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Preface:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

I bear witness that there is no deity worth worship except Allah (The True God and
Creator and Sustainer of this Universe) and I bear Witness that Mohammad is His Servant
and Messenger, Afterwards,

In 1930, Dr. Sir Mohd. IQBAL, the well known Urdu and Persian poet and Islamic Philosopher,
expressed the need of publishing a book, in which the stories of all those who had converted to
Islam in India be recorded. He said that it would give a new boost to the cause of Islamic
propagation.

He was asked, if there are not already books that express the logic and truth of Islam and are they
insufficient, the noted scholar said:

“Yes they are more than sufficient, but you would get so many new points from such a book that
you will be amazed. I think there are different ways to impress the heart and mind. Many times
brain rejects the most potent of the arguments, but the hearts gets impressed by a very small
incident or some very small point and grads the mind also.

Conversion to Islam is al related to brain as it is to the heart. A muslim missionary must know
what are the darts that affect heart. There are so many tales of unbelievers coming to Islam thru
out the history. We see a person standing firm on his religion for many decades, yet a small
point and a small acts of kindness, sweeps him away from his feet and he makes the most
momentous decision of his life.

You have many logical arguments to prove the truth of Islam, but if you go to a new Muslim
and ask him, what impressed him about Islam and what were the points which impressed him. If
you have in book form, stories of a large number of such people, it would be a very powerful
tool in the hands of Muslim missionaries. Many new arguments of truth of Islam will come out,
which might not be available in the vast Islamic literature we have”

So many books have been written for past few decades on the true stories of new converts of
Islam. I have compiled about 250 of them and abridged them to be between 6000-8000 words
for ease or reading and to be posted in many shared channels on Internet and distribution thru e-
mails etc.

People might agree or disagree with some of points mentioned here. But these are personal
experiences and personal reasons of these people who accepted Islam of their own free will.
Some of them suffered much about this new faith. What kept them firm to their faith varies from
one person to another person.

I pray to Allah to accept this effort and make it useful for those who read it and share it with
other people.
M.U. Qidwai
Jubail, Saudi Arabia

PS: This is volume 5 of a five part series, having stories from Serial 201 to serial 255. The
full series has already been published in tabular form on this site earlier
Story # 201

Why I Became Muslim?

Finding my faith: By Patricia Dunn

I'm not the same woman I was at 27 when I told my mother, "Ma, I can't eat the pasta fagioli."
(She'd made it with bacon.) I'm not the same woman who lied when she said, "I didn't become
Muslim because of Ahmed." ….

But today, at 42, and secure in my faith, I can admit that if it weren't for Ahmed -- though he is
now my ex-husband -- the word "Islam" would probably still conjure up images of black-cloaked
women and melodramatic Sally Field movies in my head. After all, I am my mother's daughter.

The day I left my Italian-Bronx neighborhood to go to college, I knew my communion and


confession days were over. I was never going to let Jesus stick to the roof of my mouth again.
There were too many contradictions for me in Catholicism. …By the time I transferred from
Barnard to UCLA, I was a lapsed Catholic who wanted nothing to do with organized religion.
But I needed to believe in something. …

In the summer of 1988, I interned at the Nation magazine's Washington office. While researching
a story about Mubarak Awad, a Palestinian-American psychologist and founder of the
Palestinian Center for Non-Violence, the president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee invited me to go on a student delegation to the Occupied Territories. .

The man waited until I gathered my notes and walked off the stage before approaching me.
"Brilliant speech," he said. I thanked him, trying not to blush. Extending his hand, he said, "My
name is Ahmed." But I already knew who he was. He was president of the Muslim Students
Association and, like me, he wrote a column for the school paper, where we were both slotted
"on the left." I was a fan.

This was a guy who knocked on every door in Islam Vista, in Santa Barbara, Calif., to campaign
for Jesse Jackson. But that day, when he smiled a win-me-over smile, I thought the same thing
I'd wondered whenever I read his column, "How could a smart, socially conscientious guy be a
Muslim? Be a part of any organized religion?" He was a feminist. A feminist Muslim -- wasn't
that an oxymoron?

As Ahmed and I spent the next several years deepening our friendship -- and eventually
marrying -- I returned again and again to those questions. He mostly stood out of my way.
I studied Islam in order to debate Ahmed and his belief system, but the more I learned, the more
I found how greatly I had underestimated my own ignorance. Mine wasn't a hit-you-over-the-
head epiphany, but rather a slow and steady stream of aha's.

The feminist in me aha'd when she realized that in the Qur’an God is neither male nor female.
The scholar in me aha'd at the various interpretations and schools of thought within Islam, most
of which depict the religion as a social and constantly changing belief system, rather than the
fixed, dogmatic one the government of Saudi Arabia would have the world believe.

The Christian still left in me aha'd when she read in the Quran how those who do good deeds are
in God's grace. And the scared Bronx girl in me aha'd at the Quran 's refrain that God is
"merciful and compassionate" -- until, eventually, the scared Bronx girl was no more.

But it was the social activist in me who aha'd the loudest when she got a deeper understanding of
"jihad" (a term that has been grossly misinterpreted in the media). "Jihad" is a word with many
meanings, but foremost it describes one's personal and inner struggle to live a just life, a life in
which one is obligated to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Wasn't that what I had
always tried to commit my life to -- fighting, or, more accurately, struggling, for justice?

Who knows? Maybe I would have remained a Catholic if I had discovered the Catholic Worker
movement or Catholics for a Free Choice earlier in life -- organizations whose missions
emphasize economic and social justice. Maybe I would have remained a Catholic if the one
priest who talked and listened to me when I was 13 had done so face to face and not in some
dark box (and if he had, along with hearing me confess and granting me absolution, counseled
me about surviving adolescence). Then there was the question of Jesus. It had always been hard
for me to believe God took human form. But it was as a Muslim that I learned what an incredible
prophet he was -- the epitome of the social activist.

After years of questioning Ahmed about everything, I found my answers in Islam. But as a
convert I had to work for everything I believed. I was constantly translating, not only the
language of the Quran, but the rituals too. It was hard to trust that one could have a one-to-one
relationship with God, and I still believed I needed an intermediary, some authority, someone
more worthy to intervene on my behalf. So I turned to the "real" Muslim, the one born into faith,
for all my answers. I made Ahmed my teacher, my priest.

While equality was the rule in every other aspect of our lives, when it came to matters of faith, I
wanted Ahmed to call the shots. When we prayed, though he encouraged, often insisted, that I
lead the prayer, I refused. Ahmed was the authority. Besides, he sounded so beautiful when he
recited the Quran in Arabic. I wanted him to give me all the answers, and when he refused, my
questions turned into childish badgering: "Are you sure if you swallow accidentally while you
brush your tooth that doesn’t break my fast?"

It wasn't until my son was born that I truly grew up into Islam. Ali was seven weeks premature,
and small enough to fit in the palms of his father's hands. The doctors told us Ali couldn't go
home until he was able to regulate his own body temperature. I could hardly swallow as I
watched my son in his plastic incubator, trailing tubes and wires to help him breathe. It had taken
years of trying and fertility testing for Ahmed and me to get pregnant: I couldn't believe God
would take our son from us now. I felt like a kid again -- swept back in time to age 12, when I'd
been convinced God had killed my friend Barbara by giving her leukemia for no reason at all.

Desperate for hope, I saw breast-feeding as the one way I could help Ali heal -- but he was too
weak to latch on. So on the first day of his life, instead of a newborn suckling at my breast, I
nursed an electric pump (on loan from the hospital) to increase my milk supply. Then --
somehow -- the loud methodical chugging of the pump's motor helped to drown out my fear. "In
the name of God, the Benevolent, the merciful..." I began reciting the first Sura in the Quran.
"...It is You we serve, to You we turn for help..." There, alone in the hospital, I spoke to God for
the first time, one to one, with no intermediary. And I understood that the God I was talking to
was compassionate and merciful.

Two weeks later, Ali began to nurse. The day I took him home in his oversize blue-striped
onesie, I knew God had heard me.

I'm not the same Muslim I was 15 years ago, but I am still a Muslim. And last week, after all
these years, when I told my mother that Ali couldn't eat her baked beans because they were made
with pork, her response was the same as ever. "That's ridiculous," she said. Then she mumbled,
"Well, let's see what you believe when the next guy comes around." ..

I didn't respond. My conversion may have started with a man, but it continues with me, and it's
never-ending. (Abridged)
Story # 202

Why we became Muslim?

Sukina Douglas, Spoken-word poet, 28, London

1. “Before I found Islam, my gaze was firmly fixed on Africa. I was raised a Rastafarian and
used to have crazy-long dreadlocks: one half blonde and the other half black.

“Then, in 2005, my ex-boyfriend came back from a trip to Africa and announced that he’d
converted to Islam. I was furious and told him he was ‘losing his African roots’. Why was he
trying to be an Arab? It was so foreign to how I lived my life. Every time I saw a Muslim woman
in the street I thought, ‘Why do they have to cover up like that? Aren’t they hot?’ It looked
oppressive to me.

2. “Islam was already in my consciousness, but when I started reading the autobiography of
Malcolm X at university, something opened up inside me. One day I said to my best friend,
Muneera, ‘I’m falling in love with Islam.’ She laughed and said, ‘Be quiet, Sukina!’ She only
started exploring Islam to prove me wrong, but soon enough she started believing it, too.

“I was always passionate about women’s rights; there was no way I would have entered a
religion that sought to degrade me. So when I came across a book by a Moroccan feminist, it
unravelled all my negative opinions: Islam didn’t oppress women; people did.

3. “Before I converted, I conducted an experiment. I covered up in a long gypsy skirt and


headscarf and went out. But I didn’t feel frumpy; I felt beautiful. I realised, I’m not a sexual
commodity for men to lust after; I want to be judged for what I contribute mentally.

“Muneera and I took our shahada [declaration of faith] together a few months later, and I cut my
dreadlocks off to represent renewal: it was the beginning of a new life.

4. “Just three weeks after our conversion, the 7/7 bombings happened; suddenly we were public
enemy No 1. I’d never experienced racism in London before, but in the weeks after the bombs,
people would throw eggs at me and say, ‘Go back to your own country,’ even though this was
my country.

“I’m not trying to shy away from any aspect of who I am. Some people dress in Arabian or
Pakistani styles, but I’m British and Caribbean, so my national dress is Primark and Topshop,
layered with colourful charity-shop scarves.

5. “Six months after I converted, I got back together with my ex-boyfriend, and now we’re
married. Our roles in the home are different, because we are different people, but he would never
try to order me around; that’s not how I was raised.
“Before I found Islam, I was a rebel without a cause, but now I have a purpose in life: I can
identify my flaws and work towards becoming a better person. To me, being a Muslim means
contributing to your society, no matter where you come from.”
Story # 203

Why We Became Muslims:

(Stories of New Entrants to Islam, thru Missionary Activities of MAULANA KALIM UDDIN of Village
PHULAT, MUZAFFARNAGAR, India)

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: DHARMINDER VERMA (TAUHID), SEOHORE, MR. INDIA

A. Family Background:

01.I was born on the City of SEOHORE around 22 years ago. My father and other members of
my family are a very strict Hindus. Many of my family members belong to Extremist Hindu
outfits like SHIV SENA, BAJRANG DAL, VHP Etc.

I have three brothers and sisters. After finishing my education, I started working in a factory in
MANDIDEEP, near Bhopal. From childhood I was interested in body building and exercises. I
got enrolled in the local branch of SHIV SENA.

02. I was a very active member of that organization and in that capacity I took parts in many Anti
Muslim acts and also harmed many of them.

When I was studying in my village school, I had two Muslim friends, I used to visit their houses
and we used to eat from the same plate. I even ate meat in their houses which was taboo in our
homes.

03. Once there was an argument between my father and father of my friends, while their voices
being raised, the mother of my friends came out and said to our fathers “You are fighting while
your sons are friends of each other and eat from the same plate”.

My father came back to house and beat me very hard that I was eating in their house and even
eating meat. I said that “If you beat me like that, I will run away and become Muslim” I think
Allah heard my voice and later guided me to Islam.

04. Then my father started to read me every night about past history of Muslim kings and what
they did to Hindus of India. Slowly and slowly he inserted hatred of Muslims in my heart….and
I joined extremist Hindu groups.

But I had some soft corners towards Muslims because of my earlier friendship.

B. How and Why I accepted Islam:


05. In factory I also had a Muslim friend. I used to visit his house and during Ramadan is used
to go to his house and take part in breaking fast.
Muslim missionary used to come to his house and talk about Islam, they mostly spoke about
death and what will happen after death. I also used to listen these talks and this made me like
Islam.

06. I left that factory and joined another factory, there also I found a Muslim friend and started
going to his house. After some time, he asked me to became Muslim, if I want to serve myself
from hell fire.

I went to local mosque and told them that I want to become Muslim, they did not give me
encouraging response. Then I went to Delhi and asked where most Muslims live, they told me in
OKHLA, A muslim missionary party was going to OKHLA, so I joined that group.

07. During that trip, I used to spend much time on talking on mobile phone, some members of
the party got suspicious and thought that I was a member of CID. They phoned Maulana Kalim
of Phulat and asked for his advise. He told them to treat me like his son and after 40 days, bring
me to Phulat.

I met Maulana after lot of wait and he was very happy to see me. I accepted Islam again on his
hands. Then I asked him that I want to get circumcised also as it is a practice of our prophet.

C: What was reaction of spouse , parents, family and society:

08. I came to know that my family members are very angry to hear about my conversion and
they might kill me if I went back to the village.

I consulted Maulana and he advised me to stay away from my village and stay in Bhopal.

G. My advice to Muslims / Non Muslims.

09. My advice to Muslims is that if a Person of my Hindu Extremist background can become
Muslim, what will be the result, if they present Islam to simple Hindus, who are unbiased, what
will be the result.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Monthly ARMAGHAN of Dec. 2006


Story # 204

Why I Became Muslim?

ANTHONY (TALIB) , USA

Anthony accepted Islam on September 19, 2003. He adds, "Right now I'm learning Arabic and
studying Tafseer [Qur'anic exegesis]. Since I took Shahada, my life went in a different direction,
a positive direction, and I can only thank God for it."

About two years before this point, when I was sixteen, I had a religious yearning. It was like a
thirst that I could not quench.

As I studied, I noticed how Christ taught only to the Jews. He would not preach to anyone except
the children of Israel. Studying his life closely, I noticed that this man did not follow any
religion that actually exists today. He was a follower of God's law as it was sent to the Jews in
the past. Right there, my religion was questionable …

Studying it even closer, I saw that all Christian churches relied upon the teachings of Paul, whose
letters actually contradicted many of the words of Jesus (peace be upon him). Now I knew that
my religion was definitely in question.

I believed in one God, I believed in Jesus, I believed in Moses, I believed in Noah, and I believed
in all of the other prophets who preached the worship of one God. But what other Books existed
to replace the Bible? I believed that there were none.

Then I remembered what an old Muslim friend told me. He said that Muslims believe in the
Qur'an, in only one God, and in all the messengers of God, which includes all of the Christian
and Jewish prophets. At that time, I had a book that explained Islam at a very basic level. It was
a great source for me. I began to understand Islam much more, and found it somewhat
interesting.

After this, I went on the Internet to look up things about Islam. I found some sites with
arguments against Christian beliefs, and I studied their arguments closely. They explained how
most Christians do not follow their Scriptures as closely as they should. In truth, the Muslim sites
were confirming what I already knew.

My interest in Islam was soaring. I decided to ask my neighbor to borrow his Qur'an. I read it in
a few weeks. I loved it – I believed every word it said. However, I could not believe that the
crucifixion was a false story. I was so brainwashed by the Bible that I could not accept the truth
at the time. .

Thus, we began a dialogue online. He gave me a lot of information about Islam. I asked him a
deep question: How do Muslims actually prove to Christians that the crucifixion did not happen?
He wanted to meet up with me to discuss it, and I agreed. We met up in a neighborhood pizza
parlor. Our discussion left me in awe….
All my studies led me to the same conclusion: Islam was the path of God. Still, I was afraid to
convert. Converting is a life decision…

In the car on our way to the mosque, I told the brother that I was thinking about changing my
mind about taking Shahada. He told me that the choice was mine, but to beware of the doubts
that Satan puts into one's head. For a while, we talked in the car about Satan whispering into
people's hearts, and how Satan tries to drag someone from the Light….

During the service, the Imam amazingly gave his speech about Satan's whisperings into the
hearts of men in the attempt to lead them away from the Light. It left me in utter shock. The
brother was talking to me about this in the car, and by an amazing coincidence,..

After publicly declaring my Islam, I think that every Muslim brother present that day came and
hugged me. There were at least a few hundred brothers present, so you can imagine how many
hugs I received. They congratulated me and said, "God bless you, you made the right choice…

I pray that my story helps those who go through the same mental struggle that I had with Satan.
My experience is so amazing to me that I cannot truly describe it in words. ..(Abridged)
Story # 205

Why we became Muslim?

Catherine Huntley, Retail assistant, 21, Bournemouth

1. “My parents always thought I was abnormal, even before I became a Muslim. In my early
teens, they’d find me watching TV on a Friday night and say, ‘What are you doing at home?
Haven’t you got any friends to go out with?’

“The truth was: I didn’t like alcohol, I’ve never tried smoking and I wasn’t interested in boys.
You’d think they’d have been pleased.

2. “I’ve always been quite a spiritual person, so when I started studying Islam in my first year of
GCSEs, something just clicked. I would spend every lunchtime reading about Islam on the
computer. I had peace in my heart and nothing else mattered any more. It was a weird experience
– I’d found myself, but the person I found wasn’t like anyone else I knew.

“I’d hardly ever seen a Muslim before, so I didn’t have any preconceptions, but my parents
weren’t so open-minded. I hid all my Muslim books and headscarves in a drawer, because I was
so scared they’d find out.

3. “When I told my parents, they were horrified and said, ‘We’ll talk about it when you’re 18.’
But my passion for Islam just grew stronger. I started dressing more modestly and would secretly
fast during Ramadan. I got very good at leading a double life until one day, when I was 17, I
couldn’t wait any longer.

“I sneaked out of the house, put my hijab in a carrier bag and got on the train to Bournemouth. I
must have looked completely crazy putting it on in the train carriage, using a wastebin lid as a
mirror. When a couple of old people gave me dirty looks, I didn’t care. For the first time in my
life, I felt like myself.

4. “A week after my conversion, my mum came marching into my room and said, ‘Have you got
something to tell me?’ She pulled my certificate of conversion out of her pocket. I think they’d
rather have found anything else at that point – drugs, cigarettes, condoms – because at least they
could have put it down to teenage rebellion.

“I could see the fear in her eyes. She couldn’t comprehend why I’d want to give up my freedom
for the sake of a foreign religion. Why would I want to join all those terrorists and suicide
bombers?
5. “It was hard being a Muslim in my parents’ house. I’ll never forget one evening, there were
two women in burkas on the front page of the newspaper, and they started joking, ‘That’ll be
Catherine soon.’

“They didn’t like me praying five times a day either; they thought it was ‘obsessive’. I’d pray
right in front of my bedroom door so my mum couldn’t walk in, but she would always call
upstairs, ‘Catherine, do you want a cup of tea?’ just so I’d have to stop.

6. “Four years on, my grandad still says things like, ‘Muslim women have to walk three steps
behind their husbands.’ It gets me really angry, because that’s the culture, not the religion. My
fiancé, whom I met eight months ago, is from Afghanistan and he believes that a Muslim woman
is a pearl and her husband is the shell that protects her. I value that old-fashioned way of life: I’m
glad that when we get married he’ll take care of paying the bills. I always wanted to be a
housewife anyway.

7. “Marrying an Afghan man was the cherry on the cake for my parents. They think I’m
completely crazy now. He’s an accountant and actually speaks better English than I do, but they
don’t care. The wedding will be in a mosque, so I don’t think they’ll come. It hurts to think I’ll
never have that fairytale wedding, surrounded by my family. But I hope my new life with my
husband will be a lot happier. I’ll create the home I’ve always wanted, without having to feel the
pain of people judging me.”
Story # 206

Why We Became Muslims:

(Stories of New Entrants to Islam, thru Missionary Activities of MAULANA KALIM UDDIN of Village
PHULAT, MUZAFFARNAGAR, India)

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: SANJIV PATNAIK (ABDULLAH) CUTTACK, ORISSA, INDIA

A. Family Background:

01. I was born in an educated family in Cuttack, Orissa on 9 th Jan 1967. My father was a lecturer
in an Intermediate college. He died suddenly of a heart attack and so I could not complete my B.
Sc.

After death of my father, I was to take care of my mother and sister. My sister was already
engaged, some how I married her off. I started teaching in the junior section of same school in
which my father was lecturer.

02. By nature I am outspoken and have lot of anger, so I always had arguments with the
principal. I had to leave school, I tried some jobs here and there, but could not get permanent
job. I accumulated some loans and I was at a loss as to how to repay it.

I decided to commit suicide by throwing myself from the bridge into the river. While I was in
the process, one Muslim gentleman held me by hand asked what I was doing. I told him of my
intention, he pulled me off from the bridge and explained that it was not certain that I will die,
what if I was saved and remained paralysed for rest of my life.

03. Then he told me about life after death and what will happen there to people who commit
suicide. I was very much impressed, he asked me to go to Phulat, UP and accept Islam at the
hands of Maulana Kalim Uddin.

He gave me some money for ticket and to take care of myself. I told my mother that I have got a
job in Delhi and going there to join it. She was happy to se me off.

B. How and Why I accepted Islam:

04. I reached Delhi and after changing train and bus, I reached Phulat and met Maulana Kalim
sahib. Maulana came after two days and he was very happy to learn of my decision to accept
Islam. I recited KALIMA on his hands and he named me Abdullah.

I only knew English and my native language and very little Hindi or Urdu. I asked Maulana in
English that I wanted to live here and I am looking for a job. He sent me with one gentleman
and told that I should learn about islam and prayer from him and he is going on some tour and he
will make permanent arrangement for me when he returned.

05. I learned about prayer, WUDU, how ot take bath and other day to day matters of Islamic life.
The question came of my circumcision, when I learned of its benefits, I decided to undergo
circumcision.

My mentor had to go to Orissa because of his mother’ sickness, he asked me to go to Phulat and
live and teach in the school there. I reached Phulat and was taken care by another Newly convert
to Islam.

06. I knew very little Hindi and I was of extreme temper and Maulana did not return from his
travels for very months… I used to have daily fights with people in Phulat, and one day they
asked me to go away.

I was very angry and frustrated, I went to local police and told that Maulana Kalim has forcefully
converted me to islam and even done circumcision on me. The local police did not believe in my
story and said that they know that Maulana is not such sort of person.

07. When I insisted and threatened to go to higher ups, they wrote FIR and sent two constables to
Phulat to bring the Maulana. Since he was not there, so his elder brother who was a lawyer and a
doctor sahib came to polices station.

It so happened that there the area was already tense due to some friction between Hindus and
Muslims, so these people did not want to start another case. Police personnel asked 9000 rupees
to close this matter. They paid this amount, Police incharge gave me 500 and asked me to go
back to my village. When I protested he threatened to put me behind the bars.

08. When I returned my place, I found that my mother had died. I also came to know that the
Muslim gentleman had tried his best to take care of his treatment and well being during the
period of my absence. So here I was, penniless and renegade from Islam and my mother dead…
Lost in the real sense of the world!! (but there was more to come)

C: How I crawled back to Islam

09. I had turned my back on Islam, but from inside I was having a feeling of shame and how I
had implicated Maulana in a false case. I knew from inside that some misfortune must befall on
me. After seeing Islam, I did not want to go back to Hindu way of life.

I discussed this one Hindu Pundit who was incharge of an Ashram in Benaras. He asked me to
go there and live with him. I went there and lived for one year in his ashram, but it did not help.

10. In those days, some bombs were found in some Ashrams of Benaras including my Ashram.
Police came for investigation and interrogated priests and those living there. They came to my
ashram also, and during investigation felt suspicious at my answers. When they found that I was
circumcised, they thought me to be an agent of Muslim Extremist groups.

They arrested and tortured me to tell the names of my superiors and colleagues, whatever
answers I gave increased their suspicions. I got injuries in my both legs and could not move.
From inside I knew that this is punishment for what I had done.

11. I was presented before a DIG of Police and he knew about Maulana Kalim sahib. He listened
to my story and told that he had also accepted Islam on his hand but it is still a secret. He
admonished me for what I had done and told that only way is that Maulana should confirm my
story.

Lot of money was spent on treatment of my legs, but I still could walk only on stilts. I was
referred to AIAMS Delhi, but because of my poor connections, they refused to treat me. I was
admitted to local hospital and I was despair of my life.

12. It so happened that one day I saw Maulana in my hospital, he had come to see some one else.
I jumped from my bed and fell on his feet. At first he did not recognized me, but when I told who
was I, he embraced me. I wept and told my whole story.

He told me that he was sorry that he had to leave for such a long journey and had to leave me
alone. He told that he prayed to Allah many times for me. He took pity on me and phoned some
doctor in AIAMS, and I was admitted there and after few months I got cured.

D. What about those 9000 rupees of Bribe.

13. Maulana said that 9000 Rupees are nothing to save a Muslim life, but he was against this idea
and it could become a precedent. He went to the SP City…who was known to Maulana. SP was
also familiar with Maulana Ali Mian Sahib of Lucknow and taken part in his public sermons to
promote Humanity and co-existence.

He immediately called those two police officers and gave them three days to pay back the money
to Maulana or they would be dismissed from the police force.

14. I was witness, when perhaps for the first time in Indian history police men returned the bribe
money they had taken!

F. Present Situation:

I am cured of my illness to a large extent and I am teaching English in a Primary school in Delhi.

15. I am thankful to Allah that He made me re-enter islam. My story is really strange and when I
think to what had happened to me, I thank Allah for His blessings.
G. My advice to Muslims / Non Muslims.

16. To Muslims who are born in Muslim families, I want to say that they should really value the
gift which Allah has bestowed on them.

They should also have some thoughts fro people like us, who need that some one should tell
them the true path of Islam.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Monthly ARMAGHAN of June 2006


Story # 207

Do Not Enter My Home!

Note: This episode is a personal narrative from Dr. NASEEM GHAZI, a convert to Islam
from Hinduism.

He is from a very reputed Hindu Family residing in GHAZIABAD city of UP state in India.
His conversion to Islam in 1970 s caused a surprise in some circles, as to why an educated
and well off Hindu has to change his religion.

After Conversion, Dr. NASEEM studied Islam properly from an Islamic Madarsa. He is
currently incharge of MADHUR SANDESH SANGAM, an Islamic propagation
organization based in Delhi, which caters mostly to Hindi speaking people of North India.

He has written many books explaining Islam to Non Muslims. This interesting episode
from his pen appeared in DAWAT Newspaper New Delhi, dated 19th October 2010. It was
in Urdu and I have freely translated it into English for help of our readers on this thread.

1. “I have a married sister living in Delhi, we love each other and despite my conversion to
Islam, we are close to each other. She was residing in a rental house and I used to visit her from
time to time.

2. She recently moved to a bigger and more comfortable house, in a posh locality of Delhi,
Owner of the house is a lawyer. He lives across the street to my sister’ house?

3. I visited my sister in her new residence, when the time for Noon Prayer came, I prayed in my
sister’s house (as I used to do regularly, when such occasions come). The land lady watched me
praying and when I left, she came to my sister and asked about who was this Muslim visitor.

4. My sister told her, that he is my brother who converted to Islam some years back. The land
lady got very upset and told her lawyer husband about it.

5. The Land Lord came to see my sister, he was very angry and he told her “I do not want to see
any Muslim in my house. Had I known that your brother converted to Islam from Hinduism, I
would never have rented you this house. Ask you brother never again to come to this house, or
else you have to vacate my house immediately”.

6. My sister told me this, she was very worried and very anxious. I told her not to worry, things
will improve with time. I also got worried, I loved my sister and this type of attitude did not
seem good to me.

7. I prayed to Allah to help me find some solution to this problem….after a few days I made a
plan. I phoned my sister that I would come to her house next day at 12PM, when the land lord
would not be at home. My sister was worried that if the land lady saw me in her house, she
would tell it to her husband and complications shall arise. I told her not to worry and leave
things to Allah.

8. Next day I went to my sister’ house, she was very anxious, I told her to be calm. I then asked
her to call the Land Lady to her house! She was all the more worried, but went to bring her.

9. When the land lady came, she greeted me, I said “Yesterday was our Prophet’ birthday and I
have brought some sweets for my sister living in this house. I have also brought some sweets for
my ANOTHER sister living next door”. Then I gave her the packet of sweets.

10. When she hesitated to take it, I said “Do not worry, this sweet is from a Hindu Shop and not
from any Muslim shop”. She took the box and left for her house.

11. In the evening I received a phone call from land Lord himself, asking me to visit his house
next day at evening time. When I went, the Lawyer SB. greeted me with folded hands, he
apologized for his earlier behaviour. Said he never thought Muslims could be like that.

12. He thanked me for my consideration to bring the sweet from a Hindu shop and not from a
Muslim shop. He told me to visit my sister’ any time I wanted and stay as long as I wished. Said
he would feel honored if I visited regularly. We got on very well and I also gave him some books
about Islam which he took with reverence…

13. Now coming to the mystery as to how the tides changed …. I did not do any thing
miraculous, I just remembered one saying on Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) where he said “You
should exchange gifts with each other, it multiplies love amongst you”. I only acted on this
prophetic advice!!

Note: The lesson for all of us in this episode is that, if we act on ALL prophetic advices, our
relations with people of other faith would improve. Our image before people would improve and
many misunderstandings would be removed. (MUQ)
Story # 208

Why We Became Muslims:

(Stories of New Entrants to Islam, thru Missionary Activities of MAULANA KALIM UDDIN of Village
PHULAT, MUZAFFARNAGAR, India)

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: YUVRAJ SINGH (SUHAIL SIDDIQI) MEHSANA, GUJRAT, INDIA

A. Family Background:

01. I was born in Mehsana in a Thakur Family. My date of birth is 13 August 1983. We have
our own college called A.J. JASPAL Thakur college. I left my education during B. Com. I have
one brother and one sister. I have one uncle who is a politician. He was in BJP, but in this
election, he fought on Congress ticket and won election (there is hardly any difference between
the two Major parties in India any more- MUQ).

During the Gujarat riots of 2002, I along with a group of 8 others took active part. Near our
village 60 or 70 Muslims were burned alive. We thought that these were acts of breviary.

02. There was a small historical mosque in our village. It was very old, built by some saint on
whose hands many local hindus had accepted Islam. We decided to demolish this mosque.
Despite out best efforts, we could not demolish it. We decided to burn it down. We threw petrol
and put a match to it, but some how the fire got to the man who had lit the match and he burned
to death in front of our eyes.

Then after two weeks, one by one, members of my groups started dying. They would get pain in
the head and would be dead after a few hours. This filled me with fear and I repented to God and
said “I did mistake by making effort to demolish Mosque, I now ask for forgiveness”.

03. Then I dreamt that I am in hell fire… I am being punished and every type of hardship is on
me. I am crying but no one is hearing my cries….I used to see heaven also is my dreams.

From that time on, I decided that this violence against Muslim is wrong and I should do some
thing some about it.

B. How and Why I accepted Islam:

04. I went to a Local Maulana in my city and told him about my dreams. He said that these are
warnings from Allah to me and I should become Muslim if I want to save myself from hell fire.
He then told me about the man who had first struck Babri Mosque becoming Muslim at the
hands of Maulana Kalim Uddin Sahib of Phulat. I decided to become Muslim, but he told me to
hide my Islam for the time being.

05. He gave me some books and asked me to go with a Missionary party for forty days to learn
Muslim way of prayer and living.

C: What was reaction of spouse , parents, family and society:

06. I came back from that mission and I used to pray in secret … but one day servant of the
house saw me praying. He went and told every one about me becoming a Muslim.

My father told me to select between the two, if I want to live like a Muslim, I have to leave his
home. I decide to leave home. He took my mobile and ATM card and turned me out.

07. I went to local Islamic center , but when they came to know that I am related to BJP leaders
of Gujarat, they felt afraid and excused to keep me with them.

I went from one place to another…till some one told Maulana Kalim about my case and he
asked them to send me to Phulat. When I met Maulana, he was very happy to see me. In very
short time I got very fond of him and when he named me SUHAIL, I said that I want to add
Siddiqi to it, so as to have a link with Maulana’ family. He smiled and agreed to it.

D. How I saved my Islam:

08. After becoming Muslim, I realised, what was my previous condition. How I was living like a
rebel on the Kingdom of Allah. I had seem by eyes, ants eating the offerings made to idols and
dogs eating and urinating on these idols, yet I was fool enough to worship these!

Earlier Islam was the most hatred word to me and now it is my best beloved.

G. My advice to Muslims / Non Muslims.

09. I would like to remind my Non Muslim brothers that this life is like a train journey. You
have to have proper ticket before boarding the ticket.

This ticket could be checked during journey, but at the end of journey, we have to show it to the
authorities to get out.

Same way Islam is the proper ticket for the journey of life. It will be checked when we will be
raised up on the last day. Those who have this ticket would enter paradise, those who do not
have this ticket will be denied entry.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Monthly ARMAGHAN of Apr.-May 2006.


Story # 209

Why we became Muslim?

Blair's sister-in-law converts to Islam

TOI, October 25, 2010

LONDON: Former British prime minister Tony Blair's sister-in-law Lauren Booth revealed over
the weekend that she has converted to Islam. Booth, who is half-sister to Cherie Blair and a
Catholic by birth, switched faith after a recent visit to Iran. A human rights campaigner and
journalist, she works for Press TV, Iran's 24-hour English language international news channel.

News of Booth's conversion surfaced after she was showcased at a rally here under the banner of
Global Peace and Unity 2010, attended by several Islamic hardliners. It was a propaganda coup
for those who militantly propagate Islam.

Booth (43), who has once figured in a reality television contest, told a section of British media,
``I had a delightful experience at a Muslim shrine in Iran six weeks ago. I now pray five times a
day and occasionally go to a mosque. And I haven't had an alcoholic drink for 45 days.''

Booth now covers her head and neck with hijab when outside her home (and doesn't rule out
wearing a burqa in future), no longer eats pork and reads the Quran every day. She conceded that
her decision to convert might create a controversy. ``Every action sparks a reaction,'' she said.

Cherie Blair, a practicing Catholic, and her husband Tony, who converted from the Church of
England to Roman Catholicism in 2007, were unavailable for comment.

Last month, Booth accused Blair of lacking impartiality in his current role as Middle East envoy.
Having earlier protested against Britain's involvement in the 2003 United Stated-led invasion of
Iraq, she said her brother-in-law could not be a balanced negotiator between Palestinians and
Israelis because he was prejudiced against Muslims.

In a letter published in the Morning Star, a communist daily, she described participating in a rally
in Iran where mothers reportedly wept over deaths in Palestinian cities like Rafah and Nablus.
"Do you recognise these place names, Tony?'' she asked. `` Israel has massacred children in all
these cities in recent years,'' she reminded him.

Convert: Lauren Booth, who is Cherie Blair's half sister, decided to convert to Islam after what
she described as a holy experience in Iran

According to Kevin Brice from Swansea University, who has specialised in studying white
conversion to Islam, these women are part of an intriguing trend.

He explains: ‘They seek spirituality, a higher meaning, and tend to be deep thinkers. The other
type of women who turn to Islam are what I call “converts of convenience”. They’ll assume the
trappings of the religion to please their Muslim husband and his family, but won’t necessarily
attend mosque, pray or fast.’

I spoke to a diverse selection of white Western converts in a bid to re-examine the faith I had
rejected.
Women like Kristiane Backer, 43, a London-based former MTV presenter who had led the kind
of liberal Western-style life that I yearned for as a teenager, yet who turned her back on it and
embraced Islam instead. Her reason? The ‘anything goes’ permissive society that I coveted had
proved to be a superficial void.
Story # 210

Why We Became Muslims:

(Stories of New Entrants to Islam, thru Missionary Activities of MAULANA KALIM UDDIN of Village
PHULAT, MUZAFFARNAGAR, India)

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: SANJIV ASTHANA (ABDUL WAHID), GUAHATI, ASSAM, INDIA

A. Family Background:

01. We are living in Assam for generations. My grandfather was Officer in British times. My
father was a sales tax officer in Gauhati. He was posted in various districts of Bengal. He was
posted in Calcutta and he made his house there and he died there.

I was born on 11 Sept 1959. I did my B. Sc and M. Sc. And B. Ed from Calcutta. I got a Job in
Govt. High school and later became lecturer.

02. I was married 14 years ago to a girl in an educated family and my father in Law is principal
in a Govt. college and she is teaching in ca convent school.

In 1998 me and my family went on a tour of South India under the Leave Travel program of
Govt. We got down in Bhopal on the way to see the city. We took a taxi from Bhopal station to
drop us to a hotel. I had got some fever during my train journey to the Bhopal.

03. When the Taxi reached Hotel, the driver told me that since I was sick, I should proceed to my
room and he will bring the luggage. He told the same thing to my wife. When she went inside
the hotel, he went away with all our luggage and our money and train ticket….only small money
in my purse and my wife’ hand bag was left.

I was having heavy fever, we went to Police station and lodged our complaint. We waited till
evening but there was no progress. My fever was getting worse, I took some medicine from drug
store, but it did not help.

04. We tried to contact our home town, but due to heavy rains the lines were down. We did not
have enough money to pay for our return ticket. We boarded a train without ticket, when the
Ticket Checker came, we told him all what has happened to us. He got soft corner on us and told
that he will take us upto Jhansi and from there He will board me to a train going to Katihar.

But when we reached Jhansi, my condition got very worse, so we decided to go to a Govt.
Hospital and get some cure. The doctors told me that I have brain fever and unless I was
admitted in hospital it will get worse. I stayed some days in Hospital and doctors allowed me to
travel.
05. At Jhansi Railway station, I located that Ticket Checker and he got me boarded into the
Katihar bound train. But once in Katihar, no TC was ready to take us to Calcutta.

I had only 13 Rupees left and my children were hungry and had not eaten since night before… I
asked my wife to bring simple food for us and they started eating… when I saw my children
eating like beggars on a railway platform with their dirty clothes of all these days…tears came
to my eyes and I started weeping like I had never wept before…

B. How and Why I accepted Islam:

06. It so happened that Maulana Kalim Sahib was going to Delhi and he had to catch the train
from Katihar. The train was late, so he asked the people who had come to see him off to go back
and he would wait at the platform.

He saw my sick condition and me crying and weeping, he came to me and asked if I was OK and
if I was in need of some help. I was in no position to speak, but my wife told hem what had
happened to us in the last 15 days.

07. He went to a drug store and brought medicine for me, he asked his friend to bring tea and
milk and gave me the medicine with tea and milk. He gave me medicine for five more days. He
then offered me to loan me a sum of 2000 rupees, he told that he is calling it a loan, because I am
a gentleman, otherwise he will give this as a gift to his brother.
08. I was stunned that to how many people I had told my story, but no one came forward to help
and this man from a different religion is helping me in this fashion. Then he asked his companion
to bring some fruits and Ice cream for my children, when they were hesitating, I told them to take
it, because he was his real uncle.

When we asked for his telephone number and address, he will parry the question, when we
pressed, he gave me a small booklet called “Your Trust returned to you” and said that his address
is in the book.

09. Our train came and I boarded the train. In the train I read that small booklet and I gave my
wife to read it. These were the words, but we had seen Islam in action, so there was no need to
convince us that Islam is the true path.

The medicine which Maulana had given me, had a magic effect and by the time we reached
Calcutta, I was almost cured.

10. Once I was OK, I told my wife that I want to go and meet Maulana in person…there was no
direct train from my place to Phulat. I changed train from Delhi and reached Phulat. Maulana
was very happy to see me. I told that now I am in his hands, and ready to do what he wants from
us.
He then explained Islam to me and I accepted Islam and then I went with a Missionary party to
learn prayer and other day to day matters of Islamic life.

C: What was reaction of spouse , parents, family and society:

11. When I came back from Phulat and told my wife, she was very happy and she also accepted
islam without any problem. My children also became Muslim and I brought them all to Phulat
and he gave them their Islamic names.

So in a way I am thankful to that Taxi driver, if he would not have acted in that fashion, I don’t
know what would have happened to me. Allah has strange ways to work

E. My Missionary activities:

3. On Family members / Others.

12. When my uncle came to know about my Islam at first he was very angry, but when I told him
my whole story and gave him the book, his anger subsided.

Then I talked to him about Islam and after some argument, he got convinced and accepted Islam,
Alhamdolillah.

Now around fifty members of my family are Muslim, and I thank Allah for that.

G. My advice to Muslims / Non Muslims.

13. Unselfish love, combined with truth and sincerity is a weapon which very few people can
resist. This is my advice to every Muslim.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Monthly ARMAGHAN of Nov. 2006


Story # 211
Why I Became Muslim?

Rejecting her faith: Writer Eve Ahmed was raised a Muslim

Much of my childhood was spent trying to escape Islam.

Born in London to an English mother and a Pakistani Muslim father, I was brought up to follow
my father’s faith without question.

But, privately, I hated it. The minute I left home for university at the age of 18, I abandoned it
altogether.

As far as I was concerned, being a Muslim meant hearing the word ‘No’ over and over again.

Girls from my background were barred from so many of the things my English friends took for
granted. Indeed, it seemed to me that almost anything fun was haram, or forbidden, to girls like
me.

There were so many random, petty rules. No whistling. No chewing of gum. No riding bikes. No
watching Top Of The Pops. No wearing make-up or clothes which revealed the shape of the
body.

No eating in the street or putting my hands in my pockets. No cutting my hair or painting my


nails. No asking questions or answering back. No keeping dogs as pets, (they were unclean).

And, of course, no sitting next to men, shaking their hands or even making eye contact with
them.

These ground rules were imposed by my father and I, therefore, assumed they must be an
integral part of being a good Muslim.

Small wonder, then, that as soon as I was old enough to exert my independence, I rejected the
whole package and turned my back on Islam. After all, what modern, liberated British woman
would choose to live such a life?

Well, quite a lot, it turns out, including Islam’s latest surprise convert, Tony Blair’s sister-in-law
Lauren Booth. And after my own break with my past, I’ve followed with fascination the growing
trend of Western women choosing to convert to Islam.

Broadcaster and journalist Booth, 43, says she now wears a hijab head covering whenever she
leaves home, prays five times a day and visits her local mosque ‘when I can’.

She decided to become a Muslim six weeks ago after visiting the shrine of Fatima al-Masumeh
in the city of Qom, and says: ‘It was a Tuesday evening, and I sat down and felt this shot of
spiritual morphine, just absolute bliss and joy.’

Before her awakening in Iran, she had been ‘sympathetic’ to Islam and has spent considerable
time working in Palestine. ‘I was always impressed with the strength and comfort it gave,’ she
says.

How, I wondered, could women be drawn to a religion which I felt had kept me in such a lowly,
submissive place? How could their experiences of Islam be so very different to mine?
Story # 212

Why We Became Muslims:

(Stories of New Entrants to Islam, thru Missionary Activities of MAULANA KALIM UDDIN of Village
PHULAT, MUZAFFARNAGAR, India)

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: ASHOK KUMAR (MOHD. ISHAQ) RAMPUR, UP , INDIA

A. Family Background:

01. I was born on 7th Dec 1967, in the city of TANDA BADLI, which is in District Rampur of
UP. My father Sri Puran Singh was a small farmer. I studied upto Junior High School in my
village school, then went to Rampur to study upto Intermediate. I did my Diploma Engineering
in Civil from Lucknow and got a job in Private Construction Company.

I was a man with high temper and anger, so I could not hold my job, I resigned and came back to
my village. I had two friends named Yogesh and Yoginder Singh since my early education.

02. Those were the days when Babri agitation was in full swing. Me and my friends joined
BAJRANG DAL, the extremist Hindu organization. We joined Rath Yatra of Mr. Advani from
Gwalior and were four days with that group.

Our family were very happy with our activities, so much so that one day our father of my friend,
called our parents and told that we three are “free in the name of Ram”. Even if we perish in this
movement, there will be no blame on us.

03. We were part of group which went to Ayodhya in 1989 and we were arrested then by police
and released later. We were also present when Babri Mosque was demolished on 6 Dec 1992.
We stayed in different Ashrams there. It was strange that most of SADHUS there tried to
prevent us from mosque demolition.

When BJP leader Uma Bharti charged us to go forward and demolish the mosque. We went with
the mob, one of my friend was trampled under the feet and he suffered injuries in his ribs.

04. We came back carrying one brick each from the mosque a souvenir. People congratulated us
on the way on our “heroics” and our parents held a big party in our village and we were weighed
in flowers..

But once the deed was done, we started having a strange fear into us. Every year on 6th Dec. the
fear used to increase many fold. As if some one was watching us and some thing would happen
to us.
B. How and Why I accepted Islam:

05. One day on 6th December, some one showed me a news item in local news paper that first
person who had attacked Babri Masque has become Muslim. I could not believe this news and I
wanted to catch the man who has published this false news.

We were told that this man had accepted Islam in the village of Phulat. We took the bus to
Phulat and asked who was responsible for this news item. They pointed to the house of Maulana
Kalim Sahib.

06. We went there and asked Maulana in a harsh voice, what was his purpose to publish this false
news and why was he bent upon destroying religious beliefs of Hindus. Maulana stayed very
calm and said that the news was true, and the gentleman is very close to Phulat and he can
arrange a meeting between us.

Then he said that we are tired from the journey, so we should take breakfast and take some rest.
While we were resting, Mohd. Amir (the gentleman who had accepted Islam) came, Maulana
said some thing in his ear (to stay calm and do not get agitated irrespective of provocation –
MUQ) and left us together.

07. He then told us his story, how he did participated in that agitation and how he came to know
that Islam was true religion and accepted Islam. He then told us also to accept Islam and save us
from hell fire.

08. He then gave us some time and said that he will go and pray Allah for our guidance. We
discussed amongst ourselves and decided that the best course for us is to accept Islam. When we
recited Islamic KALIMA we felt as if we have thrown away a lot of weight which was on our
conscience.

He then sent us with Islamic Missionary party for 15 days to learn Prayer and other day to day
teachings needed from every Muslim. We completed 40 days instead of 15 days and came back
and Maulana was very happy to se us.

C: What was reaction of spouse , parents, family and society:

09. When we reached our village, the atmosphere was very tense. Some one had rumored that
we were murdered by Muslims at Phulat. We denied the rumor and told them about our being
Muslim.

This caused much trouble in the village and our families. Every one tried to turn us back from
islam. But we stayed firm. We left the village and stayed in different cities and did odd jobs to
pull us thru.

Then we reached Calcutta and we got a good job and now we are set.
E. My Missionary activities:

1. On Spouse / Children

10. Our family members took my wife and children with them and prevented me from talking to
her. I had no news from her or my children for a long time.

Then once I was set in Calcutta, I contacted her thru a Muslim lady. She said that she is agree to
live with me as my wife, because she is being mistreated my the wife of her brother.

I am very hopeful that she will come to me and will become Muslim , Inshallah.

3. On Family members / Others.

11. In present situation, Maulana has told me to concentrate on those Kar Sevaks who took part
in Babri agitation and I should pray fro guidance for my parents and other family members.

G. My advice to Muslims / Non Muslims.

12. Islam is the need of every one. W should not despair of guidance of any one, howsoever
Anti Islam he or she might be at present.

At one time, Muslims were our bitterest enemies, but now I want to die as a Muslim. The same
could be the case of many hundreds, or thousands or hundreds of thousands.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Monthly ARMAGHAN of Dec 2007.


Story # 213

Why I Became Muslim?

Changing values: Camill Leyland, 32, pictured in Western and Muslim dress, converted to Islam
in her mid-20s for 'intellectual and feminist reasons'

The turning point for Kristiane came when she met and briefly dated the former Pakistani
cricketer and Muslim Imran Khan in 1992 during the height of her career. He took her to
Pakistan where she says she was immediately touched by spirituality and the warmth of the
people.
Kristiane says: ‘Though our relationship didn’t last, I began to study the Muslim faith and
eventually converted.

Because of the nature of my job, I’d been out interviewing rock stars, traveling all over the world
and following every trend, yet I’d felt empty inside. Now, at last, I had contentment because
Islam had given me a purpose in life.’

‘In the West, we are stressed for superficial reasons, like what clothes to wear. In Islam,
everyone looks to a higher goal. Everything is done to please God. It was a completely different
value system.

'In the West, we are stressed for superficial reasons, like what clothes to wear. In Islam, everyone
looks to a higher goal. Everything is done to please God'
'Despite my lifestyle, I felt empty inside and realised how liberating it was to be a Muslim. To
follow only one god makes life purer. You are not chasing every fad.
‘I grew up in Germany in a not very religious Protestant family. I drank and I partied, but I
realised that we need to behave well now so we have a good after-life. We are responsible for
our own actions.’

For a significant amount of women, their first contact with Islam comes from dating a Muslim
boyfriend. Lynne Ali, 31, from Dagenham in Essex, freely admits to having been ‘a typical white
hard-partying teenager’.

She says: ‘I would go out and get drunk with friends, wear tight and revealing clothing and date
boys.
‘I also worked part-time as a DJ, so I was really into the club scene. I used to pray a bit as a
Christian, but I used God as a sort of doctor, to fix things in my life. If anyone asked, I would’ve
said that, generally, I was happy living life in the fast lane.’

But when she met her boyfriend, Zahid, at university, something dramatic happened.

She says: ‘His sister started talking to me about Islam, and it was as if everything in my life fitted
into place. I think, underneath it all, I must have been searching for something, and I wasn’t
feeling fulfilled by my hard-drinking party lifestyle.’
Story # 214

Why We Became Muslims:

(Stories of New Entrants to Islam, thru Missionary Activities of MAULANA KALIM UDDIN of Village
PHULAT, MUZAFFARNAGAR, India)

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: BANWARI LAL (MOHD. SALMAN), MUZAFFARNAGAR, UP. INDIA

A. Family Background:

01. I was born on 6 August 1958 in a Dalit Cobbler family in MALHUPURA Locality of
Muzzaffarnagar. My father’s name was Uttar Singh, we was a labourer and then opened a small
vegetable shop. There was no tradition of education in our society, but one of my maternal uncle
was peon in a bank. On his I started my study and passed Intermediate.

Headmaster of my school was a High Caste Pundit, he would leave no chance to insult me, I
used to get frustrated, sometimes to contemplate suicide. I learned typing and somehow I got a
job in Police department. In police department also I had to face discrimination and I got
transfer to more than 150 Police stations.

02. It so happened that daughter of a Doctor was studying in Meerut, she had a love affair with a
Muslim boy named Bilal. One day the girl ran away from her house and went to the house of
boy and said that she wanted to marry him. She told that she is ready to become Muslim, some
one told them to go to Phulat and meet Maulana Kalim sahib.

Maulana Kalim sahib asked the girl about her decision to became Muslim and what will be her
family’s reaction to it. She said that her father is half Muslim already and daily reads Quran and
there will be no problem. So he asked her to recite KALIMA and made her Muslim and then
they got married.

03. Now the boy was not so strong and he was afraid to face his parents and family member , So
Maulana made arrangement for them to live in Delhi and asked his sister to educate the girl
about Islam. In a very short time, the girl understood Islam much better than the boy and her
faith was more than love for her husband.

The family of the girl lodged a complaint against the boy and also put the name of Maulana
Kalim sahib as co accused who had helped her kidnapping and her conversion to Islam.

04. Maulana was in Bombay, so he could not reach in time….so the Police party reached their
Delhi house and arrested Bilal and the girl. They took Maulana to local Police station and then
took him in Police car to Meerut where the case originated.
05. In car Maulana started his talk and asked the Police office, Mr. Motla if he was a Policeman
first or a human first. He answered that he is a human first and Policeman afterwards. Maulana
asked him what is this humanity to arrest a law abiding citizen in the dead of night and not
giving him any answer to explain his position. The officer told he was under extreme pressure
form his top officers. On the way, time came for regular prayer, and Maulana asked the vehicle
to be stopped in front of a mosque, so he can say his prayers.

Police officer said that he cannot allow that, but he can pray on the way at any place. Then
Maulana told the Police officer that he should also be praying, because he is also made by the
same creator.

B. How and Why I accepted Islam:

06. Maulana sahib was brought to Meerut police station where I was on duty. The officer asked
us to take care of him and brink him tea and biscuits while he went to freshen himself.

I was having argument with my sergeant about condition of lower caste Hindus. I said that we
lower caste people build the temple and when it is finished we are denied entry into it, what is
this type of justice.

07. Maulana heard my talk and said that in Mosques there is no such distinction, no one will
deny you entry or discriminate with you in mosques. He then asked me to became Muslim and
recite KALIMA with full commitment. The moment I recited the KALIMA I felt as if I was free
from all bonds that were restraining me. He also gave me his address.
08. At the same time, Mr. Motla came and apologized to Maulana saying that he was free to go
as there was some mistakes in the report lodged with the Police.

I decide to test Maulana’ saying about Mosques. I went next day to Main Mosque in Delhi in
full Hindu garb, the prayer was just about to start, I told some one that I am from the Lowest
Hindu caste and I want to pray with Muslim. They shook my hand and placed me in the first
row just behind the Imam. I could not believe my eyes, when the prayer was over, every one
came and embraced me and shook my hand (That much Islam is still left in Indian Muslims-
MUQ)

C: What was reaction of spouse , parents, family and society:

09. Now that girl, her case was referred to the court. The boy was weak hearted and he lacked the
courage and upbringing to stand upto the challenge. But the girl remained firm and told boldly
before the judge that she was adult and of her own free will had accepted Islam and she had
every right to choose her religion and marry any one she liked.

The judge could do nothing but to release her. Then she scolded her father that earlier he was so
close to islam and talking about islam, what happened to him overnight. He asked him to
became Muslim.
This impressed her father and he is now very close to Islam and ready to accept Islam on the
hands of Maulana.

E. My Missionary activities:

1. On Spouse / Children

10. My wife was very happy to hear my story of becoming Muslim. She was also fed up to
live the life of daily insults while living as a low caste Hindu.

I took and my four children to Phulat and they accepted islam on the hands of Maulana.

3. On Family members / Others.

11. Maulana asked me to work on members of my family and on low caste Hindus. I am
preparing myself for this task. I am still a very new Muslim and I should learn something about
islam to talk to my people.

G. My advice to Muslims / Non Muslims.

12. There are billions of Dalit people in the world and hundreds of Millions in India alone. If
they come to know about the equality and justice which they receive in islam and which they can
never get in their own religion, many of them would come to Islam.

And they would not only get respect and equality…. They will earn the pleasure of their Creator
and will be saved from everlasting punishment on the last day.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Monthly ARMAGHAN of Sept. 2007.


Story #
215
Why I Became Muslim?

Liberating: Kristiane Backer says being a Muslim makes her life purer

Lynne converted aged 19. ‘From that day, I started wearing the hijab,’ she explains, ‘and I now
never show my hair in public. At home, I’ll dress in normal Western clothes in front of my
husband, but never out of the house.’

With a recent YouGov survey concluding that more than half the British public believe Islam to
be a negative influence that encourages extremism, the repression of women and inequality, one
might ask why any of them would choose such a direction for themselves.

Yet statistics suggest Islamic conversion is not a mere flash in the pan but a significant
development. Islam is, after all, the world’s fastest growing religion, and white adopters are an
important part of that story.

‘Evidence suggests that the ratio of Western women converts to male could be as high as 2:1,’
says Kevin Brice.

Moreover, he says, often these female converts are eager to display the visible signs of their faith
— in particular the hijab — whereas many Muslim girls brought up in the faith choose not to.

‘Perhaps as a result of these actions, which tend to draw attention, white Muslims often report
greater amounts of discrimination against them than do born Muslims,’ adds Brice, which is
what happened to Kristiane Backer.

She says: ‘In Germany, there is Islamophobia. I lost my job when I converted. There was a Press
campaign against me with insinuations about all Muslims supporting terrorists — I was vilified.
Now, I am a presenter on NBC Europe.
‘I call myself a European Muslim, which is different to the ‘born’ Muslim. I was married to one,
a Moroccan, but it didn’t work because he placed restrictions on me because of how he’d been
brought up. As a European Muslim, I question everything — I don’t accept blindly.

‘But what I love is the hospitality and the warmth of the Muslim community. London is the best
place in Europe for Muslims, there is wonderful Islamic culture here and I am very happy.’
For some converts, Islam represents a celebration of old-fashioned family values.
Story # 216

Why We Became Muslims:

(Stories of New Entrants to Islam, thru Missionary Activities of MAULANA KALIM UDDIN of Village
PHULAT, MUZAFFARNAGAR, India)

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: JAI WARDHAN (HASAN ABDAL), GHAZIABAD, UP. INDIA

A. Family Background:

01. I was born in a village of Ghaziabad, UP in a Brahmin family on 9 Sept 1975. My father was
Principal in school. I studied upto 8th standard in the local village school. Then I went to
Ghaziabad and did my Intermediate and B. Com from colleges there.

I wanted to appear for IAS (Administrative Services), I cleared Prelim exam two times, but could
not clear the Second part. This discouraged me so much that I decided to renounce the world and
become a SADHU. I roamed all famous Hindu religious places like Haridwar, Rishikesh,
Uttarkashi, Benaras etc. I went to many ashrams, but when I saw the hypocrisy there, I got
discouraged.

02. I also visited with some friends, the Muslim place of KALIAR, I got some peace there, but it
was not very much different from Hindu ashrams. While I was returning one Muslim MALANG
( a man with half mind- MUQ) caught my had and said that “You are a ABDAL, give me 10
rupees” I told that I was a Hindu SADHU, he did not release me, until I paid him 10 rupees.

I asked local people, who is this man, they told me that this man just wanders here and there and
never asks any money from anyone, it is a strange thing that happened to me today..

03. I kept on wandering from place to place as I was searching for some thing and I am unable to
find it or even define it. Three passed like that, then I decided that I will take KAWAR (Ganges
water, taken from the river and poured on the Idol on Shiva on the eve of SHIV RATRI, a Hindu
festival – MUQ, the person has to cover that distance on foot- MUQ).

I passed thru the town of Muzzafar Nagar , and that night I dreamt that I am in front of a mosque,
the call for prayer was made and people went to offer prayer, and I was standing outside. Some
one asked me, why I was not praying, I told , I am a Hindu and I cannot pray, he took my hand
and placed me alongside the people who was praying. I felt immediate peace in my heart.

04.When I woke up and resumed my journey, on the way, I saw a Mosque where the prayer was
about to start. I told my colleagues to wait for a while, and I went to mosque. I was standing
outside, not knowing what to do. One old man asked me why I was outside, I told that I want to
pray but I do not know how. He took my hand and said to me that I do as others are doing.
When I put my head on the ground, I felt immense peace..

I told my experience to my fellow travellers, some of them admonished me but one of my friend
praised me and said he also wanted to come.

B. How and Why I accepted Islam:


05. We reached our destination close to afternoon. The time for water offering was after
midnight and there was a big crowd of people who had come to offer the Water. We took a nap
and when I woke up, I saw some muslim youths with books in their hands, who were talking to
people.

They told that they are Muslims and they have a religious Muslim scholars as their teacher and
he has send them to take care of us travellers, who are hungry and in need of rest. He told us that
we are brothers unto each other and one brother should take care of another, whenever he is in
need.

06. Then they told me about islam and concept of One God and why it is important to worship
Him only and no one else. They went on talking Islam to us for close to half hour, at the end of
it, they gave us some booklets on Islam and asked us to recite KALIMA. Myself and my friend
recited KALIMA then and there.

Then they asked me that once we are free from our task, we should go to Phulat and meet their
teacher Maulana Kalim Uddin. We said that how can we offer water to any idol, once we have
recited KALIMA. So we abandoned that mission and took a bus to reach Phulat.

07. Maulana was very happy to see us, he gave us our Islamic names and asked us to complete
official formalities for change of religion and then he will send me along with a Muslim
missionary party.

Then I told Maulana as to what happened to me in the last four years and How much I tried to
find and locate the True God, he told me, may be it was because of my sincerity that Allah gave
me guidance.

08. I completed around 8 months with missionary parties and learned prayer, and how to recite
Quran, I also learnt Urdu to read simple books on religion.

I want to devote my time to Missionary activities amongst people of our nation.

I told Maulana about it and he is making a plan for me.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Monthly ARMAGHAN of Oct. 2008


Story # 217

Why I Became Muslim?

Ex-MTV Presenter Kristiane Backer with Mick Jagger in the late Eighties

‘Some are drawn to the sense of belonging and of community — values which have eroded in
the West,’ says Haifaa Jawad, a senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, who has studied
the white conversion phenomenon.

‘Many people, from all walks of life, mourn the loss in today’s society of traditional respect for
the elderly and for women, for example. These are values which are enshrined in the Koran,
which Muslims have to live by,’ adds Brice.

It is values like these which drew Camilla Leyland, 32, a yoga teacher who lives in Cornwall, to
Islam. A single mother to daughter, Inaya, two, she converted in her mid-20s for ‘intellectual and
feminist reasons’.

She explains: ‘I know people will be surprised to hear the words “feminism” and “Islam” in the
same breath, but in fact, the teachings of the Koran give equality to women, and at the time the
religion was born, the teachings went against the grain of a misogynistic society.
Story # 218

Why We Became Muslims:

(Stories of New Entrants to Islam, thru Missionary Activities of MAULANA KALIM UDDIN of Village
PHULAT, MUZAFFARNAGAR, India)

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: NADEEM AHMAD SAHIB, KARNATAKA, INDIA

A. Family Background:

01. I was born in a Maratha family of South Indian state of India. My father was manager in a
bank. I was educated in a good school, after B. Com and MBA, I got a job in England. My
father suddenly expired of a heart attack on 4th Jan 2000, so I had to return back.

I got a good job in a local company as a Manager, and now I have become Director in the same
company. I have no shortage of money and my father also left lot of money, I am his only son,
so my grace of Allah, I am well off in worldly matters.

02. There was a Muslim girl in my company, from the day I came back from England and joined
the company, I used to like her. I wanted to marry her, breaking all barriers of religion and
wealth. But she did not give me any lift and only used to talk about business and company
matters. It seems she wanted to marry some one from her family. I gave her gifts and presents on
occasions of festivals and dates but she did not change her stance towards me.

Then the owner of my company died, he was a very good old man and very active in charity
activities. When he died, these works stopped. People wanted to talk to his eldest son to re-start
and continue these works. They invited Maulana Kalim Uddin sahib from Phulat (who knew my
company owner) to have a talk with him.

03. He came on the appointed time and talked to him, scheduled time was for 30 minutes, but it
continued for more than 90 minutes. At the end of talk, he asked me to escort Maulana back to
his car as part of Islamic etiquette.

B. How and Why I accepted Islam:

04. I boarded the lift on 7th floor and on 5th floor the same girl entered the lift. Maulana was
wearing a very good perfume. All of a sudden the girl said to me “What a good perfume you are
wearing” and smiled.

When I reached ground floor, I asked Maulana for the name of perfume, he said that it was given
to him as a gift by his friend in Dubai. Then he gave me the bottle of perfume. Whenever I had
that perfume on my person, the girl would praise it, so I gave her that bottle of perfume. This
broke the ice between us.
05. Then I went to her father and told that I wanted to marry her daughter, even if I have to
accept Islam. Her father agreed with my idea and convinced her daughter also. He told me that I
should become Muslim and spend 40 days with a Muslim missionary party and then he will
marry her to me.

I went to Imam of main mosque and accepted islam and completed all formalities and went for
40 days to Bangalore with a Muslim missionary party, and at the end we got married.

06. But our marriage was not a happy one, because the girl did not want to marry me with her
free will. Her father almost forced her to marry me. So much so that our marriage ended in
divorce after 8 or so months.

But my 40 days with Muslim missionary party had aroused my curiosity about Islam and I
started reading about Islam and purchased many books. I was fortunate that Maulana Kalim
Sahib again visited my city, I met him and had a long talk with him.

07. He told me that Allah had made the love of that girl as a stair for my coming to Islam. Now I
have seen what love of a girl can affect a strong willed man like me, what if I start loving my
Creator and my Cherisher. I was very impressed him and took him as my religious guide…
afterwards he took me to his religious guide (Maulana Ali Mian of Lucknow) and I also made at
oath on his hands also.

Then I told Maulana that I have sufficient wealth to last me for my years of life, I want to spare
some time to learn about islam and love of Allah. He sent me for one year with a group of
persons, lead by a very learned Islamic scholar.

08. I spent my time in Bangalore, Mysore and other cities of Maharashtra, Andhra etc. I am
working on the advise of my religious guide and I am seeing the benefits of it.

I was thinking that I was thru with marriage, but Maulana convinced me that Islam does not like
a man or woman to live without marriage, so I have surrendered my affairs to him and he is
looking for a suitable wife for me.

09. I am not very active in Missionary activities amongst Non Muslims at present, but during my
travels and at different interactions, I have talked to them about Islam and some of them have
also entered into Islam, Alhamdolillah.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Monthly ARMAGHAN of August 2008.


Story # 219

Why I Became Muslim?

Escape route: Former DJ Lynne Ali is happy to pray five times a day

‘The big mistake people make is by confusing culture with religion. Yes, there are Muslim
cultures which do not allow women individual freedom, yet when I was growing up, I felt more
oppressed by Western society.’

She talks of the pressure on women to act like men by drinking and having casual sex. ‘There
was no real meaning to it all. In Islam, if you begin a relationship, that is a commitment of
intent.’

Growing up in Southampton — her father was the director of Southampton Institute of Education
and her mother a home economics teacher — Camilla’s interest in Islam began at school.

She went to university and later took a Masters degree in Middle East Studies. But it was while
living and working in Syria that she had a spiritual epiphany. Reflecting on what she’d read in
the Koran, she realised she wanted to convert.

Her decision was met with bemusement by friends and family.

‘People found it so hard to believe that an educated, middle-class white woman would choose to
become Muslim,’ she says.

While Camilla’s faith remains strong, she no longer wears the hijab in public. But several of the
women I spoke to said strict Islamic dress was something they found empowering and
liberating.

Lynne Ali remembers the night this hit home for her. ‘I went to an old friend’s 21st birthday
party in a bar,’ she reveals. ‘I walked in, wearing my hijab and modest clothing, and saw how -
everyone else had so much flesh on display. They were drunk, slurring their words and dancing
provocatively.

‘For the first time, I could see my former life with an outsider’s eyes, and I knew I could never
go back to that.
‘I am so grateful I found my escape route. This is the real me — I am happy to pray five times a
day and take classes at the mosque. I am no longer a slave to a broken society and its
expectations.’

Kristiane Backer, who has written a book on her own spiritual journey, called From MTV To
Mecca, believes the new breed of modern, independent Muslims can band together to show the
world that Islam is not the faith I grew up in — one that stamps on the rights of women.
She says: ‘I know women born Muslims who became disillusioned an d rebelled against it. When
you dig deeper, it’s not the faith they turned against, but the culture.

'Rules like marrying within the same sect or caste and education being less important for girls, as
they should get married anyway —– where does it say that in the Koran? It doesn’t.

‘Many young Muslims have abandoned the “fire and brimstone” version they were born into
have re-discovered a more spiritual and intellectual approach, that’s free from the cultural
dogmas of the older generation. That’s how I intend to spend my life, showing the world the
beauty of the true Islam.’

While I don’t agree with their sentiments, I admire and respect the women I interviewed for this
piece.

They were all bright and educated, and have thought long and hard before choosing to convert to
Islam — and now feel passionately about their adopted religion. Good luck to them. And good
luck to Lauren Booth. But it’s that word that sums up the difference between their experience
and mine — choice.

Perhaps if I’d felt in control rather than controlled, if I’d felt empowered rather than stifled, I
would still be practising the religion I was born into, and would not carry the burden of guilt that
I do about rejecting my father’s faith.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1324039/Like-Lauren-Booth-ARE-


modern-British-career-women-converting-Islam.html#ixzz13ZqKdE7B
Story # 220

Why We Became Muslims:

Note: These are stories from India, the local color is predominant, some points may seem strange to those
who are not familiar with Indian social life.

The Case of: JANARDAN PRASAD VERMA (MOHD. SUHAIL), KHALILABAD,


BASTI, UP. INDIA

A. Family Background:

01. I was born in a Hindu family in the Dist. Of Khaleelabad (Basti) of UP. We were four
brothers and sisters. Due to poor economic conditions, I started working at the age of eight. I
continued my study with my job.

Later I shifted to Bombay and did my jobs along with my study. While I was in Bombay, I saw
some sermons going on at a place. I asked what it is, the people told me, this is a camp of
Nirankari people.

02. I did not know any thing about it, so I asked them what it is and they told me that we people
do not worship any idol or anything else in the Universe.. We think that God is in every humans,
but we cannot see him. And whom we cannot see, he is god.

So we respect each and every individual and every one touches the feet of every one else in
respect. Father touches the feet of his sons and daughters and they touch his feet. I liked this
idea very much and I also became a Nirankari. When I went to my place, I told every one in my
family to become Nirankari and they accepted my idea.

03.While I was in Bombay, I went to some Muslims lectures also. There they told me that they
also worship one God who is Creator of everything in the universe. They told me that they have
one book called Quran, which came from God Himself.

I asked them to give me Quran so I can study it, but they said that “You are Hindu and we cannot
give our holy book to you”.

04. Then I got a driving job in Saudi Arabia. After a few days, I made an accident and they sent
me to prison. After a few days, the month of Ramadan started, when I saw every one fasting, I
also started fasting. I fasted fro 27 days or so, people used to ask me, why you fast but do not
pray, I had no answer for that.

B. How and Why I accepted Islam:

05. When I came out of prison, I started study of Islam. Study of Islam took me away from my
earlier faith of Nirankari, because of separation of men and women. In my faith, young boys and
girls were touching each others feet, which was not OK. I had seen from my own eyes boys
misusing this practice.

06. I got Hindi translation of Quran, and got some cassettes on islam. But when I used to
question my Muslim colleagues, they would say, You are Hindu, do not ask about Islam
(beautiful muslims these people – MUQ). The they started persecuting me, both Indian and
Pakistani Muslims. They used to taunt me for being a Hindu (what examples of Muslims these
people were- MUQ).

It so happened that they put me on a route which passed by the Holy city of Madina. Entry of
Non Muslims is not allowed in Madina city, but from the Non Muslim bypass, there is a high
parking, the minarets of Prophet’s mosque are visible. I used to park there and watch the
minarets. Some times I used to go to sleep and in dreams I will see that I am standing at the
door of mosque. Some one in white beard will ask me what are you doing outside, he will catch
me by hand and bring me inside the mosque.

7. I used to pick up the route, which passes thru Madina and my love to the city increased with
each passing day. My study of Islam also continued and after 8 years, I got convinced that
Islam is the right way. I went to Islamic propagation center in Riyadh and declared my Islam.

08. What impressed me most was its concept of Unity of God. In Hindu religion we have so
many gods that we cannot count them. There are gods for each and every thing and we have
to please every one. Nirankari system believes in one god, but it does not has a full system
for life and how to conduct our day to day affairs.

09. Then the Islamic concept of Hijab for women also attracted me most, because this separation
is good for a good and civilized society.

C: What was reaction of spouse , parents, family and society:

10. When I spoke to my people India, about my Islam, they told that they will do as I had done
(as they had followed my advice on Nirankari), but when I went there, they went back from their
words. They tried to deviate me from islam and started putting hindrances before and during my
prayer.

11. My wife had earlier promised to become Muslim, but she kept on postponing this decision.
And then started opposing me and trying to harass me. My eldest son had become Muslim and
was studying in Medical, but they tried to force him to leave Islam and even to kill him, if he did
not change his faith.

I had to leave my house and all my property in my village and fled empty handed to save my life.

D. How I saved my Islam:

12. I came back to Saudi Arabia as I had a job there and I left every thing in India. Then my
muslim friends in Saudi Arabia helped me in new marriage and settled me in another city.
G. My advice to Muslims / Non Muslims.

Islam teaches brotherhood and dealing kindly with people of other faith, which no other religion
does. But seeing the present day Muslims, and in light with what happened to me, I doubt that
any Non Muslim will think of becoming Muslim.

I request my Muslim brothers to see, what example of islam and Muslims are they setting for non
Muslims and how they expect people of other faith to enter Islam. Unless they improve their
attitude and present themselves as models of Islam, they cannot expect other people to become
Muslim so easily.

(Translated from Vernacular Urdu and abridged)

Source: Bi Weekly News paper DAWAT, 16 Jan 2011, Page 5


Story # 221

Why I became Muslim?

TIMUS (AHMED) TEKLES, BRAZIL

I was born in a devout Roman Catholic Church going family. Our parents used to take us to
church regularly and I used to listen the sermon there. From the early childhood, I had this habit
of thinking and questioning illogical things. When the priest would say that Father, Son and
Holy Ghost are God and then will say that they are one God, I used to think, how it can be true?
The priest would recgonise my perplexity and would try to convince me, but my doubts
remained.

Then I used to think about the unreasonableness of priest acting as intermediate between us and
God and forgive our sins. Why cant we directly approach God for forgiveness?
Then this worship of Cross was another thing which was beyond my understanding. Why
should we worship an object which we made by our own hands.

These doubts made me to study about Islam. I got books in Portuguese language and started
studying them. From the very beginning I was pleased that Islam talks only about one God and
there is no complications like Trinity. Then there is no one to intercede between human and God
and then there is absolutely no worship of any object, except one true God. So all the three
important issues which perplexed me about Christianity were answered so easily in Islam.

Then another thing, which impressed me about Islam, is that Muslims respect all prophets
equally and never say any bad things about it. Jews and Christianity have totally different
standards about prophets. Some they raise beyond the pedestal of humanity and others they
accuse of heinous crimes and sins.

There are many people in Brazil who think like me and are looking for true path, but they find
that there is no Muslim missionary organization to guide them and educate them about the true
path, which is Islam. If Muslims would have done their jobs, how many thousands would have
been saved from hell fire?
Story # 222

Why I became Muslim?

JOHN D’CLAY (MUSTAFA AL AMMEN) LIBERIA

I was born in a Muslim family, our tribe in Liberia is 100 % Muslim. But my parents put me
into a Christian Missionary School and stayed with them till graduation. This is a ploy to mold
young Muslim minds into Christianity, so they never learn about Islam and seldom come back to
the religion of their parents.

When I came back to my tribe after graduation,. I found them being persecuted and attacked just
because they were Muslims. So much so that I had to hide my Tribe’s name just to save my life.

This got me thinking as to why these people are afraid of Islam and want to eradicate it. I used
to watch my parents preying in secret as open prayers might mean death. This opened my eyes
to the stories of Christian Tolerance. In those days I got hold of one book Christian Muslim
Dialog, published by African Muslim society.

This book opened my eyes and could see the weakness of Christians in defending Trinity and
Divinity of Jesus Christ. Then I took up the study of Quran and found that it is the real truth. I
started my journey back to my original faith and started going to mosque and learn prayer with
congregation.

I found that link of Islamic brotherhood are stronger than any other ties one could think. So I
decided to become Muslim and chose Mustafa Amin as my new name. (abridged)
Story # 223

Why I became Muslim?

ABRAHAM (IBRAHIM) CARLSON, SWEDEN

I started my life in an atheist family, for first 25 years of my life, I never recognized that there is
a God or has any thing to do with our lives. I knew Muslims as some weird people who wore
long shirts and their women wear scarves, I did not know from where they came.

Once in High school, I had read some verse from Quran, which made perfect sense and was very
beautiful, but at that time, I had no position for God in my life, so I did not give it much
attention. Newton’s mechanical model of Universe was more than sufficient for me.

I graduated and took photography as my career, I earned lot of money and moved into my own
apartment. Once when I was taking a documentary in a market place, a Muslim man approached
me and told me to not take photograph of his family. This puzzled me once again about the
nature of these Muslims.

In those days, I came in contact with Swedish Muslim society and got hold of English translation
by ABDULLAH YOUSUF ALI. I read the translation with lot of interest and this time, I was
stunned to learn that there is indeed a God in this Universe and that every thing is regulated by
Him. Now when I look thru the photographic lens, the nature seemed different to me, as if a
Current was flowing thru each item.

In those days Windows 95 was just released and there was Internet explosion. I got connected to
Internet, and was surfing Islamic sites. I soon contacted a newly converted Muslim lady and
soon we started exchanging e-mails on God and His attributes mentioned in Quran.

She was very patient with me and used to answer many of my stupid questions with lots of
patience. Slowly and surely, the message reached my heart and I got convinced about the truth of
Islam and Quran.

I recognized that I am not a robot, but a responsible being who will be questioned for his actions.
This sense of responsibility changed my attitude towards life.

I went to Islamic Mosque in Sweden and saw with my eyes, hundreds of people preying together.
They welcomed me into the mosque and gave me many books on Islam to study.

On Internet I read the story of a newly converted women to Islam and her experiences. This was
the decisive moment of my life and I decided to become a Muslim. Accordingly I drove my car
to Mosque and accepted Islam after noon prayers (Abridged).
Story # 224

Why I became Muslim?

ISRAEL (ISMAIL), SAO PALO, BRAZIL

Israel was a catholic Bishop in Sao Paulo and now he is a Muslim missionary. Here he
explains strange events that pulled him from one denouncing Islam to one propagating it.
God’s ways are really strange.

I was busy in my usual Church activities, when one of my whom I loved much, came and said to
me “my son has become a Muslim, could you argue with him and bring him back to Christianity,
I have tried my best, but I cannot do it”.

I assured the man, that I will handle it in my way. Since the boy respected me and we liked each
other, I thought the best way was to be with him and watch his activities and circles in which he
moves.

I was with him for most of next few days, he took me to Muslim gatherings and their lectures in
Sao Paulo. Initially they did not appeal to me, but slowly I became interested in them, they were
so frank and so reasonable and so different from the way, we use language in our Church.

The boy gave me some books in Portuguese language, that dealt mainly with comparison
between Islam, Judaism and Christianity. They were very well written and once I took them into
my hand, I could not put them down until I have finished them completely. Sometime it took me
whole night to stay awake.

When I had finished the book, I realized that Islam is the true religion and I should not wait any
longer, and I declared my faith.

My Church colleagues were astonished, they initially though that I have lost my mind, but when
they realized that I had really become Muslim, they cut all ties with me, stopped my Church pay
and put every effort to turn me back.

My mother and other relatives, broke their ties and I was desperate to find any job to live. I went
to Islamic center in Sao Paulo, who welcomed me and allowed me to work in the center. My
present salary is much less than what Iw as getting in Church, but I am happy and contended.

I now see the difference in the way we teach in Church and the way we do it in Islam. What I
used to preach in Church about baseless stories and tales, my heart was not satisfied with that. In
Islam we speak plainly and do not make false promise to any one, the way it is done in Catholic
Church.
Story # 225

Why I became Muslim?

DOCTOR GRAINIAH, FRANCE

I was used to traveling by sea, and large part of my life was spent on traveling between seas and
open skies. During one of these travels, I got a copy of French Translation of Quran by Moseo
Savory. One particular verse of Quran caught my attention, it was referring to sea travels and
therefore was most appropriate for my present situation, it stated:

“Or (the unbelievers state) is like the depth of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with
billow, topped by Billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depth of darkness, one above another: if a
man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For any to whom God does not give light, there
is no light” (24:40)

I read the translation many times, the exactness and aptitudes of similes, indicated that writer
must have been very experiences in sea travels. How else can he describe the condition at open
sea so aptly. I think that not many sea goers can express the dangers of sea is no few and so
moving way.

I mentioned this to my friends that writer of Quran must be a very experienced man in sea
travels, but when I came to know that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had never traveled by sea,
this opened my eyes. And I realized that only way he could have got this information must be
from God Almighty, the creator of this universe.

That was the reason why I decided to became Muslim and leave France and settle in this small
Egyptian village to live a simple life pleasing to my Creator (abridged)
Story # 226

Why I became Muslim?

TWO AMERICAN SCHOLARS (NAME WITHHELD), USA

We met these two American Students at Al AZHAR University in Cairo. They told their
journey to Islam in following words.

When Columbus discovered America, he was using maps made by Muslim navigators. But
when Europeans entered Americas, they massacred the local population there and claimed the
land for them. Later when they needed manpower for agriculture and industry, they imported
black people from Africa.

Most of Black people who came to America were Muslims, these white people changed their
names and changed their religion. It is now that many black people have discovered this and are
going back to their roots. However there is a tint of black racism in their manners, which does
not matches well with Islam, which is free from all sorts of racism.

As for us, we became interested in Islam, when we head Malcolm-X speeches and when we saw
he being assassinated in broad day light. We studied Islam and found solutions to questions
which were perplexing our minds. Then Islam promotes every good virtues and restricts every
thing that is harmful to the society.

We decided to come to Egypt and get proper Islamic education in the oldest University on this
earth. We are taking classes in Islamic Jurisprudence and wish to progress to higher courses.
(Abridged)
Story # 227

Why I became Muslim?

VOWEL WOOLER WILSON , DENMARK

V. W. Wilson was Denmark’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia when he announced his


conversion to Islam. A well learned and well educated career diplomat’s conversion to
Islam set the world media buzzing. Here he gives his reasons of conversion to an Islamic
journal during interview.

I was gathering information about Islam for a long time, My father had translated many Islamic
teachings into Danish language and they helped me much.

In 1963, when I was young, I visited many countries in the Middle East like Jordan, Lebanon,
Syria, Egypt, and Far east countries. I met many Muslims during these days and came to know
many things about Islam which I did not know. Slowly and Slowly, it became clear to me that
Islam is indeed a true religion and is the only one acceptable to Allah. I declared my faith to
Islam in 1967, and served in many Muslim countries as Diplomat. I was posted in Riyadh as
Danish Ambassador in 1987.

What attracted me most towards Islam was the love and brotherhood between Muslims. Then it
is free from Contradictions. It is not like Judaism and Christianity where each contradicts the
other in many things.

I must say that principles of Islam and its teachings have not changed, but the attitude and
commitment of many Muslims have changed, that is why we see that at many times, Muslims do
not present a true picture of Islam.

I think Islam has very bright future in Islam. When Europeans will live and interact with more
and more Muslims, they would come to know about the truth of Islam and would be attracted to
it, as it is happening these days.

Both Islam and Christianity give Human Rights to their followers. But in Christianity they were
first regulated by Church and these days by Secular Governments. In Islam these rights are
given by Sharia and were available irrespective of the government. (abridged)
Story # 228

Why I became Muslim?

DAVID (AMIR ALI DAUD), UK

I was born a Christian, but it was my Grandfather, a Brahmin Hindu, who accepted Christianity
during the time when British were ruling India. I was very much interested in religion and I also
loved to read. Christianity was my favorite subject.

But the more I studied about Christianity, I used to get lot of Questions. How come Unity in
Trinity and Trinity in Unity, this was beyond me. The more I studied, the more complicated it
used to become. I learned to many lectures on Christianity by Christian preachers of world
renowned, but they could not satisfy my doubts.

On one side we used to hear about Love, Love and more Love and on the other hand I saw the
actions of these European nations in Asia, and Africa. Is that what Love really means, I used to
think.

Another question which used to bother me was, what is the purpose of human’s creation. I read
thousands of pages, and listened to hundred of lectures, but despite burning many of midnight
oils, the answer was beyond my reach.

I did not know either Arabic or Urdu so as to read books of Islam. But I got hold of English
translation of Quran and started reading it.
From the very beginning, I started to get answers of my doubts. When God created Adam, He
asked all angles to bow down to him. Therefore God loved Adam more than angels and that He
loved people bow down. So the best worship for any one is so bow down before God.

Studying Quran gave me answer to my problems of Trinity, it became clear to me that Jewish
and Christian books have been corrupted over the ages and are not the same when they were
revealed for the first time.

After Quran I read many more books on Islam, until I got convinced that Islam is the only true
religion and no other religion can stand in front of it logically or based on reason.

I talked to many priests about Islam and Christianity and told them why don’t they declare to the
world that Islam is the only true religion. They used to get very angry, but they lacked any logic
to answer my questions.

When I read about the life history of Prophet and his companions, the remaining doubts about
Islam vanished and I thought what a wasteful person will be I, if I did not join this faith.

The way it happened was beyond my imaginations. My daughter used to go to a Christian


Scholl, which had a period of religious study. One day the teacher asked all Christian students to
go to Church, my daughter remained seated, when the teacher asked, why are you not going to
Church, my daughter replied I am a Muslim!!!

The teacher informed us about this incident and I was amazed to learn it. That was the signal for
me and soon myself, my wife and our daughter all became Muslim at the same time. I thank
Allah for His Mercy and Grace on us (abridged)
Story # 229

Why I became Muslim?

DAVID (DAUD), UK.

I was born in West Indies and was Christian. Many missionaries used to visit our country and
encourage people to accept Christianity. They used to behave very properly with us, with the
result that we wished to go to England and see the lands of these good people.

It so happened that when I grew up, I found a job offer in England. I had many friends who were
working there and I was very excited to come and work in this wonderful land. I settled in
Wimbledon, South Field and lived in a flat with my friends.

I was very much interested in religion, so I found that a Church was very near to my residence
and I went there on the First Sunday. They welcomed me, but some how I felt that their
greetings lacked the warmth which I used to see in West Indies.

When I went to the same Church on next Sunday, after the end of service, the priest told me, Mr.
Black Church is at another place. I thought that he is giving additional information to me since I
am new in this locality. I thanked him and said that this Church is nearest to my place and suits
me well.
Well, on the third Sunday, the priest and some other persons told me plainly that I as a black was
not welcome in this Whites Only Church. I could only say, Thank You Sir, and I came out of
that Church. This experience disheartened me and I stopped going to any Church.

One day, I was just window shopping, when one person said to me, you seem to be from West
Indies, you must be Muslim, do read Quran regularly. He was gone before I could say, No, I am
a Christian.

I thought of going to a mosque and ask for Quran. But when I told this to my friends, they told
me, They Will Kill you. Muslims are very violent people. Finally they gave me address of the
nearest Mosque and I decided to visit them on a Friday. I told my friends, to watch for me and
if I do not come back by 6 PM, they should inform the police.

I was full of apprehension when I entered that mosque, I saw that some people were taking meals
jointly on floor at one place. They welcomed me and asked me to join with them. I washed my
hands and joined them, but I was watchful if the meal was not poisoned!!

After the meal, they asked my purpose of visit and when I told them, they provided all
information about Islam. I got so convinced that same day I accepted Islam before leaving the
mosque.

Later I took time off to learn and pronounce Quran properly and learn other teachings of Islam. I
got married to a Muslim lady and now I am leading a very happy and contended life. (Abridged)
Story # 230

Why I became Muslim?

MALCHOLM-X (MALIK SHAHBAZ), MICHIGAN, USA

The name of MALCHOLM-X is well known as the Black American, who accepted Islam
and found a rival faction to the Nation of Islam of Elijah Mohammad. He was born in 1925
in the Mauston City of Michigan. His father was a devout Christian and lived the life of a
true Christian. But White racist in USA in those days would not leave him alone. He was
persecuted and his house was looted and burned down. He was ultimately killed by the
White Supremacist and Malcolm became orphan in his early childhood. We pick up the
story when he was of school going age.

Even though I was amongst the top three students in my class, my teachers were always
discouraging me. When I told that I wanted to be a lawyer, they told me, how could you be a
lawyer, why don’t you learn carpentry, so you could survive.

When I was 15 years old, I shifted to Boston where my sister was living. The society there was
exactly opposite to what I saw in Michigan. I became a waiter in a night club, but gave up that
job and started boot polish in front of a night club. Thus I was able to see the American Culture
from very near. I found that it was immersed in Alcohol, Gambling, drugs and all sorts of
crimes.

I could not keep my self away and was soon immersed in the criminal activities. During those
days, I believed that ends justified the means. I was arrested soon and was sent to prison for ten
years for a crime which I did not commit. I found that American Jails are the real training
grounds for all sorts of crimes. Once you are in there, it is very difficult that you will veer be
away from criminal life.
Fortunately for me, some one gave me literature about Nation of Islam movement, before that I
had not even heard the name of Islam. I studied the literature as well as books about Islam and
the life of prophet Mohammad (PBUH). I accepted Islam in Jail itself and took the Islamic name
of MALIK SHAHBAZ.

But soon I found out that Nation of Islam movement was based of Black Racism, and that was
not the Islam which I had studied in prison. I met one Diplomat of Saudi Arabian Embassy,
who supplied me with true literature and guidance about Islam.

I was fortunate enough to be invited for Hajj as a guest of Saudi Government and experienced
with my own eyes the greatest international gathering on the plains of Arafat. I visited Makkah
and Medina and knew about the real Islam, the one which is free from any kind of racism.

I came back and started to spread the true teachings of Islam to my fellow Nation of Islam
brothers and others in USA. We had to break away from Elijah Mohammad’s group and started
a real Islam movement. Despite opposition from Elijah’s group, out movement became stronger
with each passing day.
Mohammad Ali the Boxing Champion was also the one who accepted Islam at my hands.

Editor’s Note: Malcolm-X was assassinated by a racist during a public meeting on 21 st Feb.
1965. His killer is still not known. But his innocent blood was not wasted, very soon Elijah’s
racial Movement became weak and today followers of true Islam in USA number around 4.5
Millions. Mike Tyson, ex Boxing Champion was the recent addition to this group, who also took
Islamic name of MALIK SHAHBAZ like Malcolm-X.
Story #
231
Why I became Muslim?

EDWIN M. (ABDUL LATEEF) ARSIO, PHILLIPINES.

I got the Chartered Accountant degree from Manila University and was selected to serve in Saudi
Arabia. The position was inferior to my qualifications but the money was more than I could get
in my country. The reaction of my parents were mixed on the eve of my departure to Saudi
Arabia, a conservative Muslim country.

I was posted in Riyadh HO of Irish Mestok company that runs dairy farms in the Kingdom. I
was told my duties and introduced to my colleagues many of whom were from my country and
some from other countries also. I had to share my office with a Pakistani Accountant who was
quite aged and had a full beard.

After some initial hesitancy, we became quite talkative and discussed many topic amongst them
Islam and Christianity. One day I had a severe headache, my friend read some verses and blew
on my head and I felt better. I asked him to give me English translation of these verses.

My Pakistani friend gave me some books on Islam, like Islam in Focus, Towards Understanding
Islam, Myth of the Cross etc. After reading these books, I thought that I must make thorough
study of Islam and Christianity. I asked my friend to give me English Translation of Quran and
what they read in prayers. When I read the Quran, I found its teachings very reasonable and I
was much impressed by them.
I tried to emulate my Muslim friends in prayer. I used to prey in an empty room, so that my
fellow Pilipino Worker would not know about it. But one day, one Pilipino saw me preying and
he informed all other Pilipino that I had become Muslim.

When things came to that level, I consulted my Pakistani friend and we decided that it is best, if I
declare my faith officially, so that I will not be persecuted. We went to the office of Sheikh Bin
BAAZ, head of Saudi Religious organization and I declared my faith in front of him.

I wrote to my parents explaining to them good points of Islam. They did not respond well, when
I went on vacation, my father told me, that if you are able to convince our local priest, we will
become Muslim. I went to the priest and I gave him English translation of Quran and took time
from him to come next week. But when we reached he was not there. My vacation time was
over, but the priest did not find time to argue with me.

I started my missionary activity in Philippine with the help of some friends, with the grace of
Allah this is now some what established. I married a Christian girl and she also accepted Islam
after seeing its benefits.

I was in Kuwait the day Iraq invaded it. I had gone there to open the new branch of my company
there. I had to reach Amman by road which took almost 26 days. I think my practice of fasting
and Hajj helped me survive that ordeal. Now I am a senior member of that MNC and my
employers are happy with my work.

Some times I think back on the day, I was taking my first flight to Riyadh, Allah was preparing
for best provisions for me on this earth and INLSHALLAH in the hereafter too (Abridged).
Story # 232

Why I became Muslim?

BENJAMIN (BASHIR) LARATE, GHANA

I praise Allah that He guided me to the true path of Islam after I was in search of truth for many
years. I am a Plant Engineer and in 1987 I accepted Islam.

I was born a Christian, but it puzzled me, that to run any Organization, we only need one head,
how come this whole Universe is running so smoothly with three heads? Then I studied
Buddhism, but I decided that to renounce world and live in jungles and caves cannot be the cure
for humanity. Then I started studying Hinduism to know the position of self and humans in it,
but I soon gave up after so much confusing theories.

It was at that time that my Brother (who had become Muslim many years back) ‘ wife gave me
some books on Islam to study. There was a book by Ahmed Deedat on “Is Bible God’s Word?”.
I got into a sort of mental turmoil after reading that book. Upon then my Sister in law introduced
me to other Muslims, who told and explained to me about Islam.

I got convinced about the truth of Islam and joined the faith in 1987. I think it is a very big
achievement for any human to know his Creator. Islam showed me the path to my creator.

Then I found Islamic prayer as very forceful means to establish direct contact between man and
his Creator. It is a thing about which should really feel proud of. No other religion has such
gatherings, which five times a day removes all distinctions between men and brings them in one
row, praying to their common Creator.

When I accepted Islam, my friend told me “You want top join HOUZZ” In Ghana most Muslims
belong to this tribe. I explained to them that Islam is a universal religion for mankind and it is
not linked to any ethnic or racial group.

I would request all my Muslim brethren to remove all these distinction of race and color which
have got into them. Muslims should be united and preach their common sense religion to those
who are still uneducated about it (Abridged)
Story # 233

Why I became Muslim?

ABAN LEN SPAN (MOHD. YOUSUF), UK

I knew nothing about Islam. I was brought up in a society that was hostile to Islam. Before I
knew about Islam, I was not happy with the way I was living. The life seemed to have no
purpose, I knew that free mixing of sexes and Modern Fashion are not allowed by my ancient
religion, but I was powerless to do any thing about it.

When I used to see Muslims praying together, their women properly covering their bodies, the
way they helped each other, even though they had no relations, all these things prompted me to
enter into their faith.

Therefore I decided to study about Islam. I read many books, I attended their talk shows and
lectures and after convincing myself of the truth, I decided to become Muslim.

Initially I faced a lot of resistance from my family, I was ex-communicated, I was turned out
from my home. But these things helped me, because I was drawn closer and closer towards
Muslims and spent my time in studying more and more about Islam.

But slowly their attitude changed and I also gave them books about Islam and was ready to
answer any query they had about Islam.

People in Europe are aware that Islam is growing there, without any great missionary activities
on the part of Muslims. More and more people want to know about Islam and they ask many
questions about Islam. Women come to us and want a solution for their domestic problems.
They do not get any directions from Christianity for these problems. When they find out Islamic
teachings on these issues, they are drawn towards it.

Europe is a very beautiful and fertile land. The people are reasonable and listen to reason.
What they need is proper missionaries who can present Islam to them in a reasonable and logical
way. (abridged)
Story # 234

Why I became Muslim?

TRAVALIS (ADEEB EL DEEN),USA

“ I was amazed to see that even though Christianity did ban Gambling and Sex outside
Marriage, Christians have made them lawful. Even my parents never stopped me, on the
other hand, these things are prohibited in Islam also and there is no dearth of Muslims
living to these”

I was borne in Indianapolis, My mother belonged to Methodist Church and used to take us
regularly to the Church. My father had no religious bent and seldom went there. As a child I
never understood why we went to Church…by the time I was in 5th Grade, I attended Church
only on Christmas and Easter and on Mother’s Day.

I liked Christmas most, because on that day we got lots of presents. We were told that Santa
brings those presents. It was a disappointment when I was told that Santa does not exist.

I learned about Islam when I was eleven years old. I knew Islam thru well known Muslims like
Mohammad Ali and A.K. Jabbar, the well known Basketball player.

I noticed the feeling of hate between black and whites. Jesus was always portrayed as a white
man. In Churches also, there was an unknown barrier between blacks and whites. How could I
as a black love a white God?

This drove me towards racism and later to the criminal world. I was around 15 when I first
encountered a Muslim who was black like me. He told me many things about Islam which I did
not know. In our TV and media Muslims were referred to as terrorist and fanatics, whereas most
Muslims I met, were very reasonable and polite. I could feel that White Christians and White
Jews were more racial than White and Black Muslims.

So I started learning about Islam. I bought English translation of Quran from local book store,
and was surprised to see that it presented Jesus as a Great Prophet of God.

I had learned about the truth of Islam, but was hesitating to accept it as to how it would affect my
mother. I decided to show her Islamic literature and know about Islam on Internet…..Finally I
got in touch with the local Islamic center, which was run by a New Muslim like me, who had
accepted Islam 20 years back. We discussed a lot and finally I decided to become a Muslim.

My parents knew about my journey and my plans. My mother accepted my decision happily. So
in the end I feel myself fortunate that instead of wandering in doubts and a purposeless life,
Allah has guided me to a life that has a purpose (Abridged)
Story # 235

Why I became Muslim?

NEWS EDITOR WASHINGTON POST, (NAME WITHHELD) TEXAS, USA

I was born in Greg Naoks, Forth Worth , Texas in a Protestant Christian family. Church was the
source of my learning of morals and spirituality. Our Church was broadminded, but soon I
realized that whatever we learned on Sunday had really no relevance in other six days of the
week.

I initially enrolled in Design and Architecture department of University of Virginia. They had
many side courses on history and foreign languages. I was always interested in history, so I
joined in these courses in my spare time….slowly I got so much interested in history of Middle
East that It overshadowed my main course of D&A.

I started learning Arabic language and was focused on the history of Arab world that stretched
from Arabia to North Africa. After graduation, I started writing in Washington Post on Arabia
matters.

The professors who taught these courses, encouraged me to study books on Islam. Initially it
was limited to the syllabus of curriculum, but soon my interest in Islam prompted me to expand
my field. During these studies , truth of Islam dawned on me and in 1989 I decided to become a
Muslim.

I have been asked many times, what prompted me to become a Muslim, usually my response is
some what mechanical to list out Islam’s beauty and its good ness. The fact is there are many
things in Islam which attracts one towards it.

In my case it was the Islamic concept of Day of Judgment which touched the strings of my soul.
Every human, irrespective of whether he is man or woman, rich or poor, has to give account of
his or her deed in front of an Merciful and Just authority. This mixture of Justice and Mercy in
my view is the most precious thing of this Universe.

Then even though moral values are mostly similar between Islam and Christianity, there are no
confusing issues like Trinity in Islam.

Then every Muslim approaches to God directly without any intermediate authority. Then the
fact that Quran is free from any corruptions and one reads it in the same language and in the
same form as it was revealed to Prophet is athing which cannot be said about Christianity.

The fact is only after becoming Muslim, I knew the importance of faith and the position it holds
in a human’s life on this earth …(Abridged)
Story # 236

Why I became Muslim?

OWING (MOHAMMAD RAUF) BROWN, CANADA

Owing was a pop singer of Canada who used to conduct music shows with Jimmy Jackson,
the brother of Michel Jackson. When Jimmy Jackson accepted Islam., Owing came to
know about Islam for the first time. He read many books which Jimmy had brought from
Jeddah. We pick up the story from here.

These books changed my whole life. I saw the amazing change which had come in the life of
Jimmy after he became Muslim. Before I used to think Islam as an Extremist and Terrorist
religion. But these books gave me a totally different picture of Islam.

I wanted to know more about Islam, I went to New York with my mother and lived in a place
which had a Mosque near by. The sound of ADHAN which was delivered five times every day,
used to draw me as a magnet draws iron towards it.

I traveled to Egypt and later Saudi Arabia and declared to accept Islam after convincing myself
that it is the true path for mankind.
Story # 237

Why I became Muslim?

GILES (ANDULLAH) GILBERT, FRANCE

This story was told by Dr. HAMEEDULLAH, the well known Islamic Scholar, based in
Paris to an Islamic Journal.

During my stay in Paris, I came to know about a French young man, who wall well educated
and had music as his habit. Once he listened to a Muslim QARI reciting Quran and it so
impressed him, that he took that as his new hobby.

He would request renounced Muslim QARIS to read Quran and would marvel at the beauty and
musical content in Quran.
When he was told that Quran is not poetry but prose, then he was astonished. According to him
the poetry of every country could be molded into music and can be sung. But prose does not has
that criterion. How come Quran is exempt from that?

To answer that question, he started to learn Arabic and in short time was able to read Quran with
ease. He was always busy in reciting Quran in beautiful voice. Once when I met him, he told
me that he has accepted Islam and taken the Muslim name of Abdullah.

That was twenty years ago, I met him once in Istanbul, where he told me that he has written a
monograph on this special musical element of Quran.

There is an interesting incident in this regard, once he came to my room in Istanbul and he was
very much agitated. He told me, I am certain that our ancestors have lost some parts of Quran,
otherwise it can not be true. When I asked the reason, he told me that Surah 110 of Quran,
people recite it in a way which is against musical principles. When I saw the part in question, I
told him that it can be recited in this way and that way also. The stops can be shifted from one
place to another. He felt very much relived and became happy.

Abdullah Gilbert loved Turkey and Turks, he was a good man. I felt sorry when he dies a dew
years back.
Story # 238

Why I became Muslim?

DR. ROGER JAROODI, FRANCE

Dr. JAROODI was given King Faisal Award for services to Islam. He was an atheist earlier
and then came closer to Islam and then served Islam with such a dedication, that it won
for him the highest recognition in Muslim world. Here he explains his views in an
interview conducted in French language.

I was born in 1913, by the time I was 20 years old, my country was still not out of the Economic
Recession that had gripped USA and other countries from 1929. More than 700 Million people
were out of Job in Industrial world, their was shortage of milk and other food items and food
riots were seen in many places.

1933 was the year when Hitler rose to power in Germany and Mussolini with his Fascism in Italy
and Later Gen. Franco in Spain. I became a member of French Communist party. Communist in
those days were very much opposed to Nazism and against the Capitalist Economy and also
totally against any religious teachings.

I had joined Marxism not as a philosophy, but as an economic theory to solve the problems of
mankind. For many years I tried to reconcile Christianity with Marxism, but I was not successful.
When France surrendered to Germany in 1940, I took part in underground resistance movement
and was even jailed for 23 months.

After the end of WW-2 and after seeing the incidents of Budapest and Prague, I saw a different
picture of Communism, than what was viewed in 1917 and which I had joined in 1933.

From 1968, the whole western world took a separate philosophy that progress only means
generation of more products and economic well being is the real goal of mankind. It was in
those days that religion was the laughing stock in the scientific circle and every kind of insults
were being hurled at religion.

I found that Christianity has given in to this onslaught and was not able to defend itself and its
beliefs. That was the duplicity of Christianity since the First Counsel on Nicea.

It was then that I became interested in Islam and its ideology. I realized that Islam has
maintained purity of its teachings since its inception and has never compromised with the
situations. It was free from all absurdities and contradictions that we see in Christianity..

My prolonged researches convinced me about the truth of Islam and I decided to accept it. Then
I got engaged in propagating the Islamic teachings to other people of my country. (abridged).
Story # 239

Why I became Muslim?

HILMI (MOHAMMAD) FAHMI ABDOUH, EGYPT

I was born in 1960 in KOUM Village of Egypt. Our parents belonged to Coptic Christian
Church since generation. We had a Church in our village, but neither me nor my parents visited
it. I was educated in a Missionary School, where we were told the formula In the Name of
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Village priest used to explain to un Trinity by giving examples of Fire and Sun. He would say
Fire consist of Flames, Light and Heat, these three become one in fire. In the same way look at
Sun, it consists of Sun’s body, rays and heat and these all are one. In the same way Father, Son
and Holy Spirit though separate make one God.

I used to ask these priests, but the fire also has smoke and ash, what about them? They would
look at me in amazement and would not answer me anything. Then I saw them worshipping
cross at every important event of their life. I could never understand this practice. How was it
separate from idol worship?

We also had Muslim students in my class, there views and practices were totally different from
ours. One day I learned Surah IKHLAS Ch. 112 of Quran. This impressed me most. God is
absolute unity, He does not has a Son or Father and He alone is to be worshipped. It was so
logical and clear.

After completing my primary education, I went for secondary education in a school situated 13
Km from our village which had a hostel for students. I stayed in Hostel and had lots of
discussions with Muslim students about Islam. I also used to discuss with Christian students
about Christianity and Gospel.
I realized that these Gospels are not complete and many actions and teachings of Jesus have been
left out. There are many practices of Jesus, which present day church does not follow. There are
seven prayers at fixed times , I asked from priests as to who fixed them and what is difference
between one who does them and who does not? The priests could not answer that.

In Islam, it is clear than one who prays and one who does not prey are not in same category.
They have separate places in the eyes of God. These and other facts opened my heart for Islam
and I became Muslim in 1977, when Iw as 17 years old.

The news reached to my family and they brought me back from hostel to live with them, so they
can keep a close watch on me. I was presented to Bishop of my area, I did not greet him the way
Christians do, but just shook hand with him, all present there gave me suspicious look.

Bishop asked me, What money or other things you required that you left your religion. I told
that I did not need any money to become Muslim. It was my free choice. They told me that I
would only live with Christian Students and not with any Muslim student. I continued my
Islamic prayers, in secret, till I completed my education in 1981 and joined Egyptian Armed
forces.

My attachment to Islam was not hidden with my parents. One day my father told me that if I
was a girl and was raped, that was acceptable to them than my conversion to Islam. I was
astounded by the hate they have towards Islam.

I was married to my cousin in 1984 and had two children by her. I was asked to get them
Baptized but I did not do it. I asked the priest, if any one non Baptized will not go to heaven,
then what you say about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph? None of them were Baptized in
your formula!! They could not answer me.

So in 1990, I went to Islamic Center in my village and officially declared my faith. My wife
refused to live with me, but I got custody of children thru court and married a Muslim lady and
now living a happy life (Abridged)
Story # 240

Why I became Muslim?

SUJEET (NOOR UDDIN) CHAKERBORTHY, INDIA

I was born in a Hindu Brahmin family of Calcutta in West Bengal. I was the best student in my
English Medium School. I was also interested in religion and since Brahmin are the highest
caste in Hinduism, and protectors of religion, it was also natural.

I was told by my elders that Muslims are our greatest enemies and I should do every thing in my
power to harm them. I was always thinking as to how to harm Muslims and Islam. I decided
that first I should know about Islam, only then I can devise a scheme to harm it. So I started
reading English translation of Quran and spent much of my spare time and countless nights in its
study.

It is said that company does has its effect. When people get influenced by filthy and dirty books,
how come when one is spending so much time with Quran would not have any effect. Slowly
and slowly I started liking Quran and its way of argument.
It was one day in spring and I opened Quran for studying, the topic was Abraham ‘s preaching to
his father and his people about one ness of God. It is mentioned in Quran Ch.6 Verse 74-81
“Behold Abraham said to his father ADHAR: Do you take idols as gods, surely you and your
people are in manifest error…” and goes on to reject the worship of stars, moon and sun. This
was a direct attack on Hinduism, but it left me thinking.

I thought that we Hindus worship countless idols without much. We worship what our own
hands make and then we drown and demolish our own hand made items. How illogical is this?
Finally I said to myself what Abraham has told to his father “For me, I have set my face firmly
and truly, towards Him, who created heavens and earth, and never shall I give partners to God”
Verse 79.

I had decided to become Islam, but it was not easy under the circumstances. I had to leave my
parents, my family, my school and even the city of my birth to flee from the persecution. I fled to
Delhi and declared my faith in the JAMA MASJID of Delhi on 4 th May 1982. And started living
in Muslim areas with Muslim friends.

I went back to Calcutta, to appear in the final exam. But my family got me arrested and even
declared me mad and I was sent to a mental hospital. They gave me lots and lots of torture, but I
adhered to Islam and no amount of abuse or torture would turn me back.

Local Muslims of Calcutta watched all this, but they were too weak and helpless to fight all this.
Once I was discharged from mental hospital, I decide to go to Islamic seminary at DEOBAND
and learn Islam properly and then spread its message to others, who are in need like me
(Abridged).
Story # 241

Why I became Muslim?

LEE COOPER, UK

I was posted to Morocco to service computers installed there by our company. Why I was
selected for that job, because I did not know French or Arabic, I cannot say, except that it was
God’s plan to pave the way for me.

It was my habit to move around the city and look at the local culture as much as possible.
During these excursions, I met many people and learned about the local habits. I visited many
historical places including beautiful and magnificent mosques there. I used to watch with
interest Islamic programs on Moroccan TV.

I was perplexed that why Muslims go for prayers five times every day and that what they mean
when they say Allah Akbar? Before I could find the answer, I came back to England.

In 1993, I joined evening classes in Southampton University, one of the subject was Islamic
History. I also took Arabic language as a subject. During these classes I got answer to my
questions, but I am sorry that I could not complete my courses and had to leave it in the middle.

In 1994, I got a job in Kuwait. I continued my habit of walking around the city and watching
local culture. I watched Islamic programs on Kuwait TV and also visited offices of Islamic
Guidance Centre (IPC) in Kuwait. I sent my first letter to IPC and wanted them to have
discussion with me.

At that time, I did not believe in God or Jesus, so I asked them to prove that God does exist. In
answer to that they sent me Quran and Modern Science written by Dr. Maurice Buccaile. This
book opened my eyes, that some one could write such things 1400 years back. I was of the
opinion that this Universe was created as the result of Big Bang , but the question, who caused
the Big Bang was never answered by any one. So deep down in my heart I started believing in
existence of God.

Now who was that God? Was it Jesus, from my childhood I could never believe that Jesus could
be God. The following verse of Matthew 19: 16-17 helped me a lot “Why you call me good,
there is only one good, who is God”.

I used to have discussion with IPC three nights a week, during which they used to educate me
about Islam and answer my doubts. They never forced me or asked me to accept Islam, because
they said that the choice should be from me by my own free will.

So in 1996, almost 5 years after I first came in contact with Islam and Muslims I decided to
accept Islam and that I ddi on 29th Ramadan 1416 H in front of IPC officials and by Grace of
Allah, I am a Muslim now (abridged)
.
Story # 242

Why I became Muslim?

Moshe

I am Jewish and converting to Islam, not because Judaism is similar to Judaism but because
Islam is the Rational choice. I wanted to believe the Torah is true and like most Jews i tried to
block out reality, thinking if i ignore the Quranic revelation it would go away and the fact the
Quran mentions facts like, the expansion of the universe occurs, the universe was formed with a
big bang and the planets by the contraction of early gases.

I pretended it didn’t matter that my religion was, to be honest little more than a collage of
fragments of cooked up false albeit well meaning ideas, Adam you objectively look at Judaism
and Islam, not as a Jew but as am intellectual, because Islam is the Rational and intellectual
choice. I still hold prejudices that Muslims are uncultured compared to sophisticated Jews and
that it would be great to live in Israel. But Islam is the truth, Ha Emet.

The reason most From or orthodox Jews don’t become Muslim is because of ignorance,
prejudice and an active desire to disbelieve in Islam, if it wasn’t for the scientific proof in the
Quran and hadith, i would have quite happily dismissed it as a pale imitation of Judaism, i gain a
great satisfaction thinking i am from HaShems 1 chosen nation and that i am better than the rest
of the world and especially the Ishmaelite but the truth is Our God set up his final prophet as an
Arab. now it took me a long time to accept that God gave the final prophet hood to an Ishamelite
but as i am objective i had to swallow my pride and accept it.

I miss Judaism sooooo much, wearing my Tzit Tzit and my Yarmulka, spending countless hours
studying the amazing and fascinating parables, stories and teachings of the Talmud, maimonides,
Baal haturim, Kli yaakov, Rashi and the other insightfull torah commentators, but on outside
evaluation i know that although i truly loved these books there foundation was not on Gods true
word. Jews everywhere need an objective re-evaluation of the Tanakh and the Quran forgetting
racism and prejudice and i think the results will be pleasing.
Story # 243

Why I became Muslim?

Rabbi Morocco: Abdul Haqq Al-Islami

God, with His wisdom in what He destines and plans, has shown to me since 16 years the truth
that no sane person would doubt, the only ones doubting it are those associated with falsehood,
which is: To believe in our lord and Prophet Muhammad pbuh- and to follow him with regards to
all of the law. And it was of His wisdom that he destined that I would hide it and keep it and not
announce it and show it until God guided me and inspired me: that this amount is not sufficient
and it would not save me, rather what is incumbent on me is: to announce His oneness, and to
utter my glorifying of Him and exalting Him, and to announce (my) belief in His Messenger
Muhammad pbuh-.

So I hurried to that which would save me from the painful punishment, that which would get me
closer to the gardens of delight. Thus announcing the words of monotheism and uttering my
glorifying and exalting I said: I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allah
alone with no partners and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Then, thanks to God, all of my family and children have become Muslims because of me and all
of those who were close to me whom God destined to be pleased. All of that is but a Mercy from
God that has reached us, and a blessing that is general and conclusive, and a kindness that led his
servants to His path of guidance, we could not truly have been led aright if Allah had not guided
us to this. Praise is to His, so is the creation and orders, in His hand is the good and bad, the
beneficial and the harmful, He sends who He will astray and guides whom He will, He will not
be questioned as to that which He does, but they will be questioned.

And when God, the Most High, destined that which he bestowed on me of Islam, and to enter the
religion of the best of His creation pbuh-, some of the students in the city of Sabta (a coastal city
in northern Morocco, named for the obligation of keeping the Sabbath (Arabic: Sabt) by the
Jews) may God honour them and protect her-, suggested that I write a treatise showing the
situation of the Jews , may Allah curse them- with regards to misguidance and awful disbelief,
and the horrible ascribing (of partners), and that which they believe in which are pure lies: to
deny the prophet-hood of our lord and master Muhammad pbuh-, and it will be, God willing, an
effacer of their creed, a quencher of their principles.

I have sought assistance from God, the Most High none is worthy of worship but He, with
regards to that which (they) suggested to me. I am also seeking to get closer to God, the most
High, using bright proofs and sharp judgments that proves the corruption of their brains, and
announces how daring they are, and how rude they are in what they say. I have limited myself to
that which is mentioned in their books, of which they cannot deny, nor dispute in any way, so
that it would be overcoming to them, and greater in being a proof against them, and that which is
more relevant in use as a proof.
I have made the Hebrew texts from the Torah “ according to them “ or from other books of theirs
and authorships written in red, and the explanation is in black ink according the exegesis of their
decreed scholars. I seek refuge in God for reporting their disbelief and the ugliness of their
thoughts. I have made it short and simple without prolonging. I named it my book “ Al-
Husam Al-mamdood fee Al-rad Ala Al-Yahood.
Story # 244

Why I became Muslim?

Reform Jew convert to Islam I was raised in a reformed home.

I attended Hebrew school for 4 years. It was tough. Four days a week after school then the final
year before bar mitzvah, on Sundays as well, in order to learn the Haftorah [a section of the
Torah. For the first three years, Me and my friend Steve would get off the bus and head to Rosen
drug store. There we would eat chips and read comic books until about 6 PM, then head back to
the Hebrew school to catch the bus home. The school did not say anything as my parents kept
paying and in the end I made my bar mitzvah. That was the extent of religion in my house. We,
[my sibs] all went through it basically for our grandfather’ sake. He was a sweet grandfather and
I am sorry he did not live long enough to hear about Islam.

A year before my bar mitzvah, my father remarried. My mother died 3 years before. My
stepmother was catholic, so now I made a killing during the holidays. Seriously though, as a
reformed Jewish home, (secular for the most part) with a single parent for four years, I was
raised with less than stellar morals. I compare that to what I now have as a Muslim. Actually, I
was no different than my close friends, who were all Christians. Frankly, I don’t know why, but I
did not really seek nor want to hang out with Jewish kids. I spent most of my weekends before
my father remarried with my aunts who were quite Jewish, down to the salami and lox
sandwiches, and wise potato chips that would smell up the whole [indoor seating area] of the
drive-in we attended nearly every week. We had quite a reputation. But even though they lived in
the Jewish section of the city, I still did not really have close relations with Jewish kids. Maybe
this was the divine plan so I would enter Islam easily. God knows best. Actually, I did not enter
Islam so easily and I had my share of struggles with my deep rooted lusts and desires.

My sister, who is three years older than me [an we are in the baby boomer age group became
Muslim when she was about 19 years old. She moved to New York City and there met a Muslim
and over time embraced Islam. That was about 27 years ago and she is a very seriously
committed Muslima to this day, Al Hamdulillah. She discussed Islam with me whenever I would
visit. Finally, they asked me if I would like to embrace Islam.

This was during a visit to New York. I was in nursing school at the time. I took the Shahada that
weekend, which means to declare one’s belief and acceptance of Islam verbally by saying;
“Ashadu ala illaha ill allaah, washadu anna muhammadur wa rasulullah: I bear witness that there
is no god worthy of worship except for the One True God Allah [Who is Alone and without any
partners] and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger and slave of Allah.

After that, I returned to my city and the next day, life went on as usual. That was not good. But
in those days late 70’s] there was little Islamic information and in my situation at school I was
not really looking for any religion. I was so deep into fulfilling my self centered desires that I
could not let go and let God so to speak. The importance of Islam did not enter my heart nor
mind, and nearly 20 years later in repeating this [embarrassing] story so many times, I finally
realized why it took me several years too actually embrace Islam. I accepted Islam not for the
pleasure and sole purpose of worshipping Allah. I accepted Islam for the pleasure of my sister
and her husband.

I love my sister dearly and I have always trusted her completely. When I saw her devotion to
Islam, especially after she tried so many other things, I believed what she was telling me, yet, not
searching, struggling or questioning life, I did not feel the need nor understand the importance of
Islam in ones life. The important point here is that one embraces Islam out of sincere conviction
and certainty that Allah is One and Muhammad is the Final Messenger. One should never
embrace Islam for any other reason. And Allah says in His Book [Quran], There is no
compulsion in Religion. Indeed the Right path has become distinct from the false path. Those
who disbelief in ˜taghut [anything else worshipped and called upon other than Allah] and believe
in Allah [Islamic Monotheism] have grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never
break. Q2:256

Some years later and after some serious foolishness, I found myself rejected by a woman. My
self-centered, womanizing, arrogant self could not at all handle it and I suffered terribly for two
years. In retrospect the situation did not call for such punishment, yet, I understand that this
mercy is what I needed to turn to Allah and finally embrace what I only uttered several years
before. In addiction treatment parlance, this was the beginning of my recovery, and as anyone
who works in addiction or has an addiction disorder knows, recovery is a slow and at times,
painful process. [I work in addiction.] Today, I am fully committed to living and dying in Islam.

I am certain of it based on evidences and proofs and not emotional conviction alone. The only
thing I can say is that anything that could take me out of my world and away from what I loved
so much then make what I loved so much the things now hated my me, then it must be only from
God, because I cannot think of anything material that could do that to me. Allah says; “We will
show them our signs in the furthest regions [of the earth] and in their own souls, until it becomes
clear to them that this is the truth. Q41: 53 I have learned my purpose through Islam and it is as
Allah says in His Book; “I have only created jinn’s and men, that they may worship Me. [Q51:
56] It puts things into perspective for me.
Story # 245

Why I became Muslim?

I Had Not Gone Shopping for a New Religion by Michael Wolfe

After twenty-five years a writer in America, I wanted something to soften my cynicism. I was
searching for new terms by which to see. The way one is raised establishes certain needs in this
department. From a pluralist background, I naturally placed great stress on the matters of racism
and freedom. Then, in my early twenties, I had gone to live in Africa for three years. During this
time, which was formative for me, I did rubbed shoulders with blacks of many different tribes,
with Arabs, Berbers, and even Europeans, who were Muslims. By and large these people did not
share the Western obsession with race as a social category. In our encounters being oddly
coloured rarely mattered.

I was welcomed first and judged on merit later. By contrast, Europeans and Americans,
including many who are free of racist notions, automatically class people racially. Muslims
classified people by their faith and their actions. I found this transcendent and refreshing.
Malcolm X saw his nations salvation in it.

America needs to understand Islam, he wrote, because this is the one religion that erases from its
society the race problem. I was looking for an escape route, too, from the isolating terms of a
materialistic culture. I wanted access to a spiritual dimension, but the conventional paths I had
known as a boy were closed. My father had been a Jew; my mother Christian. Because of my
mongrel background, I had a foot in two religious camps. Both faiths were undoubtedly
profound. Yet the one that emphasizes a chosen people I found insupportable; while the other,
based in a mystery, repelled me. A century before, my maternal great-great-grandmother’s name
had been set in stained glass at the high street Church of Christ in Hamilton, Ohio. By the time I
was twenty, this meant nothing to me.

These were the terms my early life provided. The more I thought about it now, the more I
returned to my experiences in Muslim Africa. After two return trips to Morocco, in 1981 and
1985, I came to feel that Africa, the continent, had little to do with the balanced life I found
there. It was not, that is, a continent I was after, nor an institution, either. I was looking for a
framework I could live with, a vocabulary of spiritual concepts applicable to the life I was living
now. I did not want to trade in my culture. I wanted access to new meanings. After a mid-
Atlantic dinner I went to wash up in the bathroom. During my absence a quorum of Hasidim
lined up to pray outside the door. By the time I had finished, they were too immersed to notice
me. Emerging from the bathroom, I could barely work the handle. Stepping into the aisle was out
of the question. I could only stand with my head thrust into the hallway, staring at the
congregation’s backs. Holding palm-size prayer books, they cut an impressive figure, tapping the
texts on their breastbones as they divined. Little by little the movements grew erratic, like a mild,
bobbing form of rock and roll.
I watched from the bathroom door until they were finished, then slipped back down the aisle to
my seat. We landed together later that night in Brussels. Reboarding, I found a discarded Yiddish
newspaper on a food tray. When the plane took off for Morocco, they were gone. I do not mean
to imply here that my life during this period conformed to any grand design. In the beginning,
around 1981, I was driven by curiosity and an appetite for travel. My favourite place to go, when
I had the money, was Morocco. When I could not travel, there were books. This fascination
brought me into contact with a handful of writers driven to the exotic, authors capable of
sentences like this, by Freya Stark: The perpetual charm of Arabia is that the traveller finds his
level there simply as a human being; the people’s directness, deadly to the sentimental or the
pedantic, like the less complicated virtues; and the pleasantness of being liked for oneself might,
I think, be added to the five reasons for travel given me by Sayyid Abdulla, the watchmaker; to
leave one’s troubles behind one; to earn a living; to acquire learning; to practise good manners;
and to meet honourable men”. I could not have drawn up a list of demands, but I had a fair
idea of what I was after.

The religion I wanted should be to metaphysics as metaphysics is to science. It would not be


confined by a narrow rationalism or traffic in mystery to please its priests. There would be no
priests, no separation between nature and things sacred. There would be no war with the flesh, if
I could help it. Sex would be natural, not the seat of a curse upon the species. Finally, I did want
a ritual component, daily routine to sharpen the senses and discipline my mind. Above all, I
wanted clarity and freedom. I did not want to trade away reason simply to be saddled with a
dogma. The more I learned about Islam, the more it appeared to conform to what I was after.
Most of the educated Westerners I knew around this time regarded any strong religious climate
with suspicion.

They classified religion as political manipulation, or they dismissed it as a medieval concept,


projecting upon it notions from their European past. It was not hard to find a source for their
opinions. A thousand years of Western history had left us plenty of fine reasons to regret a path
that led through so much ignorance and slaughter. From the Children’s Crusade and the
Inquisition to the transmogrified faiths of nazism and communism during our century, whole
countries have been exhausted by belief. Nietzsche’s fear, that the modern nation-state would
become a substitute religion, have proved tragically accurate. Our century, it seemed to me, was
ending in an age beyond belief, which believers inhabited as much as agnostics. Regardless of
church affiliation, secular humanism is the air westerners breathe, the lens we gaze through. Like
any world view, this outlook is pervasive and transparent.

It forms the basis of our broad identification with democracy and with the pursuit of freedom in
all its countless and beguiling forms. Immersed in our shared preoccupations, one may easily
forget that other ways of life exist on the same planet. At the time of my trip, for instance, 650
million Muslims with a majority representation in forty-four countries adhered to the formal
teachings of Islam. In addition, about 400 million more were living as minorities in Europe, Asia
and the Americas. Assisted by postcolonial economics, Islam has become in a matter of thirty
years a major faith in Western Europe. Of the world’s great religions, Islam alone was adding to
its fold. My politicized friends were dismayed by my new interest. They all but universally
confused Islam with the machinations of half a dozen middle eastern tyrants.

The books they read, the new broadcasts they viewed depicted the faith as a set of political
functions. Almost nothing was said of its spiritual practice. I liked to quote Mae West to them:
Anytime you take religion for a joke, the laugh’s on you. Historically a Muslim sees Islam as the
final, matured expression of an original religion reaching back to Adam. It is as resolutely
monotheistic as Judaism, whose major Prophets Islam reveres as links in a progressive chain,
culminating in Jesus and Muhammad. Essentially a message of renewal, Islam has done its part
on the world stage to return the forgotten taste of life’s lost sweetness to millions of people. Its
book, the Quran, caused Goethe to remark, You see, this teaching never fails; with all our
systems, we cannot go, and generally speaking no man can go, further.

Traditional Islam is expressed through the practice of five pillars. Declaring one’ faith, prayer,
charity, and fasting are activities pursued repeatedly throughout one’s life. Conditions
permitting, each Muslim is additionally charged with undertaking a pilgrimage to Mecca once in
a lifetime. The Arabic term for this fifth rite is Hadj. Scholars relate the word to the concept of
kasd, œaspiration, and to the notion of men and women as travellers on earth. In Western
religions pilgrimage is a vestigial tradition, a quaint, folkloric concept commonly reduced to
metaphor. Among Muslims, on the other hand, the hadj embodies a vital experience for millions
of new pilgrims every year. In spite of the modern content of their lives, it remains an act of
obedience, a profession of belief, and the visible expression of a spiritual community. For a
majority of Muslims the hadj is an ultimate goal, the trip of a lifetime. As a convert I felt obliged
to go to Makkah. As an addict to travel I could not imagine a more compelling goal.

The annual, month-long fast of Ramadan precedes the hadj by about one hundred days. These
two rites form a period of intensified awareness in Muslim society. I wanted to put this period to
use. I had read about Islam; I had joined a Mosque near my home in California; I had started a
practice. Now I hoped to deepen what I was learning by submerging myself in a religion where
Islam infuses every aspect of existence. I planned to begin in Morocco, because I knew that
country well and because it followed traditional Islam and was fairly stable. The last place I
wanted to start was in a backwater full of uproarious sectarians. I wanted to paddle the
mainstream, the broad, calm water.
Story # 246

Why I became Muslim?

Emad-ud-Deen Richard Leiman’s Testimony

My Childhood:

As a child I always had access to a short-wave radio I used to listen to the BBC World Service
and the Middle East. I also loved the music from that part of the world and I probably was
listening to the Quran being recited, but did not know it at the time. As I grew older: As I grew
older I still listened to the BBC World Service mostly. Back then, they had a programme called
"Words of Faith" where they had a 5 to 8 minute talk given by a different religious speaker each
day of the week representing all the major religions in the UK. Out of all the speakers, I loved it
when the Muslim spoke.

Every time he spoke, I wanted to find out more about Islam. My impression of the Islam was one
in which the person who practices Islam was a happy person, not like the mean people portrayed
by the American media. I just refused to believe people that loved Allah so much could be like
the people portrayed by the media. Since I come from a Jewish background, the thing that united
me with Islam was the belief that Allah had no partners. Working in the UK: Then came an
important time in my life where I was about to meet a real Muslim, but did not know it yet. I was
doing contracting computer programming work in New York state when the urge to visit the UK
was very strong. I took a visit to London and loved it.

During my visit I went to several employment agencies without luck. One of the agencies gave
me several trade magazines. When I arrived back in the states I started to send more CV’s
(resumes) to companies and other agencies in the magazines. Again I came to the UK because
one of the companies wanted to interview me. Then I started to visit more companies and
agencies when I landed a position even though I was on a visitors visa. The company applied for
a work permit and the Department of Employment told us that I had to leave the country in order
to process the paperwork. Again I went back to the states. Another Agency obtained a temporary
work permit and hired me to the company called LogoTech, at that time was in Egham, Surrey.

Meeting a real Muslim for the first time: Some time after I was working at LogoTech, I found
out that my supervisor Anis Karim was Muslim. I asked him if he knew how I could get a copy
of the Holy Quran. To my surprise, I had a copy of the Quran within a few days. He also asked
me to make a pledge. I pledged to make sure that I would have a bath before I read from the
Quran and that I would never show it to anyone who may make blasphemous remarks about it.
The next day, I took my morning bath and made breakfast. Then whilst eating breakfast I started
to read.
Later I found out that READ is what Allah had the angel Gabriel instruct our beloved prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) to do, even though HE COULD NOT READ OR WRITE!
Well, words can'describe how I felt when I read just that small portion of t the worlds most holy
book. It took only 10 pages when I told myself that this religion was for me. This was around
1990. The more I read, the more I wanted to know and loved what I was reading. Also at the
time I did not know anything about how to pray or any of the details of Islam. If Anis had invited
me to go the Masjid in London, I would have gone with him. The only thing I knew about
praying to Allah was the Shazute position.

At the time I knew that Muslims prayed several times a day and I started to do so at night before
I went to bed and in the morning when I woke up. Back to the states again: When the work
permit ran out. I had to come back to the states and was unemployed for several years. I visited
my father in Huntsville, Alabama and created a database application for him. I saw that
Huntsville was a high tech cosmopolitan city and decided to try and land a programming position
there. My father told me that if I did not get a position, I would have to go back to New Jersey to
my mother. They moved from New York to New Jersey. About a fortnight before I was going to
go back to New Jersey, I landed a programming position at a company in Huntsville. Planning a
trip to a Muslim country: My sister and I were planning a trip to Indonesia because we had a
pen-pal on the internet. My sister asked me if I could help her find Islamic Jewelry as a gift. At
that time I had no idea that there were Muslims in Huntsville.

My first trip to a Masjid (Mosque): Then Allah put things into place. I remembered that there
was a shop called Crescent Imports which I thought was run by Muslims. It was not. It was run
by the group called Nation Of Islam. Now here is the strange part in which only Allah could be
put in place. We spoke to the owner of the shop and told him that we wanted to find Islamic
jewelry. He directed us to the Huntsville Islamic Center. I do thank Allah for having them direct
me to the Masjid. We went to the building, but there was only one car parked there. I spoke to a
man in the car, and he told us that we should speak to the Imam about where to find the Jewelry.

I was still afraid to go into the building because to me it is such a holy place. Invitation to pray
with other Muslims: I saw a lady at work wearing a Hijaab. I told her about my accepting Islam
personally and she said "why don’t you visit the Masjid in Huntsville?" We eventually went back
to the Masjid after I summed up enough courage to go into that a holy place. We spoke to the
Imam and he invited me to make Salat with the Brothers. This was a turning point in my life. I
loved it and started to come to the Masjid once a week at night. Then I started to come several
times a week at night. The urge to come more times was stronger and now I make all 5 prayers
each day mostly at the Masjid, except Asr and Margrib when at work. I officially accepted
Islam!!!!!!!!!! In November of 1996 I publicly made Shahada.

At work I pray Duhur and Asr by myself or with other brothers in a small Mosque right in the
work place! I proudly carry my prayer mats in the work hallways in an attempt to get people to
ask me what they are (a form of Dawah). When this happens I tell them that I am Muslim and the
mats are what I use for prayers Also, my work area has Islamic decorations all over the place,
and that includes my computer where the graphic on the screen is that of the Kaabah or our
Masjid. Conclusion:

I am also a member of the Dawah Committee at the Masjid and am also trying to make Dawah
by providing this very web page. Now that I am a Muslim, (One who submits to Allah) there is
no turning back to unbelief!!!!!
Story # 247

Why I became Muslim?

Why I Reverted From Judaism To Islam from brother Fouad’s site here:
http://www.JewstoIslam.com

MARHABA WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE :)

I would like to take a few moments out to describe my journey to the one true faith Islam. Due to
the fact that I live in the Zionist Entity names and small details must be changed as to protect me
from the deviant monkeys that occupy this land at present. About 3 years ago I was in a jewish
chat room, joking with my fellow co-religionists talking non sense and just kind a hanging out.
Some guy kept coming into the room and really ranking on about "israel". Even though I was a
Jew at the time I didn’t like "israel" and always felt what was going on was against Judaism and
humanity.

One day I decided I would talk to this anti "israel" guy. As Allah willed it we spoke the entire
eve. It ends up he is a devout Muslim! He kept posing questions to me over a 2 year period and
had MANY strong points. Being that I was an orthodox Jew who did learn in Yeshiva, I
confronted many Rabbis with these arguments he gave me. I have not to this day received a
good or true answer. As per the problem of "israel" and its blatant contradiction to Judaism and
the Talmud in Tractate Ketubot 111á , they were all weak on that point as well.

I think what really pushed me towards the truth was that Jews don’t believe God is the Greater in
EVREY aspect than man. In fact jews believe that Rabbis are even smarter than God Himself!
here is the case in point this is a Talmud that every religious Jew believes........Baba Mezia 59b.
A rabbi debates God and defeats Him. God admits the rabbi won the debate.......Now to Islam
this is Shirq or a form of disbelief. In Yeshiva the meaning of this Talmud or "Peshat" as they
refer to it is like this..."God is happy that the Rabbi beat Him with his God given ability of
thought!"

The Jews go on to say "Judgement in this world is in the Rabbis hands, but in the next world its
in God's. Alhamdolillah Thank God today I have left the Jewish cesspool and excepted Islam as
the only Truth and Word of Allah. My family and I live in a nice Muslim area in Palestine, and
thanks to Allah and my wonderful Palestinian Muslim brothers and sisters continue to grow in
Quran and the Sunnah.My kids today are the happiest subhan Allah, now they are free from the
restrictive man made laws of present day Judaism, and are free to learn knowledge from others
besides the Rabbis. I really have alot more to say so if you email me I would be glad to reply
insh Allah. My email is muslimnotzionist@hotmail.com
I would like to end this webpage with a few other statements from Judaisms Holy Book the
Talmud. Gittin 69a . To heal his flesh a Jew should take dust that lies within the shadow of an
outdoor toilet, mix with honey and eat it.

Yebamoth 63a. States that Adam had sexual intercourse with all the animals in the Garden of
Eden.

Yebamoth 63a. Declares that agriculture is the lowest of occupations. Sanhedrin 55b. A Jew may
marry a three year old girl (specifically, three years "and a day" old). Sanhedrin 54b. A Jew may
have sex with a child as long as the child is less than nine years old.

Kethuboth 11b. "When a grown-up man has intercourse with a little girl it is nothing." Yebamoth
59b. A woman who had intercourse with a beast is eligible to marry a Jewish priest. A woman
who has sex with a demon is also eligible to marry a Jewish priest.

Abodah Zarah 17a. States that there is not a whore in the world that the Talmudic sage Rabbi
Eleazar has not had sex with. Hagigah 27a. States that no rabbi can ever go to hell. Baba Mezia
59b. A rabbi debates God and defeats Him. God admits the rabbi won the debate. Gittin 70a. The
Rabbis taught: "On coming from a privy (outdoor toilet) a man should not have sexual
intercourse till he has waited long enough to walk half a mile, because the demon of the privy is
with him for that time; if he does, his children will be epileptic."

Gittin 69b. To heal the disease of pleurisy ("catarrh") a Jew should "take the excrement of a
white dog and knead it with balsam, but if he can possibly avoid it he should not eat the
dog’s excrement as it loosens the limbs." Pesahim 111a. It is forbidden for dogs, women or
palm trees to pass between two men, nor may others walk between dogs, women or palm trees.
Special dangers are involved if the women are menstruating or sitting at a crossroads.

Menahoth 43b-44a. A Jewish man is obligated to say the following prayer every day: Thank you
God for not making me a gentile, a woman or a slave.
Story # 248

Why I became Muslim?

Interview with Maryam Jameelah -1

Q: Would you kindly tell us how your interest in Islam began?

A: I was Margaret (Peggy) Marcus. As a small child I possessed a keen interest in music and was
particularly fond of the classical operas and symphonies considered high culture in the West.
Music was my favorite subject in school in which I always earned the highest grades. By sheer
chance, I happened to hear Arabic music over the radio which so much pleased me that I was
determined to hear more. I would not leave my parents in peace until my father finally took me
to the Syrian section in New York City where I bought a stack of Arabic recordings.

My parents, relatives and neighbors thought Arabic and its music dreadfully weird and so
distressing to their ears that whenever I put on my recordings, they demanded that I close all the
doors and windows in my room lest they be disturbed! After I embraced Islam in 1961, I used to
sit enthralled by the hour at the mosque in New York, listening to tape recordings of Tilawat
chanted by the celebrated Egyptian Qari, Abdul Basit. But on Jumha Salat (Friday Prayers), the
Imam did not play the tapes.

We had a special guest that day. A short, very thin and poorly-dressed black youth, who
introduced himself to us as a student from Zanzibar, recited Surah ar-Rahman. I never heard such
glorious Tilawat even from Abdul Basit! He possessed such a voice of gold; surely Hazrat Bilal
must have sounded much like him! I traced the beginning of my interest in Islam to the age of
ten. While attending a reformed Jewish Sunday school, I became fascinated with the historical
relationship between the Jews and the Arabs.

From my Jewish textbooks, I learned that Abraham was the father of the Arabs as well as the
Jews. I read how centuries later when, in medieval Europe, Christian persecution made their
lives intolerable, the Jews were welcomed in Muslim Spain and that it was the magnanimity of
this same Arabic Islamic civilization which stimulated Hebrew culture to reach its highest peak
of achievement. Totally unaware of the true nature of Zionism, I naively thought that the Jews
were returning to Palestine to strengthen their close ties of kinship in religion and culture with
their Semitic cousins. Together I believed that the Jews and the Arabs would cooperate to attain
another Golden Age of culture in the Middle East.

Despite my fascination with the study of Jewish history, I was extremely unhappy at the Sunday
school. At this time I identified myself strongly with the Jewish people in Europe, then suffering
a horrible fate under the Nazis and I was shocked that none of my fellow classmates nor their
parents took their religion seriously During the services at the synagogue, the children used to
read comic strips hidden in their prayer books and laugh to scorn at the rituals. The children were
so noisy and disorderly that the teachers could not discipline them and found it very difficult to
conduct the classes.

At home the atmosphere for religious observance was scarcely more congenial. My elder sister
detested the Sunday school so much that my mother literally had to drag her out of bed in the
mornings and it never went without the struggle of tears and hot words. Finally my parents were
exhausted and let her quit. On the Jewish High Holy Days instead of attending synagogue and
fasting on Yom Kippur, my sister and I were taken out of school to attend family picnics and
parties in fine restaurants. When my sister and I convinced our parents how miserable we both
were at the Sunday school they joined an agnostic, humanist organization known as the Ethical
Culture Movement.

The Ethical Culture Movement was founded late in the 19th century by Felix Alder. While
studying for rabbinate, Felix Alder grew convinced that devotion to ethical values as relative and
man-made, regarding any supernaturalism or theology as irrelevant, constituted the only religion
fit for the modern world. I attended the Ethical Culture Sunday School each week from the age
of eleven until I graduated at fifteen. Here I grew into complete accord with the ideas of the
movement and regarded all traditional, organized religions with scorn. When I was eighteen
years old I became a member of the local Zionist youth movement known as the Mizrachi
Hatzair. But when I found out what the nature of Zionism was, which made the hostility between
Jews and Arabs irreconcilable, I left several months later in disgust.

When I was twenty and a student at New York University, one of my elective courses was
entitled Judaism in Islam. My professor, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Katsh, the head of the department
of Hebrew Studies there, spared no efforts to convince his students--all Jews, many of whom
aspired to become rabbis--that Islam was derived from Judaism. Our textbook, written by him,
took each verse from the Quran, painstakingly tracing it to its allegedly Jewish source. Although
his real aim was to prove to his students the superiority of Judaism over Islam, he convinced me
diametrically of the opposite.

I soon discovered that Zionism was merely a combination of the racist, tribalistic aspects of
Judaism. Modern secular nationalistic Zionism was further discredited in my eyes when I learned
that few, if any, of the leaders of Zionism were observant Jews and that perhaps nowhere is
Orthodox, traditional Judaism regarded with such intense contempt as in Israel. When I found
nearly all important Jewish leaders in America supporters for Zionism, who felt not the slightest
twinge of conscience because of the terrible injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian Arabs, I
could no longer consider myself a Jew at heart.

One morning in November 1954, Professor Katsh, during his lecture, argued with irrefutable
logic that the monotheism taught by Moses (peace be upon him) and the Divine Laws reveled to
him were indispensable as the basis for all higher ethical values. If morals were purely man-
made, as the Ethical Culture and other agnostic and atheistic philosophies taught, then they could
be changed at will, according to mere whim, convenience or circumstance. The result would be
utter chaos leading to individual and collective ruin. Belief in the Hereafter, as the Rabbis in the
Talmud taught, argued Professor Katsh, was not mere wishful thinking but a moral necessity.
Only those, he said, who firmly believed that each of us will be summoned by God on
Judgement Day to render a complete account of our life on earth and rewarded or punished
accordingly, will possess the self-discipline to sacrifice transitory pleasure and endure hardships
and sacrifice to attain lasting good.

It was in Professor Katshâ’s class that I met Zenita, the most unusual and fascinating girl I have
ever met. The first time I entered Professor Katsh’s class, as I looked around the room for an
empty desk in which to sit, I spied two empty seats, on the arm of one, three big beautifully
bound volumes of Yusuf Ali’s English translation and commentary of the Holy Quran. I sat
down right there, burning with curiosity to find out to whom these volumes belonged. Just before
Rabbi Katsh’s lecture was to begin, a tall, very slim girl with pale complexion framed by thick
auburn hair, sat next to me. Her appearance was so distinctive, I thought she must be a foreign
student from Turkey, Syria or some other Near Eastern country.

Most of the other students were young men wearing the black cap of Orthodox Jewry, who
wanted to become rabbis. We two were the only girls in the class. As we were leaving the library
late that afternoon, she introduced herself to me. Born into an Orthodox Jewish family, her
parents had migrate d to America from Russia only a few years prior to the October Revolution
in 1917 to escape persecution. I noted that my new friend spoke English with the precise care of
a foreigner. She confirmed these speculations, telling me that since her family and their friends
speak only Yiddish among themselves, she did not learn any English until after attending public
school. She told me that her name was Zenita Liebermann but recently, in an attempt to
Americanize themselves, her parents had changed their name from "Liebermann" to "Lane."
Besides being thoroughly instructed in Hebrew by her father while growing up and also in
school, she said she was now spending all her spare time studying Arabic.

However, with no previous warning, Zenita dropped out of class and although I continued to
attend all of his lectures to the conclusion of the course, Zenita never returned. Months passed
and I had almost forgotten about Zenita when suddenly she called and begged me to meet her at
the Metropolitan Museum and go with he r to look at the special exhibition of exquisite Arabic
calligraphy and ancient illuminated manuscripts of the Quran. During our tour of the museum,
Zenita told me how she had embraced Islam with two of her Palestinian friends as witnesses. I
inquired, "Why did you decide to become a Muslim?" She then told me that she had left
Professor Katsh’ s class when she fell ill with a severe kidney infection Her condition was so
critical, she told me, her mother and father had not expected her to survive. "One afternoon while
burning with fever,

I reached for my Holy Quran on the table beside by bed and began to read and while I recited the
verses, it touched me so deeply that I began to weep and then I knew I would recover. As soon as
I was strong enough to leave my bed, I summoned two of my Muslim friends and took the oath
of the "Shahadah" or Confession of Faith" Zenita and I would eat our meals in Syrian restaurants
where I acquired a keen taste for this tasty cooking. When we had money to spend, we would
order Couscous, roast lamb with rice or a whole soup plate of delicious little meatballs
swimming in gravy scooped up with loaves of unleavened Arabic bread. And when we had little
to spend, we would eat lentils and rice, Arabic style, or the Egyptian national dish of black broad
beans with plenty of garlic and onions called "Ful" While Professor Katsh was lecturing thus, I
was comparing in my mind what I had read in the Old Testament and the Talmud with what was
taught in the Quran and Hadith and finding Judaism so defective, I was converted to Islam.
Story #
249
Why I became Muslim?

Interview with Maryam Jameelah -2

Q: Were you scared that you might not be accepted by the Muslims?

A: My increasing sympathy for Islam and Islamic ideals enraged the other Jews I knew, who
regarded me as having betrayed them in the worst possible way. They used to tell me that such a
reputation could only result from shame of my ancestral heritage and an intense hatred for my
people. They warned me that even if I tried to become a Muslim, I would never be accepted.
These fears proved totally unfounded as I have never been stigmatized by any Muslim because
of my Jewish origin. As soon as I became a Muslim myself, I was welcomed most
enthusiastically by all the Muslims as one of them.

I did not embrace Islam out of hatred for my ancestral heritage or my people. It was not a desire
so much to reject as to fulfill. To me, it meant a transition from parochial to a dynamic and
revolutionary faith. Q: Did your family object to your studying Islam? A: Although I wanted to
become a Muslim as far back as 1954, my family managed to argue me out of it. I was warned
that Islam would complicate my life because it is not, like Judaism and Christianity, part of the
American scene. I was told that Islam would alienate me from my family and isolate me from the
community. At that time my faith was not sufficiently strong to withstand these pressures.

Partly as the result of this inner turmoil, I became so ill that I had to discontinue college long
before it was time for me to graduate. For the next two years I remained at home under private
medical care, steadily growing worse. In desperation from 1957 - 1959 my parents confined me
both to private and public hospitals where I vowed that if ever I recovered sufficiently to be
discharged, I would embrace Islam. After I was allowed to return home, I investigated all the
opportunities for meeting Muslims in New York City. It was my good fortune to meet some of
the finest men and women anyone could ever hope to meet. I also began to write articles for
Muslim magazines.

Q: What was the attitude of your parents and friends after you became Muslim?

A: When I embraced Islam, my parents, relatives and their friends regarded me almost as a
fanatic, because I could think and talk of nothing else. To them, religion is a purely private
concern which at the most perhaps could be cultivated like an amateur hobby among other
hobbies. But as soon as I read the Holy Quran, I knew that Islam was no hobby but life itself!

Q: In what ways did the Holy Quran have an impact on your life?

A: One evening I was feeling particularly exhausted and sleepless, Mother came into my room
and said she was about to go to the Larchmont Public Library and asked me if there was any
book that I wanted? I asked her to look and see if the library had a copy of an English translation
of the Holy Quran. Just think, years of passionate interest in the Arabs and reading every book in
the library about them I could lay my hands on but until now, I never thought to see what was in
the Holy Quran! Mother returned with a copy for me. I was so eager, I literally grabbed it from
her hands and read it the whole night. There I also found all the familiar Bible stories of my
childhood. In my eight years of primary school, four years of secondary school and one year of
college, I learned about English grammar and composition, French, Spanish, Latin and Greek in
current use, Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, European and American history, elementary
science, Biology, music and art-but I had never learned anything about God!
Story # 250

Why I became Muslim?

Interview with Maryam Jameelah-3

Can you imagine I was so ignorant of God that I wrote to my pen-friend, a Pakistani lawyer, and
confessed to him the reason why I was an atheist was because I couldn’t believe that God was
really an old man with a long white beard who sat up on His throne in Heaven. When he asked
me where I had learned this outrageous thing, I told him of the reproductions from the Sistine
Chapel I had seen in "Life" Magazine of Michelangelo’s "Creation" and "Original Sin."

I described all the representations of God as an old man with a long white beard and the
numerous crucifixions of Christ I had seen with Paula at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But in
the Holy Quran, I read: "Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, The Self-subsisting,
Supporter of all. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on
earth. Who is thee can intercede in His presence except as He permiteth?

He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they
compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens
and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most
High, the Supreme (in glory)." (Quran S.2:255) "But the Unbelievers,-their deeds are like a
mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he
comes up to it, he finds Allah there, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in
taking account. Or (the unbelievers’ state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean,
overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depth of darkness, one
above another: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah giveth
not light, there is no light!" (Quran S.24: 39-40)

My first thought when reading the Holy Quran - this is the only true religion - absolutely
sincere, honest, not allowing cheap compromises or hypocrisy. In 1959, I spent much of my
leisure time reading books about Islam in the New York Public Library. It was there I discovered
four bulky volumes of an English translation of Mishkat ul- Masabih. It was then that I learned
that a proper and detailed understanding of the Holy Quran is not possible without some
knowledge of the relevant Hadith. For how can the holy text correctly be interpreted except by
the Prophet to whom it was revealed? Once I had studied the Mishkat, I began to accept the Holy
Quran as Divine revelation. What persuaded me that the Quran must be from God and not
composed by Muhammad (PBUH) was its satisfying and convincing answers to all the most
important questions of life which I could not find elsewhere.

As a child, I was so mortally afraid of death, particularly the thought of my own death, that after
nightmares about it, sometimes I would awaken my parents crying in the middle of the night.
When I asked them why I had to die and what would happen to me after death, all they could say
was that I had to accept the inevitable; but that was a long way off and because medical science
was constantly advancing, perhaps I would live to be a hundred years old! My parents, family,
and all our friends rejected as superstition any thought of the Hereafter, regarding Judgment Day,
reward in Paradise or punishment in Hell as outmoded concepts of by-gone ages. In vain I
searched all the chapters of the Old Testament for any clear and unambiguous concept of the
Hereafter.

The prophets, patriarchs and sages of the Bible all receive their rewards or punishments in this
world. Typical is the story of Job (Hazrat Ayub). God destroyed all his loved-ones, his
possessions, and afflicted him with a loathsome disease in order to test his faith. Job plaintively
laments to God why He should make a righteous man suffer. At the end of the story, God
restores all his earthly losses but nothing is even mentioned about any possible consequences in
the Hereafter. Although I did find the Hereafter mentioned in the New Testament, compared with
that of the Holy Quran, it is vague and ambiguous. I found no answer to the question of death in
Orthodox Judaism, for the Talmud preaches that even the worst life is better than death. My
parents’ philosophy was that one must avoid contemplating the thought of death and just enjoy
as best one can, the pleasures life has to offer at the moment. According to them, the purpose of
life is enjoyment and pleasure achieved through self-expression of one’s talents, the love of
family, the congenial company of friends combined with the comfortable living and indulgence
in the variety of amusements that affluent America makes available in such abundance.

They deliberately cultivated this superficial approach to life as if it were the guarantee for their
continued happiness and good-fortune. Through bitter experience I discovered that self-
indulgence leads only to misery and that nothing great or even worthwhile is ever accomplished
without struggle through adversity and self-sacrifice. From my earliest childhood, I have always
wanted to accomplish important and significant things. Above all else, before my death I wanted
the assurance that I have not wasted life in sinful deeds or worthless pursuits. All my life I have
been intensely serious-minded. I have always detested the frivolity which is the dominant
characteristic of contemporary culture. My father once disturbed me with his unsettling
conviction that there is nothing of permanent value and because everything in this modern age
accept the present trends inevitable and adjust ourselves to them. I, however, was thirsty to attain
something that would endure forever.

It was from the Holy Quran where I learned that this aspiration was possible. No good deed for
the sake of seeking the pleasure of God is ever wasted or lost. Even if the person concerned
never achieves any worldly recognition, his reward is certain in the Hereafter. Conversely, the
Quran tells us that those who are guided by no moral considerations other than expediency or
social conformity and crave the freedom to do as they please, no matter how much worldly
success and prosperity they attain or how keenly they are able to relish the short span of their
earthly life, will be doomed as the losers on Judgment Day. Islam teaches us that in order to
devote our exclusive attention to fulfilling our duties to God and to our fellow-beings, we must
abandon all vain and useless activities which distract us from this end. These teachings of the
Holy Quran, made even more explicit by Hadith, were thoroughly compatible with my
temperament.

Q: What is your opinion of the Arabs after you became a Muslim?

A: As the years passed, the realization gradually dawned upon me that it was not the Arabs who
made Islam great but rather Islam had made the Arabs great. Were it not for the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH), the Arabs would be an obscure people today. And were it not for the Holy
Quran, the Arabic language would be equally insignificant, if not extinct.

Q: Did you see any similarities between Judaism and Islam?

A: The kinship between Judaism and Islam is even stronger than Islam and Christianity. Both
Judaism and Islam share in common the same uncompromising monotheism, the crucial
importance of strict obedience to Divine Law as proof of our submission to and love of the
Creator, the rejection of the priesthood, celibacy and monasticism and the striking similarity of
the Hebrew and Arabic language. In Judaism, religion is so confused with nationalism, one can
scarcely distinguish between the two. The name "Judaism" is derived from Judah-a tribe. A Jew
is a member of the tribe of Judah. Even the name of this religion connotes no universal spiritual
message. A Jew is not a Jew by virtue of his belief in the unity of God, but merely because he
happened to be born of Jewish parentage.

Should he become an outspoken atheist, he is no less "Jewish" in the eyes of his fellow Jews.
Such a thorough corruption with nationalism has spiritually impoverished this religion in all its
aspects. God is not the God of all mankind but the God of Israel The scriptures are not God’s
revelation to the entire human race but primarily a Jewish history book. David and Solomon
(peace be upon them) are not full-fledged prophets of God but merely Jewish kings. With the
single exception of Yom Kippur (the Jewish Day of Atonement), the holidays and festivals
celebrated by Jews, such as Hanukkah, Purim and Pesach, are of far greater national than
religious significance.
Story # 251

Why I became Muslim?

Interview with Maryam Jameelah-4

Q: Have you ever had the opportunity to talk about Islam to the other Jews?

A: There is one particular incident which really stands out in my mind when I had the
opportunity to discuss Islam with a Jewish gentleman. Dr. Shoreibah, of the Islamic Center in
New York, introduced me to a very special guest. After one Jumha Salat, I went into his office to
ask him some questions about Islam but before I could even greet him with "Assalamu
Alaikum", I was completely astonished and surprised to see seated before him an ultra-orthodox
Chassidic Jew, complete with ear-locks, broad-brimmed black hat, long black silken caftan and a
full flowing beard. Under his arm was a copy of the Yiddish newspaper, "The Daily Forward".

He told us that his name was Samuel Kostelwitz and that he worked in New York City as a
diamond cutter. Most of his family, he said, lived in the Chassidic community of Williamsburg
in Brooklyn, but he also had many relatives and friends in Israel. Born in a small Rumanian
town, he had fled from the Nazi terror with his parents to America just prior to the outbreak of
the second world-war. I asked him what had brought him to the mosque? He told us that he had
been stricken with intolerable grief ever since his mother died 5 years ago. He had tried to find
solace and consolation for his grief in the synagogue but could not when he discovered that many
of the Jews, even in the ultra orthodox community of Williamsburg, were shameless hypocrites.

His recent trip to Israel had left him more bitterly disillusioned than ever. He was shocked by the
irreligiousness he found in Israel and he told us that nearly all the young sabras or native-born
Israelis are militant atheists. When he saw large herds of swine on one of the kibbutzim
(collective farms) he visited, he could only exclaim in horror: "Pigs in a Jewish state! I never
thought that was possible until I came here! Then when I witnessed the brutal treatment meted
out to innocent Arabs in Israel, I know then that there is no difference between the Israelis and
the Nazis. Never, never in the name of God, could I justify such terrible crimes!"

Then he turned to Dr. Shoreibah and told him that he wanted to become a Muslim but before he
took the irrevocable steps to formal conversion, he needed to have more knowledge about Islam.
He said that he had purchased from Orientalia Bookshop, some books on Arabic grammar and
was trying to teach himself Arabic He apologized to us for his broken English: Yiddish was his
native tongue and Hebrew, his second language. Among themselves, his family and friends
spoke only Yiddish. Since his reading knowledge of English was extremely poor, he had no
access to good Islamic literature. However, with the aid of an English dictionary, he painfully
read "Introduction to Islam" by Muhammad Hamidullah of Paris and praised this as the best
book he had ever read. In the presence of Dr. Shoreibah, I spent another hour with Mr.
Kostelwitz, comparing the Bible stories of the patriarchs and prophets with their counterparts in
the Holy Quran.

I pointed out the inconsistencies and interpolations of the Bible, illustrating my point with
Noah’s alleged drunkenness, accusing David of adultery and Solomon of idolatry (Allah Forbid)
and how the Holy Quran raises all these patriarchs to the status of genuine prophets of God and
absolves them from all these crimes. I also pointed out why it was Ismail and not Isaac who God
commanded Abraham to offer as sacrifice. In the Bible, God tells Abraham: "Take thine son,
thine only son whom thou lovest and offer him up to Me as burnt offering." Now Ismail was
born 13 years before Isaac but the Jewish biblical commentators explain that away be belittling
Ishmael’s mother, Hagar, as only a concubine and not Abraham’s real wife so they say Isaac was
the only legitimate son.

Islamic traditions, however, raise Hagar to the status of a full-fledged wife equal in every respect
to Sarah. Mr. Kostelwitz expressed his deepest gratitude to me for spending so much time,
explaining those truths to him. To express this gratitude, he insisted on inviting Dr. Shoreibah
and me to lunch at the Kosher Jewish delicatessen where he always goes to eat his lunch. Mr.
Kostelwitz told us that he wished more than anything else to embrace Islam but he feared he
could not withstand the persecution he would have to face from his family and friends. I told him
to pray to God for help and strength and he promised that he would. When he left us, I felt
privileged to have spoken with such a gentle and kind person.

Q: What Impact did Islam have on your life ?

A: In Islam, my quest for absolute values was satisfied. In Islam I found all that was true, good
and beautiful and that which gives meaning and direction to human life (and death); while in
other religions, the Truth is deformed, distorted, restricted and fragmentary. If any one chooses
to ask me how I came to know this, I can only reply my personal life experience was sufficient to
convince me. My adherence to the Islamic faith is thus a calm, cool but very intense conviction. I
have, I believe, always been a Muslim at heart by temperament, even before I knew there was
such a thing as Islam. My conversion was mainly a formality, involving no radical change in my
heart at all but rather only making official what I had been thinking and yearning for many years.
Story # 252

Why I became Muslim?

Finding solace in the Garden of Peace by Suleyman Ahmad

I am an American journalist and author. In 1997, aged 49, after more than 30 years of research
study, and life experience, I came into Islam. This decision reflected many issues in my life.

I grew up in an environment that would be extremely strange for most Americans. My father was
Jewish; my mother was the daughter of a famous Protestant fundamental minister. My father was
a religious student, or Yeshiva-bocher, as a youth. My mother was raised in an atmosphere of
intensive Bible reading, and she knew the Old and New Testaments very well. In Sarajevo, I did
not find myself to be a tourist. I had direct encounters with Muslim believers and scholars Both
my parents faith was tested by the events of the 1930s.

My mother abandoned Christianity in protest against the Nazi attacks on the Jews, who she had
been raised to view as the original People of God. Later, she converted to Judaism. Both my
parents spent a long period under the influence of the Communist Party, even as they continued
to believe in the Jewish faith. That was the tragic paradox of their lives; disappointed by the
failures of their born religions. However, while they wavered between liberal-radicalism and
God, they were never extreme about Zionism. Indeed, I always felt pain at the conflict in the
Middle East, and always yearned for justice and friendship between Israelis and Arabs. I was an
extreme radical leftist as a youth.

However, I also wrote poetry, and even though discouraged from it by my parents confusion and
bitterness about religion, I believed in God. I tried to sort these matters out. I believe the most
important contributions that will be made by Islam in America involve racial justice and public
morality My first search for the truth led me to the Catholic church. Although I did not convert, I
was deeply impressed by Catholic mystical literature. Very early on, I learned that behind the
glorious works of the Spanish Catholic mystics there was the history of Islam in Spain, and that a
beautiful Islamic inspiration had survived in that tradition. I eventually travelled to Spain
repeatedly, searching out the traces of the long Islamic residence in the Iberian peninsula. As a
writer, I researched this phenomenon over many years. I studied the troubadour poets, who
showed a deep Islamic influence.

Beginning in 1979, I studied Kabbalah, the tradition of Jewish mysticism. There too, I found an
immense Islamic reflection, filtered through Judaism. However, the decisive event in my journey
to Islam came in 1990 when I began travelling to the Balkans as a journalist. I visited Sarajevo,
and reported on the Bosnian war. In Sarajevo, I discovered some amazing things. I found an
outpost of Islam in Europe, in an environment where I did not feel I was a tourist, where I could
have simple and direct encounters with Muslim believers and scholars. I found beautiful poetry
and music that expressed the values of Islamic grace and love.
I had discovered the garden of the old Imam; to quote a line from a famous Bosnian song- the
remnant of the great period of Ottoman rule in the Balkans, and its tremendous contributions to
Islamic civilization. I read passages from the Quran and visited Islamic monuments on my trips
to the Balkans. I kept coming back to the garden, and finally I entered it. Since accepting Islam, I
have proceeded carefully in informing my friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others. I do not
want to provoke conflict or controversy, and I do not want this experience to be seen as
something superficial or faddish. It isn’t about me, it’s about Allah. I want to proceed in a way
that will do the most for the welfare of the Ummah and for better relations between all believers
in la ilaha illallah.

So far, I have had no problems aside from occasional crude remarks. If anything, people in my
newsroom seem pleased to have someone around who can report with greater accuracy about
issues. Others are surprised but respectful; they seem to understand this is not about politics or
publicityseeking, but reflects a long personal quest. I think also, to be totally honest, that non-
Muslims see me as someone deeply affected by my experience in the Balkans, so that this choice
makes some sense in that context. However, I am quick to make clear that I am not a Muslim for
political or humanitarian reasons, but because the message of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) is the
clearest evidence of the wishes of Allah.

As I stated at the beginning, I see much of what is positive in Judaism and Christianity today as a
reflection of Islamic influence. I mentioned Spanish Catholicism. There is a reason Spanish
Catholics feel their faith more intensely than other Catholics, and that is because of the Islamic
legacy in their culture. The Crusades and the Inquisition did not extinguish this light, however
dimmed it may seem to some. I truly believe that without the tolerance of the Arab rulers in
Spain, and, particularly, the generous protection extended by the Ottoman caliphs, Judaism might
have disappeared from the world. Certainly, Jewish religious historians today admit that Judaism
today would be very different without the positive input derived from living in a Muslim
environment.

The aspect of Islam that most impressed me is the emphasis on inner peace afforded by
submission to the will of Allah. I saw this in the politeness, the courtesy, the simplicity and
sincerity (ikhlas) of Bosnian Muslims who had been through the worst torments, yet never gave
up their basic serenity. That serenity has made my life easier. Whenever I feel troubled and
tested by daily life, or anxious and fearful about the future, or frustrated in my literary ambitions,
my mind goes automatically, now, to remembrance of the Muslims I know in Bosnia, to the calm
and unity of congregational prayers, and, above all, to the clean and soothing words of the
Quran. My only problem has been in overcoming my fears about conflict with Jews and
Christians.

I seek conciliation-though not concessions to secularism. I believe the most important


contributions that will be made by Islam in America involve racial justice and public morality.
We all recognize the truth of Brother Malcolm’s declaration that the solution to America’s racial
problem is Islam. I think that Islam also offers the solution to America’s moral problem. Before I
became a Muslim, I was impressed by the values of Muslims I knew in America and the moral
strength of the Balkan Muslims in the face of their ordeal. Today, I am, I must say, somewhat
sad to find that the Ummah is so profoundly divided, and to see how Muslims quarrel with each
other.

I am also concerned by the failure of Muslims to do more for the victims of Orthodox Christian
imperialism in the Balkans. Islam has brought great peace and beauty to my life. As I have told
others, the remainder of my years will be dedicated to service of Allah. I have personally pledged
to do all I can to help rebuild the mosque of Bosnia and Kosova.
Story # 253

Why I became Muslim?

Why I chose Islam, by Jemima Goldsmith When Jemima Goldsmith, the 21-year-old
daughter of billionaire Sir James, married Imran Khan she embraced not only the world’s
most handsome sportsman but also the Muslim faith, taking the name Haiqa. Here, in an
exclusive account, she tells how she journeyed from the glamorous society of London to the
austere religion of Lahore

By Jemima Goldsmith

THE media present me as a naive, besotted 21-year-old who has made a hasty decision without
really considering the consequences - thus effectively condemning herself to a life of
interminable subservience, misery and isolation. Although I must confess I have rather enjoyed
the various depictions of a veiled and miserable "Haiqa Khan" incarcerated in chains, the reality
is somewhat different. Contrary to current opinion, my decision to convert to Islam was entirely
my own choice and in no way hurried. Whilst the act of conversion itself is surprisingly quick -
entailing the simple assertion that "there is only one God and Mohammed is His Prophet" - the
preparation is not necessarily so speedy a process.

In my case, this began last July, whilst the actual conversion took place in early February - three
months before the Nikkah in Paris. During that time, I studied in depth both the Quran and the
works of various Islamic scholars (Gai Eaton, the Bosnian president Alia Izetbegovic,
Muhammad Asad) , thus giving me ample time to reflect before making my decision. What
began as intellectual curiosity slowly ripened into a dawning realisation of the universal and
eternal truth that is Islam. In the statement given out a week ago, I particularly stressed that I had
converted to Islam entirely "through my own convictions".

The significance of this has been largely ignored by the press. The point is that my conversion
was not, as so many have assumed, a pre-requisite to my marriage. It was entirely my own
choice. Religiously speaking, there was absolutely no compulsion for me to convert prior to my
marriage. As it explicitly states in the Quran, a Muslim is permitted to marry from "the People of
the Book" - in other words, either a Christian or a Jew. Indeed, the Sunnah - which describes the
life of the Prophet - shows that the messenger of Islam hi mself married both a Christian and a
Jew during his lifetime.

I believe that much of this hostility towards my marriage and conversion stems from widespread
misconceptions about an alien culture and religion. Not only is there a huge gulf between the
Western view of Islam and the reality, but there is in some cases also a significant distinction
between Islam based directly on the Quran and the Sunnah and that practised by some Islamic
societies. During the last year I have had the opportunity to visit Pakistan on three separate
occasions and have observed Islamic family life in practice. Thus, to some extent I now feel
qualified to judge for myself the true role and position of women in the religion. At the risk of
sounding defensive, I would like to point out that Islam is not a religion which subjugates
women whilst elevating men to the status of mini-dictators in their own homes.

I was able to see this first-hand when I met Imran’s sisters in Lahore: they are all highly educated
professional women. His oldest sister, Robina, is an alumnus of the LSE and holds a senior
position in the United Nations in New York. Another sister, Aleema, has a master’s degree in
business administration and runs a successful business; Uzma is a highly qualified surgeon
working in a Lahore hospital, whilst Rani is a university graduate who co-ordinates charity work.
They can hardly be seen as "women in chains" dominated by tyrannical husbands. On the
contrary, they are strong-minded independent women - yet at the same time they remain deeply
committed both to their families and their religion.

Thus, I was able to see - in theory and in practice - how Islam promotes the essential notion of
the family unit without subjugating its female members. I am nevertheless fully aware that
women are sometimes exploited and oppressed in Islamic societies, as in other parts of the
world. Judging by some of the articles which have appeared in the press, it would seem that a
Western woman’s happiness hinges largely upon her access to nightclubs, alcohol and revealing
clothes; and the absence of such apparent freedom and luxuries in Islamic societies is seen as an
infringement of her basic rights.

However, as we all know, such superficialities have very little to do with true happiness.
Besides, without in any way wishing to disparage the culture of the Western world, into which I
was born, I am more than willing to forego the transient pleasures derived from alcohol and
nightclubs; and as for the clothes I will be wearing, I find the traditional shalwar kameez (tunic
and trousers) worn by most Pakistani women far more elegant and feminine than anything in my
wardrobe. Finally, it seems futile to speculate on my chances of marital success. Marriage, as
Imran’ father has been quoted as saying, is indeed "a gamble".

However, when I see that in a society based on family life the divorce rate is just a fraction of
that in European or American society, I cannot see that my chances of success are any less than
if I had chosen to marry a Westerner. I am all too aware of the enormous task of adapting to a
new and radically different culture. But with the love of my husband and the support of his
family I look forward to the challenge wholeheartedly, and would like to feel that people wish
me well. Whilst I do appreciate the genuine concerns of many, I must confess to feeling
somewhat bewildered by all of the commotion.
(
Story # 254

Why I became Muslim?

Hajj Mustafa Ali (David Sterling)

American Muslim, born of Jewish heritage, who has been devoted to the discovery of unity for
over three decades. He was born in New York and raised from the age of 10 in Los Angeles,
California. From the early age of 13, he was caught by yearning for divine realization and spent
time with many spiritual teachers of different paths such as the Fourth Way, Zen Buddhism and
the esoteric aspects of both Christianity and Judaism.

He was taught by illustrious personalities from the Vajrayanna and Tibetan schools of Buddhism
such as Kalu Rinpoche, and Lama Kunga. He also had instruction from the late Swami
Muktananda. In the late 70s he met Murshid Hassan al-Moumani a Sufi Shaykh from the West
Bank in Palestine. Murshid Hassan conferred spiritual permission upon him in the Sufi path of
the Rafai order which led Hajj Mustafa Ali to embrace Islam.

In the following few years, he became a student (Mureed) of Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri and has
since remained under his guidance and instruction. Hajj Mustafa Ali has traveled throughout the
world in search of truth and lived abroad, teaching and heading communities of seekers in
Canada, America, Pakistan, and South Africa. His experiences with realized beings of the age are
truly remarkable. In addition to apprenticing under several Sufi shaykhs, he has taken instruction
and blessings (baraka) from over a dozen other realized masters. Currently residing in Houston,
Texas, USA,

Hajj Mustafa Ali is the designated representative (Wakeel) of Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri in the
United States. His primary mission is to call people to Original Islam, the way of reality. At
present he is holding regular gatherings of dhikr and instruction in the art of the Way. He is also
engaged in writing and publishing books regarding the Sufi way of realization. Here is brother
Mustaf’s website: http://www.nuradeen.com

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