Al-Islam.org - Conversion to Islam

Invitation to Islam: A Survival Guide

Abul Hasan — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 17:58:27 +0000

This work is geared towards a Muslim audience. The author's intention is to make Muslim contacts with those of other faiths more productive. Includes spirituality, theological differences between Christianity and Islam, practices compared, secularism, and da'wa (call to faith).

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Thomas McElwain

Onto The Right Path

Zeinab Donati — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 11:49:23 +0000

It is well known that people in the era of our Prophet (S) were attracted to Islam due to the truthfulness and righteousness of our Prophet (S). Muslims in general are supposed to be missionaries; they are supposed to uphold the best characters, but unfortunately, many nowadays forget that people do not know what the Islamic books teach and that people judge Islam by the actions of its followers. The present text is a collection of life experiences of people who adhered to the Right Path, a booklet full of lessons for those seeking the truth and the ones trying to discover how a Muslim should act.

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Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi

Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania

Onto The Right Path EDITED BY: Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi Published by: Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania P.O. Box 20033 Dar es Salaam - Tanzania ISBN 9987 620 08 6 First Edition 1999: 2,000 Copies

Search for Truth

Zeinab Donati — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 08:50:34 +0000

This text contains the detailed minutes of a Muslim lecturer's discussion with Mr. Joseph and his teacher and mathematics professor about the basic doctrines of Christianity as well as about Islam. The object of this publication is to arm young Muslim minds with the truth so they can defend the unreasonable criticisms against Islam.

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S.V. Mir Ahmad Ali

World Organization for Islamic Services (WOFIS)

Search for Truth by: S.V. Mir Ahmad Ali Published by: World Organization for Islamic Services, P.O. Box 11365-1545, Tehran – 15837. This publication was repeatedly published by WOFIS since 1973 - for a wide circulation - due to a great demand made by our readers throughout the world. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the WOFIS, Tehran. All rights reserved Revised edition 1418/1998

Inquiries about Islam

Zeinab Donati — Mon, 11 May 2015 15:10:03 +0000

An exchange of letters that took place between the Muslim scholar, Imam Muhammad Jawad Chirri, and Dr. Wilson H. Guertin, that led Dr. Guertin to accept Islam. Writes Dr. Guertin: "If you are a Muslim, read this book out of the obligation to acquire knowledge. If you are a Jew or Christian, read it for the same devout motive. Comparative study of religions may be unsettling if your belief in God is based upon non-rational grounds but can only have the ultimately desired result of strengthening your belief. The pervasive belief in God as represented in our motives must be the goal which our religious educators work toward, with gains in sectarian support becoming quite secondary... If you are unable to say that you believe in God, you can still find value in the study of religion. In the following pages of dialogue, you will be pursuing some of the most important concerns of mankind that can be traced back to the beginning of recorded history. The thoughts and historical events are important in their own right, and perhaps you will, as I have, find the way to a belief in God through them."

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Shaykh Muhammad Jawad Chirri

The Islamic Center of America

Inquiries about Islam By Shaykh Muhammad Jawad Chirri Director of the Islamic Center of America Revised Edition 1986 Published by The Islamic Center of America 15571 Joy Road, Detroit, Michigan 48228, USA Copyright (C) 1965 by Shaykh Muhammad Jawad Chirri, Second Edition, 1979, Third Edition, 1980, Revised Edition

My Story

Zeinab Donati — Mon, 11 May 2015 06:37:54 +0000

My Story

By Kathy (Ma'asumeh) Kooshesh

*****

This article is the reversion story of Sister Kathy Kooshesh who converted to Shi'a Islam after being dissatisfied with her experience with Christianity and the Christian Church.

*****

In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

How does one look back on the most important event in her life, and put it into perspective? This event for me was my discovery of the “right path”, Islam, and Submission to the One God. This event, my acknowledging the power of Islam, and my conscious decision to submit to Allah (SWT) was this most life-changing event.

But looking back on it, I wonder how did I get to where I am today, a Muslim? Surely, coming from a rural Arkansas background, and never even hearing about Islam until my late teens, would not prepare me for this huge change.

What, I wondered, made me different from all the others who hear about Islam, and reject it? Or who don't realize that it is the truth? Well, I usually start long before I even knew the word Islam, to explain how I ended up here.

When I was a small child, my mother was very ill. She was born with a heart condition, and had her first stroke by the time I was three years old. My mother's health problems always made me aware of the fragility of life, and what a great gift it is. My parents divorced when I was seven, leaving me with my mother. The few years we spent together after that, I believe, helped to shape and mold me to become the person I am today.

My mother was not a Muslim, she was a sincere Christian. She believed whole-heartedly that our purpose in life is to serve God. Although we were not regular church-goers, faith was an important part of our lives. We depended on each other, and grew together during those few years.

My mother eventually had another stroke, which left her totally disabled, and forced me to move in with my father and step-mother. At the time, it was a blow to me, as I didn't want the change. I love my father dearly, however, and looking back, welcome the time that I spent growing up in his household.

My father is not a religious person, but he is spiritual. He was always fair and moral, and between my mother's faith, and my father's morality, I grew up with a strong sense of responsibility toward God. I did not always attend church, or participate in organized religious activity, but I did feel at peace with God, especially in the quiet walks I used to take in the woods near our house.

I could see the Power and Majesty of Allah all around me, in the animals, the trees, and the beauty of His creation. I never doubted that Allah was real and powerful, but I did not know how to express my faith. So I began to look into church.

I attended various denominations, from the Church of Christ to the Assembly of God, to the General Baptist. The General Baptist church is where is spent the most time, and made many friends.

I think that making friends was the main reason that I stuck with attending church, though. I remember having many questions that could not be answered (like the concept of the trinity). I just figured my faith was not strong enough, or I was not smart enough to understand. Nobody could explain it to me adequately.

Eventually, I just pushed the confusion behind me and decided it was something that I would understand if God willed. I knew without a doubt that God was real. I also knew that I needed faith in order to attain salvation. But since Christianity was the only religion I had ever known, it did not occur to me to look elsewhere.

The other religions that I had heard about were practiced by people “over there” in other parts of the world, and the poor souls, they were in need of “saving”-- at least according to the teachers at my church. I always had a problem with this, though. Saving, that is. To me, God must be Just (and alhamdulil-Lah, I find today that He truly is).

I could not understand how God could banish someone to eternal hellfire, because they did not know the truth. I somehow believed that God would forgive our mistakes if we did not know better ('Adl, I see now...). But since I had no background in any other faith, I continued to try to understand Christianity.

I had always been, and continue to be interested in learning about other cultures. From a purely sociological/anthropological point of view, I love to learn about and explore other's religions and cultures. I never thought that I would ever adopt any of the cultural differences into my own life, however. Growing up in America, children are often taught that “West is Best” and the rest of the world--the “third world”-- is just trying to catch up with us.

I didn't necessarily believe this, but the ethnocentric attitude of those around me had worn off in some areas, and in addition, I had been so thoroughly convinced that I must believe God had a son, that to me there was really no alternative for me other than to attend the Christian church, believing as I had always done.

I was far too fearful of hellfire to accept anything else from just reading about it. I needed to see Islam in action before I would grasp its beauty. That would happen much later.

As I grew older and (somewhat) wiser, I realized that the problems I had had with the Christian church were not just between denominations. I had bounced from church to church by this time, in my late teens (again thinking I had no alternative), until I got to the point where I finally just quit. I could not fathom some of the ideas they were teaching, and I just had too many questions that they could not answer.

So I decided I would just believe in God, but not belong to any particular faith. I longed for the “feeling” of God around me that I used to find in my solitary walks in the woods. Christianity was not providing that. I thought I would do better on my own.

That is how I spent the most part of two years. I still considered myself a Christian, but by this time I certainly was not living any semblance of a moral lifestyle. My search for understanding and the path to God had led me away from the Christian church, but to what? I had never even met anyone who wasn't Christian.

I had no idea where to go, but I wandered around in the darkness for some time. The more I wandered, the further I moved away from God, and the more I moved toward everything I had ever hated. I became totally lost. Finally, knowing that there was nothing for me in the Christian church, but not having any alternatives in front of me, I began to seriously research and try to learn about other religions.

I did some study on my own, and took a class in comparative religion. I can't say at the time I was actually looking for a particular faith, but I was open to all. I took a class called Cross-Cultural Studies that would ultimately change my life.

It was in this class that my first exposure to Islam occurred. The course offered a study unit on Islam, and the gentleman who spoke to our class brought with him a huge (all Arabic) copy of the Qur'an, and some beautiful pictures of mosques from around the world. I remember thinking that the culture of Islam was certainly rich, and I wanted to learn more (even before I knew about the religion).

But the more I studied and participated in the class, I realized that this religion was not as it had been portrayed in the media. It was tolerant, caring, and brotherly. Not fanatical and oppressive as the media would have you believe.

I remember thinking that, for the first time, a door had been opened to me to answer some of the questions I had. Alas, however, the class ended, and I was stuck right where I had started (albeit a lot more informed).

I realized I needed a change in my life, to get away from the bad influences I had been running with. So I moved. It was the best thing I ever did. I transferred to another university, and there met the man who is now my husband. He in turn introduced me to other Muslims, and my study increased.

My husband was from Iran, and Shi’a, so the majority of people that I met at the time were Shi’a. They were models of the things they were teaching me. In every aspect, they lived what they taught. I respected this above all, since I had seen such hypocrisy in the Churches I had attended. It was refreshing to see people who believed so strongly in their deen that they were fearful of Allah for disobeying. They were not concerned with the rest of the world's opinion--only Allah's.

They were not interested in converting me to Shi'ism, but rather, in teaching me about Islam, and letting me make my own decisions. Whatever questions I had, they were there to answer. They helped me to begin my library, acquiring books that were not hostile to Shi’a, but logical and thought out. Logical arguments were convincing, but I wanted to know more about the early days of Islam, so I began reading more about the history of Islam and the 14 Masu’meen (AS). I read about figures such as Imam ‘Ali (AS), Imam Husayn (AS), and Hazrat ‘Abbas (AS).

These souls, along with many others in the history of Islam, had been through great struggle for their faith. With the logical arguments I had read in favor of Islam, and seeing this faith in practice by my new friends, I knew that these people in the early days of Islam who had struggled so valiantly, could not be wrong.

When I read Najul Balagha and the wise words of Imam ‘Ali (AS), I knew that this man was surely the brother of the Prophet (SAW), and the best guide for the people after the Prophet Muhammad himself (PBUH&HF). His character and morality, bravery and wisdom were all patterned after the prophet himself, and I knew he could not be wrong.

The study took some time, but from the beginning I knew that this was what I had been searching for all my life. I said my shahadah formally on my wedding day with many friends as witnesses, although by that time I was already living the life of a Muslim, wearing hijab and learning my prayers.

Shortly after that, I decided to eat only halal meat. Being Shi’a, I have had a two sources of stress in my search for the truth. Firstly my own family was not supportive of my search, and secondly, the Sunni majority also tends to “disown” those who are Shi’a.

If the convert is in a town with the strong Shi’a community, this is not a problem, but for me it was. Our town was small, and our Shi’a community consisted of only about 7 families. Alhamdulillah, though, those 7 families were wonderful living examples of Islam, as I have said.

Little by little over the almost 10 years I have been Muslim, I have tried to implement the teachings of Islam into my life. It has not always been easy, as I am in a constant struggle with my nafs. It is truly the “jihad al-akbar”, and one that I will struggle with the remainder of my life.

We converts have to remember that Islam was revealed to the people over the space of 23 years. Not overnight. In our zeal to “get it right” we often want to do it all *now*. It is best if we take it slow, learning the significance of each act of worship as we go. Then, we are more likely to understand and less likely to turn back when things are difficult.

I thank Allah daily that I have been shown Islam, true and unadulterated, and that I have been given this chance to serve my Lord in the best way possible. I pray that I can only live up to the great responsibility that Allah has given me, and that I will be among the first to be in support of Imam az-Zamaan (AS) when he returns, Insha’Allah (May Allah Hasten His Return).

I would love to talk with anyone who is interested in learning more about Islam, or who would like to share his or her own story. May Allah bless us all, ameen.

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Kathy (Ma'asumeh) Kooshesh

How I became a Muslim

Zeinab Donati — Mon, 11 May 2015 06:33:28 +0000

How I became a Muslim
by Sister Diana Beatty

*****
This article contains the reversion story of Sister Diana Beatty, who was born into a Christian family and discovered Shi'a Islam while in college in Colorado.

*****

In the Name of Allah, most Compassionate, most Merciful

I was raised in a moderately Christian home in Colorado. Religion was never much of an issue in my house. My father was raised as a Mormon, my mother as a Protestant. I can remember my parents dropping my brother off at Sunday School, but instead of going to church while we were in religious classes, they would go home.

As I grew to adolescence, I became curious about God, wondering whether He really existed and if so, what He wanted from us humans. I studied the Bible and other Christian literature earnestly. As a high school student, I was mature enough as a reader to notice apparent discrepancies in the Bible, particularly about the nature of Jesus (peace be upon him). In some places, the Bible seemed to indicate that Jesus was the Son of God, and in others, a man.

At that time, however, I did not believe that there was any problem with the Bible, I thought the problem was one of me being of limited capability to understand what I was reading. You see, as Christians we are taught that religion is somewhat mystical; religion does not have to make sense or be logical or stand up to reason because God can do things however He wants.

So, when things don't make sense, it is because we as humans are incapable of comprehending God's truth, and thus we must just accept on faith that which we cannot understand. Even so, I was unhappy with the way most Christians practiced their religion because it seemed like a mere pastime to me. I learned about a sect of Christianity called the Church of God through their literature, and I liked very much some of the things they did.

For instance, they abstain from eating pork because they are told to in the Bible, and they do not celebrate Christmas because it is not mentioned in the Bible. When I came to college at Colorado State University, I met a girl who attended this church and I went with her once, but I quickly became disinterested in the group.

The leaders of the church had recently divided and all its followers were arguing over which leaders to follow and I did not want to get involved in anything like that. So, I was back to being just a generic Christian again. I was involved in Bible Studies via Campus Crusade for Christ in my dormitory. At the studies, I was on a personal quest to figure out what the Bible was really saying, although at the time I didn't see that so clearly.

Also at that time, I met a Muslim man, the first Muslim I had ever met. I have always been attracted to people from different cultures, and we soon became good friends. Slowly, I became curious about Islam.

I wondered, “Why does he pray a certain way?” I wanted to know why he believed what he believed and why he did what he did. Christians do not pray in any particular way. As a Christian, I learned just to ask God for whatever I needed or wanted, and to do it in the name of Jesus (peace be upon him).

The concept of actual worship in prayer instead of just asking for your wants and needs is largely lacking in Christian prayer, although we are taught to thank Jesus (peace be upon him) for dying for our sins. I wanted my relationship with God to be more than just asking for things. So, in this state of curiosity and of searching, I started to read Pickthall's translation of Qu'ran.

When I first started to read it, I had a mixed reaction. On the one hand I was amazed that many of the same histories of the prophets of Christianity and Judaism were in Qu'ran. I never before realized that there was a relationship between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam; I had always thought of Islam as an Eastern religion, like Hinduism or Buddhism.

On the other hand, whenever I read verses about Jesus (peace be upon him) which clearly stated that he was not one of three, or the Son of God, I felt compelled to just shut the book. This went against everything I had ever heard, and yet everything else in the Qu'ran went along so well with everything I had learned. I began to question why I believed everything I had been taught about Christianity.

I asked the leader of my Bible study and the other members of that group to explain to me what verses in the Bible tell us that Jesus (peace be upon him) was God in the flesh come to save us from our sins, and that all we had to do to be saved was to believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) was the Son of God.

They all had answers, but for every answer they gave, I found a verse in the Bible which said the opposite. They told me we have to take it on faith, but I was now thinking that if God would give us a religion, it would be a logical religion that we could understand, so that we could do what He willed.

The leader of my Bible study had done missionary work to Muslims in Algeria, and I decided to talk to him because I thought he would know about Islam and could tell me what was wrong with it and right with Christianity.

First, I asked him what would happen to my Muslim friend, and he sighed and told me that he would undoubtedly go to hell unless he “accepted Jesus [peace be upon him] into his heart, but Muslims rarely do that.” I had trouble accepting this, because my Muslim friend seemed so much more pious and sincere in devotion to God than most Christians are, and I couldn't understand why someone like that would go to hell.

Then, I asked him how the Qu'ran could be so similar to the Bible and yet be totally rejected by Christians? He told me that the Qu'ran was sent by Satan to trick and deceive men into unbelief, and that its similarities to the Bible were part of the deception.

I was almost crying at this point, but then I asked him if he had read the Qur'an, because I wanted to ask him about some specific verses. I was shocked at his answer. He answered that he had briefly looked at parts of it, but couldn't continue because it made him sick to his stomach.

I left quickly, amazed at the realization that I, who had been reading Qur'an for only a few months, had studied more about Islam that my respected Bible study leader who had missionary work to Muslims in Algeria!

I realized that he could not correctly make such a judgment as he had made about the Qur'an if he had not even read it. I was so angry at him and at all the Christian religious leaders who told us all these things without study and without explanation. It was nothing more than heresy, yet it was being preached as divine doctrine.

This was a turning point for me, because at this point I concluded that I couldn't trust anyone to help me in my search, but that I had to do it within myself. Slowly, I found myself tearing down the belief that Jesus (peace be upon him ) was one of three or the Son of God. It was difficult, because always in the back of my mind was the thought that if I am wrong, I will go to hell.

Yet, I could not deny that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) had to be the prophet of Allah, and that the Qur'an had to be the Word of Allah, and if the Qur'an were the Word of Allah, then what was in it had to be true. So, a few months after the talk with the leader of my Bible study, I became muslim.

That was a little more than a year ago as of today (2/14/96). Learning about Islam has not always been easy. That muslim man whom I met is now my mut'ah husband although we live in different states, and we hope for a permanent marriage when we are done with college. He is Shi'a, and so after several months I was to the point that I needed to learn the difference between Sunni and Shi'a.

I started by reading web pages, and I found the Shi'a Encyclopedia to be so helpful. I used to get so frustrated, though, because I would learn something and think that I knew it, and then someone who was Sunni would tell me something that I had no answer for, and so I was left wondering how I would ever find the truth when it seemed to be entangled in contradicting traditions.

Also, I wanted to be sure not to become Shi'a just for the sake of my mut'ah husband; I really needed to believe in its truth. But the Shi'a Encyclopedia convinced me, as did Tijani's books, by the Grace of Allah. Since then, I was introduced to the Ahlul-Bayt Discussion Group which has been very helpful. I have met some wonderful people who have helped me greatly, and they should get a good reward for all the help they have given me.

This semester, I started wearing hijab, and I am so glad that I did. I feel much better about myself, I feel more feminine and I think that God has helped me more than ever before since I decided to wear it. My non-muslim classmates and friends don't mind my hijab; some even like it. My family, however, hates it.

They have never understood or accepted my conversion, and they try to tell me that I converted only to please my husband and that I don't really believe in it, even if I can't see that now. They tell me I am going to hell. They tell me I am abandoning my American culture and trying to be something I'm not.

They tell me I am turning away from them, and that my wearing hijab is a slap in the face to them and is very disrespectful. My mother cries about me, my father doesn't like to talk to me. I know they are concerned for their daughter and that they mean well; I love them and only want to be kind to them and I hate to see them this way.

No matter what I say, they just don't understand me; logic doesn't work because emotions are too strong. Still, I think there is hope for our relationship, and I know that my conversion to Shi'a Islam is the best thing that ever could've happened to me.

Despite the little troubles I may have, I feel more complete as a person, more directed, and more at peace than any Christian on this earth could ever know. I wish more people on this earth could experience the revelation that I have experienced.

Looking back, I can't see anymore how Islam could ever have been so hard to understand or accept; it is so obviously the truth to me now that it practically screams it out.

Alhamdulil-Lah!

Diana Beatty

dianab@holly.colostate.edu

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Diana Masooma Beatty

My journey to Islam

Yasir Abbas — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 05:04:34 +0000

Discovering Islam

Conversion to Islam

Experience of discovering Islam.

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Laila Bigelli

Islamic Humanitarian Service (I.H.S.)

Written by Laila Bigelli ISBN 1-894701-11-9 Edited and Published by Islamic Humanitarian Service Head Office: 81 Hollinger Crescent Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, N2K-2Y8 Tel: (519) 576-7111 Fax: (519) 576-8378 www.al-haqq.com ihs@al-haqq.com © Copyright 2002 by Islamic Humanitarian Service FIRST EDITION 2002 / 1422 A.H. Proceeds of the sale of this book will be donated to deserving brothers and sisters, therefore, we request the readers not to reprint or transmit this book or any sections from it in any form without the written permission of the Publisher. If additional copies are needed for resale or free distribution, please contact our head office.

Seeking the Straight Path: Reflections of a New Muslim

Zeinab Donati — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 10:13:13 +0000

Common challenges and issues faced by converts,the reasoning behind conversion, analysis from a Western view of many controversial or misunderstood topics in Islam, and basic information needed by new converts. Spanish translation is also available.

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Diana Masooma Beatty

World Islamic Network (WIN)

ISBN: 81-87793-52-X