I was born and raised in West Virginia in the United States of America. Although I was raised in a Christian family, my father was Jewish. He and my mother divorced when I was only one year old. My mother, a scientist of sorts, believed in God. Looking back I have to say that I came from a family that knew the fear of God, and this was reflected in their daily practice to the best of their ability. We were Baptists. In the area in which I grew up, one didn't know what a Muslim was, let alone see a woman walking down the street wearing hijab!! I started playing the flute when I was only five and became a professional flute player by the age of twelve. It is important for me to mention this aspect as the flute did play a big part in my reverting to Islam. I also played many other instruments, such as oboe, saxophone etc. And gosh, I even made good money doing something I loved! I went into the Defence Forces when I was eighteen, and was in the Navy, later coming out disillusioned, disabled and mad at the world. Again I turned to music, playing the oboe and flute in a Symphony Orchestra. My life went on - I got married, a few times, and divorced a few times, due to abuse. Deep down I was looking for something, but didn't know what it was. A few years ago I attended a Fundamental, Independent, Baptist church. This is the strictest type of Baptist you could be - no short skirts just high morals. I had many times asked our Pastor a lot of questions concerning God. I asked some questions and told him that I wanted to study other religions. He replied that it would not be a good idea; that Satan would use it to draw me away from the Church, and that by studying other religions it would show a lack of faith. Notice how he said Church and not God? By the way, he never could answer the questions to my satisfaction, and he had a PhD in Theology. I was part of the Music Ministry at the Church, but one day while walking through the back of the church building to the music room, I found two people gossiping about me. They said that since I was divorced I should not be up front playing music, even though the people loved to hear me play, and I was very good. It is funny that the one lady who said this had just been divorced and remarried within a month! Now I note how it was related that Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said: “Those who believe in God and the last Day should not harm their neighbour, and those who believe in God and the Last Day should be generous to their guests and those who believe in God and the Last Day should speak of what is good or remain silent.” (Hadith - Bukhari) Quite obviously this was not the case with the Christians who I overheard. This was a turning point in my life. I may have been divorced, but I had very high standards. I didn't remarry from the time of my last divorce due to religious reasons at that time. I didn't date or drink, or smoke or do anything bad. I lived a good clean life. I worked hard and supported myself and my teen-age daughter - I had divorced her dad when she was two years old. I received nothing from him, and I haven't remarried since. I quit playing the flute and also quit going to Church, just studied and studied. Although I have to admit I miss playing the flute, since it was a big part of my life growing up, but I now love ALLAH the MOST. During this time I studied many other religions. I eventually met a person who had moved to our town, who was actually Muslim, but at that time I just read a few pamphlets she gave me and didn't revert. I thank ALLAH now for this woman. I may not have reverted due to her, but she did open up a door for me, to view inside. So may ALLAH reward her greatly. At that time my daughter was in college and she also met some friends and visited Rochester Minnesota. She loved it there and liked the college her friends went to, so we moved to that area. She moved ahead of me, because I was in the middle of classes at my own college. And yes, I went back when I had her almost raised and she didn't need me quite as much. She had met some Muslim people from Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates and she started studying Islam. I, too, had been by this time, looking more and more into Islam. It was one of the religions I was studying, and for some reason I kept returning to the study of it. I found it to be the truest religion. I had not told my daughter that I was studying Islam over those past years, I kept this to myself; at that time I was truly a Muslim, but didn't confess it. One day my daughter came to me and asked me if she could revert to Islam. She had a very scared look on her face and she knew that I was a strong Baptist Woman. I just said "Oh?" I asked "Why?" She told me that the lady she had been talking to told her to ask my permission because of what the Qur’an says about the Mother. I questioned her to make sure she knew what she was talking about. She just sat there with this very scared look on her face, as if she was afraid of what I might say. And sure enough she understood Islam very thoroughly. I then confessed to her that I had also been studying Islam. This came as a surprise to her. So a few weeks later, after she had introduced me to her new friends, and her new older Muslim friends, we gave our Shahadah together, in front of a group of 12 ladies, at a friends house. Isn't ALLAH GREAT! She is now married to a man and I have a grandson on the way. Wow! Maybe even this week. Inshallah. The reason the flute was so important is that it was my life, until I met ALLAH, through Islam. Being Muslim has not been easy. I reverted two years ago in July. I was living in an area where it seemed that the women did not like me, due to my very white, pale skin. They also didn't like how I dressed, when I went to the Mosque to pray. They thought that I should dress like them and act like them. I wore a blue jean skirt, hijab and long sleeves. The Imam told me not to worry, that I looked ok; that it was what was in the heart that counted. The thought was that these people were putting too much culture in to their practice of Islam. I was American, and proud of the way that Allah made me. These times however were not easy times for me. The one good thing I had going for me, at that time, was that I had a few good friends – mostly from Pakistan, Egypt, Syria and some other places - together to with an Imam from Egypt, who took the time to teach my daughter and myself every week. May Allah reward these friends, and the Imam, for their patience with me. On 14th September 2001, I had a bad thing happen to me. I had been Muslim for only two months at this time. I was attacked in a public place, in a grocery store actually. I just happened to be in an isle where there was a security camera when this young man jammed his buggy into me so hard that it cut my lower back, as well as my ankles and one of my legs. He pushed me into the can isle, and caused one shelf to fall down on top of me. I received cuts on my head and hands from these cans. ALLAHU AKBAR. The security camera was right on that isle and they caught him. He was amazed that I spoke such good English. Well I am American! He said he thought that I was an Arab, as if being an Arab after 9/11 was a good reason to hurt someone! How stupid! But something good came even out of this! During the course of events I was given the opportunity to do justly to this man. Herein the Glorious Qur’an gave me advice with Surah 5:8 being my Guide: O ye who believe! stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well-acquainted with all that ye do. I was empowered to give him the choice of going to jail, I did have the security camera as a witness; or the choice of listening to a lecture of Islam, in ten one hourly sessions. Al Humdulillah he chose the lectures. And I will not say he reverted, but he did have a better respect of the Muslims in that community, and he even ended up studying Islam longer than I made him sign the contract for. He was only 20 years old and had not been raised well. Oh well, enough of that. ALLAH AKBAR! In the area where I lived, unfortunately they didn’t like Muslims. I had flattened tyres some mornings and things of this nature. I even got notes under my door saying "Muslim go home" - I was home. Amazing! Again I take refuge in the Qur’an, and in particular Surah 7:42: But those who believe and work righteousness,- no burden do We place on any soul, but that which it can bear,- they will be Companions of the Garden, therein to dwell (for ever). None of these things have turned me away from Islam. I have recently moved to the Virginia area where there are a lot more Muslims and I feel better and safer wearing Hijab. However, while I will not say that I am a good Muslim, I can honestly say that I study and read, and do grow, very slowly everyday. I have a lot to learn, and I find even trying to pray in Arabic very hard. But soon, Insha-Allah, I will find a place to take lessons. I have not remarried, but I do feel that religiously, some day this will be a possibility, after all in a sense my life began when I reverted. May ALLAH reward those of you who help we who are reverts. Reversion is not an easy step to take. Sometimes we lose family, friends and even our jobs. But the rewards in the end are worth it. My treasures are not here on this earth. . . . Simply me!

From Islam-Australia