Juan Alvarado (Shafeeq Abdullah Muhammad )
Every since childhood I always noticed that I was "spiritual" to say the least. For some reason, I found myself unlike the other children around me and because of it sometimes felt alienated.
To begin with, I am of Latin American descent. Typically, like other Latinos, I was born into the Catholic faith. I went through the motions of what it means to be Catholic, I was baptised, did my communion and confirmation. But by the times I was a teen, I was growing impatient with Catholicism and started exploring different forms of spiritualities. Specifically, I was annoyed at the cult of saints but also that there is so much written in the Bible that is not followed by that church. By 16, I can confidently say that I renounced Catholicism, although I still considered myself "Christian". I visited different churches of differing denominations but just could not feel that sense of belonging. Also, one of the things that I did not like was the inter-denominational bickering. Another thing was the complexity of Christianity, or so it seemed to me.
Well, like I said earlier, I was also looking into other religions. Specifically, I looked into Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Santeria, and various New Age or Occult movements. As for Judaism, I just could not deal with life without Jesus. Buddhism seemed too esoteric and even too bland. Hinduism's caste system and grandios number of gods/goddesses just repelled me. Santeria's gods also repelled me and its secrecy was annoying. The many New Age movements just seemed too complex. This is not to say that I did not see anything at all that I did not like. I saw some things that I liked but it just did not get a hold of my full interest.
By the time I was 19, I renounced Christianity once and for all and continued my search. This search led me to read on a non-stop basis, something that I still do. At 20, a friend of mine gave me a book on Islam or what I thought was Islam. He gave me a book that the Ansar cult published. After reading up on them for about 2 1/2 years, I decided to become "Muslim" at 23. As a matter of fact I do consider that I was Muslim then but that I was astray. Because of my intense reading background, I always noted the many mistakes in the Ansar doctrine but I guess I just put up with it because there was something there that I related to. I always noted too that the leader of this movement always changed his beliefs and doctrines every so often, which I found to be strange. I lasted 2 years in this movement before I took shahaadah at a Sunnite organization in Manhattan [I was 25 then]. This only happened because I never gave up my habit of reading. I always noted that there was some very dramatic differences between what was written on Islam and what these Ansars wrote and did. In the end, like I said, I said the Shahaadatain among the Sunni and so far that is the end of my spiritual story.
I am now 28 and I love to read but I no longer am searching, I have found what the truth is.
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How I Became a Muslim - Monica
Assalamu Aleykum!
I was born in a Catholic family in Ecuador. My family was never very religious. I mean, they didn't go to church or things like that, except for my grandma whom I loved very much. However, they sent me to a Catholic high school. There, I learned about the religion and I also learned about the spiritual side of life. Years later, I had the opportunity to go to a college in the U.S. Over there, there were a good number of muslims studying. I didn't know anything at all about Islam at first. Sometimes I saw them performing prayers. I had never seen a prayer like that. I thought it was very peaceful, and they seemed to have so much faith while doing it. This is the first thing that attracted me to Islam.
Actually, it wasn't until I was about to come back home, when I was finishing school, that I decided to learn more about this religion. I always liked to learn about other beliefs and cultures. But this was time that I especially felt unsatisfied about Catholicism. Then, I tried to contact some people at the masjid. Finally, they led me to a sister who was teaching classes for converts at the mosque. I started attending these classes, and after a few months I decided that Islam was the religion for me. Islam, in contrast to Catholicism, seemed very pure. I mean, like it had very little influence from people. It seemed perfect. It was hard to find anything I could disagree with. Its hard for me to express the difference I felt between these two religions...I also feel that with Islam I'm sort of more guided, either by the Quran or the hadiths. Whereas, when I was Catholic, it was kind of like I had to figure out what to do in certain situation. People might think that Islam is strict, but I think thats the way its meant to be. I mean, I feel in this way God tells us very clearly what he expects. And you don't have to just wonder in the world looking for the truth, or the real happiness, or things like that.
Islam hasn't been easy, I have to admit. For those coming from other religions, and for muslims too, I'd like to say that its very important to respect others, and to learn to listen to them. One of the problems with Islam has been that muslims have been so closed to other people, that they cant get to know us or the religion. I also think that muslims should be more open to converts, and more respectful to them. I myself felt sometimes rejected by both groups, the muslims and my old catholic friends. I've met other converts, and often they seem like they have more faith than a muslim-born person. So, I think they deserve some credit for that. It's very unfair to treat them as if they were not real muslims.
Well, thats about it. I hope Im not missing anything. Of course there are many things Id like to say. But its getting too long.
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Peace be with you brothers and sisters
Name - not important
Why I'm a Muslim ?
I'm a Muslim because I believe in One God to rule over all creation, who is the only Creator worthy of all of praise and is due the highest respect and to be the most feared. To realize that there is nothing in this world that came to be with out the authority of Allah and Allah alone.
Beyond a reason of doubt I believe the Quran to be the blessed book and has a great deal of knowledge and wisdom which are beneficial to all of mankind, that the Quran addresses mankind as a whole, and speaks to the individual or reader as if very intequitly engaging in a conversation that will stimulate and mindboggle the readers to fully redifining who they are and the purpose of their existance here on earth.
Islams message is simple
One God, One Message,One People.
Islam is the Highest growing religion across the world, it's numbered has surpassed every religion as the single most followed faith. 80+% of Muslims across the world are not of arabic decent of speaking language, again confirming the words of the Quran and the message of Islam to being to all nations.
I wish you all the best of wishes and may this have reached you in the best of health, InshaAllah.
Only Allah knows what to become of me, you, simply us. and for now I wish to say Peace be with you brothers and sister and have no doubt in yourself and in Allah.
Allah is with us in our hearts, never forget that, thats why the hearts of Muslims are of solid structure.
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Submit your reasons to accepting Islam.
