At
some point in your life, you should pick up a copy of the Quran and
read it. Whether or not you have pre-conceived notions about Islam or
what Muslims are about, you should realize that this book, unlike any
other book, is a communique from your Creator to you. It is your duty
to read it and ponder over the meanings as Dirk Mosig -a staunch Roman
Catholic- did. He travelled from Germany to Spain to Argentina and came
full circle when he found Islam in the form of a Spanish Quran.
How was I introduced to Islam?
I
was born in a German Christian family during the most ferocious part of
World War II, in Berlin, in 1943. My family moved first to Spain,
during the same year, and later, in 1948, to Argentina. There I stayed
for 15 years. I attended my grade and high school at the Roman Catholic
“La Salle” school, in Cordoba, Argentina.
As
was to be expected, very soon I became a fervent Catholic. I was
lectured daily for over an hour on Catholic religion and I often
attended religious services. At twelve, my dream was to become a Roman
Catholic priest. I was completely committed to the Christian faith.
God
observed my folly, and one memorable day, nearly seven years ago, He
permitted that a copy of the Spanish translation of the Noble Qur’an
should reach my hands. My father did not object my reading it, as he
supposed that it would only contribute to give me a broader background,
and nothing else. He was far from guessing the effect the Words of God
were going to exert on my mind.
As I opened the Noble Book, I was a fanatic Roman Catholic; as I closed it, I was completely committed to Islam.
Obviously,
my opinion of Islam was not a favorable one before I read the Noble
Qur’an. I took the Noble Book with curiosity, and opened it with scorn,
expecting to find in it horrible errors, blasphemies, superstitions and
contradictions, I was biased, but I was also very young and my heart
had no time to harden completely yet. I went through the Surah
(chapters) reluctantly at the beginning, eagerly then, and finally with a
desperate thirst for Truth. Then, in the greatest moment of my life,
God gave me His guidance and led me from superstition to Truth, from
darkness to Light, from Christianity to Islam.
In
the blessed pages of the Noble Qur’an, I found solutions to all my
problems, satisfaction to all my needs, explication for all my doubts.
God attracted me to His Light with irresistible strength, and I gladly
yielded to Him. Everything seemed clear now, everything made sense to
me, and I began to understand myself, the universe and God.
I
was bitterly aware that I had been deceived by my dearest teachers, and
that their words were only cruel lies, whether they were aware of it or
not. My whole world was shattered in one instant; all concepts had to
be revised. But the bitterness in my heart was amply superseded by the
ineffable joy of having found my Rabb (Lord, Creator, Provider)
at last, and I was filled with life and gratitude to Him. I still
humbly praise and bless Him for His Mercy with me; without His help, I
would have remained in darkness and stupidity forever.
Swelled
with joy and enthusiasm, I hurried to communicate my findings to other
people, to my parents, to my schoolmates, to my instructors. I wanted
everybody to know the Truth, to be free of ignorance and prejudice, to
feel the joy I felt. I met a fortress surrounding them, a thick wall
separating them from the Truth. And I was not able to remove that
rampart, because it was in their hearts, harder than stone. I was
received with scorn and persecution, unable to understand the blindness
of my persecutors. I learned that only God can give Light.
The more I learned, the more I felt compelled to express my gratitude to God for having led me to Islam, the Ideal Religion.
I
have read sacred Scriptures of every religion; nowhere have I found
what I encountered in Islam: perfection. The Noble Qur’an, compared to
any other Scripture I have read, is like the light of the sun compared
to that of a match. I firmly believe that anybody who reads the Word of
God with a mind that is not completely closed to Truth, will become a
Muslim, if God pleases. He will also travel from darkness to Light.
May
God grant His Guidance to all the sincere seekers of Truth. The arms
of Islam are open to receive them in the heart of a community called by
God Himself: “the best people that were ever raised for the benefit of
mankind.”
A former Roman Catholic embraces Islam
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