Converts to Islam: What did you convert from and what convinced you?

Question

Also what was the most difficult part of converting?

I was raised Christian and sorta evolved into a pantheistic spiritualist. I find it difficult to see myself ever belonging to a religion. I do, however, have a deep interests in religious and spiritual beliefs. Islam, from the standpoint of a former Christian is absolutely fascinating and intriguing to me. Thus I would like to hear from Muslims, especially converts to Islam.

Answer 1

I met someone in college.We were having a religious conversation.And he declared that Jesus was not the son of God .That started an argument.I was Christian. Long story Short,I read up on Islam for several months I was preparing to make this guy eat his words.But instead I found the truth.You see Jesus was a miracle.But miracles are created by God.

Answer 2

The more I studied Christianity the more confused I became. I didn't find a lot of logic, the Trinity made no sense to me at all and answers like "It's beyond human comprehension, so we just accept it as true" didn't settle well with me. I slowly began to look elsewhere and found the answers I sought in Islam. Islam matched the ideas I already had, so I felt as if I finally found closure and acceptance.

Answer 3

I was raised Episcopalian, a Protestant Christian sect.

For me, reversion was a process of years of research, reflection, and prayer.

I reached a point at which I had almost no religion at all, only the belief in One God. I knew, then, that I would, one day, accept Islam.

I read in the Holy Qur'an:

"(In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)

This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor unto you, and chosen for you Islam as your religion)"

Holy Qur'an, Surah 5 (The Table), verse 3.

That's when I knew I was Muslim, by God's grace and mercy, and not by any particular virtue or accomplishment of my own.

Really, the most difficult part was getting information. This was twenty-one years ago, before the Internet, and I didn't know any Muslims at all.

You can read my story (if you like) here:

http://www.geocities.com/hayatanneosman/American-Muslim.html

It really is true, that those whom Allah guides can never go astray.

Alhamdulillah! (Praise God!)

Answer 4

Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason... When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt the only answer for me was the Qur'an and Allah had sent it to me. (Yusuf Islam [Cat Stevens], former British pop star)

I am not a Muslim in the usual sense, though I hope I am a "Muslim" as "one surrendered to God," but I believe that embedded in the Quran and other expressions of the Islamic vision are vast stores of divine truth from which I and other occidentals have still much to learn, and "Islam is certainly a strong contender for the supplying of the basic framework of the one religion of the future." (From the book Islam and Christianity Today)

The essential and definite element of my conversion to Islam was the Qur'an. I began to study it before my conversion with the critical spirit of a Western intellectual... There are certain verses of this book, the Qur'an, revealed more than thirteen centuries ago, which teach exactly the same notions as the most modern scientific researches do. This definitely converted me. (Ali Selman Benoist, France, Doctor of Medicine)

I have read the Sacred Scriptures of every religion; nowhere have I found what I encountered in Islam: perfection. The Holy Qur'an, compared to any other scripture I have read, is like the Sun compared to that of a match. I firmly believe that anybody who reads the Word of Allah with a mind that is not completely closed to Truth, will become a Muslim. (Saifuddin Dirk Walter Mosig)

The strength of the Koran is that a Muslim, or anyone, can open it to any page and get a message dealing with life's meaning. (The well-known theologian John Esposito)


... the Meccans still demanded of him a miracle, and with remarkable boldness and self confidence Mohammad appealed as a supreme confirmation of his mission to the Koran itself. Like all Arabs they were the connoisseurs of language and rhetoric. Well, then if the Koran were his own composition other men could rival it. Let them produce ten verses like it. If they could not (and it is obvious that they could not), them let them accept the Koran as an outstanding evident miracle. (The well-known Arabist Hamilton Gibb of the University of Oxford)

After a discussion about the function of mountains for the fixing of the earth:

I believe that this [the Qur'an's information] is very very strange, it is nearly impossible, I believe truly that if what you are saying is right, thus, this book [the Qur'an] is very valuable to be noticed, I agree with you. (Professor Syawda, a Japanese scientist famous in Japan and internationally in the field of oceanic geology.)

Answer 5

This is a heck of a good question I hope I get to see some ans 's

Answer 6

bandicoot, from ur q's and a's i can tell u r considering islam. am i rite? lol i hope so, u seem to be on the rite path =D

Answer 7

It's time to convert to a little child to get to the Kingdom of God on earth while alive, not to get to any churches that tell you to wait to enter the Kingdom of God after death, the physical body get decomposed, transformed to ferilizers, sucked up by tree roots in the graveyard and back into the universe -- in form of dispersing protons and electrons.

Ha!,ha! h!, in fact, "God is for the alive". ~ Jesus Christ. You hear that!

I've found a community with a backup mentoring team building heaven on earh while alive, and has become one of the apprentices on their communal sharing circulatory system.

Don't trust me, check it out yourself first. They give you free-of-charge training (without any obligations) until you can live peaceful, happy, healthy before allowing you to participate in any funcions of their simple socio-economic co-innovating programs; http://sonyahome.blogspot.com/

Answer 8

i was born muslim , but i like it from long time ago..lol , i learn about it everyday/
i asked about it before here;
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlYHNFYhVQEFG12e9GxEzcYhBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20061103144436AAcJnd8

other Q similar to urs , about converts or ppl about to convert.(just wanted to give u more answers).

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Amx1jjjhVQiZvqqWn_WeRn0hBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20070718121653AAzjodF


http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Amn85E2KhtdazkSog.0VIQ8hBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20070916121618AA5R28i

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As7zV.oUnK.zouXEVcVDcmYhBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20070421143139AAVHZs0

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkkjDWZbTpGGFjTdImsfyGAhBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20070425014654AAWAlLB

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjLHBHmS8DmWxkRJ7hymRjQhBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20070712205230AA6XwsS

Answer 9

ASSALAM-O-ALAIKUM!
I M A MUSLIM NOT ONLY BY BIRTH BUT BY CHOICE AS WELL, I m having intense research on the basic believes of all major religions and i found ISLAM as by faaaaaaaar the best.
Towards which religion COMMON SENSE leads us?

COMMON SENSE # 1: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said like true prophets of Allah Abraham, Moses & Jesus etc to believe in only ONE true God, not like other fools who used to preach IDOLS.

COMMON SENSE # 2: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said believe in Jesus and his revealed book (original one which is lost) and Mosses and his revealed book (original one which is lost) and all revealed books and prophets otherwise u can not be a Muslim. If he is not the true prophet (MAAZ ALLAH) then why he said that believe in them otherwise u will be sent to HELL. Read “EMAN-E-MUFASSIL“ & ” EMAN-E-MUJAMEL “ 2 testify.

COMMON SENSE # 3: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never said that he is (MAAZ ALLAH)” God “but strictly said that there is only one ALLAH (God) and no one is like him. If he is not the true prophet (MAAZ ALLAH) then why he said that
He is ALLAH’s last prophet & not bragged about himself (MAAZ ALLAH) as God, as so many ppl did.

COMMON SENSE # 4: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said like true prophets before him like Abraham, Moses & Jesus about the JUDGEMENT DAY.

COMMON SENSE #5:If u see Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) in pictures made by Non-Muslims he has same kind of beard like Muhammad (peace be upon him) had & Muslims have, And also Mother Marry dress in pictures made by Non-Muslims, is exactly 100% same as Muslim women do dress.

COMMONE SENSE # 6:Non-Muslims say that Muhammad (peace be upon him) plagiarize the Holy Quran from the Holy Bible but this is NOT possible because Muhammad (pbuh) was not educated, then how he could do such a thing?

COMMONE SENSE # 7: Another reason that Muhammad (peace be upon him) can’t plagiarize from the Holy Quran from the Holy Bible is that “The Holy Bible at the time of Muhammad (pbuh) was not translated in ARABIC language then how he could plagiarize from it”?

COMMON SENSE # 8:Non-Muslims claim that Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself wrote the Holy Quran, if so then why his name is only comes in the Holy Quran only 5 times & Prophet Abraham (Pbuh) name 63 times,Prophet Jesus (pbuh) name 25 times, Prophet Moses (pbuh) name comes 136 times, Prophet Adam (pbuh) name 25 times, Prophet Noah (pbuh) names comes 43 times, Prophet Hud (pbuh) names comes 7 times,Prophet Salih (Pbuh) names comes 8 times in the Holy Quran & names of some other prophets used more than the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), If (Maaz Allah) Muhammad (peace be upon him) wrote the Holy Quran then why not he used his name more than any other prophet?

COMMON SENSE # 9:If Muhammad (peace be upon him) MAAZ ALLAH not a prophet then why he used to pray 5 times a day and conveyed the message of ALLAH that this an order from ALLAH, & in ISLAM u can’t pray without performing ablution. Why Muhammad (pbuh) used to pray? What for? For who?

COMMON SENSE # 10:If Muhammad (peace be upon him) MAAZ ALLAH not a prophet then why he himself performed “HAJJ” which is the toughest of the pillars of ISLAM, and said that it is FARZ (Imperative) for all Muslims who have the money to afford it. For who? What for?

COMMON SENSE # 11: Why Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) strictly ordered not to do "SAJDA" before any body but ALLAH. IF he is not MAAZ ALLAH not a prophet then why he said so? Why not he said do "SAJDA" to me as well?

COMMON SENSE# 12:If Muhammad (peace be upon him) MAAZ ALLAH not a prophet then why he used to "FAST" for the whole month of "RAMADAN" for 29 to 30 days without a break & why he most of the time used to PRAY in TARAWEEH (long prayer) and other prayers after the FAST? for who? For what?

COMMON SENSE# 13:If Muhammad (peace be upon him) MAAZ ALLAH not a prophet then why he used to give ZAKAAT (Obligatory Charity, Money to poor) and said that this is God’s order and every one who can afford should give ZAKAAT. FITRAA is also a God’s order and it is also giving money to poor ppl. Why he used to do that himself and said that this is IMPERATIVE for all Muslims who can afford ZAKAAT & FITRAA. For what and for who?

COMMON SENSE# 14:If Muhammad (peace be upon him) MAAZ ALLAH not a prophet then why he used to give KHAIRAT,SADQA,AQIQA to poor ppl which is again giving money to needy ppl to gain reward from ALLAH.

COMMON SENSE#15: Even Abraham (Pbuh), Moses (Pbuh) used to dress like Muslims, cover head, beard and thoroughly covered body.

COMMON SENSE#16: There is a Quranic verse named after mother of Jesus (Pbuh), the name of the verse is Surrah-e-Mayam.If prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) is MAAZ ALLAH not a prophet then why not he named the Quranic verse name after his mother? Allah says that he choose Mary above “the women of all nations”. Why not Muhammad (Pbuh)‘s mother if he MAAZ ALLAH wrote the Holy Quran himself. (3:42). AL-E-IMRAN (THE FAMILY OF 'IMRAN, THE HOUSE OF 'IMRAN) "Behold! the angel said: 'God has chosen you and purified you and has chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary! God gives you the good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the hereafter, and one of those brought near to God".

COMMON SENSE#17:If Muhammad (Pbuh) is not a TRUE prophet then why he never used alcohol and made it strictly prohibited, which is always use by humans for fake enjoyments. for whom? What for? Why?

COMMON SENSE#18: Muhammad (Pbuh) went to MAKKAH to perform Hajj from MEDINA with all of his followers but with no arms when the ppl of MAKKAH were to HOSTILE against Muslims, for whom? What for? Why?

I COULD HAVE WRITE TONS OF TONS MORE COMMON SENSES BUT IF I DO THIS, THEN WHAT WILL BE LEFT FOR U TO THINK ABOUT?

(ENTER PERFECTLY IN ISLAM & NO TO SATAN)
"O you who believe! Enter perfectly in Islam (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islamic religion) and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Verily! He is to you a plain enemy."
(al-Qur'an 2:208)

May Allah help & guide us all, Amen’.