PREFACE

During my twenty-six-year stay in America I had the privilege and honor to interact with many American Muslims on a personal and family basis. It was very inspiring for me and it strengthened my faith immensely. I confess, like many other immigrants in the U.S.A., I became a better practicing Muslim in America than I was in my native country. Much credit for this goes to these new Muslims. Most of them are superior in knowledge and practice than I. May Allah let me catch up with them! Most of the Muslims described here are ordinary members of the Muslim society in North America. I feel that they have made a great impact on their own lives and the lives of those around them. Such local heroes should be recognized. It is this positive change at the grassroots level of American society which amazes, and somewhat alarms the followers of other religions there. For example, some of the most violent prisoners became the most well-behaved citizens and peaceful residents after accepting Islam. These new American Muslims are a guiding light for both Muslims and non-Muslims. They very quietly adorn American society with their remarkable character.

I was teaching Mathematics in a public high school in Maryland. Teaching is a very demanding job. Most of the teachers get very exhausted. It was customary for the members of the Mathematics Department to have a special luncheon for all faculty members at the end of each semester. We called this social event the 'unwinding process'. We used to cook a dish called sloppy Joe. It is ground beef cooked with tomato sauce and mild chilies. It was done in our department using a slow cooker. My colleagues loved this sloppy Joe. I once announced loudly that I would bring the ground beef the next time. Everybody eagerly agreed. During this next luncheon I had a very meaningful conversation with a colleague. Her name was Cindy and she happened to be Jewish.

During our conversation I said to her, "Aren't you lucky that I brought ground beef which both of us are allowed to eat?" She said, "Mr. Ahmad I am a bad Jew. I even eat pork." I did not pursue this matter to avoid sensitivity. We had a common interest in real estate since both of us were licensed real estate salespersons. She was working in the real estate brokerage office owned by her husband. She told me that the market was pretty good then. She added that since her husband was a military colonel working in the Pentagon(military headquarters), she had to take care of most of the brokerage work. During our conversation I said to her, "Cindy, how come I do not see you on duty at the basketball games or other sporting events in the evenings?" She boldly said, "The school authorities cannot force me to do this duty since I have to take my children and the children of my neighborhood thrice a week to a Hebrew School during the weekdays. This is in addition to the regular religious services. I have been doing this voluntarily for the last few years." This amazed me. I said to myself quietly that this young lady is a full-time teacher and drives forty-five minutes one way each weekday to school. She is a part-time real estate agent also. Besides this she has her usual family and social life. Still she has time and the commitment to serve as a volunteer for a Hebrew School, and even then she calls herself a bad Jew.

I started wondering about my personal commitment, if any, and commitments of many others around me who consider themselves as good Muslims. May Allah strengthen our faith and actions. Imtiaz Ahmad, Madina Munawara, June, 2002

Abdullah

Abdullah was a young man with basic high school education. He was on active duty in the U.S. Army for a few years where he learned some technical skills. At present he earns his living by repairing photocopy and fax machines. How he accepted Islam is interesting. Yet, it is more fascinating to know how he went through the Islamization process. During the Gulf War between the United Forces and Iraq he was posted in Saudi Arabia. Abdullah was shopping in a Saudi market. He picked up an item from the shop and agreed to pay its price to the shopkeeper. However, when he was about to pay for the article, the call for prayer was heard from a nearby mosque. The shopkeeper said, "That's it," and refused to do any business until after the prayer was over. He then closed his shop and hurriedly went to the mosque. Abdullah was stunned and wondered about this incident. Why did this man not take the money when there was a mutual agreement on the price? Abdullah never knew of anyone in his life who refused to take money. Usually in business, everybody runs after money one way or another. What kind of person was this shopkeeper? What kind of religion was it that had so much priority in the eyes of this shopkeeper?

Abdullah was very inquisitive and wanted to know more about this religion. He read more and more about it and finally decided to embrace Islam after his return to America. In New York he had some good teachers who gave him basic Islamic education and taught him how to read the Quran. Abdullah became a very strict practicing Muslim. I came to know Abdullah only when he moved to Detroit. He decided to reside near the Tawheed Center of Detroit and offered most of his prayers in this mosque. I happened to be voluntarily running the affairs of this mosque. Conducting the affairs of an Islamic organization can be a challenging task. Many things happened between brother Abdullah and me, which created some temporary problems between us. We were both sincere in our own ways. Our differences totally disappeared in the course of time. It is, however, a great test of patience to have differences with someone whom you meet several times a day in the house of Allah. Let me mention a few of them here. Since brother Abdullah was very regular in all the prayers, I wished to have his participation in some activities of the mosque.

One day I asked him to call the Adhan. He said he would do it outside the mosque on the main road. I informed him that we were presently going through the licensing process of the building with the local fire department and City of Detroit. The City of Detroit was holding a public hearing about it. But, my words did not concern him. I had to tell him firmly that I had to face the public, the attorney, the Zoning Commission and the City Planning Department. I said, "You guys come, pray and leave the mosque. You do not have any idea of the difficulties faced by us at City Hall. Some wisdom and caution should be observed in our Islamic practice. Why should we annoy and excite our non-Muslim neighbors? Furthermore, we should concentrate on reviving faith in Muslims rather than creating problems with our non-Muslim neighbors." My words did not budge him at all. He refused to make the Adhan in the mosque. I, Allah forgive me, had to ask someone else to make the Adhan. Incidentally, I know only one mosque in North America which has the permission to place its speakers outside the mosque. This is due to a court ruling in favor of the Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan, because of its mostly Muslim neighborhood. Brother Abdullah asked me for the key to the mosque. I told him that the mosque is open for prayers and we are limiting access to the keys for insurance purposes.

After a few weeks brother Abdullah asked my permission to let his guest sleep in the mosque at night. I refused. I asked him, "Why don't you take him to your house?" He said, "Because I have a wife." I told him, "I shall take your guest to my house." He said, "Don't you have a wife?" I said, "Yes, but I shall find a room for your guest. Alternatively, I shall keep him in a hotel and pay for it." Brother Abdullah walked away angrily. He wanted to do it only in his own way. He complained to many Muslims about me. In spite of these hard feelings, he was committed to attending the congregational prayers in the mosque. Brother Abdullah had memorized a considerable part of the Quran. His recitation was very charming and effective. I asked him to lead the Isha prayer daily. He was memorizing more and more Quran every day. He loved every new surah(chapter) he memorized and preferred to recite it whilst leading the prayer. There were always some mistakes in his newly learned surahs. This made many Muslims uneasy. I talked to Abdullah about it. I suggested to him that he should recite only those surahs which he had mastered and that he should recite them in front of me a few times one day in advance. He liked my suggestion. Thus he improved and understood my point of view. The mistakes in recitation totally disappeared and our teamwork and co-operative attitude helped us to reconcile.

We faced another problem with brother Abdullah. He used to recite a long surah followed by Surah Ikhlas in each rakat (a unit of prayer). Thus, prayers took a long time. Sometimes the night prayer took twenty minutes. People did not have this kind of commitment and patience. I communicated these feelings of the people to brother Abdullah. He said he liked to recite the way one companion of the Holy Prophet(pbuh) did. He recited Surah Ikhlas in all his offerings of prayer. I told him, "As far as I recall, Surah Ikhlas was recited only in the second rakat." Brother Abdullah said, "He read in a Hadith that it was in both rakats." Hence, nobody could stop brother Abdullah reciting a long surah followed by Surah Ikhlas. One day I saw him lying on the floor of the mosque on his right side with his arm under his head just before the congregational Fajr Prayer. I got worried and approached him and asked him if there was something wrong. He said he was fine and that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) used to take brief rest like this, as he was doing.

Abdullah would try to practice anything he read from the Quran or Ahadith[the sayings and actions of Prophet Mohammad(pbuh)] without being shy. His family life was remarkable. His wife and many other relatives accepted Islam through his efforts. He had many children. All were very good in the recitation of the Quran. His oldest son was about seven years old and had memorized a considerable part of the Quran under his father's supervision. His son regularly came to the mosque, even to offer Fajr Prayer. I do not know anybody who would bring his seven-year-old son regularly to Fajr Prayer, even during severe cold, snow or storm. Brother Abdullah used to teach his son Quran after Fajr Prayer in the mosque. His son's Islamic knowledge, practice and behavior were superb. His recitation of Quran was excellent like his father. He behaved like a thirty-year-old mature person. He would be a good Imam of mosque.

Later brother Abdullah not only had the key to the mosque, but he was also made responsible for conducting the prayers in the mosque. I thought Abdullah was also ready to deliver the Juma' Khutbas(Friday Sermons). He reluctantly accepted one. He did extremely well. He was, therefore, assigned one Juma' Khutba at the Tawheed Center of Detroit and one at the Tawheed Center of Farmington Hills, Michigan each month. He was voluntarily carrying out his assignments extremely well. Without exaggeration many people came to me from both the mosques requesting that he be the Khateeb(the person who gives the Friday Sermon) permanently. They loved to hear his recitation of the Quran as well. Truly speaking, we collected more donations for each mosque whenever brother Abdullah delivered the Friday Sermon in Salatul Juma'. One day brother Abdullah came to the Tawheed Center of Detroit with another local Muslim brother. Fajr Prayer was over and everyone had left the mosque.

I was reciting the Quran when both these brothers entered the mosque. They offered their prayers. I welcomed both of them since they had just returned from Hajj. I insisted on taking them to my house for breakfast. Brother Abdullah declined, telling me he had not yet gone to his house. He was coming directly to the mosque from Hajj. He told me that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) used to go to mosque upon his return from a journey before going home and meeting with his family. I wonder how many born Muslims follow this practice. Brother Abdullah now laughs on his past rigid behavior. He now accepts variation in Islamic practice. He even started calling the Adhan inside the mosque. After his first Juma' Khutba I introduced him to the audience. While introducing him I mentioned how he accepted Islam and how his son is proud to be in Fajr Prayer daily. After this introduction he was anxious to know how his khutba was. I told him that it was excellent, so much so that he finished on time which happened to be a problem with other Khateebs. He left quietly. After Isha Prayer brother Hani wanted to talk to me. He said, "Brother Abdullah is upset. He feels that by praising him in his presence, it was like cutting his neck, as mentioned in a Hadith." I told him that you should see another Hadith also, which instructs us to give due respect and credit to whosoever deserves it. Prophet Shuaib(pbuh) also insisted that his people not belittle credit if it is due. It is also mentioned in the Quran in many places. Some people focus only on one Hadith and draw their own conclusions. Thank God I did not exaggerate anything in the introduction. Furthermore, people should know all about the new Khateeb.

I expressed my opinion to brother Abdullah the next day. He was satisfied with my explanation. After one month once again I introduced him for the benefit of the new audience after his second khutba. I said, "I am not praising brother Abdullah, but I feel I should do justice in pointing out the facts and the real qualities of our new Khateeb." After the introduction, I added that authority and responsibility go together. Brother Abdullah and brother Hani are now responsible for the mosque in my absence. Both are handling their responsibility and authority superbly well. Brother Abdullah attended some Arabic classes in the local community college offered by Dr. Sheikh Ali Suleiman. Now he speaks Arabic, understands some grammar and recites and memorizes surahs of Quran. He also learns new Ahadith, delivers the Friday Sermons and guides many disbelievers to the light of Islam. A high school graduate with sincerity and commitment can do all these wonderful things and introduce and propagate Islam amongst people of other faiths.

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

James Abiba

I was teaching Mathematics from the 9th to the 12th grades at Fort Mead High School in Maryland. I had to teach five groups of students daily. Each group consisted of about forty students. James Abiba was not enrolled in any of these classes. He contacted me through one of my students seeking permission to see me. I readily agreed. He asked me a few basic questions about Islam. I briefly answered them. Later he came with more questions. I asked him, "Are these questions from your Social Studies classwork?" He said that he happened to read a book about Islam in his school library. It made him somewhat curious about Islam. I made him aware of the conflict between religion and state and hence, the government school was not the right place for such detailed discussions. I invited him for a snack in a fast-food restaurant. We had a very positive discussion there. James was only sixteen years old at that time. Several things haunted my mind. James was only a teenager and not an adult. His parents could possibly bother me. In addition, Fort Mead is a military base situated next door to the National Security Agency. I sometimes wondered if an unpleasant situation may arise for me. On top of this, James' father was employed full-time at the National Security Agency.

Nevertheless, we had several sessions in the fast-food restaurant. Our discussions were frank and productive. He wanted to see the place of Islamic worship. I showed him a very old house used as a mosque in the neighboring town, Laurel, Maryland. I demonstrated to him how the Muslims pray. He liked the simplicity and direct communication between the person and Almighty God. James told me that he wanted to become a Muslim. I explained to him that it was a very simple process. However, I warned him about the consequences of reverting back to disbelief. Thus, I advised him to take more time in educating himself about Islam before becoming a Muslim. After a few days he insisted that he must embrace Islam. Praise be to God he did. Now there were more challenges ahead for both of us. I had a job to do. I had to pick him up every Sunday from his house to bring him for afternoon prayer in the mosque. During his stay in the mosque I taught him the Arabic alphabet which he mastered very fast. James was a musician and was very keen to learn the Adhan(call to prayer). He soon became the Muadhin(caller to prayer) in the mosque. I noticed that the Adhan was highly effective from a new Muslim.

Gradually, he started reading the Quran in Arabic. One day I went to pick him up from his house. I was surprised to see him in Saudi dress from head to toe. This shocked me since my students, his parents and friends were already talking quietly about my regular visits to his house. I told James, "You do not have to create this scene. A Muslim can pray in American clothes also." He said to me, "Mr. Ahmad, your imaan(faith) is weak." I asked him, "Are your parents upset with these clothes?" He said, "No. They are very understanding. My mother even cooks halal food for me daily." This gave me some consolation. James was still in high school. He approached me and wished to change his name to a Muslim name. I cautiously remarked that with his present name he would have easier communication with his peers in order to explain Islamic values to them. They may avoid him if he took a Muslim name. James said sharply again, "Mr. Ahmad your faith is weak." His new name is James Huseyin Abiba.

Here I would like to mention a remarkable feature of American society. Many American youth try to seek temporary jobs to offset the expenses of their further education. Although some parents are rich and they hold a high status in society, their children do not feel shy to seek even a menial job for this purpose. The youth do not hide this activity; they very proudly share it with their friends, relatives and neighbors. These jobs give the youth an exposure to the 'ups and downs' of the real life. This enhances their maturity and sense of responsibility. In the case of James, he was looking for a summer job after his high school graduation. My wife trained him as a medical receptionist and appointed him in her medical clinic. Her medical practice was new and not very busy. As such, James had plenty of time to read Islamic books there. James used to observe Eid(a Muslim celebration) with my family.

One year Allah brought me from America to Makkah Mukarrama and Madina Munawwara during the month of fasting and Eid. I was, however, concerned about James' loneliness in America. On my return to the U.S.A., I immediately inquired about James' well-being from some brothers in our mosque. They enthusiastically said, "He participated in many activities during Ramadhan and even stayed in the mosque day and night during the last ten days of Ramadhan observing itikaf." They added, "He is always ahead of us in practicing Islam." James was very humble and never mentioned anything to me about his itikaf." I pray that Allah accept James' sincere submission to Him. He went on to college and graduated majoring in Islamic History. He was a well-known leader of the Muslim Student Association on his university campus in College Park, Maryland. He married a Muslim girl from India. Both of them started teaching at the Universal Islamic School in Chicago.

I got in touch with James' family by email after about twenty years. I was pleased to learn that James is working as an editor for the IQRA International Foundation in Chicago, USA. This organization publishes and distributes Islamic books. The email for IQRA is iqrapdc@aol.com. James' entire family is involved in Islamic propagation. His father-in-law, Dr. Amir Ali, is the founder and Managing Director of the Institute of Islamic Information and Education in Chicago. This organization provides free Islamic information to Muslims and non-Muslims all over the world. James' wife is helping her father to run this organization. The email for this Institute is iiie@cssn.net. Feel free to contact these two organizations for Islamic information and education. May Allah immensely reward James and his relatives for providing Islamic education to Muslims and non-Muslims.

Kathy

I left the Maryland school system as the Chairman of the Mathematics Department and joined the Islamic School of Seattle as the Principal. Kathy was a secretary there and was very active as a Muslim worker in the community. She accepted Islam in her own unique way. This is how she narrated her story:

"I was only in elementary school when I went to the public library with my mother. These libraries do not throw away duplicate or discarded books. They sell these books for petty coins. There was a sale of books in the library. I had a few coins in my pocket, so I bought one book for a nickel or a dime. I stored it in my room. The usual life activities continued. I went from elementary to middle school. In due course of time I went from middle school to high school. Finally, I graduated from high school. I was lucky to join a college. I studied arts instead of science. My major was Comparative Religion. My professor offered very extensive coursework in this area. The comparative study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam was the major theme. None of my teachers happened to be Muslims. I passed all these courses with ease. In this way I accumulated enough credits to graduate from college." "As a fresh graduate I started looking for a job. In this part of the country jobs are few. It is a miracle for a female graduate of the arts to find a job. I got exhausted, bored and sat idle at home most of the time. To minimize my boredom I started looking at various items that I had in my house. I came across the book, which I had purchased years ago from the library. It was covered with dust. I cleaned it and picked it up. It is human nature to value those items on which you have spent your pocket money, especially as a child. It was a precious piece of personal property for me." "I started reading this book. It happened to be the Interpretations of the Meanings of the Quran in English. It was fascinating. The more I read, the more curious I became about Islam. It was totally different from what my professors taught me in the university. Anyhow, the true Islamic values offered by the Quran satisfied my mind and conscience. I realized that if this is Islam, it is wonderful. I wanted to become a Muslim."

"I inquired about how I could become a Muslim. The process was extremely simple, so I embraced Islam. All Praise be to Allah. I soon married a young man from Afghanistan. We both offered our services to the Islamic community and worked hand in hand with the local Muslim leaders. We never wish to change this way of life. May Allah accept our efforts."

Rehana

There is a lot of mobility in American life. It is estimated that on an average one family does not stay in one place for more than five years. In that sense my family was a true American family. We moved from Seattle to suburban Los Angeles, California. Our nearest Muslim neighbor was brother Abdul Wahab. We not only met in the mosque daily, but also regularly shared a cup of tea. One day Abdul Wahab described the challenges and tests he went through preceding the acceptance of Islam by his wife, Rehana. He described their story: "When I married Rehana, I was a non-practicing Muslim and she was also a non-practicing Christian. I rarely went to the mosque and she never went to her church. In due course of time Allah blessed us with children. I tried to talk to her about going to a mosque, however she bluntly refused. To my surprise, she even started going to a church.

Moreover, the more I invited her to the mosque, the more she ran to attend church. Nobody ever wins against a woman anyway. I offered her a compromise very gently and respectfully. One weekend we will both go to a church and the next weekend we'll go to a mosque. She reluctantly agreed. In this way I wished to give her some exposure to Islam." "I realized I must become a good practicing Muslim and have the best Islamic manners at home and with others around me. This is the only way she can discover and cherish true Islamic values. I shaped up. The merits and negative aspects of the husband and wife cannot remain hidden from each other since they closely interact with one another on a daily basis." "This was a new but beautiful lifestyle for me. I had to act as a role model to see positive results. Rehana started understanding Islam very gradually, but surely, through positive experiences at home and in the Muslim society. Her appreciation of Islam grew day by day. Finally, she embraced Islam. All Praise be to Allah!!!"

Rehana was now a different woman. She covered her head like a model Muslim woman. She wondered why many women born as Muslims do not adhere to the Islamic dress code. She wanted her children to be educated in a full-time Islamic school. She was continuously educating herself. She asked her husband for copies of the Islamic lectures offered in the mosque by Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi on fiqh(Islamic jurisprudence) to enhance her educational activities and Islamic growth. Abdul Wahab's problems were over and Rehana's problems had just started. She struggled hard to learn more and more about Islam. Whatever she learned, she wanted to put into practice since it was very satisfying for her heart and mind. She absorbed Islamic values very cool-mindedly. Whenever we talked to her, we found her to be a better Muslim than those who were born as Muslims. Her love for Islamic practice was inspiring to us. Rehana was very grateful to her husband for this extraordinary gift of being a role model of the Islamic faith and its values.

Her parents were residing in Chicago. Her acceptance of Islam was a big shock for them. They reacted very adversely. Her father was very rigid, rough and blunt. Her parents even stopped visiting her. Rehana considered it her duty to visit them hoping to guide them to the right path. She used to come back to Los Angeles worn out from her visit. Rehana used to take the children with her to Chicago. The grandparents were surprised and impressed by the wonderful behavior and manners of the young Muslim children. Deep in their hearts they started feeling that perhaps Islam is not that bad, to the degree that her grandparents agreed to visit Rehana in Los Angeles.

I invited Abdul Wahab's family over a dinner. I also invited Mr. and Mrs. Naseem, since Mrs. Naseem was also a new American Muslim who always observed the Islamic dress code. Our intention was to give the grandparents more exposure to Muslims. We had a wonderful evening and stayed up late together. The grandparents became very friendly. We all left each other around 1a.m. in a good mood. Here a side note is necessary. Rehana and her family walked to their home. Mr. and Mrs. Naseem had to drive about twenty miles to Riverside during the late hours of the night. Drunk driving is very treacherous at such late hours. Mr. and Mrs. Naseem were hit hard by another car. Both were thrown out of their car. Mr. Naseem lost consciousness and was lying on the roadside. Mrs. Naseem had severe bone injuries but was still in her senses. She was sitting beside her husband and loudly and continuously reciting the Quran. Paramedical personnel arrived on the scene. They saw there a strangely dressed woman and heard her talking in some foreign language. Their first question to her was, "Do you speak English?" Mrs. Naseem answered them in English and told them that she was reciting the Quran in Arabic.

After many months of hospitalization, both were up and running again by the Grace of God Almighty. Rehana's grandparents went back to Chicago after a brief stay. She wished that somehow they would accept Islam. One day my wife told me that Rehana was crying because her mother was seriously ill. Rehana was worried that her mother might die before accepting Islam and thus she would suffer the consequences in the Hereafter. Unfortunately, her mother died as a disbeliever. It was now even more difficult to talk to her father. All of us were trying to help the situation. Abdul Wahab used to visit his father-in-law in Chicago without annoying him. Rehana's father was my friend too. I wanted to do my part. I moved to Detroit, Michigan at that time. I called Rehana's father from Detroit and invited him to visit us since we were not too far away from him. Unfortunately, the image of Detroit was tarnished at that time because of the foul play of some policemen in that city.

Rehana's father answered favorably, "Imtiaz I would love to see you, but I will try my best never to pass through Detroit in my life." May Allah guide Rehana's father to the right path.

Imam Siraj Wahaj

The Muslim Student Association(MSA) used to be an umbrella organization for the Muslims residing in America and Canada. Siraj Wahaj and I had the privilege and honor to be members of the Majlis Shura(Advisory Council) and the Executive Council of MSA. Over several years many Muslim students became citizens of the United States and made this country their future home. To serve the needs of these citizens a new umbrella organization came into being. It was named the Islamic Society of North America or ISNA. We were also members of the first Majlis Shura and the Executive Council of ISNA. We had to meet often at the ISNA headquarters in Indiana. Our meetings used to be very long and extremely tiring. There was rarely any chance to talk freely with each other. The agenda was a very long one. Only a few members had a chance to express their opinion on various issues. In this way I felt a vacuum between these national Muslim leaders.

Luckily, one day brother Siraj Wahaj and I got together during the brief lunch break from the Executive Council meeting at ISNA. I was curious to know how he accepted Islam. He narrated his experience as follows: "I used to be a member of the so-called Black Muslim movement, which was quite different from traditional Muslim beliefs and practices. MSA held a summer training camp for community workers. I happened to attend this camp. The camp started with a recitation from the Holy Quran by a Sudanese brother. I did not know Arabic at that time. This recitation from the Quran affected me deeply. I started crying profusely. The more recitation I heard, the more tears gushed out from my eyes, flowing down my cheeks continuously and falling on my clothes. I did not understand a word of Arabic. I said to myself, "Whatever it is, it seems real." I, therefore, became a traditional Sunni Muslim."

Brother Siraj learned Arabic very diligently and mastered the recitation of the Quran and Hadith in due course of time. Soon he became the Imam(leader of prayer) at Masjid(mosque) Al-Taqwa in New York. His Friday address used to be very effective. Many men and women accepted Islam through him. The Muslim community around his mosque grew larger and larger. He surfaced as a Muslim leader of the North American Muslims. I asked him how he viewed the activities of ISNA and other similar Muslim communities. He said loudly, "All of you are very lazy and your output in most activities is minimal. For example, when I used to be in the Black Muslim Movement, I had to sell a lot of newspapers. I used to stand on my feet for hours to ensure the sale of all the newspapers. Sometimes my legs used to tremble despite my youth. You guys talk too much and do very little." There was no more time left in this lunch break to ask any more questions.

His mosque is located in the inner part of New York City where drug trafficking was conducted day and night. The drug dealers were very rich and extremely dangerous. To eradicate drugs from this community was a very uphill and risky task. Dealers would kill anybody interfering in their activities. These drug dealers were thriving around the Al-Taqwa Mosque. Imam Siraj did not like this. He obtained knowledge about these dealers from some of the new Muslims who used to wheel and deal with them in the past. Then, he gathered a few hundred Muslims from his community and went to the drug lords one by one. He said to them, "Get out of this community by tomorrow or we will get rid of you all." Many said to him, "Why do you want to rob us of our daily living?" Siraj told them that there was no room for drugs in this Muslim community. Siraj repeated these visits of warning with his followers the next day. All of the drug lords left their locations.

As a result, the vicinity of Al-Taqwa Mosque became safe from the drug dealers for a five-mile radius. The American Government was surprised because they could not succeed, even after spending a lot of money and applying different tactics using skillful manpower. Brother Siraj was interviewed on national television for his remarkable achievement. The TV Anchorman asked, "How and why did you do it?" Siraj replied, "Islam and the drug business cannot go together. I did not want to see the poor public ruined in the hands of these drug dealers. Sincerity of purpose and strong will helped to achieve the noble goal." Siraj is now working closely with other Muslim communities in America and in Canada. He is very successful in inspiring the youth and raising funds for Islamic schools and mosques. It is common for him to have an open book of Hadith or the Holy Quran in his hand, even in airports. He is highly respected internationally.

During my last visit to Makkah from the USA I met a few American Muslims. I asked them who else is here in Makkah. They told me that Imam Siraj Wahaj was present. The local leaders of the Haram Mosque were looking for him, so that he could participate in the ceremony of changing the cover of the Ka'bah(House of Allah). The last speech I heard of his was at the Annual ISNA Convention in Chicago. It was the time of the American Presidential campaign. It was in full swing. George Bush, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot were throwing as much dirt on each other as the law permitted. Muslims residing in America expected to gain some sense of direction concerning their voting in the forthcoming election. Any word from the local American Muslim leaders like Siraj Wahaj would have been highly valued.

Siraj started his speech like this. "I was reading the Quran last night. I was surprised to read about George Bush in it. Yes, you heard me right. I read about George Bush in the Quran last night. In fact, I also read about Bill Clinton and Ross Perot too. All were mentioned in the Quran in the same place. You may be wondering where it is. It is in the second chapter of the Quran. I can even give you the exact verse." Then, he recited the verse:They are deaf, dumb and blind. They will not return to the truth. (2:18) He added, "Their ears are not fit to hear the truth, their tongues are not ready to talk truth and their eyes are not capable of seeing the truth. How can there be any hope for their leaning towards or reverting to the truth?"

Siraj has his own original style. There is a need for a book to be written about him. I hope somebody will do so one day.

Susan

Susan married Abdul Qadar, a Burmese Muslim residing in Maryland. He was a manager of a shoe company and frequently attended Friday services in the Laurel Mosque. One day he expressed his difficulties to me. He said, "I am married to a Christian lady. We are blessed with twin daughters and I am worried about the future of my children. I tried my best to bring my wife to this mosque but she totally refused. What should I do?" I advised him to bring her to our house for dinner. She will meet my wife and would feel more comfortable. This approach worked. Susan started coming to the mosque and also started attending sessions of tafseer (interpretations/explanations) of the Quran. A few weeks passed very well.

One Friday I was conducting the tafseer session. I gave an explanation of a few verses of the Quran and then I invited questions from the participants. Susan asked a question. Another gentleman responded, even before I could say anything. To my surprise Susan started crying bitterly while sitting in the session. Everybody was confused. Abdul Qadar led her out of the mosque and drove her home. Later on I asked Abdul Qadar the reason for her crying. He said, "Susan refused to go to the mosque again. She felt that her question had annoyed the person who answered it since he had a very serious face. She does not like to annoy anybody." To the best of our knowledge and judgement the respondent was not annoyed. He only had a serious look. I said to Abdul Qadar, "Please explain to her calmly and cool-mindedly that many people from India and Pakistan have serious faces. You can see this at any airport or bus station or shopping center. This is our cultural drawback."

Susan gradually digested this idea and after a few months returned to the mosque. She learned more and more about Islam every week. She found the question-and- answer session very beneficial in understanding Islamic values and faith. She developed many friendly relationships with other ladies in the mosque and received lots of encouragement and respect. She liked this new way of life and wished to embrace Islam. I had the honor to invite her to recite the Shahada, the Islamic pledge, which is Ashhadu an La ilaha illa Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasoolu llah. (I bear witness that there is no deity but God and Muhammad is His Messenger). After that she was a Muslim and our sister in Islam. I also performed the Islamic marriage between her and her husband in the mosque the same day. Susan was enjoying a new life under the blessings of the Islamic faith. During the Islamic marriage I explained to them that it was mandatory for the husband to give a mahr(dowry) to his wife. I also reminded them that the mahr is the personal property of the wife and she can use it in the way she chooses. The husband has no say in the matter throughout his life.

Abdul Qadar eagerly agreed to pay the mahr. Susan was amazed to see the respect accorded to women in Islam and the way her rights are preserved. It definitely strengthened her Islamic faith. This situation took place in the State of Maryland. It would like to mention a similar situation that took place in the state of Michigan a few years later. As the Imam of the Tawheed Mosque, it was one of my duties to perform marriages in this State. A young Muslim asked me to conduct his marriage ceremony. I explained to them the rights of men and women in Islam and about the mahr. Both of them filled out the prescribed forms for marriage and the form for payment of the mahr. Then, I asked them if they had any questions before entering into a marriage bond. The lady said, "I have no questions." The young man said, "I have an important question to ask you." He said, "I understand that I am supposed to give her the mahr and that will be exclusively her personal property. Is she not similarly supposed to give me a mahr?" I told him that in Islam the mahr is for the wife only. Like Susan, this lady was amazed to see such dignity and honor given to women in Islam. She chose to be called Saeeda since she was very gentle and nice to everybody. She embraced Islam with clear knowledge, utmost sincerity and full commitment.

She immediately started observing the full Islamic dress irrespective of fear from neighbors and the general public. Her daughters were going to elementary school at that time. She asked each of them to wear a headscarf in school despite of the fact that the children tried to make fun of them. I told her that it was not necessary for her young girls to face this difficult situation at school. However, she emphasized that they should learn and observe the Islamic way of life from their young age. So, Saeeda and her two young daughters wore the Islamic dress and looked very distinguished and graceful wherever they went. This was her level of faith and commitment. Her husband used to laugh at himself. He felt that we born Muslims take Islam very lightly and hence our commitment is shaky. Abdul Qadar and Saeeda have a very peaceful and enviable family life.

Dr. Najat

Dr. Najat was born, raised and educated in India. He came to Windsor, Canada for his post-graduate education. I dare not write his original name since it is very long and hard to pronounce. All it tells me is that he belonged to a very conservative Hindu family who chose such a typical Hindu name for him. He received very sound religious education, which he practiced as much as he could during his stay in India. At the University of Windsor he found a very healthy interaction of ideas and cultures. He, like many other students, was open-minded. He wanted to make his life meaningful for himself. He was not comfortable with his Hindu ideas and practices. He, therefore, started reading the Christian Bible. It appealed more to his mind than his native religion. Thus, Najat accepted Christianity and practiced it sincerely for a year or so. However, he did not find the ultimate satisfaction that he was looking for. Consequently, he started exploring Islamic ideology. Certain religious conflicts were going on in his mind while he was studying for his Doctorate in the field of Engineering. College campuses offer a unique freedom of choice and practice. Sometimes constructive debates are arranged between Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars in a very healthy climate. This has opened doors for many who have been locked up in their own closets. Najat learned more and more about Islam through various sources. It made much more sense to him to have one God rather than having many gods to worship. He found the Islamic ideology the most consistent and coherent of all. Thus, he embraced Islam and chose Najat as his Muslim name. May Allah keep him on the straight path, since entry into Islam is very easy, but growth of Islamic knowledge and practice is often gradual.

Najat realized that in order to practice Islam sincerely it was necessary to marry as soon as possible. His wish was soon fulfilled. He got married to an educated Muslim girl from a respectable family in Windsor. The marriage ceremony took place in a Windsor mosque. Najat not only graduated in family life, but also graduated from university as well. Now Dr. Najat was looking for a job. He had a grand offer from the Ford Company in Detroit. He accepted the job and his family moved to Farmington Hills, a suburb of Detroit. A new mosque opened in this area called the Tawheed Center of Farmington Hills, Michigan. I met Dr. Najat in this mosque a few times.

One day I asked him about his Quranic reading. Najat said that he could not read the Quran in Arabic. I was shocked to find that a talented person like Najat could not read the Quran in Arabic. The reason was obvious. Many Muslims fail to find time to help other people on Islamic matters on a one-to-one basis. In this way many potential learners are left out or become disheartened. Without sacrifice of personal time hardly any progress can be made. Lip service or sympathy is not enough. I asked Mrs. Najat boldly, "Why haven't you taught your husband the Arabic alphabet, as you have been married a few years now." She did not have a good answer for me. I said to Dr. Najat, "Let us have a deal. You give me four weekends. I guarantee that you will be able to read the Quran, Insha' Allah(God Willing)."

We agreed to meet in the Tawheed Center after Fajr Prayer for a few hours. To our great surprise and happiness, brother Najat was reading the Quran in Arabic after these four weekends. This generated interest in many other potential learners. Many brothers started working with new students on a one-to-one basis. Surprisingly, one American-born M.D. joined the group as a fresh student as well. This morning session was often followed by a simple breakfast in the mosque. Dr. Najat could read many chapters from the last part of the Quran. He, however, needed a better teacher than I. One elderly Syrian brother, Sheikh Al-Atasy, agreed to work with brother Najat privately. Najat really started enjoying the recitation of the Quran after learning the true pronunciation from an experienced Arabic-speaking teacher. Sheikh Al-Atasy and Najat both loved this activity and extended it to a daily meeting after the Fajr Prayer for about one and half hours. Najat would then proceed directly from the mosque to his work. After work he used to bring his family to the mosque for Isha Prayer. Sheikh Al-Atasy and brother Najat were both very committed to their Quranic study session. Winter is very nasty in Detroit. Both hardly missed any day through snow or storm. Sheikh Atasy was very proud of his student. Sheikh Al-Atasy used to say to me, "Najat's pronunciation is better than yours." Najat not only had an excellent pronunciation, but he could also read the Quran from anywhere you opened it.

Najat also started reading the meaning of the Quran in English. In this way he started appreciating Quranic verses with their full significance. Najat did not stop here. He quickly started memorizing the Quran. The last time I met him, he had memorized about half of the last section of the Quran. It is often very hard to find a volunteer for community work. Most of the people enjoy criticizing or they like to make a big deal of what little they happen to do. Dr. Najat volunteered himself to run some of the community affairs without any preaching or motivation on my part. He often opened the mosque for Fajr Prayer, although he lived the furthest from it. He used to remove snow from the footpath and passage leading to the main door of the mosque. He used to sprinkle salt over this area to prevent anybody from falling down and breaking his bones. These services by Najat were very essential and important to our community, since any injured person could easily sue the mosque for huge damages. Consequently, insurance companies would refuse to provide insurance to such public places.

Dr. Najat also helped run the weekend Islamic School in the mosque. He would again open the mosque every Sunday before Dhuhr Prayer and remove the snow and sprinkle salt before the arrival of any teacher or student. Collecting school fees from parents is a very unpleasant job. Najat did it without annoying anybody. He used to buy snacks and serve these to the children. He used to clean the kitchen single handedly and defrost the refrigerator periodically. Brother Najat did not limit himself to indoor activities. The property around the mosque was spread over about a two and a half-acre area. He used to fertilize the grassy area every year. He preferred to pay for the fertilizer and weed killers from his own pocket, just like he did for the snow salt. He was lean and young. He helped cut down some dead trees around the mosque as well.

We highly appreciated his services during Ramadan when there used to be many community dinners every week. He helped every host in setting up dinners and serving them to men and women. He used to vacuum the mosque after nearly each dinner. He preferred to do most of the tasks himself very quietly rather than instructing or reminding others. He used to set up and serve delicious refreshments to the audience after the Eid Prayers along with other volunteers. He and the community members developed a very close relationship. He used to invite many families to his house for snacks and dinners after Eid Prayers. He did it year after year and the response from the community was tremendous.

Hence, the first thing I had to do after delivering the Eid Khutba was to rush to brother Najat's house to entertain myself with delicious food. May Allah reward brother Najat's family for their consistent and sincere services. One day I asked brother Najat, "You know the Quran and Islam pretty well. What are your true feelings about Islam?" Dr. Najat said, "Honestly I feel satisfaction deep in my heart, which I did not feel with Christianity and Hinduism. The Quran has a very soothing effect on my mind and heart." Now brother Najat sometimes even leads the prayer. This clearly indicates that there is no hierarchy in Islam. Anybody with good knowledge and taqwa (consciousness of Allah) can be a leader in performing different Islamic services. Allah says in the Quran:

"Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has Al-Taqwa…" (49:13)

In Islam anybody with taqwa can act as a leader irrespective of color, creed, geographical origin or nationality.

JIM

The pace of life in the western world is very fast. In spite of this hustle and bustle, many Muslims do find time to help the neighborhood mosques and Islamic schools voluntarily. For example, one day the congregation of the Tawheed Mosque of Detroit agreed to visit the Tawheed Mosque of Farmington Hills after Fajr Prayer. We wanted to cut the wild trees with a chain saw and chop them into small parts. We intended to make small bundles of these unwanted trees and place them on the roadside to be picked up by the city services, thereby cleaning up the courtyard of the mosque. After Fajr Prayer we left for this job in two cars. Jim was a new American Muslim and very new to this mosque. I invited him to join me in my car. On the way I asked Jim how he accepted Islam. Jim told me his fascinating life history in detail:

"I used to go to a Christian church with my parents. My parents used to pay ten percent of their income to this church in order to attend its services. Eventually, they switched to a different church because they did not like the religious practices of this church. There they had to pay only eight percent of their income to attend the services. This was acceptable to my parents since nearly all churches operate like this. I however did not like the practice of buying our seats through compulsory contribution. I stopped going to any church since I disapproved of the ideas and practices of these churches." "After finishing high school I attended a university. There I met many Muslim students from various countries. I asked them, "Do you have to pay for using a place for worship?" They said, "Not at all. In fact everybody has an equal right to use the place of worship for his prayers." It is beneficial to add here that the university campuses in the western world offer a great freedom of choice to students. A few students misuse this freedom and ruin their future. Most of the students, however, interact with each other constructively. In fact, this interaction is very enviable. They do not answer others' questions very briefly to leave the questioner in confusion. They also do not answer them with maximum possible detail so the questioner is not discouraged to ask more questions. Furthermore, they do not impose their viewpoint on the others so that they are not disenchanted with each other. This kind of beneficial interaction goes on all the time among the students and it is, in fact, guidance for some of our religious preachers. Jim thought it was, indeed, a very reasonable practice not to pay for the use of a place of worship. Why should he, therefore, not explore other details about such a religion?

Jim related the rest of his story to me as follows: "My girlfriend and I used to live in a rented apartment. My girlfriend was a Buddhist. She had put statues of Buddha throughout the apartment, although she was not very regular in her religious practice. I was also not practicing Christianity. She inferred from my daily talk that I was looking for a new way of life. We accepted each other the way we were. At last, Christmas arrived." Christmas is such an occasion that everybody expects a present from his friend, irrespective of the religious inclination or beliefs. For example, Jews do not believe in Jesus at all. They are usually the first to exchange these Christmas presents and decorate their businesses with huge Christmas trees to attract customers. Jim continued: "My Buddhist girlfriend rushed to the market to pick up a Christmas gift for me. There she came across a book which appeared somewhat philosophical to her. She said to herself, "Jim may like this book since he is always expressing strange and novel ideas." I started reading this book after receiving it as a present from her. It happened to be an English interpretation of the Quran. I liked to read it every day. It posed many new questions to my mind. The Muslim students answered my daily questions very reasonably. It enhanced my interest in Islam. Finally, I was fully satisfied with the Muslim way of life. I contacted some members of the Muslim Student Association on my University campus. They explained to me the Islamic pledge to enter Islam. I very eagerly accepted Islam. Praise be to God."

"I knew very well that prayer is an important article of the Islamic faith. I used to offer some prayers at the University campus and others at home. I told my girlfriend to remove all the statues from the living room since I had to offer prayer there. She did not like this, since to interfere with somebody's religion is not a joke. She, however, reluctantly removed the statues from the living room simply to please me." "As soon as my Islamic education and faith firmed up, I started showing an indifference towards her. Several times we quarreled about it. She said again and again, "I have always tried my best to please you. My commitment to you is not lessened in any way. What has made you indifferent towards me in spite of my firm commitment to you?" I said to her seriously, "Whatever you said is true. I am, however, a Muslim now and I cannot have a matrimonial relationship with a non-Muslim." My girlfriend knew that I was a gentle person by nature and I have a good relationship with my fellow friends. She did not wish to leave me at any cost. She asked me, "After all, what have I to do to maintain this relationship?" I told her, that she should embrace Islam. She asked me, "What is Islam?" I gave her a broad outline of Islam in a short time. She could not digest all the ideas fully. She, nonetheless, accepted Islam in order to please me. She removed all the statues from the apartment with her own hands."

"After our Islamic marriage we used to visit the local mosque. Life went on at its usual pace. I found that my wife was not offering her five daily prayers regularly. I said to her, "What kind of Muslim are you when you do not even offer your five daily prayers regularly?" She said, "I am trying my best." I reminded her once again very firmly. She started crying and she spoke to the Muslim women of the neighborhood concerning our differences." "The local Islamic leaders understood the problem between us. They deputed an educated couple to reconcile between us. They told me that my wife is a new Muslim, and Islam reaches the heart and soul gradually. I should not behave very rigidly. These remarks somewhat softened my critical attitude towards her." "Before embracing Islam, I used to spend considerable time with the youth of my neighborhood. Whenever we gathered, most of us would talk simultaneously without paying any attention to the others' ideas or wishes. It looked like a mad house with everybody shouting at each other.

After accepting Islam I attended some of these gatherings. My peers were surprised to see me mostly quiet. I only talked when others were listening to me. They wondered about this big change in my etiquette and manners. All they said was that something has happened to Jim. I got fed up with their lengthy and useless conversations resulting in a sheer waste of time. I wished to get away from this kind of socialization. "My parents and I had totally different religious thinking too. I found it very difficult to live in this place under these pressures. I wished to move away from here and go to a place where I could practice the beautiful teachings of Islam with full concentration and sincerity. I, therefore, left my town, parents and friends and arrived here in Detroit.

My wife stayed in our hometown to complete her university education. I have come to Detroit to my university friend, brother Ahmad, who is the President of the Indonesian and Malaysian Muslim Organization in North America. I have come here with nothing in my hand. He provided me with accommodation, meals and clothes. That's why you see me coming to the mosque with him. I found a good spiritual climate in this mosque. I am very happy here." Many brothers in the mosque gave Jim presents. He settled down very quickly. He started looking for a job in the Detroit area. He soon found one. He told me that he had to leave this job since the owner of the business did not permit him to go for Friday prayers. This was because Jim was only a new employee. It must be mentioned that many employers are, very co-operative with their Muslim employees and permit Muslims to attend the Friday Prayer during the extended lunch break.

Jim had learned many chapters from the Quran and his pronunciation was very good too. I asked him, "Did your Indonesian host help you with this?" Jim said, "No. In fact there is a computer in the house with a CD. with Quranic recitation. I played it again and again and learned the Quranic verses myself." One day Jim asked me if he could buy a copy of the English interpretation of the Quran from the mosque. I told him, "It is free for the new Muslims." He said that he wished to present a copy of the Quran to his mother hoping that she might be guided by it as he had been. He also wanted to give several copies to his old peers in his hometown. I told him that he could have as many copies of the Quran as he wanted at no cost.

Meanwhile, Jim came across a group of individuals who propagate Islam. This group received the new Muslims warmly. They not only provided hospitality to the new Muslims, but also taught them the basic principles of Islam. Jim joined these brothers and traveled with them to various States in America for teaching and learning and for the propagation of Islam. He visited Detroit for a night or so after several months. Thus, we had a chance to meet with him very briefly. It appeared that he had devoted his life for the service of Islam in his youth. May Allah further enrich his knowledge and practice of Islam. May Allah also accept his devotion, commitment and service to Islam.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTION

Even fair-minded non-Muslim scholars admit that a great deal of prejudice is produced and sustained against the teachings of Islam. This happens to such a degree that a person is mentally unable to ponder over Islamic teachings objectively. By casting away his prejudices, any person seeking to discover the truth will reach this noble goal. Allah says in the Qur'an: "As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause) We will surely guide them to Our path. And verily Allah is with the good doers." (29:69) These people, however, do not show arrogance after achieving this success. They humble themselves, as mentioned in the Qur'an: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this, and never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us." (7:43) The second point, which comes to my mind, is that some forces are always active in trying to distort the truth. This has been going on from time immemorial. They come up with new methods in each age. However, the Plan of Allah is always supreme, as in the following Qur'anic verse: "They were plotting and Allah too was plotting; and Allah is the Best of those who plot." (8:30)

One poet said it very nicely in the Urdu language: Allah has put elasticity in the nature of Islam. The harder you try to deform it, the faster it will regain its original form. The truth is spreading by leaps and bounds. In every corner of the world, individuals and families are embracing Islam. There are examples of a few such individuals in this booklet. From their stories it is clear that it is not permissible to force others to accept Islam. Embracing Islam through knowledge and appreciation is the ticket to success, both in this life and in the Hereafter. The examples given in this booklet not only reinforce the truth, but also describe the obstacles to reach this goal. Satanic whispering, social and cultural bonds, and anger on the faces of friends and relatives make life miserable. However, the sweetness of truth overpowers all these forces. The person achieves peace and tranquility, which is indicated by his face, actions and daily dealings. The following stories were the result of personal interviews I had with each of these new Muslims, which took place in Madina Munawwara over the last few years.

After meeting with these individuals, I admired their robust faith in Islam. They inspired me immensely, and without a doubt, serve as a guiding light for all mankind.

Imtiaz Ahmad Madina Munawwara June 2002

Renda Toshner

A Turkish-American Architect Renda was born in America in a Turkish home. He was not a new Muslim, but he didn't have any idea of Islam until his youth. His life story has many lessons for us. Let me first describe the Turkish community living around Detroit in Michigan. Turks started migrating to America in the 1970's. Now their third generation is thriving in America. They hold very high professional jobs and successful businesses. Most of them live in the rich suburban areas of Detroit. They are financially well established and socially well connected with government officials. I was introduced to them recently, as I participated in a few of their funeral services at the Tawheed Mosque in Farmington Hills, Michigan. I had closer interaction with them when I was invited to visit their homes and their Turkish social club. I found out that as Muslims they had melted into American society. This trend is not unique with the Turkish community. Many Muslim immigrants have come to America from different lands and have melted into American society, thereby losing their Islamic identity. On the other hand, we observe that many Muslim immigrants are better practicing Muslims in America than in their homelands. Their children even outshine their parents in the practice of Islam due to the religious freedom in America. Renda's parents were prominent members of this American Turkish community. They were both physicians and did very well financially. Thus, Renda was born in an affluent family. Nevertheless, they brought up their son without any kind of Islamic education.

Renda completed his high school and joined a university. He had no idea about Islam until he started mixing with overseas Muslim students at his campus. America and American universities offer a great deal of freedom of choice and do not interfere with such personal choices. Since Renda had a very gentle nature, the Islamic teachings and practices attracted him. He was surprised to discover that he was born in a Muslim family, but family circumstances kept him far away from the knowledge and practice of Islam. Renda learned more and more about Islam every day and tried to put it into practice. Renda was very smart in his studies. He proceeded to architectural engineering and finished the coursework very easily. He joined an American architectural firm when he was preparing for his professional license examination. It usually takes a few years to pass the license examination after a few attempts. Renda was so clever that he passed the licensing examination in only one try.

Renda's growth in Islamic knowledge and practice was similarly very outstanding. He benefited a great deal from the Islamic activities at the Anarbor Mosque and the Muslim community there. His parents had retired and chose to go back to Turkey. They settled down in their native country for the rest of their lives. Renda chose to stay in America since he liked the Anarbor Muslim Community. He wanted to increasingly take part in Islamic activities. I used to give the Friday Sermon(Juma' Khutba) once a month in the Anarbor Mosque at Michigan State University. He was usually the Muazzan (the person who calls for the prayers) of this large mosque. I recall that in one Juma' Khutba I described the story of Prophet Yousuf (peace be upon him; pbuh). In this story I mentioned that the brothers of Yousuf(pbuh) tried to use his shirt to prove that he had been eaten by wild animals. Later, when the wife of Aziz tried to have an affair with him, his shirt served as proof that the wife of Aziz was guilty. Much later the shirt of Yousuf(pbuh) was used to regain and repair the eyesight of his grieved father.

I added that if Yousuf's shirt could perform such miracles, how unique that person would be who wore it. Renda liked these remarks and called me on phone as soon as I reached home. He asked me, "Are these your ideas?" I told him, "Not at all. Anything I say is from Tafseer(explanations and interpretations of the Qur'an written by Islamic scholars). I am not a scholar and I do not have the right to give explanations of the Qur'an from myself." Renda wished to look like a Muslim physically as well. He wore Islamic Turkish dress all the time, even on the job. I asked him, "Does your employer object to your dress since you have to represent the firm in many places?" Renda said, "They have to accept me the way I am if they want me." I repeated, "Don't you experience some prejudice at your job because of Islamic dress?" Renda bluntly said, "That is their problem." I like this turban. I asked him to show me how to tie it up so gracefully. Renda made outstanding contributions to various Islamic communities. He used to present Islam to the inmates of American prisons. This requires a great deal of time and patience. Renda's experiences with prisons were very positive.

Renda felt that these new Muslims in prison needed a special form of brief but comprehensive literature. He developed such pamphlets on his own and at his own expense. He wanted me to review these pamphlets. I found these very pertinent for the use of new Muslims. May Allah reward him for these efforts. Renda's contribution to the Farmington Hill's Mosque is also unique. About a two and a half-acre land was purchased for a mosque in Farmington Hills. Renda came up with many options for constructing the mosque and the parking lot at that site. The present architectural layout of the mosque was exclusively done by Renda. Bids were taken from various firms for the architectural drawing. Renda's company gave a high bid. Renda's advice was to pick the lower bid of another firm. Renda, however, did the detailed drawing of the mosque to help this firm. We both had very lengthy and tiresome meetings with the architectural firm. Renda never complained about it. Without Renda's professional help, this mosque would never have been built.

Renda's personal life was very unique too. He went to Turkey to get married. He did not ask his parents to find him a girl from a rich family. Instead, Renda told me that he picked a girl from an average family on his own. He knew that his wife did not know anything about Islam, but he was confident and determined to teach her Islam. Renda felt that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) and all other prophets were ordered by Allah to start preaching and teaching among their near and dear ones first. Renda not only taught her Islam, but served as an outstanding model for her. With the help of Allah she acquired Islamic knowledge very fast. Both cherished this Islamic way of life. Allah blessed them with two daughters. Renda did not want to stop here. He wanted more and more participation in Islamic activities while his beloved wife cooperated with him fully. That was the time when the war in Bosnia was in full swing. Muslims were being killed and tortured every day. Muslim youth from many countries went there to help the Bosnian Muslims. Renda could not resist and made up his mind to go there as well. He left his wife and young children in Anarbor City and appointed a wali or guardian for them from among the Turkish Muslim students. He called me to say salam(peace) and to make me aware of his family arrangements. Renda was a very cool minded, confident person and was very firm in carrying out his decision. He especially wanted to help the orphan children of Bosnia.

After a while we heard that Allah made him a shaheed(martyr) in Bosnia. The Anarbor Muslim Community was very proud of Renda and his family. They immediately established a trust and collected a substantial amount of funds. This money is to be used for the education of Renda's children when they reach college level. Renda's wife is very noble. She is growing more and more Islamically by understanding and memorizing more and more of the Quran and Ahadith. Renda's children are very intelligent like him. His wife is raising them with a remarkable Islamic background. We are told that Renda's mother and father in Turkey are also proud to be parents of a shaheed. Similarly, the Muslims of the Tawheed Mosque in Farmington Hills, Michigan are thankful to Allah for the design of their mosque by this shaheed. May Allah grant him a lofty place in Paradise.

Donald Flood

An American English Language Instructor

Every culture has its own strengths and weaknesses. It is well known that American life has a considerable amount of personal freedom. So much so that many parents give a long rope to their children. They generally do not interfere in religious matters and in the personal pursuits of their children. As such, the personal activities of parents and children tend to be mutually accepted and respected. Don was the product of one such liberal home. He related his life story to me as follows.

My Religious Background

My religious background was as a typical American. I was a Christian and occasionally attended church with my family when I was growing up. It appeared that morality was the most important thing in Christianity. My lack of Christian knowledge and practice helped me to keep an open mind for other religions and cultures. Experience with New Cultures There is lot of mobility in American life. My father moved from place to place to follow his professional job. Fortunately, we had the chance to live in Latin America for several months when I was a high school student. I encountered a new culture and language there. I fully comprehended that there were other lifestyles in the world, not just the American lifestyle. This experience broadened my mind and outlook. I was, therefore, curious to know more and more about other cultures and languages. I returned back to America with my family and completed my high school in Indiana. Thereafter, I joined the University of Texas in El Paso, which is on the border of Texas and Mexico, as a Business Administration major. Camping Trip After a few years of study, I knew that this major was not for me. I felt I needed something more interesting and cultural. It was during this time that a friend invited me to go with him on a three-month camping trip all over the USA and Western Canada. I cheerfully accepted because I knew this experience in the marvels of nature would be an appropriate setting to reflect upon personal goals and objectives. As a result of this experience, I didn't arrive at any decisions regarding my academic pursuits, but I did realize that this world could not have been created by mistake, and that it was clearly a wonderland of signs pointing to its Creator. I was, however, not sure how to worship or appreciate our Creator.

Then one day while sunbathing, I suddenly realized that I could combine my interests in business and culture by majoring in Latin American Studies. I went back to the university at the beginning of the next academic year and transferred to this major.

Social Activities

While back in the university, my Hindu friend invited me, along with his Saudi friend, to a church gathering, which included sports activities and a home-cooked meal. As a student, you do take advantage of every opportunity for a home-cooked meal. The dinner was very sumptuous. At the end of the evening something unexpected happened. The leader of the church started singing a song scribbled on the blackboard in Hebrew. He wanted us to repeat it after him. We noticed that our Saudi friend, Abu Hussein, suddenly stood up and asked us to leave the gathering with him. The host tried to persuade us to stay, but we hurriedly left the church. Ironically, this incident made us closer friends. A few weeks later Abu Hussein and I decided to rent a house together, along with a student from Kuwait and one from Iran. This new living arrangement provided me with a closer interaction with their cultures. I loved their meals and tried to prepare some of them. I noticed that my housemates often liked to eat with their right hand without the use of silverware. They also preferred sitting down on the floor to eat instead of sitting at a table. I did not know why they took a pitcher of water with them to the toilet for cleaning purposes. I also noticed that they offered their guests unparalleled hospitality. Regarding their character, I was impressed with their high level of self-confidence, which seemed to stem from some special kind of certainty about what they were doing and where they were going in life. I understood later that most of these mannerisms were according to the teachings of Islam and not necessarily cultural behavior.

By partially experiencing both the Latin American and Arab cultures, I observed many distinct similarities. Moreover, these findings were confirmed through my university studies on Latin America. I learned this affinity resulted from the 800-year influence of the Islamic civilization on Spain and medieval Europe. Thus, through their historical bond with the Arabs, some Islamic practices continue to be part of the Latin American culture of today.

Overseas Trip

After graduation, my housemates went back to their respective countries. I remained in touch with Abu Hussein. One year after our graduation he invited me to visit Saudi Arabia for two weeks. I accepted his invitation and traveled to Saudi Arabia where I was received like a king. I spent most of the time in a village situated a few hours south of Riyadh. I came across a very different lifestyle. I slept in an open space under the stars on big beautiful red carpets. Abu Hussein sacrificed several sheep and invited all the villagers for a dinner. I never had attention like this in my whole life and we were mutually appreciative of each other. One evening after dinner, we went out to the desert to look at their camels. One of the boys milked a camel and offered me some of this fresh milk. After drinking some, I commented that this camel milk was absolutely delicious. Then Abu Hussein's father said to me, "If you become a Muslim, I shall give you ten camels." I responded promptly, "If you become a Christian, I shall give you ten camels." After briefly experiencing life in the desert of Saudi Arabia, I returned back to America.

My New Career

After working for two years as a marketing representative for a publishing company in America, I found a job as an English as a foreign language instructor in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I really enjoyed this kind of work. I decided that teaching English as a foreign language would be my career from then on. Moreover, this two-year experience provided me with more exposure to Arab culture. As with my former Muslim roommates, I also found the people in this country to be extremely generous, confident and social. Nonetheless, I was feeling a bit homesick and decided to return home.

My Experience in Las Vegas

After a short time, I went to Las Vegas, Nevada since it has a high concentration of foreign immigrants who mostly work in the casinos. I put an advertisement in a newspaper offering to teach English as a foreign language. Fortunately, I got a few students quickly. I taught them in my kitchen with the use of a small blackboard placed on the wall. At that time I realized that Las Vegas didn't have an English language institute, so my colleague and I established one in the heart of the city. The business of the institute flourished. However in my free time, I took part in some of the sinful activities of Las Vegas. This kind of lifestyle made me sick of myself. I soon got tired of these social evils in the society. Life appeared meaningless and confused. I wanted to have a change again so I faxed my resume to Abu Hussein for him to help me find work in Saudi Arabia. To my surprise, I was offered a job to teach English to employees of a petrochemical company in Jubail. Within one month I was there. Repentance I took many books to Jubail on various topics.

One day I was reading a book on philosophy. The book suggested the need for making sincere repentance to God. I had never made repentance in my life. I started recalling all people I had wronged and the wrong I did to myself in that process. Then, I repented hoping for the best. After a short time, I thought that perhaps God had accepted my repentance. A clear indicator of this acceptance was that God put specific people in my life and allowed certain situations to occur that guided me to the right path. I would like to share some of these circumstances with the reader.

The Meaning of Freedom

I was with Abu Hussein. He also had a friend visiting him. I mentioned to them that I was used to having a lot more freedom in America than what was present in their country. The visitor said, "It depends on what you mean by freedom. In your part of the world, no matter how well parents teach morality to their children inside the home, as soon as they go outside, they generally encounter the society in contradiction to that morality. On the other hand, in most Muslim communities, the morals taught to the children at home are very similar to what they find away from home. So who really has the freedom here?" Like it or not, I was inclined to agree with his interpretation of freedom in which immorality tends to be prevalent in societies that are overly liberal. In this case, too much freedom often becomes a negative aspect of society, not a positive one. From his analogy, I also understood that the Islamic guidelines and restrictions sanctioning human behavior in Muslim societies are not meant to curtail human freedom; rather, they serve to define and dignify human freedom.

The Game of Roulette

A further opportunity to learn about Islam arose when I was invited to sit with a group of Muslims over dinner. After mentioning to the group that I had been living in Las Vegas, Nevada before coming to the Middle East, a Muslim from America said, "You must make sure you die as a good Muslim." I immediately asked him to explain what he meant. He said, "If you die as a non-Muslim, it is like playing the game of roulette in which you put all of your chips (all of your life, including your deeds and your particular belief in God) on only one number, just hoping that perhaps by the Mercy of God, you will enter Paradise on Judgement Day. In contrast, if you die as a good Muslim, it is like spreading your chips all over the roulette board, so that every number is covered. In this way, no matter what number the ball falls on you, you're safe. In other words, living and dying as a good Muslim is the best insurance you will not go to Hell, and at the same time, it is the best investment that you'll go to Paradise." As a former resident of Las Vegas, I could directly relate to this example with the game of roulette. At this point, I recognized that it is the duty of all human beings to seek the truth to this life and not just blindly accept the religion that their society or parents follow. I also determined that I would not find the truth until I established a relationship with God. That being the case, I decided to concentrate on those religions emanating from Divine revelations linked with specific prophets and messengers.

Hence, I chose to continue my search for the truth within Judeo-Christianity and Islam. Even though I grew up as a Christian, I had been bewildered about Christianity. I felt like I inherited a mysterious religion beyond understanding. I believe it was for this reason that I was a Christian by name but not in practice. What's more, I realized my confusion about Christian beliefs caused me to be in a state of non-religiousness. Nevertheless, while I was searching for the truth, I had a chance to sincerely re-examine those beliefs I inherited from my parents, yet never bothered to scrutinize. Not an Ordinary Picnic Some Muslims in Jubail arranged a special picnic for non-Muslims. After playing some games, we ate a delicious dinner. Finally, we heard a short lecture about Islam. I was shocked to learn that the Muslims believe in all the prophets and also in all the revelations of God in their original form. Moreover, I learned the Qur'an was the last revelation sent for the sake of all mankind, and Mohammad(pbuh) was the last Prophet and Messenger who received this revelation. As the Seal of Prophets, he has served as the best example for all to follow. Upon leaving the picnic, they gave us a few booklets on comparative religion. One of them contained a dialogue between a Muslim and a Christian. The following conclusions were evident from the study of this booklet.

a) The real competition in this life is racing with one another to do good deeds to please the Creator, not the competition of pursuing more and more wealth or fame.

b) Hell is surrounded by lustful desires. These desires lead you to nothing else except to the roaring flames of Hellfire. On the other hand, Paradise is surrounded by challenges and if you look beyond them, you will find Paradise.

c) I found out that the Bible warns against adding or removing information from its teachings, which is evidently what happened. (See Jeremiah 8:8-9; Revelations 22:18-19). God addresses this point in the Qur'an as well, "So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from God," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn." (2:79)

Consequently, I was surprised to find out about hundreds of verses in the Bible which reveal a lack of harmony in Christian beliefs. According to these materials, God was One prior to Jesus(pbuh). Likewise, Jesus(pbuh) propagated the belief in One God. However, after Jesus(pbuh), Christianity emphasized the Trinity instead of the Oneness of God. Also, before Jesus(pbuh), God was without sons and equals. Similarly, Jesus(pbuh) said he was God's messenger, whereas after his time, Christianity stressed that he is God's son or God Himself. After reading these booklets, I finally determined that the Christian perception of God is very illogical indeed: God becomes man, which He created, and then allows himself to suffer and die as a sacrifice at the hands of His very own creation to cleanse mankind of sin inherited from Adam(pbuh) and his descendants. Belief in this concept became the source of salvation according to the Church.

Visiting a Mosque as a non-Muslim

I happened to be shopping with Abu Hussein and another friend when it was the time for prayer. We went to a mosque where they advised me to wash up in a certain way and then follow them in the rituals of the prayer. I did this by looking out of the corner of my eye. I sat still after this peaceful experience and was somewhat nervous since I did not know what else to do. I, however, realized that non-Muslims are allowed to enter mosques under certain conditions. My friends asked me to wait outside the mosque during the congregational prayer to avoid any misunderstandings with the Muslims. Correspondingly, I was with my Saudi friends on another occasion when it was again prayer time. They said, "Why don't you pray with us? Ask God for forgiveness, guidance to the truth and express gratitude to Him." At the end of the prayer I felt relief and contentment, which I had never felt before. From that point, I was always looking forward to praying with them, even though I was not a Muslim and I was not praying correctly.

Overcoming Obstacles

There were several obstacles preventing me from converting to Islam. The fear of losing life-long friends and family members was predominantly on my mind. Furthermore, leaving certain vices in one go was not easy since conversion demanded a total change in lifestyle. I was mentally not yet ready to overcome these hurdles, even though Islamic practices were very soothing to me both mentally and spiritually. I admitted to an American Muslim friend in Jubail that I was very close to embracing Islam, but I needed a push forward. Consequently, he gave me an Islamic video to watch.

An Inspiring Video

Once again I was invited to a gathering at Abu Hussein's residence. There were many young Saudi men in this group. After dinner they engaged in conversation, but I wasn't able to speak Arabic. I noticed that there was a TV and VCR in this room. I remembered I had that video from my American Muslim friend in the car. Shortly thereafter, I started watching this video which posed a very important question: What is the purpose of life? I was uncertain just as many other people in the world are unsure about the answer to this question. Needless to say, I learned a few important points from this video. The lecturer in the video commented very precisely on what the purpose of life is. He said that the purpose of life is Islam or total peaceful submission to the Will of Allah(God). I was surprised to hear such a short answer to what I thought was such a complex question. An additional point was that, unlike other religions or beliefs, the term 'Islam' is not associated with any particular person or place. God has named the religion in the following Qur'anic verse: "Indeed, the Religion in the sight of God is Islam…" (3:19) Anyone who embraces Islam is called a Muslim regardless of that person's race, sex or nationality. This is one of the reasons why Islam is a universal religion. Prior to my search for the truth, I had never seriously considered Islam as an option because of the constant negative portrayal of Muslims in the media.

Similarly, it was disclosed in this video, that although Islam is characterized by high moral standards, not all Muslims uphold these standards. I learned the same can be said about adherents of other religions. I finally understood that we should not judge a religion by the actions of its followers alone because all humans are sinful. On that account, we should not judge Islam by the actions of its proponents, but by its revelation (the Qur'an) and by the sayings and actions of Prophet Mohammad(pbuh). Lastly, the lecturer guided the viewer in decision making by presenting simple examples, as in the following:

"If you are a Christian and want to become a Muslim, it is like having an expensive suit that is a bit too large. Instead of throwing it away, you just make certain alterations so it fits you better. In other words, you do not cast away all your previous beliefs and practices that you've had since your childhood. You rather take them with you to Islam and incorporate them into your life as a Muslim, with modifications and due refinements." The Aftermath After viewing the video my heart and mind were absolutely convinced that Islam is the truth. I experienced the weight of disbelief and sins flying off my body. I felt so light as if I were rising above the earth. This experience, coupled with the long process of reasoning, solved the 'purpose of life puzzle'. It revealed Islam as the truth, thereby replenishing my 'spiritual landscape' with belief, purpose, direction and action. From this experience, I deduced that man might neglect the guidance of God and establish his own standards of living. Ultimately, however, he will discover it was only a mirage that eluded him.

My Insistence on Accepting Islam

I called Abu Hussein and walked with him to the passage leading to another room in order to get away from the gathering. I told him that I wanted to accept Islam right now. He advised me to study more about Islam before embracing it. I insisted that I wanted to accept it now and then without any delay. On my insistence he led me in saying the shahada or the formal testimony of faith to become a Muslim. Abu Hussein then announced my conversion to the group. They were surprised and overjoyed. Everybody hugged me one by one. They advised me to take a bath for purification purposes and start offering prayer as best as I can. I started praying regularly in the mosque the next day. I was subsequently reminded that this formal testimony to become a Muslim confirms one's belief in all the prophets of God, along with all of His Divine revelations in their original forms, thereby updating and completing one's religion to the last of the prophets [Muhammad(pbuh] and to the final revelation of God [the Qur'an].

The following point became overwhelmingly clear to me: Had Jesus(pbuh) been the last prophet of God and had the Gospel been the final book of revelation, I would have just followed that creed. As a result, I have naturally chosen to follow Islam, which represents the final revelation from the Creator with Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) as the seal of the prophets, who is the best example for mankind to follow. Muslim Name After two days I went to the mosque to participate in the Friday congregational prayer. Abu Hussein suggested that I repeat the shahada again in front of the congregation to have more of an impact. I agreed. We were both sitting in the mosque waiting for the sermon. Abu Hussein asked me, "What Muslim name you would like to have so that the Imam(prayer leader) can introduce you with your Muslim name?" I told him, "I am not sure. He should introduce me with my American name." Abu Hussein kept reciting the Quran sitting by my side. Then he came across the word 'Yahya'. He touched me with his elbow and said quietly to me, "How does Yahya sound to you as your name?" I asked, "What does it mean?" He said, "John the Baptist. Its other meaning is to live." I said, "That will do since I know of John the Baptist from the Bible. Furthermore, this name signifies a new life for me in Islam. It is, indeed, an appropriate Muslim name for me."

After the prayer, the Imam invited me to repeat the shahada in front of the very large congregation. About three hundred people congratulated me and hugged me individually waiting anxiously for their turns. Many people said, "Accepting Islam is the best decision you have ever made in your life." I was surprised that all the people cared to personally congratulate me. It raised my morale and spirits very high. When I look back on this experience of becoming a Muslim, I believe it happened because it was the Will of Allah that I had an intense curiosity to learn about other cultures, followed by a sincere desire to find the truth of this life. Allah knows best and all Praise is due to Him!!!

Goal of Life

I was told to learn more about Islam every day and try to put it into practice. I was also told that I was not responsible for what I didn't know about in Islam initially. I appreciated this flexibility in Islam. After a short time, I understood that Islam is in direct contrast to the western focus on the self. Islam tells us to look beyond ourselves and our vain desires. Islam guides and motivates us to focus on Allah. By doing so, we begin to fulfill the purpose of our life, which is to believe in and worship Almighty God and thus attain peace with our Creator and ourselves. Hence, Islam serves as the goal and the purpose of life. Islamic Education and Growth I was fortunate to be in an Islamic country when I accepted Islam because of the presence of many knowledgeable Muslims along with an abundance of Islamic materials. I could readily understand and appreciate what I was learning because Islamic teachings were being put into practice in the society. I attended a weekly Islamic meeting with individuals from many lands. We met once a week for four years. We studied Qur'anic reading and interpretation, along with some memorization of the Qur'an. We also received extensive education in various aspects of Islam at a basic level. This Islamic education provided me with a good foundation upon which to further purify myself.

Islamic Marriage

Marriage is highly recommended in Islam. I realized that by marrying an Arabic-speaking Muslim, I would be giving my children one of the best possible gifts, which is the Arabic language. Hence, I married a Syrian lady, and with the Mercy of Allah, our children are doing well in Arabic and are learning the Quran. When I visited America, my family inquired about marriage in Islam. I explained to them that the obligations of spouses are assigned by the Creator and are not man-made rules. For that reason, these guidelines are perfect and there is no fear of any foul play if we adhere to them sincerely.

Reaction of the Family

My acceptance of Islam stunned my family initially. Finally they said, "If Islam makes you happy, we are happy for you." Thus, we mutually respected each other.

The Shahada of My Mother

My sister called me from America and said that our mother was extremely ill. My wife and I rushed from Saudi Arabia to America. During our stay there, I asked my mother, " Do you believe in one God?" She said, " Yes." I said to her say, "La ilaha illa Allah." She repeated this in Arabic. She also repeated the translation of this sentence in English, 'There is no deity but Allah'. After a few days I asked her, "Do you believe in all the Prophets like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad?" She said, " Yes." I said, "Then repeat after me, "La ilaha illa Allah Mohammadan Rasoolu llah." She also said it in English, i.e., 'There is no deity but Allah and Mohammad is His Messenger.' She left us about five days after her acceptance of Islam. I thank Allah for guiding my mother to the right path during her last few days in this world. When I reflect upon it, I recall that she usually cared for others' needs more than her own. Evidently, Allah has been very merciful to her. Allah knows best!!!

Her Extraordinary Observation

It was amazing what my mother said to me during her last days in this world. She said, "There is a golden light coming out of your forehead." I told her that it is there because we believe in and pray to Allah. Her observation is described in the Holy Qur'an: …the Day that Allah will not disgrace the Prophet[(Mohammad(pbuh)] and those who believe with him. Their light will run forward before them… They will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Sirat(a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness…" (66:8)

Yahya enjoys having constructive dialogues to share his experiences and discoveries. He may be contacted at the following email address: dflood58_2000@yahoo.com.

Joe Paul Echon

A Filipino Computer Engineer

Many people came to Saudi Arabia primarily for financial gains. There was, however, something else in store for them. Joe Paul Echon was one of them. His story is full of cultural and spiritual conflicts and their step-by-step solutions. Intelligence, hard work and sincerity of purpose always lead to enviable triumphs. The road to success is very long. More hard work brings about more firm faith and lasting success. Exploration and sound knowledge produce sound results. Ignorance and guesswork leads to a very fragile foundation. In fact, seeking knowledge with an open mind wins half the battle of life. The other half is won through courage and honest commitment to the call of one's conscious.

Joe belonged to a very strict religious family. He participated in church activities from childhood and was always proud of it. He described his Christian training and background as follows.

Christian Background

I was born in a Roman Catholic family and we attended church services very regularly. As an elementary school student, I was the volunteer child who cleaned the chapel. I was also the assistant to the priest during the communion. As a high school student, I was a choir member who played the guitar and sometimes the piano. I was also a member of the Legion of Mary, which is a group that discusses how to love and worship Mary. We had different statues of Mary; for example, Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Immaculate Conception, etc. During religious gatherings, our priest used to read the Bible and we simply listened to it. I always wondered why we were not allowed to participate in reading the Bible.

First Major Change in My Life

As a college student, there was a big change in my life with regard to religion. One of my classmates invited me to a non-sectarian group for observation of their activities. It was not easy for me to understand what they were doing and what they were preaching. In my church the priest held the Bible and read it to us. In this Protestant Christian group every member had a Bible in his hand to read. To my surprise, the Bible stressed over and over again not to worship any statue or idol. This was a major lesson for me. I, therefore, switched from being a Roman Catholic to being a Protestant Christian to avoid worshipping any statue. I was the first Protestant Christian in my family. My family also started exploring the teachings of Protestant Christianity and they readily accepted them. We were very active in this church. I started my formal training as a preacher of the Bible. In this way I acquired a sound knowledge of the Bible and was like a small pastor or priest.

The Image of Muslims in the Philippines

I had no idea about Islam. During my school life I did not recognize any Muslim child probably because they were not practicing Islam and hence, could not be distinguished from others. I had a few Muslim teachers during my college life, but they were also just Muslims by name only. I did not care for Muslims since the media had painted a very bad picture of them. For example, they are terrorists. If one Muslim committed a crime, the media used to blame all the Muslims. We were told not to cross in front of Muslims because they might kill you. We were also advised not to deal with Muslims since they are bad persons. I must add here that our priests and pastors never said anything about Muslims since they were always busy criticizing other Christian sects.

My Work Experience

After completing a Bachelor's of Science degree in Computer Engineering, I joined a company called Intel in the Philippines. We manufactured chips for computer hardware. After a month I shifted my job to another computer company where most of my schoolmates were working. It provided me with professional growth and valuable experience. After five years, I decided to open my own company in a partnership with four other individuals. The company, however, failed because it was run inefficiently. I was the first to resign and leave this firm.

New Job Hunting

A friend suggested that we should try to find a job in Saudi Arabia in order to get more capital. After a few years we would be able to start our own business. We contacted an agency. It had demands for computer engineers from a Saudi Arabian Bank and the manager happened to be in Manila for recruitment. Shortly thereafter, an interview was arranged for us. We were accepted but the salary was not attractive. I declined the offer. The agency kept calling me again and again. Finally, my friend compelled me to join him in this adventure. Thus, I accepted the offer to show respect to my friend and we went to Saudi Arabia.

My Initial Impression of Saudi Arabia

I did not know Arabic and I didn't like it because I thought it was not useful for the world. Likewise, I did not want to learn Arabic since all my colleagues spoke good English. Regarding our new job, we maintained the computers and the communication's network for a bank in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. I lived with a Filipino group in an apartment. The life in Saudi Arabia was very different; it had many social restrictions imposed on us even though we were non-Muslims. Thus, I experienced great stress and felt homesick. One day I rented a cab in Dammam and agreed to pay fifteen Riyals. The cab driver was well dressed and had a large beard. He changed his mind during the journey and demanded more money from me. At the end of the journey, he again insisted that I pay him more money. It annoyed me. I jumped out of the car and asked him, "Don't you pray five times a day?" He immediately said, "Please give me fifteen Riyals only." I gave him fifteen and he left quietly. I started reflecting on this incident. I concluded that this cab driver must have a good heart. This was my first positive experience. I started thinking that Saudi's are basically very good people. It was like a silver lining in a dark cloud. Another positive thing that happened was related to food. I never tried Saudi food. One time we were in a remote area to complete a project. We were very hungry. There was no chance to get any Filipino food. I ate kabsa(chicken and rice) for the first time. It was very delicious. I was always looking for places that served kabsa. It developed my taste for other Saudi dishes.

Critical Dialogue

Abdullah Al-Amar was my Saudi supervisor in the bank. He had good English skills since he was trained overseas. He was also very talkative. He started telling me a story. During his speech the word Jesus(pbuh) came out of his mouth. I told him, "Stop, just stop here. Jesus(pbuh) is my God. How come you know about him?" This was the first time I heard the word Jesus(pbuh) from a Muslim. It shocked me. During my two-year stay in Saudi Arabia nobody ever talked to me about Jesus(pbuh). Since my childhood, I believed that the sun is the god of the Muslims because they worship when the sun rises. Similarly, they worship when the sun sets and they also worship when sun is high up in the sky. Abdullah paused momentarily. He then started sharing the names of various Prophets with me, including Noah, Abraham, Moses and others. He said, "They are our Prophets as well." I knew the names of these Prophets from the Bible. On hearing this I realized that the Jews, Christians, and Muslims must have some connection.

Investigation of Islam

At this point in time, I started investigating Islam and the religion of Abdullah. I went to Jarir Bookstore in Dammam to buy some books regarding Islam. I started browsing all the bookshelves. I was surprised to see many books on comparative religion, including books on Christianity. The title of one book surprised me a lot. Its title was 'Jesus, not God, son of Mary'. I bought at least five books on comparative religion and went home to study them. The books had many quotations from the Bible. Soon after that, I asked Abdullah, "Is there any Islamic propagation center in this town?" He pointed one out, which happened to be very near to my home. I went there to see and observe. It seemed to be a new Islamic Propagation Center, so I just stopped in for a while and went back home. Al-Khobar City in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia has a very high concentration of Filipinos.

Once I went there for window-shopping and learned through a Filipino that there was also an Islamic Center in Khobar. I found this center easily and decided to buy some more books since I had finished the other books. I saw many books on comparative religion in the Islamic Propagation Center that I wanted to buy. The receptionist there told me that these were free for non-Muslims and new Muslims. I insisted to pay for the books. He tried to give me the books as a gift. I again insisted to pay for them. They accepted the money and I walked out of the Center with the new books. I rushed home to investigate their contents. I wanted to discover the twists and tricks they were playing in quoting the Bible in their literature. I had my Bible with me. I hurried to crosscheck the first quote. To my surprise it was correct. I thought it was only to trick me. I compared other quotations one by one. All of them were exactly the same as given in my Bible. This puzzled me. I was still not convinced about Islam. I, however, visited the Propagation Center again. One gentleman invited me to watch a video of Ahmad Deedat. I had decided to be fair in viewing this video. I said to myself that in no way I shall exercise any prejudice. In this video there was a debate between a Muslim scholar and a Christian scholar. Clearly, the Christian scholar failed to defend his faith. After viewing the video, I asked myself, if this famous Christian scholar could not defend his faith, what about me? I am only a follower. At that moment my faith started to collapse. It was as if I had lost a great battle and did not know where to run for help.

There's No Compulsion in Religion

One day I was playing darts with a Filipino friend who happened to be a Muslim. His name was Radwan Abdus Salam and he was the only Filipino Muslim I knew. I briefly asked him about Islam in a corner while the rest of my friends were busy playing. He did not give me a long lecture. I accompanied him to his home and he gave me an English translation of the Qur'an and a few brochures on comparative religion. My Filipino Muslim friend did not try to persuade me to embrace Islam. I must also add that Brother Abdullah never persuaded me to accept Islam either. Similarly, nobody at the Islamic Propagation Center ever tried to convince me to change my faith. Everybody provided me with the information and left the choice up to my heart and mind. In this way I felt comfortable interacting with Muslims. Had they forced the teachings of Islam on me, I would have been driven away from the Muslims. Nevertheless, I wondered why nobody had ever talked to me about Islam during my first two-year stay in an Islamic country like Saudi Arabia.

The Call of My Conscience

Through extensive study and investigation, three things became very clear to my mind.

(a) Jesus is not God.

(b) The Bible is not in its original form. It is corrupted because of many contradictions. My religion was based on book information. I wondered, if the book is corrupted, how can the religion be correct? If I tried to resolve the contradictions, it would become more complex and confusing. Hence, the religion of Christianity was like a dogma; take it as it is without any 'ifs' and 'buts' about it. This confusion created an internal pressure on my mind.

(c) The statement, 'There is no god worthy of worship except one God' was very simple, straightforward and extremely easy to understand. It removed all the pressure from my mind and I felt like a free man. This ease and comfort enabled me to reflect on it again and again. I was pondering over it in my room and also during long distance drives in my car. I used to listen to various cassettes, which I bought from the Islamic Propagation Center. The idea of the Unity of God was becoming more and more clear to me. An internal force was telling me again and again to make a conscientious decision. The truth was so clear to my mind that I did not care what friends and family members would do to me. All I wanted to know was how to become a Muslim. Therefore, I went to the Aqrabiya Islamic Propagation Center in Khobar to accept Islam.

As I entered the center, Islamic lectures were in progress in different rooms and in various languages. I joined the Filipino group. Brother Fareed Oquendo was the lecturer. After his lecture I asked him "How can a person become a Muslim?" He asked me, "Do you want to become a Muslim?" I promptly said, "Yes, indeed." Everybody was surprised since it was my first time to attend an Islamic lecture at this center. Mr. Fareed asked me, "Are you sure you want to accept Islam? Have you read enough about Islam?" I said, "Yes, I have." I was again surprised that nobody was forcing me or trying to talk me into embracing Islam. I came across a Saudi brother there. He said to me, "Your face is that of a Muslim." Mr. Fareed gathered the participants of all the lectures and instructed me, "Please repeat what the Saudi brother says in Arabic. It will then be repeated in English announcing that there is no god but One God and Prophet Mohammad(pbuh) is His Messenger. This simple statement makes you a Muslim."

After this brief and simple ceremony all the participants made a line and hugged me one by one and congratulated me from the core of their hearts. They were saying loudly over and over, Takbir! Allahu Akbar, i.e., God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest. When Joe was describing this incident to me, he was crying with happiness. He said, "I never expected anything like this to happen to me. This sweet and peaceful remembrance of the past always touches my heart. All praise is due to Allah, since Satan was not able to scare me away from saying the testimony to become a Muslim because of any bad reactions that might occur from friends or family members."

Islamic Name

After the shahada or the above pronouncement, Brother Fareed asked me, "What Muslim name would you like to have?" I thought to myself that I would like to have the name of the person who talked to me about Islam during my first visit to this center. This person was very polite, logical and informative. He impressed me by his manners, brief presentation and precise explanations. I did not know his name. I, however, recognized the person I argued with to pay for some books and cassettes. I asked him, "What was the name of that person who talked to me after purchasing the books from you?" He said, "I recall that he was Sheikh Saleh. I told them that Saleh would be my name from now on. The brother instructed me to go home, take a bath and supplicate to Allah to show my gratitude to Him.

My First Salat(Prayer)

I took a bath that evening and had a sound sleep. I went to the mosque for Fajr Prayer the next morning. I was shy to enter the mosque since I did not know what to do. One Sudanese brother passed near me and noticed my hesitation. He said to me, "Come right in. What's stopping you?" I told him, "I became a Muslim last night. I don't know how to pray." He said, "Come in I shall show you." He explained how I should clean myself in the toilet. He also demonstrated how to make ablution. He added, "Just follow us in salat and make a dua'(supplication) at the end." When I made my first sojood(forehead touching the floor while kneeling down), I felt so great that I could never explain that feeling again. I always pray to Allah to give me back my first sojood. Since that day, I've been performing my salat five times a day.

Islamic Education

I started going to the Islamic Propagation Center regularly every evening. I learned the Arabic alphabet and how to read and write Arabic. Gradually, I started reading the Qur'an. The primary goal of my life was to learn how to read the Qur'an correctly and fluently. I also learned the Pillars of Islam and the Pillars of Faith in detail. General lectures were very inspiring. Brother Ahmad Ricalde was our teacher. He made the lectures interesting and fascinating. I did not like to disrupt these educational activities. I, therefore, postponed my vacations to visit parents and my homeland. Among many other things, it was made clear to me that involvement in usury in any form is forbidden in Islam. It is also prohibited to eat any meals upon which any kind of supplication is made to other than Allah. I took all the teachings of Islam very seriously and I tried my best to follow them. I was content and was very proud of my lifestyle. However, my colleagues and housemates did not know about this big change in my life.

A Funny Accident

One day our Supervisor, Mr. Abdullah, assigned a job to us in a remote area. We were supposed to go home, eat lunch and proceed to the site of the project. I slipped away and did wudhu(ablution) to offer the afternoon salat. On the way I ran into Mr. Abdullah. He saw my hands and face wet with water. He asked me, "What is this?" I told him that I did wudhu to offer salat. He asked me, "Are you a Muslim?" I said, "Yes." He was overjoyed. He told me not to go to the project and see him in the office after salat. Mr. Abdullah called his family on the phone to break the news. He took me with him to his home and there was a big celebration with his family. I immediately felt like part of the family.

Reaction of Friends

I was living with five other Filipino friends in a house. Two persons shared every room. I shared a room with my close friend and classmate from college. All of us cooked and ate dinner and lunch together. Two incidents took place during this time. My friends were celebrating New Year's Day and so a sumptuous dinner was prepared. I was invited to join in on the dinner. However, I put a condition on my participation. I demanded that they not pray during the dinner. They agreed. I, however, noticed that they prayed before the dinner, as is done in the Christian faith. They broke the promise they made with me. I, therefore, walked out of the dinner. Another similar incident happened. As I mentioned earlier, we used to eat lunch together. I, however, used to slip away to perform my afternoon prayers and join them a bit late. One day I was later than usual. They finished their lunch. I only saw my roommate there. He asked me jokingly, "Were you praying?" I told him, "You really put me on spot. Yes, I was praying." He said, "Are you kidding?" I told him, "I am a Muslim."

He spread the word among our Filipino friends. It caused a big change in my friendship with my housemates. All of them gathered in my room and the first thing they said to me was that I was a backslider. Then they asked me the usual questions one is asked as a new Muslim. What is Islam? How did you find it? Whatever they asked me, I opened the books and shared the answers with them. This was my first experience of talking to others about Islam. They were trying to revert me back to Christianity. I answered their questions nicely and without any annoyance. Finally, one person closed his Bible and said to me, "What are you trying to prove?" I told them, "It is clear that Islam is the true religion. It is also true that Jesus(pbuh) is not God but a messenger of Allah." Consequently, they left since they were disappointed. There was no more discussion among us. They were always going together for their activities. I was left alone.

I, therefore, started looking for my Filipino friend, Abdus Salam, but he changed his residence. I discovered his new home through some contacts, so I visited him. Abdus Salam had just returned from Hajj. I said salam(peace) to him. He was surprised. I told him that I embraced Islam and suggested that we share a room to lead an Islamic life. Abdus Salam's roommate was a non-Muslim, so Abdus Salam found a new apartment and we moved there immediately. We were friends and enjoyed our life there. We used to go to the Islamic Propagation Center together for education and advancements. We supported each other as true brothers.

Dream Came True

Our teacher for Quranic recitation at the Propagation Center was Mr. Mohammad, a middle-aged Egyptian brother. This was his volunteer job. He was working full-time as an office boy with a firm to make both ends meet. One day Abdus Salam and I paid him a courtesy visit. We found that he was living in a very tiny room with very deplorable conditions. We also noticed that one wall of his room was full of Quranic cassettes stacked on various shelves. We suggested and requested him to move into our room. There would be no rent or utilities for him. He should, however, promise to teach us Quran. Brother Mohammad eagerly accepted the offer. He was teaching us Quran every day after Fajr. In this way we learned the recitation of the Quran from a professional reciter. Thank God our dream came true.

My Hobbies

I used to play and sing with the guitar since elementary school. I also learned how to play piano when I was in high school. I had my guitar and mouthpiece instrument with me in Saudi Arabia. I had a large collection of music recorded on high-quality cassette tapes. On top of this I was a chain smoker. I voluntarily stopped smoking as soon as I embraced Islam. One day I saw one person smoking at my job. My tongue curled inside my mouth and tempted me to taste a cigarette. I, however, did not touch one for fear of Almighty Allah. I sold my guitar and cassette tapes for petty coins, since I wanted to get rid of these as fast as I could. One person pointed to my mouthpiece instrument. I told him that he could have it free. Now I had more time to devote to my Islamic growth.

First Visit to Parents

I was planning to visit the Philippines during my vacation. Abdus Salam informed me that his wife and daughters had accepted Islam and that I should visit his family during my stay in the Philippines to impart some Islamic education to his family. When I arrived to Manila, my parents received me. Christian priests had taught us to put the hand of each parent on our foreheads to show respect to them. I did not do it when I met my parents at the airport. Alternately, I kissed their foreheads. They were surprised. We, however, drove home in high spirits. My father was a former military man and always wore a serious face. He was somewhat reserved in his disposition. My mother was a college graduate and worked as a teacher. It was usually easier to talk to my mother. I said to my mother, "I am a Muslim and I shall not eat pork." It was a big surprise for my parents. They told me that they had especially bought pork ribs for me. Pork ribs are considered a great delicacy in the Philippines. It would not be inappropriate if the writer described one of his experiences with pork ribs. I was a mathematics teacher in America and my students used to ask me the difference between Islam and Christianity. I told them, "Apart from other things, Muslims do not eat pork." One of my students said, "Mr. Ahmad, you don't know what you're missing. Pork barbecue ribs are finger-licking good." After this remark, all of them laughed boisterously and kept saying, "Mr. Ahmad doesn't know what he is missing." Saleh's faith was very strong. He flatly declined pork and pork products. Saleh said to me, "My parents had no other choice but to give me halal(Islamically permissible) food."

During my stay in the Philippines I tried to impart Islamic teachings to my parents and other relatives. I was very aggressive and wanted them to see the truth very quickly. It created a lot of arguments and the climate in my house remained tense throughout my stay there. I was an inexperienced preacher and wished to have quick results. I realize now that my approach was wrong. I really feel sorry about it since I put them through much aggravation due to my faulty approach. Furthermore, the success of guidance is according to the Will of Allah and not the preacher. Thus, the preacher should not be upset.

I did visit Abdus Salam's family and shared with them what little I knew. On my return to Saudi Arabia I advised Abdus Salam to relocate his family near the Islamic Propagation center in Cavite City near Manila. In this way his family would be able to receive Islamic teachings and it would be easier for them to practice Islam in an Islamic environment. Abdus Salam liked the idea and moved his family near this center.

Second Visit to the Philippines

The next year Abdus Salam and I went to the Philippines at the same time. I was very happy to see that his family had acquired a lot of Islamic education. This time I noticed that his wife and daughters were wearing the Islamic veil and displayed a great deal of advancement in practicing Islamic teachings. So much so that Abdus Salam asked me to marry his daughter. I told him that I would give him an answer soon. Unfortunately, the environment in my house was so tense that I could not return to brother Abdus Salam's house in time. He left for Saudi Arabia. I told his wife, "I accept the proposal but give me one year." I called Abdus Salam in Madina Munawwara, Saudi Arabia and explained to him the reason of my inability to see him before his departure from the Philippines. I also told him that I accepted the proposal and, God willing, the marriage would take place next year.

Dialogue with Pastors

My mom was trying her best to revert me to Christianity. She invited a pastor to our home and I had a lengthy dialogue with him. He failed to convince me. My mom invited another pastor and sat with us to hear the arguments. My father was watering plants nearby and simultaneously listened to our dialogue with a keen ear. I gave answers to the pastor from my books on comparative religion. He had no sound argument. He left saying that he would bring a senior pastor with him. I told him, " I am waiting anxiously for your visit." They never returned. My father walked up to my mother and said, "Your son has more knowledge than your pastor." I told my father politely, "Perhaps he needs to collect his facts and figures together." I said this to not hurt her feelings since he was her pastor and teacher of religion.

Priority of My Life

The priority of my life at this time was not marriage. My first goal was to quit my job with the bank. I sought advice from many scholars. I appreciated their excellent counseling. They said, "Make the sincere intention for a change to a more suitable job, but don't quit the present job now. In that case, you would have to leave the country and we would lose you. Look for a new job and make the change as soon as possible." I looked for advertisements in the Arab News. There was a job for a Fax operator. I went for the interview. The interviewer asked me why I left the present job since it offered me much more salary. I told him that it was a personal reason. He told me that I was over qualified for this job and so he rejected me. Another company was hiring support engineers. The salary was again less than my present salary. I went for an interview and told them that I shall not argue about salary. I just need a change for a personal reason. I was accepted and moved to this new company. It was a great blessing in disguise since I started working as a maintenance engineer in one of the most holy places on earth, the Prophet's Mosque in Madina, Saudi Arabia.

Islamic Marriage

After one year Abdus Salam and I went to the Philippines together and the marriage took place. I explained to my parents and other relatives that it would be an Islamic marriage. They agreed to take part in it. The formal marriage ceremony took only five minutes. After that, I told my parents that is it. My grandmother said very loudly, "I have not yet seen the bride and the bridegroom together as in a Christian marriage." My mother pacified her stating that it was an Islamic marriage. My parents became much more understanding. I was still in the Philippines during a few days of Ramadhan. My mother was cooking food for me to break my fast. After my vacation I left for Madina and my wife joined me there. Allah has blessed us with two daughters, Safa and Marwa. At present, I have a full-time job and I attend the Islamic Propagation Center in Madinah as a volunteer to help new Muslims. May Allah accept my humble contribution and strengthen my iman(faith) and make, my wife, children and me God fearing.

Saleh enjoys sharing his experiences and interacting with new Muslims and non-Muslims. He can be reached at the following email address: saleh_echon@hotmail.com

Ibrahim Sulieman

A Nigerian Student of Religion

Every religion tries to convince individuals about its truth and superiority. Such activities are going on in many countries. Conversion from one religion to another is a big decision for an individual. In many societies the decision of the head of the family affects many of his generations. Many people follow a religion merely out of respect for their parents and ancestors. Social and cultural bonds are very strong and it is generally considered rude and impolite to break or weaken such bonds. These forces are so strong that even many intelligent people dare not explore and compare other religions with an open mind. Such prejudices haunt and occupy their minds. Yet, they claim that they do not hold any form of prejudice against other religions. This feeling keeps them at ease, even if they hold prejudice against their inner conscience. The Creator, however, definitely shows the true path to those who do not exercise prejudice when they seek the truth. An abundance of God's Mercy is showered on such individuals. The story of Ibrahim is a good illustration of this point. Ibrahim described his story to me as follows.

I was born and raised in Nigeria. My grandfather was a Muslim. His name was Sulieman. He had three sons. One of his sons became a Christian at the age of twelve through the activities of Christian missionaries. He eventually married a young Muslim lady who he converted to Christianity. Both of them worked in a high school in Kano. He was in the Library Science Department, while she was a caterer at this school. They had a large family. I was the youngest in the family. My mother died about a week after my birth. We were altogether six brothers and one sister. We were Christians following the religion of my father. Our grandfather had, however, given all of us Muslim names. My Muslim name was Ibrahim, which I liked very much. Whenever my grandfather visited us, my father behaved like a non-practicing Muslim. We also had tribal names. We were commonly known by these names. Under the direct influence of my father all the members of the family practiced Christianity, although we were living in a community dominated by Muslims. We followed our father's thinking and dared not cross the line. Most of my brothers and my sister married into Christian families. Interestingly, one of my older brothers wished to marry a Muslim girl. He was told that a Muslim girl is not allowed to marry a non-Muslim. He, therefore, embraced Islam. He is a non-practicing Muslim and has never talked to any of his brothers or sister about Islam.

I was studying in the high school where my parents worked. A Saudi delegate used to visit our town every year for a conference. My father found a job for me there. He wanted me to support the delegate in every possible way during the conference. I did not know a word of Arabic. I did not understand what they presented in the conference. I, however, served them diligently through the instruction of a translator. They were satisfied with my services. This delegate visited Kano the next year. Once again, he asked me to be of assistance at this yearly conference. We developed a mutual sense of appreciation for each other. Sheikh Fahd, an organizer of the conference, asked me, "Are you a Muslim?" I said, "No, I am a Christian." He explained the basics of Islam to me during his stay in Kano. Upon departure, he asked me, "Do you believe that Islam is the truth?" I said, "Yes." Then, he inquired, "Do you want to become a Muslim?" I told him, "I shall first get permission from my father." My father is soft in nature. He did not get angry or act negatively when I talked to him about it. He said to me, "Go ahead if you like it." I, therefore, embraced Islam the next day through Sheikh Fahd.

The Christian community raised a big storm there. They compelled my father to revert me back to Christianity. They put many questions to my father. Did your son accept Islam because the propagators were white? Did they give him money? Do they want to take him to Saudi Arabia? My father told them flatly that none of these are the true motives. He further added, "I cannot stop my son since his grandfather was a Muslim." I was told that I could practice Islam sincerely only through Islamic education and training. I, therefore, started going to the nearby Islamic center to study Arabic and Islam. Luckily, we had a very wonderful neighbor. Her name was Mrs. Karim. She has a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies and teaches in one of the local schools. A religious scholar used to visit her home daily to teach her children Qur'an. She allowed me to join their group. The Saudi delegate was thrilled to see my progress in Islamic education when they visited us the following year. Allah has been merciful with me since the Saudi delegate arranged for me to be admitted into the Islamic University in Madina. I have been in the Islamic University for three years and I am learning the Arabic language. Next year, I shall join the faculty of Shariah and, God Willing, hope to graduate after an additional four years of extensive education. My Islamic faith is strong and I love the Islamic way of life from my heart and soul.

My father got married again after my mother passed away. He has five children from my stepmother. They are all Christians. During the summer break from the university I visited my family in Nigeria. I tried to explain some Islamic principles to my brothers and stepbrothers since we are supposed to inform our kith and kin first. With the Mercy of Allah, one of my brothers has seriously embraced Islam. He is regularly going to the local Islamic center for further education and training. I was also very grateful to Allah for showing the straight path to my ten-year-old stepbrother. He is following in my footsteps by going regularly to Mrs. Karim's home for basic education and Qur'anic study. May Allah reward Mrs. Karim for imparting Islamic education to youngsters of her community. After completing my education at the Islamic University of Madina, I intend to continue my education beyond this level to serve as a fully-qualified preacher of Islam. I do not have the proper words to thank Allah for showing me the truth. I am very delighted to preach Islam effectively to my relatives. I hope that Allah will show many more people the straight path through my preaching. All praise is, indeed, to Allah.

My story is not unique. Christian Missionary forces have brought about many conversions in Nigeria and in some other African countries. They have very strong organizations, which financially support their preachers and new converts. They also have their literature printed in very attractive formats. Their manpower takes pride in delivering this literature to the doorsteps of nearly every household. The results are obvious. As a result of these missionary efforts, there is a lack of resources and manpower for Islamic education in many African countries. Qualified preachers who are proficient in local languages are needed in each community. Unfortunately, many communities cannot financially support such preachers. This results in tremendous wastage of able and qualified manpower. Islamic literature in local languages is also very scarce. These are not any new ideas from me. All these facts are commonly known. I am mentioning this as a reminder to those who are financially able to support Islamic education in African countries. If you would like to take part in supporting Islamic education in African countries, please contact Abu Salma at the following email address: abusalma99@yahoo.com.

Janet Rose

A Canadian Teacher

Janet was born in Edmonton City, Canada where her family has been residing for several generations. She described her brief story to me as follows:

My family belonged to the Roman Catholic Church, so I was educated in a Roman Catholic institution. In Catholicism I often wondered how Jesus could be the son of God. The more I looked into it, the more I got confused. Nobody had a clear-cut answer to this question. Ironically, the responder was more confused than the questioner. Shortly after finishing high school, I met Mr. Khaled, a Pakistan citizen, in Edmonton. Since there was a Canadian law that permitted marriages for immigration purposes, Mr. Khaled married me in order to become a Canadian citizen. After a few years of marriage, I became an expectant mother. I wanted to decide about the continuity of our marriage before the coming of the child. My husband was highly educated and had exquisite manners. I was surprised that he never compelled me to embrace Islam. He rather gave me total freedom to raise the coming child as a Christian or as a Muslim. Khaled's open-mindedness and exemplary behavior encouraged me to educate myself about Islam. From these studies I noticed that Islam was very similar to Christianity. Above all, I learned that Jesus(pbuh) was not the son of God. He was a prominent prophet of God. This solved the riddle of my life.

Hence, I embraced Islam voluntarily and decided to continue my marriage with Mr. Khaled for good. I thank Almighty God for providing me with this guidance. Soon Allah gave us a daughter. Now I have two daughters and two sons. My husband imparted Islamic education to us daily. He used to tell us Quranic stories using simple language which were very beneficial to us. It is quite common for there to be some friction between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. However, when Khaled's mother came to us in Canada, I found her to be a very sincere and loving person. She demonstrated the proper Islamic behavior and manners to me. She raised my spirits very high by being an excellent role model. I concluded that if both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law follow the teachings of Islam, the conflicts between them will not surface. A while later, we moved to another town in Canada. I worked at an Islamic school there as a kindergarten teacher and imparted elementary Islamic teachings to young children. It was very beneficial for me since it crystallized the Islamic teachings in my mind. It was also very rewarding to share with others what little I knew.

After a few years we moved back to Edmonton City. We have established an Islamic Information Center there in cooperation with a few friends. It has about three thousand books, along with many cassettes and videos. It also has free internet services for Islamic information. It is like a modern library. Many Muslims and non-Muslims visit it every day. We pray that Allah may provide more guidance to mankind through this facility and accept this humble effort from us. I would like to add that my husband also transmits an Islamic TV program every week. My youngest son very enthusiastically helps his father in this project. Finally, I honestly confess that after embracing Islam, my life has become extremely peaceful. I am totally satisfied with my life and wish to grow more in knowledge and practice. I don't mind sharing my Islamic experiences with others. My e-mail is: jsehbai@hotmail.com

QURANIC VERSES

"Allah has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Quran), its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah. He Guides therewith whom He pleases and whomever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide." (39:23) "And when they (who call themselves Christians) listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger (Muhammad), you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognized. They say: "Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses. And why should we not believe in Allah and in that which has come to us of the truth (Islamic Monotheism)? And we wish that our Lord will admit us (in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection) along with the righteous people (Prophet Mohammad and his Companions). So because of what they said, Allah rewarded them with gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise); they will abide therein forever. Such is the reward of good-doers." (5:83-85) "O you who believe [in Musa(Moses, i.e. the Jews)] and 'Isa (Jesus, i.e. the Christians)]! Fear Allah, and believe too in His Messenger (Muhammad). He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight), and He will forgive you. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (57:28) "This is a Book (the Quran) which we have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember." (38:29) "It (the Quran) is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Quran) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away" (so they neither listen nor understand). (41:44)

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