Susan 's conversion to Islam

Susan married Abdul Qadar, a Burmese Muslim residing in Maryland.  He was a manager of a shoe company and frequently attended Friday services in the Laurel Mosque.  One day he expressed his difficulties to me.  He said, “I am married to a Christian lady.  We are blessed with twin daughters and I am worried about the future of my children.  I tried my best to bring my wife to this mosque but she totally refused.  What should I do?”  I advised him to bring her to our house for dinner.  She will meet my wife and would feel more comfortable.  This approach worked.  Susan started coming to the mosque and also started attending sessions of tafseer(interpretations/explanations) of the Quran.  A few weeks passed very well.  One Friday I was conducting the tafseer session.  I gave an explanation of a few verses of the Quran and then I invited questions from the participants. Susan asked a question.  Another gentleman responded, even before I could say anything.  To my surprise Susan started crying bitterly while sitting in the session. Everybody was confused.  Abdul Qadar led her out of the mosque and drove her home.

Later on I asked Abdul Qadar the reason for her crying. He said, “Susan refused to go to the mosque again.  She felt that her question had annoyed the person who answered it since he had a very serious face.  She does not like to annoy anybody.”

To the best of our knowledge and judgement the respondent was not annoyed.  He only had a serious look. I said to Abdul Qadar, “Please explain to her calmly and cool-mindedly that many people from India and Pakistan have serious faces. You can see this at any airport or bus station or shopping center.  This is our cultural drawback.” Susan gradually digested this idea and after a few months returned to the mosque.  She learned more and more about Islam every week.  She found the question-and- answer session very beneficial in understanding Islamic values and faith.  She developed many friendly relationships with other ladies in the mosque and received lots of encouragement and respect.

She liked this new way of life and wished to embrace Islam.  I had the honor to invite her to recite the Shahada, the Islamic pledge, which is Ashhadu an La ilaha illa Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasoolu llah. (I bear witness that there is no deity but  God and  Muhammad  is  His  Messenger).  After that she was a Muslim and our sister in Islam.  I also performed the Islamic marriage between her and her husband in the mosque the same day.  Susan was enjoying a new life under the blessings of the Islamic faith.

During the Islamic marriage I explained to them that it was mandatory for the husband to give a mahr(dowry) to his wife.  I also reminded them that the mahr is the personal property of the wife and she can use it in the way she chooses.  The husband has no say in the matter throughout his life.  Abdul Qadar eagerly agreed to pay the mahr.  Susan was amazed to see the respect accorded to women in Islam and the way her rights are preserved.  It definitely strengthened her Islamic faith.  This situation took place in the State of Maryland.

It would like to mention a similar situation that took place in the state of Michigan a few years later.  As the Imam of the Tawheed Mosque, it was one of my duties to perform marriages in this State.  A young Muslim asked me to conduct his marriage ceremony.  I explained to them the rights of men and women in Islam and about the mahr.  Both of them filled out the prescribed forms for marriage and the form for payment of the mahr.  Then, I asked them if they had any questions before entering into a marriage bond.  The lady said, “I have no questions.”  The young man said, “I have an important question to ask you.” He said, “I understand that I am supposed to give her the mahr and that will be exclusively her personal property.  Is she not similarly supposed to give me a mahr?”  I told him that in Islam the mahr is for the wife only.  Like Susan, this lady was amazed to see such dignity and honor given to women in Islam.

She chose to be called Saeeda since she was very gentle and nice to everybody.  She embraced Islam with clear knowledge, utmost sincerity and full commitment. She immediately started observing the full Islamic dress irrespective of fear from neighbors and the general public. Her daughters were going to elementary school at that time.  She asked each of them to wear a headscarf in school despite of the fact that the children tried to make fun of them.  I told her that it was not necessary for her young girls to face this difficult situation at school.  However, she emphasized that they should learn and observe the Islamic way of life from their young age.  So, Saeeda and her two young daughters wore the Islamic dress and looked very distinguished and graceful wherever they went. 
This was her level of faith and commitment.  Her husband used to laugh at himself.  He felt that we born Muslims take Islam very lightly and hence our commitment is shaky.  Abdul Qadar and Saeeda have a very peaceful and enviable family life.

How Kathy accepted Islam

I left the Maryland school system as the Chairman of the Mathematics Department and joined the Islamic School of Seattle as the Principal.  Kathy was a secretary there and was very active as a Muslim worker in the community.  She accepted Islam in her own unique way. This is how she narrated her story:

“I was only in elementary school when I went to the public library with my mother.  These libraries do not throw away duplicate or discarded books.  They sell these books for petty coins.  There was a sale of books in the library.  I had a few coins in my pocket, so I bought one book for a nickel or a dime.  I stored it in my room.  The usual life activities continued.  I went from elementary to middle school.  In due course of time I went from middle school to high school.  Finally, I graduated from high school.  I was lucky to join a college.  I studied arts instead of science.  My major was Comparative Religion.  My professor offered very extensive coursework in this area.  The comparative study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam was the major theme.  None of my teachers happened to be Muslims.  I passed all these courses with ease. In this way I accumulated enough credits to graduate from college.”

“As a fresh graduate I started looking for a job.  In this part of the country jobs are few.  It is a miracle for a female graduate of the arts to find a job.  I got exhausted, bored and sat idle at home most of the time.  To minimize my boredom I started looking at various items that I had in my house.  I came across the book, which I had purchased years ago from the library.  It was covered with dust.  I cleaned it and picked it up.  It is human nature to value those items on which you have spent your pocket money, especially as a child.  It was a precious piece of personal property for me.”

“I started reading this book.  It happened to be the Interpretations of the Meanings of the Quran in English.  It was fascinating.  The more I read, the more curious I became about Islam.  It was totally different from what my professors taught me in the university.  Anyhow, the true Islamic values offered by the Quran satisfied my mind and conscience.  I realized that if this is Islam, it is wonderful.  I wanted to become a Muslim.”

“I inquired about how I could become a Muslim.  The process was extremely simple, so I embraced Islam.  All Praise be to Allah. I soon married a young man from Afghanistan.  We both offered our services to the Islamic community and worked hand in hand with the local Muslim leaders.  We never wish to change this way of life.  May Allah accept our efforts.”
 

source:(http://www.imtiazahmad.com/touched/English/en_TouchedTOC.htm)

Alya Nuri on TheDeenShow

James Abiba's journey to islam

In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful
I was teaching Mathematics from the 9th to the 12th grades at Fort Mead High School in Maryland.  I had to teach five groups of students daily.  Each group consisted of about forty students.  James Abiba was not enrolled in any of these classes.  He contacted me through one of my students seeking permission to see me.  I readily agreed. He asked me a few basic questions about Islam.  I briefly answered them.  Later he came with more questions.  I asked him, “Are these questions from your Social Studies classwork?”  He said that he happened to read a book about Islam in his school library.  It made him somewhat curious about Islam.  I made him aware of the conflict between religion and state and hence, the government school was not the right place for such detailed discussions.  I invited him for a snack in a fast-food restaurant.  We had a very positive discussion there. James was only sixteen years old at that time.

 Nevertheless, we had several sessions in the fast-food restaurant.  Our discussions were frank and productive.  He wanted to see the place of Islamic worship.  I showed him a very old house used as a mosque in the neighboring town, Laurel, Maryland.  I demonstrated to him how the Muslims pray.  He liked the simplicity and direct communication between the person and Almighty God.

James told me that he wanted to become a Muslim.  I explained to him that it was a very simple process.  However, I warned him about the consequences of reverting back to disbelief.  Thus, I advised him to take more time in educating himself about Islam before becoming a Muslim.

After a few days he insisted that he must embrace Islam.  Praise be to God he did.  Now there were more challenges ahead for both of us.  I had a job to do.  I had to pick him up every Sunday from his house to bring him for afternoon prayer in the mosque.  During his stay in the mosque I taught him the Arabic alphabet which he mastered very fast.  James was a musician and was very keen to learn the Adhan(call to prayer).  He soon became the Muadhin(caller to prayer) in the mosque.  I noticed that the Adhan was highly effective from a new Muslim. Gradually, he started reading the Quran in Arabic.

One day I went to pick him up from his house.  I was surprised to see him in Saudi dress from head to toe.  This shocked me since my students, his parents and friends were already talking quietly about my regular visits to his house.  I told James, “You do not have to create this scene.  A Muslim can pray in American clothes also.”  He said to me, “Mr. Ahmad, your imaan(faith) is weak.”  I asked him, “Are your parents upset with these clothes?”  He said, “No. They are very understanding.  My mother even cooks halal food for me daily.”  This gave me some consolation.

James was still in high school.  He approached me and wished to change his name to a Muslim name.  I cautiously remarked that with his present name he would have easier communication with his peers in order to explain Islamic values to them.  They may avoid him if he took a Muslim name.  James said sharply again, “Mr. Ahmad your faith is weak.”  His new name is James Huseyin Abiba.

Here I would like to mention a remarkable feature of American society.  Many American youth try to seek temporary jobs to offset the expenses of their further education.  Although some parents are rich and they hold a high status in society, their children do not feel shy to seek even a menial job for this purpose.  The youth do not hide this activity; they very proudly share it with their friends, relatives and neighbors.  These jobs give the youth an exposure to the ‘ups and downs’ of the real life.  This enhances their maturity and sense of responsibility.  In the case of James, he was looking for a summer job after his high school graduation.  My wife trained him as a medical receptionist and appointed him in her medical clinic.  Her medical practice was new and not very busy.  As such, James had plenty of time to read Islamic books there.

James used to observe Eid(a Muslim celebration) with my family.  One year Allah brought me from America to Makkah Mukarrama and Madina Munawwara during the month of fasting and Eid.  I was, however, concerned about James’ loneliness in America.  On my return to the U.S.A., I immediately inquired about James’ well-being from some brothers in our mosque.  They enthusiastically said, “He participated in many activities during Ramadhan and even stayed in the mosque day and night during the last ten days of Ramadhan observing itikaf.”  They added, “He is always ahead of us in practicing Islam.”  James was very humble and never mentioned anything to me about his itikaf.”  I pray that Allah accept James’ sincere submission to Him.

He went on to college and graduated majoring in Islamic History.  He was a well-known leader of the Muslim Student Association on his university campus in College Park, Maryland.  He married a Muslim girl from India.  Both of them started teaching at the Universal Islamic School in Chicago. 

Abdullah (An American Army soldier embraces Islam)

Abdullah was a young man with basic high school education.  He was on active duty in the U.S. Army for a few years where he learned some technical skills.  At present he earns his living by repairing photocopy and fax machines.

How he accepted Islam is interesting.  Yet, it is more fascinating to know how he went through the Islamization process.  During the Gulf War between the United Forces and Iraq he was posted in Saudi Arabia. Abdullah was shopping in a Saudi market.  He picked up an item from the shop and agreed to pay its price to the shopkeeper.  However, when he was about to pay for the article, the call for prayer was heard from a nearby mosque. The shopkeeper said, “That’s it,” and refused to do any business until after the prayer was over.  He then closed his shop and hurriedly went to the mosque.  Abdullah was stunned and wondered about this incident.  Why did this man not take the money when there was a mutual agreement on the price?  Abdullah never knew of anyone in his life who refused to take money.  Usually in business, everybody runs after money one way or another.  What kind of person was this shopkeeper?  What kind of religion was it that had so much priority in the eyes of this shopkeeper?  Abdullah was very inquisitive and wanted to know more about this religion.  He read more and more about it and finally decided to embrace Islam after his return to America.  In New York he had some good teachers who gave him basic Islamic education and taught him how to read the Quran.  Abdullah became a very strict practicing Muslim.

I came to know Abdullah only when he moved to Detroit.  He decided to reside near the Tawheed Center of Detroit and offered most of his prayers in this mosque.  I happened to be voluntarily running the affairs of this mosque.  Conducting the affairs of an Islamic organization can be a challenging task.  Many things happened between brother Abdullah and me, which created some temporary problems between us.  We were both sincere in our own ways.  Our differences totally disappeared in the course of time.  It is, however, a great test of patience to have differences with someone whom you meet several times a day in the house of Allah.  Let me mention a few of them here.

Since brother Abdullah was very regular in all the prayers, I wished to have his participation in some activities of the mosque.  One day I asked him to call the Adhan. He said he would do it outside the mosque on the main road.  I informed him that we were presently going through the licensing process of the building with the local fire department and City of Detroit.  The City of Detroit was holding a public hearing about it.  But, my words did not concern him.  I had to tell him firmly that I had to face the public, the attorney, the Zoning Commission and the City Planning Department.  I said, “You guys come, pray and leave the mosque.  You do not have any idea of the difficulties faced by us at City Hall.  Some wisdom and caution should be observed in our Islamic practice.  Why should we annoy and excite our non-Muslim neighbors? Furthermore, we should concentrate on reviving faith in Muslims rather than creating problems with our non-Muslim neighbors.”  My words did not budge him at all.  He refused to make the Adhan in the mosque.  I, Allah forgive me, had to ask someone else to make the Adhan.

Incidentally, I know only one mosque in North America which has the permission to place its speakers outside the mosque. This is due to a court ruling in favor of the Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan, because of its mostly Muslim neighborhood.



Brother Abdullah asked me for the key to the mosque. I told him that the mosque is open for prayers and we are limiting access to the keys for insurance purposes.

After a few weeks brother Abdullah asked my permission to let his guest sleep in the mosque at night.  I refused.  I asked him, “Why don’t you take him to your house?”  He said, “Because I have a wife.”  I told him, “I shall take your guest to my house.”  He said, “Don’t you have a wife?”  I said, “Yes, but I shall find a room for your guest. Alternatively, I shall keep him in a hotel and pay for it.”  Brother Abdullah walked away angrily.  He wanted to do it only in his own way. He complained to many Muslims about me. In spite of these hard feelings, he was committed to attending the congregational prayers in the mosque.

Brother Abdullah had memorized a considerable part of the Quran.  His recitation was very charming and effective. I asked him to lead the Isha prayer daily.  He was memorizing more and more Quran every day.  He loved every new surah(chapter) he memorized and preferred to recite it whilst leading the prayer.  There were always some mistakes in his newly learned surahs. This made many Muslims uneasy.

I talked to Abdullah about it.  I suggested to him that he should recite only those surahs which he had mastered and that he should recite them in front of me a few times one day in advance.  He liked my suggestion.  Thus he improved and understood my point of view. The mistakes in recitation totally disappeared and our teamwork and co-operative attitude helped us to reconcile.

We faced another problem with brother Abdullah.  He used to recite a long surah followed by Surah Ikhlas in each rakat(a unit of prayer).  Thus, prayers took a long time. Sometimes the night prayer took twenty minutes.  People did not have this kind of commitment and patience.  I communicated these feelings of the people to brother Abdullah.  He said he liked to recite the way one companion of the Holy Prophet(pbuh) did.  He recited Surah Ikhlas in all his offerings of prayer.  I told him, “As far as I recall, Surah Ikhlas was recited only in the second rakat.”  Brother Abdullah said, “He read in a Hadith that it was in both rakats.”  Hence, nobody could stop brother Abdullah reciting a long surah followed by Surah Ikhlas.

One day I saw him lying on the floor of the mosque on his right side with his arm under his head waiting for the time of Fajr Prayer.  I got worried and approached him and asked him if there was something wrong.  He said he was fine and that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) used to take brief rest like this, as he was doing.  Abdullah would try to practice anything he read from the Quran or Hadith without being shy.

His family life was remarkable.  His wife and his sister-in-law accepted Islam through his efforts.  His in-laws also accepted Islam.  He had many children.  All were very good in the recitation of the Quran.  His oldest son was about seven years old and had memorized a considerable part of the Quran under his father’s supervision.  His son regularly came to the mosque to offer prayer with the congregation, even in Fajr Prayer.   I do not know anybody who would bring his seven-year-old son regularly to Fajr Prayer, even during severe cold, snow or storm.  Brother Abdullah used to teach his son Quran after Fajr Prayer in the mosque.  His son’s Islamic knowledge, practice and behavior were superb.  His recitation of Quran was excellent like his father. He behaved like a thirty-year-old mature person.  He would be a good Imam of mosque.



Later brother Abdullah not only had the key to the mosque, but he was also made responsible for conducting the prayers in the mosque.  I thought Abdullah was also ready to deliver the Juma’ Khutbas(Friday Sermons).  He reluctantly accepted one.  He did extremely well.  He was, therefore, assigned one Juma’ Khutba at the Tawheed Center of Detroit and one at the Tawheed Center of Farmington Hills, Michigan each month. He was voluntarily carrying out his assignments extremely well.

Without exaggeration many people came to me from both the mosques requesting that he be the Khateeb(the person who gives the Friday Sermon) permanently.  They loved to hear his recitation of the Quran as well.  Truly speaking, we collected more donations for each mosque whenever brother Abdullah delivered the Friday Sermon in Salatul Juma.



One day brother Abdullah came to the Tawheed Center of Detroit with another local Muslim brother.  Fajr Prayer was over and everyone had left the mosque.  I was reciting the Quran when both these brothers entered the mosque. They offered their prayers.  I welcomed both of them since they had just returned from Hajj.  I insisted on taking them to my house for breakfast.  Brother Abdullah declined, telling me he had not yet gone to his house.  He was coming directly to the mosque from Hajj.  He told me that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) used to go to mosque upon his return from a journey before going home and meeting with his family. I wonder how many born Muslims follow this practice.

Brother Abdullah now laughs on his past rigid behavior.  He now accepts variation in Islamic practice.  He even started calling the Adha inside the mosque.

After his first Juma’ Khutba I introduced him to the audience.  While introducing him I mentioned how he accepted Islam and how his son is proud to be in Fajr Prayer daily.  After this introduction he was anxious to know how his khutba was.  I told him that it was excellent, so much so that he finished on time which happened to be a problem with other Khateebs.  He left quietly.  After Isha Prayer brother Hani wanted to talk to me.  He said, “Brother Abdullah is upset.  He feels that by praising him in his presence, it was like cutting his neck, as mentioned in a Hadith.”  I told him that you should see another Hadith also, which instructs us to give due respect and credit to whosoever deserves it.  Prophet Shuaib(pbuh) also insisted that his people not belittle credit if it is due.  It is also mentioned in the Qur'an in many places.  Some people focus only on one Hadith and draw their own conclusions.  Thank God I did not exaggerate anything in the introduction. Furthermore, people should know all about the new Khateeb.  I expressed my opinion to brother Abdullah the next day. He was satisfied with my explanation.

After one month once again I introduced him for the benefit of the new audience after his second khutba.  I said, “I am not praising brother Abdullah, but I feel I should do justice in pointing out the facts and the real qualities of our new Khateeb.”  After the introduction, I added that authority and responsibility go together.

Brother Abdullah and brother Hani are now responsible for the mosque in my absence.  Both are handling their responsibility and authority superbly well.



Brother Abdullah attended some Arabic classes in the local community college offered by Dr. Sheikh Ali Suleiman.  Now he speaks Arabic, understands some grammar and recites and memorizes surahs of Qur'an.  He also learns new Ahadith, delivers the Friday Sermons and guides many disbelievers to the light of Islam. A high school graduate with sincerity and commitment can do all these wonderful things and introduce and propagate Islam amongst people of other faiths.

Brother Abdullah is the by-product of the Gulf War. Many other soldiers accepted Islam after visiting Saudi Arabia.

From the book written by :Imtiaz Ahmad, M. Sc., M. Phil (London)

Women watch this and you would love to be a muslim, trust me ...

Aqeedah (Islamic Creed)

SURETY OF BELIEF
(written by doctor Bilal Philip)

Verily the Believers are those who believe in Allaah and His Messenger without harbouring any doubt and they strive with their wealth and persons in Allaah's path. These are the truthful. (Soorah al Hujuraat 49:15) The second condition for true Eemaan mentioned in the verse is absence of doubt. The belief in Allaah and His Apostle has to be firm and unshakeable for it to benefit one who claims to possess it in this life and in the next.
Elsewhere in the Qur'aan Allaah has warned the Muslims in severe terms against unstable and wavering Eemaan, saying,
 "Verily, those who believe then disbelieve, believe again and then disbelieve and then increase in disbelief will not be forgiven by Allaah nor will he guide them to the path." (Soorah an-Nisaa 4:137)
There is no valid reason for leaving Islaam after entering, except if one entered for reasons other than belief in its principles, for Allaah has made two promises which clearly demonstrate the greatness of divine justice and mercy in exchange for the stability of Eemaan and patience in the face of adversity. First, he said that
"Allaah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear." (Soorah al- Baqarah 2:286).
This statement contains the foundation of divine justice. Each soul is tested according to its ability and its own particular circumstances.  A test which is beyond the human soul's ability would be, of necessity, unjust because failure is guaranteed. Judgement and punishment based on such a test would consequently be totally unfair.

Hence, suicide is totally forbidden in Islaam because the one who commits it is, in fact, saying that he or she was unjustly burdened by Allaah with a situation which was beyond their ability to withstand. Secondly, Allaah not only said,
"Surely with every difficulty comes ease" (Soorah al-Inshiraah 94:6),
but He also repeated the statement for special emphasis, word for word, in the verse following it. This is a divine promise of mercy, wherein, Allaah clearly states that He would never continuously burden an individual. There will always be a time of ease following all periods of hardships, therefore, man is enjoined to have Sabr (patience) at all times.

It is man's impatience which drives him to act impetuously, prematurely choosing what appears to be the easy way out, even though it falls under what has been forbidden. Impatience is a part of man's nature, for Allaah Himself said,
"Man was created hasty." (Soorah al- Anbiyaa 21:37).
Consequently the great reward in store for the righteous can only be attained if patience is exercised and the path of righteousness is followed especially in times of difficulty and temptation.