What Drives People to Convert to Islam
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The nature of religious faith is quite mysterious. As part of their religious faiths, people believe in a variety of deities. There are people who have religious faith in the unseen supreme transcendental power and then there are others who believe in some humans as Gods, animals (e.g. monkeys), fire, idols made of stone, and the list goes on.
A lot is associated with having a religious “faith”. Part of it has to do with beliefs passed on through generations. People’s identities therefore get tied to it. Many times, these beliefs and associated feelings are not completely demonstrable by reason or any rational arguments. There is nothing right or wrong with this but that’s just how the nature of religious faith has come to be.
Everyone thinks they are right in their faith and beliefs. Being with people and groups with similar faiths further strengthens people’s faiths and they see it as “right” even though logical reasoning and argument sometimes can’t explain it all. That’s human psychology.
Islam’s arguments based on intellectual reasoning
Muslims believe however, that the Islamic religion is different in this context. One may argue that similar to other faiths there are aspects of it which are not completely demonstrable by reason but on the other hand, the Quranic text, which is Allah’s words addressing the humanity at large, uses intellectual reason, critical thinking, and the process of reflection as a means to not only reinforce the faith of the believers but also to call non-believers to ponder about the authenticity of Islam as the way of life for the humanity at large. Although no religious beliefs can be fully based on logic and reasoning, Islam and Quran provide more than enough examples and an opportunity to examine the truth and the soundness of its message through the lens of empirical evidence and knowledge.
No one (Muslim or otherwise) would argue that critical thinking and reflection can be a major catalyst for changing of ones life. Critical thinking has been used by many to improve their lives simply because a critical thinker asks probing questions about a situation, collects as much information as possible, reflects on the ideas collected and generated in context of the information available, keeps an open and unbiased mind and carefully scrutinizes assumptions and seeks alternatives.
This is the reason therefore that new Muslim converts would attribute the use of intelligent reasoning, reflection and critical thinking when explaining their journey to Islam. Such people cut through the hysteria created by some in the media to view Islam from a critical lens and following the truth thus comes naturally to them as part of this process. How else can one explain the increase in conversions with the increase of anti-Islam rhetoric? How else can one explain that more non-Muslim preachers have been converting to Islam than ever before? Although as Muslims we believe that the guidance (hidaya) comes only from Allah, the use of a person’s God-gifted intellectual reasoning has a very powerful role to play in Muslim converts making that destiny changing decision. And once converted, they rarely go back to their old faiths simply because a faith whose foundations are built on logic and reason is much less likely to be shaken down than one which builds simply upon a set of rites and sacraments.
Reasons attributed by new Converts
Some of the reasons attributed by people who convert to Islam are listed below. We can see that most of these reasons can only be attributed to the process of critical thinking and intellectual reflection.
- Eloquence of Quran’s language – The uniqueness and beauty of Quran’s text has been marveled by the best of Arab linguists and scholars from the days it was revealed until today. The more knowledgeable people are in the language, the more they appreciate the wonders of the textual fluency of the Quran.
- Overwhelming scientific evidence and proofs – The Quran, revealed more than 1400 years ago has numerous scientific facts that are being validated by science only in this era.
- Divine wisdom behind various social issues – The Quran provides a solution to numerous social issues, a deviation from which has known to cause societal chaos at all levels.
- Arguments rooted in intellectual reasoning – Quran is the only known religious text that challenges mankind to think, reflect and ponder over the creation at large, social issues, God’s existence, and more. Quran in many instances challenges people to reflect and think on their own rather than heeding to the lose talk of those whose criticism is based on baseless foundations.
- A confident assertion of a supreme being – Quran is the only known religious book that has a confident assertion of a supreme being on all issues ranging from the creation of the universe to social issues.
- Divine Text – Quran’s language and prose is very different from the language in the hadith (Porphet’s sayings) thus proving that Quran is not the “imagination” or words of Prophet Muhammad, as many doubters have alleged in the past and do so even today.
Quran’s challenge to people on thinking and reflection
The Quran on numerous occasions challenges humanity at large to think, reflect and ponder over their affairs. Here is some of what the Quran states:
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When studying the many cases of new Muslim converts, we see that engaging in critical thinking and intellectual reasoning have led people to change their non-Islamic faiths – the same faiths that earlier supposedly could have moved mountains, get diluted by the voices of reason easily heard in the roots of Islam. A mere process of thinking and reflection brings so much to the limelight that otherwise remains veiled by distractions and forces of the anti-Islam pundits. Those who are bent to see only the negative, fail to see the light of truth and instead engage in a never ending superficial analysis to unsuccessfully prove their misguided philosophies.
There are many statistics in the media that highlight the phenomenal rate at which people are converting to Islam. Although, the authenticity of all these sources has not been validated for the purpose of this post, some of them include the following:
- According to “The Almanac Book of Facts”, the population increased 137% within the past decade, Christianity increased 46%, while Islam increased 235%.
- 100,000 people per year in America alone, are converting to Islam. For every 1 male convert to Islam, 4 females convert to Islam
- TV Report: 4000 Germans Convert To ISLAM Each Year
- About 25000 people convert to Islam every year in the UK alone
- …many more examples exist.
What about Muslims?
If voices of reason embedded in the teachings of Islam are causing non-Muslims to revert to Islam in droves, why is it that so many Muslims usually born into the religion fail to fully follow and thus enjoy the teachings of the religion? The fact is that it is this lack of critical thinking and reflection even on some Muslims part that is forcing Muslims to have a substandard way of life. Islam and its teachings hold the promise of a fulfilling and peaceful life for all. Yet, Muslims continue to ignore the basics and get mired in social and moral issues causing unnecessary pain and suffering on themselves and their families. The fact is that only if they could think and reflect on the teachings of their own religion, they can escape the many problems and challenges that face them.
The message
To non-Muslims who have only scratched the surface about learning Islam and who may be getting distracted by those who are the wrong torch bearers of this religion and also distracted by the biased voices in the media, the message is simple – try to view the teachings of Islam with a critical lens and you may be able to see more reason than you may not have thought was present. To Muslims, the message is that sometimes we do not appreciate the teachings of our own religion simply because we never think and grow beyond the few religious practices in operating our lives. A focused effort to learn, think and reflect more will help us get closer to the religious teachings in ways that can drastically improve our lives.
…. — IqraSense.com Blogger
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April 17th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Inshallah more people will look past the bad actions of a few who see themselves as representing Islam, and see that true Islam is a faith which draws one closer to God and is for the betterment of all mankind, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:36 am
To all mankind:
“He who speaks among men with good intension, reason and suplication will be rewarde by Allah”, A devine word that make a person submissive to ISLAM, may the peace of Allah be upon him that Allah is one, to whom all mankind gives praises and worship Him alone” A reward is great in the hereafter to come. May the new revert to ISLAM find joy, peace and love among brothers and sisters in ISLAM as I experience when I was a new convert or I follow the way of the Prophets. Maasalam.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:36 am
I was introduced to Islam, by my husband. And once i said a few words, there was a weight lefted off my shoulders. Praise Be to Allah. My life has been, better since learning about Allah and i also have learned how to be patient, with Allah’s Help.. I think this is a great article, because i am a convert, and i am pleased to see soo many people converting to ISLAM.
Salam,
Saima
April 17th, 2008 at 1:01 am
I am 48yrs old and had three different religions during my life. Trying to find something that was missing I just didnt know what it was untill I studied about Islam and knew this was home. I feel complete and whole after converting 5yrs ago, Im just sad that i missed this all these years of my life, but at least im going to go out the right , straight, and only way….being a MUSLIM.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:20 am
It was through the study of Islam that my own Catholic faith took fire once more. It was the beauty and clarity of the Quran that re-awoke my prayer life and changed it from a mere habit to a delight in being in communication with God (praised be his name forever) and in being his servant. The mysteries of my own faith journey are such that I could not honestly embrace Islam even after much prayer and meditation and I remain a Catholic woman of faith; However I shall always look upon my Muslim brothers and sisters as being just that, - my brothers and sisters who are beloved by God (praised be his name forever).
April 17th, 2008 at 1:26 am
I am a convert to Islam. [I refuse to use the term revert as I agree with Sheik Yusuf Hamza it is the wrong concept for such a singular experience.] My reasons for converting where varied, the most notable was questioning. I was 23 year old female and questioning everything, even the life I lead. My white southern USA relatives would spout white supremist dogma. My Catholic relatives would preach “do not question, just believe”. I was a 17 when Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King where killed. I left home and joined the Navy at 18 and was in Memphis during the riots. I worked with several Black Navy people (wonderful people) who explained things and shook my heart.
Later I met a Jordanian Officer going to school on the command I worked on who was a very deeply religious man and he introduced me to Islam. He was a kind “uncle”. His explanations made the most sense I had ever heard. I began to study and question the teachers at the Mosque and later I made Shahada.
Being a convert was the easiest and the hardest thing I had ever done. There was many who said welcome and then forgot me as they went on with their own lives. I had no support and the Navy was not understanding. My family shunned me. I met many over time who would tell me things and when I would question the source (I am one the world’s questioners) they would have “custom” as the source, not Islam. Luckily books where coming out all the time and I love to read.
It is 36 years later now and I have a wonderful husband who is a brilliant Islamic teacher but even he had a lot of “custom” in his thoughts at first until I would question sources. He would think about it and he learned to go back to the best of all sources, the Qur’an and Hadith.
I still question everything…
The biggest question I have is why there is no support for the new convert here in America. I found it hard and I know for a fact that there are a lot of us out there.
I question why the men of Islam do not follow the best of all examples, the Prophet PBUH. I have read many many stories and essays on his life. He loved his people and did not discriminate between men and women. He said all must study, learn and believe. He had women who went to the war fronts with him and his army. His wives where his friends and he treated them with respect. His youngest widow was used as a source for many Hadiths so she was respected in his Islamic community as a teacher.
I find, as a woman who was American born and raised, that I question the practices of many who claim Islam. I find the pure belief as bright and wonderful as the most wonderful jewel. I don’t understand followers of Islam killing each other over secular beliefs. I don’t understand bombs in mosques and marketplaces.
I question people that don’t shine and make the best of examples like the Prophets PBUH companions. They converted 1/3 of the know world just by their example.
I fear for the people who do not follow the pure belief and the straight path.
I question a people who believe that women should not be part of everything. Do they dishonor their own Mothers?
I still work on myself and my beliefs. I question everthing. Maybe this is good, maybe not but I have that nature. I pray it keeps me on the straight path too.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:06 am
Sallam,
Jazakhullahu khaeran for the post, may Allah be with each and everyone of us. Alhamdullilahi, i was born in to the most beloved religion on earth about 24 yrs and since the day i have known my self to be wise enough to make my on decision, i had no regret for been a muslim. Now to the new convert and those that are on their way to discover this beautiful religion, they should follow their heart and forget about what the media say or people say about. You will never regret for been one.
Sallam.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:50 am
I recently read “Road to Mecca,” by Mohammad Asad, and was very impressed by his reasoning of his conversion to Islam. This portion is towards the end of the book, but I recommend the book to all who love to read. You won’t ever regret reading a single page of it. There’s history, there’s politics, there’s human intrigue, and personal reflections, all put together beautifully. It’s a master piece written by someone who was not born a Muslim, but rather a Jew.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:23 am
Good article. I am also new to Islam, as of January 2008. At age 38, I had considered myself agnostic bordering on athiest
for about 20 years. ( I left the Christian faith at age 18 because it all seemed to unbelievable and pointless)
In the Fall of 2007 I decided that my brain was bored and it would be a good idea to try and learn a
new language. So I chose one off the list of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn. Learning the Arabic
language became my new casual hobby. Well, as you can guess…. anyone who begins to learn Arabic will come in contact
with Islam, Muslims, the Quran, etc. I learned bits and pieces of Islam, and bits of the language, but then I brought home a
translated Quran that had both English and Arabic text so I could study the letters, writing, etc. Through reading the Quran, it
did not take me very long to realize…..(and it brought me right out of my chair) ….that the Muslim’s “Allah” is the same God
I had learned about as a child raised in Christianity.
I was so excited!!! I NEVER KNEW there was another option for believing in “God”… and that I was not DOOMED because
I could never truly believe that Jesus was the “Son”. I had thought that because I could not believe in Jesus…that I was
just …like I said… “DOOMED”. But here, all of a sudden… maybe I am not doomed… maybe not agnostic… and what
a relief…not athiest.
I do consider myself Muslim now, although it has been a challenge and a rocky path. I currently live in the Inland Pacific
Northwest…and if you know anything about that area…. it is sadly lacking in diversity. I have not met any Muslims and
feel a little ”alone”. But.. last week I found a Mosque under construction. I plan to watch the mosque and monitor it’s
progress and when it opens I will knock on the door.
~sabah~
April 17th, 2008 at 3:34 am
This post is very comprehensive and I dont think that the person who studies it will pass through without thinking over it and when he thinks over all the sayings of Allah he will definitely be impressive and will be compelled to abide by the rules of Islam and will try to dissolve his life in Allah’s laws. Anyway I really appreciate this post which helps the people whether they are muslims or of any religion to think over it and move the directions of their lives to a right path i.e. Islam.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Assalamu Alaykum,
My contribution especially to the new converts with regards to their initial difficulties is patience. Muslims should understand and accepts the hardship and challenges of the world because on the onset it was never promised that life will be bed of roses. Allah in the Holy quran informed us in several places that He Allah will try and test us with hardsip of varying degree to prove ourselves. Infact in surah mulk he said ” He created death and life to test whom amongst us will be best in deeds”. We should not allow the disease mentioned by our dear Prophet 1400 years ago to grab us. That is love of the world and hate to death. We should not take muslims as the yard stick for measuring islam rather use islam to measure muslims. May Allah strengthened us in faith and clean our hearts to understand and give us the strength to practice ameen.
April 17th, 2008 at 5:05 am
‘Alhamdulillah that more and more people are embracing Islam. It is the only true religion and the islamic faith is the only way for all men and and woman to attain peace and harmony in life and the hereafter. This is the promise that ‘Allah swt bestowed to us in the Quran and who is ‘Allah?. ‘Allah swt is our creator and all that exists, the universe, the galaxies, the stars, the air, water, plants and animals etc. etc. Who can be greator or equal in ‘Allah swt’s power?. None.
If none other than ‘Allah swt , then there is no reason that we should not submit to Him and to Him alone, and that is what Islam is. A perfect religion for all who thinks rationally.
I hope the whole world will embrace Islam.
Wasalamu’alaikum.
April 17th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Alhamdullilah blog is nice to read I hope The whole world will embrace islam…
April 17th, 2008 at 6:32 am
shikha
Though I belong to non-muslim family,I have full faith in Allah,Quran Sharif & Qayamath… My muslim friend preached me about Islam, In the beggining I didn’t give it a thought but later on I realised it that no other religion can ever give me so much peace & satisfaction that Islam gives me…Whenever I utter “Allah” the pious feelings for the creator transcends through my heart…. But I still crave for someone who will teach me whole about Islam…sometimes I feel myself so helpless that I have no enough source to know about Islam & sometimes if I have I cant go along with them as I always find some difficulties be it in pronunciation or understanding the meaning or its relevance… I belong to a Hindu conservative family which wants me to follow their religion but I can never go on a wrong path & towards the darkness as far as “Allah” is with me. May Allah! one day I”ll be the complete muslim and on the path of Islam without thinking about my family,friends or anyoneelse…the process has been started…Ameen!!!!! khuda-hafiz..
April 17th, 2008 at 6:59 am
What is happening now about people converting to Ismal has been said in the Quran but the unfortunate thing is that most muslim do not really value their faith becuase they not tend to study more about it as the Prophet Muhammed (SAW) has instructed that seeking knowledge is a must for every muslims. If only muslim can learn to know much about their religion, then and only then would they know that they are the most blessed among all creatures.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:19 am
Assalam alaykum ayyuha muslimun
There is no doubt that Islam is the religion which will make people to be awarded good life after death so it must win whatever meaures will be taken to destroy it because Allah have said that He will protect the religion even if all of us to protect it so conversion of so many people to islam reflect the words of Allah
Wishing u all the best
April 17th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Most of us that were born in Islam (in Nigeria for example) had a distorted dogma of Islam. It was more an inherited custom than a faith of submission to Allah through reasoning as stated in the essay. Alhamdu Lillah, despite the conflicts with our traditionist Islamic scholars, we are getting more and more informed, educated and close to the true doctrine- Sunnah of Muhammad (SAW). May Allah perfect our faiths in Islam and grant the converts wisdom and iman to see Islam from the Qur’anic and Hadeeth points of view not from what we are doing as muslims. We are equally battling ourselves to do Islam practically. We are never models or torch bearers of Al-Islam.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Assalam , ALLAH bless you all , muslims need to read alot of Quran and understand it ,practice its teaching and the teaching of Muhammad (PBUH) The Quran states it
110: 1. When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory,
110: 2. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds,
110: 3. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and Mercy).
indeed The Quran is Devine it warned us about this era can you imagine after sept 11 ALLAh is Great
ma assalam
April 17th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Assalaam alaikum to all here.
Maasha allah a real good post here,
It was nice to read through all over that many people are accepting the truth & Allah is helping them to move to right path.
But some of the muslims are not clear & lack sufficient knowledge about what they are following, this is sad to know.
But reasons may be many hence all here ask allah to help us all to be in right path.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:47 am
This article is infact one of the best article i’ve ever read. It is very straight forward, simple to understand and with quite a numbers of examples.
Thanks
April 17th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Assalamoalaikum
I would like to share my experience during my last train journey
I had an audio Quran with me which I tried to play in train.
Just after a few verse a man came to me and asked “Is it Quran ?
Can I get a hindi translation of it to read?”
I expressed sorry for not having hindi translation
But I proposed to him that I can explain the meaning of that portion of recital which was going on.
He agreed to listen and I explained to him a few ayaat of Sura Yaseen.
He kept listening with concentration and then said that he has a translation and explanation of hindu holy book “Geeta” in which the translator has said that the teaching of Geeta is to worship the one and only God and shun idol worship.
He also said to me that the translator of Geeta has written in it that currently in whole of the world if somebody is following the teaching of geeta in true sense then they are muslims.
This was what had attracted that man towards Quran.
The nonmuslims who read the Quran come to know that this is the original teaching of their scripture.
As we all know that Quran is the preserver of previous revelations.
The muslims who dont understand the value of Islam are those who dont devote enough time in learning Quran and contemplation on it.
Besides there is the theory of evolution which is scientifically proven to be wrong but is still a part of curriculum of teaching.
The people who read it as a scientific theory starts doubting the existence of God and dont take pains to study religion except the amount sufficient to stay in society.
I want to convey to muslims that the theory of evolution is only a theory yet unproven and in fact disproven by many recent scientific researches but it is still not known to general mass.
This is because many people hate religion and dont want the mass to follow religion for different reasons.
It is the duty of muslims to follow Islam ,teach Islam and propagate it so that those who are insearch of God can find Him . Ameen
April 17th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!
I agree that there are so many factors that drive people towards Islam. One could be the open-mindedness of those people who study Islam because they want to know the truth about it, even though they see people who call themselves Muslims and yet they do acts that are far from Islamic.
Although cultures and stereotypes still play a role in society, I think many people nowadays are more inclined to use their own minds in evaluating and judging different faiths and people, like Islam and the Muslims. Gone are the days when people submit themselves into blind obedience under people of authority.
Another factor is the simplicity and the logic that constitutes the doctrines of the Islamic faith, which appeals to the God-given gift of reason that is endowed to every human being. The teachings of Islam can be easily understood, whether a person is very well-educated or not.
Also, any person who believes that there is a God or a Supreme Being greater than anyone or anything else cannot disagree with the Islamic concept of monotheism or Tawheed. The mind as well as the heart and soul of the person totally submits itself to the fitrah implanted by Allah in every person. Allah guides any person whom He wishes towards Islam.
Alhamdulillah! I am one of those guided by Allah towards understanding and embracing Islam! Insha Allah, with this blog of yours and many others like it, many people will also be guided and driven towards Islam.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Here’s an excellent book on the history of Islam. This clearly shows why it was the best way to rule the world and how developed we were, before the crusaders decided to destroy everything…
http://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-Blackwell-Histories-Religion/dp/1405109025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208421081&sr=1-1
April 17th, 2008 at 9:03 am
The question is to those who don’t try to understand what ALLAH offers mankind through Islam and to those accepted it but are not ready to implement the teachings of Islam, including myself.
We should realize that Shaitan is always with us to misguide us. Don’t ever let him take over the control we have over our thinking and faith. Shaitan is very strong and we all know the power and ability ALLAH has blessed the cursed one with. Be careful. We should not focus on the betterment of Muslims alone as it has been mentioned in the first comment I saw here, instead we should contribute without looking at the faces of those who receive it. ALLAH is capable to changing the mentality of anyone if he or she is searching to find truth. We should approach people with an open mind because we are created to lead people in this world and we are the leaders if we follow the way of life which ALLAH has defined for us, which is Islam. My advice to myself and all those who read this is to try to be obedient to ALLAH, love everyone and the mankind as a whole, which may make us dear to ALLAH and His Messenger(Sallallallahu alayhi wasallam). May ALLAH guide us all and the Muslims and the Mu’mineem-Aameen.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Assalamu Alaikum,
All praise be to Allah for guiding us to be muslims, may He continue to guide us in the right path. I am praying to Allah to make the religion an easy one for our brothers & sisters (converted to islam).
April 17th, 2008 at 10:19 am
What Drives People to Convert to Islam ”
Mankind has a long long history to live in the dark age. Religious and clergy people tried their best to keep the people in the same reginal myths known as religion/religions. Devine books served lot to enlighten the hearts of the people uded to probe in. Even now the Quranic understandings are under the thick shades of the so called Hadiths. In my view only and only Quran is the Islam and complete code of life. When a beginner studys only Quran leaving the thousands of Hadiths aside embraces Islam easily. Because The Quran is all logic and full of why and how.
I do,t agree that the new commers in Islam are due to our muslim,s (nation as whole)moral character or moral .This is also the right way of thinking to study the devine book which brings/guids for certain conclusion.Mankind has seen the result of so called religions. After wandering variuos stages people are coming more and more to The Quran.
If the muslims having so many sources had made/shown any model of Jannah(Paradise) in the world ,it could have been happened earlier and easier.
Muslim must have their own Economic Form to solve the problem of basic human rights to exist with dignity and honor first for themselves and for the world at large. This will prove that RABB is RABB UL AALAMEEN
I can provide the booklet /hand out in Urdu language (QURAN FEHMI KAY QURANI ASOOL) to provide ease for this purpose.If you can arrange its traslation from some where do write me to email you.
Regards.
Muhammad Tufail Shad
Pakistan
Muhammad Tufail Shad
Pakistan
April 17th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Conversion to Islam is also common in Nigeria. But at the same time, we have witnessed a lot of people born into Islam, that have converted to Christianity, that is, Pentecostal Churches. The churches are exploiting the poverty that is so prevalent in Nigeria, to mislead Muslims. They organize crusades at they do fake miracles, all in attempts to deceive Muslims. They always promised that once you become a Christian, all your problems are solved- you will get a job, you will be promoted, etc. If you go to any new neighbourhood, most of the land has been bought up by churches. Muslims are too poor to be able to buy land, and devout it as a mosque space. There are not enough Islamic schools to really teach Muslim children the basics of Islam, to make it more difficult for them to be decived. The entire Muslim world should come to the aid of Nigerian Muslims, by establishing Islamic schools, training Islamic teachers, and supplying Islamic educational materials.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:00 am
salam, islam is nice noble religion to be and to hold, i congratulate the new convert and those who are on their way to.
ma’salam
April 17th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I converted to Islam after studying Christianity, Judism and Islam and looking at the science which each religion mentions. After I spoke to some Muslims about my research they explained their points of view about the new testament. When I checked their views using Christian scripture I realised they were right and that Islam was the True Religion.
The best thing I ever did was convert to Islam.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!
this website is very informative,i am very proud to be a muslim
salaam
April 17th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
i completed my masters degree in international studies in England in 2006, during both my undergrad studies and masters, i studied quiet alot of “terrorism” of course we all know how Islam is portrayed in modern day “terrorism”, this made we want to read the Qu’ran for myself and see what was in it, being an atheist at the time i knew i would read it objectively, with a clear mind as although i didnt believe in a higher being i wasent disrespectful of others religions as i was intelligent enough to know it worked for those who believed. i moved back to my home country of ghana after my studies and started reading the Qu’ran in may 2007. i was amazed at what i read, especially the science, specifically human embryology Quran 23:14, and other chapters, i knew the contents of the Qu’ran couldnt have come from man, before i finished the Qu’ran i was a Muslim. Discovering Islam is the best thing that has happened in my life.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
for those who think that Islam is bad i suggest READ, do noe take heed of the media. i was happy as a christian. i married a muslim who for 15 years only talked to me about his religion and was happy for me to keep my faith [does this sound like extremism?]. i converted because i took the time to read and study in order to find out more about the religion that held my husband and made him the man he was. it came to me on a sunday morning..i woke up and felt it was right, that i wanted to change and as soon as i said the words of the sha hadah i had a feeling that is is undescribable. i have never looked back and 6 years on i am happier than i ever was. take the time to read, understand, dont judge by what you hear
April 17th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
As salaam alaykum,
MashaAllah! Nice article. May Allah (swt) continue to keep us on the straight path and keep us there until we breath our last, aamiin.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Assalamu Alaikum everyone here,
First of all, I do want to say “WELCOME” just from the bottom of my heart to our fresh brothers and sisters!
As to “what drives people to convert to Islam”, those who are in the dark do want light and look for it while those who are in the light do not evaluate the light they are in. Then, they find themselves in twilight just because they do not devote enough time in learning Quran and contemplation on it. The reason why most of the muslims behave as if they had had inheritance from their passed away elderly is this, - in my humble opinion.
However, I believe that “the more the science develop, the better Islam will be understood”. You know ALLAH is explaining His signs continuously.
[ 2:242. Thus doth Allah Make clear His Signs to you: In order that ye may understand.]
In order to get help from our Creator, we must obey Him as much as possible. I hope we all have mercy from Allah…
Mehmet - Turkey
April 17th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I know many of them read the Quran an have seen that there is no doubt about the saying’s of the Holy Book.All is the saying’s of Allah.If you get to know about that then why would not fear Allah an submit your self to him .Am greeting all Muslim Brother’s and Sister’s, tell you to fight more for Islam .May the wonderful Lord have mercy on us all.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:03 am
Assalamu Allaikum
In my experience, It will be hard for anyone to embrace Islam unless he/she has a chance to read the Holy Koran. I became a Muslim just two years back when I had a chance to work in Egypt. I was able to understand and embrace Islam as my relegion on my own. Considering all the negative views of what I see and hear from other people about Muslim, Koran help me a lot.
I grew up in a solid Christian family. I stayed with my Uncle who is a Catholic Priest I also had two Aunties who are Catholic Nuns. In my younger years I even wanted to be a Priest someday. It was Gods will that I was converted. My family at first was astonished of my decision, some of my dear friends even have some negative views about it. But Allah Is Great…He has guided me all the way to overcome this. I am Praying that someday they too will have a chance in reading the Holy Koran.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:33 am
Asalamu Alaikum
Its Allah’s promise in the Quran that he will make his religion supreme and prevail over every other religion and ideology based on falsehood.However its a sad fact that Muslims in the Islamic world are not practising Muslims like these converts.In Pakistan a very distorted version of Islam is followed, an Islam which is more sectarian in nature,uncomprmising,unreasonable and based on Eastern mode of thought.While we blame the West for all our miseries we tend to forget that we are also partly responsible for that too.If we want to do dawaah we must start from our own Muslim lands and correct the social illnesses present in our respective Muslim societies which stem partly from the cultural mindset and partly from the result of Western colonization of our lands.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Salam,
I went through a Christian book,and there is this
WISDOM QUOTE;”That Christianity is in its very essence
a resurrection religion, the concept of resurrection lies at its heart.
If u remove it ,Christianity is destroyed” ;- By JOHN STOTT.
I kept on asking, how can a religion be based on RESURRECTION alone.
Is that all Christianity has to offer? Resuurection? Ma sallam.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:52 am
It’s simply a question of truth. If a person is seeking for truth, and only truth, the moment that person comes into real and direct contact with Islam, he or she will discover that Islam is the truth he/she has been searching for. Look at the simplicity, the way the message of Allah is delivered in the Holy Qur’an, the simple life of the Holy Prophet (SAW), and you would see the light of Allah in all these. Islam is the only religion that touches every aspect of human existence from cradle to grave - what we call a life cycle assessment of the human being. There is no religion like Islam and I am happy for those who Allah Has caused to see the light of truth.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
As salaamu alaikum all,
Masha Allah, what a great article!
I do feel obligated to agree with sister Om Samir who questioned the lack of resources for the new Muslim in America. This is exactly my experience. When I made shahada, NO ONE offered to help me learn to pray. I also think questioning is frowned upon, in some mosques. Why? Conservativism? Islam, understood correctly, is the most radical faith out there.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Assalamualaikum
I am happy to for part of this team who love to see Islam spread all over the world. Indeed Allah’s promise is true and as He said in chapter An-Nasr people will convert in mass to the religion of Islam and He asks us to praise Him and ask for forgiveness.
Dear Muslim brothers and sisters we will soon be meeting Allah so we make dua sincerely that Allah protect us, guide us and all mankind to the true and right path.
May Allah, the Almighty, reward all those contributing to the success of Islam.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Assalaamu Alaykum,
“Critical thinking” does sum it up! I truly believe that any intelligent person who is open-minded and not afraid of change will undoubtedly recognize the Qur`an and Hadith to be sensible, tangible and the most proficient in teaching human beings how to live. Alhamdulillah, I converted to Islam 3 1/2 years ago (at the age of 48) after struggling for so long to find the answer to “why am I here, why am I alive”. After seeking out learned teachers, reading Qur’an and learning some Hadith….it was very apparent to me that I need search no longer for answers. Everything I need to know about living and life is contained within the very verses given to us by Allah (swa) through Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and the examples of living provided by Prophet Mohammed - one of Allah’s greatest gifts to mankind. I am so very proud to be Muslim regardless what the media may say about the religion of Islam. It is known that man fears what he doesn’t understand…..One would think it is the responsibility for every living person of understanding to seek out the truth in every pertinent situation. Nothing is more important than life and living it with our eyes, ears and heart open. And our Creator must be worshipped in the correct way, the righteous way….and for this we will be rewarded.
We suffer in this life for many reasons. Does it make sense to spend the rest of eternity suffering…..or does it make sense to live according to what is expected of us and then live the rest of eternity in bliss? Why miss out on what our Creator has planned for us….by living this temporary life filled with wordly pleasure when there is no end to the pleasure we will experience in paradise if Allah is pleased with our life decisions?
Non-muslims: Forget tradition …..think for yourself. Be an adult….be wise…..seek out the truth of Islam, insha Allah.
Salaam, Zainab
April 19th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Assalaamu alaykum,
To all our brother and sister reverts - welcome back to the religion that you have yearned for since birth. Allah (swa) leads those whom he loves to the righteous path and insha allah you’ll be rewarded for seeking the truth. As sister Zainab points out, yes we do ’suffer in this world for many reasons’, however, we have been promised paradise and we place our faith in our creator, Allah (swa) to extend a welcome to others who are seeking the truth.
May Allah shower us with his mercy and forgive us for our wrongly acts,
Wa salam,
Amal.
April 19th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Excellent website to interact with like-minded people. May Allah bless us all.
April 19th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Dear Brothers n Sisters,
I passionately went through the comments of the new converts to Islam, who dad chosen the right path of their own by getting insight from verses of Holy Qur’an. My request to those who want to learn more about Islam is that you dont learn Islam by seeing the acts of a few who are boasting as Muslims, rather, you learn it from the original sources and the society of our beloved prophet, Muhammad ( SAW ) and his true followers. Then only you may have a clear picture of what is Islam and what is not.
The very concept of terrorism is alien to Islam.
may Allah, the Almighty lead us all to the Straight Path. Ameen.
April 19th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
You will agree with me that the common denominator is the Qur’an which Allah, who created us and knows our common thinking, gave to mankind. No matter how hardened one is, he can never come in contact with the Qur’an and not go back to it again, and again. It is the book of Allah and the aim is to guide mankind to the truth of Islam.
So brethren, the only thing you can do is introduce the Qur’an to those who are antagonising the deen and you will see the result (remember how Umar embraced Islam)
However, what we muslims really should continually aspire for is to follow the true guidance of the Qur’an as practically exemplified by his messenger so that we can get the benefit (as promised by Allah) both in this world and the hereafter.
May Allah continue to soften the heart of mankind so that they can continue to, not only see the truth, but embrace and live by it.
Ma salaam
Nurudeen Oladipo
April 20th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
BISMILLAH AR RAHMAAN AR RAHEEM
INNADDIN INDALLAHIL ISLAAM (THE BEST RELIGION IN THE EYES OF ALLAH IS ISLAAM–AYAAT SHAHAADA)
LE YUDHAROO ALAA DEENE KULLE (IT WILL PREVAIL OVER ALL RELIGIONS– SURAH AL FATH)
SO IT IS NATURAL THAT INSHA ALLAH WHOLE OF MANKIND IN DUE COURSE OF TIME WILL TURN TO ISLAAM.
SHUKRAN LILLAH
April 21st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Assalamu alaykum,
Greetings, my name is Neelam. On the exact date of October 21, 2006, I officially took the Shahada at a Masjid, hence I have been a Muslim ever since. In complete and utter honesty, Islam is the best thing that has ever happened to me personally. As a child, I felt the beauty that is Islam and was fascinated by it. Growing up, my fascination and love for Islam never seemed to have waned. It all started when I was seven and I approached my friend Waqar (who is Muslim as well), telling him that I wanted to know about Islam. In the years that followed, I was highly influenced by Islam as I celebrated Islamic Holidays (Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha), learned how to pray Salah/Namaz and even read the Qur’an. The years of when I was seven-years-old to when I was thirteen-years-old (which was when I moved from one town to another) were when the seeds were planted. In time, those seeds of faith have flourished and grown to become a mighty tree upon which my life is solely based. When I was twelve, my parents had a renewal of Christian faith and tried to instill in me many Christian values. For sometime, I became involved in the Christian Church but as much as I did, I realized that Islam was in my heart. We would go to Church and I would glimpse nuns who happened to remind me of Muslim women covering their hair. I cover my hair to this day, however my parents aren’t very happy with my choice of religion. Christianity was never the religion for me…in fact I view it as a precursor to Islam. Ever since converting (reverting) to Islam, my life has felt clearer and clearer. I have a multitude of Muslim friends who offer me assistance in becoming a better Muslim and help me to understand things easier. I owe many thanks to them. Best wishes.
Ma salaam/Allah hafiz,
Neelam
April 29th, 2008 at 4:44 am
Confucius said , ‘ If I was the world’s leader , I would have freed the words from the humans’ captivity’. I do not remember his exact words. So , let’s free the word ‘belief’ from our captivity by narrowly defining it and make it serve humanity instead of causing misunderstanding , hatred , bloodshed , etc. According to some scholars , belief is nothing in itself but rather it correlates closely with one’s knowledge and understanding. So , by this criterion we can evaluate and judge one’s or ourselves’ beliefs in sth or sb. For example , when one says that they believe in the Quran , by applying this criterion , we ask them whether they have studied the Quran thoroughly and whether they have no difficulty in understanding it? Then , by taking into account the well-known philosophical statement : “Everything is recognized via its opposites” , we ask them whether they have studied the available anti-Quran texts and if so whether they have found appropriate counter-arguments to them and whether those counter-arguments have satisfied them by using their own intellect and reasoning? Then , if the answers will be yes , we can conclude that they have positive belief in the Quran. Consider two persons , one a muslim and the other a Christian. The muslim does not know the Quran and the Christian does not know the Bible as explained above. We can conclude that they are of the same faith and there is no need for them to quarrel with each other and discuss the points of difference. By accepting this procedure , we will come to a closer understanding with other faiths and will not allow ourselves to condemn , ridicule , or disgrace others. Instead we will try to increase our opponents’ and others’ knowledge and understanding of our beliefs by different methods. So , the answer to the question ” Why are so many people converting to Islam?” becomes clear. Because more and more people study Islam.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Life is about believing. The reason why some christians convert to islam, because they believe it would make them a better person.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:34 am
i have christian gril that want to convert islam.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I am not suprised because it written in the Holy Quran 110:1…
… that it will come the the time many people will enter to the true religion(God’s religion[Islam])in many groups
May 5th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
There is a supposedly misleading comment in the main post which I would like to eloborate on , ie :”Although as Muslims we believe that the guidance (hidaya) comes only from Allah, the use of a person’s God-gifted intellectual reasoning has a very powerful role to play in Muslim converts making that destiny changing decision”. This seems to be a somewhat determinstic approach to the interpretation of the Quran. As an Islamic scholar says , ” An overall and consistent picture of any Quranic topic may be attained by studying all the verses of common topic, regardless of their sequential position”. Also by taking into account the Quranic verse which reads : ” Some of the verses interpret the others. ” So when we want to know the true meaning of the verses which attribute guidance to God like : ” God guides whomever He wills, and misleads whomever He wills.” , we must refer to all the verses of the same topic. In doing so , we will come across some verses which tell us that God will not guide those who are liars , oppressors , etc and then we may conclude that the people who will be guided by God are those who have taken some steps towards God and as a result God will want to guide them.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:21 am
salaam to all my brothers and sisters in Islam. Islam is more than a religion..it’s a way of life…the realisation that we are all living on borrowed time..that our real home is with All Mighty ALLAH..
may ALLAH shower your lives with PEACE and BLESSINGS