Musa,
only 15 years of age, describes what he saw in Islam in relation to
Judaism which caught his interest and led him to accept it.
Prior
to my conversion to Islam, I lived my life as a Jew. Although my family
was not traditional, I learned Judaism from traditional Jews. I went to
an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, and an Orthodox Jewish school. I lived,
and continue to live, in a Jewish community in the United States where
there is little diversity. And considering how much Judaism was involved
in my life, I did not have any non-Jewish friends. But about a year
ago, I began to chat online quite often and my e-mail list slowly began
to fill with more and more Muslims. I developed a strong interest for
studying other religions as well as my own. I paid special attention to
Islam, for I knew it was a religion not much different than Judaism. We
share many similar prophets (peace be upon them all), morals, values,
and most importantly, we worship the same God — Allah. Although I knew
much about Islam and knew it was a peaceful religion, I cannot say I did
not have stereotypes. I was lucky because I knew many Muslims online,
one of which was my girlfriend[1] who I consider to be my guide to Islam. She led me to the doors of Islam, and Allah took me through the rest […]
I
decided to look deeper into the faith. By doing so I discovered flaws
in my own religion. According to the Old Testament, the great Prophet
Aaron committed the worse sin possible. Due to pressure put upon him by
the people while waiting for Moses to return with the Torah from Mount
Sinai, he built an idol.
How
could a great prophet possibly commit one of the three sins that are so
great that one should prefer death before committing them? In the
Quran, Moses comes down and sees the Jews worshiping the Golden Calf. At
first he thinks it is the creation of Aaron and is angry at him; later
he finds it was other Hebrews who had created this idol. A lot can be
learned from this story.
Would
a nation of people led by God really be forgiven for such a sin? My
view on this story matches the Islamic view that the Old Testament has
changed over the years. In the past, there have been many Cohaneem
(religious leaders at the Holy Temple) who were corrupt. Couldn’t it
easily be possible for them to have changed Judaism to make it easier to
observe and less time-consuming in order to make more money with their
profession?
Another
astonishing factor that led me to Islam is the scientific truth written
in the Quran. The Quran mentions the human embryonic development long
before it was discovered by science.
“And
certainly We created man of an extract of clay, Then We made him a
small seed in a firm resting-place, Then We made the seed a clot, then
We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh
bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow
into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators.”
(Quran 23:12-14)
The
Quran also mentions how mountains are formed and talks about the layers
of the atmosphere! These are just a few of so many scientific
discoveries mentioned in the Quran 1400 years before discovered by
science.
Here
is one of the key factors that led me to explore my heart to find the
truth of life. In Arabic, the word Islam comes from salama which means
“to submit”; “purity” and “peace” come from the same root. The person
submits to the One, the Merciful, and the Most Beneficent Allah; whereas
other religions are named after people: Judaism comes from the tribe of
Judea, Christianity from Jesus Christ, etc. Islam is a word derived
from a verb; anyone who submits to Allah and believes in all the
prophets is a true Muslim. Many of the great prophets mentioned in the
Old Testament lived prior to Judaism and Judea; they submitted to God,
and therefore they were all Muslims. And we shall live as the prophets
lived, for they were great human beings.
Considering
my situation of being very young and living in an all-Jewish area, it
would be difficult to have my beliefs accepted. My parents and relatives
are very respectful, but I am unsure how they would react if it is
their own son who reverts to Islam. So for now, I am unable to live out
an Islamic life to the fullest, but thanks to Allah, I am able to pray
five times a day, I am able to study Islam online, and at least I am
openly able to believe in one God and express those feelings. In some
ways it can be very difficult. I become more emotional than most people
would when I debate something involving Muslims, for example the Middle
East. When I talk about Israel, my whole family supports Israel and
doesn’t know the truth of what goes on to Palestinians, but I think they
should have proper treatment for the Palestinians. And when they talk
about this situation, I become easily offended, especially if they bring
up the idea that it is “the Jewish Holy Land” and “Promised Land.”
Because
I have not yet told my parents of my reversion to Islam, I am unable to
attend prayers at a mosque. As I stated before, my area has little
diversity and all the mosques are far away. I have never had the
opportunity to do Shahadah in front of witnesses[2] although
I have said Shahadah for the best witness of all — Allah. When I am 16
in about one year, I will be able to drive to the mosque, in sha’ Allah
(Allah willing). The most important thing is to improve the person I am.
I try to avoid my friends who do drugs, watch porn, drink alcohol, and
steal. It is not always easy to avoid close friends, but I try my best
for the sake of Allah. And I hope over time my personality will meet
what Allah wishes to see from us all.
When
studying Quran, my advice to you is to read it for yourself. Looking at
biased websites, you are not able to see the full content of a verse.
[…]
Through
this whole experience I have discovered that I did not find Islam, I
re-embraced Islam; nor did I convert, I reverted; and on my ride from
darkness to light, it has only made me a stronger, more spiritual, and a
better human being. May Allah guide us all to the truth that I was led
to.
Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammad rasulu Allah![3]
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