What lead me to Islam?

I was born into a strict evangelical ('born again') Christian family. I went to church regularly from a child to Sunday school & Christian kids clubs, and then as I grew up bible studies and prayer meetings. I always believed that there was a God, whom I worshiped and prayed to. I grew up with a real awareness of my sin and that it separated me from Him, and stopped me entering heaven. I was taught that I could be forgiven only by believing that Jesus took the punishment of my sins upon himself and was sacrificed in my place. As a child I 'gave my heart to the Lord' and became a 'Born Again' Christian. Throughout my teens, I prayed, read my bible and tried to keep living a life pleasing to God. I was always a thinker, and although I had been taught to blindly believe the bible, doubts began to sink in as I grew older. I was very interested in Christian apologetics (reasons why evangelical Christianity is the truth) and in the 'false teachings' of atheism, other religions and other Christian groups, such as the Roman Catholic Church. One quote stuck with me, ' Why would God sacrifice Himself (Jesus) to Himself (God the father) in order to appease Himself?'. I had always never really understood the Trinity, but to see the basic teaching of Evangelical Christianity laid out in such a way really made me think again about everything I once believed so strongly and so blindly. For a while my doubts made me question all religion and I began to question even the existence of God.
My undergraduate degree was a biological sciences degree, and although most of my lecturers where atheist and pushing an evolutionary agenda, one lecture made me believe once and for all there MUST be a creator God. It was on the cell, something so basic to life and at first glance appearing so simple, yet highly complex. As the lecturer tried to explain how the various processes in the cell might have come about through evolution I realised that it took more faith to believe in their fanciful explanation, than to believe in a Creator God who designed it all. I silenced my doubts and became more comfortable being involved in the church again. I began to think of becoming a missionary. During this time I had met some muslims and started to read about Islam, I had considered becoming a missionary to the Middle East, to Arabs and Muslims. However, eventually personal issues and how the church handled them finally ended my link with the church. A church which talked about being transformed by the Holy Spirit and of love and forgiveness was no different (in fact less accepting) than the people outside. I didn't leave immediately, it took around a year.I attended other churches but my involvement with the Muslim community here and interest in Islam was growing and the church was becoming more and more strange to me. I loved how the women dressed, the sound of the Qu'ran being recited, how family was so important, and how the moral code was so similar to what I already believed. After the 7/7 July bombings I went to the mosque to hear what the Imam would say and was pleasantly surprised. I met other women, including converts, started going to Islamic students talks. Islam was simple, La Illa Illa La, 'there is no God but God'. When I finally said Shahada after a few months, I felt I was praying to and worshiping the same God I always have, just in a much simpler and beautiful way. Many Christians critizise Islam as being very rigid and ritualistic. They don't understand that Muslims pray to God, in a very personal way. The ritual 5 prayers, ensure we always take time out during the day to remember God, but we also make Du'aa. I talk to God and I know he listens to my prayers. It has not been easy, I recieved a lot of opposition from my family and community, some Muslims have been a fantastic encouragement, and some (like in every walk of life) have taken advantage. But in Islam I have found a peace, a home and a community and it is in this Muslim community I want to stay.
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MashaAllah what a beautiful story...everytime I read or hear how people converted to Islam I find myself with tears in the corner or my eyes or with goose skin... one thing I always noticed , that all of us we are speaking so peacefully about it and those confesions sound so natural and all the troubles that we've been through seams long gone...our family that disagree , our friends that point their finger towards us , the seller from the shop who looks strage on our hijabs.
I hope that you Naomi wherever you are to be steel on your path to Allah !
May Allah bless you and all of us . Ameen !

Salam Alaykum,

Khadijah, I think you have to tell us your reverted story as well, in English or Romanian or in both. Please, I enjoy reading these kinds of real storis because this helps me out to build myself as a Muslim.

Al salaam Alikom,
I was amazed when i have read ur story, ALLAH is the greatest, with his almighty can bless u always and us also "sisters in Islam".
I am very happy, u r making Du'aa to ALLAH, in shaaa ALLAH he will listen to u.
ur sister in Islam hala

JazakAllah Khair for your encouragement, I hope we will all learn from and encourage each other whether born Muslims or converts we are all the same now - brothers and sisters in Islam!

Assalam aleikom wa rhamtullahi wa barakatu.
My story is quite simple alhamdulillah but still I am very proud to be a mslim.

Almost two year ago. Everything started with a conversation over internet with a Muslim man, by that time my information about Islam was very low, I knew like everyone else that Muslims don’t eat pork, they pray five times a day and also that they don’t drink alcohol but also that Muslim woman wear that ‘’veil’’ over theirs head. After talking with this man, I decided to browse the net to see who Allah was, I had discovered that Allah means believe in One God, I said to my self ok but Christians also believe in One God, and the answer came straight away, yes but Christians have the Trinity which for Muslims is considered a way of polytheism.

Even if I was raised in a Christianity, a neo-protestant family (Pentecostal) and pretty strong for the religious point of view, I had always searched something else, what I was hearing every Sunday at church wasn’t ‘’warming’’ me at all, of course I was kind of afraid to speak freely about doubts over the religion I was raised in, with my family or my friends, but I was always asking questions like: “ Why would God need a son?; Why would he chose to scarifies His son for us? Why didn’t he showed us he loves us without killing his own son?”, the answer I was getting was always like “ Jesus was a human like us, because we are always compare our self’s with others like us, Jesus came us a model for us, a model of goodness and faith and it was sacrificed to save us from death, trough him we will rich the Heavens”. This kind of answers, were calming down my thirsty for knowledge for a while, till something was pushing me again to ask my self “ Why ….?”

All this till the day I started to read about Islam. Day after day I was more convinced about what Islam means and I was very happy to see what I was discovering. I had learned that the five daily prayers that Muslims are doing, they are just worshiping Allah, and giving thanks to him for everything they have, Christians on the other side always ins stead of saying “ thank you God for the little or more we are heaving”, not they always need and ask for something and very rarely they give thanks to God. Islam had teaches me that is so great to pray only to ask forgiveness and to give thanks to Allah, for everything you receive and have. From Islam I had learned to mention the name of Allah in everything I do, to say ‘’inshaAllah” (with Allah’s will) even for something I will do in the next few minutes, and to give thanks to Allah by saying “ alhamdulillah” (praised be Allah) for everything good or bad I receive, trough Islam I’ve learned that everything that happens around us is a test from God and we mustn’t cry even then when troubles come over us.

One of the things that attract me in a special way to Islam was the way the Islam see the woman, the rights she is having and how she is seen in her family and by the Islamic community. From all that I have read about women in Islam, I don’t see her under any circumstance oppressed, most of the people see her without any right to speak her mind, she is hide behind the veil that she is wearing and according to the western people she wears it because she is forced to by her family or husband, but the Muslim woman wears her veil as a command from Allah, the veil is also a protection from the pervert society we live in, she learns to be the best trough her mind not by showing her body as the Western woman. The Muslim woman doesn’t have to show her self to be appreciate and admired by people on the street, she is admired and cheered in her house, her beauty belongs to her self, her family and her husband.

The Islam is a religion of pace, not as everyone see it on internet, TV, radio, newspapers, which very rarely say positive things about Muslims. The Muslims help each other, the Muslims help every day poor people, not matter if they belong to Islam or not. Muslims many times are accused of terrorism , Islam doesn’t means terrorism, even if as every human when you are attacked you defend your self, a lot of people say “ Yes, but look what happened on 9.11.2001., look how many innocent people died”, but they remain surprised when you tell them that it was not Muslims fault what had happened then.

I had discovered that Islam is a religion of discipline, Muslims fallow rules given them in the Quran, and also, the Sunnah ( tradition of the Prophet Mohamed), which teaches them a disciplined life, prayers, fasting, give charity, and many tougher things. Islam had learned me that family has to be on first place after Allah, that no one and nothing can ruin the relationship between relatives, you have to listen to them on everything, as long as they don’t ask you to do something against Islam, but not even then turn against them, just don’t fallow what they say to you. In Islam the relationship between parents and children mustn’t be distorted, the child must respect his parents and specially his mom, in Christianity I’ve seen children raising the hand at theirs mothers and fathers. Muslims are not hypocrite, they don’t so something just people around them to see what big thing they have done, they don’t go to masjid just people to see them how pious are they Muslims pray go to the masjid, pray give charity only for the sake of Allah, they don’t listen to what other people say about them. In spite of Christians that when they do something they look well to see if they have audience to say, look at him how a good man he is.

Maybe all what I have said so far, it sound like I am against Christianity , no is not like that, but each of us have the right to say what they think, I had chose what I thought is the best for me. Is not easy as a Muslim to live with a Christian family but I can’t complain, because my parents even if they don’t agree with my decision they don’t persecute me. It had past an year and eleven months since I am Muslim and every day I give thanks to Allah for giving me the privilege to discover Islam. Islam had brought in my life joy and happiness, I have stopped in searching a religion, in Islam I found all I was needing. Islam has brought me inner pace, which was all I was searching for.

Dearest sister,

thanx to ALLAH who put on the right path, ur completely right, ma shaaa ALLAH, there a sura in al quraan which tells with the meaning of ALLAH the greatest has no woman, no son, no partner.
also in surat (al nessaa) verses whish tells exactly what happened to jessus and mary peace upon them i hope u read well the next meanings.
jazaki ALLAH khairaa
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Then because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelieving in the revelations of Allah, and their slaying of the prophets wrongfully, and their saying: Our hearts are hardened - Nay, but Allah set a seal upon them for their disbelief, so that they believe not save a few -

4:156. And because of their disbelief and of their speaking against Mary a tremendous calumny;
4:157. And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah's messenger - they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain.

4:158. But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise.
4:159. There is not one of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them -
4:160. Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews We forbade them good things which were (before) made lawful unto them, and because of their much hindering from Allah's way,

4:161. And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretences, We have prepared for those of them who disbelieve a painful doom.
4:162. But those of them who are firm in knowledge and the believers believe in that which is revealed unto thee, and that which was revealed before thee, especially the diligent in prayer and those who pay the poor-due, the believers in Allah and the Last Day. Upon these We shall bestow immense reward.

4:163. Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the Psalms;
4:164. And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spake directly unto Moses;

4:165. Messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise.
4:166. But Allah (Himself) testifieth concerning that which He hath revealeth unto thee; in His knowledge hath He revealed it; and the angels also testify. And Allah is sufficient Witness.

4:167. Lo! those who disbelieve and hinder (others) from the way of Allah, they verily have wandered far astray. Y S
4:168. Lo! those who disbelieve and deal in wrong, Allah will never forgive them, neither will He guide them unto a road,
4:169. Except the road of hell, wherein they will abide for ever. And that is ever easy for Allah.
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urs hala

I became interested in Islam when I was 18 years old, after having some conversations with an Arab Muslim. I noticed his values were different in comparison to the ones most young people have nowadays. He used to pray when other people were sleeping. He asked me whether I was willing to find out more things about the Prophet Muhammad (SallaAllahu alayhi wasllam) and I said yes. But the turning point in my search for the truth was when he told me ‘Christians believe in three gods’. After thinking about this and rejecting the idea, I realized he was right. There was something wrong with Christianity and this idea of trinity, which was not clear in my mind, despite having received several answers, such as trinity is like an egg, water and so on… These were manmade theories, but I kept defending Christianity and rejecting Islam, so that the boy whom I was talking to told me: “It’s ok, you don't have to become a muslim”. But deep inside I knew I could not be a Christian anymore, so I prayed that God would show me the right path, to help me find the truth. After a while I was convinced that Islam is the true religion of God and that Muhammad is the last Prophet SallaAllahu alayhi wasallam. But I ran into an anti-Islamic site and I needed the explanations kindly offered by the Muslim boy, so I realized that those accusations were nothing more than mere inventions. I had another step to undertake in order to convince myself, reading the translation of the Qu’ran, and I got a copy of it, together with other books, from a Muslim living in Bucharest. Reading it took me about three months, but after that I said Shahada, Alhamdu lillah. Allahu Akbar! Allah made things easy for me, I met the right people and I learned. Besides, I did not have problems with my family, because I told them about my research, step by step. I told them that I am interested I reading the Qu’ran and finding out about Islam, I told them about my decisions and that is one of the reasons I don't have problems with my family because of Islam now, alhamdulillah. I received all the support I needed in order to practice my religion in a proper way: hijabs, abayas and a Qu’ran. I started wearing the hijab on the first day of Ramadan, in 2008, that was six months after I had reverted to Islam. By wearing the hijab I feel protected, I am shyer and I find it easier to talk to people about Islam. When I go outside I feel happy and I am grateful to Allah Subhanu Wa Ta’ala for having guided me on the right path. I had many positive reactions when going outside, even if I live in a small town – for instance there were people greeting me by saying ‘Assalamu 3alaykum’ or other persons saying ‘In sha Allah’, they used the knowledge they had… I also heard funny things, like someone asking me whether I wear the hijab when I take a shower too.

May Allah Subhanu Wa Ta’ala guide us and our families and may we die only as right believers submitting to His will! Ameen!

"Our Lord! make not our hearts to deviate after Thou hast guided us aright, and grant us from Thee mercy; surely Thou art the most liberal Giver!" ( Translation of the meaning of the Holy Quran, 3:8 )

Jazach allah Khayran sister Karima for sharing with us your conversion story. May Allah bless you and keep you always as a brave Muslim, Amin!

Wa iyaki, ameen to u too!
Assalamu aleykum!