|
It's
funny - I'm actually a Muslim! The term used to conjure up
images of backward Bedouin Arabs living far away. Well, living
in North America likely had something to do with my ignorance.
I got all my views from television – that box that people
watch for hours a day and assume it has factual information
because it's officially titled the "news."
Ironically, there are tons of libraries out there, but on
average we use them only for specific purposes - cramming for
term papers or for other schoolwork. We should use it to grow
on a constant basis!
I
have to admit, now that I'm a Muslim I can see that the
average North American is very ignorant of Islam. It's not
totally our fault, the society that we have created sucks you
in by making you a constant consumer - whether it is to get
you to spend money or simply buy into some idea. We just eat
too much, talk too much arrogance, and overall live like
royalty while complaining that the rest of the planet hates
us. Ah, if people only realized that the problems of the world
are in our own backyard... but that's a different story. This
is about my becoming a Muslim.
I guess it all started nine months ago. I simply could not
ignore that this universe must have a God. I mean seriously,
just look out your front door: the beautiful sky, the amazing
stars, the gentle breeze on your face, and so many other
incredible things. We all take these phenomena for granted. We
fail to realize how absolutely amazing and in balance this
universe is. The human body itself is a marvel! I could go on
forever. The point is, I could no longer be an ignorant ape,
so I decided to read some books about God.
I started to read about Christianity. The Bible has some
wonderful aspects to it, but where did they get the idea of
the "trinity," and who actually could accept the
doctrine without experiencing doubts? It's a mystery, the
Christians say. It sure is. It was time to read about Judaism.
That too has some valuable and interesting aspects. One
problem I saw, and it actually was a huge problem, was that
they only have about 15 million followers. I mean, God is for
everyone and a good religion should spread to the masses.
Thus,
it was Islam's turn. I wasn't keen on the idea but I realized
I had to take a look. Sure, the television already
"educated" me on the issue. To my surprise I found
out a lot of things that I never knew. The Qur'an had no
chapter on terrorism. It was shocking! I was blown away to
learn that Islam actually was for all of mankind and was in
fact a peaceful religion. It's an addicting read because it
makes total sense and puts you directly in touch with God. The
more I read the more I became disgusted with our media because
they were either lying or reflecting uneducated views. I
wanted to learn more.
Sure, I read many books that I could recommend. However, the
most important thing that I did was to actually speak with
Muslims – to meet them at a personal level. Seriously, all I
can say is wow! I have never met nicer people in my entire
life. They embraced me with generosity and tolerance. No,
they didn't try to force conversion on me as that is against
Islam's beliefs. Instead, they laughed and talked like any
other group of people. Okay, so I had to check more Muslims
out.
I
went to the mosque. I was a little nervous and maybe afraid.
However, I had the same experience as my first encounter.
Honestly, I swear, Muslims in general are very nice people.
Sure, you have a couple of idiots or bad apples, but you get
that anywhere. I was beginning to think that Islam might be
the true path to life.
Then my North American brainwashing took over again, and I
became skeptical. Was I becoming one of those religious nuts?
After all, I was constantly seeing all those beer commercials
and hot dogs on television, what good religion would take
those things away? Or should I say, how much money would those
types of companies lose if we accepted Islam? Come to think of
it, lots of American business does not conform to religious
beliefs.
I took a break, still being confused as I was. I tried to push
it away – far away. I was going to be a consumer of
worthless items once again. Science had all the answers – we
are in the new millennium after all. Why subject myself to all
this praying and stuff? Still, every now and again it would
pop up. Islam! I tried so hard to just forget about it. I
decided to have a plan. I would believe in God but not
necessary in some kind of organized religion. I thought God
would accept me no matter what, unless I was Hitler of course.
But
the problem was, I became a better thinker after reading about
Islam and started looking at my life and culture. I realized
how shallow my world is. Maybe God did want us to follow some
rules. After all, my Dad gave me rules and they were there for
a reason. Come to think of it, the entire universe operates on
rule systems. No matter how hard I tried to stop thinking
about Islam, it was present in my mind. I had to submit. I
realized that I had nothing to lose and only something to
gain. I personally think one would have to be an utter fool to
assume this world is by chance and science alone. It's almost
like a bad joke; we just take so much for granted.
It was right before Ramadan this year that I declared my
Shahada (declaration of faith) in front of the brothers at the
local mosque. I felt good! Well, everything went well for the
first week - I prayed and fasted. However, this last week was
a mess. I have made mistakes and have discovered another
lesson thanks to Islam: nobody is perfect and just because you
take your Shahada, you can't expect life to get magically
easier. Rather, you are tested and conditioned to become a
better person everyday.
The
point is, Islam has changed my life for the better and the
fascinating thing about it is that it constantly teaches me to
grow. My wife says that my behavior has improved, that I think
things through a lot more, and that overall I just seem a lot
happier as a person. I have my good days and bad days, but
having Allah with me makes all the difference. There is a
purpose to this life and it feels good to care about all of
humanity and not just my country.
I
can honestly tell people that the road to religion begins when
you actually embrace Allah. When you study and analyze the
religion before taking the Shahada you have tons of questions,
doubts, and fears. It's when you actually invite God into your
heart that the lessons begin and you grow. As I said, it's not
easy and it'll take lots of time to become a decent practicing
Muslim - but it will happen. The best advice I can give any
convert is to take your time. This is something between you
and Allah. Listen to the brothers at the mosque, but
ultimately do what's best for you and let Allah guide you.
Look around people. Take a good look. If you think there is no
God then just keep watching that television. Life is never easy, but I know
Allah exists and wants the best for all of us. There are so
many facets to why I think I became a Muslim. Ultimately, this
is what comes to mind: I don't know if I found Islam, or it
found me - Allah guides whom He wills. Of course, I'm sure not
being a stubborn mule helped.
Peace be upon all of you. Amen.
|
