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Description: How a typical American discovered Islam through the exceptional character of a close friend.
By William
Published on 22 Sep 2008 - Last modified on 24 Sep 2008
Viewed: 5720 (daily average: 4) - Rating: 4.6 out of 5 - Rated by: 35
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Category: Articles
> Stories of New Muslims
> Men
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My name is William, and I live in a large Midwestern
city in the United States. I am a typical American in many ways that are
reflected in both my professional and personal lives. Professionally, I am a
supervisor with a major police department, and I have been in the military,
both active duty and in the reserves for the majority of my adult life. Personally,
I live in the suburbs with my wife and child, drive a pickup truck and
occasionally wear cowboy boots. I pay my bills, treat my neighbors well, and
prior to my reversion/conversion to Islam, I followed my religion in the manner
in which I had been instructed. As I said, my life was that of a typical
American, with my main concerns being the little details of everyday life that
everyone worries about. Little did I know that my religious beliefs would take
me out of the “typical” life that I lead, and that they would instead become a
major factor in my life, providing me with a sense of peace and completion that
only a short time before I would not have thought possible.
My journey to Islam began with my association, and later
friendship, with a man named Nasir. I met Nasir through work in the late
1980’s, and was impressed with his manners and the way that he treated me. I
had met very few Muslims, and I was always a little uneasy around them as I was
not sure how they would accept me. Besides having the appearance of a pickup-driving-shotgun-toting-redneck,
I was also a Jew, and the combination often seemed to unsettle people. Nasir,
however, took everything in stride, and as a result a friendship slowly bloomed.
Through Nasir, I really formed my first impressions of Islam and its adherents.
Over the years I watched how Nasir dealt with different
situations, and was constantly impressed with the wisdom and patience that he
displayed when he was dealing with difficult people or situations. He always
took the high road, even at times when I, if I had been in the same situation,
would have been tempted to treat the persons differently. If I asked him why
he did certain things, he would tell me a bit of wisdom which guided his
actions. Most of these, (I realized later), were direct or indirect quotes
from the Quran, which he told me not in a proselytizing way, but in a gentle
manner as if he were teaching a child the proper way to conduct itself in the
world. In fact, prior to reading the Quran, I often marveled at how one person
could be so wise and knowledgeable! Little did I know that those guiding
principles were written down where I or anyone else could read them. I realize
now how blessed I am that I was exposed to Islam and Muslims in such a positive
way.
Around the winter of 2000, I began to have a serious
interest in Islam. I read the Quran, but could not seem to fully understand it.
Despite this difficulty, I continued to have a nagging feeling that I should
continue, and so I studied other books about Islam. I learned a great deal,
but in an academic and not in a spiritual way. Again I attempted to read and
understand the Quran, and again I had difficulties. I finally resolved to ask
Nasir for help, and then the 9-11 incident happened. Suddenly I had a host of
new worries, and I put my questions on hold. During this time period, I had a
great deal of exposure to Islam, however very little of it was put to me in a
positive manner. As a police supervisor, I was constantly receiving warnings
about perceived Islamic threats, and as an officer in the reserves I was around
people who perceived Islam as a direct threat and Muslims as possible enemies.
So, to my shame, I continued to wait and kept my studies on the Islamic world
to those areas that directly influenced my professional life.
Then, in the late summer of 2004, that nagging feeling
that had persisted suddenly intensified, and I finally asked Nasir for guidance.
He told me about the tenets of his faith, and about the nature of the Quran. More
importantly, he told me how crucial Islam was to his life, and how strongly he
believed in it, not only as the word of God, but as the way in which man was
meant to live. He and his brother Riyadh then provided me with booklets about
Islam that had answers to many of the questions that I had. With this
knowledge in hand, I again approached the Quran, and suddenly found that it was
not only readable, but that it made sense! I can only think that either I was
not mentally ‘ready’ before, or that I simply needed the extra input in order
to properly understand and process the information. Either way, I read and
re-read everything that I had been provided, and then double checked the facts
that had been presented to me. The more I read, the more amazed I was.
I found that the information that was in the Quran would
have been impossible for Mohammed, may the mercy and blessings of God by upon
him, to have known had he not been a prophet. Not only would it have been
impossible for a man of his background and geographic location to have known
many of these things, it would have been impossible for anyone of his
time-period to have known them. I double checked the dates of many of the
modern “discoveries” that had been addressed in the Quran, and was astounded at
what I found. Not only did the Quran contain information that was centuries
ahead of its time, but it did so with details, many of which could not have
been known until this century. I became convinced that Mohammed was indeed a
prophet that had been inspired by Allah through his angel. Despite this, I
still faced a dilemma. Although I now believed that Mohammed was a prophet, I
still was confused about what to do. Everything that I had ever believed was
suddenly turned upside down, and I was at a loss for an explanation.
That night I prayed for guidance and understanding. I
only believed in one god, but I wanted to know the manner in which I should
hold that belief. The prayer was simple, but heartfelt, and I went to sleep
full of hope that I would receive an understanding of the situation. When I
awoke, I did so with the feeling that I had experienced an epiphany. Everything
was suddenly clear, and I understood how all the things that I had practiced
before were simply observances that had been contrived by man in an attempt to
follow religious principles that had changed over the millennia. I did not
receive any new information or beliefs, but was instead capable of
understanding that which I had already learned. I felt exhilarated, happy and
at peace, and that morning I said the shahada.
I told Nasir, and he took me to a nearby mosque for the Friday prayers. At the mosque I was lead to the front by Nasir, and I told
the assembled congregation about why I had come there. Then Nasir and the Iman
helped me repeat the profession of faith in Arabic. Although I was a little
nervous, the joy I felt upon doing this far outweighed any other feelings that
I had. Afterwards, I was welcomed by the majority of the members in a manner
that was so welcoming that I can hardly describe it. Most of the congregation
shook my hand and welcomed me to Islam, and many of them offered to help me or
to answer any questions that I might have. It was a wonderful experience which
I will never forget.
In closing, let me say that the feeling of peace that
came over me is still with me, and although I am still very early in the
learning stages, I am happy and confident that I made the right decision. I am
still a redneck-looking, pickup truck-driving, typical American. Only now I am
a Muslim American, and with the continued guidance and assistance of people
like Nasir and Riyadh, I hope to one day set as good an example for others and
they have been for me.
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