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Description: Reflections of a Muslim Convert.
By Sumayyah Meehan
Published on 01 Sep 2008 - Last modified on 02 Sep 2008
Viewed: 13370 (daily average: 8) - Rating: 4.5 out of 5 - Rated by: 57
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Category: Articles
> Stories of New Muslims
> Women
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It’s been 12 years since I married my Muslim husband and
the road has truly been long and winding, but happy. At the time we got
married I was Catholic and had no intention of converting to Islam.
My new husband was very understanding and only asked
that I at least try to read an English translation of the Quran from time to
time. I agreed. We soon moved to Kuwait as the U.S. economy was so weak at
that time and it was impossible to earn a good living.
The minute I stepped off the plane I was thrust into a
whole new world that was full of Islam, Muslims, cultural traditions and a
whole new way of thinking. To say that I was shaken to my very core, in blind
terror, is an understatement. All I wanted to do was to jump right back on
that plane and fly away from this strange new World.
Yet through it all, my Muslim husband was by my side
every step of the way. When I found that his mother’s cooking was too spicy,
he made sure that other food choices were available, including American gourmet
items like McDonald’s and Pizza Hut.
When I was homesick for my family in the US, he stayed up with me all night consoling me and offering to take me “home”. Through
every happy moment, every illness and on the days when I was so sad I could
barely summon a smile, my Muslim husband has been right there holding my hand.
My husband turned into my teacher as he taught me all
about Islam, fasting and the Islamic prayer.
He is my best friend, confidant, and the father of my
children. He equally shares in changing dirty diapers, spill patrol and
nipping temper tantrums in the bud. Nothing fazes him, not even kids throwing
up on his brand new shirt or his having to wash the dishes when I am too tired
to move.
It’s unfortunate that Muslim husbands, especially, get
such a bad rap in the Western media. Quite often Muslim husbands are portrayed
as control freaks who force their wives to wear “Islamic garb”.
The reality is that both Muslim husbands and wives often
choose to follow an Islamic code of dress because it is ordained in the Quran
and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. It is not an issue of force or a war of wills.
God Almighty says in the Quran what means:
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze
and guard their modesty: That will make for greater purity for them: And God is
well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that
they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty. That they should not
display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear
thereof.” (Quran 24:30)
For me, personally, I came to Kuwait wearing a t-shirt
and blue jeans. I wore what I choose and neither my Muslim husband nor his
Muslim family said anything to me.
However, my husband did continue to ask me to read the
Quran. His gentle, and sometimes nagging, reminders paid off. I finally
started reading the Quran and my hunger for more and more Islamic knowledge
grew.
I searched and scoured until I found the truth I had
always been looking for within the pages of the Quran. I made the decision to
become a Muslim and I went shopping for my first hijab all by myself.
My husband turned into my teacher as he taught me all
about Islam, fasting and the Islamic prayer. When I made mistakes or faltered,
he did not scold me but increased his own efforts in teaching me everything
properly.
His patience was remarkable as my own grew thin. I
wanted to know a lot about Islam and it was just not something that happened
overnight. But it did happen.
Islam has brought a sense of calm to my very being and a
serene atmosphere to my home as well as my marriage. Since I became a Muslim I
have noticed that I am less stressed or worried about the future.
I have a lot more patience and do not get as flustered
as I used to with the little nuances of daily living. Through the Quran and
Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad I have learned what this life really is all about
and strive every day to engage in good deeds that will open the door to the
next World to come.
Sumayyah Meehan reverted
to Islam almost 11 years ago. She is a Waynesburg College graduate with a BA
in criminal justice. She is working on an Islamic children’s book. She
resides in Kuwait with her husband and three children.
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