Most Read in the Category of Revert Stories

I am from a little East European country called Lithuania,  

where Christianity is the dominating religion and where a babies first few days of life announce them as Christians.

I ‘ve never been an atheist but I never called myself a good Christian. At one point I began to think about why my parent's had not asked me if I wanted to be a Christian they simply christened me as a baby. I would attend church every Sunday, praying, helping out the priest, singing in the choir. I certainly had God within my heart, but I didn't understand the religion I had in front of me.

My younger years I remember how I struggled to be a good Christian. I really didn't understand the religion, but I was trying to. I read so many books about Christianity, I asked countless questions to the Priest. I had all the information but yet I could not call myself a Christian, I couldn't say  that I am a believer in this faith.

My life was difficult without a guide from God, scared, blind. Wherever I was I was searching for God. I felt he was close, I could feel his helping hand, even at times I felt he was talking to me. I felt as though I needed to find my direction, the life I was suppose to be living and that I had to look harder. If I looked harder I might better understand the signs. The signs, to me, were like jumbled words that I needed to decipher. 

I am the second child born to my parent's. My mother's delivery was painful, very difficult. I'm told I was lucky to survive the birth. In my life I survived  two very serious accidents, people would remark on them in astonishment that I lived through them.  I believe God saved my life for a reason. When considering this I began to appreciate my life. I realized how fragile the human life really is and only God knows when my life will end.  

This realization of life left me understanding and trusting God and enjoying his blessings even when I am feeling sick. Everything God gives us is with hope, hope that we will appreciate all his blessings, hope that we will understand that he does it for us. 

I had a horrible car accident around the time of graduations exams. I was left immobile, stuck in bed for no less then six weeks, only able to move my head. Even though I struggled to live, with the strength given to me by God  I managed to work towards finishing my exams and was ready to enter university.   My Doctor couldn't believe that I had made it and had even completed my exams. He commented that any other patient he had witnessed to have such a degree of serious injuries would only concentrate on the pain and the pain killers and nothing else. He thought it was not luck that it must be a miracle. I was surely blessed. After this moment in time I became even stronger in my belief in God, every day getting closer to him. Even though I felt so close to God I couldn't find him through the Church, for me, it was just not working.

For years I yearned for truly understanding God through a religion but this was only going to take place after meeting my husband, a Muslim. He would inevitably lead me to Islam and calm my soul. We fell deeply in love, a great blessing from God. In the beginning we did not speak much about religion, we looked to understand and know one another. One day, feeling in a great mood, just happy with my life, with the fact that I met this incredible man, he turned to me and gave me a gift. He said my gift to you is the best gift I can give you, it is my faith. I was so intrigued by every word when he read the Qur'an, when he told me of the Qur'an's miracles, every facet of his prayer, I was so interested in learning. This day he inspired me so much that I began to read about Islam, I searched for every bit of information I could find. After every book read, after every page turned I slowly and surely was becoming a Muslim, I was beginning to understand as God spoke to me through his religion. My soul felt so at ease. 

After several months of study I became a Muslim and the feeling was incredible, like being reborn. God loves me so much that he was allowing me to be reborn, he allowed me this gift when he knew I was ready to receive it. I was 21 years of age, smarter, wise enough to understand. Now I am a Muslim, nobody could understand how different and how good it feels to be a Muslim unless they are one. 

God showed me the sun in a different way then I saw it as a Christian child. The sun now has a different meaning to me. When the sun rises God sends to us light and sustenance to live, he shows us how much he loves us. His loves allows us to feel warmth, instead of cold, we are able to view the world through this light, all the many colours and textures. God makes night to show us he cares, he allows us to sleep and to rest our bodies and assures us that after night we will have light again.  We learn to trust in him each day. In this way he is talking to us and through our eyes we can see words in every one of his miracles. 

I am grateful to God for the gift of this world, for my life. He gave me a new start, he allowed me to see the world through the eyes I was meant to see. Everywhere I go and all that I do, God is there next to me. God welcomes me and I see signs all around me of this and I know I am walking on the right path. 

It took time to see the world this way but it all changed because the quality of my life changed through a man who pointed me to Islam. When my life began to change as I opened up to the religion of Islam my heart became full of love for God and he entered in.

I only wish the world could change this way. So many angry, tired faces that look for clam, for success, for a better life.  They walk around hating one another, jealous of one another, surviving only to fight one another. They cannot seem to live in peace they only seem to desire war. Every day the populous falls deeper into despair. There's only one way to stop it, if Islam were a way of life for all mankind and all found and believed in it as I have seen it their would be no wars. With God in every heart we would find true happiness, our lives would be joy. We could begin to build a better future for our children and we would no longer be afraid of one another.

Mark Shaffer, an American attorney and millionaire has declared his Islam in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, 17th October 2009. Mark was at that time on a holiday in Saudi Arabia to visit some famous cities like Riyadh, Abha and Jeddah for 10 days.
Mark is a well-known millionaire and also a practiced lawyer in Los Angeles, specializing in cases of civil laws. The last big case he handled was the case of the famous American pop singer, Michael Jackson, a week before he passed away.

A tourist guide who accompanied Mark for 10 days in Saudi Arabia, Dhawi Ben Nashir told: Since he set foot for the first time in Saudi Arabia, Mark already started to ask question about Islam and Solat. As soon as he arrived in Saudi, Mark stayed in Riyadh for two days. While in Riyadh, Mark was very interested in Islam. After moving to Najran, we went to Abha and Al-Ula. There, his fascination on Islam grew more obvious, especially the time when we ventured out into the desert.

Mark was amazed to see three Saudi youths who were in our group in Al-Ula, performing solat in the expanse of the very wide desert. A very fantastic panorama indeed.

After two days in Al-Ula, we went to Al-Juf. As soon as we arrived in Al-Juf, Mark asked if I could get him some books on Islam. I then obtained some books on Islam for him. Mark read all those books. The next morning, he asked me to teach him how to perform solat. I then taught him how to pray and take wudhu (ablution). Then, he joined me and performed solat beside me.

After solat, Mark told me that he felt peace in his soul. On Thursday afternoon, we left Al-Ula heading for Jeddah. He looked very serious throughout the journey reading those books about Islam. On Friday morning, we visited the old town of Jeddah. Before the time for the Friday prayer approached, we went back to the hotel and I excused myself to go for the Friday prayer. Then, Mark told me: I would like to join you for the Friday prayer so that I can witness myself how the Friday prayer is like. So I answered: welcome…

We then went to a masjid which was not far from the hotel where we stayed in Jeddah. Since we were quite late, I and many other jamaah had to pray outside, as the number of jamaah was overflowing. I could see Mark observing the jamaah, especially after the Friday prayer was completed, when everybody was shaking hands and embracing each other with radiant and happy faces. Mark was very impressed with what he saw.

When we return to the hotel, Mark suddenly told me that he wanted to become a Muslim. So I said to him: Please have a shower first. After Mark took the shower, I guided him in saying the kalimah of shahadah (declaration of faith) and then he prayed two rakaah. Later on, Mark expressed his desire to visit the Masjidil Haram in Makkah and perform solat there before leaving Saudi Arabia.

In order to fulfill his wish, we went to the Da’wah and Irshad office in the area of Al-Hamro’, Jeddah, to obtain a formal proof of his conversion to Islam, so that he would be allowed to enter the city of Makkah and Masjidil Haram. Then, Mark was given a temporary certificate of his conversion to Islam. As a number of group members who participated in Mark’s visit to Saudi Arabia had to go back to America on Saturday afternoon, Al-Hamdulillah, Ustadz Muhammad Turkistani was willing to send Mark to the Holy Land of Makkah that same morning.

Regarding Mark’s visit to Masjidil Haram, Ustadz Muhammad Turkistani narrated: After Mark obtained his temporary certificate, we straight away departed heading for the noble Masjidil Haram. When he witnessed the Masjidil Haram, he face looked radiant and it emanated an extraordinary happiness. When we entered the Masjidil Haram and witnessed the Ka’bah for ourselves, his happiness increased. By Allah, I could not express that scene with words. After performing the tawaf around the noble Ka’bah, we performed the sunnah solat and went out of Masjidil Haram. I could see Mark very reluctantly wanting to leave Masjidil Haram.

After Mark declared his Islamic faith, he had the chance to express his happiness in Al-Riyadh Newspaper saying: I could not express my feeling at this time but I am being reborn and my life has just started… then he added: I am very happy. This happiness that I am feeling could not be expressed in words especially when I visited the Masjidil Haram and noble Ka’bah.

Regarding his next step after his conversion to Islam, Mark explained: I will learn more about Islam, I will delve deeper into this religion of Allah (Islam) and come back to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj.

As to what impelled him into converting to Islam, Mark explained: I have already had information about Islam, but it was very limited. When I visited Saudi Arabia and personally witnessed the Muslims there, and saw how they performed the solat, I felt a very strong drive to know more about Islam. When I read true information about Islam, I became confident that Islam is a religion of haq (truth).

Sunday morning, 18th October 2009, Mark left the Airport of King Abdul Aziz Jeddah heading for America. When filling in the immigration form before leaving Jeddah, Mark wrote ISLAM as his religion.

I testify that there is no God, but Allah 
I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah

That is the Shahadah I had pronounced from the bottom of my heart in front of a crowed audience at a mosque in the Kingdom of Belgium on the 19th of May, 2000, when I just reached the age of 26. 

I was born and grew up in Hanoi, Vietnam. Thanks to the blessings of Allah, I was allowed to come to Belgium in 1998 to study for the Master of Science degree in Physical Land Resources. 

When I was in Vietnam, I had a very vague concept of the Creator and often felt very embarrassed to ask myself, "where do men and the universe come from?" At that time, The Lord or God, Adam and Eve for me were simply the characters in children's tales. I have also been told about Allah, Muhammad, Qur'an and Muslims but I had never thought that these terms are so closely related to each other. 

Among my classmates in Belgium, some adopted Christianity while some follow the religion of Islam. Many times, they have explained to me about The Lord but I did not pay attention to it. On the contrary, I even protested against it strongly. I thought to myself, "since they are highly educated as such, why do they believe in the items of nonsense like that?" 

I still remember, when for the first time I saw from behind a Muslim friend in the position of bowing down to pray, I thought he was looking for an object falling on the floor! Later on, when I understood the truth, I was very ashamed of my lack of knowledge.

When I was told that the Muslim population in the world are about one billion three hundred million, making one Muslim in five people, I changed from indifference to the attitude of curiosity and was moved to inquire about Islam. My curiosity increased when I knew that the Holy Qur'an explained clearly a number of scientific phenomena and stated about the Hereafter. 

I knew, moreover, that there are also a number of Muslim communities in Vietnam. This made me become even more eager to know about Islam thoroughly. A religion that has many followers who adopted and complied with a pure and respectable way of life. I thought there must be some miracles that make Muslims acquire such a firm faith. 

I started inquiring about this religion in September 1999. The more I've learnt, the more I appreciated Islam and realized that Muslims live very sincerely and possess many qualities that make me respect them. The more I extended the relations with Muslims, the more it confirmed my unshakeable sentiment towards Islam. 

Many times I have asked myself whether The Lord would really exist. How can we believe in Allah while we cannot see Him by our own eyes? In spite of plenty of modern equipment, we are still not able to see the Lord. I was thinking over this every day and night in order to look for an appropriate answer for myself. 

Later, I found out that although being unable to see The Lord, men can still perceive His Existence from their heart. This is like when we see a painting, we only feel the thoughts or theme of the painter in our mind but we do not pick them up directly from the painting. Yet, if men can see and recognize The Lord in person (like in bone and flesh), then is it true that The Lord is similar to the creatures that He creates? No and that is the essence of Islam. That The Lord is never represented for worship under the forms of statues that are moulded by men themselves. 

In the process of inquiring about Islam, I have received the encouragement, the whole-hearted assistance and guidance of brothers and sisters-in-Islam the world over, particularly the Vietnamese speaking Muslims. 

I had the good blessing of obtaining a Vietnamese translation of the Holy Qur'an in March. After reading the Holy Qur'an, I believe entirely in Allah (subhanahu wa Ta'Ala - all glory be with the Highest Lord) as the Creator and Lord of the universe. The contents of the Qur'an are indeed the Words of Allah that were revealed to Nabi Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). 

I believe that Islam is the religion of Eternal Truth that is very close to life. I've decided to follow Islam and to become a Muslim without further delay, not even for another minute or second. 

The day I became Muslim, it was the most important day of my life. In my life from now on, I may see the light of Truth of Islam thus ending the period of darkness and ignorance. I feel peace and joyful since my mind has a firm support. I am very honored and proud when I became a Muslim. My person has undertaken major changes. Previously, I often drank alcohol and beer during the time of joy and sadness. I lied without shame and when I did something it was just for my own interest. I never thought of anything good or bad and I was very afraid of death! Now, I am completely different. I am feeling Allah beside me all the time Who sees me, listens to me and knows all my thoughts. This makes me become a good and pious person. Although I feel very regretful for what I had wrongfully done previously, I still have a peace of mind for indeed, Allah is the Most Generous and the Most Merciful. 

I have an ultimate hope, that is, to do in such a way as to have numerous people the world over, particularly in Vietnam, to understand the bright, beautiful qualities of the right path of Islam and to become Muslim the same way as Allah has guided and directed me.

About the Author:

Dr. R. L. Mellema is the Head of the Islamic Section of the Tropical Museum, Amsterdam, and is the author of Wayang Puppets, Grondwet van Pakistan, Een Interprtatie van de Islam, etc.

What is for me the Beauty of Islam? What hs Attracted me to this faith?

I began with my study of eastern languages at the University of Leiden in 1919 and attended the lectures of Prof. C. Snouck Hurgronje, the well-known Arabist. I learned Arabic, read and translated al-Baidawi's commentary on the Qur'an and al-Ghazali's reflexions on the Law. I studied the history and institutions of Islam from European handbooks as was usual in that time. In 1921 I stayed in Cairo for one month and visited the Al-Azhar. Besides Arabic I studied other languages such as Sanskrit, Malay and Javanese. In 1927 I left for the then Netherlands Indies to teach Javanese language and Indian cultural history at a special secondary school for advanced studies in Jogyakarta. For 15 years I specialised myself in Javanese language and culture (modern and old) and had little contact with Islam and no contact at all with Arabic. After a difficult period which I spent as a japanese prisoner of war, I went back to the Netherlands in 1946 and found a new task at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam. Here I had the opportunity to take up again my study of Islam, being instructed to write a short guide on Islam in Java.

I started to study the new Islamic State of Pakistan which was culminated in a journey to Pakistan in the winter of 1954/55. Having come to know Islam till now from European writers only, in Lahore I was confronted with quite another aspect of Islam. I asked my Muslim friends to be allowed to take part with them in the Friday prayers in the mosques and from now on I began to discover the great values of Islam.

I have felt myself a Muslim from the moment that I had to address the people in one of the Lahore mosques and had to shake hands with the innumerable new friends and brothers. I wrote about this event in an article, published in Pakistan Quarterly, Vol. V. no. 4, 1955, the following lines:

We were now to visit a much smaller mosque, where the sermon was delivered by a scholar who spoke English fluently and had a position of eminence at the University of the Punjab. He informed the congregation that he had deliberately interspersed more English words than usual in his sermon, as he thought that their brother who had come from a far country, the Netherlands, would then understand the Urdu discourse more easily. The sermon was followed by the usual recitation of two rak'ahs under the leadership of the Imam. This done a few more rak'ahs were performed in silence by those who felt the need to do so.

I was about to leave when Allamah Sahib, turning to me, observed that the assembly expected me to say a few words. He himself would translate them into Urdu. I went and stood before the microphone and quietly started to speak. I said how I had come from a far away country where only a few Muslims live, whose greetings I conveyed to the brothers present in the Mosque, who for the last seven years were so fortunate as to have their own Muslim State. In these few years the new State had succeeded in consolidating its position. After a difficult beginning they could undoubtedly look forward to a prosperous future. I promised them that, back in my country, I should bear witness to the great kindness and hospitality it had been my privilege to receive from all sections of the Muslim population in Pakistan. These words having been translated into Urdu had a wonderful effect, for, to my intense surprise, without even realizing at first what was happening, I saw hundreds of worshippers hasten forward to press my hands and to congratulate me. Old hands and young clasped mine with the most affectionate cordiality. But what struck and touched me most was the great warmth all these eyes radiated. At that moment I felt myself taken up in the great Brotherhood of Islam which extends throughout the world, and I was indescribably happy.

So the people of Pakistan made me understand that Islam was more than just acquaintance with many details of the Law, that belief in the moral values of Islam had to come first and that knowledge should be conditional to reaching faith.

What is now for me the beauty of Islam and what in particular has attracted me to this faith!

I will try to give a short answer to these questions in 6 points.

1-) The acknowledgement of One Supreme Being, uncomplicated and easy to accept by every reasonable thinking creature: Allah, He on Whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten and none is like Him. He represents the highest wisdom, the highest strength and the highest beauty. His Charity and Mercy are boundless.

2-) The relation between the Creator of the Universe and His creatures, of whom man has been entrusted with the supreme direction, is a direct one. The believer does not need any mediation; Islam does not need priesthood. In Islam contact with God depends on man himself. Man has to prepare himself in this life for the next. He is responsible for his deeds, which cannot be compensated by a substituting sacrifice of an innocent person. No soul shall be burdened beyond its capacity.

3-) The doctrine of tolerance of Islam, so clearly manifested in the well-known words: There is no compulsion in religion. A Muslim is recommended to search for the truth where he may find it; also he is enjoined to estimate the good properties of other religions.

4-) The doctrine of brotherhood of Islam, which extends to all human beings, no matter what colour, race or creed. Islam is the only religion which has been able to realise this doctrine in practice. Muslims wherever on the world they are, will recognise each other as brothers. The equality of the whole mankind before God is symbolised significantly in the Ihram dress during the Hajj.

5-) The fact that Islam accepts matter and mind both as existing values. The mental growth of man is connected inseparable with the needs of the body, whereas man has to behave in such a way that mind prevails over matter and matter is controlled by mind.

6-) The prohibition of alcoholic drinks and narcotic drugs. This is in particular a point in respect of which it may be said that Islam is far ahead of its time.

Why Do Westerners Embrace Islam? There are various reasons for it. In the first place, truth always has its force. The basic tenets of Islam are so rational, so natural and so appealing that an honest truth-seeker cannot help being impressed by them. To take, for example, the belief in monotheism. How it raises the dignity of man and how it frees us from the grip of superstition! How naturally it leads to the equality of men, for all have been created by the same God and all are the servants of the same Lord. For the Germans, in particular, the belief in God is a source of inspiration, a source of fearless courage and a source of the feeling of security. Then the idea of life after death turns the tables. Life in this world remains no more the main objective, and [a] great part of human energy is devoted to the betterment of the Hereafter. The faith in the Day of Judgement automatically spurs a man to give up misdeeds, for good deeds alone can ensure eternal salvation, although the wrong deeds may prosper here for a limited period. The belief that none can escape the consequences of the judgement of a Just, Impartial and Omniscient Lord makes one think twice before one does anything wrong and surely this internal check is more effective than the most efficient police in the world.

Another thing that attracts foreigners to Islam is its emphasis on tolerance. Then the daily prayers teach one punctuality and the one month of fasting enables one to exercise self-control over oneself and without doubt punctuality and self-discipline are two of the most important attributes of a good man and a great man.

Now comes the real achievement of Islam. It is the only ideology which has succeeded in instilling in its followers the spirit of observing the ethical and moral limitations without external compulsion. For a Muslim knows that, wherever he is, he is being observed by God. This belief keeps him away from sin. As man is naturally inclined towards goodness, Islam also offers peace of mind and heart --- and this is what is totally absent from the Western society of today.

I have lived under different systems of life and have had the opportunity of studying various ideologies, but have come to the conclusion that none is as perfect as Islam.

Communism has its attractions, so have secular democracy and Nazism. But none has got a complete code of a noble life. Only Islam has it, and that is why good men embrace it.

Islam is not theoretical; it is practical. Islam is not a departmental affair; it means complete submission to the will of God.

The simplicity of Islam, the powerful appeal and the compelling atmosphere of its mosques, the earnestness of its faithful adherents, the confidence inspiring realization of the millions throughout the world who answer the five daily calls to prayer --- these factors attracted me from the first. But after I had determined to become a follower of Islam, I found many deeper reasons for confirming my decision. The mellow concept of life -- fruit of the Prophet's combined course of action and contemplation --- the wise counsel, the admonitions to charity and mercy, the broad humanitarianism, the pioneer declaration of woman's property rights - these and other factors of the teachings of the man of Mecca were to me among the most obvious evidence of a practical religion so tersly and so aptly epitomized in the cryptic words of Muhammad, "Trust in God and tie your camel". He gave us a religious system of normal action, not blind faith in the protection of an unseen force in spite of our own neglect, but confidence that if we do all things rightly and to the best of our ability, we may trust in what comes as the Will of God.

The broadminded tolerance of Islam for other religions recommends it to all lovers of liberty. Muhammad admonished his followers to treat well the believers in the Old and New Testaments; and Abraham, Moses and Jesus are acknowledged as co-prophets of the One God. Surely this is generous and far in advance of the attitude of other religions.

The total freedom from idolatory ... is a sign of the salubrious strength and purity of the Muslim faith.

The original teachings of the Prophet of God have not been engulfed in the maze of changes and additions of doctrinarians. The Qur'an remains as it came to the corrupt polytheistic people of Muhammad's time, changeless as the holy heart of Islam itself.

Moderation and temperance in all things, the keynotes of Islam, won my unqualified approbation. The health of his people was cherished by the Prophet, who enjoined them to observe strict cleanliness and specified fasts and to subordinate carnal appetites ... when I stood in the inspiring mosques of Istanbul, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, Algiers, Tangier, Fez and other cities, I was conscious of a powerful reaction [to] the potent uplift of Islam's simple appeal to the sense of higher things, unaided by elaborate trappings, ornamentations, figures, pictures, music and ceremonial ritual. The mosque is a place of quiet contemplation and self-effacement in the greater reality of the One God.

The democracy of Islam has always appealed to me. Potentate and pauper have the same rights on the floor of the mosque, on their knees in humble worship. There are no rented pews nor special reserved seats.

The Muslim accepts no man as a mediator between himself and his God. He goes direct to the invisible source of creation and life, God, without reliance on saving formula of repentance of sins and belief in the power of a teacher to afford him salvation.

The universal brotherhood of Islam, regardless of race, politics, colour or country, has been brought home to me most keenly many times in my life and this is another feature which drew me towards the Faith.