Khalil Ibrahim Abdulmajid, Ex-Christian, USA (part 2 of 2)
Description: How he started to read about Islam in Saudi Arabia and accepted it as his religion.
- By Khalil Ibrahim Abdulmajid
- Published on 02 Mar 2009
- Last modified on 12 Nov 2013
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In early January I had one of the most powerful urges ever, I had to have a Quran! This was one of the first things that I put on my “to do” list It stayed on my mind and never left. Two days after this I came home from work on a Thursday afternoon and took a nap, I didn’t set the alarm, but I agreed with myself that after prayer when the shops reopened I would go out and buy a translation of the meanings of the Quran. That afternoon’s prayer call jolted me up, but being tired I said to myself “I’ll just go back to sleep and get the Quran later, what do I need one for anyways?” When I heard this in my mind I jumped out of bed and got dressed. My hair was a mess from sleeping so I wore a baseball cap. I flagged down a taxi driver and explained to him that I wanted,to become a Muslim. He welcomed the venture, so off to Jarir Bookstore we went! There was lots of traffic on the way but we finally arrived and to my dismay, there was half of the population of the city of Al-Khobar waiting to enter. I rushed up the steps to the book section and I begin looking frantically! There were so many books and people. I did not know where to start, so I finally was able to get the attention of a salesman and he showed me the section where the Quran were. He told me they were out of stock, I was upset and exclaimed, “How could that be? This is Saudi Arabia, the heart of Islam and you are out of an Arabic/English Quran?” I was dejected and returned to my excited taxi driver empty handed. We were both upset and continued on and drove looking for other bookstores until I recalled that Jarir had another shop near the hospital, so we went there right away. I made it there in time for the evening prayer. He went to pray while I waited outside the shop like all the other non-Muslims. Eventually they opened and I approached the first staff member before anyone else. I bought my copy of the Quran and he even gave me a discount over the sale price. Maybe he saw something in me too. That taxi driver was pleased that we did not give up and that I obtained what I wanted.
I began to read my copy of the Quran while no one else knew. The more I read, the more questions I had, yet I did not want to approach anyone for answers for it would disclose what I was doing, slowly embracing Islam! There were days when work only got in the way of my search for the truth. I would spend days reading through the Quran, and I also began looking at the Bible to look for answers. My research revolved around Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him. Who was he really? Was he really God or a part of the Trinithy? I wrestled with this question for I already believed there was only one God, but as a Christian I wondered was that God Allah?,Was I wrong? The fact that there was only One God was evident to me for all my Muslim friends and employees all attested to this fact and that the One God was none other than Allah. I began to seriously question my past beliefs? At this stage I was not ready to become a Muslim. One day shortly thereafter I walked into the office of my boss who was a Muslim and I was holding my prayer beads in my hand not in my pocket and he said “You look like a Muslim Michael! Are you considering to embrace Islam?” he said in a half joking, yet serious manner. I sat down in front of his desk and said “Yes!” I don’t think either of us will forget that morning. It was powerful. He came around from his side of his desk and shook my hand and said he would do anything to help me find my way forward. I acknowledged this and accepted his help and requested his personal guidance, which he agreed to do. Wow! I was joyous and delved even deeper into my quest for the truth. I began reading the Quran and the Bible. One late evening I decided to look at the last few pages in my copy of the Quran. I found a section titled, “Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them, in the Bible and the Quran: Biblical Evidence of Jesus being a Servant of God and Having No Share in Divinity”. I read those ten pages slowly and carefully several times. How can that be, “Jesus not a God”! I read the Gospels of St. Matthew, John, and Mark. I looked at that Bible and searched for the one who wrote it and whether Jesus actually wrote all those red lettered words in the New Testament? All I could determine was that a number of religious scholars had revised the Bible twice in the 1970s and 1980s but nowhere did I see that Jesus had in fact wrote a single word in the Bible. All that was written was by others long after his great life here on Earth. I returned to the Quran and continued with my reading and it clearly said that Allah indeed created Jesus and that Mary was a virgin. God only said “Be”, and he was! He was a Muslim sent by Allah to show his people the straight way. It also said that he never died and is now in heaven and that he will return again to rule the world as Allah has intended. Through my research, I found that Allah sent His message to Prophet Muhammad, which was written by scribes and verified by Muhammad as the words of Allah Himself, which is the Quran. Wow! My mind’s eye was fully opened as was my heart. The one God concept was just that, no one has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that is a fact with no doubt! How could the Christians get it so wrong, it is not three in one it is Only One, and He is Allah. No wonder why I had trouble coming to terms with the belief that Jesus was God! He was not, it that simple! Yes, he was an important messenger of God, but not God Himself.
When I realized this in my heart, I accept Islam directly. I became subservient to Him at that moment. Now I outwardly asked who I had to see to move forward in order to become a Muslim. I was directed to a religious individual. At this point, I was moving along in strides, I had never ever experienced this feeling before. I met the religious man who was held in high esteem by others and I said the Testimony of Faith before him after a lengthy discussion. He embraced me and said I had embraced Islam and was a Muslim. We embraced each other and I almost cried! I did my first prayer that night at the compound Mosque. I was embraced by so many. The next day I met the Imam and said the Testimony of Faith again in his office. He asked that I come to the noon prayer, which I did. Afterwards he introduced me to all in attendance and asked that I come up with him He asked if I had anything to say. You bet, I said the Testimony of Faith again in front of them all and explained who I was and briefly how I got to where I was. When I finished every man in the Mosque came and shook my hand and hugged me. Never before have I ever been greeted in such a loving and caring way. It made me cry. After I became a Muslim, a special teacher taught me how to perform the prayers properly.Now I perform all my prayers on time and I have read about 30 books and pamphlets and have over 2000 pages of electric materials on Islam.
I called my father, mother, son, and brother providing them with the details of my faith and I was warmly received by them all.
I am in the process of changing my name from Michael Allen Wilson to Khalil Ibrahim Abdulmajid.
I cannot stop talking about the truth I now know to anyone who will listen.
I have been asked by Muslims and Christians why I became a Muslim; all I can say is that since I found out that Allah sent His Message to Prophet Muhammad to worship Allah alone and that we should live our lives as Allah has intended and that it is the only path to success in this life and in the next, I have firmly adhered to it so that I would be awarded a blissful life in Paradise.That is why I am so complete and happy now.
Praise Be To Allah.
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