I am a new Muslim woman from Richmond, VA. I had never even
met Muslims before last year, and had no idea that there was an Islamic center
in my own city. However, at that time, I was very interested in Islam, but I
could find nothing to read. I read encyclopedias and any books I could get my
hands on, but they were all written by non-Muslims. They said that Muhammad
(saws) wrote the Qur'an in the 7th centruy, that Muslims worshipped the black
stone, and that Islam bred hatred towards women. They also said that Muhammad
(saws) copied the Bible, that Islam was spread with the Qur'an in one hand and
the sword in the other, and implied (if not stated directly) that all Muslims
were Arab. One book even said that the word "Allah" came from al-lot, the moon
god of the pagan Arabs. These are just some of the lies I read.
Then,
one day, two Pakistani Muslim women (who were also muhajjabas [wearing hijab
-ed.]) came to my college. I befriended them, and then I started asking them all
kinds of questions. I had already left Christianity when I was 12, so I felt no
challenge to my personal beliefs. I was a biology major and had basically no
religion. I was amazed at what they told me, and I realized that all of my
previous knowledge was lies.
Then, I came home for the summer. I got my
own apartment and started working at 7-11. While I was working, a black
muhajjaba came in the store. I asked her where she worshipped and when she told
me there was an Islamic center on the same street I was working on, I was
amazed.
I went the next day, but no one was there. So I went the day
after that day (which happened to be Friday) and found some people there. A man
told me to come the next week at noon so I could meet some of the ladies. But
when he said "noon," he meant "dhuhr," not 12. I didn't know that. So I came at
12 the following week, but no one was there. For some reason, I decided to wait,
Subhan-Allah. And wait I did, for an hour and a half (jumaa' [Friday prayer
-ed.] is at 2), and finally I meet some people. A lady there gave me a copy of
Maurice Bucaille's The Bible, Qur'an, and Science. When I read it, I knew that I
wanted to become a Muslim. After all, I was a biology major. I knew that the
things in the Qur'an had to be from Allah (swt), and not from an illiterate,
uneducated man. So I went the next week and took shahaada [i.e. stated and
accepted the creed of Islam -ed.]
When my dad found out, he went crazy.
He came to my apartment and tore up everything in it, including my Qur'an. I
called the police, and they came out. But they refused to help. They said "Don't
you think he's right?" and so on. So I fled to Nashville, TN.
I have
continued to talk with my dad, though, because the Qur'an says to honour your
parents (it does not distinguish between Kaafir and Muslim parents), and because
I remember the story of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (raa). He hated Islam so much that
he used to beat his slave girl until his arm grew tired. Al-Hamdu Lillah, Allah
(swt) has rewarded me for my efforts. I saw my father for the first time this
summer, in full hijaab. He accepted it without too much commentary. I think he
realizes now that he can't bully me into renouncing Islam.
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