Tag: embrace islam gain peace

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Conversion Stories New Muslims

A New Convert Becomes Interested in Teaching Islam 2

By Editorial Staff

I find Islam a learning religion. You don’t stop from learning new things when you’re Muslim.

Perhaps everywhere in the world, more and more people are converting to Islam and start learning about its teachings.

The reasons for this are many such as the sense of calmness that they would feel, the happiness, tranquility and inner peace that they achieve after conversion.

Life challenges often lead them to this point. Moreover, being a servant to the One True God liberates a person from slavery to everything other than God.

In short, every new Muslim has an inspiring story to tell. However, in this article, we have a new, simple and short message from someone who is not only a new convert, but also a teacher. Although he wishes to remain anonymous, the message may still be inspiring.

As-salam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh (Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you) brothers and sisters.

First, I would like to thank Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala, highly exalted is He, and most high) for granting an opportunity to realize the true religion of Islam.

I would also want to thank my teachers who have been with me every step of the way. May Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) reward you handsomely.

I find Islam a learning religion. You don’t stop from learning new things when you’re Muslim. On this note, I know and believe it will be a wonderful opportunity if I can help my fellow brothers and sisters who would want to know more about the true religion of Islam.

Through teaching/guiding the new members, it will be of much benefit for me as I’ll be learning and keeping my faith strong.

I’m also attending Arabic language classes through social media links. So this will make it easy for me to be more perfect.

May Allah (Subhana wa Ta’ala) guide me and make me more knowledgeable about Islam as I start this noble course.

As-salam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

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Categories
Conversion Stories New Muslims

A New Convert Becomes Interested in Teaching Islam

By Editorial Staff

7 April, one of my unforgettable days, was the first time I went to the mosque. I was welcomed warmly during Asr (Afternoon) prayer.

Abu Bakr is now a junior teacher of Islam who wants to share his simple, short but touching story of conversion. Celebrating his first day of teaching, Abu Bakr wrote the following:

Al-Salam ‘Alaikum (Peace be upon you) my fellow Muslims. I am Abu Bakr, born Lovemore Vito from Christian family from Malawi.

My journey to Islam starts long back. In short, l was inspired by brothers and sisters l work with. Some of them were Muslims and were humble to me and everyone.

After some years l left them but l was still asking myself questions about their lifestyle. Luckily enough, l joined different groups on Facebook. Then, I started reading about Islam.

Luckily l joined Chat on faith. I was directed to Brother Fuhaid (May Allah bless him). He is the one who taught me all the doctrines on behalf of Chat of Faith. Though he was teaching me, l myself was working tirelessly reading different doctrines about Islam.

7 April, one of my unforgettable days, was the first time I went to the mosque. I was welcomed warmly during Asr (Afternoon) prayer.

About My Life after Converting to Islam

My life has totally changed because of this true and beautiful religion. I have met good and humble brothers and sisters.

Now I am always near Allah because most of my time is spent with my brothers in Islam discussing about Allah, the Last Day, life in the Hereafter and some good stories about Allah (God) and Muhammad (God bless him and grant him peace).

Why I Am Intrested in Teaching

Everything has a reward in the life of the Hereafter. If you do bad deeds you will not enter Paradise but if you do good deeds you will be rewarded with Jannatul Firdous (the Gardens of Paradise).

The Book(Quran) and Muhammad (God bless him and grant him peace)clarify clearly that the one who teaches other people about this true and beautiful religion will be rewarded after this painful world. So I am interested to impart knowledge to my fellow brothers and sisters regardless of culture, country and tribe so that Allah will reward me with Jannah (the Gardens of Paradise).

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Conversion Stories New Muslims

Hanan’s and John’s Stories of Conversion to Islam

By Abbie Wightwick

Born to Christian but not especially religious families, Hanan Sandercock and her husband John Smith became Muslims as adults in Wales.

They celebrate Eid and not Christmas, pray five times a day, and don’t eat pork or drink alcohol. Hanan, 51, has worn a scarf for 23 years since converting aged 28 and raised all her four children in the faith.

Both say they felt a sense of relief and fufilment converting. They describe it as finding a community as well as a faith and finding answers to questions they’d been asking.

Artist and play worker Hanan Sandercock has decorated the family home in Pentwyn with copies of ancient Islamic tile designs. She is pictured with husband John Smith

Searching for the meaning of life

While their families supported their choice some of Hanan’s friends drifted away when she became a Muslim in 1995.

Then Donna Sandercock, she arrived in Cardiff in the early 1990s as a young art school graduate looking for work.

“I was in my 20s and I think I was searching. I wanted to know the meaning of life. I went to a Buddhist meeting but that didn’t do anything for me.”

 

With Cardiff beginning to shake off the grey days of the 1970s and ’80s Donna, originally from a small village in Cornwall, was intrigued to be in a city with a historically multicultural population. She got to know and befriend young Muslims her age working and socialising.

“I was interested. Their religion was very important to them. They were solid and had a belief system I didn’t have.

“I’d eat at their houses and have the nicest food. They were really open and welcoming and happy I was interested.”

If we got our safely I’d become a Muslim

In the summer of 1994 visiting a kibbutz in Palestine she also learned more about Palestinian and Muslim history and culture and had a religious experience which led her to convert to Islam when she returned to Cardiff.

“I was walking in a wadi, a deep ravine, in the heat of the day with a friend and we got lost,” she said. “There were no mobile phones then and we had run out of water. I prayed in a way I’d never done before. I prayed that if we got our safely I’d become a Muslim. It wasn’t something I’d vocalised before but realised it had been inside me.”

Back in Wales she “read and read about Islam” and spoke to a Yemeni  friend “who kept asking me if I was sure” before converting at the South Wales Islamic Centre in Butetown.

The well-known late Imam Sheikh Said, whose own mother was a Welsh Muslim convert, listened as Donna changed her name to Hanan and recited the Shahada, the declaration of belief in the oneness of God and the acceptance of Muhammad as his prophet.

Inside the The South Wales Islamic Centre where Hanan converted to Islam

“I immediately felt a great sense of relief,” she said. “Islam explains things to me. The answers are all there.

“I became part of a diverse community. I was not pressured to be or become a particular way.

“I wore an abayah. Being Muslim is an identity and I wanted to show that.”

Marrying an Algerian Muslim in Cardiff Hanan had four children, now aged 22, 21, 14 and 10, but later divorced.

And within a few years world events led her to stop wearing her robe robe because she was scared of being attacked. When 9/11 happened the whole landscape changed.

Although Hanan had been shouted at and had things thrown at her by men in cars in 1990s Cardiff, it was only when the Twin Towers were attacked in 2001 that she began to feel seriously at risk.

“I stopped wearing the abayah (robe) after 9/11. I knew some Muslim women had been attacked in the UK and America. I had little children and didn’t want us to be at risk. I carried on wearing the scarf but not the abayah.”

At the same time a few miles down the road 35 year-old John Smith was seeking out Muslims but for different reasons.

John’s journey of conversion

John and Hanan’s bookcase is filled with books about Islam

Born in Omagh, northern Ireland, to a Protestant Irish mother and English army father, John was living in Pontypridd when the September 11 attacks happened in 2001.

“9/11 led to me converting to Islam,” he said as he recalled not so much a search for faith as a bolt out of the blue.

“I met a University of South Wales (USW) student who was Muslim and asked him: ‘How could Muslims do this? Where’s the rationale?’

“He told me the people who carried out the attacks had Muslim names but were not Muslims. He gave me a copy of the Quran.”

After reading the holy book John attended a lecture tour by a Muslim cleric and converted.

“I converted before I really found out about Islam. Saying the Shahada is a declaration. You have to take it slowly and really want to do it.

“Being Muslim for me means having a sense of family.

“You never stop learning. Islamic culture and religion is incredibly rich.”

As there is no mosque in Pontypridd John prayed at the prayer facility at USW. Although he wasn’t a student the room is open to the community. Now living in Cardiff he visits the Al Manar and Dar Ul-Isra mosques. Like Hanan he prays in Arabic.

The couple, who met through a friend in 2017 and married the same year, are horrified by extremism in any part of the Muslim or non-Muslim community.

“Extremist Muslims are the bane of our lives because it’s always those that make the headlines,” said John.

“They almost become the public face of Islam which is really difficult when you when you are living as a Muslim and it colours peoples’ judgement.”

Hanan has witnessed a child’s headscarf being snatched off her head in Roath Park by a teenager on a bike, knows people who have been insulted regularly in the street, and has herself been insulted and had liquid thrown at her from a car in the 1990s.

She is impatient with those who won’t adapt and celebrate diversity, saying she is proud to be a white “British Muslim”. She disagrees with the Salafi Muslim view that Muslims should not take part in Western democracy by voting and is frustrated by non-Muslim friends and acquaintances who turn up with bottles of alcohol or argue about the custom of not celebrating birthdays.

Both say they have been very lucky with their families accepting and embracing their change of religion and lifestyle.

Hanan’s younger sister Lisa also converted and their parents moved to Cardiff and enjoy celebrating Eid with their grandchildren, all of whom are Muslim.

 

Both Hanan and John feel it is vital to talk about their faith to counter ignorance.

Hanan, a play leader at the Steiner School in Cardiff, said she works and teaches with people who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan and of no religion.

Her younger children attend the school and she likes that it is a place where discussion is easy and differences are accepted. She regrets this is not the case everywhere but said she and her family are happy to be who they are and say so.

“I am British Muslim and happy to be. At first when you convert you are shy and embarrassed. But I even make halal pasties now.

“This is who I am.”

Source: walesonline.co.uk with some modifications

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Categories
Conversion Stories New Muslims

Why I Converted to Islam – Part 2

By Sarah Price

CHRISTIANITY

I was a very strong Christian before converting to Islam. It’s an extremely focal point of my faith journey and without it I would not be a Muslim.

My love for Jesus (peace be upon him) actually led me to Islam. Christianity is actually the closest religion to Islam, not only theoretically but also historically.

Jesus (peace be upon him) is an important figure and you cannot be a Muslim without believing in the life and work of Jesus (peace be upon him)

There are many misconceptions about what Islam teaches about Christianity. To begin, the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught Muslims regarding how they should treat Christians.

To summarize it, we are to treat Christians with respect, and even if a Muslim man is married to a Christian woman, she cannot be stopped from praying in her place of worship. In Surat Al-Ma’idah (The Table Spread), 5:82, this is what it says –

‘and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers who say, “We are the Christians”. That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant’. (Quran 5:82)

Christians and Jews are commonly referred to as ‘People of the Book’ in Islam, because we all have the same Abrahamic roots.

The Status of Jesus and Mary (Peace Be Upon Them) in Islam

Jesus’ (peace be upon him) name is actually mentioned more times in the Qur’an than the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him).

Muslims still believe in the virgin birth and place importance on Mary (may Allah be pleased with her). Jesus (peace be upon him) is an important figure and you cannot be a Muslim without believing in the life and work of Jesus (peace be upon him). I could write a huge post about this, which I will discuss further in future blog posts.

Jesus (peace be upon him) prostrated and humbled himself before God. He only performed miracles under God’s permission. He was an incredible prophet who taught love and compassion to the children of Israel.

The only difference between Christians and Muslims is that we take Jesus (peace be upon him) to be a prophet and not to be worshipped alongside God.

Islam teaches the Oneness of God, and to worship Allah alone and we believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) taught this himself. The term ‘Allah’, by the way, is the Arabic word for ‘God’ and is not just an Islamic term. Arab Christians also call God ‘Allah’.

Christianity vs. Islam

However, after returning from Malaysia I felt like something was missing. I researched key aspects and foundations of Christianity, right down to the trinity and where the concept came from.

I researched what Paul taught, what various historical leaders implemented after the death of Christ and I read my Bible inside out. I researched on what has been taken out of the Bible, what has been put in and the various contradictions and solid truths of the Bible.

There are similarities between the Qur’an and the Bible. For me, the Qur’an answered many questions I had about my Christian faith for a long time. I could find no fault, no contradictions in the Qur’an. I listened to debates between world-renowned Biblical and Qur’anic scholars, and felt that the Qur’an made more sense.

JOURNALISM

My sheer drive to be a journalist has taken me to places I never imagined and allowed me to meet amazing people. I’ve interviewed famous people such as One Republic, Bastille, Marina Mahathir, Kristian Chong, Yannick Bovy, Sisters in Islam, Virginia Haussegger, Senator Michaelia Cash, VJ’s Hanli Hoefer and Alan Wong and the list goes on.

I’ve been to incredible events and interned at really great places. I am very fortunate to have experienced so much at such a young age while still completing my undergraduate degree in journalism.

However, the best part of being a journalist is being able to make some change in the world. To give people a voice, to learn about human beings and the world around me. This is so humbling and motivates me every day.

Being a journalist led me to learn about Islam.

Yes, I am still a journalist and still as motivated (if not more) as a Muslim woman. Incorporating my faith and career is not a difficult task, and in fact Islam helps me to appreciate people and the world around me in many different ways.

Interviewing UN Person of the Year, passionate leader of SIS (Sisters in Islam), writer and strong advocate for women’s rights Marina Mahathir definitely shaped my view of Muslim women’s rights and of Islam itself.

I still remember how sweaty my palms were. A million thoughts were rushing through my head. ‘Am I good enough?’ ‘Am I really cut out for journalism?’ This was my first interview with someone quite famous.

As soon as I met Marina, her quiet yet assertive nature impressed me and I immediately felt a sense of ease with her. I knew the interview was an important one, a life-changing one. She answered so many questions I had been asking myself since arriving in Malaysia.

The Qur’an does not teach inequality.

It does not permit men to beat their wives. Her knowledge was exuberating, and I felt as if I had a newfound understanding of something much bigger and deeper than I ever thought possible.

“We are all one people on this Earth, ” said Marina as we finished the interview. I smiled at her in appreciation, and looking back now I know that was the most important lesson I had learned thus far.

Despite various factors that apparently make us so different – such as national borders, countries, politics, culture, tribes, heritage, skin color, race and religion – we all bleed the same and breathe the same air. I think we should all try to remember this daily.

It’s Important Not to Judge Too Harshly

The most vital thing I’ve learnt in Islam which I incorporate into journalism is no matter what evil and good I see in people, it’s important not to judge too harshly (that would be bias for one, we need to be as objective as possible in our reporting) because EVERYONE is capable of anything.

‘The greatest jihad (struggle) is to battle your own soul; to fight the very evil within yourself,’ Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). We can always look at others and improve certain things about ourselves. There’s so much worldly wisdom in this one quote, and it truly inspires and humbles me.

But let me not disillusion you – becoming a Muslim and incorporating it into my way of life has not been easy in the slightest. It’s hard, and you learn more every day.

People judge you, even Muslims judge you. I’m not going to just put some holy light around it…being a Muslim has tested my patience more than ever before, more than I ever imagined. But they say the right path is not always the easiest one – and despite how hard it is at times, it also brings an incredible sense of peace in my heart and into my life.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is part of me now, but not all of me. It makes me happy, it makes me cry, and it makes me question a lot of things about society and about the Dunya (this life).

All I can say is that I find rest with Allah , and no matter what I go through, I know I am never alone every time I make Salat to my Creator. Truly,

‘verily with every hardship comes ease’ (Quran 94:6).

Source: http: muslimsincalgary.ca with some modifications

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