stories of converted muslims

10/17/2015 STORIESOFCONVERTEDMUSLIMS

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STORIESOFGENTSCONVERTEDMUSLIMS.

1)STORYOFSALMAANALFAARISI(RTU)2)UMARBINALKHATTAB'SJOURNEYTOISLAM

3)CHRISTOPHERSHELTONBECOMINGMUSLIM

4)IBRAHIMKARLSSONBECOMINGMUSLIM5)MALIKBECOMINGMUSLIM

6)MICHAELYIPBECOMINGMUSLIM

7)ROBWICKSBECOMINGMUSLIM

8)SAMIRBECOMINGMUSLIM

9)YAHIYEADAMGADAHNBECOMINGMUSLIM

10)YUSUFMUHAMMADANSARIBECOMINGMUSLIM

11)YUSUFISLAMBECOMINGMUSLIM

12)YUSUFALIBERNIER

13)SHARIFFACARLOBECOMINGMUSLIM

14)ERIN/SUMAYAFANNOUNBECOMINGMUSLIM

15)HERACLIUS,THERULEROFBYZANTINE

16)STORYOFABDULMALIKLEBLANC

17)MARIANORICARDOCALLE

18)WILLIAM

19)KHALIL

20)RAFAEL(SULEYMAN)CASTRO

21)MICHAELDAVIDSHAPIRO

22)DAVIDPRADARELLI

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1.STORYOFSALMAANALFAARISI(RTU)

Question:

How sound is the hadeeth about a Christian who, when heembraced Islam, told the Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllahbeuponhim)aboutthestoryofhowhecametoIslam.

He told him that he met a number of monks, each of whomadvised him to go to another, and the last of them was arighteousmanwho came out once a year to heal the people,andwhenhemethimheadvisedhimtogotoMakkah,andhegavehimadescriptionof theMessenger (peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim),andtheMessenger(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)said:Youhavespokenthetruth,hewastheMessiahEesa?.

Answer:PraisebetoAllah.

The hadeeth which the questioner is referring to is a lengthyhadeethabout thestoryofhow thegreatSahaabiSalmaanalFaarisi(mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)cametoIslam.Hewasa Magian (Zoroastrian), then he became a Christian, then hebecame a Muslim. That was after he had met a number ofChristianmonks,thelastofwhomwasarighteousmanwhohadknowledgeofthelastProphet.ThemonkadvisedSalmaantogoto Arabia, where the last Prophet would appear, and hedescribed the place to him, and itwas theCity of theProphet(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)i.e.,Madeenah.

Butthere isnothing in thishadeeth tosuggest that theProphet(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)saidthatthismonkwastheMessiahEesaibnMaryam(peacebeuponhim),ratherEesa(peacebeuponhim)is inheavenAllahtookhimupandhewillremainthereuntiltheappointedtime,thenAllahwillsendhimbackdownandhewillsupportIslamattheendoftime.

ThestoryofhowSalmaancametoIslamisagreatstory,fulloflessons and exhortations. We will let the questioner read thehadeethinfull,sothathemightbenefitfromit:

It was narrated that AbdAllah ibn Abbaas said: Salmaan alFaarisitoldmehisstoryfromhisownlips.Hesaid:

I was a Persian man, one of the people of Isbahaan, from avillage thereof called Jayy. My father was the chieftain of hisvillage,andIwasthedearestofAllahscreationtohim.Helovedmesomuchthathekeptmeinhishousenearthefire,asgirlsarekeptin.IstrovehardintheMagianreligionuntilIbecamethekeeper of the fire, which I tended and did not let go out for amoment.My father had a huge garden, and hewas busy onedaywithsomeconstructionwork, sohesaid: Omyson, Iamtoobusywiththisbuildingtoday,goandcheckmygarden,andhetoldmesomeofthethingshewanteddone.

Iwentout,headingtowardshisgarden,andIpassedbyoneoftheChristianchurches,where Icouldhear theirvoicesas theywerepraying.Ididnotknowanythingaboutthepeoplebecause



my father had kept me in his house. When I passed by andheard theirvoices, Ienteredupon them toseewhat theyweredoing.WhenIsawthem,IwasimpressedwiththeirprayerandIwasattractedtotheirway.

Isaid:ByAllah,thisisbetterthanthereligionthatwefollow.ByAllah, Ididnot leave themuntil thesunset,and I forgotaboutmyfathersgardenanddidnotgo there. Isaid to them:Wheredidthisreligionoriginate?Theysaid:InSyria.ThenIwentbacktomyfather,whohadsentpeopleouttolookforme,andIhaddistractedhimfromallhiswork.

WhenIcametohim,hesaid:Omyson,wherewereyou?DidInotaskyoutodowhatIasked?Isaid:Omyfather,Ipassedbysomepeoplewhowereprayinginachurchoftheirs,andIwasimpressed with what I saw of their religion. By Allah, I stayedwiththemuntilthesunset.Hesaid:Omyson,thereisnothinggood in that religion. Your religion and the religion of yourforefathers is better than that. I said: No, by Allah, it is betterthanourreligion.Hewasafraidforme,andheputfettersonmylegsandkeptmeinhishouse.

Isentword to theChristianssaying: IfanyChristianmerchantscome to you from Syria, tell me about them. He said: SomeChristianmerchantscametothemfromSyria,andtheytoldmeabout them. I said to them: When they have completed theirbusinessandwanttogobacktotheirowncountry,tellmeaboutthat.Sowhentheywantedtogobacktotheirowncountry,theytoldmeabout that, and I threwoff the irons frommy legsandwentoutwiththem,untilIcametoSyria.WhenIreachedSyria,Isaid: Who is the best person in this religion? They said: Thebishopinthechurch.

SoIwenttohimandsaid:Ilikethisreligion,andIwouldliketostaywithyouandserveyou inyourchurchand learn fromyouandpraywithyou.Hesaid:Comein.SoIwentinwithhim,buthewasabadman.Hewouldcommandthemandexhortthemtogivecharity,buthekeptagreatdealofitforhimselfanddidnotgive it to the poor he had amassed seven chests of gold andsilver. Ihatedhimdeeplywhen Isawwhathewasdoing, thenhediedandtheChristiansgatheredtoburyhim.

I said to them: This was a badman he commanded you andexhortedyoutogivecharity,butwhenyoubrought it tohimhekept it for himself and did not give any of it to the poor. Theysaid:Howdoyouknowthat?Showuswherehistreasureis.SoIshowed themwhere itwasand theybrought out seven chestsfilled with gold and silver. When they saw that they said: ByAllah,wewillneverburyhimthentheycrucifiedhimandpeltedhimwithstones.

Thentheybroughtanothermanandappointedhiminhisplace.Salmaansaid:Ihaveneverseenamanwhodoesnotofferthefive daily prayers who was better than him he shunned thisworld and sought the Hereafter and no one strive harder thanhim night and day. I loved him as I had never loved anyonebefore, and I stayed with him for a while. Then when he was



abouttodie,Isaid:OSoandso,IwaswithyouandIlovedyouasIhadneverlovedanyonebefore,andnowthedecreeofAllahhascometoyouasyouseetowhomdoyouadvisemetogo?Whatdoyoucommandmetodo?Hesaid:Omyson,byAllah,Idonotknowofanyone todaywho followswhat I followed.Thepeoplearedoomedtheyhavechangedandabandonedmostofwhat theyused to follow,except foraman inMosul.He isSoandso,andhefollowswhatIusedtofollow,sogoandjoinhim.

Whenhediedandwasburied,IwenttothemaninMosul.Isaidto him:OSoand so, So and so advisedmewhen he died tocome to you, and he told me that you follow the same as hefollowed.Hesaidtome:Staywithme.SoIstayedwithhim,andI found him to be a good man who followed the same as hiscompanionhadfollowed.Butsoonhedied.WhenhewasdyingIsaidtohim:OSoandso,Soandsoadvisedmetocometoyouand toldme to join you, but now there has come to you fromAllahwhatyousee.Towhomdoyouadvisemetogo?Whatdoyoucommandmetodo?Hesaid:Omyson,byAllah Idonotknow of anyone who follows what we used to follow except amaninNasayyibeen.HeisSoandsogotohim.

When he died and was buried, I went to the man inNasayyibeen.Icametohimandtoldhimmystoryandwhatmycompanionhadtoldmetodo.Hesaid:Staywithme.SoIstayedwithhimandIfoundhimtobeafollowerofthesamewayashistwocompanions,andIstayedwithagoodman.ByAllah,soondeathcameuponhim,andwhenhewasdyingIsaidtohim:OSoandso,SoandsoadvisedmetogotoSoandso thenSoandsoadvisedmetocometoyou.Towhomdoyouadvisemetogoandwhatdoyoucommandmetodo?Hesaid:Omyson,byAllahwedonotknowofanyoneleftwhofollowsourwayandtowhomIcantellyoutogo,exceptamaninAmmooriyyah.Hefollowssomethinglikewhatwefollow.Ifyouwish,gotohim,forhefollowsourway.

When he died and was buried, I went to the man inAmmooriyyahandtoldhimmystory.Hesaid:Staywithme.SoIstayed with a man who was following the same way as hiscompanions. I earnedwealthuntil I had cowsandsheep, thenthedecreeofAllahcame tohim.Whenhewasdying I said tohim:OSoandso,IwaswithSoandso,andSoandsotoldmetogotoSoandsothenSoandsotoldmetogotoSoandsothenSoandsotoldmetocometoyou.Towhomdoyouadvisemetogoandwhatdoyoucommandmetodo?

He said: O my son, by Allah, I do not know of anyone whofollowsourwaytowhomIcanadviseyou togo.But therehascomethetimeofaProphet,whowillbesentwiththereligionofIbraaheem. He will appear in the land of the Arabs and willmigrate to a land between two harrahs (lave fields land withblackrocks),betweenwhich therearepalmtrees.Hewillhavecharacteristicsthatwillnotbehidden.Hewilleatofwhatisgivenasagiftbuthewillnoteatofwhatisgivenascharity.BetweenhisshoulderbladesistheSealofProphethood.Ifyoucangotothatlandthendoso.



Thenhediedandwasburied,andIstayedinAmmooriyyahaslongasAllahwilledIshouldstay,thensomemerchantsofKalbpassedbymeandIsaidtothem:WillyoutakemetothelandoftheArabs and I will give you these cows and sheep ofmine?Theysaid:Yes.So Igave themthecowsandsheep,and theytookmethere,butwhentheybroughtmetoWaadialQuratheywrongedmeandsoldmeasaslavetoaJewishman.

WhenIwaswithhimIsawthepalmtrees,andIhopedthatthiswasthelandthatmycompanionhaddescribedtome,butIwasnot sure. Whilst I was with him, a cousin of his from BanuQurayzahcametohimfromMadeenah,andhesoldmetohim,andhe tookme toMadeenah.ByAllah, as soonas I saw it, Irecognized it from the description given to me by mycompanion.

I stayed there, and Allah sent His Messenger, who stayed inMakkahaslongashestayed,andIdidnothearanythingabouthimbecause Iwas so busywith theworkof a slave.ThenhemigratedtoMadeenah,andbyAllah,Iwasatthetopofapalmtree belonging to my master, doing some work on it, andmymasterwassitting there.Thenacousinofhiscameandstoodbesidehim,andsaid:MayAllahkillBanuQaylah!ByAllah,rightnow they are gathering in Quba to welcome a man who hascome fromMakkah today, and they say that he is a Prophet.When I heard that, I began to shiver somuch that I thought Iwouldfallontopofmymaster.

Icamedown from the treeandstartedsaying to thatcousinofhis:Whatareyousaying,whatareyousaying?Mymastergotangryandhestruckmewithhisfistandsaid:Whathasitgottodowithyou?Gobacktoyourwork!Isaid:NothingIjustwantedtomakesureofwhathewassaying.IhadsomethingthatIhadcollected,andwheneveningcame, Iwent to theMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)whenhewasinQuba,andIentereduponhimandsaidtohim:Ihaveheardthatyouarearighteousmanandthatyouhavecompanionswhoarestrangersandare inneed.This issomething that Ihave togive in charity, and I see that you aremore in need of it thananyoneelse.IbroughtitneartohimandtheMessengerofAllah(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to hiscompanions:Eat,butherefrainedfromeating.

I said tomyself: This is one. Then I went away and collectedsomemore. TheMessenger of Allah (peace and blessings ofAllahbeuponhim)movedtoMadeenah,thenIcametohimandsaid:Iseethatyoudonoteat(foodgivenin)charitythisisagiftwithwhichIwishtohonouryou.TheMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)atesomeof itandtoldhiscompanionstoeattoo.Isaidtomyself:Thisistwo.

ThenIcametotheMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)whenhewas inBaqeealGharqad,wherehe had attended the funeral of one of his companions and hewaswearingtwoshawlsandwassittingamonghiscompanions.I greeted him with salaam then I moved behind him, trying tolook at his back to see the Seal that my companion had



described to me. When the Messenger of Allah (peace andblessingsofAllah beuponhim) sawmegoingbehindhim, herealized that Iwas trying to findconfirmationof something thathadbeendescribedtome,sohelethisridadropfromhisback,andIsawtheSealandrecognizedit.

Then Iembracedhim,kissing (theSeal)andweeping,and theMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)saidtome:Turnaround.SoIturnedaroundandItoldhimmystoryasIhavetoldittoyou,OIbnAbbaas.TheMessengerofAllah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wanted hiscompanionstohearthat.ThenSalmaanwaskeptbusywiththeworkof a slave, until hehadmissedattendingBadrandUhudwith theMessenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah beuponhim).

Hesaid:Then theMessengerofAllah (peaceandblessingsofAllah be upon him) said to me: Draw up a contract ofmanumission, O Salmaan. So I draw up a contract ofmanumissionwithmymaster in return for three hundred palmtrees which I would plant for him, and forty uqiyahs. TheMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)saidtohiscompanions:Helpyourbrother.

So they helped me with the palm trees, one man gave thirtysmall treesandanothergave twenty,andanothergave fifteen,andanothergaveten,i.e.,eachmangaveaccordingtowhathehad,until theyhadcollected threehundredsmall trees forme.Then theMessengerofAllah (peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)saidtome:Go,OSalmaan,anddigtheholeswheretheyaretobeplanted.Whenyouhavefinished,cometomeandIwillplantthemwithmyownhand.

So I dug the holes for them, andmy companions helpedme,then when I had finished, I came to him and told him. TheMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)cameoutwithmeandwestartedtobringthetreescloseandtheMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)planted themwithhisownhand.By theOne inWhosehand isthesoulofSalmaan,notonesingletreeamongthemdied.

SoIhadpaidoffthetreesbuttherestillremainedthemoney.ApieceofgoldthesizeofaneggwasbroughttotheMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)fromoneofhiscampaigns.Hesaid:WhathappenedtothePersianwhohadacontractofmanumission?Iwassummonedtohimandhesaid:Take thisandpayoffwhatyouowe,OSalmaan. Isaid:HowcouldthispayoffeverythingIowe,OMessengerofAllah?

He said: Take it, and Allah will help you to pay off what youowe. So I took it andweighed it for them, and by theOne inWhose hand is the soul ofSalmaan, itwas forty uqiyahs, so Ipaid themtheirduesandIwasset free. Iwaspresentwith theMessengerofAllah(peaceandblessingsofAllahbeuponhim)atalKhandaq,andafterthatIdidnotmissanymajoreventwithhim.



Narrated by Ahmad in alMusnad (5/441). The scholars ofhadeethsaid:Itsisnaadishasan.AndAllahknowsbest.

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2.UMARBINALKHATTAB'SJOURNEYTOISLAM

Ùmar bin alKhattab (may Allah be well pleased with him), ofwhom all the Muslims are justly proud, was most adamant inopposingtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)andveryprominentinpersecutingtheMuslimsbeforeheembracedIslam.Oneday,theQurayshinameetingcalledforsomebodytovolunteerhimselfforthe assassination of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Ùmarofferedhimselfforthisjob,atwhicheverybodyexclaimed,Surely,youcandoit,Umar!

Withswordhangingfromhisneck,hesetoutstraightawayonhissinistererrand.Onhisway,hemetSaadbinAbiWaqqasoftheZuhrahclan.Saadinquired,Whither!Ùmar?

Ùmarreplied,IamafterfinishingMuhammad.

Saadsaid,ButdonotyouseethatthetribesofHashim,ZuhrahandAbdeMunafarelikelytokillyouinretaliation?

Ùmar,upset at thewarning, said, It seems that you also haverenouncedthereligionofyourforefathers.Letmesettlewithyoufirst.

Sosaying,Ùmardrewouthissword.SaadannouncinghisIslam,also took out his sword. They were about to start a duel whenSaadsaid,Youhadbetterfirstsetyourownhouseinorder.YoursisterandbrotherinlawbothhaveacceptedIslam.

Hearingthis,Ùmarflewintoatoweringrageandturnedhisstepstowardshissistershouse.Thedoorofthehousewasboltedfrominsideandboth husbandandwifewere receiving lessons in theQuranfromtheCompanionKhabbab(mayAllahbewellpleasedwithhim).Ùmarknockedatthedoorandshoutedforhissistertoopen it. Khabbab hearing the voice of Ùmar, hid himself in aninner room, forgetting to take themanuscript pages of the HolyQuranwithhim.When thesisteropened thedoor, Ùmarhitheron the head, saying, 0, enemy of yourself! You too haverenouncedyourreligion.

Herheadbegantobleed.Ùmarwentinsideandinquired,Whatwereyoudoing?AndwhowasthestrangerIheardfromoutside?

Hisbrotherinlawreplied,Weweretalkingtoeachother.

Ùmar said to him, Have you also forsaken the creed of yourforefathersandgoneovertothenewreligion?

The brotherinlaw replied, But what if the new religion be thebetterandthetrueone?Ùmargotbesidehimselfwithrageandfell on him, pulling his beard and beating him most savagely.Whenthesisterintervened,hesmotehersoviolentlyonherfacethatitbledmostprofusely.Shewas,afterall,Ùmarssistersheburstout:



Ùmar!WearebeatenonlybecausewehavebecomeMuslims.Listen!WearedeterminedtodieasMuslims.Youarefreetodowhateveryoulike.

When Ùmar had cooled down and felt a bit ashamed over hissisters bleeding, his eyes fell on the pages of the Quran leftbehindbyKhabbab.Hesaid,Alrightshowme,whatarethese?

No,saidthesister,youareuncleanandnouncleanpersoncantouchtheScripture.Heinsisted,but thesisterwasnotpreparedto allow him to touch the leaves unless he washed his body.Ùmaratlastgavein.Hewashedhisbodyandthenbegantoreadtheleaves.ItwasSurahTaha.HestartedfromthebeginningoftheSurah,andhewasachangedmanaltogetherwhenhecametotheverse:

Lo! I, indeed I amAllah. There is noneworthy ofworship saveMe.SoservemeandestablishthePrayerforMyremembrance.

Hesaid,Alright,takemetoMuhammad.

On hearing this, Khabbab came out from inside and said, 0,Ùmar! Glad tidings to you. Yesterday (on Thursday night) theProphet(peacebeuponhim)prayedtoAllah,0,AllahstrengthenIslamwitheither ÙmarorAbuJahl,whomsoeverThou likest. Itseemsthathisprayerhasbeenansweredinyourfavor.

Ùmar then went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) andembraced IslamonFridaymorning. Ùmars Islamwasa terribleblow to themoraleof theunbelievers,butstill theMuslimswerefew in number and the whole country was against them. ThedisbelieversintensifiedtheireffortsforthecompleteannihilationofMuslimsandtheextinctionofIslam.WithÙmarontheirside,theMuslims now started saying their group prayers in the Haram(HolySanctuary).

AbdullahbinMasood(mayAllahbewellpleasedwithhim)says,Ùmars Islam was a big triumph, his emigration to Madinah atremendous reinforcement, andhis accession to theCaliphateagreatblessingfortheMuslims.

From:http://www.readingislam.com/

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3.CHRISTOPHERSHELTONBECOMINGMUSLIM

My conversion to Islambegan inmyeighth grade year. TherewasaMuslimstudentbythenameofRaphaelwhofirsttoldmea little about Islam. At the time hewas not so knowledgeableabout Islam, but he put the initial interest in my mind whichneverwentaway.

In the ninth grade there was another student by the name ofLeonard who claimed at one time or another that he was aMuslimbuthewasmoreorlessa5percenter.TheonethinghediddowastogivemeapamphletontrueIslamwhichincreasedmy interest in Islam. I didn't hearmuchmoreabout Islamuntil



mytenthgradeyear.

That year me and Leonard would sit in the back of geometryclass and blame all of the world's problems on white peoplewhilewewouldexalt thestatusofblackpeopleaboveallotherraces.AtthattimeinmylifeIthoughtthatIslamwasthereligionforblackpeople,butunfortunatelytheIslamIwastalkingaboutwasnothingmore thanblacknationalismwithaslight touchoftrue Islam. Itwas very similar to TheNation of Islam.As timewenton IbegantoseethatmyblacknationalistviewsandmyperceptionofwhatIslamwasaboutbecametired.Itwasuselessto hate almost all white people and to blame this on Islam.Around the same time I totally denounced Christianity as myreligion. I got tiredof theunintelligible doctrines and themanycontradictionswithinthereligion.

The next year of high school I was conversing with a fewstudentsaboutreligionandtheytoldmetobuyaQu'ransoIdid.I went to the nearest bookstore and bought a very poortranslationoftheQu'ranbutitwasthefirstreallookintothetruthaboutIslam.WithinafewweeksItookonthebeliefsofaMuslimeven though I hadn't taken shahadah yet.Most of what I wasdoing concerning Islam was wrong because I never had achancetogo toamasjidbecausemymother totally forbade it.AstimewentonIfinallygotanAbdullahYusufAlitranslationoftheQu'ranwhichopenedmyeyestosomuchaboutIslam.

In themeantimemymotherwasdoingeverything inherpowerto preventme from embracing Islam. She tookme to see herpreacher three timeswhichwas of no avail. As time passed IbegantolearnmoreandmoreaboutIslamfromvariousbooksIcould get my hands on. I finally learned how to make salatcorrectlyfromoneofthesebooks.MymotherwasstilltryingherbesttomakemebecomeaChristianagain.

MymotherandIwouldfrequentlyargueaboutreligionuntilonedaymymotherhadenoughandtoldmydadthatIwasgoingtohave to livewith him.Hehadabsolutely no problemwith this.Thedayafter Igraduated fromhighschool Imoved inwithmydad. I can see now that my parent's divorce was actually ablessing indisguise.Theirdivorceprovidedmewithaplace tolive in which I could practice Islam freely. My dad had noproblemwithmyinterestinIslam.

OnedayIcalledtheIslamicLearningCenterinFayettevilleandabrotherbythenameofMustafatoldmetocomedownfortheTaleem (lesson) to learn more about Islam. Everybody wasextremelyhospitableandMustafa even gavemea ride home.After three weeks of going to Jumuah (Friday congregationalprayers)andTaleemIfinallytookmyShahadahonJuly2,1995.Ever since then I have been an activemember of the Islamiccommunity. I am also very pleased to say that Raphael (thepersonwhogavememy initial in interest in Islam)gotback toIslam seriously and took shahadaha fewmonths before I did.WestillkeepintoucheventhoughheisinEngland.



IntheNameofAllah,mostCompassionate,mostMerciful

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4.IBRAHIMKARLSSONBECOMINGMUSLIM

Iwasborninanordinary,nonreligiousSwedishhome,butwitha very loving relationship to each other. I had livedmy life 25years without really thinking about the existence of God oranything spiritual whatsoever I was the role model of thematerialisticman.

OrwasI? I recallashortstory Iwrote in7thgrade,somethingabout my future life, where I portray myself as a successfulgamesprogrammer(Ihadn'tyeteventouchedacomputer)andlivingwithaMuslimwife!!OK,atthattimeMuslimtomemeantdressinginlongclothesandwearingascarf,butIhavenoideawhere those thoughts came from. Later, in high school, Iremember spending much time in the schoollibrary (being abookworm)andatonetimeIpickedupatranslatedQur'anandread some passages from it. I don't remember exactly what Iread, but I do remember finding thatwhat it saidmade senseandwaslogicaltome.

Still, Iwasnotatall religious, Icouldn't fitGod inmyuniverse,and I had no need of any god. I mean, we have Newton toexplainhowtheuniverseworks,right?

Time passed, I graduated and started working. Earned somemoneyandmovedtomyownapartment,andfoundawonderfultool in the PC. I became a passionate amateur photographer,and enrolled in activities around that. At one time I wasdocumenting amarketplace, taking snapshots from a distancewithmy telelens when an angry looking immigrant came overandexplained that hewouldmake sure Iwasn't going to takeanymorepicturesofhismumandsisters.StrangepeoplethoseMuslims...

MorethingsrelatedtoIslamhappenedthatIcan'texplainwhyIdid what I did. I can't recall the reason I called the "Islamicinformationorganisation" inSweden, orderinga subscription totheirnewsletter,buyingYosufAli'sQur'anandaverygoodbookonIslamcalledIslamourfaith.Ijustdid!

IreadalmostalloftheQur'an,andfoundittobebothbeautifuland logical, but still,God had no place inmy heart.One yearlater,whilstoutonapatchoflandcalled"prettyisland"(itreallyis) taking autumncolor pictures, I was overwhelmed by afantastic feeling. I felt as if I were a tiny piece of somethinggreater, a tooth on a gear in God's great gearbox called theuniverse.Itwaswonderful!Ihadnevereverfeltlikethisbefore,totally relaxed, yet bursting with energy, and above all, totalawarenessofgodwhereverIturnedmyeyes.

I don't know how long I stayed in this ecstatic state, buteventuallyitendedandIdrovehome,seeminglyunaffected,butwhat Ihadexperienced leftuneraseablemarks inmymind.Atthis timeMicrosoft broughtWindows95 to themarketwith the



biggestmarketingblitzknown to thecomputer industry.PartofthepackagewastheonlineserviceTheMicrosoftNetwork.AndkeentoknowwhatiswasIgotmyselfanaccountontheMSN.IsoonfoundthattheIslamBBSwerethemostinterestingpartoftheMSN,andthat'swhereIfoundShahida.

Shahida is aAmericanwoman, who likeme has converted toIslam.Our chemistry worked right away, and she became thebestpenfriendIhaveeverhad.Ouremailcorrespondencewillgodowninhistory: thefact thatmymailboxgrewtosomethinglike3megabytesover the first6months tells itsown tale.SheandIdiscussedalotaboutIslamandfaithingodingeneral,andwhat she wrote made sense to me. Shahida had an angelspatiencewithmyslow thinkingandmysillyquestions,but shenevergaveupthehopeinme.Justlistentoyourheartandyou'llfindthetruthshesaid.

AndIfoundthetruthinmyselfsoonerthanI'dexpected.Onthewayhomefromwork,inthebuswithmostofthepeoplearoundme asleep, and myself adoring the sunset, painting thebeautifullydispersedcloudswithpinkandorangecolours,alltheparts came together, howGod can rule our life, yet we're notrobots.How I coulddependonphysicsandchemistryandstillbelieveandseeGodswork.Itwaswonderful,afewminutesoftotalunderstandingandpeace. Iso longforamoment like thistohappenagain!

Anditdid,onemorningIwokeup,clearasabell,andthefirstthought that ran through my brain was how grateful to God Iwere that he made me wake up to another day full ofopportunities.Itwassonatural,likeIhadbeendoingeverydayofmylife!

After these experiences I couldn't no longer deny God'sexistence.Butafter25yearsofdenyingGoditwasnoeasytaskto admit his existence and accept faith. But good things kepthappeningtome,IspentsometimeintheUS,andatthistimeIstarted praying, testing and feeling, learning to focus on Godand to listen to what my heart said. It all ended in a niceweekendinNewYork,ofwhichIhadworriedalot,butitturnedouttobeasuccess,mostofall,IfinallygottomeetShahida!

Atthispointtherewasnoreturn,Ijustdidn'tknowityet.ButGodkeptleadingme,Ireadsomemore,andfinallygotthecourageto call the nearest Mosque and ask for a meeting with someMuslims.WithtremblinglegsIdrovetothemosque,whichIhadpassedmany timesbefore,butneverdared tostopandvisit. Imetthenicestpeoplethere,andIwasgivensomemorereadingmaterial,andmadeplanstocomeandvisitthebrothersintheirhome.

What they said, and the answers they gave all made sense.Islambecameamajorpartofmylife,Istartedprayingregularly,andIwenttomyfirstJummaprayer.Itwaswonderful,Isneakedin,andsatintheback,notunderstandingawordtheimamwassaying, but still enjoying the service. After the khutba we allcametogether forming lines,andmadethetwo 'rakaas'. Itwas



yetoneofthewonderfulexperiencesIhavehadonmyjourneytoIslam.Thesincerityof200menfullydevotedtojustonething,topraiseGod,feltgreat!

Slowly my mind started to agree with my heart, I started topicturemyselfasaMuslim,butcouldIreallyconverttoIslam?Ihad left the Swedish statechurch earlier, just in case, but topray5timesaday?tostopeatingpork?CouldIreallydothat?Andwhataboutmyfamilyandfriends?IrecalledwhatBr.Omartoldme,howhis family tried togethimadmitted toanasylumwhenheconverted.CouldIreallydothis?

BythistimetheInternetwavehadsweptmycountry,andI toohadhookedupwith the infobahn.And"out there"were tonsofinformationaboutIslam.IthinkIcollectedjustabouteverywebpagewiththewordIslamanywhereinthetext,andlearnedalot.But what really made a change was a text I found in GreatBritain,astoryofanewlyconvertedwomanwithfeelingsexactlylikemine.WhenIhadreadthatstory,andweptthetearsoutofmyeyes I realized that therewereno turningbackanymore, Icouldn'tresistIslamanylonger.

Summervacationstarted,andIhadmademymindup.Ihadtobecome a Muslim! But after all, the start of the summer hadbeenverycold,andifmyfirstweekwithoutworkwasdifferent,Iwouldn't loseadayofsunshinebynotbeingonthebeach.OntheTVtheweathermanpaintedabigsunrightontopofmypartofthecountry.OKthen,someotherday...Thenextmorningasteelgreysky,with icecoldgustsofwindoutsidemybedroomwindow. Itwas likeGodhaddecidedmy timewasup, I couldwait no longer. I had the required bath, and dressed in cleanclothes, jumped in my car and drove the 1 hour drive to themosque.

IntheMosqueIapproachedthebrotherswithmywish,andafterdhuhrprayertheImamandsomebrotherswitnessedmesaytheShahada.Alhamdulillah!Andtomygreatreliefallmyfamilyandfriends have taken my conversion very well, they have allacceptedit,Iwon'tsaytheywerethrilled,butabsolutelynohardfeelings.Theycan'tunderstandallthethingsIdo.Likepraying5times a day on specific times, or not eating pork meat. Theythink this isstrange foreigncustoms thatwilldieoutwith time,butI'llprovethemwrong.InshaAllah!


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5.MALIKBECOMINGMUSLIM

Firstoffall, Iwould like tostartbysaying that this truestory isnot formyownfameoradmirationbut for thesakeofmyLordand your Lord Allah. All praises due to Allah, the Lord of theworlds, the Beneficent, the Merciful Owner of the day ofjudgement. Iwould liketorepeattoyousomethingIheard: thejourneyofa thousandmileshas tostartwith the firststepandthisisthefirstpartofmyjourney.



My name is Malik Mohammed Hassan and I have recentlyconvertedtoIslam.WhenIwasin juniorhighschoolIwasfirstintroducedtoIslambyreadingthebookRootsbyAlexHaley.Ittaught me a little bit about the strong will that most Muslimspossess,myself included. It also introducedme toAllah. I hadneverheardofAllahinhisrealformuntilIreadthatbookandIwas very curious. I then started reading about The Nation OfIslam(specificallyMalcolmX)anditfascinatedmehowdevotedhewastoAllah,especiallyafterhelefttheselfservingNationOfIslam.ReadingaboutMalcolmmademethinkaboutaGodwho(forachange)didnothaveanyphysicalformorlimitationsand,beingatotallyblindperson, itmademerelatetothesepeople:thepeoplewhoMalcolmandHaleyreferredtoasMuslims.

I continued readingwhat I could about Islam which wasn't asmuch as it should have been. My reading material was verylimitedbecauselikeIsaidabove:Iamatotallyblindpersonandthematerialavailableabout Islam inbrailleoron tapewasnotonly very little,butalsoverygeneral. I believe the reasonwasthatthematerialthatIhadaccesstowasn'twrittenbyMuslimsanditkindofpaintedadarkpictureofIslam.IthinkmostoftheliteraturewrittenbyChristiansornonMuslimsaboutIslamtendsto do that most of the time. And I didn't know that their wereevenMuslimsinHalifaxso Iobviouslydidn'tknowany. Ididn'tevenknowaboutthelocalIslamicassociationuntilIwasalreadyaMuslim.

So, I read what I could until my first year out of high schoolaround themonthofMay,1996,when I receivedaphone callasking me if I wanted to participate in a camp for blind andvisually impairedpeopleknown throughoutCanadaasScore. Iagreed and sent them a resume and praise be to Allah I wasacceptedforwork.

AtfirstIreallydidn'twanttogobutsomethingkepttellingmeitwouldbeagoodideaifIwent.So,onJune30th1996IboardedaplanefromNovaScotiatoTorontoandtookmylasttripasanonMuslimIjustdidn'tknowityet.

IgottoTorontoandeverythingatfirstwasprettynormal...Itwason the second day that I was there when the journey of athousandmilesfirststarted.

IarrivedonaSundayandonthenextdayImetthepersonwhoAllahwouldusewithHisdivinepower tohelpguideme to thebeautifulReligionofIslam.ImetasisternamedRizvanaandifshe reads this Ihopeshedoesn'tgetmadatme forusinghername.

When Imether, I immediatelywanted to talk toherbecause Iliked her name. I asked her of what origin her namewas andshetoldmethatitwasArabicsoIaskedherifshewasMuslimand she replied with the answer of yes. I immediately startedtellingherwhat Ialreadyknewabout Islamwhich lastedabouttenseconds.IstartedaskingherquestionsandalsoaskinghertotalktomeaboutIslam.



OneparticularincidentthatcomestomymindiswhenalloftheworkersatthecampwenttoabaseballgameandthesisterandIstartedtalkingaboutIslamandmissedprettymuchthewholegame.

Well, anyways,we talked for about three,maybe fourdaysonandoffabout IslamandonJuly the fifth ifmymemorydoesn'tfailmeIbecameaMuslim.Mylifehasbeentotallydifferenteversince.IlookatthingsverydifferentlythanIusedtoandIfinallyfeellikeIbelongtoafamily.AllMuslimsarebrothersandsistersin Islam so I could say that I have approximately 1.2 billionbrothers and sisters all of whom I'm proud to be related to. IfinallyknowwhatitfeelsliketobehumbleandtoworshipaGodthatIdon'thavetosee.

ForanynonMuslimreadingthisjustlookatitthisway.It'sgoodto learn, but you never know when you will be tested and ifyou're not in the class at the timeof the final exam nomatterhowmuchyouknowyou'llnevergetanycredit.SolikeIsaidit'sgoodtolearnbutifyouwanttogetcreditsignupfortheclass.Inotherwords,declareshehada (testimony to faith)and letAllahteachyoueverythingyouneedtoknow.Believemetherewardisworthit.Youcouldsaytherewardisliterallyheaven.

IfanygoodcomesoutofthisstoryallthecreditisduetoAllahonlythemistakesaremyown.Iwouldliketomentionapartofahadiththathashadagreateffectonmeandthatis:

"WorshipAllahasifyouseehimandifyoudon'tseehim,knowthatheseesyou."SahihMuslim,Volume1,Number1


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6.MICHAELYIPBECOMINGMUSLIM

June23,1996IwasintroducedtoIslamin1995byanEgyptianclassmatewhoarrived inNewZealand the previous year, andwho was placed into my Chemistry class. I had no religionbefore this, though I guess I was a non practicing Christian,sinceIattendedSundayschoolwhenIwasyoung,(butmainlytolearnChinese,mynativetongue,ratherthanreligion).InfactIwas uninterested in much that was taught to me, however Ineveratanystagediscounted thenotionofahigherbeing (ie.Allah,orGod).

Because of my background in religion, I did not know muchabout religions other than Christianity and Buddhism. MyparentsareBuddhists,butmyknowledgeofitwassoweakthatIdidnotevenknowthepropernamefortheirreligionuntilafewyears ago. So I was naive when I met my classmate,Muhammed.

During the first few weeks, another classmate of mine keptteasingMuhammedabouthisreligion,askingleadingquestionsandthelike.Ithusbecameinterestedinsomeofthethingsthat



this other classmate, James, was suggesting. So I got talkingwithMuhammedaboutthisreligioncalledIslam,andwebecameacquaintedquickly.

I requested toseeaQuranbutdidnot find the time to read it,duringabusyschoolyear.Sowhentheworkloadbecameabitlighter, Iwent toseemy friend's father,who isour local imam.HespoketomeatlengthaboutIslam,andplantedaseedwhichinafewmonthstime,withtheblessingofAllah,blossomedintostrongmuslim,alhumdulillah.ItookshahadainNovember1995.

I am often asked why I came to Islam. The question seemslogical, and simple, but in fact, I still find it the most difficultquestiontoanswer,eventhoughIhavebeenaskeditsomanytimes.Yousee,IsawmanythingsinIslamthatIliked.IncludedinthiswerethestrongbrotherhoodandsisterhoodinIslam,theway fellow muslims looked after each other, and the logic inIslam.Thelogicinwomenwearinghijabtodeterfromthatwhichis haram, the logic in the forbidding of alcohol, which harmsmorethaniteverwillheal,andthelogicinmanyotherareasofourlives.IhavebeentoldthatmanypeoplewhoreverttoIslamfindtheyfitrightinwiththereligion.

Indeedthiswasthecasewithme.Comingfromakafircountrysuch asNewZealand (I have lived heremost ofmy life), it israre for a person to be good religiously like myself,alhumdulillah, masha Allah. You see, alhumdulillah, I madeintentionsinmyheartnevertodrinkinmylife,andneverhaveImade intentionsnot to fornicate,even thougheveryonearoundme inschoolwaseither fornicatingorplanning to.Soyousee,alhumdulillah, Allah blessedme from the beginning, and I feltIslamwasthenextobviousstepformetotakeinmylife.

I decided in November of 1995, with the encouragement withsomebrothersandsistersontheInternet,totakeshahadaasafirst step in Islam, and then take further steps to learn moreabout Islam, after allweare all in a constant state of learningabout Islam.Alhumdulillahsince then Ihaveprogressedslowlybutsurely,learningsomesuratsfromQuranduringaverybusyschool year. Allah blessedmewith some amazing results lastyear, alhumdulillah, and now I want to thank my Allah byincreasingthetimeIspendlearningQuranandaboutIslamthisyear, insha Allah, while I pursue entry into a Medical degree.May Allah give me the strength insha Allah to enter Medicalschool next year. May Allah help us all to learn more aboutIslam,andletusallundertaketoliveourlivesinthecorrectway,and follow theone trueand surely straight path, that of Islam.Ameen.


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7.ROBWICKSBECOMINGMUSLIM

[Inthefollowingarticle,"NOI"referstotheNationofIslam,whichinspiteofitsname,isagroupfarremovedfromIslam.Ed.]



IgrewupBaptist, ina familyofministers, inruralMississippi. Iwent to college at Morehouse College in Atlanta, so I wasexposed to the NOI, but I had the good fortune to becomefriends with an orthodox Muslim who explained to me thedifference betweenNOI and Islam, and the lack of knowledgemostNOIhaveoftrueIslam.Later,afterIleftschoolandbeganworking,Igotaninternetaccount,andstartedtostudysomeofthereligionsof theworld. Ihadnever reallybeenaparticularlyreligiousperson,duetomysomewhatscientificnature.Ialwaysinsist on proof. I started to delve deeper into Christianity, andstudied it intently on the Web. I was somewhat disdainedhoweverbysomeinconsistencies in theBible. Iprincipallywastroubled by the Trinity, though. I just did not see it. The onepassage I saw as being most supportive (1 John 5:7) waspartially forged. When I read Mathew 19:1617, and Jesus(pbuh)says"Whycallestthoumegood?,itwascleartomethathewas saying that he was not good, and only God was. ButmostoftheChristiansseemedtothinkJesuswasbeingtongueincheekatthispoint.IfoundthatIwouldhavetobedishonesttoacceptthis.

Thenfortune?smileduponme.Ihitadeerinmycar.Itwasoutof service for almost a month. During that time, I wasunemployed,buthadsavedmoney,soIcould live(Ialsohavetworoommates).Istillhadmyinternetaccount,andIdecidedtostudy more. After I had studied the Biblical contradictions, inaddition to the inherent idolatry and unscriptural nature of theTrinity, along with other things, I rejected Christianity as areligion.EvenJesusdidnotseemtoteachit,hetaughtbeliefinGod.Iwentatimewithoutanyreligion,thinkingmaybeitwasallasham. Ihavea friendwho is in the5%NOI,and I sawhowmuchhehatedreligion,andIdecidedthat Ididnotwant tobelikethat.

I believe that God kept my mind open and my heart fromhardening against Him, and I studied Islam. Everything justseemed to fit:a reasoned faithwhichwasveryprayerful tokeepusonthestraightpath,yetdidnotdisdainacquisitionofknowledge (the preachers back home loved to rail againsteducation,asifignoranceispreferredbyGod).Islamseemedtobemadeforme.AgoodMuslimwastheexactsortofpersonIaspiredtobe.Afteranothermonthofstudyandprayer,Idecidedthat if Muhammad (pbuh) was not a prophet, then there hadneverbeenprophets inthefirstplace.ThemomentofdecisioncameonenightwhenIwasreadingtheQur'anandIread21:30,andIreadofGodexpandinghiscreation.Now,Ialmostbecameanastronomeratonepoint,andIstillaminterested,andtheseverses hit me like a sledgehammer. I became fearful of God,andwantedtoworshiphimbetter.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

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8.SAMIRBECOMINGMUSLIM



MyconversiontoIslamhasbeenintellectualandemotional.Myparents have both been educated at the universitylevel. Mymother is aChristian convert (shewasatheist), andmy fatherhaspersonalbeliefs.Myfamilyisratherrich.

Ever since I was very young, I've been interested by politicalquestions. I enjoyed reading history books, although I wasconfusedalittlebitbetweenmilitaryhistoryandpolitics.Icalledmyself a communist, but today I wouldn't say I knew what itmeans.Overtime,Ilearnedrealpoliticsandsociology,butwhenthecommunistblocfell,Iadmittedmyerrorandwasnolongerafan of the communist states. I became agnostic, and thoughtthat all human beings are condemned to egotism and toignorance of some questions, like the existence of God. Ilearnedphilosophy.Iwantedtoavoiddoingthesamemistakesasinthepast,andsoIrefusedalldogmas.Atthistimeoccuredtheseparationofmyparents,andalsootherpersonalproblems.

To forget all this, I spent a lot of time in laughing with (fake)friends, drinking, and then smoking cigarettes, then hash. Isometimes took hard drugs (heroin, LSD, and some otherpoisons). Despite this, I passed my baccalaureat (this is anexam that ends four years of college and gives the right tocontinuegraduatelevelstudyattheuniversity).Bychance,Ihadtogoatthearmy(wedonothavethechoiceinthecountryIlivein). The strict rules I could not avoid there were a very goodthingformealso,Iwastiredenoughtoenjoysimplethingsaseating and sleeping. Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), mymentalitychanged.

Back incivilsociety, Ispentonemoredarkyear: Ialwayshadthe temptation of my bad habits, and I felt that life was verysuperficialafter thebigeffortsand the friendshipof thearmy. Ibegan feeling thenecessityof somethingelse inmy life.Thenoneofmysisters,backfromajourneytoSyria,gavemeabook.Thisbook,written inmy language, isagiftshe received there.Its author, who had titled it "The Bible, Quran and Science",wanted to show that there are in the Quran some things thatweresimply impossible forahumanbeing toknowat the timethe Quran was revealed. Conclusion: the authenticity of theQuran is proved, scientifically proved. The first thing I thoughtafterhavingreadthebookwas:"Oh!Itwouldbesuper!"Iwasreadyforachangeinmywayoflife.

I boughta translation of theQuran to compare. Before havingentirely read it, I had becomeaMuslim, alhamdulillah.As youcan see, a psychologist wouldn't have any problem to explainwhathewouldcallmychoice.Forme,allthingscomefromGodandHehadwrittenthisforme,HehadchosenthesemeanstomakemeacceptIslam.Alhamdulillah!Whatnopsychologistcansee iswhathappens inmyheartwhen I read theQuran: faithhas little to do with what one feels in front of a scientificdemonstration!




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9.YAHIYEADAMGADAHNBECOMINGMUSLIM

MyfirstseventeenyearshavebeenabitdifferentthantheyouthexperiencedbymostAmericans.Igrewuponanextremelyruralgoat ranch inWesternRiversideCounty, California, wheremyfamily raises on average 150 to 200 animals formilk, cheese,andmeat.Myfatherisahalalbutcher[abutcherwhoslaughtersinanIslamicmannered.]andsuppliestoanIslamicFoodMartafewblocksfromtheIslamicCenterindowntownLosAngeles.

My father was raised agnostic or atheist, but he became abeliever in One God when he picked up a Bible left on thebeach.HeoncehadanumberofMuslimfriends,butthey'veallmovedoutofCalifornianow.MymotherwasraisedCatholic,soshe leans towards Christianity (although she, like my father,disregards the Trinity). I and my siblings were/are homeschooled,andasyoumayknow,mosthomeschoolfamiliesareChristian.Inthelast8orsoyears,wehavebeeninvolvedwithsomehomeschoolingsupportgroups,thusacquaintingmewithfundamentalistChristianity.Itwasaneyeopeningexperience.

Settingasidetheblinddogmatismandcharismaticwackiness,itwasquiteashock tomewhen I realized that thesepeople, intheirprayers,wereactuallyprayingTOJESUS.Yousee,Ihadalways believed that Jesus (pbuh) was, at the very most, theSonofGod(sincethat iswhattheBiblemistranslates "ServantofGod" as).As I learned that belief in theTrinity, something Ifindabsolutelyridiculous,isconsideredbymostChristianstobeaprerequisiteforsalvation,IgraduallyrealizedIcouldnotbeaChristian.

In themeantime, IhadbecomeobsessedwithdemonicHeavyMetalmusic,somethingtherestofmyfamily (as Inowrealize,rightfullyso)wasnothappywith.Myentire lifewasfocusedonexpandingmymusiccollection.Ieschewedpersonalcleanlinessand let my room reach an unbelievable state of disarray. Myrelationship with my parents became strained, although onlyintermittentlyso.IamsorryevenasIwritethis.

Earlierthisyear,IbegantolistentotheapocalypticramblingsofChristianradio's"prophecyexperts."Theirparanoidespousalofvariousconspiracytheories,rabidsupportofIsraelandreligiousZionism,andfierypreachingaboutthe"IslamicThreat"heldforme a strange fascination.Why?Well, I suppose it was simplytheneedIwasfeelingtofillthatvoidIhadcreatedformyself.Inany case, I soon found that thebeliefs theseevangelistsheld,suchasOriginalSin and the Infallibility of "God'sWord",werenot inagreementwithmy theological ideas (not tomention theBible)andIbegantolookforsomethingelsetoholdonto.

The turning point, perhaps, was when I moved in with mygrandparents here in Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange,California.My grandmother, a computerwhiz, is hookedup toAmerica Online and I have been scooting the informationsuperhighway since January. But when I moved in, with the



intentoffindingajob(easiersaidthandone),Ibegintovisitthereligion folders on AOL and the Usenet newsgroups, where IfounddiscussionsonIslamtobethemostintriguing.

You see, I discovered that the beliefs and practices of thisreligion fit my personal theology and intellect as well as basichuman logic. Islam presents God not as an anthropomorphicbeing but as an entity beyond human comprehension,transcendent ofman, independent and undivided. Islam has aholybook that is comprehensible toa layman,and there isnopapacy or priesthood that is considered infallible inmatters ofinterpretation: all Muslims are free to reflect and interpret thebookgivenasufficienteducation.

Islamdoesnotbelieve thatallmenaredoomed toHellunlessthey simply accept that God (apparently unable to forgiveotherwise)magnanimouslyallowedHimself tobe torturedonacrosstoenableHimtoforgiveallhumanbeingswhojustbelievethatHeallowedHimself tobetorturedonacross...IslamdoesnotbelieveinaChosenRace.Andonandon...

AsIbeganreadingEnglishtranslationsoftheQur'an,IbecamemoreandmoreconvincedofthetruthandauthenticityofAllah'steachingscontainedinthose114chapters.HavingbeenaroundMuslims inmy formative years, I knewwell that theywerenotthebloodthirsty,barbaricterroriststhatthenewsmediaandthetelevangelistspaintthemtobe.Perhapsthisknowledgeledmeto continuemy personal research further than another personwouldhave. Ican'tsaywhen Iactuallydecided that Islamwasforme.Itwasreallyanaturalprogression.

Inanycase,lastweek[November1995ed.]IwenttotheIslamicSocietyofOrangeCountyinGardenGroveandtoldthebrotherin chargeof the library I wanted to be aMuslim.He gavemesomeexcellentreadingmaterial,andlastFridayItookShahada[accepted thecreedof Islamed.]in frontofapackedmasjid. IhavespentthisweeklearningtoperformSalatandreflectingonthegreatnessofAllah.It feelsgreat tobeaMuslim!Subhaanarabbiyal'azeem!


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10.YUSUFMUHAMMADANSARI

"YoungManTravelstheWorldtoFindHimselfInPrison"


Assalaamu'alaikum!IampostingthisstoryonbehalfofabrotherwhoisnowservinghisterminaprisoninScotlandandhencehasnoaccesstotheinternet.Heisabrotherwhotakeshisbeliefveryseriouslyandlooksforwardtocorrespondwithotherbrothersandsistersfordiscussions,exchangeopinionsandideas.Ihopethisstorywouldattractattentionofvisitorsofyourwebsitetobefriend



thissincerebrother.JamaludinYaakob

MYJOURNEYTOISLAM

In September 4 1993 I began a journey that was a childhooddream.IleftmyhomecityofAberdeen,Scotlandat4.10p.m.withthe intentionofdrivingmycampervanall thewaytoGoa, India,and back. Before I undertook this journey I spent a lot of timereadingonthecountries,customs,peoplesandreligionswhichatthevery least couldgivemeabasicunderstandingof thehow Ishouldreactwhenarrivinguponeachplace.

Althoughthediversityofthepeopleswasatasktotakeonboard,itwasthediversityofreligionsthatstuckmostinmymind.ThereseemedtobeformeanexcitementaboutIslamiccountries,whichkeptcomingtomythought.

The journey went well with the exception of a few mechanicalproblems throughout Eastern Europe. The first Islamic country IwastoreachwasTurkey.AlthoughIhadbeentherebefore,IhadneverbeentoIstanbul.

Iwastiredandneededrest.Asonewoulddo,Ileftmycamperina campsite and spent the next three weeks adhoc travelingthroughthecenterofthecitytoseethesites.Onwhatwastobemy last day in Istanbul I visited the Blue Mosque and the PinkMosque [probably theAyaSofia MSAUSC.]. This,my brothersandsisters,wastobemyintroductiontotheoneandtruereligionofAlIslam. ItwasaFriday,andas I recallduring 'Asrprayernoone(fromthetourists)wasallowedinthePinkMosque.Duetomyinquisitiveness I got firstly lost inside the mosque and secondlyfound myself locked in standing at the back watching thewonderful eventof 'Asrprayerunfoldingbeforemyeyes. I feel Icanneverquiteexpressclearlywhathappenednextexcepttosaythat I felt drawn, numb and very hot all at the same time.Unwittingly I remembered thinking that this was really for mewithoutquestioningwhyorwhatthisreligionwasallabout.Iknewthebasicbeliefwasthat therewasonlyoneGod. Ibelievedthatallmylifeanyway.Theprayerhad finishedandallwereon theirway out. A brother approached me. I felt embarrassed as Iapologized for being there when I should not. He smiled andassuredmethatitwasallright.

Afterleavingthemosque,Iwentonawalkaboutheadingtowardstheharbourarea.IwasstandinglookinginawindowwhenIfeltapresencebehindme.IturnedaroundtoseethesamemanImetinthemosqueagainhesmiled.Hetoldmetowaitamomentashewentdownstairs in theshop.Whenheappearedagaina fewmomentslater,hehandedmeaplasticbagandsaid"Isthiswhatyouhavebeen lookingforbrother?"AsI looked in thebagtherewasatranslationoftheHolyQur'aninEnglish.Thiswaswhenanamazing thing happened. I looked up to thank him but he wasgone.Thestrangethingwasthattherewasnosideroad,alleyorlane for him to simply disappear. Until this day I have neverfiguredoutwherehehadgone.

The journey recommenced the next day, heading towards



EasternTurkey.IbegantoreadtheQur'anintheeveningandfeltdrawntovisitmosquesroute.EverytimeImetMuslimpeopletheywere forever inviting me to their homes for meals, etc. Theirpoliteness and good character was what I have encounteredbefore. My head was full of emptiness waiting to be filled withknowledge and I constantly asked questions about Islam. Isomehow felt that I had found something thatwas always therebutdidnotknowhowtofinditandwhatitwas.

Iranwastobethesame.ThemoreItraveledthemoreIfeltdrawnto the mosques and the company of the people. There wassomethingdistinctiveabouthowthepeoplewere.AtfirstIcouldn'tput my finger on it. I came from the West where I had beennurtured into a set of beliefs, values and attitude. The attitudeseemed hard to shake off. The attitude that I matter, I amindispensable, Iwillstandonwho Ineed to,so Imayget to thetop.Who is God? Does it matter? Money and prestige is moreimportant, is itnot? I feltaconstantbattleas Icame from there,butIsomehowfeltIbelongedhere.

All thewaythroughIran Inever felt intimidated, in fact,quite theopposite. If I had taken all the many offers of meals,accommodation,etc.,IfearthatIwouldstillbethere,andIwouldhavegottenintotroublewiththeauthorities.Myvisawasforoneweekonly.

ThenextcountrywasPakistan.Herewaswherethingsgotevenbetter. The people were quite at ease and seemed happy toanswermynonstopquestionsonIslam.Ivisitedmoremosques.IwasinmorehousesinPakistanthanIhadprobablyeverbeenathome.

Another thing that I have always believed in before embracingIslamwaspredestination.Othersmaycallitfate.Thishadledmeto the next encounter of life with the Muslim people. Mywindscreen had broken and I ended up searching Quetta for anewone.IwasdirectedtoTradesmenStreet.TherewaswhereImetMuhammad,amotorbody repairer.Hekindly letmestay inhislockupyard for fivedaysuntilhecould locateawindscreen.EverydaywithoutfailheIateathishouseorhebroughtmefood.He took me to meet the headmasters of both a public and aprivateschool.HerefusedpointblankthatIshouldputmyhandinmy pocket to buy anything. He told me stories of the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) and other Islamic issues.At times I found it difficult tocontain my emotions. I could not believe the hospitality I wasreceiving.

One occasion sticks in my mind which left me in tears andastounded.IwasinMuhammad'shouseforlunch.Therewashisfamilythereincludingaroundthirteenchildren.WhileItaughtthema Scottish nursery rhyme Muhammad videotaped us together.Within minute the children who spoke no English, mastered it.WhenIwasenteringmyvanIheardsomecommotionattheendof the street. There, there were around one hundred childrenrunning towards me singing the Scottish nursery rhyme. I wassurroundedas the tears ran frommy cheekswith joy. Itwas sobeautiful.Herewasastrangerinastrangelandandtheywanted



nothingfrommeexceptjusttostayalittlebitlonger.Ihadtogo.ThefollowingdayIvisitedthelocalmosqueandsaidmygoodbyewithregret.

OntheroadtothePakistani/IndianborderIcontinuedtoreadtheQur'anandstillquestionwhythesepeoplewerebeingsonicetomebutwantednothinginreturn.Strangeindeed.

As I said before, I was coming from the West where, in thematerial sense, they have everything. There was me travelingthroughalandwithahouseonwheelswhilearoundmesomanypeoplewere living insqualor. Ifyouhaveneverhadnothingyoudonotknowwhat it's like,or, frommypointofview, Ihadneverexperiencednothing.

Mynextencountershowedmethesimplicityofmaninrelationtoour Creator, Allah (s.w.t.). As I drove the Sindh region in thedesert Ibegan tobecomeanxious to findaplaceoff the road topark for the evening. Suddenly I came upon a simple house ofclay in the middle of nowhere. I approached the house andknocked on the door. An oldman answered. I said "As salaamAlaykum",he replied in kind. I asked if itwasok to park for thenight?HespokenoEnglishbutacknowledgedwhatImeant.

Heinvitedmefortea.ImmediatelyIbecameconsciouslyawareofthe simplicity of his dwelling. There was nothing which did nothaveause,andeverythingwastoabareminimum.AsIrecalledtheitems,therewasastaffcarpet,acopyofalQur'an,apotandawaterskin.Wesatonthecarpetanddranktea.Ashemovedtothewindow,heleftwithoutwarningwiththewaterskinandamatin hand. After a good five minutes had passed, I went outside.What I saw next I could only describe as 'the day the worldstopped.' As the sun dropped out of the sky below the horizon,therewascompletesilence.Themaninfrontofmedroppedtohisknees in total obedient worship to our Creator, a memory thatlastswithmeuntilthisday.

Imadeit toIndia,visitedmoremosquesandmadeitall thewayback unscathed. I thought the people back home had changed,theyhadnot,butIhad.

It is so easy to allow yourself to be consumed by the methodratherthanbeingthemethod.Pleaseallowmetoelaborate.WhileintheEast,Ihadaccommodation,moneyandforonceinmylife,simplicity,empathyandunderstanding. It is not that I don't havethem now. It's simply a different game with different rules andplayers.Itendtocallitthereverseprocess.Insimpleterms,tothewonderfulcreationsintheEast,Godistheimportantfactor.Itwastobemydownfallbackhere intheWest, tradinggodformoney,oryoumaycall itmaterialism. It seemseasy tosaynowbut formeanythingwiththeword'ISM'attachedshouldbeavoidedatallcosts.

No! Istillhadnotembraced Islam.Althoughconsciousofwhat Ihadlearned,Iputitonthebackburner.Thequestforme,whichseemedmore important,was accommodation, job, flat, and car.Allof thesedon'tgrowontreesand,reallyhowmoneybecomes



available never really mattered. I couldn't find a proper job. MywifewhohadbeenmyconstanttravelingpartnerbecamejustasdisillusionedasIdid.Wehadonlybeenmarriedashorttimeandevengettingmarriedtoeachotherwasevershorteronthreeanda halfmonth.We couldn't get work wewere tired of travel andextremelytiredofeachother.

As things got progressively worse as we could not find work oraccommodation,thingsweregettingdesperate.Mywifefoundanadvertisementinthelocalpaperaskingforasaunareceptionist.InournaivetwebothbelievedthataSaunawasinfactaSauna.Atthe same time she got the job, I got offered someworkdealingand running drugs. The sauna turned out to be a front forprostitution and itwas not long beforemywife decided to swapanswering the telephone for the red light. We both loved themoney,webothbecamedrugsusersandallseemedfantastic.

This was to be short lived. It tore us apart. We were in a webwherethereseemednowayout.Ontheonehandweneededthemoneytofeedourcocainehabit.Ontheotherhand,Igotsickofdrugs, money, prostitution, in fact, everything. We kept thecompanyoflikemindedcharactersthathelpedfeedthedesireforselfgratification. I triedsohard togetoff thedrugs. In themeantimeItriedtogetmywifeofftheprostitution.Sheseemedbynowto love the money more than me. I would sit for many hoursstaringatthisaccumulatingamountofmoneybeforemyeyeswithtotaldisdain.LittledidIrealizethatallwasabouttochangefirstfortheworst.

Two weeks before 15 April 1996 two things happenedsimultaneously.Thefirstthinghappenedafteranencountertothelibrary. I took a book out on loan called "The Basics of Islam".Inside I foundwhat one sayswhen taking theShahadah. I waslonely,desperateandsearchingfortherightway.Ihadnooneinthis strange city towitnessme taking theShahadah. I thereforehad no choice. I took my Shahadah bearing witness to Allah(s.w.t.)fourtimes.Itookthepilesofmoneyandputitinajackinacupboard.Iflushedtheremainingdrugsinthetoilet.Ifeltaliveforthefirsttimeinalongtime,althoughshortlived.

My wife who had become a stranger to me arrived back thatevening. I told her of the day's events. This was to be the finalacclaim.Wespoke littleover thenext twoweeks. IhadmyplansetthatIwasgoingbackeast.Inallthisconfusionwebothplottedaterriblecrimeandtheendresultwouldbewewouldgotogethereast.Everybodysays Iam innocent. Iwassetup,etc.etc. Iamnot going to say this at all: I am guilty of committing a horriblecrimeandtheconsequenceofmyactionhasledmeservingalifesentence.Mywife?Shegotoffandnowwearedivorced, thankGod!

I have now served three years of my sentence and expect toserve a further seven or eight years. You may well rememberearlierthatIsaideverythingispreordained.IhavequestionedonmanyoccasionsastohowdidIenduphere.Thestorysaysitall.Nevertheless,brothersandsisters,everythinghasareason.Onemightaskwhathaveyoudonewithyour time inprison?What is



the future of your life? What are your hopes, dreams andaspirations?

Well,Ithinkitgoeslikethis.NomancanrunriotthroughthelandwithouttakingresponsibilityforhisactionsandIfeelitisbettertobepunishedinthislifethaninthehereafter.

When I first came to prison I was in Stoughton Jail, Edinburgh.Afterbeingprocessedwherealldetailswereaskedfor,oneofthequestions was what religion are you? I replied Islam. I wasimmediatelygivenaMuslimdietandallowedtogototheMuslimmeetings where brothers from outside came to the prisonfortnightly. IrecalledthefirstmeetingasIwalkedintotheroomIheldmyheadinshame.Icouldn'tstopsayingwhydidIdothat.Iweptasthebrothersgavemesupport.Ibymyactionscreatednotjust one victim but so many. My victim's family, friends, workassociates,etc.haveallbeenaffectedbymythoughtlessactions.Ihaveseenmyfatherturnedgray,mymotheronantidepressiontabletsandmybrothertoo.

Iwillprobablynevereverknowtherealimpactofmycrimeuponmyvictim,nordoIeverexpectforgiveness.Iamdeeplysorryandashamedofmyactions.

OneofthebrothersinEdinburghsaidtome'youcan'tchangethepast, you can only hope to attain to be a better person in thefuture.'ItookmyShahadahagainthateveningthistimeinfrontofwitnesses,backin1996.

The easy part, which may seem the hardest part, is gettingaccustomedtonothingnessandsolitude.Thatisonethingprisondoes for aman. It gives you time, plenty of it, to think.My firstreactionwastothinkofwhatIhadlostnotonlyfamily,friends,myrespectandallofthat"ISM'materialism.

Soon I lost the need for materialism. As I sit here now in theconcretetomb,Iexchangemycoatofmaterialismforspiritualism.IhaveembracedIslamfully,slowly,butsurely.Iambuildingupanew set of moral and ethical values. I pray five times daily asprescribedinIslamandbegAllah(s.w.t.)forforgiveness.

WhathaveIdonewithmytimeyoumayask?Ihaveundertakenahome study course in Islamic Studies which consists of twentybookletsonvariousIslamicsubjects,whichoncompletionleadstofiveO' grades orGCSES. I have undertaken the first year of adegree course in Arabic and Islamic Studies. I read the Qur'anand the Ahadeeth of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) daily. I getimmeasurable support from regular visits from the brothers fromtheAberdeenMosque.Whyalltheseyoumayask?Well,Ibelievein Allah (s.w.t.), I believe that good can overrule bad and onlythroughthestraightpathofIslamcanthisbeachieved.

IwanttobeanassettosocietywhenIeventuallyleavetheprison,inshallah. I hope that Imay have obtainedmy degree in ArabicandIslamicStudiesbythensoasImayundertakeda'awahworkandhopefullygetajobteachingIslamicsubjects.

My shortterm objective is that I may be able to obtain some



correspondencewithMuslimsworldwide in thehope that Imaybeable togivesupportandhopefully receivesome too.My finalhopeisthatImaybeabletogetanotherchanceofmarriage.So,if any of you out there would be interested in correspondenceand/ormarriage,youcancontactmeatthefollowingaddress.

YusufMuhammadAnsari

Reg.No26202,H.M.Prison,PeterheadAB426YYScotland

MayAllah (s.w.t.)grantyouallsuccess in this lifeand in the lifeHereafter,Ameen.

Myshortresume:

Name:YusufMuhammadAnsariAge:38Height:5'7"Weight:11.7stoneAppearance:Roundface,beard,shorthairCurrentStatus:LifesentenceprisonQualifications:EnglishGCSE,InformationTechnology1+2,WordProcessing,Math,5GCSEIslamicStudies,currentlyundertakingDegreecourseinArabicandIslamicStudies.Nationality:BritishCaucasian:WhiteMaritalStatus:DivorcedChildren:1daughter(noaccessorvisitingright)PreviousEmployment:Oilrigsoffshore(6&1/2years):Helicopterlandingofficer:Derrickman:Selfemployedhouserestorer(5years)

Sincerelyyours:YusufMuhammadAnsari

Aug.3rd,1999

Excerptedfrom:http://www.islamtomorrow.com/converts/

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11.YUSUFISLAM

(HowIcametoIslambyYusufIslam.FromMusiciantoMuslimbyAllah'sWill)


AllIhavetosayisallwhatyouknowalready,toconfirmwhatyoualready know, themessage of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam)asgivenbyGodtheReligionofTruth.Ashumanbeingswearegivena consciousnessandaduty that hasplacedusatthe topofcreation.Man iscreated tobeGod'sdeputyonearth,and it is important to realize theobligation to ridourselvesofallillusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life.



Anybodywhomissesthischanceisnotlikelytobegivenanother,to be brought back again and again, because it says in Qur'anMajeedthatwhenmanisbroughttoaccount,hewillsay,"OLord,sendusbackandgiveusanotherchance."TheLordwillsay,"IfIsendyoubackyouwilldothesame."

MYEARLYRELIGIOUSUPBRINGING

Iwasbroughtupinthemodernworldofalltheluxuryandthehighlifeofshowbusiness.IwasborninaChristianhome,butweknowthateverychildisborninhisoriginalnatureitisonlyhisparentsthat turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion(Christianity)and thought thisway. Iwas taught thatGodexists,but there was no direct contact with God, so we had to makecontactwithHimthroughJesushewasinfactthedoortoGod.Thiswasmoreorlessacceptedbyme,butIdidnotswallowitall.

I looked at someof the statues of Jesus theywere just stoneswithnolife.AndwhentheysaidthatGodisthree,Iwaspuzzledevenmorebutcouldnotargue.Imoreorlessbelievedit,becauseIhadtohaverespectforthefaithofmyparents.

POPSTAR

Gradually I became alienated from this religious upbringing. Istartedmakingmusic.Iwantedtobeabigstar.AllthosethingsIsawinthefilmsandonthemediatookholdofme,andperhapsIthought this wasmy God, the goal of making money. I had anunclewhohadabeautifulcar."Well,"Isaid,"hehasitmade.Hehasalotofmoney."ThepeoplearoundmeinfluencedmetothinkthatthiswasitthisworldwastheirGod.

Idecidedthenthatthiswasthelifeformetomakealotofmoney,havea'greatlife.'Nowmyexampleswerethepopstars.Istartedmaking songs, but deep down I had a feeling for humanity, afeelingthatifIbecamerichIwouldhelptheneedy.(ItsaysintheQur'an, wemake a promise, but whenwemake something, wewanttoholdontoitandbecomegreedy.)

Sowhathappenedwas that Ibecamevery famous. Iwasstill ateenager, my name and photo were splashed in all the media.Theymademelargerthanlife,soIwantedtolivelargerthanlifeandtheonlywaytodothatwastobeintoxicated(withliquoranddrugs).

INHOSPITAL

Afterayearoffinancialsuccessand'high'living,Ibecameveryill,contractedTBandhadtobehospitalized.ItwasthenthatIstartedto think:Whatwas tohappentome?WasI justabody,andmygoalinlifewasmerelytosatisfythisbody?Irealizednowthatthiscalamitywasablessinggiven tomebyAllah,achance toopenmy eyes "Why am I here?Why am I in bed?" and I startedlooking for some of the answers. At that time there was greatinterest in the Easternmysticism. I began reading, and the firstthing I began to becomeaware ofwas death, and that the soulmovesonitdoesnotstop.IfeltIwastakingtheroadtoblissand



high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became avegetarian. I nowbelieved in 'peaceand flower power,' and thiswasthegeneraltrend.ButwhatIdidbelieveinparticularwasthatIwasnotjustabody.Thisawarenesscametomeatthehospital.

OnedaywhenIwaswalkingandIwascaughtintherain,IbeganrunningtotheshelterandthenIrealized,'Waitaminute,mybodyisgettingwet,mybodyistellingmeIamgettingwet.'Thismademethinkofasayingthatthebodyis likeadonkey,andithastobetrainedwhereithastogo.Otherwise,thedonkeywillleadyouwhereitwantstogo.

ThenIrealizedIhadawill,aGodgivengift:followthewillofGod.I was fascinated by the new terminology I was learning in theEastern religion.Bynow Iwas fedupwithChristianity. I startedmaking music again and this time I started reflecting my ownthoughts.Irememberthelyricofoneofmysongs.Itgoeslikethis:"IwishIknew,IwishIknewwhatmakestheHeaven,whatmakestheHell.DoIgettoknowYouinmybedorsomedustycellwhileothersreachthebighotel?"andIknewIwasonthePath.

Ialsowroteanothersong,"TheWaytoFindGodOut."Ibecameevenmore famous in the world of music. I really had a difficulttimebecauseIwasgettingrichandfamous,andatthesametime,Iwas sincerely searching for theTruth. Then I came to a stagewhereIdecidedthatBuddhismisallrightandnoble,butIwasnotreadytoleavetheworld.Iwastooattachedtotheworldandwasnot prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself fromsociety.

I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. ItriedtolookbackintotheBibleandcouldnotfindanything.Atthistime I did not know anything about Islam, and then, what Iregarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited themosqueinJerusalemandwasgreatlyimpressedthatwhileontheone hand it throbbed with life (unlike the churches andsynagogues which were empty), on the other hand, anatmosphereofpeaceandtranquilityprevailed.

THEQUR'AN

When he came to London he brought back a translation of theQur'an,whichhegavetome.HedidnotbecomeaMuslim,buthefeltsomethinginthisreligion,andthoughtImight findsomethinginitalso.

And when I received the book, a guidance that would explaineverythingtomewhoIwaswhatwasthepurposeoflifewhatwas therealityandwhatwouldbe therealityandwhere Icamefrom I realizedthat thiswasthetruereligionreligionnot in thesensetheWestunderstandsit,notthetypeforonlyyouroldage.IntheWest,whoeverwishestoembraceareligionandmakeithisonlywayof life isdeemedafanatic.Iwasnotafanatic,Iwasatfirstconfusedbetweenthebodyandthesoul.ThenIrealizedthatthebodyandsoularenotapartandyoudon'thave togo to themountaintobereligious.WemustfollowthewillofGod.Thenwecanrisehigherthantheangels.ThefirstthingIwantedtodonow



wastobeaMuslim.

I realized thateverythingbelongs toGod, that slumberdoesnotovertakeHim.Hecreatedeverything.AtthispointIbegantolosethepride inme,becausehereto I had thought the reason Iwasherewasbecauseofmyowngreatness.But I realized that Ididnotcreatemyself,andthewholepurposeofmybeingherewastosubmittotheteachingthathasbeenperfectedbythereligionweknowasAlIslam.AtthispointIstarteddiscoveringmyfaith.IfeltIwasaMuslim.Onreading theQur'an, Inowrealized thatall theProphetssentbyGodbroughtthesamemessage.WhythenweretheJewsandChristiansdifferent? IknownowhowtheJewsdidnotacceptJesusastheMessiahandthat theyhadchangedHisWord.EventheChristiansmisunderstandGod'sWordandcalledJesus thesonofGod.Everythingmadesomuchsense.This isthebeautyoftheQur'anitasksyoutoreflectandreason,andnotto worship the sun or moon but the One Who has createdeverything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun andmoonandGod'screationingeneral.Doyourealizehowdifferentthesunisfromthemoon?Theyareatvaryingdistancesfromtheearth, yet appear the same size to us at times one seems tooverlaptheother.

Even when many of the astronauts go to space, they see theinsignificant size of the earth and vastness of space. Theybecome very religious, because they have seen the Signs ofAllah.

When I read theQur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindnessandcharity.IwasnotaMuslimyet,butIfeltthattheonlyanswerformewastheQur'an,andGodhadsentittome,andIkeptitasecret.ButtheQur'analsospeaksondifferent levels. Ibegantounderstanditonanotherlevel,wheretheQur'ansays,

Oyewhobelieve!Takenot for friendsunbelievers ratherthan believers: Do ye wish to offer Allah an open proofagainstyourselves?(AnNisa4:144)

ThusatthispointIwishedtomeetmyMuslimbrothers.

CONVERSION

ThenIdecidedtojourneytoJerusalem(asmybrotherhaddone).AtJerusalem,Iwenttothemosqueandsatdown.AmanaskedmewhatIwanted.ItoldhimIwasaMuslim.Heaskedwhatwasmyname. I told him, "Stevens."Hewas confused. I then joinedtheprayer, thoughnot so successfully.Back in London, Imet asistercalledNafisa.ItoldherIwantedtoembraceIslamandshedirectedmetotheNewRegentMosque.Thiswasin1977,aboutoneandahalf yearsafter I received theQur'an.Now I realizedthat I must get rid of my pride, get rid of Iblis, and face onedirection.SoonaFriday,afterJummah' Iwent to the Imamanddeclaredmy faith (the Kalimah) at this hands. You have beforeyousomeonewhohadachievedfameandfortune.Butguidancewassomethingthateludedme,nomatterhowhardItried,untilIwas shown theQur'an.Now I realize I can get in direct contactwithGod,unlikeChristianity or any other religion.As oneHindu



ladytoldme,"Youdon'tunderstandtheHindus.WebelieveinoneGod we use these objects (idols) tomerely concentrate."WhatshewassayingwasthatinordertoreachGod,onehastocreateassociates, thatare idols for thepurpose.But Islam removesallthesebarriers.Theonly thing thatmoves thebelievers from thedisbelieversisthesalat.Thisistheprocessofpurification.

FinallyIwishtosaythateverythingIdoisforthepleasureofAllahand pray that you gain some inspirations frommy experiences.Furthermore,IwouldliketostressthatIdidnotcomeintocontactwithanyMuslimbefore Iembraced Islam. I read theQur'an firstandrealizedthatnopersonisperfect. Islamisperfect,andifweimitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) we will be successful. May Allah give us guidance tofollowthepathoftheummahofMuhammad(Sallallahualayhiwasallam).Ameen!

YusufIslam(formerlyCatStevens)

Excerptedfrom:http://www.islamtomorrow.com/converts/

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12.YUSUFALIBERNIER

(CanadianCatholicDiscoversIslam)

ThisdayhaveIperfectedyourreligionforyou,completedMy favoruponyou,andhavechosen foryou Islamasyourreligion...(HolyQur'an,Surah5,verse3)

TheRomanCatholicreligionisdictatedbythePopefromthetopdowntothepriestsatthebottom.IfaMuslimweretowalkintoaCatholicchurch,itwouldbelikewalkingintoadifferentworld.Hewould find row upon row of pews in which the worshipers sit,stainedglasswindowswithperhapsscenesof the lastsupperortheMessiahcarryingacross,etc.OnthefrontwallinallchurchesistheMessiahonacrossandbelowisanaltarwherethepriestdelivers his Sunday sermon. In some older churches, you mayeven find magnificent statue figures of Jesus, saints, Mary themotherofJesusandsoon.Churchservicesaremainlyrepetitiverituals, singing, and prayers to Jesus or Mary or God andsometimestosaints.ThisisthetypeofworldinwhichIlivedandgrewupmostofmylife.

IfyouweretoaskmewhyIconvertedtoIslam,myanswerwouldfillvolumes.However,ifyouweretoaskmewhatledmetoIslamI would have to say, now looking back, that it was my firstencounterreadingtheBibleat theageofabout ten. IusedtositbewilderedreadingtheBibleintoataperecorder.Afterfinishing,Iwould play the tape back in hopes of grasping the meaning ofwhatIhadjustread,usuallytonoavail.SoonSundaysIwatchedsermonsontelevision,orderedfreeBibles,anddonatedasmuchas Icould (whichcouldnothavebeenmuch foraboyof ten) tothe television evangelists. I received letters of gratitude andblessingsandthatmademefeelgood.



ThiscontinuedforayearorsountilfinallyIbecametoofrustrated,lost,andhonestlyboredwiththewholeprocess.ItuckedtheBibleaway in my dresser drawer, and I would only refer to itoccasionally throughout my childhood and teenage years. Iaccepted the fact that I would never truly understand the Bible.Thatis,ironically,untillaterwhenIbecameMuslim.OnlythendidIbegintogainacompleteunderstandingofit.

What had confused me reading the Bible then was thecontradictionbetweenthebookandwhatIhadbeentaughtallmylifebypriestsandreligiouspedagogues.Ifoundthatalmosteveryaspectofmybeliefwasshakenorsimplydidnotmakesenseatall upon referring to the Bible. The very core of my faith, I hadlearned,wasfalse.ThisbroughtmetothepointinmylifewhereIwaspessimisticandcynicaltowardreligion.Imockedmyreligioninmy teens by going to church chewing gum and halfheartedlyparticipatinginservices.IwouldgruntatthemerementionofGodorJesus.IdidnotknowwhatIbelievedanymore.TheonlythingIwas sureofwas that therewasaGod.All ofmy confusionanddisenchantment, starting from the age of ten, would ultimatelytriggermyquestforTruthandfinallyleadmetothereligioncalledIslam.

My first encounter with Muslim people was through businessdealings. Their warm and generous hospitality won my heart.TheirloyalremembranceofAllahintriguedmeinphraseslike,alHamdulillah(allPraisebetoGod)andinshahAllah(GodWilling).I have never come upon people in a state of such strong faithbefore. Their kindness, generosity, and compassionate nature, Iwoulddiscoverlater,wereallpartofbeingaMuslim.Iwantedtobe like them. This is what attracts people to Islam this is whatattractedme.

IbegantolearnthebasicsofIslam.ThemoreIlearnedthemoreIwantedtoknow.Beforelong,IwasstudyingIslamthroughbookswrittenbyMuslimsinadditiontoreadingatranslationoftheHolyQur'an.OnlyaselectfewknewthatIwasstudyingIslam,sinceIdid not want any interference fromMuslims and especially frommyChristianandJewishfriends.IknewthatifanyonewasgoingtoguideandaidmeinmyquestforTruthitwouldbeAllah.

As time passed, my knowledge expanded into realms of Truthhithertounbeknownsttome.Islambecameapowerfulforcelikeamagnet drawing me closer and closer to it. Allah was the onlythingonmymindduringtheday,asIdriftedtosleep,andthefirstthoughtwhen Iawoke. Islamappealed tomy intellectaswellasmyheart,andsomypassiongrewforit.IeventuallylearnedSuratAlIkhlas(AchapterintheHolyQur'ancalledPurityInFaith)andalthough I was not yetMuslim, I began to teachmyself to prayusing a book and reciting the only Surah I knew. I felt anoverwhelmingneed toprostrate in reverence to theAllMighty toask for forgiveness and guidance in the way that made mostsensetome.

Shortly thereafter, Idepartedonaholiday taking theQur'anwithme.Fourdayslater,aloneinaforeigncountry,Ibecameseverelyill.Iwasbedstrickenforamontheachdaylosingalmostapound



ofmybodyweight.Facingmymortalityandalone inmyagony IrememberpleadingtoAllahnottoletmedieincomplete.IhadnotyetconvertedbutIknewinmyheartthatIwantedtobeaMuslim.Iwasprocrastinatingtryingtolearneverythinghumanlypossible.InowbelievethatthiswasmywakeupcallfromtheMostMerciful.Thatistosaythatlifeistooshorttoputthingsoffthatyouwanttodo.Youneverknowiftomorrowwillevercome.

Twoweeksaftermy return toCanada,alHamdulillah (all praisebe to God), I converted to Islam. alHamdulillah I did not diebefore saying the shahadah (Bearing witness that there is onlyONEGod&MuhammadisHisMessengerandServant).AllahiseversoMerciful.Hegivespeoplemanychancesandsigns.Thepart that is difficult is not somuch recognizing them, but ratheractinguponthemwithallyourheart.

Islamislikeamedicine.Itchangesdeviantbehaviorandsoothesthesobbingsoul. Islam is the religionofTruthand theQur'an isthe guide for all aspects of life. The Qur'an gave me all of theanswerstomyquestions.Italleviatedmyconfusionandturneditinto clarity and understanding. Never did I know that there is areligionthatisabsoluteTruthinitspurestform.Ifallmankindonlyrealized that this truth is the religion of Islam. I pray to Allah toguideallofustothestraightpath.ThepathofalltheProphetsofAllah including Abraham, Noah,Moses, Jesus, andMuhammad(peacebeuponthemall).Ameen.

Excerptedfrom:www.readingislam.com/

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13.SHARIFFACARLOBECOMINGMUSLIM

ShariffaACarlo(AlAndalusia)

ThestoryofhowIrevertedtoalIslamisastoryofplans.Imadeplans,thegroupIwaswithmadeplans,andAllahmadeplans.And Allah is the Best of Planners. When I was a teenager, Icame to theattentionofagroupofpeoplewith a very sinisteragenda.Theywereandprobablystillarealooseassociationofindividualswhoworkingovernmentpositionsbuthaveaspecialagenda todestroyIslam.It isnotagovernmentalgroupthatIam aware of, they simply use their positions in the USgovernmenttoadvancetheircause.

OnememberofthisgroupapproachedmebecausehesawthatI was articulate, motivated and very much the women's rightsadvocate.HetoldmethatifIstudiedInternationalRelationswithanemphasisintheMiddleEast,hewouldguaranteemeajobattheAmericanEmbassyinEgypt.HewantedmetoeventuallygotheretousemypositioninthecountrytotalktoMuslimwomenandencouragethefledglingwomen'srightsmovement.Ithoughtthiswasa great idea. I had seen theMuslimwomenonTV Iknew theywereapooroppressedgroup,and Iwanted to leadthemtothelightof20thcenturyfreedom.



Withthisintention,Iwenttocollegeandbeganmyeducation.Istudied Quraan, hadith and Islamic history. I also studied theways I could use this information. I learned how to twist thewordstosaywhatIwantedthemtosay.Itwasavaluabletool.OnceIstartedlearning,however,Ibegantobeintriguedbythismessage. It made sense. That was very scary. Therefore, inorder to counteract this effect, I began to take classes inChristianity. I chose to takeclasseswith thisoneprofessoroncampusbecausehehadagoodreputationandhehadaPh.D.inTheologyfromHarvardUniversity.IfeltIwasingoodhands.Iwas, but not for the reasons I thought. It turns out that thisprofessor was a Unitarian Christian. He did not believe in thetrinityorthedivinityofJesus.Inactuality,hebelievedthatJesuswasaprophet.

HeproceededtoprovethisbytakingtheBiblefromitssourcesin Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic and show where they werechanged.Ashedidthis,heshowedthehistoricaleventswhichshapedandfollowedthesechanges.BythetimeI finished thisclass,mydeenhadbeendestroyed,butIwasstillnotreadytoaccept Islam.As timewenton, Icontinued tostudy, formyselfand for my future career. This took about three years. In thistime, Iwould questionMuslims about their beliefs. One of theindividuals I questioned was a Muslim brother with the MSA.Alhamdulillah, he sawmy interest in the deen, andmade it apersonaleffort toeducatemeabout Islam.MayAllah increasehisreward.Hewouldgivemedawaaateveryopportunitywhichpresenteditself.

Oneday,thismancontactsme,andhetellsmeaboutagroupofMuslimswhowere visiting in town. He wantedme tomeetthem. I agreed. I went tomeetwith them after ishaa prayer. Iwas led to a room with at least 20 men in it. They all madespaceformetosit,andIwasplacedfacetofacewithanelderlyPakistani gentleman. Mashallah, this brother was a veryknowledgeable man in matters of Christianity. He and Idiscussed and argued the varying parts of the Bible and theQuraanuntil the fajr. At this point, after having listened to thiswisemantellmewhatIalreadyknew,basedontheclassIhadtaken in Christianity, he did what no other individual had everdone.He invitedme tobecomeaMuslim. In the threeyears Ihad been searching and researching, no one had ever invitedme.Ihadbeentaught,arguedwithandeveninsulted,butneverinvited.MayAllahguideusall.

Sowhenheinvitedme,itclicked.Irealizedthiswasthetime.Iknew it was the truth, and I had to make a decision.Alhamdulillah,Allahopenedmyheart,andIsaid,"Yes.Iwanttobe aMuslim."With that, theman ledme in the shahadah inEnglish and in Arabic. I swear by Allah that when I took theshahadah, I felt the strangest sensation. I felt as if a huge,physicalweight had just been lifted offmy chest I gasped forbreath as if I were breathing for the first time in my life.Alhamdulillah,AllahhadgivenmeanewlifeacleanslateachanceforJennah,andIpraythatIlivetherestofmydaysanddieasaMuslim.Ameen.



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14.ERIN/SUMAYAFANNOUNBECOMINGMUSLIM

BismillahArahmanAraheemApril12,1998.

My intention in writingmy story is that for Allah's sake, ImayhelpsomeonewhoissearchingfortheTruth,torealizethattheyhavefounditinAlIslam.IbeganwritingthisonEasterSunday,kindofappropriate, I think. I havebeenMuslimnow forsevenyears, Alhamdu Lillah (all praise is for Allah, [God]). I firstlearnedofIslamwhileattendingUniversity,fromaMuslimfriendofmine.Ihadmanagedtogetoutofaverygood,collegeprephigh school believing that theQur'anwas a Jewish book, andthatMuslimswereidolworshippingpagans.Iwasnotinterestedinlearningaboutanewreligion.Iheldtheethnocentricviewthatifsince theUSwas"#1",wemusthavethebestofeverything,includingreligion.

I knew thatChristianitywasn't perfect, but believed that it wasthebestthattherewas.IhadlongheldtheopinionthatalthoughtheBiblecontainedthewordofGod,italsocontainedthewordofthecommonman,whowroteitdown.AsAllahwouldhaveit,every time I had picked up the Bible in my life, I had comeacrosssomereallystrangeandactuallydirtypassages.Icouldnot understand why the Prophets of God would do suchabominablethingswhenthereareplentyofaveragepeoplewholive their whole lives without thinking of doing such disgustingandimmoralthings,suchasthoseattributedtoProphetsDavid,Solomon,andLot,(peacebeuponthemall)justtonameafew.IrememberhearinginChurchthatsincetheseProphetscommitsuch sins, how could the common people be any better thanthem?And so, it was said, Jesus had to be sacrificed for oursins, becausewe just couldn't help ourselves, as the "flesh isweak".

So,Iwrestledwiththenotionof thetrinity, tryingtounderstandhowmyGodwasnotone,butthree.Onewhocreatedtheearth,onewhose bloodwas spilled for our sins, and then therewasthequestionoftheHolyGhost,yetalloneandthesame!?WhenIwouldpraytoGod,Ihadacertainimageinmymindofawiseoldmaninflowingrobe,upintheclouds.WhenIwouldpraytoJesus,Ipicturedayoungwhitemanwithlonggoldenhair,beardandblueeyes.As for theHolySpirit,well, Icouldonlyconjureup a misty creature whose purpose I wasn't sure of. It reallydidn't feelas though Iwaspraying tooneGod. I found thoughthatwhenIwasreally inatightspot, Iwouldautomaticallycalldirectly on God. I knew inherently, that going straight to God,wasthebestbet.

When I began to research and study Islam, I didn't have aproblemwithprayingtoGoddirectly,itseemedthenaturalthingtodo.However,IfearedforsakingJesus,andspentalotoftimecontemplatingthesubject.IbegantostudytheChristianhistory,searchingforthetruth.ThemoreIlookedintoit,themoreIsawtheparallelbetween thedeificationandsacrificeof Jesus,and



thestoriesofGreekmythologythatIhadlearnedinjuniorhigh,whereagodandahumanwomanwouldproduceachildwhichwould be a demigod, possessing some attributes of a god. Ilearnedofhowimportant ithadbeento"St.Paul", tohavethisreligionacceptedbytheGreekstowhomhepreached,andhowsomeofthediscipleshaddisagreedwithhismethods.Itseemedveryprobablethatthiscouldhavebeenamoreappealingformofworship to theGreeks thanthestrictmonotheismof theOldTestament.AndonlyAllahknows.

I began to have certain difficultieswithChristian thoughtwhilestillinhighschool.Twothingsbotheredmeverymuch.Thefirstwas the direct contradiction between material in the Old andNew Testaments. I had always thought of the TenCommandmentsasverystraightforward,simplerulesthatGodobviously wanted us to follow. Yet, worshipping Christ, wasbreaking the first commandment completely and totally, byassociatingapartnerwithGod. I couldnotunderstandwhyanomniscientGodwouldchangeHismind,sotospeak.Thenthereisthequestionofrepentance.IntheOldTestament,peoplearetold to repent for their sinsbut in theNewTestament, it isnolonger necessary, as Christ was sacrificed for the sins of thepeople."Pauldidnotcalluponhishearerstorepentofparticularsins,butratherannouncedGod'svictoryoverallsininthecrossofChrist.

The radical nature of God's power is affirmed in Paul'sinsistence that in the death of Christ God has rectified theungodly(seeRomans4:5).Humanbeingsarenotcalledupontodo good works in order that God may rectify them." So whatincentivedidweevenhave tobegood,whenbeingbadcouldbealotoffun?

Society has answered by redefining good and bad. Anychildcareexpertwill tell you that childrenmust learn that theiractions have consequences, and they encourage parents toallow them to experience the natural consequences of theiractions. Yet in Christianity, there are no consequences, sopeoplehavebegun toact likespoiledchildren.Demanding theright to do as they please, demanding God's and peoples'unconditionalloveandacceptanceofevenvilebehavior.Itisnowonderthatourprisonsareoverflowing,andthatparentsareatalosstocontroltheirchildren.ThatisnottosaythatinIslamwebelieve that we get to heaven based on our deeds, on thecontrary, theProphetMuhammad (peacebeuponhim) toldusthat we will only enter paradise through God's Mercy, asevidencedinthefollowinghadith.

Narrated 'Aisha: The Prophet said, "Do good deeds properly,sincerelyandmoderately,andreceivegoodnewsbecauseone'sgood deeds will not make him enter Paradise." They asked,"Evenyou,OAllah'sApostle?"Hesaid,"EvenI,unlessanduntilAllahbestowsHispardonandMercyonme."

Soinactuality,IdidnotevenknowwhoGodwas.IfJesuswasnot a separate god, but really part of God, then who was hesacrificed to? And who was he praying to in the Garden of



Gethsemane?IfhewasseparateinnaturefromGod,thenyouhave left the realm of monotheism, which is also in directcontradiction to the teachings of theOld Testament. Itwas soconfusing, that I prefer

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