Why I Became Muslim
"And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam; and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky. Thus Allah puts the wrath on those who believe not." - Qur'ran, surat 6:125
Praise be to Allah, that in my old age he has opened my breast to Islam.
Being raised Catholic, I had never heard of Islam as a youngster. As I became a teenager I started questioning my faith, asking questions and reading and studying my Bible. There were so many things that I did not understand, but was told that I should accept them, that was 'faith.'
Well, I have always had faith. Faith that there is a Higher Power, that this earth and this universe could not have created itself. As I got older and read about religion and also about history, I realized that a lot of things that I was told to accept because of "faith" were simply not true. Many things were based on pagan customs that were in direct defiance of what my own Bible stated. Other things, if you read history, could not have been true.
Eventually I left the Catholic religion. I became Lutheran. It did not take long to discover that this was almost the same as Catholic except they did not believe in the Pope's infallibility.
So, still seeking the truth, I joined the Church of Christ. Still, I was disappointed. From there I started going to Pentecostal churches in the neighborhood. Every religion I examined and tried to accept, I had doubts. Why did they all have different interpretations of the same verses in their Bible? Why did some of their Bibles contain fewer books, or omitted passages?
I finally decided not to attend any church. My religion would be between me and my God. No one would ever come between us again. No one could forgive my sins, or intercede for me with my God. And no one could die for my sins and guarantee my forgiveness for my sins.
And then one day, while sitting playing around with my computer, I visited a chat room. I met a young Muslim student attending a University in Canada. He talked to me about Allah. "Who is this Allah?," I thought. Then I learned that Allah was the Arabic term for "Creator." This Muslim and I exchanged e-mail addresses and started corresponding. Everytime we touched on "religion" and Islam, I would say, "You know that is how I believe."
My friend sent me a Qur'an. I eagerly started reading, and the first thing that struck me was the 2nd verse of the 2nd Surat. "This is the Book, whereof there is no doubt." No doubt! Exactly what I had been looking for all of my life. I started reading and could not put it down, until I had read every word of the Qur'an.
Then I got a book of the Hadiths, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Hadith "Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt," was the turning point in my life. I was then convinced that I had found the truth, that Allah was guiding me.
Now to put my convictions into action! Living in a rural community in Northwest Georgia, I did not know of any Muslims. I started doing research on the internet. I came across a directory of Muslim businesses in the area. There were 2 listed in Dalton, Georgia, about 15 miles from my home. One was a tire business owned by brother Arif. So, I called his business to inquire about Islam. He was not there at the time, but his receptionist took my telephone number and message. Soon thereafter, brother Hammad called me.
I explained to him that I had been down to the Masjid but no one was ever there. (I did not know the prayer times!) And, I had been up to the Masjid in Chattanooga, finding no one there either. Brother Hammad explained to me about the prayer times and that to become Muslim I would have to say the Shahada. I told him I had said the Shahada, at home, by myself. He suggested I come to the Masjid on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and he would lead me in saying my Shahada in Arabic before the congregation.
That is "how" I became Muslim, but the why is because I finally found a truth that I have no doubt! May Allah keep guiding me on the right path as I study Islam.
Bob Riemke
(Mohammad Yusuf)
