14 years old’s conversion story: Islam saved my life!

"Something that amazed me was that Muslim women covered themselves... They were gorgeous, but In a way that did not promote the western idea that a girl who is so skinny that her bones stick out and has nearly every inch of skin showing... No, these woman were a kind of beautiful that was natural, not plastered on like the woman seen on billboards everywhere."

About six months ago, I was suffering from severe depression and an eating disorder. I was absolutely convinced that I was worthless and that no one would ever love me unless I reached some unattainable goal of a tiny, malnourished, and unhealthy body. All the light seemed to be gone from the world. I had no hope of ever recovering from the disorder. As my issues worsened I became suicidal. I felt like I deserved to die, and that no one would care when that happened. I was fighting with my parents who could see my condition deteriorating day by day. I began to fail in school. All in all, nothing in my life was positive.

Then one day I was sitting in a class, barely paying attention when I heard one of my fellow students begin talking. He was doing a presentation on Islam. He spoke very briefly on the basic principles of Islam, barely scratching the surface of a beautiful Religion I would come to know as close as my family. But with that little bit of information, I was fascinated. That very day I began reading the Qur’an and researching and everything I could find out about Islam. I was amazed at the devotion of a whole people to one All Mighty God whom they called Allaah.

There is a feeling that you get when you know you are doing something right. A sort of swelling, happiness that seems to fill you up from head to toe. That is what I felt when I began to study Islam. The happiness was foreign to me as I had been in a state of depression for nearly two years. When you live in the dark, the light may hurt your eyes but it is light nonetheless.

Something that amazed me was that Muslim women covered themselves. Now, that may seem like something rather silly or obvious but to me it was extraordinary. I lived in a state of obsession with being thin. And yet, in the world I saw that there were women who wore loose clothing, and covered their hair. They were gorgeous, but In a way that did not promote the western idea that a girl who is so skinny that her bones stick out and has nearly every inch of skin showing is an ideal of beauty that every woman should strive for. No, these woman were a kind of beautiful that was natural, not plastered on like the woman seen on billboards everywhere. And then I realized something, these women were what I ought to aspire to not deathly thin models.

I learned how to pray, and began to pray regularly. It didn’t happen overnight, but through my learning I became a believer. I came to know that Allaah The Beneficent, The Merciful, had a plan for me. I realized that there was more to life than counting calories and crying all of the time. I knew again that there was light and beauty in the world, in all of His creations.

All of these things, inspired me to want to get better. So, I began the long and hard road of recovery. It’s not like people assume. My discovery of Islam may have brought a ray of light in, but I still had to get out of the dark place I was in.

It has been a long and slow journey, which I am still on but all throughout there has been one constant thing.The Worship of Allaah
I can now say with all conviction that without Islam and the support of my family I would most likely be dead.

I am still recovering, and it takes bravery on my part every day to wake up in the morning and tell myself that I am beautiful and that I deserve food and happiness.

When you are in the darkest of places, when you feel like there is nothing left, turn to Allaah. That is the message I have to the world.

MUHAMMAD ALI'S ADVICE TO HIS DAUGHTER

An incident transpired when Muhammad Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were quite revealing.

Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:

“When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.

My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to.

Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected.

Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell.

Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them.”

He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.”

Allahu Akbar!

Davide Mastracci, embraced Islam in 2014

Davide Mastracci, embraced Islam in 2014. Allaahu Akbar!

"Want to know the "best thing ever" one could be blessed with?
Being guided to Islam, then being guided to Sunnah, then being granted with steadfastness upon the two, till your last breath."

Davide Mastracci is a journalist currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from McGill University. Davide was formerly a columnist for the McGill Daily, and currently works as a copy editor for the McGill Daily. Davide has contributed articles to the National Post and Montreal Gazette. He has also appeared on CBC Radio.

May Allaah make him steadfast on the Deen. Aameen!
~via Sheikh Abdul Raouf Kabbar

anish Scholar reverts to Islam

" I had come to this experience with complete certainty of the One and only God.The entrance to Islam was only to confirm what I already knew for certain to be true. There was no choice; my heart did not lie in what it now perceived in front of it. The door was open and I took the first blessed step inside. After entering I realized that this is not only what I had always been looking for, but it was also what I, in reality, already was. I had always been a Muslim in my heart. I am and will always be grateful for being able to be gifted with this path and having certainty of the ever-flowing generosity of my Lord." Allahu Akbar!

From Catholicism to Islam

The Roman Catholic religion is a ritualistic, secular, and political faith. It is dictated by the pope from the top down to the priests at the bottom. If a Muslim were to walk into a Catholic church it would be like walking into a different world. He would find row on row of pews where worshipers sit, stained glass windows with perhaps scenes of the last supper or the messiah carrying a cross and so on. On the front wall in all churches is the messiah on a cross and below an altar where the priest delivers his Sunday sermon. In some older churches you may even find magnificent statue figures of Jesus, saints, Mary the mother of Jesus and so on. Church services are mainly repetitive rituals, singing, and prayers to Jesus or Mary or God and sometimes to saints. This is the type of world I lived and grew up in most of my life.

If you were to ask me why I converted to Islam my answer would be endless. However, if you were to ask me what lead me to Islam I would have to say, now looking back, that it was my first encounter reading the Bible at the age of about ten. I used to sit bewildered reading the Bible into a tape recorder. After I had finished, I would play the tape back in hopes of grasping the meaning of what I had just read. No such luck. So on Sundays I watched sermons on television, ordered free Bibles, and donated as much as I could (which could not have been much for a boy of ten). I received letters of gratitude and blessings and that made me feel good. This continued for a year or so until finally I became too frustrated, lost, and honestly bored with the whole thing. So in result I tucked the Bible away in my dresser drawer. I would only refer to it occasionally throughout my inquisitive childhood and teens. I accepted the fact that I would never truly understand that Bible. That is, ironically, until later when I became Muslim. Only then did I begin to gain a complete understanding of the Bible.

What had confused me reading the Bible then was the contradiction between the book and what I had been taught all my life by priests and religion teachers. I found that almost every aspect of my belief was challenged or did not make sense at all upon referring to the Bible. The very core of my faith, I had learned, was false. This brought me to the point in my life where I was pessimistic and cynical toward religion. I mocked my religion in my teens by going to church chewing gum and partially participating in services. I would grunt at the mere mention of God or Jesus. I did not know what I believed anymore. The only thing I was sure of was that there was a God. What I did not realize then, that I realize now, is in all my confusion and enlightenment starting from the age of ten would trigger my quest for truth and finally lead me to the religion called Islam.

My first encounter with Muslim people was through business dealings. Their warm and generous hospitality won my heart. Their loyal remembrance of Allah (SWT) intrigued me in phrases like, ' Al Hamdu Lilla ' or ' Inshallah '. I have never come upon people in a state of such strong faith forever uttering remembrance of Allah (SWT). Their kindness, generosity, and compassionate nature, I would discover later, were all part of being a Muslim. I wanted to be like them. Muslims should know that it is extremely crucial when in contact with non-Muslims to remember how we should be as Muslims and act as such. The saying, ' actions speak louder than words ' is so true. This is what attracts people in wonder to Islam. This is what attracted me. I began to learn a little about Islam. The more I learned the more I wanted to know. Before long I was studying Islam through books written by Muslims and the Holy Qur'an. Not a soul knew, but maybe a select few, that I was studying Islam nor did they know that I was remotely interested in it. I did not wish any interference from Muslims and especially from my Christian and Jewish friends. I knew that if anyone was going to guide and aid me in my quest for truth it would be Allah (SWT).

As time past my knowledge expanded into realms of truth unbeknown to me. Islam became a powerful force like a one ton magnet drawing me closer and closer to it. What I discovered and the thought of Allah (SWT) was the only thing on my mind during the day, as I drifted to sleep, and the first though when I awoke. Islam appealed to my intellect as well as my heart so my passion grew for it. I eventually learned Surat Al-Ikhlas and, although I was not yet Muslim, I began to teach myself to pray using a book and reciting the only Surah I knew. I felt an overwhelming need to prostrate in reverence to the All Mighty to ask for forgiveness and guidance in the way that made most sense to me.

Shortly, thereafter, I departed on a holiday taking the Qur'an with me. Four days later, alone in a foreign country, I became seriously ill. I was bed stricken for a month each day loosing a pound. In my agony I remember pleading to Allah (SWT) not to let me die incomplete. I had not yet converted but I knew in my heart I wanted to be a Muslim. I was procrastinating trying to learn everything humanly possible. I now believe that this was my ' wake up call ' from the Most Merciful. That is to say that life is too short to put things off that you want to do. You never know if tomorrow will ever come. Two weeks after my return to Canada, Al Hamdu Lilla, I converted to Islam. Al Hamdu Lilla I did not die before saying the Shahadah. Allah (SWT) is ever so Merciful. He gives people many chances and signs. The part that is difficult is not so much recognizing them but acting on them with all your heart.

Islam is like a medicine. It changes deviant behavior and soothes the sobbing soul. Islam is the religion of truth and the Qur'an the guide for all aspects of life. The Qur'an gave me all the answers to my questions. It alleviated my confusion and turned it into clarity and understanding. Never did I know that there is a religion that is absolute truth in its' purest form. If all mankind only realized that this truth is the religion of Islam.

I am very happy in my new faith, and proclaim once again: "I bear witness that there is but One God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is God's servant and Messenger."

I pray to Allah (SWT) to guide us and the non-Muslims to the straight path. The path of Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon all). Ameen.

Shopkeeper Gave Practical Lesson about Islam.

Abdullah's Journey To Islam (former christian name not given)

Written by El-Hageen (Published: 04 November 2012)

Abdullah was a young man with basic high school education. He was on active duty in the U.S. Army for a few years where he learned some technical skills. At present he earns his living by repairing photocopy and fax machines.

How he accepted Islam is interesting. Yet, it is more fascinating to know how he went through the Islamization process. During the Gulf War between the United Forces and Iraq he was posted in Saudi Arabia. Abdullah was shopping in a Saudi market. He picked up an item from the shop and agreed to pay its price to the shopkeeper. However, when he was about to pay for the article, the call for prayer was heard from a nearby mosque. The shopkeeper said, “That’s it,” and refused to do any business until after the prayer was over. He then closed his shop and hurriedly went to the mosque. Abdullah was stunned and wondered about this incident. Why did this man not take the money when there was a mutual agreement on the price? Abdullah never knew of anyone in his life who refused to take money. Usually in business, everybody runs after money one way or another. What kind of person was this shopkeeper? What kind of religion was it that had so much priority in the eyes of this shopkeeper? Abdullah was very inquisitive and wanted to know more about this religion. He read more and more about it and finally decided to embrace Islam after his return to America. In New York he had some good teachers who gave him basic Islamic education and taught him how to read the Quran. Abdullah became a very strict practicing Muslim.

I came to know Abdullah only when he moved to Detroit. He decided to reside near the Tawheed Center of Detroit and offered most of his prayers in this mosque. I happened to be voluntarily running the affairs of this mosque. Conducting the affairs of an Islamic organization can be a challenging task. Many things happened between brother Abdullah and me, which created some temporary problems between us. We were both sincere in our own ways. Our differences totally disappeared in the course of time. It is, however, a great test of patience to have differences with someone whom you meet several times a day in the house of Allah. Let me mention a few of them here.

Since brother Abdullah was very regular in all the prayers, I wished to have his participation in some activities of the mosque. One day I asked him to call the Adhan. He said he would do it outside the mosque on the main road. I informed him that we were presently going through the licensing process of the building with the local fire department and City of Detroit. The City of Detroit was holding a public hearing about it. But, my words did not concern him. I had to tell him firmly that I had to face the public, the attorney, the Zoning Commission and the City Planning Department. I said, “You guys come, pray and leave the mosque. You do not have any idea of the difficulties faced by us at City Hall. Some wisdom and caution should be observed in our Islamic practice. Why should we annoy and excite our non-Muslim neighbors? Furthermore, we should concentrate on reviving faith in Muslims rather than creating problems with our non-Muslim neighbors.” My words did not budge him at all. He refused to make the Adhan in the mosque. I, may Allah forgive me, had to ask someone else to make the Adhan.

Brother Abdullah had memorized a considerable part of the Quran. His recitation was very charming and effective. I asked him to lead the Isha prayer daily. He was memorizing more and more Quran every day. He loved every new surah(chapter) he memorized and preferred to recite it whilst leading the prayer. There were always some mistakes in his newly learned surahs. This made many Muslims uneasy.

I talked to Abdullah about it. I suggested to him that he should recite only those surahs which he had mastered and that he should recite them in front of me a few times one day in advance. He liked my suggestion. Thus he improved and understood my point of view. The mistakes in recitation totally disappeared and our teamwork and co-operative attitude helped us to reconcile.

We faced another problem with brother Abdullah. He used to recite a long surah followed by Surah Ikhlas in each rakat(a unit of prayer). Thus, prayers took a long time. Sometimes the night prayer took twenty minutes. People did not have this kind of commitment and patience. I communicated these feelings of the people to brother Abdullah. He said he liked to recite the way one companion of the Holy Prophet(pbuh) did. He recited Surah Ikhlas in all his offerings of prayer. I told him, “As far as I recall, Surah Ikhlas was recited only in the second rakat.” Brother Abdullah said, “He read in a Hadith that it was in both rakats.” Hence, nobody could stop brother Abdullah reciting a long surah followed by Surah Ikhlas.

One day I saw him lying on the floor of the mosque on his right side with his arm under his head waiting for the time of Fajr Prayer. I got worried and approached him and asked him if there was something wrong. He said he was fine and that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to take brief rest like this, as he was doing. Abdullah would try to practice anything he read from the Quran or Hadith without being shy.

His family life was remarkable. His wife and his sister-in-law accepted Islam through his efforts. His in-laws also accepted Islam. He had many children. All were very good in the recitation of the Quran. His oldest son was about seven years old and had memorized a considerable part of the Quran under his father’s supervision. His son regularly came to the mosque to offer prayer with the congregation, even in Fajr Prayer. I do not know anybody who would bring his seven-year-old son regularly to Fajr Prayer, even during severe cold, snow or storm. Brother Abdullah used to teach his son Quran after Fajr Prayer in the mosque. His son’s Islamic knowledge, practice and behavior were superb. His recitation of Quran was excellent like his father. He behaved like a thirty-year-old mature person. He would be a good Imam of mosque.

Later brother Abdullah not only had the key to the mosque, but he was also made responsible for conducting the prayers in the mosque. I thought Abdullah was also ready to deliver the Juma’ Khutbas (Friday Sermons). He reluctantly accepted one. He did extremely well. He was, therefore, assigned one Juma’ Khutba at the Tawheed Center of Detroit and one at the Tawheed Center of Farmington Hills, Michigan each month. He was voluntarily carrying out his assignments extremely well.

Without exaggeration many people came to me from both the mosques requesting that he be the Khateeb(the person who gives the Friday Sermon) permanently. They loved to hear his recitation of the Quran as well. Truly speaking, we collected more donations for each mosque whenever brother Abdullah delivered the Friday Sermon in Salatul Juma.

One day brother Abdullah came to the Tawheed Center of Detroit with another local Muslim brother. Fajr Prayer was over and everyone had left the mosque. I was reciting the Quran when both these brothers entered the mosque. They offered their prayers. I welcomed both of them since they had just returned from Hajj. I insisted on taking them to my house for breakfast. Brother Abdullah declined, telling me he had not yet gone to his house. He was coming directly to the mosque from Hajj. He told me that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) used to go to mosque upon his return from a journey before going home and meeting with his family. I wonder how many born Muslims follow this practice.

Brother Abdullah now laughs on his past rigid behavior. He now accepts variation in Islamic practice. He even started calling the Adhah inside the mosque.

After his first Juma’ Khutba I introduced him to the audience. While introducing him I mentioned how he accepted Islam and how his son is proud to be in Fajr Prayer daily. After this introduction he was anxious to know how his khutbah was. I told him that it was excellent, so much so that he finished on time which happened to be a problem with other Khateebs. He left quietly. After Isha Prayer brother Hani wanted to talk to me. He said, “Brother Abdullah is upset. He feels that by praising him in his presence, it was like cutting his neck, as mentioned in a Hadith.” I told him that you should see another Hadith also, which instructs us to give due respect and credit to whosoever deserves it. Prophet Shuaib(pbuh) also insisted that his people not belittle credit if it is due. It is also mentioned in the Quran in many places. Some people focus only on one Hadith and draw their own conclusions. Thank God I did not exaggerate anything in the introduction. Furthermore, people should know all about the new Khateeb. I expressed my opinion to brother Abdullah the next day. He was satisfied with my explanation.

Brother Abdullah and brother Hani are now responsible for the mosque in my absence. Both are handling their responsibility and authority superbly well.

Brother Abdullah attended some Arabic classes in the local community college offered by Dr. Sheikh Ali Suleiman. Now he speaks Arabic, understands some grammar and recites and memorizes surahs of Quran. He also learns new Ahadith, delivers the Friday Sermons and guides many disbelievers to the light of Islam. A high school graduate with sincerity and commitment can do all these wonderful things and introduce and propagate Islam amongst people of other faiths.

Brother Abdullah is the by-product of the Gulf War. Many other soldiers accepted Islam after visiting Saudi Arabia.

Bill Cosby: We Should All Be More Like Muslims.

"I’m a Christian. But Muslims are misunderstood. Intentionally misunderstood. We should all be more like them. They make sense, especially with their children. There is no other group like the Black Muslims, who put so much effort into teaching children the right things, they don’t smoke, they don’t drink or overindulge in alcohol, they protect their women, they command respect. And what do these other people do? They complain about them, they criticize them. We’d be a better world if we emulated them. We don’t have to become black Muslims, but we can embrace the things that work."