, and why it was necessary
that I follow this path of life.
I began to
learn the meaning and significance behind the rituals I had only before
observed at a primitive level. I began to read Quran for hours at a time. Allah
began to reach out to me and fill the vast hole that was in my heart. For when
an individual does not follow the path of Allah, they are in a constant search
for that missing element. And once I stopped refusing the knowledge of Islam
and opened my heart to my fellow Muslims and the teachings of the Quran, the
transition was as easy as eating a piece of pecan pie.
Since then I
have had contact with the original Muslim sister who I met in my university
class. Many of the Muslim sisters get together once a month for study, prayer
and informational sessions. I also visit the Masjed during Friday prayers and
any other time that my schedule permits. Of course my husband and myself study
Quran and Hadeeth, and are on a constant quest for knowledge. When you become a
Muslim, it is the beginning of a new path, a new way of life.
Everyday Allah
reveals Himself to me in some way. Sometimes it is with a new piece of
knowledge, or maybe He grants me patience or understanding, and some days it is
perseverance or a peaceful state of mind. No matter what the case I am always
aware of the blessings that Allah presents to me, and I continuously work to
live the way He has intended all of us as human beings to live, in submission
to His will.
I have also
struggled throughout this search. My family is not accepting of my new way of
life, nor are they accepting of my husband. I had a co-worker ask me one time,
"How can you abandon Jesus? I love Jesus" My response confused her I
am sure. I simply explained that in Islam we abandon nobody. And in fact it is
only now that I can read and understand the true significance of Jesus. Islam
allows the follower to study the messages that Allah has sent throughout the
ages, through the teachings of Jesus, Abraham and Mohammed (Peace and Blessings
be upon them). Because of this fact, as Muslims, knowledge is never hidden from
us, and we are free in our search for truth and closeness to Allah.
My struggle is
far from over. Western culture is not accepting or understanding of Islam, and
it is mostly out of ignorance that this is so. They think that we are
fundamentalists or terrorists, or some other form of monster here to wreak
havoc in a peaceful Christian world. The way in which I combat the unkind
comments and glares is through kindness and understanding.
I remember a
point when my understanding was so low that I closed my mind and heart to
anything that the Muslim community had to say. And to think that if they had
turned me away because of my ignorance, I would not be where I am today. So it
is up to all Muslims to have patience and compassion for those who do not
understand our way of life. Eventually, Allah reveals Himself to those who seek
true knowledge and understanding.
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