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[This
day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My
favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion; but
whoever is compelled by hunger, not inclining willfully to
sin, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.]
(Al-Ma’idah 5:3)
I
was born 1967 in a small town in Sauerland County, Germany. My
younger brother and I grew up in the country, where my parents
and grandparents live in a two-family house. My grandfather
used to be principal of a primary school. My father would have
liked to become forester. Instead he only became a teacher in
secondary school. He still does love nature very much. But
throughout the years he seems to have lost His love for Jesus
Christ. Which is quite disappointing for my grandmother, who
has always been a firm believer. She is member of a small
church. All her life she participated actively at church work
and tried hard to set a true Christian example for her
children. My grandfather on the other hand can hardly be
called a believer. A fact that my grandmother was to find out
only after the wedding. Steady church attendance turned out to
be no proof of faith. Up to today after church service my
grandparents engage in heated discussions about Christian
belief in general and the contents of the last sermon in
particular. This situation did affect their three sons. Today
only one of them is a church member.
My
mother on the other side comes from a family, where piety was
taken for as granted as the daily bread and the daily sleep.
Belief was never subject of discussion. Actually nothing ever
was subject of discussion. Especially my mother, the youngest
child and only daughter, was never asked for her opinion. It
was also taken for granted that she became shop assistant in
her father's shop, a bakery. What else could be the use of a
daughter? Up to today she regrets that she wasn't allowed to
learn another profession. And again it was taken for granted,
that my mother married my father. As son of a teacher he was a
good match in the church Youth group. The shared faith would
guarantee a happy marriage. Build on rock! But it was
exactly that rock that began to shake first during the years
to come. While my grandmother was elected as first woman into
the church's council of elders, my parents one at a time left
the church. And there came a day, when they didn't have
anything in common anymore. So after 20 years of marriage and
uncountable tries to get along, both agreed on throwing in the
towel. 1986 their marriage was dissolved.
At
that time my brother and I weren't too attached to religion
and such adding to my Grandma's disappointment. We did join
Christian Youth groups and take Bible classes, but neither of
us became church member. Actually we haven't even been
baptized. The church my family belonged to doesn't baptize
children, but rather grown up people, who consciously make a
decision for Christ. When we reached necessary age, we both
decided against being baptized.
Not
that I wouldn't have been interested in religion. Religion
always had something fascinating for me, giving sense to
things. Christianity offers an acceptable approach, the belief
in one God, who contacted mankind by sending prophets. In this
way God taught the people who they are and how they should
interact with each other and their environment.
But
I was soon to notice that Christian values could so easily be
adjusted. What does Christian theology teach? Every human
being is full of sin; original sin is burdening us from birth.
God sent his son into the world to suffer and die on the cross
and save us from this burden of guilt. God's son, who is true
man and true God. To whom did he pray so ardently? His life
became the turning point of history, which divides people in
"before" and "after" Christ. Belief in him
is the only way to be saved. Didn't he say himself: "I am
the way, the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the Father
but through me." (John 14, 6)
With
Jesus' death the Hereafter lost its terror. God is Love, how
can there be hell? The devil, who used to be a mean of
oppression to keep church members in order, has been
pensioned. The values of contemporary Christianity are pretty
much limited to "Love your Neighbor". As long as I
don't hurt anybody, everything goes. Jesus says: "You
shouldn't think, I have come to dissolve the law or the
prophets. I didn't come to dissolve, but to fulfill."
(Matthew 5:17) The difference doesn't seem to be too big in
modern Christianity. Commandments are out. Church goes with
time. Though not fast enough for some of its members.
The
Bible does hardly have any weight anymore. Probably some truth
can be found in the book. But what? Who decides on what is
truth and what isn't? Who decides, what is valid and what
isn't? The church? The theologists? Or everybody for himself?
Doesn't everybody according to best knowledge and conscience
fabricate his own belief? Let's be truthful and no longer call
the result Christianity. Let's rather call it
"Brianity", "Susanity" or what so ever the
person's name should be.
Believing
Christians will of course protest by now. They will say, the
common basis is there. Well, where is it? The true revelation,
the words God told Jesus from Nazareth, where are they? In the
Bible there wasn't even one chapter dedicated to them.
Central
sentences of Faith, that divide the church, have been derived
from historical reports and letters, decided on during
theological conferences or just called out as State doctrine.
And
how many times did I hear: "You can't understand this.
You just have to believe it!"
I
believe that God gave us our brains so that we might use them.
And I believe, that a message of God, when it is questioned,
has to offer more answers than that.
That's
what I told my religious instructor, when my high school class
spend a weekend in a monastery shortly before graduation.
"Days of reflection" that's what they called it. The
teacher surprised me with his answer. He said: "God won't
let you go. You'll see." At the end he turned out to
be right. Though he probably imagined it a little differently.
My
interest in God and religion again caught up with me, when I
came across Islam. After taking my high school diploma I moved
to a city, to take up studies of economy at university. At
that time I still thought, to study economy would be a
reasonable decision in regard of future job opportunities. I
wasn't too interested in the subject, but I thought, the time
of studies would be passing soon. Actually already the first
days were depressing. Crowded stuffy audition rooms, boring
lectures by bored professors - "Please open my book on
page 17. Here we read …" for as bored students
"Did you see, what the tall blonde in the third row is
wearing today?" - "Do you have fire?"
Student
life on the other hand was fascinating from the very
beginning. I had up to now lived in a small town. Even during
my year as an exchange student in the U.S.A. I had stayed in a
small country town. With an obligatory church visit on
Sundays!
Now
at university there seemed to be a new world opening up for
me. I got to know so many different people and I loved to
discuss God and the world. Among my new acquaintances were a
few foreign students, who were born Muslims. So the subject
Islam came up.
Generally
I was quite amused by the thought, that actually there are
still people around, who seriously follow a law from the
Middle Ages. But in reality everything looked quite different
from what I knew. The life of foreign students in Germany
doesn't have anything in common with the tales of Thousand and
One Night. In the beginning I had still asked my Muslim
neighbors in the student homes kiddingly, why tomatoes don't
have to be ritually cut? Or why a Muslim, who remembers God
before he eats and thanks God after the meal, doesn't do the
same thing when drinking his beer in the pub?
But
the more I learned about Islam, the less funny those jokes
became for me. Actually the Islamic religion wasn't that
strange to me, as I had always thought. I rediscovered a lot
of those components that I had always liked in Christianity.
For one, of course, was the belief in God. Islam is strictly
monotheistic. There is only one God. God is in Arabic
"Allah". The expression really doesn't mean anything
else but "the God" and is also used in the Arabic
language version of the Bible.
A
Muslim believes - like a Christian - that God has sent
prophets, to lead mankind on the right path. Names turned up
that sounded so familiar: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, and
also Zachary, John and Jesus.
I
learned, that Muhammad, the son on Abdullah, who lived in the
7th century A.D. on the Arabic Peninsula, was believed to have
been the last prophet. He had proclaimed the Qur'an. This book
is the foundation for all Islamic teachings, the whole Islamic
law, the whole Islamic life.
I
had a look at that book, the Qur'an [This
Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard
(against evil).]
(Al-Baqarah 2:2)
Without
doubt, also acknowledged by Western scientists, is at least
the authenticity of Qur'an. It contains actually the words,
that Muhammad because of his own illiteracy dictated his
companions. In regard to language use it is called a miracle.
The religious contents were proclaimed in an artistic poetic
form. Up to today the Qur'an sets measures for the classical
Arabic.
The
contents of Qur'an are at least as remarkable as the form.
It's in no way a simple "Arabic History book", as a
well-known Orientalist likes to describe it in the media. To
the contrary, it reveals an astonishing knowledge on nature,
on society and generally everything that concerns human life.
Already
in the first revelation it states: [Read
and your Lord is Most Honorable, Who taught (to write) with
the pen, Taught man what he knew not.]
(Al-`Alaq 96:3-5) Did you know for example, that whereas the
Qur'an in the story of Joseph talks about a King, in the story
of Moses it talks about a Pharaoh? The reason for this was
only known, when the French Historian Jean Francois
Champollion with the help of the stone of Rosette succeeded in
dechivrating the old Egyptian Hieroglyphic letters and such
made old Egyptian writings accessible for modern science.
It
turned out that about the end of the Middle Empire the Hyksos
tribes, originating in Asia, occupied the Northern part of
today's Egypt. A king ruled that area. So this would be the
time of Joseph. Under the rule of the Hyksos he raised to
become the advisor of the King. And under the reign of the
Hyksos the people of Israel migrated to Egypt, where they were
friendly welcomed.
In
the 16th Century B.C. , during the reign of Pharaoh Ahmose,
the Egyptians managed to retake the country. The people of
Israel as people who had been closely cooperating with the
hated occupational powers weren't loved as well. That explains
why the people of Israel at the times of Moses were oppressed
and enslaved.
The
Qur'an distinguishes between the terms "King" of the
Hyksos and "Pharaoh" of the Egyptians. Farther
we read on the Pharaoh of the Moses Story: [But
We will this day deliver you with your body that you may be a
sign to those after you, and most surely the majority of the
people are heedless to Our communications.]
(Yunus 10:92) Hinting on the later mummification of that
Pharaoh.
Or
do have a look at the statements of Qur'an in relation to
creation. [Do
not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth
were closed up, but We have opened them; and We have made of
water everything living, will they not then believe?]
(Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:30) That exactly corresponds with the newest
findings of science.
And
did you know, that according to Qur'an we do not live
"on" earth, but rather "in" earth? A hint
on the atmosphere, which obviously is part of the earth.
Without it we couldn't exist. Just think about the high speed
with which we are traveling through space due to the rotation
of the earth. Try to imagine the wind resulting from the
movement speed, which we would have to cope with if it
wouldn't be for the atmosphere.
Qur'an
describes phenomenon of nature as different as building up of
clouds, embryo development, chemistry of digestion or the
expansion of the universe. Up to now there haven't been any
scientific findings contradicting Qur'an statements. To the
contrary, some Qur'an statements can only be fully understood
and appreciated with the help of contemporary science. Again
and again Qur'an asks the reader to see, to hear and to
understand.
With
the help of the Qur'an Arab Bedouins and traders managed to
build a society, in which not only science but also fine arts
were blooming. And that at a time, where Europe still was
stuck in the darkest Middle Ages.
On
belief itself we read in Qur'an: [There
is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become
clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in
the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on
the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is
Hearing, Knowing.]
(Al-Baqarah 2:256)
Actually
Islamic theology is as clear as the testimony: "There is
no God but God, and Muhammad is His prophet."
Originate
sin? Islam doesn't know anything comparable: [Every
soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer
of burdens can bear the burden of another.]
(Al-An`am 6:164) After Adam and Eve fall for sin, God taught
them repentance. Repenting man or woman meet the merciful God.
There is no need for any substitute sacrifice.
God's
son? [Say:
He is God, the One; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth
not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him.]
(Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4) Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet, not more
and not less.
A
turning point in history? Absolutely no. To the contrary,
history proves an unbroken continuity. From the very beginning
there was only this one religion, the submittance to the one
God, in Arabic: "Islam". This religion was
proclaimed by all prophets, including Abraham, Moses and
Jesus. The Prophet Muhammad has been the last of them, but
still he was a human being like you and me. The speech held by
his friend Abu Bakr Siddiq on the occasion of his death has
been preserved till today: "So, who among you worshipped
Muhammad, God's peace and blessing be upon him, should know,
that Muhammad, God's peace and blessing be upon him, is dead.
But who worshipped God, truly, God is alive and will never
die." And then he reminded the people of the following
verse of Qur'an: [Muhammad
is no more than a messenger: many were the messengers that
passed away before him. If he died or were slain. Will ye turn
back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the
least harm he will do to God; but God will swiftly reward
those who are grateful.]
(Aal `Imran 3:144)
The
church? There isn't any. No organization, no hierarchy, no
sacraments. Every Muslim can preach. Or contract a marriage.
Or pray the death prayer for a deceased.
Interpretation
of Scriptures? As far as central sentences of belief are
concerned, Muslims are united. God is God and the prophets
were human. Qur'an is the word of God, as well as the books
revealed to other prophets. Angel are a reality and the
resurrection is a reality.
Islamic
scholars are - in contrast to their Christian colleagues -
more concerned with the practical appliance of religious
principles. They announce religious opinions on the basis of
Qur'an and Sunnah, which is the example of the Prophet
Muhammad. Such an expert opinion is called "fatwa".
As no scholar has in any form any God given authority, a fatwa
always does reflect the personal opinion of the scholar
concerned and has no binding character. You can take it or
leave it.
About
1 billion people all over the world testify this belief. And
up to today Islam hasn't lost its attraction. The Arabic word
"Islam" has the same letter root as the word
"Salaam", peace. So the meaning of the word Islam
implies also to find peace, peace with God, the world and
oneself.
I
learned and understood. But still I wouldn't accept the truth.
Islam is not exactly a comfortable religion. I guess I was
just too lazy to become Muslim. It looked much to hard for me.
Islam is reality, something that enters into every fiber of
life, interlaces and changes it. Christianity on the other
hand tends to be a little bit ignorant of reality these days.
Well-measured piety, which is worn for the church service like
the Sunday dress and then stored in the closet for the rest of
the week.
Nevertheless
I began to try out Islam in praxis. I joined my Muslim
neighbors in the fasting of the month of Ramadan. That means I
didn't eat or drink between dawn and sunset. And every evening
we met to break the fast together. Sometimes we even cooked
together. Especially an Egyptian student with the name Mohamed
turned out to be an excellent cook. The same Mohamed took me
aside some time in the middle of the month. He had raised the
courage - in religious questions there is no shame - and
explained to me, that women don't fast during that special
time of month… Finally I realized, that he was talking about
the menses. Well, for this Ramadan the enlightenment had come
a little late. I didn't mind.
In
those Ramadan nights I also got the opportunity to watch the
prayers. And I tried those as well. I practiced in my room,
prayed as I had seen it, bowed and prostrated. As I didn't
know the words that are said, I improvised with "Our
heavenly father…” I also began to reduce my consumption of
alcohol and pork. And once I even went for a walk in the city
wearing a scarf over my hair, just to try out, how it feels to
be a covered woman. Finally I even learned, why the
Palestinians in the student homes store a bottle of water in
the bathrooms. For Muslims it is normal to wash after using
the toilet. In Germany there are usually no hand showers or
the like installed in the bathrooms as there are in Muslim
countries. So a bottle of water had to do. How ridiculous must
it sound for those students, when a famous German company
advertises with the slogan: "Like freshly washed!"
for their wet towels…
Still
most Muslims around me were wondering about my interest in
Islam. Actually many of them weren't too concerned with the
Islamic regulations themselves. Again and again I heard:
"Of course I am Muslim. If I would be living in my
country, I would live according to Qur'an. But here in Europe
everything is different. I am still young. I will have time
enough to be pious sometime in the future."
On
the other hand there were also few people that were trying
hard to live their faith consequently. One of my neighbors in
the student homes belongs to this category. The same Mohamed,
that was such an excellent cook and had taken me aside in
Ramadan. Mohamed had taken a Bachelors degree in Biophysics in
Egypt and had come to Germany to do his doctor. When I got to
know him he had been in Germany for 6 months only and was
still attending German language classes at university.
His
religion, Islam, meant everything to him. He had already
acquired a broad knowledge on Islamic matters. Among the Arabs
in the student homes he was known as an exception. They called
him their "Sheik".
A
nickname, that didn't seem to be fitting for a 24 year old,
sportive young man with curly black hair. Mohamed himself
didn't like the name. Once he told me, the responsibility of
it was too big for him.
Actually
everybody, who needed advice or help, came to the
"Sheik". May it be, that a student needs a room;
someone needs to go to hospital or just wanted to sell his
used books. Everyone came to Mohamed.
In
the beginning our acquaintance developed kind of slowly, as
Mohamed tried hard to stand up to his image as practicing
Muslim. He stayed away from any possible temptation. And for a
Muslim, women definitely belong in that category. But soon his
religious responsibility took over. Is it possible to send
someone away who is interested in Islam?
To
me he was indeed an interesting person to talk to. Rarely I
had met someone as open minded as him. We spent our time
discussing religion, Islam and the world. Of course only at
"neutral" places, that is Mohamed's room with the
door widely open. So that nobody would get any wrong ideas
about what kind of relationship we were having. We
learned a lot from each other in that time. We began to see
the world with each other's eyes. Mohamed became one of my
most reliable friends.
In
the meanwhile I had completely lost my interest in my
economics studies. Due to my poor efforts the last exams
hadn't turned out all too well and so I decided to make my
favorite hobby my carrier. I began to study Oriental Studies.
I figured a good grade in this subject would be more useful
than a bad one in economics. As I didn't really leave my
father any choice, he finally also agreed in the change of
major. And all of a sudden the studies were going a lot
smoother. Some credits from my economic studies could be
transferred for my new minor sociology. And the new classes
were so interesting to me. They offered a whole lot of new
subjects for discussions with Mohamed. He turned out to be
quite interested in Oriental Studies: "I might have a
look at what they teach you here in Germany. It will help me
with my language as well."
For
me undoubtedly his interest was very useful. He helped me with
my Arabic homework and explained historical contexts to me.
Actually it turned out, that politics and history always had
been his hobby. I myself am not too much interest in these
matters. Up to today Mohamed sometimes wonders about the many
things I don't know.
During
this time I finally began to back the Muslims. At university I
was more and more annoyed by the ironical way in which Muslims
were treated by non-Muslim Stuff. Still I couldn't even
imagine becoming Muslim myself. What is good for Arab man
isn't necessarily good for German women. I am from a
completely different world than Arabs, Turks or Iranians. How
can a German woman live as Muslimah? I did hear of such women,
but had never met anyone personally. At least that is what I
thought. Till shortly before spring break I found out by
chance, that one of the students in my Arabic class was a
German Muslimah.
It
was still winter and cold outside. Every time this woman left
the classroom, she pulled her long woolen scarf up over her
head. One day I asked her, if that had any other reasons but
the cold. It had.
Heide
was a teacher, married to a Muslim from the Lebanon. When she
became Muslim, she took the Islamic name Khadija. She
participated at the Arabic class to collect credits for a
graduate course in teaching foreigners.
From
her I learned, that in our city there was an organization for
German speaking Muslim women. I accepted her invitation to
accompany her to one of the group meetings. And from there on
everything began to change at high pace.
We
agreed on a day to go and Heide offered to give me a ride. So
we met in the city. This time Heide was wearing a
"real" headscarf, that she had wrapped quite elegant
around her head. On the forehead it was decorated with pearl
embroidery. I had taken a scarf as well. In my purse. I was
getting a little nervous. How would I be welcomed as a Non
Muslim? What kind of women was I about to meet?
Heide
reassured me. Guests were always welcome and there really
wasn't any need for me to wear a scarf.
Heide
herself was still a quite new Muslim. Nevertheless she did
already know her way around the Islamic community in our City.
She used to do everything with full heart and power. She was
already being considered as a teacher for an Islamic school.
On our way to the meeting she told me, what I had to expect:
"The
group consists of about 30 women of German and Turkish origin.
They meet once a week in the facilities of a Turkish Islamic
organization. The group leader, Maryam, is a German Muslimah
of about 50 years of age. She has lived some years with her
husband in Turkey, where they both participated in a lot of
Islamic activities. Maryam, who by now is widowed, does engage
in Islamic activities in Germany as well. She holds speeches
on Islamic subjects and has founded this women's group. During
the meeting Maryam will held a lesson on Islam, and then those
women, who feel like it, stay a little longer to chat. We
bring tea and cake along."
This
week the cake was Heide's turn. It took its time in the oven
and Heide had been a little late. So she was speeding up.
"Maryam isn't all too happy with people coming
late." Unfortunately, we didn't find any free
parking space close to the building. So Heide just drove into
the yard. We were lucky. One of the parking cars was just
about to leave and a friendly man with Turkish appearance gave
us signals to help her get the car into that free space.
The
crowd was fascinating for me. "All are going to the
meeting?" Heide laughed: "That would be nice."
Of course not everyone was going to the meeting. Heide
explained to me, that every weekend the place was that
crowded, as the Turkish organization held its own activities.
The
German language meeting was held in a separate part of the
building. When we entered the hall, we were already greeted
tumultuous: "Hi, Khadija!" "How are you
today?" "Oh, did you bring one of your delicious
cakes?" "The others are in the kitchen!"
"Maryam is about to start the lesson!" Women with
covered hair and long dresses passed us. And again and again I
heard the Islamic greeting: "As-Salaamu Alaykum!" -
"Peace be upon you!"
I
was included in the friendly welcome and kissed on both
cheeks. Guests were welcome! The women thought it was great
that someone dared to enter the "lion's den" to see
for herself, what the Muslims are like. This meeting appeared
to be not only for German speaking Muslim women, but also a
contact group for women interested in Islam. So I seemed to be
at the right place.
We
really were late. The lesson started right away. Heide-Khadija
placed the cake in the kitchen, and then we entered the
lecture room. The long room was covered with gray fitted
carpet. There wasn't any furniture but a little bookshelf at
the wall. The women were sitting in a circle on the floor.
They had left their shoes outside, as it is customary in
mosques and Muslim homes.
Maryam,
the group leader, had placed several books in front of her.
She was a corpulent lady with bright blue eyes that glanced
friendly from under the simple white scarf. This day she
talked about the continuity of history as documented in
Qur'an. About the different prophets, that all brought the
same message over and over. The lesson didn't contain too much
news for me. Islam recognizes most prophets of the Old and New
Testament. Some of the details of the stories differ, but the
basis thought is always the same. God sends prophets to remind
the people of his message.
More
interesting to me than the lesson were the listeners, that
more or less concentrated followed the lecture. "Isn't it
surprising, that the message of God again and again was
forgotten?" For some of the women the information seemed
to be new. What surprised me? "In Qur'an there is a
chapter, that puts the stories of the prophets into an overall
context. Who knows, what chapter I am talking about?"
There were women of every age, many of German origin, some
Turkish girls, obviously still at school that whispered in
each other’s ears and kept leaving and reentering the room.
Which distracted Maryam: "If you don't want to listen,
just stay outside!" All women were covered. They were
wearing scarves in all colors and shades, simply tied or
elaborately wrapped, or decorated with lace. Some had pulled
the scarf down on the forehead. Others were showing their
hair. "Always when the people had problems, they turned
to God, and later they figured, they wouldn't need Him
anymore." Some women had brought small children. One
discovered the light switch as a fun game and didn't want to
play with anything else. "Please, could someone take the
child away from that light switch?" Finally the mother
took the loudly protesting child into the kitchen, where he
discovered the cake, which kept him busy at least a quarter
hour. But when there came some phone calls for several of the
women and a Turkish girl wanted to know how many cups tea and
coffee she should prepare and how long it would take till we'd
finish, Maryam had had enough. "We'll go on from here
next week, and now we'll have tea."
So
finally I got a chance to talk to the women. They right away
took me in. "After all, we are all sisters."
"Do you drink coffee or tea?" "Have some
cake!" "So, how did you like it?"
Soon
we were in the middle of a lively conversation. Of course
everybody wanted to know, who I was, and what brought me here
to a Muslim meeting. Maryam talked about how long it had taken
her faith to grow. "But I never have regretted my
decision for Islam." Heide-Khadija on the other hand
hadn't known so much about Islam when she became Muslim. But:
"Till today I have been only positively surprised."
What had attracted her was the "healthy Islamic way of
life". Abstinence of all kinds of drugs. Prayer and
fasting as exercise for body, mind and soul. Hygienic
commands. All this made sense to her as a teacher for biology
and sport.
Maryam
confirmed, that the regular prayers had done her back a lot of
good. And then she talked about her time in Turkey and tried
to explain to me Turkish history. A subject I still don't know
much about. At that time I was hopelessly lost. On this
day I got to know quite a few women. And all told me their
personal stories about how they came to Islam.
Hamida
after her divorce had become friends with a Turkish couple and
on that way got to know and love Islam. Her 15-year-old
daughter Nina had kept her Christian religion, though not
really practicing. She had accompanied her mother to the
meeting.
Fatima-Elizabeth,
in her mid twenties, studying to become a teacher, had some
years ago worked on a vacation job. She had worked in a
factory side by side with a German Muslima. Fatima-Elizabeth's
family was catholic, both parents religious instructors. They
were quite shocked when they learned that her daughter
embraced Islam. The shock had faded away during the last years
and with goodwill on both sides the living together worked out
fine.
Fatima-Elizabeth's
friend Sabine, a nurse, who came to Islam through her husband,
wasn't that lucky. Her father rebuked her from the house
because of her headscarf. There were mothers,
housekeepers, students, a secretary, and a dental laboratory
assistant. The women were single, married, divorced. Husbands
if existent, came from Turkey, the Lebanon, Yemen, Morocco and
other countries. Some women had taken an Islamic name, others
hadn't. Actually the women had only one thing in common. And
that was their religion, Islam. But that seemed to fulfill
them, yes, to be the guiding line in their lives. "Islam
is the frame, in which we live."
That
day I learned two things. For one I discovered, that the frame
Islam sets isn't so narrow as I had expected. There is no
standardized Muslim. A Muslim is just a person, who took a
decision for God. These women had embraced Islam. But they had
stayed themselves. The uniformity and boredom, the head cover
had reflected on me, now dissolved itself in Schwabisch and
Koelsch dialect. On close glance it turned out to be a big
variety of thoughts, ideas and personal histories.
And
secondly I realized for the first time, that you never finish
learning, not even in regard to the own religion. Up to now I
had always thought, to become Muslim, one should know
everything about Islam that there is to know. And I was far
from that. Now I had met all these women that were so
faithful, though they didn't know "everything" there
is to know. Knowledge isn't all. Important is belief.
Important is faith in the truthfulness and Godly origin of the
message that was proclaimed by the prophet Muhammad on the
Arabic peninsula. Important is after all the decision itself.
The decision for or against God. The decision for or against
Islam.
[It
was We Who created man, and We know what suggestions his soul
makes to him: for we are nearer to him than (his) jugular
vein.]
(Qaf 50:16)
Some
weeks later I took my personal decision for God and Islam.
After 2-½ year of learning I embraced Islam. What finally led
me to this step was the thought: "If I die right now and
stand before God, how can I explain to Him, why I haven't
become Muslim?" When I couldn't come up with a reasonable
answer any more, I decided on the only logic consequence of my
grown faith and testified: "There is no God but God, and
Muhammad is his prophet."
As
Islam doesn't know any form of church like organization there
was no need to register anywhere. With testifying my belief I
began my life as Muslimah.
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