How a typical American discovered Islam through the exceptional character of a close friend.
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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