05/09/2010

“The story of how I reverted to al Islam is a story of plans. I made plans; the group I was with made plans, and Allah made plans. And Allah is the Best of Planners. When I was a teenager, I came to the attention of a group of people with a very sinister agenda. They were and probably still are a loose association of individuals who work in government positions but have a special agenda — to destroy Islam. It is not a governmental group that I am aware of, they simply use their positions in the US government to advance their cause.”

“One member of this group approached me because he saw that I was articulate, motivated and very much the women’s rights advocate. He told me that if I studied International Relations with an emphasis in the Middle East, he would guarantee me a job at the American Embassy in Egypt. He wanted me to eventually go there to use my position in the country to talk to Muslim women and encourage the fledgling women’s rights movement. I thought this was a great idea. I had seen the Muslim women on TV; I knew they were a poor oppressed group, and I wanted to lead them to the light of 20th century freedom.”

“With this intention, I went to college and began my education. I studied Quraan, hadith and Islamic history. I also studied the ways I could use this information. I learned how to twist the words to say what I wanted them to say. It was a valuable tool. Once I started learning, however, I began to be intrigued by this message. It made sense. That was very scary. Therefore, in order to counteract this effect, I began to take classes in Christianity. I chose to take classes with this one professor on campus because he had a good reputation and he had a Ph.D. in Theology from Harvard University. I felt I was in good hands. I was, but not for the reasons I thought. It turns out that this professor was a Unitarian Christian. He did not believe in the trinity or the divinity of Jesus. In actuality, he believed that Jesus was a prophet.”

“He proceeded to prove this by taking the bible from its sources in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic and show where they were changed. As he did this, he showed the historical events which shaped and followed these changes. By the time I finished this class, my deen had been destroyed, but I was still not ready to accept Islam. As time went on, I continued to study, for myself and for my future career. This took about three years. In this time, I would question Muslims about their beliefs. One of the Individuals I questioned was a Muslim brother with the MSA. Alhamdulllah, he saw my interest in the deen, and made it a personal effort to educate me about Islam. May Allah increase his reward. He would give me dawaa at every opportunity which presented itself.”

“One day, this man contacts me, and he tells me about a group of Muslims who were visiting in town. He wanted me to meet them. I agreed. I went to meet with them after ishaa prayer. I was led to a room with at least 20 men in it. They all made space for me to sit, and I was placed face to face with an elderly Pakistani gentleman. Mashallah, this brother was a very knowledgeable man in matters of Christianity. He and I discussed and argued the varying parts of the bible and the Quraan until the fajr. At this point, after having listened to this wise man tell me what I already knew, based on the class I had taken in Christianity, he did what no other individual had ever done. He invited me to become a Muslim. In the three years I had been searching and researching, no one had ever invited me. I had been taught, argued with and even insulted, but never invited. May Allah guide us all. So when he invited me, it clicked. I realized this was the time. I knew it was the truth, and I had to make a decision. Alhamdulillah, Allah opened my heart, and I said, “Yes. I want to be a Muslim.” With that, the man led me in the shahadah - in English and in Arabic. I swear by Allah that when I took the shahadah, I felt the strangest sensation. I felt as if a huge, physical weight had just been lifted off my chest; I gasped for breath as if I were breathing for the first time in my life. Alhamdulillah, Allah had given me a new life — a clean slate — a chance for Jennah, and I pray that I live the rest of my days and die as a Muslim. Ameen.”

Shariffa Carlo Al Andalusia - USA

“I was raised a Christian. Until I was 16 I prayed daily and went to Church on Sundays. Then I began to question my faith. Some things seemed illogical. How could I be created in the image and likeness of an all powerful god, yet be flawed, mortal and sinful? Why would a god, who can create what he pleases, choose to breed with a human creature? How could the life and death of one man, in one country, on one planet, in one solar system, in one galaxy of this universe, redeem all creation for eternity? It wasn't logical. Furthermore many Christian ideals seemed attainable only for saints. Christianity holds up very high standards for moral conduct but then the church today seems to turn a blind eye to people who flagrantly flout them. I left and became an atheist.”

“Atheism isn't a logical position. A person who could be sure there was no god would have to know everything. An omniscient being would be ... a god?! I saw this and began to seek the truth. The search lasted a decade without my committing to anything. Eventually I drifted back to Christianity but I couldn't reconcile the logicalities. I returned only because I saw that one can't grow spiritually without practising faith. Intention and action are needed for a person to practise faith. You need to believe in something, desire to follow that belief and then actually follow it. Whatever a consumer society that wants to have it all might like to think, you can't have no faith and yet be spiritual! I was a month away from being confirmed into a Christian Church whose tenets went against my reasoning, when conversations with a Muslim friend led me to buy a Qur’an. Within a couple of weeks I knew I was not going to be confirmed.”

“I was impressed by the fact that Islam is a very logical religion. It doesn't ask more of people than is reasonable for them to give. Furthermore what it does ask them to do for Allah and for their salvation in the next world, generally tends to be what is directly good for the individual and society in this world. Soon I wanted to be a Muslim. I hesitated over saying the Shahada. It was a commitment to a very big spiritual journey that would mean changing the habits of a lifetime. All journeys start with a single step. The first step of the journey into Islam is the Shahada. When you take that step it won't at a stroke make you good. Nor will it force you to do anything you don't want to do. It will make you a Muslim, that’s all. It makes you someone who has declared their intent to submit to Allah.”

“When I saw this, I said the Shahada and became a Muslim with a great deal to learn. The good thing about a journey into faith is that taking small steps in faith rewards you with the strength to be more faithful and take other, bigger steps. You also find that there is a whole Islamic community out there keen to help you take those steps. My journey stretches far ahead but I am very glad that I started on it.”

Paul Marshall
Colerne, Wiltshire

“I was born in England to an Irish Roman Catholic family although I was never brought up into the religion or any belief system, I was allowed to make my own decisions about God, the Universe, the purpose of life, etc. As I got older things seemed to go off course, I fell in with the wrong crowd and started drinking, doing drugs, messing around at school, all the typical teenage tearaway stuff. At times I would look back on my childhood and get pretty nostalgic, I spent a lot of time living in a dream world.”

“When I reached 17 I had managed to get away from all the bad stuff but a few big events took place in my life and I started to really think about God, I had always been agnostic but I was coming of age and had those questions that needed answering; 'Why am I here?', 'Does God really exist?', 'What’s the meaning of life?'. I quite naturally adopted the family religion of Catholicism, this was very easy as my family were all Catholic, we had a Bible and some rosary beads in the house and the Roman Catholic Church was literally a 2 minute walk away. I took it all on and I felt peace, I had some real morals and values to live by and a faith to help me through the tough times. Although when I started researching my religion I came across some others (Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism), they all seemed very nice but none appealed to me, except one.”

“I had grown up with all the 'Islamophobia', 9/11, 7/7, Madrid train bombings, hostage executions, the lot. So my initial idea of Islam was a very distorted one, I thought that Islam advocated violence against non-Muslims, oppressed women and had no human rights system. I must admit at first I did try to prove Islam wrong and bring myself away from my interest in it, but this failed miserably. When I began to properly look into it, I learnt that Allah is the Arabic name for God, the same God I worshipped as a Christian, I also noticed many names of the Prophets (Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Noah, peace be upon them all), with Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) being the Final Prophet, this shocked me! I then learnt that Muslims had very logical beliefs about the Universe, creation, etc. I got to see what the Qur'an had to say about the Big Bang, the expansion of the Universe, the creation of mankind, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, even things like the development of a baby inside the mother’s womb. When I realised that the Qur'an was a book which hadn't been changed since its revelation over 1,400 years ago I was astounded! I came to realise that terrorism and oppression of women had nothing to do with Islam and had no place in it, it was a religion of peace and harmony. Luckily, I managed to meet someone online who sent me a copy of the Qur'an in English, I began to read it and by the third chapter I had already given my heart to Islam. I kept praying to God to lead me to the Truth and I did a little more research into Islam to make sure I was making the right choice, then one day out of the blue I just thought 'I have to embrace Islam today'. I learnt how to say the Shahada (testimony of faith) and once I proclaimed it I took a ghusl (ritual shower) so I had properly entered into Islam.”

“I had many things to give up, it wasn't easy at first. There is no need for a list but even after getting away from all the evil I was doing before, my life was still by no means acceptable by Islamic standards. Allah made this very, very easy for me with time, and helped me with all the changes I had to go through. I learnt to pray and established all the basics and I can say I have never, ever felt so great in my life! I am so much more at peace with myself, the world, all of creation. I understand my purpose in life and realise the bigger picture. Islam has done so much for me, I cannot describe how good life as a Muslim is, everyone is so kind and caring, there is a real brotherhood. I advise anyone who is looking for the truth and/or is interested in Islam to seriously continue their search with an open mind and open heart, and Allah, the Most Gracious and Most Merciful will lead you to it.”
Peace.

Yusuf Abdul-Aziz McNulty
Burnham on Sea, England

“I was brought up in a 'Christian' family going to church maybe once a year. I never saw myself as a Christian and over time I thought of myself as atheist, because I knew nothing of other religions having come from a completely white area. As I grew older I put up a wall when it came to learning about religion and I was not at all interested in my school RE (Religious Education) lessons.”

“My first experience of Islam was when I went to Malaysia. I did some voluntary work there in a special school and wanted to learn about the culture of the local people. What I didn't realise however is that alongside culture sits religion so I ended up learning about both. During my time there I met Hindus and Muslims and went to many weddings and family parties with the ladies from work. What struck me at this time is way that all of the Muslims that I met seemed so self content regardless of bad things that happened in their lives. It made no sense to me at that time.”

“One night at a friend's house I was asked about my religion. When I said I was atheist I was asked why I chose this, but I had no real reason or explanation. It started a nagging doubt in my mind that maybe, just maybe, I had been wrong all along. After this I had that 'Who am I and what do I believe?' moment that I think a lot of other converts will relate to; that burning need to search for the truth. The next day my friend taught me how Islamic prayer is performed and also bought me an English translation of the Qur'an. I didn't read it at that time as a few days later I had finished my voluntary placement in the special school and went travelling for 6 weeks around South East Asia.”

“Back home I was able to reflect on my time in Malaysia and started to read the Qur'an. Even at that time I had no plans to become Muslim, I just wanted to know more. It was only as I read more and more of the Qur'an I realised that all of its teachings could give me guidance in all aspects of my life. It gave me a kind of comfort which I had never felt before and I knew then that I wanted to become Muslim.”

“I was a little worried about how I would be viewed by other Muslims as I could not pray properly and there were many elements of Islam I still need to learn about and put into practice. Thankfully a Muslim friend of mine gave me some wise words and told me that as long as I concentrate on following the 5 pillars of Islam initially then the rest will fall into place later. I was so happy when I said my shahadah (testimony) on 8th Oct 2007. One day I hope to wear the hijab but for me that will come with more experience. For now I continue every day to try and better myself through increasing my knowledge of the teachings of the Qur'an and changing my behaviour accordingly.”

Lindsay Dunscombe
Wiltshire, England

“From an early age, although I was not confined by my parents to a particular religious upbringing, I did however attend initially a Roman Catholic primary school and then later a Church of England secondary school. My family had connections with the Mormon denomination of Christianity and various other sects of the Christian faith but I was, however, always given a choice to remain inside of, or outside of, their doctrines. My parent’s method in terms of the upbringing of their children were not to confine them to a particular line of thought but rather to expose them to the reality of the world and all of its possibilities while maintaining a religious style to teach and promote, to their children, stable family values and morals regarding themselves and others.“

“Upon leaving secondary education, I found myself serving in the British Army, participating in peace keeping operations in Kosovo and active service in Iraq. To be completely honest, I had later discovered that I had joined the British forces for the wrong reasons, or at least did not find what I was in search of (whatever that was). Whatever I was searching for, the life style and activities of the armed forces did not provide answers to the most simple of questions of purpose and existence. Constantly away from home and having been married for two years, I left the army in search of a more spiritual vocation.“

“Having served five years, I spent a period of time within the secluded confines of a community of Christian monks to provide myself with an environment that was away from the world in order to seek spiritual guidance. From the Abbey, and between jobs, I participate in Charity work abroad in Zimbabwe. I used every spiritually motivated opportunity to try to understand the burdens of my heart, until one night, I had a dream:“

“One night during my sleep, I was handed a book by a faceless figure. Nothing was spoken though I could feel within my heart the words that were exchanged. I was asked to read from this book in the language that it was written. This book was written as though it was to be read from the back to the front and from right to left (opposite to the way that I was taught how to read). I opened the book and it was set out like a music book with the stave and the notes; the words that were to be sung beneath the stave, English first and Arabic beneath, very much like an interlinear translated book. When I opened the book the attention went from the faceless figure to the book with an expectation from him for me to read from it. As I have never spoken Arabic to the extent than a few words, I was expected to speak without error? How could I? I asked. Upon seeing the format of the text; the musical stave, notes and words both English and Arabic, I awoke. I was drowsy and unable to motivate myself for the remainder of the morning.“

“Not known to me at the time, the Arabic word ‘Quran’ means ‘to recite’, exactly what the faceless figure commanded me to do – recite; that Arabic is read from the right to the left; and that the Quran is recited by way of chanting and not simply reading from it. Later, I had also discovered that this experience was similar to how Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was brought his first revelation.“

“To say that I was a Christian would be incorrect. Yes, I was born into and nurtured within a society grounded upon Christian morals and principles. Yes, I had once attend church and taught Christian doctrine but I would by definition before and after my Shahada define myself as Muslim. The only way I can explain this is to express the Islamic concept of Al-fitrah. In summary, this concept explains that every child, if un-nurtured to a specific culture, and / or religion, and left to choose for themselves, will naturally come to seek an understanding of The Creator, Allah. These children will have a natural desire to seek a purpose to their being, using their unidentifiable 'sense to ‘belong' deep within their hearts as the compass. In this grasp to understand, none of us are born Jewish or Christian, Hindu or Sikh, but by definition - Muslim. I have come to understand since beginning my personal exploration of Islam, in an attempt to seek understanding of my faith, the unidentifiable, the inexpressible 'sense to belong'; that Islam is not a religion by means of the connotation of the meaning of the word, it is, in fact a way of life, and it is the original way of life.“

“Islam is where my seeking has brought me.“

Benjamin James Thorpe
Trowbridge - England

“I had a very limited knowledge about Islam before and truly I looked at Muslims in a very narrow perspective though I haven’t judged them generally. I had never imagined myself being a Muslim in all of my past life... I was born and raised in a Christian family and my family is strongly involved in a Church ministry. I used to teach children during Sunday schools. I could really say that I am a strong believer of God with good foundation of faith. I am a person who loved God with all my heart. Yet there are still some questions at the back of my mind and in my heart which I honestly ignored and kept hanging as it is what I am raised to. The ‘mysteries’ remained unanswered until I came to know and understand deeply what Islam really is. It really needs an open heart and an open mind to be filled. I happened to be so and I was contentedly enlightened from the confusions.”

“I came to Kuwait as an expatriate on 2006. I was adjusting with the culture and the people, and part of my adaptation is my eagerness to learn the local dialect. I am an Educator by profession. Allahamdullilah (All praise is due to Allah), one of my students happened to work in one of the sub-branches of IPC (Islamic Presentation Committee) whom I was able to get information on how to enroll for the course I needed. I have come across the subjects and I was interested to go for the Islamic Fundamentals. That was the start of my search which made me understand and truly accept Islam.” 

“Apart from that, my seniors in my job before were all Muslims. Everyday, I see them pray. I was fascinated with their gestures and my heart longed to worship the way they were doing. I asked them many questions about heir faith and they were very open to talk about it. One of my bosses came from Hajj and has shared many DVD’s about Islam and that added a pile of learning for me. One of the best quotes I couldn’t forget was that from Shaikh Khalid Yasin (Purpose of Life), talking about Christians as followers of Jesus and Muslims as followers of Mohammed,  which says, 'Jesus himself bowed to his God, If we Muslims follow what Jesus did, then we Muslims are more Christians than the Christians themselves’.... that was a struck!. I could imagine the reverence that is being showed to God in Islam. I have always wanted to be in this way.  And finally, I am. My life is contented and I my heart longs to worship God in every way of my life, more than I was longing before...”

Maria Rebecca D.V. (Aisha) - Philippines

"I was born in Denmark and was raised Christian in Jordan all my life, my father was a pastor of 4 churches, my mother is one of the strongest Christian woman leaders in the Jordanian society. I was a youth leader in the church and I was a supervisor in the church community for the Christian theology and I know alot about in but never narrowed my mind and put that dark sheet on my eyes, I was seeking because I never found my peace till I became a Muslim. And it took me a long process to be convinced in Islam."

"I became Muslim on October 4th 2005, it was the first day of Ramadan 1426, since that day, I never looked back. I have all the answers for my biblical questions in Qur’an. Furthermore, I have peace, joy, I feel as a new person, acting totally different than before."

"All what I know now, my aim in this life is to worship and pray for Allah and follow his orders and rules, and make good works for His Sake. For more information about me, visit my website www.creativeruba.com/islam."

Mrs. Ruba Qewar

"Before I was familiar with Islam I had only the usual preconceptions and a lot of questions, so when I had the opportunity I started looking for answers. I was more than a little surprised that always they were there to be found. No one said "you just need to have faith" when challenged with a difficult question but instead pointed me to evidence and clear explanations. The amount and quality of perfectly preserved teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of be upon him) is far, far above what followers of earlier prophets have to base the practice of their religion on, and we should reasonably accept no less from the final revelation to mankind. In this life wherever there are humans there will be some amount of disagreement but uniquely in Islam it is always possible to go back to reliable sources and find the truth. And what a truth it is! The true way to live harmoniously is revealed. Harmony within ourselves brings a true peace of mind that could never be confused with desperate self delusion. Harmony with others is possible by respecting clearly explained boundaries that are common to us all though far from obvious to realise by ourselves. A harmony with the natural world we have been so tragically unable to achieve with sustainable development now seems possible with a perfectly balanced view of our duty as responsible custodians of the natural world while still using its resources for the good of mankind."

"A lot of wars have been fought to keep the truth of Islam away from us but now I can compare the rulers we have long been subject to, with the fairness and equality that Islam prescribes. Now I can understand the motives behind the crusades and inquisitions that enforced Islam's tragic absence from Europe and the preconception shaping propaganda that continues to this day. Only recently have we had the chance to study this sublime source of wisdom and I strongly recommend you continue to do so, the lack of this guidance is so clearly visible in much that we admit to be lacking with our society, ever more clear when you see wise alternatives. Question Islam with fairness and an honest desire for the truth and you will be rewarded with an immense reward."

AbuAhmed Thomson - UK

"As a child, I was raised as a Christian, going to church most Sundays and also attending a Catholic School and college throughout my time in education. But in August of 2006 I knew that something was not quite right in my life, and so within 4 months I chose to take a different path and reverted to Islam. I went from being involved in the typical teenage culture, to looking for something more in life." "I first came across Islam by having contact with Muslims back when I was studying for my A-levels, but at that time, I didn’t take much notice as nothing really stood out when it came to realising the differences between Muslims and non-Muslims. As a result of being closed minded due to the life that I was leading, I was quite ignorant and lacked knowledge about the religion and the way of life that some of the people that I was studying with had on a daily basis. I used to think that Islam was more of a foreign religion and that Muslims where from the Middle East or countries such as Pakistan and Indonesia."

"Reverting to Islam did not mean that I negated all of my beliefs, for example; becoming a Muslim to me was not disbelieving in Jesus or leaving everything from Christianity behind. It was more about believing in what I considered to be a more accurate version of God’s word which has enabled me to be extremely happy and more comfortable with my life, including my relationship with my family, friends and also with everyone that I come in contact with."

Daniel Bonnici - Bath, England

“I grew up in a small quiet village in Wiltshire and enjoyed a 'normal' British childhood. As my Father was from West Africa and Mum (who had a Catholic upbringing) is from England we were brought up to be very open-minded and knew different cultures. On my father's side there was a rich heritage and history of Islam (although we never found this out till he died) and on my Mother's side there is also a rich English history which we can trace back a couple of centuries.”
 
“Growing up I knew Muslims at school but their (lack of practice of) Islam always puzzled me and I remember taking a great deal of interest in Islam when we studied it in R.E. (Religious Education). I never had any bad perceptions of Islam despite the media but never really thought about it for myself either. I always believed in God but did not think that I believing in Him or not would affect my life.”
 
“I grew up as a typical teenager in Western society; enjoying a good social life and not having a care in the World, until I started thinking more and more about becoming Muslim myself. I felt that it was the correct religion due to the concept of God being One and the morals and guidelines that Islam sets out for Humanity. However there was always something holding me back as I was not prepared for change.”
 
“Then when I was 18 my Father died suddenly of a heart attack in front of my eyes at the age of 48. This was for me a kind of turning point and the start of a long journey. Everything was fine for me and my family one moment and then suddenly it all changed and life did not seem worth living anymore. I tried to block it all out for a long time but then after a while I started to accept things as time went by. Slowly I began to see things differently and the fact that I had relied on my dad for everything and even though he was no longer around, my life went on.  I realised it was not him that was looking after me but in fact it was God.”
 
“Slowly, I felt my soul pulling towards the belief which is innate in all of us; that God created us and He deserves our worship and obedience and no matter what, I could not deny this fact.  There were no miracles, visions or signs telling me to become Muslim, it was just common sense to me and at this point I declared my testimony of faith and became Muslim.”
 
“Although I struggled at first, I became stronger in my faith as time went on. In 2003, on the day the Iraq war started amidst all the islamaphobia I decided to wear the hijab, despite people's negative perceptions of it. I felt I had to do it as I realised it was for my own protection and to obey my Creator to whom I had submitted and nothing could hold me back. Since then I have never looked back and I cannot imagine a life without my hijab, never mind a life without Islam.”
 
“My mother is not Muslim but she has been supportive and we have a beautiful relationship which has developed more and more after my conversion to Islam.”

“When people look at me strangely or judge me because of my hijab and think that I am a 'foreigner', they do not realise that I am from England and my ancestry is from here. They do not realise that I have not been a Muslim all my life and I know what it is like to be ‘one of us' (as some people might put it) and I would never trade places ever again, insha’Allah (God-willing)”

Mariama Janneh -  Wiltshire, England

"Having repeatedly been asked about how I became Muslim, and why, I have decided to tell the story one last time, but this time on paper. However, I feel conversion stories are worthless unless related with the lessons learned, and it is with those lessons that I intend to begin."

"No doubt, there is a certain fascination with conversion stories, and for good reason. Frequently they involve dramatic life-altering events, sufficient to shock the convert out of the materialistic world and into the spiritual. Those who experience such life dramas are brought face to face with the bigger issues of life for the first time, forcing them to ask the ‘Purpose of Life’ questions, such as ‘Who made us?’ and ‘Why are we here?’ But there are other common elements to ‘conversion’ stories, and one of them is that the convert is humbled to his or her knees at such moments, and looking back, most relate having prayed with sincerity for the first time in their lives. I have been intrigued by these commonalties, and have noted some significant lessons. The first, I would say, is that most converts who passed through these moments of trial and panic prayed directly to God, without intermediary, and without distraction. For example, even those who spent their lives believing in the Trinity, when faced with catastrophe, instinctively and reflexively prayed directly to God, and never to the other proposed elements of the Trinity."

"Let me relate a story as example. A popular television evangelist once had a lady relate her ‘Born Again’ Christian conversion story, which revolved around a terrible boat-wreck, from which she was the sole survivor. This lady related how during her days and nights of survival against the harsh elements of the open ocean God spoke to her, God guided her, God protected her, etc. You get the idea. For maybe five to ten minutes she told her tale, which was indeed dramatic and captivating, but throughout the story she related how God did this, God did that, and seeking His favor, she prayed to God and to God Alone. However, when she was saved by a passing ship, she described how the minute she landed on the ship’s deck she threw her arms open to the heavens and yelled, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ "

"Well, there is a lesson there, and it relates to sincerity. When in the panic and stress of circumstance, people instinctively pray to God directly, but when conceiving themselves safe and secure they frequently fall back into previously held beliefs, many (if not most) of which are misdirected. Now, we all know that many Christians equate Jesus with God, and for those who would like to argue the point, I just suggest they read my book on the subject, entitled The First and Final Commandment (Amana Publications). For all others, I would just continue by saying that the real question is ‘Who truly is saved?’ There are countless convert stories, all telling how the God of this or that religion saved the person in question, and all of these converts conceive themselves to be upon the truth by nature of the miracle of their salvation. But as there is only One God, and therefore only one religion of absolute truth, the fact of the matter is that only one group can be right and all others are living in delusion, with their personal miracles having confirmed them upon disbelief rather than upon truth. As Allah teaches in the Holy Qur’an, "Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]" (Translation of the Meaning of the Qur’an [hereafter ‘TMQ’] 13:27) and "So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him – He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path." (TMQ 4:175) As for those astray in disbelief, they will be left to stray, as they themselves chose."

"But the strength of belief, even when misdirected, is not to be underestimated. So who is going to become Muslim based upon my conversion story? Only one person -- me. Muslims may find some encouragement in my story but others may be left empty, just as Muslims sigh and shake their heads in despair when hearing others relate the ‘miracles’ which followed prayers to patron saints, partners in the Trinity, or other distractions from the One True God. For if a person prays to something or someone other than our Creator, who, if not God, might be the one answering those prayers? Could it just possibly be a certain one who has a vested interest in confirming those who are astray upon their particular flavor of disbelief? One whose dedicated purpose is to lead mankind astray?"

"However a person chooses to answer those questions, these are issues addressed at length in The First and Final Commandment, and those interested can investigate. But for now, I will tell my story."

"In the winter of 1990, when my second daughter was born, she was whisked from the birthing room to the neonatal intensive care unit, where she was diagnosed with a coarctation of the aorta. This meaning a critical narrowing in the major vessel from the heart, she was a dusky gunmetal blue from the chest to the toes, for her body simply was not getting enough blood and her tissues were suffocating. When I learned of the diagnosis, I was shattered. Being a doctor, I understood this meant emergency thoracic surgery with a poor chance of long-term survival. A consultant cardio-thoracic surgeon was called from across town at the pediatric hospital in Washington, D.C., and upon his arrival I was asked to leave the intensive care unit, for I had become overly emotional. With no companion but my fears, and no other place of comfort to which to go while awaiting the result of the consultant’s examination, I went to the prayer room in the hospital and fell to my knees. For the first time in my life I prayed with sincerity and commitment. Having spent my life as an atheist, this was the first time that I even partially recognized God. I say partially, for even in this time of panic I was not fully believing, and so prayed a rather skeptical prayer in which I promised God, if, that is, there was a God, that if He would save my daughter then I would seek and follow the religion most pleasing to Him. Ten to fifteen minutes later, when I returned to the Neonatal ICU, I was shocked when the consultant told me that my daughter would be fine. And, true to his assessment, within the next two days her condition resolved without medicine or surgery, and she subsequently grew up a completely normal child."

"Now, I know that there is a medical explanation for this. As I said, I am a doctor. So when the consultant explained about a patent ductus arteriosis, low oxygenation and eventual spontaneous resolution, I understood. I just didn’t buy it. More significantly, neither did the Intensivist – the Neonatal ICU specialist who made the diagnosis. To this day I remember seeing him standing, blank-faced and speechless. But in the end, the consultant was right and the condition spontaneously reversed and my daughter, Hannah, left the hospital a normal baby in every respect. And here’s the rub -- many who make promises to God in moments of panic find or invent excuses to escape their part of the bargain once the danger is past. As an atheist, it would have been easy to maintain my disbelief in God, assigning my daughter’s recovery to the doctor’s explanation rather than to God. But I couldn’t. We had cardiac ultrasound taken before and after, showing the stricture one day, gone the next, and all I could think of was that God had made good on His part of the deal, and I had to make good on mine. And even if there were an adequate medical explanation, that too was under the control of Almighty God, so by whatever means God chose to effect His decree, He had answered my prayer. Period. I did not then, and I do not now, accept any other explanation."

"The next few years I tried to fulfill my side of the bargain, but failed. I studied Judaism and a number of sects of Christianity, but never felt that I had found the truth. Over time I attended a wide variety of Christian churches, spending the longest period of time in Roman Catholic congregation. However, I never embraced Christian faith. I never could, for the simple reason that I could not reconcile the biblical teachings of Jesus with the teachings of the various sects of Christianity. Eventually I just stayed home and read, and during this time I was introduced to the Holy Qur’an and Martin Lings’s biography of the prophet, Muhammad, entitled, Muhammad, His Life Based on the Earliest Sources."

"During my years of study, I had encountered the Jewish scriptures referencing three prophets to follow Moses. With John the Baptist and Jesus Christ being two, that left one according to the Old Testament, and in the New Testament Jesus Christ himself spoke of a final prophet to follow. Not until I found the Holy Qur’an teaching the oneness of God, as both Moses and Jesus Christ had taught, did I begin to consider Muhammad as the predicted final prophet, and not until I read the biography of Muhammad did I become convinced. And when I did become convinced, suddenly everything made sense. The continuity in the chain of prophethood and revelation, the One-ness of Almighty God, and the completion of revelation in the Holy Qur’an suddenly made perfect sense, and it was then that I became Muslim."

"Pretty smart, hunh? No, not at all. For I would err greatly if I believed that I figured it out for myself. One lesson I have learned over the past ten years as a Muslim is that there are a lot of people much more intelligent than I am, but who have not been able to figure out the truth of Islam. It is not a matter of intelligence but of enlightenment, for Allah has revealed that those who disbelieve will remain upon disbelief, even if warned, for in punishment for having denied Allah, Allah in turn has denied them the treasure of His truth. As Allah teaches in the Holy Qur’an, "Indeed, those who disbelieve – it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them – they will not believe. Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil." (TMQ 2:6-7) But, on the other hand, the good news is that "…whoever believes in Allah – He will guide his heart" (TMQ 64:11), "Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]" (TMQ 42:13), and "And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path." (TMQ 24:46)"

"So I thank Allah that He chose to guide me, and I attribute that guidance to one simple formula: recognizing God, praying to God Alone, sincerely promising to seek and follow His religion of truth, and then, once receiving His mercy of guidance, DOING IT."

Dr. Laurence Brown

http://www.leveltruth.com

Copyright © 2007 Laurence B. Brown; used by permission.

Laurence B. Brown, MD, can be contacted at BrownL38@yahoo.com. He is the author of The First and Final Commandment (Amana Publications) and Bearing True Witness (Dar-us-Salam). Forthcoming books are a historical thriller, The Eighth Scroll, and a second edition of The First and Final Commandment, rewritten and divided into MisGod'ed and its sequel, God'ed.

"After September 11 the media had a lot to say about Muslims and Islam. Almost all of it was bad. I've never been a person to take things at face value, so I tried to find out the truth behind Islam. I spoke to a Muslim colleague who gave me a copy of the Qur’an and I bought many books on the topic. And not just any books - books covering faith as well as its history and people. Some things were good and some bad."

"Over time I came to know more Muslims and was almost always impressed with their kindness, honesty, sincerity and deep belief in God and peace. After a few years I felt I had finally found a spiritual path that was both meaningful and worked for me. It has definitely changed my life for the better!"

W.H - USA

"After embracing Islam I felt that I had finally begun to fulfil the purpose of my creation and live in harmony with the true reality of life and death. The contentment and feeling of inner happiness cannot be paralleled by any worldly pursuit. Only submission to the Creator can achieve this."

Dr Reeves - England

"Embracing Islam came as a result of a long search for the truth and also signified a fresh start in my life as a new man. Not only believing but also declaring the submission to the will of the Creator meant, from the very beginning, honesty to myself and to the world, inner happiness and satisfaction for knowing that life is a wonderful gift, that our existence is deeply meaningful, and that true success is not measured with our wealth and appearance, or achieved in the race for power, celebrity and fugacious values, but in our status in the sight of Allah, in the pursuit of an invaluable reward which will last for eternity."

Dr Emanuel (Mahdi Gibril) Gullo - Italy

"I approached Islam from an Atheist and very sceptical view. I began by reading an Islamic book presenting confirmation of God (Allah) through scientific evidence in the Qur’an. This reading sparked me with questions and soon led to further investigation. Quickly I found myself scientifically, statistically and rationally unable to refute the strong evidence which was presented to me. It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I encourage you learn more of Islam and eagerly anticipate your embracement to."

James - England