Sister L's coming to Islam

[violentvinny]

How did it all happen?

May others please dont use this against new muslims and do not make any judgments.

Jazakallah Khair

[abuhajira]

:salam:

who is sister L? and what is this post for?

:ws:

[Leila81]

Asslaamau alaikum

This thread is for me - bro Vinny wanted to know how I came to Islam so I said I would tell my story insha'alllah!

Ok where to begin........hope this doesnt bore too many of you!

I am 26 years old. I was born into a white English family who if you had to say followed a religion it would be Christianity. My mother goes to Church probably twice a month, my father never but both believe or say they do, in Christianity. Gorwing up I was sent to SUnday school. I didnt enjoy it, found it boring and awkward. My sister and I were baptised when I was 7 and she was 10 and at 12-ish I was sent to Confirmation Classes to prepare for Confirmation - which is when you accept the Church as an adult and can take communion etc. Again I didnt enjoy this - there were many things that didnt make sense. Too many to list.........but things like how could Isa Al- pbuh be God (astifrugallah) and the son of God at the same time? how does him dying on the cross absolve me of my sins? do i never face any punishment or any reward for what I do? do I only have to go to church and say I am sorry but then the rest of the week I can do what I like - even the worst of things?? What exactly is the trinity?? etc etc etc..Anyways no-one could really answer my questions, not even the vicar and Iwas often told "just because it is" or worse " just accept it" or even " because thats what The Church says!"

I was fortunate to be brought up in a very moral family - where although apart from the sundays in Church, religion wasnt ever really mentioned. Kind of weird but thats how it was. But my parents were very moral - no stealing.lying,nswering back, violence,drugs,etc. We were allowed boyfriends but it was with some 'caution' IFKWIM. Dress was never mini skirts or such but not muslimah clothing either.Alcohol was fairly prevalent and the attitude towards it very relaxed but despite all this i was brought up very well with an emphasis on education and an open mind ( to a degree!)

By the time I was 16 I had managed to convince my mother that dragging me to church was not what I wanted and she now went alone. At school I met my first Muslim ( who turned out to be Shia but I didnt know at the time) She was my best friend and I remember things like she didn't drink or eat pork. Once when we went on a school trip she ate a dish that later turned out to have been cooked in wine and got very upset and started crying. Her family were very friendly and welcoming and I remember she was not allowed boyfriends but her Dad just wanted her to get married when she was older.

When I went to Uni at 18 we lost touch. But at Uni I met loads of other muslims including the man who turned out to be my future husband though I didnt know it then obviously! We became friends and he was practicing to a degree - read salat didnt drink or eat pork and very committed to these things. It became evident that we were close and would chat for hours and of course about Islam when I would ask questions about all sorts of things about his lifesyle and Islam. My questions often prompted him to research Islam more himself - we were in affect giving each other Dawah.

To cut a long story short over the space of 2 years I asked questions and questions and met more muslims, though mainly brothers as this was through him. They explained and proved Allah swt to me and they explained the miracle of the Qur'an. Nothing was ever done with pressure or not off my own back - it was always me asking questions. By this time although I had not taken shahadah I now only ate halal meat, I had stopped drinking and started dressing more modestly. I could feel Allah swt in this world - if that makes sense! I began to look at things with new eyes and things that didnt make sense before could now be explained. The most amazing thing was the Qur'an - that it containted so much relevant wisdom despite being over 1400 years old and that it made so much sense and just felt right to read. Now I understood consequences for my actions which I always felt there must be, the concept of 1 God became true - so much I cant even really explain. I was happy to find that Isa Al-Islam pbuh was a Prophet of Allah swt and that the Christianity I had been taught was just corrupted and not totally untrue - that muslims believed in Isa Al-Islam and all the Prophets peace be upon them all.

By the time I turned 22 things came to a head during Ramadan. My friends were fasting and I was amazed at their resolve. I tried it for 2 days and failed miserably which only made me even more in awe of their faith.

I think it was during the 2nd week of Ramadan when we were discussing Islam again and my friend asked me what I believed - previously all conversation had been about what muslims believed. So I explained I believed in 1 God, I believed in the Qur'an, I believed in the Prophet pbuh, I believed in the Day of Judgement and Qadr. So he said to me " so you believe all that a muslim believes - you should take shahadah." and I ummed and arred and made excuses ( as I had been for about a year) and then I realised I had no reason not to - in fact I had every reason to say shahadah. I needed that conversation though to accept it to myself that I should become muslim - it was a big step and I was nervous.

So next day we went to the mosque and I met 3 sisters who took me to the Imam and I took shahadah. He recited it and I said it after him 3 times - by the 3rd time I had got ahead of him in saying it! The sisters were crying and I didnt understand but I felt amazing - immense peace and contentment. Settled, happy and light. I felt right. Afterwards we went to a resturant and then I went to the local mosque and into the women's area all on my own with my hair all poking out my hijab and all nervous. The women gave me some sweets and were very nice though we couldnt understand one another. I didnt know how to pray but I just followed their actions - sneaking a look at them when down in sujood for when to get up and when to stay sitting! LOL

A few days later I had a big crying fit I could not do all the things I now needed to do - like wear hijab and pray 5 times a day. But my friends told me "one step at a time" and never to stop trying but to just keep slowly trying and learning.

In the first year I learnt to pray and fulfilled the 5 pillars of Islam as best I could alhamdulillah. Then I kind of slacked off for 6 months - I carried on practicing but I didnt learn anymore. Then I realised that there is so much more to learn and know and I can never stop learning and I started to read and leanr about Fiqh and all sorts of other things alhamdulillah.

6 months after my shahadah my friend and I got married and did our Nikah alhamdulillah. I told my parents on that day I was muslim - I had not told them at the time I did it. Its been hard but not as hard as some people have it alhamdulillah - its been tense and snide comments and hostility but they still love me and we speak and even now, I wear hijab, they have taken it all in their stride alhamdulillah and I give them so much respect and credit for that masha'allah. We still have our moments - like my Dad doesnt understand why we cant deal in interest and my mum thinks my hijab is 'a shame to cover up such nice hair' and other stuff but they are great - I have learnt paitence and restraint and gentle approach is best. Its a very slow dawah process of which only Allah swt knows the outcome.

So thats about it - it will be 4 years this November since I took shahadah! Alhamdulillah I thank Allah swt for giving me the best of gifts - His Guidance. I cannot really explain it all more than I have done here. When people say "why did you convert/revert?" I can say because I believe in Allah swt as the One and Only God but I cannot explain why this happened to me - why it was me and not my sister, mother, father, friends. If you had told me 5 years ago I would be muslim wearing a hijab and praying alhamdulillah I would have laughed out loud! I dont know how I got here -all I know it was with and because of Allah swt.

Alhamdulillah!!:D

So there you go brother Vinny and anyone else who managed to read this essay, LOL, that is how I came to Islam. Still so much more to say about it all then I can fit on this page and so much I cannot explain but that is how I reverted to my natural state alhamdulillah.

Salaams

Leila

[violentvinny]

Wow! <takes a deep breath>

That was superb and great to hear sister L.

Im very happy for yourself.

May Allah give you, me and everyone on this world guidance and grant us all Janatul Firdous without account.

[AbdulQahhar]

:salam: sis Leila,

:mash:, :jazak:, Allah :taala: give you all the khair in dunya and akhirah and double your reward, ameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen.

[Waleeja]

Sister, I feel so guilty. I was born into a Muslim family, yet I don't think I've ever been as grateful as you have!
Jazakillah for sharing such a beautiful experience with us. May Allah keep you steadfast in Islam and give you the best of both worlds, ameen.

:)

[Julaybib]

As Salaam Alaykum sister Leila.

May Allah bless you with best of duniya and akhira, ameen.

[Devoted]

Thanks for sharing sister. I admire your sincerity, and congratulations on getting married :)

[sisteryasminewi]

thanks for sharing, definitly a great story.. congrat:)

[mani]

mashallah such a good story

what made me happy too was that your parents though i guess confused still are good with you.

[scents of paradise]

at Uni I met loads of other muslims including the man who turned out to be my future husband though I didnt know it then obviously! We became friends and he was practicing to a degree - read salat didnt drink or eat pork and very committed to these things. It became evident that we were close and would chat for hours and of course about Islam when I would ask questions about all sorts of things about his lifesyle and Islam. My questions often prompted him to research Islam more himself - we were in affect giving each other Dawah.

To cut a long story short over the space of 2 years I asked questions and questions and met more muslims, though mainly brothers as this was through him. They explained and proved Allah swt to me and they explained the miracle of the Qur'an. Nothing was ever done with pressure or not off my own back - it was always me asking questions.

Healthy interaction between the sexes is allowed in Islam..its a shame that many brothers and sisters here believe in TOTAL segregation of the sexes..What do you think sister if those brothers turned away from you in a standoffish way??Would you have been a Muslim by now? or may be they would have directed you to some sisters who may not have had the right manner of dawah..to explain Islam properly to you thus hindering your progression to Islam?

[noornoor]

A beautiful story Sister Leila. May Allah (SWT) reward you for your courage and for taking heed of his word.

[Sadia90]

mashallah, great story and thats for share it.

sadia

[TapeMonkey]

I could feel Allah swt in this world - if that makes sense!

It makes perfect sense, sister ;).