How I Found Islam - My Journey to the Shahada
As-salamu alaykum. I grew up in a somewhat religious home where I heard simplified Bible stories as a child. My mother would read them to me, and I was fascinated, though I had questions about parts where God punished wicked people. I tried to focus on the positive - that God disciplines those who spread corruption. Around age nine I was taken to church a lot, but I didn’t really understand what religion was beyond words like heaven and God. From late 2014 to 2018 I was mostly disconnected from religion. I heard labels like Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, but didn’t grasp their meaning. The only real exposure to Muslims I remember was a Pakistani family nearby and a Somali girl at school, and in middle school news clips we sometimes saw radical groups like ISIS, which led me to wrongly think Islam was dangerous after 2001. Eventually I started reading about many religions online - their histories, beliefs, and cultures. That exploration first drew me into Christianity in April or May 2018. At first I admit it was out of fear about the afterlife, but as I prayed more I felt comfort, protection, and guidance, and my faith deepened for sincere reasons. Still, I kept studying other faiths - Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and later Judaism in more depth. When I looked into Islam I learned basic terms like Muslim and Qur’an, studied Hadith and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and learned about how the faith spread. Listening to nasheeds and reading more helped me drop the negative stereotypes I once held. Over time my curiosity turned into love and respect for the religion and its people. In summer 2019 I watched a video on how to attend Friday prayer and read guides about approaching Islam with an open mind. One article in particular helped change my view, and after more reading and reflection I got down on my knees, declared the Shahada - “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His messenger” - and accepted Islam. Since then I’ve tried to live by its teachings. Learning the prayers and memorizing Arabic portions took effort, but alhamdulillah I now perform the five daily prayers and continue to work on my recitation. I still wrestle with doubts and questions sometimes, but I actively seek reliable answers and keep studying theology and philosophy to strengthen my faith. Being open-minded, I think, saved me from staying stuck in earlier prejudices. Part II - Why I left Christianity: I was raised evangelical and for a while I held beliefs like Jesus being the “Son of God” in ways I later reconsidered. As I studied, the Islamic insistence on pure monotheism (tawhid) and the Quranic critique of associating partners with God (shirk) made more sense to me. I came to see Jesus (peace be upon him) as a noble prophet - born miraculously, aided by Angel Gabriel, performing miracles, and sent to convey God’s message - similar to how other prophets are viewed. I believe Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final messenger who completed and preserved that message. My spiritual path has been a roller coaster, with mistakes and changes along the way. I share this hoping others will understand my perspective. I also believe peaceful interfaith dialogue, careful independent research, and honest conversation are essential if we want to move beyond stereotypes and fear. JazakAllahu khairan for reading.