Seeking Guidance on My Journey to Islam and a Delicate Situation
As-salamu alaykum everyone, I hope this post finds you in good health and spirits. I'm reaching out because I genuinely need some advice, and I want to approach this with the utmost respect. I was raised as an Orthodox Christian, my mother being Russian and my father Pakistani, but they divorced before I was born, and my father has never been a part of my life. Because of this, and since his family didn't accept my mother, I wasn't raised as a Muslim. Despite this, I've always had a deep respect for Islam, and most of my close friends have been Muslim. About two years ago, I started learning more about religion in depth. Within the first year, I felt a strong connection to Islam, which I hadn't experienced with Christianity. Since then, I've been seriously considering converting. Recently, I started a new job and met a wonderful Muslim sister. We became friends at work, and when she shared her faith with me, I made a conscious effort to be respectful and considerate of her beliefs. A couple of weeks ago, she invited me to join her for a meal, which we had at a public restaurant. Everything was very respectful and platonic. During our conversation, she expressed her kindness towards me and her hope to see me more at work. I shared her sentiments, and I appreciated her sincerity. She also mentioned that if our friendship were to evolve, I would need to convert to Islam, which wasn't a surprise to me since I've been contemplating this step for some time. Since our dinner, however, I've felt a bit apprehensive. I haven't shared this with anyone and am concerned that I might have unintentionally done something that doesn't align with Islamic values by accepting her invitation. I'm asking these questions from a place of honesty and respect, and I hope my inquiries don't come across as disrespectful. I'm seeking advice on whether it was inappropriate for me to agree to dinner with her. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for any guidance you can offer.