I reverted to Islam on 07 March, 2012 CE [Common Era] (14 Rabi3 al-Akhir 1433 AH [Anno Hijra]) after visiting a local masjid [Arabic: مسجد (place of worship/prostration). Prior to my conversion, I knew only a few things about Islam: That those who call themselves Christian are closest to Muslims in belief, the phrase of shahadah (testimony), and most importantly Taw7id [توحد], the Oneness of Allah.
When I was among Lutherans, they would teach me stuff like "Jesus went here and healed the blind man. Jesus went there and fed 5000 people." and then attribute the miracles to him, I never questioned it. When they brought up the Trinity, I couldn't grasp in my mind how God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were one and the same. This confusion became greater when I reached high school and they taught about the Ramayana of Hindu scripture and the Iliad of of the Greeks. Rama was an incarnation of Vishnu, the Preserver deity of Hinduism and Achilles was a son of Zeus. According to Christianity, Jesus was God incarnate and was also God's only son which made me question it due to its similarities to these polytheistic religions. I even asked the leader of the youth group about this in front of everyone else before even looking into Islam and he had no answers for me. When I heard that Allah [contraction of "Al-Ilah" (الإله) The God] is One with no partners, no children, no associates in his kingdom; I was finally able to grasp who exactly God was.
After I accepted Islam, the first people I told — ironically — were the people in the church youth group; they were open-minded about my decision and didn't have any problems besides the fact that I supposedly never came to them with questions. Then I told my cousin and she responded similarly and warned me about what might happen if I tell Grandma; my sister just said, "better pack your things cuz Grandma's gonna kick you out!" Then, as a last resort, I told Grandma (I was originally going to wait until Ramadhan to tell her but she said I can't go anywhere without telling her) and I was told to leave. So I went back to the masjid and prayed the 3ishaa' (evening) prayer and a brother from Indonesia took me to buy some food for the night. On the way back, there was a pick-up truck in front of us with a sign on the back reading, "YOU'RE GONNA BE ALRIGHT" and I took it as a "sign" from Allah. Grandma spread the word around and received mixed reactions (some people telling her she was wrong and others telling her she shouldn't have done that) and when "Grandpa" (who is not really my grandpa, but we call him that) heard about it, he allowed me to stay with him for a little bit al7amdulillah.
Since then, my faith has went up and down from day to day life, but I am always sure I am on the right path.
A month later, my grandma let me back into the house. I spoke with my mother around the same time and told her that Grandma let me back in. She was surprised and said that "Grandma actually listened to her." At the same time, I started school and began studying the abjadiyyah (Arabic alphabet) and mastered the letters in a few months and could read fluently with the 7arakaat, although I still had trouble with occasionally mistaking the letter Ta (ت) as Nun (ن) or Tha (ث). By the time it was Ramadhan, I was memorizing suwar and learning Arabic from the brothers. I had even met brothers in Palestine and Egypt online who were helping me occasionally. Then, because essays are my biggest weakness when it comes to school, I failed two classes and lost my financial aid.
Over the course of the next year (between the two Ramadhans), I became popular in the community as a quick learner and a few people underestimated me and couldn't believe that I could read abjadiyyah after only being Muslim for under a year. This grew when I finished Surat Maryam in my second Ramadhan and people would talk about me as "the guy who memorized Surat Maryam." Some people even fail to believe that and have tested me a few times, although most people just listen to me recite the first page from memory and believe me. Al7amdulillah, I am a little more fluent in reading so I can read many ayaat without even trying and I can understand quite a few words, but I still have a long way to go before I can call myself fluent in Arabic. I fail to understand many words and I constantly request that people translate words for me because of either dialectal quirks or a word in fus7aa (classical Arabic) that I haven't learned yet. In sha'Allah some day I will be able to understand the Qur'an completely.
"O' Mankind! Fear your Lord who created you from one soul and created from it its mate. And He dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer." [Qur'an 4:1]
"He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know." [Qur'an 12:40]
(Jesus said:) "And Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path." [Qur'an 19:36]
"Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish Prayer for My remembrance."[Qur'an 20:14]
"Say: He is Allah, One." [Qur'an 112:1]
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." [Deuteronony 6:4]
"Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name." [Deuteronomy 6:13]
"The crowds answered: This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." [Matthew 21:11]
"but Jesus said to them: I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" [John 10:32]
When I was among Lutherans, they would teach me stuff like "Jesus went here and healed the blind man. Jesus went there and fed 5000 people." and then attribute the miracles to him, I never questioned it. When they brought up the Trinity, I couldn't grasp in my mind how God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were one and the same. This confusion became greater when I reached high school and they taught about the Ramayana of Hindu scripture and the Iliad of of the Greeks. Rama was an incarnation of Vishnu, the Preserver deity of Hinduism and Achilles was a son of Zeus. According to Christianity, Jesus was God incarnate and was also God's only son which made me question it due to its similarities to these polytheistic religions. I even asked the leader of the youth group about this in front of everyone else before even looking into Islam and he had no answers for me. When I heard that Allah [contraction of "Al-Ilah" (الإله) The God] is One with no partners, no children, no associates in his kingdom; I was finally able to grasp who exactly God was.
After I accepted Islam, the first people I told — ironically — were the people in the church youth group; they were open-minded about my decision and didn't have any problems besides the fact that I supposedly never came to them with questions. Then I told my cousin and she responded similarly and warned me about what might happen if I tell Grandma; my sister just said, "better pack your things cuz Grandma's gonna kick you out!" Then, as a last resort, I told Grandma (I was originally going to wait until Ramadhan to tell her but she said I can't go anywhere without telling her) and I was told to leave. So I went back to the masjid and prayed the 3ishaa' (evening) prayer and a brother from Indonesia took me to buy some food for the night. On the way back, there was a pick-up truck in front of us with a sign on the back reading, "YOU'RE GONNA BE ALRIGHT" and I took it as a "sign" from Allah. Grandma spread the word around and received mixed reactions (some people telling her she was wrong and others telling her she shouldn't have done that) and when "Grandpa" (who is not really my grandpa, but we call him that) heard about it, he allowed me to stay with him for a little bit al7amdulillah.
Since then, my faith has went up and down from day to day life, but I am always sure I am on the right path.
A month later, my grandma let me back into the house. I spoke with my mother around the same time and told her that Grandma let me back in. She was surprised and said that "Grandma actually listened to her." At the same time, I started school and began studying the abjadiyyah (Arabic alphabet) and mastered the letters in a few months and could read fluently with the 7arakaat, although I still had trouble with occasionally mistaking the letter Ta (ت) as Nun (ن) or Tha (ث). By the time it was Ramadhan, I was memorizing suwar and learning Arabic from the brothers. I had even met brothers in Palestine and Egypt online who were helping me occasionally. Then, because essays are my biggest weakness when it comes to school, I failed two classes and lost my financial aid.
Over the course of the next year (between the two Ramadhans), I became popular in the community as a quick learner and a few people underestimated me and couldn't believe that I could read abjadiyyah after only being Muslim for under a year. This grew when I finished Surat Maryam in my second Ramadhan and people would talk about me as "the guy who memorized Surat Maryam." Some people even fail to believe that and have tested me a few times, although most people just listen to me recite the first page from memory and believe me. Al7amdulillah, I am a little more fluent in reading so I can read many ayaat without even trying and I can understand quite a few words, but I still have a long way to go before I can call myself fluent in Arabic. I fail to understand many words and I constantly request that people translate words for me because of either dialectal quirks or a word in fus7aa (classical Arabic) that I haven't learned yet. In sha'Allah some day I will be able to understand the Qur'an completely.
"O' Mankind! Fear your Lord who created you from one soul and created from it its mate. And He dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer." [Qur'an 4:1]
"He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know." [Qur'an 12:40]
(Jesus said:) "And Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path." [Qur'an 19:36]
"Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish Prayer for My remembrance."[Qur'an 20:14]
"Say: He is Allah, One." [Qur'an 112:1]
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." [Deuteronony 6:4]
"Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name." [Deuteronomy 6:13]
"The crowds answered: This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." [Matthew 21:11]
"but Jesus said to them: I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" [John 10:32]
