From MMA Fan to Gaining Respect for Islam - As-Salamu Alaykum
As-Salamu Alaykum everyone, I want to be upfront that I’m not Muslim. I’ve always been a big MMA fan, especially the UFC, and I’ve long admired fighters from Russia like Islam Makhachev. Over time I noticed many fighters are Muslim, and that sparked my curiosity about the faith. My previous knowledge was mostly from media - I knew about not eating pork, Ramadan, and the strong sense of brotherhood. This past weekend there wasn’t a UFC card, so I fell down a YouTube hole. I started with highlights of Islam Makhachev’s latest fight and then ended up watching videos about Islam (funny coincidence with the name). I watched a lot and learned a ton about the prophets, their stories, history, traditions, and teachings. Learning about beliefs about the afterlife really struck me. I’ve tried to live a decent life - not hurting others, being generous and grateful - and I always figured that living well would mean a good afterlife. One odd moment: I came across a clip I’d seen years ago in a funny compilation. It showed a preacher standing up to someone mocking his accent, and the guy ran off. At the time I just laughed and moved on, but now it felt like a weird little connection while I was learning about Islam - maybe I’m being dramatic, lol. I’ve gained a lot of respect for the faith: the brotherhood, the reverence for all prophets and their stories, daily practices inspired by the prophets, Mecca, Hajj, the Kaaba, and the historical background. I wasn’t raised Christian but I was exposed to it when I was young; mostly I just try to be a good person day by day. If I were to choose between Christianity and Islam based on what I’ve learned so far, I’d lean toward Islam. I’m an open person and never seriously considered becoming Muslim before. I don’t personally know any Muslims yet. I enjoy halal food when I’m in the city. I’m not sure if I intend to become Muslim, and I mean no disrespect with anything I said here - please forgive any ignorance in my words. I mainly wanted to say hello and connect with the Muslim community. Ma Salama