My Story       Umm Zubayr Khadijah             My name is Umm Zubayr Khadijah Bint Ronald Campbell, born Sheronda Nadette Campbell.  Ok, where do I began?!  Well, my story actually starts as a child.  When I was growing up, although I was not a practicing Muslim, I was never part of the church at all.  I mean, I had been to church before, but it was not something that was a title for my mother, sister or myself.  My mother was kind of looking and searching for the truth.  We had been to church, kindom halls, support groups and the whole nine. We knew that Christianity and the whole trinity thing was not the truth and that we were not going to live in it.   But at that time, the only examples of Islam you might see in the open were a group called the Ansars.   They were a deviant group in the 70's and 80's headed by a man called Imam Isa, better known as Dr. York. Many of you may know of him, he is still in action today.        Through them, she took the name Taalibah.  She raised us to call ourselves Muslim so that's what we did.  If anyone asked, we were Muslim, because that's all we knew.  We didn't celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, nor Easter.  I mean, only occasionally we went to gatherings.  I believe we celebrated it when I was very small and when my mother was married to this man in Jahaliyyah,  but not something we got into during my entire childhood.  I was also not raised eating pork.  We ate poultry and mostly other nutritional things.  Although these things didn't make us Muslim, it was always instilled in us, masha Allah.        I grew up as a "regular"  black American child I guess you would say.  But in the back of my mind I had many questions, that would stay with me until adulthood.  I went through high school as a confused teen and later on to college. It was there I really learned the most deviant, behavior.  At my peak during this time, I became close to a few females.  One of them ended  up leaving college. When she came back, she had taken her shahaadah and was practicing Islam.  When I saw her, I said, "Okay, I know this is where I need to take my shahaadah"  It was the fall of 1994 when I saw her.  That December I took shahaadah in Philadelphia, PA at Masjid Mecca.  Then alhamdulilah that following February, my mother took shahaadah as well. She also eventually put niqaab on.   May Allah have mercy on her, she died of cancer in June of 2000.        I was Muslim for about 6 months when I met my husband and we married about 6 weeks later alhamdulilah.  Alhamdulilah after 3 miscarriages and almost 3 years of trying to get pregnant,  Allah rewared us with a son.  My little Zubayr was born on April 16, 1999. I met my husband through a close sister who was intended for marriage at the time.  She also was a sister who witnessed my Shahaadah, and we have been close friends ever since.  Her name is Umm Tasneem.  She began finding out about the correct hijaab and started teaching me what she had found out.  She started wearing niqaab and told me I should also and that my face is beautiful and I need to cover it.  I knew she was right. As a child when I saw Muslim women, I used to say, "Wow,she is so pretty.  I want to be like her!"  I thought that it was the most wonderful site of a women I had ever seen.  And everytime I saw a Muslimah in full hijaab I would always stare.  Not out of ignorance, but in awe!        I used to tell Umm Tasneem that if I had a niqaab I would wear it. I believe it was really an excuse.  I thought I was also afraid to wear niqaab because I was in the "boon docks" of this "white American" town and I was the only Muslimah.   I was afraid of harasment and judgement.  Although I knew it was good and the best thing, I still didn't do it.  One day, Umm Tasneem said, "I have something for you."  Alhamdulilah she pulled out a black, half niqaab, and my eyes got big.  I smiled and said, "You know, it is that time!" That's when I put it on.  When I got home and my husband saw it, he was so amazed and delighted of course!  It's been almost five years of me wearing it and I have not taken it off since.        When I started wearing it, there were very few sisters here in Delaware and Pennsylvania wearing it.  I definitely stuck out amongst everyone, but I love trying to gain Allah's love.  I have this zeal for learning and striving in the way of Allah.  Now, alhamdulilah, more and more women are wearing niqaab in my area.  I pray that Allah rewards them and guide those who don't wear it.        There have been many trials for me from wearing full hijaab by kaafirs.  I have been called ninja, to monster or ghost by kaafirs. But the peace and contentment that Allah has given me since He guided me to Islaam always out weighs those hard times.  I love Islam and it has bettered me as a person, as a wife and as a mother.  I pray that I die in this state and that all the Muslim women meet together in Jannah, Ameen.       Fi Amanillah!  Umm Zubayr Khadijah ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Please Visit Islaam, Women and Cancer at: www.islamwomenandcancer.com Join  Our Mailing List for Updates at Islaam, Women and Cancer Website: IslaamWomenandCancer-subscribe@egroups.com Join Our Muslimah's  Cancer Support Group (WOMEN ONLY): mcsg-subscribe@egroups.com ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ --------------------     ,