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I felt new strength after becoming a Muslim

I went to the mosque for a second time and I wasn’t nervous anymore. That evening, I felt so strengthened and said to God that I commit myself to Him as a Muslim; that I want to be faithful in this path. Since then, I have felt new strength.

Sadiqah Ismat, formerly Stephanie, is from Cape Town, South Africa. Here she writes in detail about her journey to Islam, spread into several phases, which she describes as an extremely complex one. This is the concluding part of her story.

I couldn’t resist it anymore and did loads of research, reading lots of conversion stories, and I began to believe it was possible to let go and let God lead me. As my heart was already long won over, all I had to do was to convince my mind.

So, I read Internet articles and the English translation of the Holy Qur’an, I began to pray in the Muslim way. I prayed to Almighty God that He guided me. I asked Him for a breakthrough.

One day, I read an article called “The Miracle of the Qur’an” by Khalid Baig. He said the following: “Prominent scholar Dr. Hamidullah tells of an effort in Germany by the Christian scholars to gather all the Greek manuscripts of the Bible as the original Bible in Aramaic is extinct. They gathered all manuscripts in the world and after examining them reported: “Some two hundred thousand contradictory narrations have been found… of this one-eighth are of an important nature…

“When the report was published, some people established an institute for Qur’anic research in Munich with the goal of examining Qur’an the same way. By 1933, at least 43,000 photocopies of Quranic manuscripts had been collected. While some minor mistakes of calligraphy were found, not a single discrepancy in the text had been discovered!”

After reading this, I was so impressed that there was only one version of the Qur’an throughout Islamic history. The next week I popped in to buy some dress trimming as an excuse to ask about the job and share my interest in Islam. When I purchased the trimmings, I got into a conversation about Islam with a wonderful lady working there, who gave me her sister’s contact number.

Her sister knew someone who worked at a madrassah (Muslim school) and who would be willing to teach me. The lady taught me a thing which touched my heart — she taught me to say “Assalam-o-Alaikum” (peace be upon you).

I went home, weeping with joy. I phoned the sister of the lady I spoke to, and she said she would contact me soon.

It was Friday, and on the very next day, I felt confident enough to say the Shahada. I prayed that I would have the strength in the time to come. God strengthened me soon afterward.

I went to church that Sunday, and with almost everyone, I knew to be Christian and having misconceptions about Islam, I realized I won’t have much support from the members of my community once I embrace Islam.

No wonder I was afraid to tell them that I was about to become a Muslim. God strengthened me soon afterward.

I was really impatient to take the big step. I spoke to my mother first. But I didn’t tell her outright that I was actually Muslim already; I just told her that I am in the process of learning about Islam and that I kept it from her as I was scared what she would say.

She told me that I must be “careful.” I said a few things about Islam to help clear her mind about the misconceptions regarding the true religion, and that I would be the same person and would always love her. She could see I was serious about it.
My dad was annoyed too. It was hard because I always saw him as an open-minded person.

I went to the mosque for the first time, six days after my reversion, and was welcomed warmly to the family of Islam by the Imam. Praying for the first time with others in union, being led by the imam, was an incredible experience, even though I was nervous at first!

Soon, I started learning at madrassah. My sister also found out from my mom that I had embraced Islam, and was stunned, but seemed to accept it later on. But I feel happy that we are still in a good relationship, alhamdulillah.

I became Muslim because I felt Islam shows us the best way to live. It was truly my heart’s choice. In fact, Islam has set me free. It set me free from an inordinate attachment to images which had plagued me for 15 years and simplified my life.

I am a Muslim. Alhamdulillah.

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Source: arabnews.com

Hajj: The Global Conference of the Ummah

We are all familiar with global summits and conferences during which presidents and other heads of state meet. Besides, foreign ministers, ministers of defense or others meet during other conferences. In the professional context, there are conferences for physicians, others for engineers and the same for other professions. For each of these conferences, there are authorities that organize them, call for them, determine their places and organize their programs.
Hajj is a great and unique global conference for the Muslim nation, and if the nation of Islam realizes and benefits from its merits and goals, its state would be better than it is nowadays.
The invitation to this great conference came from Allaah The Almighty to His Prophet Ibraaheem, the intimate friend of Allaah may Allaah exalt his mention. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass.} [Quran 22:27] It is a historic and genuine invitation that is not renewed or revoked. The permanent place of holding the conference that never changes is the Sacred House of Allaah and its holy environs that combine divine blessing, historic antiqueness and religious sanctity. The agenda with all the words and deeds contained therein is dictated by virtue of the Order of Allaah The Almighty to Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) who said: “Learn your rituals from me (by seeing me performing them).”The people invited to this conference are Muslims, whether rulers or ruled, rich or poor, men or women, with no conditions or privileges other than Islam. The only qualification is to be a Muslim –and that is it.
As a result, this conference has been held periodically for thousands of years in the sacred sites. You can see the entire nation of Islam represented in it in various categories such as its rulers, scholars, common masses, leaders, soldiers, men, women, elderly and youth. Can a conference like this be without benefits or impact?
It is a question that should be on the mind of every Muslim and every pilgrim in order to meditate and reflect, then to benefit and work. The following are some reflections on the great conference of Hajj:

Every pilgrim travels long distances and crosses many borders. Some pilgrims come from the countries of disbelief or countries of oppression and suppression. All of them strive and suffer in order to reach the sacred sites and participate in the gathering. By crossing all the barriers and overcoming all the difficulties, they declare that the superiority of faith is greater, the caller towards Allaah The Almighty is worthier of being answered, the path of Islam is straighter and that the brothers of faith are nobler.

Its unique uniform distinguishes this conference, which is not a condition in other conferences. The pilgrim abandons his ordinary clothes and adornment and devotes himself to Allaah The Almighty. In this way, he declares that this world is not in his heart, that his value lies in the essence not the appearance. He testifies that if the caller to Allaah The Almighty calls and he hears the call to worship, the whole world with its adornments will never act as a barrier in his way; rather, he is ready to relinquish it for the Sake of Allaah The Almighty.

This conference reminds the nation to remove all the matters that divide it and to hold firm to the Islamic divine methodology and path. When they make Tawaaf around the honorable Ka‘bah, they declare this important principle that makes humble submissive worship to Allaah The Almighty and a continuous relationship with Allaah The Almighty the center of their lives.

This conference is an opportunity for setting the general policies of the nation, discussing problems, guiding and instructing through sermons in the season of Hajj , just like the comprehensive and all-inclusive Prophetic sermon in the Farewell Hajj.

Finally, Hajj is the season of practically demonstrating the unity of the Islamic nation where differences such as color, race and language dissolve. This unity is with respect to destination and intention, acts and deeds, dress and shape, and standing and movement. In addition, it unites the souls and strengthens ties along with the fulfilling a much greater purpose, which is linking the nation to its Creator, following His Sharee‘ah (Islamic law), elevating the Islamic standards and abolishing worldly criteria.
Does the Muslim nation realize the importance of these meanings and others? Do individual Muslims know these landmarks? There should be an initiative by the responsible leaders, pious scholars and all Muslims to achieve, along with fulfilling the obligation, the major benefits for the nation that is now suffering woes, defeat and division. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And [mention, O Muhammad], when We Designated for Ibraaheem (Abraham) the site of the House, [saying], “Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass – That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the Name of Allaah on known days.} [Quran 22:26-28]

Article by: www.islamweb.net