Often when people find out I converted to Islam (Yes I use converted instead of reverted but that's for a different post) ... they ask about my story. "Why did you convert" so I wanted to write, in detail, why I converted so that it's out there. Instead of typing it out every time and almost always forgetting details I want to have it here in the open to direct people to when asked. So, here you go. My convert story:
I want to start off by referencing my past. I was raised in a southern Baptist household. I remember begging to be baptized at 5. I was very religious and conservative Christian until 15. I went to church 2-3 times a week. Sunday, Wednesday nights and Fridays. When I was 15, I left the church after they told my brother he wasn't welcome. I didn't believe in Christianity because of how much hatred I saw in the community. Not over my brother but among other things too- and so much judgement against one another in the church. All that I was taught was judging others, converting others to save them, and hell. You would not believe the number of sermons preached to me on hell. It was so much fear mongering and I couldn't take it. I couldn't live like that and I don't understand why anyone would. Besides that my parents and the church's opinions on Muslims were extreme. My parents would tell me that Muslims are nothing but terrorists, they want to erase Christianity and rape women and "kill all infidels". They raised me to be islamaphobic but oh how it backfired lol...
When I left the church I still believed in God. I always have. But it got complicated because I then started thinking and discovering things on my own. I got into witchcraft and worshipped god through rituals and with an altar. I gave offerings of nature and prayed with different "spells". I researched a lot about Catholicism... I was really lost and kept going back and forth between paganism and Christianity/Catholicism.
When I was 18/19, I became close with a man from Pakistan but living in the UK. He mentioned being Muslim and fasting and stuff but didn't really talk a lot about it. He was the first Muslim person I had ever interacted with and I was curious about his religion, so I started reading the Qur'an. That was the first time I read the Qur'an and listened to recitations. I was curious but I didn't really understand.
When I came to university within a week, I met a Hijabi girl for the first time. She was Somali. This is what changed my mind about Muslims 100%. My friend from Pakistan helped a lot but I was still very ignorant because I never really asked him questions or talked about his religion. I was always just curious and confused and afraid to ask lol. The Hijabi girl I met was an amazing person in general. She always spread positivity, was always laughing, always had a smile on her face. She was an inspiration for me in general. Kind to everyone and full of sympathy.
I talked to her one day about Islam after I started dating a man from Saudi (haram I know...) and it made me even more curious. Our conversation was right after the Christchurch shooting in NZ and thatâs really what brought it about. I did a lot of research and reading after that. Eventually, during my third semester of university, I was taking a course on religion and culture. I had an assignment to go to a place of worship that was not my own. I had called a Saudi friend that was in town visiting and he took me to a mosque. It was the trip to the mosque that made me convert really. Everyone up until that point had influenced me and I probably wouldnât be here today typing this post without them but experiencing a mosque for the first time is what made me take my Shahada and choose to become Muslim.
When we went inside, we were met by a married Egyptian couple who could tell I was nervous and to be honest, I probably looked scared to death. I didnât know what was acceptable and what wasnât. I didnât know if I would be offensive by asking certain things inside. I had never been before and like a dummy- did no research before hand because it was all short notice.
The woman that greeted us showed me up to the womanâs section and taught me wudhu, and prayer and showed me the Quran in Arabic and explained a lot of things to me that I didnât previously know. I texted my friend/classmate and told her I wanted to convert while I was there but didnât know how to bring it up. She called me and I took my Shahada with the Egyptian woman while on the phone with my friend. It was an amazing moment. I couldnât have asked for anything better.
Since then Iâve learned a lot and grown a ton as a Muslim. Iâm so grateful Allah led me to him and Iâm so thankful to be a part of the Muslim community. Â Iâve had major character development. Sis is almost a whole new person as opposed to who she was last year. But Iâm still not perfect and still have a lot to learn which was really the purpose of writing on this blog. So, if youâre a follower or just happened to stumble upon this post- thank you for reading this far. Please consider reading more in the future.
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