index

New Muslim Articles: "Riix Hoos Mowduca aad doonaysid "

Omar Ibn Al_Khattab's Journey to Islam

Two Japanese Women Embraced Islam

#Monica

#Sunaku

How I Became a Muslim: Aminah Fogarty

Jermain Jackson His Journey to Islam

Former British Catholic Priest returns to Islam Idris Tawfiq

How I came to Islam "Yususf Islam" Cat Stevens

I was a BNP activist... and converted to Islam by John "Muhammad" Ord.

My Revert Story - U.K. Chinese Muslim

Omar Ibn Al_Khattab's Journey to Islam

Omar was twenty seven when the Holy Prophet began his mission. Young Omar was one of those who did not care to listen to the message of Islam. He was for the old way of life. As years went by, Islam made a slow headway.

This made Omar angry. Do what the Makkan chiefs might, people who once went over to Islam never went back to their old faith. One of Omar's own maid-servants became a Muslim. He beat her as much as he could, but she would not give up the new faith.

At last in the sixth year of the Mission, a number of Muslims left for Abyssinia. This made Omar boil with rage. "Here is a man," he thought to himself "who has split the people. People lived smoothly enough. He appeared on the scene He has torn son from father and brother from brother. Now his followers are running away to another land. Surely Muhammad is the cause of all trouble. I must slay him and put an end to the trouble."

With this resolve Omar drew his sword and set out to kill the Holy Prophet. On the way he met a friend who asked him why he looked so upset. Omar told him what he was going to do. "You better take care of your own kin first," said the friend, "Your sister and her husband have gone over to Islam."

These words changed the direction of Omar's anger. He went straight to the house of his sister, Fatima. He knocked at the door. Someone was reciting the Quran inside. Fatima was terrified when she heard Omar's voice. She hid the portion of the Quran she was reading and opened the door.

"What was it that you were reciting just now?" Omar demanded.

"Oh nothing," said the sister.

"Why nothing?" he shouted in rage.

"I have heard it alright. I know you both have accepted Muhammad's faith."

Saying this, he began to beat his brother-in-law, Saeed. Fatima ran to his help and got a blow to the head. The head began to bleed. This made the couple bold. "Yes, we have become Muslims," they shouted at Omar. "Do what you will."

The sight of the bleeding sister deeply moved Omar. Fatima was such a loving sister! Surely there must be some great truth in the Quran which had won her innocent heart. "Would you let me have a look at the Quran?" said Omar.

Fatima handed him the few pages of the book she had.

Omar sat down to study the pages. Soon his face changed. His anger cooled down. The fear of Allah gripped his heart. He wept and declared, "Surely this is the word of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah."

Omar was again on his way to the place of the Holy Prophet. But he was a changed man. He was not going to slay him but to embrace his faith.

The Holy Prophet was sitting in the company of some men. He saw Omar coming and asked, "Omar, what brings you here?"

"O Prophet of Allah!" replied Omar, "I have come to embrace Islam."

Great was the joy of the Holy Prophet and his followers. Loud shouts of "Allah is Great" rented the air of Mecca. Soon everyone knew that Omar was no longer an enemy of Islam. It was a great day for Islam because one of its bitterest enemies had become its staunch follower.

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HOW I CAME TO ISLAM Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)

All I have to say is all what you know already, to confirm what you already know, the message of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as given by God - the Religion of Truth. As human beings we are given a consciousness and a duty that has placed us at the top of creation. Man is created to be God's deputy on earth, and it is important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life. Anybody who misses this chance is not likely to be given another, to be brought back again and again, because it says in Qur'an Majeed that when man is brought to account, he will say, "O Lord, send us back and give us another chance." The Lord will say, "If I send you back you will do the same."

MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING

I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the high life of show business. I was born in a Christian home, but we know that every child is born in his original nature - it is only his parents that turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion (Christianity) and thought this way. I was taught that God exists, but there was no direct contact with God, so we had to make contact with Him through Jesus - he was in fact the door to God. This was more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow it all.

I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones with no life. And when they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I more or less believed it, because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents.

POP STAR

Gradually I became alienated from this religious upbringing. I started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in the films and on the media took hold of me, and perhaps I thought this was my God, the goal of making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful car. "Well," I said, "he has it made. He has a lot of money." The people around me influenced me to think that this was it; this world was their God.

I decided then that this was the life for me; to make a lot of money, have a 'great life.' Now my examples were the pop stars. I started making songs, but deep down I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich I would help the needy. (It says in the Qur'an, we make a promise, but when we make something, we want to hold onto it and become greedy.)

So what happened was that I became very famous. I was still a teenager, my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated (with liquor and drugs).

IN HOSPITAL

After a year of financial success and 'high' living, I became very ill, contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was then that I started to think: What was to happen to me? Was I just a body, and my goal in life was merely to satisfy this body? I realized now that this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allah, a chance to open my eyes - "Why am I here? Why am I in bed?" - and I started looking for some of the answers. At that time there was great interest in the Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and the first thing I began to become aware of was death, and that the soul moves on; it does not stop. I felt I was taking the road to bliss and high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became a vegetarian. I now believed in 'peace and flower power,' and this was the general trend. But what I did believe in particular was that I was not just a body. This awareness came to me at the hospital.

One day when I was walking and I was caught in the rain, I began running to the shelter and then I realized, 'Wait a minute, my body is getting wet, my body is telling me I am getting wet.' This made me think of a saying that the body is like a donkey, and it has to be trained where it has to go. Otherwise, the donkey will lead you where it wants to go.

Then I realized I had a will, a God-given gift: follow the will of God. I was fascinated by the new terminology I was learning in the Eastern religion. By now I was fed up with Christianity. I started making music again and this time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I remember the lyric of one of my songs. It goes like this: "I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big hotel?" and I knew I was on the Path.

I also wrote another song, "The Way to Find God Out." I became even more famous in the world of music. I really had a difficult time because I was getting rich and famous, and at the same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. Then I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism is all right and noble, but I was not ready to leave the world. I was too attached to the world and was not prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself from society.

I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible and could not find anything. At this time I did not know anything about Islam, and then, what I regarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem and was greatly impressed that while on the one hand it throbbed with life (unlike the churches and synagogues which were empty), on the other hand, an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity prevailed.

THE QUR'AN

When he came to London he brought back a translation of the Qur'an, which he gave to me. He did not become a Muslim, but he felt something in this religion, and thought I might find something in it also.

And when I received the book, a guidance that would explain everything to me - who I was; what was the purpose of life; what was the reality and what would be the reality; and where I came from - I realized that this was the true religion; religion not in the sense the West understands it, not the type for only your old age. In the West, whoever wishes to embrace a religion and make it his only way of life is deemed a fanatic. I was not a fanatic, I was at first confused between the body and the soul. Then I realized that the body and soul are not apart and you don't have to go to the mountain to be religious. We must follow the will of God. Then we can rise higher than the angels. The first thing I wanted to do now was to be a Muslim.

I realized that everything belongs to God, that slumber does not overtake Him. He created everything. At this point I began to lose the pride in me, because hereto I had thought the reason I was here was because of my own greatness. But I realized that I did not create myself, and the whole purpose of my being here was to submit to the teaching that has been perfected by the religion we know as Al-Islam. At this point I started discovering my faith. I felt I was a Muslim. On reading the Qur'an, I now realized that all the Prophets sent by God brought the same message. Why then were the Jews and Christians different? I know now how the Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and that they had changed His Word. Even the Christians misunderstand God's Word and called Jesus the son of God. Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason, and not to worship the sun or moon but the One Who has created everything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun and moon and God's creation in general. Do you realize how different the sun is from the moon? They are at varying distances from the earth, yet appear the same size to us; at times one seems to overlap the other.

Even when many of the astronauts go to space, they see the insignificant size of the earth and vastness of space. They become very religious, because they have seen the Signs of Allah.

When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt that the only answer for me was the Qur'an, and God had sent it to me, and I kept it a secret. But the Qur'an also speaks on different levels. I began to understand it on another level, where the Qur'an says, "Those who believe do not take disbelievers for friends and the believers are brothers." Thus at this point I wished to meet my Muslim brothers.

CONVERSION

Then I decided to journey to Jerusalem (as my brother had done). At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a Muslim. He asked what was my name. I told him, "Stevens." He was confused. I then joined the prayer, though not so successfully. Back in London, I met a sister called Nafisa. I told her I wanted to embrace Islam and she directed me to the New Regent Mosque. This was in 1977, about one and a half years after I received the Qur'an. Now I realized that I must get rid of my pride, get rid of Iblis, and face one direction. So on a Friday, after Jumma' I went to the Imam and declared my faith (the Kalima) at this hands. You have before you someone who had achieved fame and fortune. But guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'an. Now I realize I can get in direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion. As one Hindu lady told me, "You don't understand the Hindus. We believe in one God; we use these objects (idols) to merely concentrate." What she was saying was that in order to reach God, one has to create associates, that are idols for the purpose. But Islam removes all these barriers. The only thing that moves the believers from the disbelievers is the salat. This is the process of purification.

Finally I wish to say that everything I do is for the pleasure of Allah and pray that you gain some inspirations from my experiences. Furthermore, I would like to stress that I did not come into contact with any Muslim before I embraced Islam. I read the Qur'an first and realized that no person is perfect. Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) we will be successful. May Allah give us guidance to follow the path of the ummah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Ameen!

Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens)

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How I Became a Muslim? By Aminah Fogarty

IT seems as though I’ve read hundreds of “revert’s stories” since I connected to the Internet two years ago. I consider the Internet one of the most powerful tools the Muslims now have at their disposal for Da’wah purposes. I pray that all the brothers and sisters, who have taken the time to write their own stories about their lives and faith, will receive a vast reward for helping to spread the beauty and truth of Islam. This also serves as my own motivation for writing this description of my journey to and in Islam. I pray it will affect someone, and allow them to consider or perhaps reconsider Islam as a powerful and viable way of life for the 21st century.

My journey to Islam was a subtle one. I myself am always amazed and amused by the stories of Muslims who came to know of Islam through fantastic means. My husband was the catalyst that Allah sent to me, to allow me to know and accept Islam. He claims now, as he did 20 years ago, that he somehow knew that there was “something different” about me. I believe that difference was my longing to find a way to define, worship and know my Lord, the Lord of all mankind; Allah. My husband’s very first conversation with me was about Tawhid, the Absolute Oneness of Allah. Very few people are able to discuss Islam more honestly, poignantly, and clearly than he did with a total stranger. Surely it must be sign of great faith and love of Allah!
I was born in 1961, in Ohio. I don’t know how much bearing that has on who I am now. I never really felt connected to an era or place or concept, until Islam. Now, I am connected to nothing but Islam. It is my place in life, and defines it. I was raised in a Roman Catholic, church-going family. I attended parochial schools from first grade through college. I believe I received an excellent education. I think that those in pursuit of spirituality tend to love knowledge as well. That is certainly a truth found in Islam. My education has served me well, and continues to serve me as I continually explore my faith.

I was never concerned about my spiritual state in my youth. It existed but didn’t impact my life greatly. The exact opposite of my life as a Muslim! It seems as if people outside of Islam tend to ponder, wonder and question much, often without purpose or result.

I guess I was a floater. Just going through the paces of life, without much concern for where it led me, or how I got there, or what happened along the way! In Islam, I’ve found all my answers.

I no longer float, but step boldly forward each day, praying that Allah accepts and rewards my actions done for His sake alone.

I was in high school when I accepted Islam as my new way of life. My life didn’t change overnight, but my heart did. I knew from the start that Allah was indeed the only deity worthy of worship, and that He sent Prophet Muhammad to guide all mankind to that knowledge. With each passing month and year I grew in my knowledge of Allah, His Messengers, His creations. I continue to study and read today, 20 years later, knowing that I can never know enough of His Majesty and Might.

I am blessed with a wonderful family. My five children are a great source of joy and inspiration to me. I look at them and wonder how Allah could have found me deserving of such blessings.

I only pray that I live up to the task at hand, and am able to raise pious Muslim children, who I pray, will ask Allah to have mercy on me in the hereafter, should I die before them. I pray that all the bounty that Allah has blessed me with, never turns into a fitnah, or trial, for me, or blinds me to the real task, the only task of this life, to serve and worship Allah alone.

My greatest wish, is that I will continue to grow in faith, piety, sincerity and knowledge in Islam, so that I hear the greetings of angels in my grave: “Peace be upon you”, by Allah’s Grace alone.

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Jermaine Jackson has changed his name to Abdul Azeez now.
Jermaine Jackson, brother of world-famous Michael Jackson is one of those men who have left the religion of their forefathers and made Islam the inseparable part of their life. From Jermaine Jackson, he has re-named as Muhammad Abdul-Aziz. He lives in one of the luxurious palaces in the outskirts of Los Angeles (USA). The palace of Abdul-Aziz is surrounded by beautiful gardens. This is the place where he and his sisters compose their musical notes. This remains under surveillance of more than 15 security vans round the clock. This area which is known as 'Falis' in Los Angeles is considered one of the most expensive areas the world over.

When and How did you start your journey towards Islam? It was way back in 1989 when I, along with my sister, conducted a tour to some of the countries of Middle East. During our stay in Bahrain, we were accorded warm welcome. There I happened to meet some children and had a light chitchat with them. I put certain questions to them and they flung at me their innocent queries. During the course of this interaction, they inquired about my religion. I told them, "I am a Christian." I asked them, as to what was their religion? A wave of serenity took over them. They replied in one voice ? Islam. Their enthusiastic answer really shook me from within. Then they started telling me about Islam. They were giving me information, much in piece with their age. The pitch of their voice would reveal that they were highly proud of Islam. This is how I paced toward Islam.

A very short interaction with a group of children ultimately led me to have long discourses about Islam with Muslim scholars. A great ripple had taken place in my thought. I made failing attempt to console myself that nothing had happened but I could not conceal this fact any longer from myself that at heart I had converted to Islam. This I disclosed first to my family friend, Qunber Ali. The same Qunber Ali managed to take me to Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia. Till that time, I did not know much about Islam. From there, in the company of a Saudi family, I proceeded for Mecca for the performance of "Umrah". There I made public for the first time that I had become Muslim.

What were your feelings after you proclaimed that you were a Muslim?

Having embraced Islam, I felt as if I were born again. I found in Islam the answers to those queries which I had failed to find in Christianity. Particularly, it was only Islam that provided satisfactory answer to the question relating to the birth of Christ. For the first time I was convinced about the religion itself. I pray my family members might appreciate these facts. My family is the follower of that cult of Christianity, which is known as AVENDANCE of JEHOVA (Jehova's Witness). According to its creeds, only 144,000 men would finally qualify to enter into paradise. ?How comes, It remained always a perplexing creed for me. I was surprised to know that Bible was compiled by so many men, particularly about a volume scripted by King James. I wondered if a man compiles a directory and then ascribes it to God, but he does not fully comply with these directions. During my stay in Saudi Arabia I have had the opportunity to buy a cassette released by the erstwhile British pop-singer and the present Muslim preacher, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). I learnt a lot from this as well.

What happened when you got back to the US after embracing Islam?

When I returned to USA, American media orchestrated heinous propaganda against Islam and the Muslims. The gossips were let loose on me which really disturbed my peace of mind. The Hollywood was hell-bent upon maligning the Muslims. They were being projected as terrorists. There are many things where there is consensus between Christianity and Islam, and Quran presents Holy Christ as a virtuous Prophet. Then, I wondered, why Christian America levels baseless allegations against Muslims?

This made me gloomy. I made up my mind that I would do my best to dispel the wrong image of Muslims, portrayed by the American media. I had not the slightest idea that American media would not digest the news of my accepting Islam and raise such a great hue and cry. It was virtually acting against all its tall and much-publicized claims about the freedom of expression and the freedom of conscience. So the hypocrisy of American society came to surface and lay uncovered before me. Islam unknotted many complications for me. As a matter of fact, I came to think of myself as a complete human being, in the literal sense of the word. After becoming Muslim, I felt a tremendous change in me. I discarded all thing prohibited in Islam. This made things difficult for my family too. In short, the Jackson family tumbled altogether. Threatening letters poured in, which further intensified the worries of my family.

What sort of threats?

Well, they would tell me that I had nurtured the animosity of American society and culture, by entering into the laps of Islam, you have deprived yourself of the right to live with others. WE would make life unbearable for you in America so on, so forth. But I confess that my family is broadminded. We have held all religions in esteem. Our parents have trained and groomed us in that way. Therefore, I may say that the Jackson family enjoys friendly relation with people belonging to almost all religions. This is the result of that training that I am being tolerated by them so far.

What was the reaction of your brother Michael Jackson?

On my way back to America, I brought a number of books from Saudi Arabia. Michael Jackson asked me himself for some of these books for study. Before this, his opinion was influenced by the propaganda of American media against Islam and the Muslims. He was not inimical towards Islam, but he was not favorably disposed towards Muslims either. But after reading these books, he would keep mum and not say anything against Muslims. I think perhaps this is the impact of the study of Islam that he diverted his business interests towards Muslim traders. Now, he has equal shares with the Saudi billionaire prince Waleed bin Talal, in his multi-national company.

It was said earlier that Michael Jackson was against Muslims, then there are rumors that he had become Muslim. What is the real story?

I testify this fact, at least there is nothing in my knowledge that Michael Jackson ever said anything derogatory against Muslims. His songs, too, give message of love for others. We have learnt from our parents to love others. Only those who have their own ax to grind hurl allegations on him. When there can be a nasty uproar against me when I became Muslim, why can it not be so against Michael Jackson. But, so far, media has not subjected him to scathing criticism, although he is threatened for his getting somewhat closer to Islam. But who knows what would it look like when Michael Jackson embraces Islam.

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Guided to Islam by My Heart! Two Japanese Women Embraced Islam

Monica’s Story:

I was raised in the technologically-advanced atmosphere of Japan. I lived a peaceful, sedentary life and was blessed with a caring family and the tools to succeed in my studies and work. All avenues were open for me to enjoy an easy and fulfilling life.

My family was religiously Buddhist like many Japanese people, however my connection to Buddhism had been poor since my early childhood, and my parents were unconcerned with my devotion. Nevertheless, since my earliest days, many questions regarding the universe, existence, and life occupied in my mind. They would remain with me until I reached the age of 20 when I finished my collegiate studies and began to work amongst the clouds as a flight attendant for a Japanese airline. I hoped to find peace and meaning through work but rather a great emptiness in my life persisted. There was something missing from my life and I desperately hoped to find out what it was.
Allah, the Controller of all affairs, willed that in 1988 I would work as a translator for a Japanese delegation to a tourism agency in Egypt for the duration of one year. Through my new colleagues, I came to learn about Islam. After completing the year abroad, I returned to Japan and decided to study Islam in the hope that I might find the answers to my lifelong questions.

The information that I had previously gathered about Islam from school and television was not only extremely limited but also severely distorted. It is the same with most Japanese people who read and hear about nothing but violence coming from the Muslim world.

When I returned to Japan, I went to the Islamic Center in Tokyo and asked for a translation of the Holy Qur’an in Japanese. I visited the center regularly over a period of three years as I studied Islam with the local scholars. With the passage of time, my understanding and appreciation of Islam increased. I found the answers to the philosophical questions that had been hounding me for so many years in this beautiful religion.

I was impressed by the status of women in Islam. The Muslim woman is protected and honored, and her feelings, mind, and decency are respected much more so than I had previously imagined. I began to seclude myself and ask Allah to guide me to the Truth and educate me about it. I began to meditate upon the created world in order to see the Hand of Allah behind it. I would meditate upon the trees, flowers, birds, animals and the carefully crafted design and balance that ruled them.

Thus, I saw Allah in His creation and I was guided to Islam by my heart and emotions. I felt the Light of Allah filling my heart. An overwhelming happiness overcame me as my iman (faith) grew and I felt as if Allah was with me at every moment.

Allah, the Controller of all affairs, willed that I would work as a flight attendant on a particular flight to and from Indonesia for the period of a year. I was taken by the Indonesians’ temperament and their adherence to the Qur’an in their daily lives. The Indonesians that I befriended helped me to understand Islam better and increase my love towards it.

I faced several difficulties with my family but I had resolved that I must become a Muslim despite all the hurdles. I began to perform the five prayers in their correct times, and I exerted great effort in memorizing verses of the Qur’an to enable me to do this correctly.

In 1991, I traveled to Egypt to announce publicly my conversion to Islam at the famous al-Azhar University. I found work in Egypt to live on and soon married an Egyptian Muslim. I remained in Egypt and with time, Allah blessed me with a beautiful daughter named Maryam - the only female name specifically mentioned in the Qur’an.

Al-Hamdu lilah, I currently live a happy life with my new religion and my new Muslim family. I am spending a lot of time and effort memorizing the Qur’an, and whenever time permits, my husband and I study the Qur’an together and read certain Islamic texts together. I hope to guide my family to Islam, God willing soon. Generally speaking, the Japanese people are missing a major component of a happy life, despite their technologically-advanced civilization. I believe that great numbers of them would enter Islam in if they had the proper understanding. They are looking for such answers, and there is no doubt that they are in great need of them.

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Sunaku’s Story“

The more I read about Islam, the more I increased in faith and understanding”

I lived a calm, secure life and was nurtured by my mother who took to raising me alone after the death of my father. All means of happiness and security were made available to me. However, since my childhood, I was never truly happy, and I was often overwhelmed by a sense of anxiety. I tried to overcome these feelings by working hard at my studies and traveling around the world as a tourist, but my anxieties persisted until I finished my secondary education and traveled to England to study English.

During a school holiday, I traveled with one of my Japanese friends to Jordan. My friend had visited the country before, and she arranged for us to stay with a Jordanian Muslim family. I found their lives very practical and organized, while their house was very clean. I was impressed by the strong family bonds that joined them and their sense of civil responsibility. There was sincerity and mutual trust between them that I had not noticed elsewhere. The husband of the family worked to earn the family’s income while the wife maintained the house and appeared content and happy with her job. I sensed that this was the happiness that I was missing, and I realized that my image of Islam was inherently wrong.

I had no idea of the reality of Islam as I had never known Muslims before. My image of them was based merely on what I saw on the news, and thus I ignorantly felt that they were a violent people. I judged Muslim women to be victims of gender persecution at the hands of their husbands.

After my trip to Jordan, I decided to study Islam to learn its true message. When I returned to Japan, I visited the Islamic Center of Tokyo and requested a Japanese translation of the Qur’an and a book on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I continued to visit the center and study Islam with scholars of Japanese, Pakistani, and Arab nationalities until I realized that Islam was in fact the Truth.

My belief that Allah is the sole Creator and Sustainer of the universe had become unflinching, and the more I read about Islam, the more I increased in faith and understanding. I discovered that Islam in fact improved the status of women and freed her intellectually from objectification. I soon realized that my previous image of Muslim women was distorted, while in fact Islam offered a lifestyle that I had previously only dreamt of living. After six months of study, I decided that I must become Muslim, thus I declared my conversion and soon became content and resolute in my new faith.

I began to pray the daily prayers and fast the month of Ramadan. Allah gave me the ability to memorize some of the smaller chapters of the Qur’an. I was attracted to the Arabic language when I first heard it, and so I decided to learn this beautiful language. I spent some time learning Arabic at the Islamic Center of Tokyo, and later I would move to Egypt to continue my Islamic studies at an institution affiliated with Al-Azhar University and specifically my Arabic studies at a language institute for non-native speakers. I pray that Allah uses me and my story to guide others to the Light of Islam, the greatest gift that one can ever receive.

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Idris Tawfiq

Assalamualyakum brother and sister here is another muslim in world largest family, my eye fill with tear when i read the brother saying there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

“Strongest among men in enmity to the Believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the Believers wilt thou find those who say “We are Christians”: because amongst these are men devoted to learning (priests), and men who have renounced the world (monks), and they are not arrogant. And then they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger,

thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognize the truth. They pray: ‘Our Lord! We believe, write us down among the witnesses.’ (Surat Al-Maida 82-83)”

This was what happened to the former British Catholic Priest Idris Tawfiq on reciting the holy book, Al Qur’an, to his students at a school in the UK. And this was one of the important steps in his journey of conversion to Islam.
During a recent lecture he gave at the British Council in Cairo, Tawfiq made clear that he has no regrets about his past and his five years at the Vatican.
“I enjoyed being a priest and helping people for some years. However, deep inside, I was not happy and I felt that something was not right. Fortunately, and it is God’s will, some events and coincidences in my life led me to Islam,” he told a packed hall at the British Council.
An important event for Tawfiq was his decision to quit his work at the Vatican, a step followed by making a trip to Egypt. “I used to think of Egypt as a country of pyramids, camels, sand and palm trees. I actually took a charter flight to Hurghada. Shocked to find it similar to some European beaches, I took the first bus to Cairo where I spent the most wonderful week.”
“This was my first introduction to Muslims and Islam. I noticed how Egyptians are such gentle, sweet people, but also very strong.”
“Like all Britons, my knowledge about Muslims up to that time didn’t exceed what I heard from the TV about suicide bombers and fighters, which gave the impression that Islam is a religion of troubles.
“However, in Cairo I discovered how beautiful this religion is. Very simple people selling goods on the street would abandon their trade and direct their face to Allah and pray the moment they heard the call to prayer from the mosque. They have a strong faith in the presence and will of Allah.” he said.
“On my return I resumed my old job of teaching religion. The only compulsory subject in British education is Religious Studies. I was teaching about Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and others. So everyday I had to read about these religions to be able to teach my lessons to the students, many of whom were Arab Muslim refugees.
“In other words, teaching about Islam taught me many things. Unlike many troublesome teenagers, these students set a good example of what a Muslim could be. They were polite and kind. A friendship developed between us and they asked if they could use my classroom for prayers during the fasting month of Ramadan.
“I got accustomed to sitting at the back, watching them praying for a month. I sought to encourage them by fasting during Ramadan with them, even though I wasn’t yet a Muslim.
“Once, while reciting a translation of the holy Qur’an in class I reached the verse: ‘And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth.’
“To my surprise, I felt tears welling up in my eyes and I tried hard to hide it from the students.”
A turning point in his life, however, came in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001. “The following day, I was taking the underground and noticed how terrified the people were. I was also afraid of the repetition of such acts in Britain.
“At the time, the Western people started fearing this religion they blamed for terrorism. However, my previous experience with Muslims took me to a different direction. I started wondering ‘Why Islam? Why do we blame Islam as a religion for the action of terrorists who happened to be Muslims, when noone accused Christianity of terrorism when some Christians have acted the same way?
“One day I headed to the biggest Mosque in London, to hear more about this religion. Getting into London Central Mosque, there was Yusuf Islam, the former pop singer, sitting in a circle talking to some people about Islam. After a while, I found myself asking him ‘What do you actually do to become a Muslim?’
“He answered that a Muslim should believe in one God, pray five times a day and fast during Ramadan. I interrupted him saying that I believed all this and had even fasted during Ramadan. So he asked, ‘What are you waiting for? What is holding you back?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t intend to convert.’
“At that moment the call to prayer was made and everyone got ready and stood in lines to pray. I sat at the back, and I cried and cried. Then I said to myself, ‘Who am I trying to fool?’
“After they ended their prayers, I headed to Yusuf Islam, asking him to teach me the words by which I announce my conversion. After explaining its meanings to me in English, I recited after him in Arabic that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” recounted Tawfiq, holding back his tears.
Thus his life has taken a different course. Living in Egypt, Tawfiq wrote a book about the tenets of Islam. Explaining why he penned his book Gardens of Delight: a simple introduction to Islam, Tawfiq noted that everyone is saying that Islam is not a religion of terrorism and isn’t a religion of hatred, but no-one tries to explain what it is.
“I decided to write this book to give non-Muslims an idea about the basic principles of Islam. I tried to tell people how beautiful Islam is and that Islam has the most extraordinary treasures, the most important being Muslims’ love for each other. The Prophet says ‘even a smile to your brother is a charity.’

Idris Tawfiq

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I was a BNP activist... and converted to Islam by John "Muhammad" Ord

I hated all foreigners but feared Muslims the most. I grew up in the 1960s in Gateshead, in a predominantly white area; I can't remember seeing an Asian face there. As a family we were not religious. We only went to weddings, funerals and christenings. I was not interested in school, either. You didn't need to stay on because you were more or less guaranteed a job in the mines, steelworks or shipyards.

When I was 16, all my friends were British National Party activists. It was a cool thing to do, and I joined in, too. I wanted to shock, to rebel. We would get together, drink, listen to music, chase girls and go out Paki-bashing. That wasn't a phrase we considered bad or wrong.
I remember my first time; it was a Saturday night and we had been drinking. We went into an Asian area and came across a lad of about 17. We started chanting - the usual thing, "Go back to your own country" - and then went after him. There were about 10 of us, and we kicked and punched him. When we ran away, I remember, we were laughing. I don't know what happened to him, and at the time I wouldn't have cared: I was in a group and we had camaraderie.

By the time I was 19 I was growing out of the BNP. I moved to London for work and stopped going to meetings. But I still hated all foreigners, especially Muslims. Over the next few years I became involved with people who went to Muslim meetings in Hyde Park, mainly to cause trouble.

Then, one day in 1989, I was walking past a secondhand book stall by the Royal Festival Hall when a cover caught my eye: it was the most beautiful picture, in the most gorgeous colours, of a building. I didn't know what the book was, but it was only 20p so I bought it. I thought I'd buy a cheap frame and have a nice picture for my wall. I had no idea until I got home that I had bought the Quran.

I was horrified when I found out. My initial reaction was to throw it away. But then I got curious. I started reading it, thinking I would find things to use against Muslims; I thought it would be filled with contradictions. When I was young, my mum always made her views known and from her I acquired a love of debating. Now, I would regularly go and debate with Muslims at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park. As I did so, I started to get a very different picture of Islam. Seeing people pray in unison was such a powerful image.

A few years later, I returned to the north-east - I'd got a job as a chef. When I saw a group of Muslims at an Islamic book stall in Newcastle, I thought, "Here's another group I can wind up; I probably know more about Islam than they do." But I was shocked when I approached them; they were very knowledgeable. I kept going back because I enjoyed debating with them, and after four weeks they challenged me. They wanted me to try to disprove the Quran and convince them my way of life was better. They said if I succeeded they would become Christians, but if I failed I should become a Muslim. I accepted the challenge. But after months of returning to the stall and debating, I realised I was losing and panicked. I stopped going to the stall.

Three years had passed when I bumped into one of the guys from the stall. As I thought about what I wanted to do, I felt as if a big rock were crushing me, but when I told him I wanted to convert, I had a total sense of peace. I made my final decision on Wednesday November 17 1996 and converted the following day.

When I told my family, my sister stopped talking to me. My father was horrified but didn't want to discuss it. My mother thought it was a phase I was going through and was more worried about what the neighbours would think. She now lets me pray in the house, but refuses to call me Muhammad (I was born John Ord).

I met my wife after converting. We live in Birmingham, where she works as a primary school teacher. I have just started a degree in social work. When I look back, I can't believe the things I did; it feels like a different person and a different life. Ironically, because of the backlash from the London bombings, I now fear attack, and have started going out in my English clothes. In them I look like a bearded, middle-aged white guy.

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My revert story - U.K Chinese muslim

Asalaamu Alaikum brothers and sisters

Ok here goes, I'm going to tell you my story, my, I am a U.K Chinese muslim who was very westernised and secular (I'm now training to be an R.E teacher!). Growing up I didn't have a very happy childhood I was bullied at school and my home situation wasn't great, I felt I had nowhere to turn. At one point I was desperate to kill myself, I felt that no-one would ever love me. Physically I was very unattractive, bad acne, braces, boy's hair cut, too skinny oh and I had to wear glasses too. However it got better when I hit 17 my skin cleared up I got contact lenses and my mother couldn't forcibly cut my hair any more, my skin cleared up my braces came off. Suddenly overnight I had become attractive, no boy would have looked at me twice before and now they couldn't stop staring. At first I was really self-concious, then I began to become vain when I realised what power beauty holds, I wouldn't walk out the house without make-up on and I loved all the male attention I got. I did some very bad haram things which I regretted even then. I was known at uni for my looks.

I began to realise I was seeking the approval of others especially men and I thought that being beautiful was the way to do it. I had always felt that there was much more than being attractive how ever I just lapped it up. I had never had true friends, my friends were all jealous of the way I looked and the attention I got. They hatched plans against me and conspired to make me feel bad, they always left me out of social gatherings. I met guys who were only after one thing who only cared about how goodlooking a girl was and getting into her knickers. This pattern of unhappiness went on for nearly a year. I had a friend who's father was muslim he gave me an english translation of Al-Quran which was borrowed from me and never returned. I had muslim friends all non-practicing. I had this idea that Islam was an exclusive club you had to be Asian or Arab and born into. I had not met any practicing muslims, and therefore had a distorted view of Islam and muslims. It was during this time I realised good looks are not that important they are only skin deep. I realised how shallow I had become, I didn't want to be judged solely by my physical features but by my character. It was just so easy to buy into the whole western idea of beauty being the most important possession of a woman. I had been brainwashed my the media, by society and by my own insecurities. I had never really truly been happy, all the good things in my life were always tinged with bad.

Alhumdulillah I met my now fiance at uni he was non-practicing at the time and we have been together nearly 4 years now. When we first met we had a western boyfriend/girlfriend relationship which only changed when I reverted.

Well I had always been interested in Islam from the time of my GCSE's but didn't learn much as we were taught by a butch rugby player of a P.E teacher who didn't have a clue about R.E. At uni I had considered looking into Islam but was dissuaded by what I saw and what a friend told me. After uni I took a year to go and work and discovered how soul-destroying office work is. I decided I needed to find what I wanted to do, choose a career, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. So ok thats decided but teach what? English? maybe but my degree wasn't related, Social sciences? the courses at the uni's were too far away from where I wanted to be. Then eureka!!! R.E it is one of my favourite subjects when I was at school and perfect in Oxford not too far away from my now fiance.

So I started my teacher training course, moved into halls, went out clubbing and drinking, the same stuff as when I was at uni. This time a lot more sensibly. There was however still a very big gap in my life a kind of emptiness that teaching alone couldn't fill. While I was on the course I had become very good friends with a practicing muslim woman, for some reason we clicked as soon as we met and I spent a lot of time with her and we became very close. I really admired her confidence and demeanour, she just had a wonderful manner and was a great person to be around. I just felt so happy around her, she introduced me to another muslim woman also doing teaching but science we became close as well, she had a totally different personality, really girly and silly so much fun to be around. We became good friends too. This was before my reversion. I decided to look into Islam more and more and seriously considered reverting however I went to the mosque with the girls a couple of times. The first time we went to the mosque as a class to watch Jummah it was an amazing experience, just watching I felt like I was in the presence of something amazing (now I know it was Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and his noor) SubhanAllah and the second time I prayed Jummah with one of the girls it felt so good. I also cover my head both times on these occasions proper hijab and modest clothing. Both of which I felt so comfortable with not self-conscious at all.

I then met a brother quite through what I saw as coincidence (though now I realised it was Allah guiding me) who was very practicing and I told him I had considered reverting, he immeadiately told me so many things and encouraged me to ask him lots of questions which I did. A lot of issues I had with Islam were reconciled through his answers to my questions he gave me a copy of Al-Quran, some literature and some CD's to listen to. He put me in touch with a white british revert sister and I chatted to her and met up immeadiately i felt a bond with her. After that I decided that I would revert at the same time I was teaching Sharia Law to my Year 11 pupils at their request this allowed me to do my own research into Islam. I had been ummming and ahhhhing over whether or not to revert because I am the type of person if they do something they have to do it properly 100%. for about a week I was speaking to my muslim friends and they told me to pray for guidance Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). The fact that I was getting upset over it meant that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) had already opened my ears and ears and heart and was guiding me to the right path. I could not refute the truth any longer I was always meant to be a muslim Alhumdulillah. Once I made the decision I told all my muslim friends and they were really supportive. I decided that the week after I would make my Shahadah in the local mosque with the Imam, all my friends and my now fiance as my witnesses. SubhanAllah It was fantastic I felt so at home so loved and cared for and I honestly felt as if I had been born again. I'm still waiting for my certificate!

When I had been considering whether or not to revert I had been wearing a headscarf everywhere as I thought it would be a good idea for me to try it out and Alhumdulillah I loved it I felt so natural and the difference in how men treated me was amazing a lot more respect no more leering looks.

My now fiance who was non-practicing at the time I decided to revert was dead against me reverting as he thought that I was doing it for him so that we could marry I told him that he was not that important! He actually tried to forcibly remove my headscarf the first time he saw me wearing it! I just kind of sprung the reversion on him you see. This opened up a can of worms for our relationship I said to him immeadiately no more sexual relations as it is haram which was obviously very difficult for him and me as well but I adamant. It took him about two weeks to come round to the idea of me reverting and he started supporting me. The other effect of me reverting was that he began to feel extremely guilty for not practicing and my reversion made him feel very bad he then decided that he would start practicing again. This was difficult for him as he had not prayed properly since he was a child and didn't know how to pray properly and didn't even understand Islam himself due to the way he was brought up. I told him 2 weeks ago that I couldn't be with him unless he married me, so he had to decide whether or not to marry me. This was a big step for me but because it is haram for a man and woman to be alone togther even if they are not having sexual relations because the third person is shaytan. This made me feel extremely uncomfortable about being alone with him and made me issue this ultimatum. throughout our relationship I had always wanted him to marry me and commit but had never had the guts to actually give him an ultimatum. Islam gave me rights and respect as woman and I knew what we were doing was wrong so I gave him the ultimatum we didn't speak while he decided what to do. During this time I had decided that he would probably split up with me anyway so I decided to split with him instead and find a husband so I rang him to do this. He told me he had come to a decision and had an action plan too on how to get married. The cultural differences would mean this would not be easy I am Chinese and he is Pakistani and he would have to tell his parents in a gentle manner slowly.

Well I told him I didnt want to be with him as he wasn't practicing enough and we didn't speak until he called me at 7.00 am he had been driving around as he couldn't sleep. We agreed to meet up to talk face to face about this and eventually I realised why he wanted to marry me because he knew that I would be good for his Iman and that he could see himself going crazy and doing lots of haram things if he wasn't with me and also he loves me more than anything (those are his words not mine!). he also decided that he wanted to be more religious. Alhumdulillah well we agreed that he would tell his parents he wanted to get married soon and have a plan in place so that we can get married without hurting our parents feelings. I'm waiting for my engagement ring still!!

Well since I had reverted I had been seriously worried about how to tell my parents I was now a muslim. I thought it best to tell them that part first before the marriage part in case they thought that I was doing it for my fiance. Well I went home with my hijab on dressed modestly only my mum was home, she was more amused than anything else and watched me pray with curiousity. My dad was working till late and I was ready to sleep by the time he got back. So the next day we spent some of the morning talking about my reverting and they seemed fine with it we went out for lunch as a family my sister was back at home too. I decided not to wear my hijab out as they didn't like it. They seemed at first to accept my faith but they said to me that I shouldn't cover my head as as long as the faith is in my heart that is all that matters. I felt so bad not covering my head but it wasn't worth the argument. My parents increasing started to lecture me and shout at me the atmosphere deteriorated rapidly it ended with me leaving their house and going back to Oxford. They said some very nasty things to me like I was going to be a terrorist and I had been brainwashed. It ended up with them both yelling at me while i was crying my eyes out. I understand they have a lot of prejudices and are uneducated but it really hurt and I dont know what to do now. We haven't spoken since.

Reverting to Islam has been such a positive experience for me and I have never been happier.I don't regret it for a second and I would do it again. I have found true friends and a peacefulness I never had before everything has been easy apart from this one test but my Iman is strong and I pray inshAllah thaty it will continue to grow. I feel like I'm myself now and I have been able to solve many issues in my life through Islam. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has blessed me with so much and I will always truly be grateful. Any advice anyone can give me on how to deal with my parents especially the headscarf business would be appreciated.

May Allah bless us all and allow us to keep our Imans strong and our actions worthy of rewards. May he have mercy on us all and allow us to reach Jannah.

Jazak Allahu khair

Wa alaikum asalaam

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