Hello Mami and Papa,
I don’t know how else to approach you in order to explain my reasoning behind my life changing decision and have you listen and understand at the same time.
Since I can long remember I have not be a strong believer of Christianity, there was a lot that did not make sense to me, for example, why I have to beg for forgiveness to a priest? Why I have to pray to saints and not straight to God, why is Jesus the SON of God, why are their SOO many versions of the bible?
The religion became a fascination to me, and I truly wanted to know more. I purchased a few books in the UK and read some pamphlets on the religion. I did not make any decisions but I continued to read and become more familiar to Islam.
Islam began making sense to me, the idea that we pray only to Allah, that we ask Allah for help and for forgive us, how a book (the Quran) that was written thousands of years ago remains unchanged as of today (there are different translations but no different versions) .
Also how a book that was written years ago managed to explain scientific situations that was only discovered by man kind only a couple of year ago. Or how the Quran has managed to explains how babies develop in the womb? How would anyone thousands of years ago know this and in such detail? Especially since scientist discovered the explanation of these situations less that 100 years ago?? How can we explain those wonders of the book?
Also how can I deny the holy book when it has been so clear in explaining advanced technology, how the day turns into the night, the creation of human beings by water (as we know scientifically to be known that we came from cells) layers of heaven (which we describe now in scientific terms as the atmospheric levels?). Furthermore, the beginning of the universe and the movement of tectonic plates (there are numerous other examples of the science behind the Quran).
What also has touched me is that Islam believes in ALL THE PROPHETS – JESUS MOSES DAVID ABRAHAM AND MOHAMMAD (pbuh) they all coexist in he Quran, the Quran also tells us that we must respect ALL religions. Mami and Papa, I can not explain how many times I have made my self clear to you of what I believed in, I could not have given myself away anymore! Every time I spoke hours and hours on end about Islam, and how I knew so much.
Also I began of interacting more with Muslim friends; I felt that they would be able to give me a clear explanation of Islam. Also Islam played a major part in self respect, and it helped my appreciate my self more, and realize that I should stay away from harmful situation such as drinking, smoking, going out with people that only meant trouble.
I told you what my friends were like, they were heading the wrong direction, and I did not want to be in that direction and believing in Islam made it easier for me to walk away from the powers of shaytaan and do better.
Also Islam was and has been the reason for my success in school. I have placed my mind in my studies instead of going out all the time as my old friends did, and trust me you would not like me to be like them, because if I had been then you would have every single reason to think I was a bad person, that I was irresponsible and that I was a disgrace to the family.
After almost one year of studying Islam I had no doubt in my mind that it was the right religion.
I was prepared to become a Sunni Muslim. In early June 2006 I attended the mosque in Westbury NY to ask further questions about Islam and after speaking to a sister and the imam of the mosque I knew that it was time to make the right decision. I did shahada around 2 weeks later which is the Islamic creed; it means to testify or to bear witness in Arabic, the declaration of the belief. I stated in front of 80- 100 Muslims “ash hadu anla ilaha illallah, wa ash hadu anla Mohammad roosul Allah” which translates to “I believe in one and only God and Mohammad is his messenger” It was such a beautiful experience.
I had been accepted into the Islam. I was welcomed by every single Muslim at the mosque with open arms, I felt too special, it felt so right, I knew I had made the best decision in my life, and it was something that was going to bring positive sides of me.
It is so hard to explain the rush, and the emotional and faith satisfaction that I had at that moment, but I knew there was something wrong, that I was not able to celebrate my happiness with the people in my life that I loved the most, the meant to most to me, and that was you and Papa. The moment was wonderful but not complete. I really wish you could have been as proud of me as I was for myself.
It hurt so much to think and feel that my biggest challenge would be to openly tell you about me and Islam, about me and my faith, about me and my happiness. I know that you both want the best for me, you want me to be happy and you want me to be responsible, and you want me to be independent and make the RIGHT decisions.
I have done the right decision, and I made it all by myself, and I read about Islam all by myself, I discovered Islam in me all by myself, IT WAS ME who made every decision from the point were I began in the Islamic interest to the point where I am now.
I can’t lie to you and tell you I had no influences because how else would I have been influenced by wanting to know more about Islam? Well from observing other people. How do we know as humans whether eating a chocolate cake taste good or not? We taste it, we try others to compare and then we make a final decision and if we like it we continue to eat if we don’t then we disregard it.
Mami and Papa, I know I might seem weak sometimes in certain situations, and I know I display signs of vulnerability , but converting into Islam was decided by me, its hard and it hurts to think that all this studying, research of Islam and me converting has been credited to someone else, but at the end of the day the only one that knows the truth is God and it is to him that I will be standing in front of on the day of Judgment, and it is him that knows everything.
It is stated in the Quran that all the prophets were messengers of God, they all came to spread the news and religion of God, but that they all came in their own time, and that Mohammad (pbuh) was the last messenger of God.
I know my word is hard to believe after the incidents these past two days, but there is nothing more that I can do to prove to both of you when it comes to the decisions that I made about Islam.
And most importantly I want you both to understand that it is virtually impossible to explain ALL of my reasoning behind my belief in Islam, this email is not even 1/100th of it all, I have spent hours and hours and hours speaking to others about my feeling towards Islam, and I wish and pray to Allah that one day I will be able to express everything I feel about Islam with both of you.
I still remain to be the daughter that you had almost 21 years ago, it has not changed the way I feel about you, you still are the most important people in my life, I love you both more than anything, I just have a different belief and its one which will bring you no shame, it will not physically hurt you, and I will not patronize our relationship.
I love you both very much and I only pray for the best
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