من هناك
12-27-2006, 03:37 PM
[align=left:c386f0d7f2]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
century, 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.
Malaak
http://thetruereligion.org/modules/xfsection/article.php?articleid=274[/align:c386f0d7f2]
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
century, 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.
Malaak
http://thetruereligion.org/modules/xfsection/article.php?articleid=274[/align:c386f0d7f2]