Muhammed Umar Rao, Ex-Hindu, Brahmin

God’s grace that I’m blessed with religion of God, I’m Mohammed Umar Rao from India, I embraced Islam 6 years back at the age of 18. I wanted to share my story with you all perhaps this would make a difference for non-Muslims to really think over to know what is the truth. I shared my story with two brothers, All praise and thanks be to God, they were convinced that my decision and choice is best, they started reading Quran and also embraced it few days back.

My Background

I come from a middle class orthodox Brahmin family; my parents worked in private firms (Mother: teacher, Father: textile engineer). My religious education was at my maternal uncle’s place, that’s how I became orthodox and my whole family education was always against Muslims, which was nailed in me deeply.

I was associated with RSS for few years; I always hated Muslims to the extent that in all public functions I wanted to give high volume for music sound boxes to ensure that the Adhaan [Call to Prayer] should not be heard at all. I used to go round the town visiting all temples to complete my worship everyday. I was liked, appreciated in family for being orthodox and encouraged to do more.

My Meeting with Islam

In the summer, my mother asked me to work for a Muslim business firm, which I disagreed, because from childhood I always hated Muslims. My mother stopped forcing me on this; I worked few summers with a non-Muslim so I was able to satisfy my parents. Later, I quit that part time job because I did not like the job and started concentrating more on studies aiming for a better job. Meantime, my mother, sisters worked 2 months in part time for this Muslim brother. They were highly impressed with him.

I always hated this person because I did not like the fact that my people were praising a Muslim whom I always hated. I was pushed and insulted for not being useful to the family, so I started working for the same Muslim brother though I hated him before going. After getting in his shop I started hating more because the non-Muslim employees of that shop embraced Islam, I took this challenge to teach him a lesson claiming my religion is true and from there, I started doing comparative study with whatever common sense which God had blessed me then.

By now, in the verge to know more about Islam, I started reading English translation of the Holy Quran (by Abdullah Yusuf Ali). This changed my entire student life; I was stuck with fear, doubts, I realized the fact that whatever I’m doing is wrong, my religion is all about imaginations/myths and false stories. I had many questions, doubts like where am I heading to, what should I do? What is my duty? Why has the message of truth not reached all of us? Many questions came to my mind and my entire student life went in this hunt of truth.

I started questioning my parents, people around that who has seen God almighty to paint /make images of God, all answered me that none has seen God which is so true as it is mentioned in many places in The Quran. Finally, some mythological stories broke my faith down. The stories of Ganesha, Chamundeswari, Ram, Sita etc. did not make sense to me. I could no longer imagine them as gods.

When I questioned my parents that Vedas are against Idol Worship and why do we still practice it, my mother scolded me saying we are supposed to do it as our forefathers did it, the next day I read a verse in the Quran, Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2) which reads:

“When it is said to them: ‘Follow what God has sent down.’ They say: “Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.” (Would they do that!) Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided?” (Quran 2:170)

…and:

“That was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what they used to do.” (Quran 2:134)

When I read this I was shocked to see something which I just questioned my mother last night. This ayah (verse) hit me right deep inside. I slowly stopped worshipping idols, and stopped doing Pooja [Editor’s note: A Hindu ritual for prayer], since shirk (Polytheism) is the only sin which will never be forgiven. I started practicing the teachings of Islam in secret in the beginning. There were few [themes] from chapter Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2) which [mean that] There are few who accept Islam wherever it profits them and not whole heartedly [and that they] are hypocrites.

Also:

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Quran 5:3)

I realized that for all the questions that I have in my mind, the answers are present in the Quran.

By grace of God, I started conveying message of God at my home with little knowledge I had, I wanted to complete my B.E. meantime, conveying the truth would make it easy in the long run for me and my family, but after my final year of diploma I was pushed to wall, then the time came where I had no choice but to quit my family, my sister also embraced Islam and she joined me. We had to live out of our house for more than a year without a job or regular source of income. All praise be to God, God made our ways easy to be firm on truth.

As God says in the Quran:

“Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We believe,’ and will not be tested.” (Quran 29:2)

Over a period, Alhamdulillah, God opened doors of opportunities for us, I had quit my previous job as I was unable to perform my five times prayer, All the opportunities that came my way were from the mechanical industry which demanded that I work in shift and compromise my prayer. After quitting that job/mechanical profession for 1+ year, I did not get any job where I can perform 5 times prayer, Grace of God, I started working as faculty for 2000 rupees for a year and now I’m blessed with a better Job. By the Grace of God, Almighty God has chosen us, there’s nothing more required.

Bruce Paterson, Ex-Christian, UK

I would like to take the opportunity to share with you my journey to Islam and I feel that by sharing this experience with you I can help you on your journey through life. We are all born into different cultures, countries and religions in what often seems a confusing and troubled world. Actually, when we examine the world around us, we can easily see what a troubled state it is in: war, poverty and crime. Need I go on? Yet when we look at our own upbringing and our education, how can we be sure that all the things that we have been told, are in reality the truth? Unfortunately, most people in the world decide to try to hide and escape from the world’s problems rather than stand up and deal with the truth. Dealing with the truth is often the harder avenue to follow. The question is: Are you willing to stand up for the truth? Are you strong enough? Or, are you going to escape and hide like the rest? I started my search for the truth a number of years ago. I wanted to find out the truth about the reality of our existence. Surely, to understand life correctly is the key to solving all the worldly problems that we are faced with today. I was born into a Christian family and this is where my journey began. I started to read the bible and to ask questions. I quickly became unsatisfied. The priest told me, “You just have to have faith.” From reading the bible I found contradictions and things that were clearly wrong. Does God contradict himself? Does God lie? Of course not! I moved on from Christianity, thinking the scriptures of the Jews and the Christians are corrupted so there is no way that I can find the truth from the false. I started finding out about Eastern Religions and Philosophies, particularly Buddhism. I spent a long time meditating in Buddhist temples and talking to the Buddhist monks. Actually, the meditating gave me a good clean feeling. The trouble was that it didn’t answer any of my questions about the reality of existence. Instead it carefully avoided them in a way that makes it seem stupid to even talk about it. I traveled to many parts of the world during my quest for the truth. I became very interested in tribal religions and the spiritualist way of thinking. I found that a lot of what these religions were saying had truth in them, but I could never accept the whole religion as the truth. This was the same as where I started with Christianity! I began to think that there was truth in everything and it didn’t really matter what you believed in or what you followed. Surely though this is a form of escaping. I mean, does it make sense: one truth for one person and another truth for someone else? There can only be one truth! I felt confused, I fell to the floor and prayed, “Oh, please God, I am so confused, please guide me to the truth.” This is when I discovered Islam. Of course I always knew something about Islam, but only what we naively hear in the West. I was surprised though by what I found. The more that I read the Quran and asked questions about what Islam taught, the more truths I received. The striking difference between Islam and every other religion is that Islam is the only religion that makes a strict distinction between the creator and the creation. In Islam, we worship the creator. Simple. You will find however, that in every other religion there is some form of worship involving creation. For example, worshipping men as incarnations of God or stones, sounds familiar. Surely though, if you are going to worship anything, you should worship the one that created all. The one that gave you your life and the one who will take it away again. In fact, in Islam, the only sin that God will not forgive is the worship of creation. However, the truth of Islam can be found in the Quran. The Quran is like a text book guide to life. In it you will find answers to all questions. For me, everything I had learnt about all the different religions, everything that I knew to be true, fitted together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I had all the pieces all along but I just did not know how to fix them together. I would therefore like to ask you to consider Islam now. The true Islam as described in the Quran. Not the Islam that we get taught about in the West. You may at least be able to cut down your journey in search of the truth about life. I pray for your success, regardless.

How Does Islam Differ from other Faiths?

Balance between the Individual and Society Another unique feature of Islam is that it establishes a balance between individualism and collectivism. It believes in the individual personality of man and holds everyone personally accountable to God. The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, says: “Everyone of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is in his custody. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a lady is a guardian of her husband’s house and is responsible for it, and a servant is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for it.” I heard that from God’s Apostle and I think that the Prophet also said, “A man is a guardian of is father’s property and is responsible for it, so all of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and things under your care.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim) Islam also guarantees the fundamental rights of the individual and does not permit anyone to tamper with them. It makes the proper development of the personality of man one of the prime objectives of its educational policy. It does not subscribe to the view that man must lose his individuality in society or in the state. In Islam, all men are equal, regardless of color, language, race, or nationality. It addresses itself to the conscience of humanity and banishes all false barriers of race, status, and wealth. There can be no denying the fact that such barriers have always existed and continue to exist today in the so-called enlightened age. Islam removes all of these impediments and proclaims the ideal of the whole of humanity being one family of God. Islam is international in its outlook and approach and does not admit barriers and distinctions based on color, clan, blood, or territory, as was the case before the advent of Muhammad. Unfortunately, these prejudices remain rampant in different forms even in this modern age. Islam wants to unite the entire human race under one banner. To a world torn by national rivalries and feuds, it presents a message of life and hope and of a glorious future. The historian, A. J. Toynbee, has some interesting observations to make in this respect. In Civilization on Trial, he writes: “Two conspicuous sources of danger - one psychological and the other material - in the present relations of this cosmopolitan proletariat, i.e., [westernized humanity] with the dominant element in our modern Western society are race consciousness and alcohol; and in the struggle with each of these evils the Islamic spirit has a service to render which might prove, if it were accepted, to be of high moral and social value. The extinction of race consciousness between Muslims is one of the outstanding moral achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue ... It is conceivable that the spirit of Islam might be the timely reinforcement which would decide this issue in favor of tolerance and peace. As for the evil of alcohol, it is at its worst among primitive populations in tropical regions which have been ‘opened up’ by Western enterprise. The fact remains that even the most statesmanlike preventive measures imposed by external authority are incapable of liberating a community from a social vice unless a desire for liberation and a will to carry this desire into voluntary action on its own part are awakened in the hearts of the people concerned. Now Western administrators, at any rate those of ‘Anglo-Saxon’ origin, are spiritually isolated from their ‘native’ wards by the physical ‘color bar’ which their race-consciousness sets up; the conversion of the natives’ souls is a task to which their competence can hardly be expected to extend; and it is at this point that Islam may have a part to play. In these recently and rapidly ‘opened up’ tropical territories, the Western civilization has produced an economic and political plenum and, in the same breath, a social and spiritual void. Here, then, in the foreground of the future, we can remark two valuable influences which Islam may exert upon the cosmopolitan proletariat of a Western society that has cast its net around the world and embraced the whole of mankind; while in the more distant future we may speculate on the possible contributions of Islam to some new manifestation of religion.” Permanence and Change The elements of permanence and change coexist in human society and culture and are bound to remain so. Different ideologies and cultural systems have erred in leaning heavily towards one or other of these ends of the equation. Too much emphasis on permanence makes the system rigid and robs it of flexibility and progress, while a lack of permanent values and unchanging elements generate moral relativism, shapelessness, and anarchy. What is needed is a balance between the two – a system that could simultaneously cater for the demands of permanence and change. An American judge, Mr. Justice Cardozo, rightly says that “the greatest need of our time is a philosophy that will mediate between conflicting claims of stability and progress and supply a principle of growth.” Islam presents an ideology, which satisfies the demands of stability as well as of change. Deeper reflection reveals that life has within it elements of permanence and change - it is neither so rigid and inflexible that it cannot admit of any change even in matters of detail, nor it is so flexible and fluid that even its distinctive traits have no permanent character of their own. This becomes clear from observing the process of physiological change in the human body, for every tissue of the body changes a number of times in one’s lifetime even though the person remains the same. A tree’s leaves, flowers, and fruits change but its character remains unchanged. It is a law of life that elements of permanence and change must co-exist in a harmonious equation. Only such a system of life that can provide for both these elements can meet all of the cravings of human nature and all of the needs of human society. The basic problems of life remain the same in all ages and climes, but the ways and means to solve them as well as the techniques of handling the phenomenon undergo change with the passage of time. Islam brings to focus a new perspective on this problem and tries to solve it in a realistic way. The Quran and the Sunnah contain the eternal guidance given by the Lord of the universe. This guidance comes from God, who is free from the limitations of space and time and, as such, the principles of individual and social behavior revealed by Him are based on reality and are eternal. But God has revealed only broad principles and has endowed man with the freedom to apply them in every age in the way suited to the spirit and conditions of that age. It is through ijtihad (intellectual effort to arrive at the truth) that people of every age try to implement and apply the divine guidance to the problems of their times. Thus the basic guidance is of a permanent nature, while the method of its application can change in accordance with the peculiar needs of every age. That is why Islam always remains as fresh and modern as tomorrow’s morn. Complete Record of Teachings Preserved Last, but not least, is the fact that the teachings of Islam have been preserved in their original form. As a result, God’s guidance is available without adulteration of any kind. The Quran is the revealed book and word of God, which has been in existence for the last fourteen hundred years. It is still available in its original form. Detailed accounts of the life of the Prophet and of his teachings are available in their pristine purity. There has not been even one change made in this unique historic record. The sayings and the entire record of the life of the Prophet have been handed down to us with unprecedented precision and authenticity in works of the Hadith and the Sirah (the Prophet’s Biography). Even a number of non-Muslim critics admit this eloquent fact. These are some of the unique features of Islam that establish its credentials as the religion of man the religion of today and the religion of tomorrow. These aspects have appealed to millions of people in the past and the present and have made them affirm that Islam is the religion of truth and the right path for mankind. There is no doubt that these aspects will continue to appeal to even more people in the future. Men with pure hearts and sincere longing for truth will always continue to say: “I affirm that there is none worthy of worship except God, that He is One, sharing His authority with no one, and I affirm that Muhammad is His Servant and His Prophet.” Here, we’d like to conclude with the following words that George Bernard Shaw is reported to have said: I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion, which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phases of existence, which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him - the wonderful man - and in my opinion far from being an Antichrist, he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness. I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.

intifada in eurabia

integration Intifada in Eurabia? Von Jürgen Krönig | © ZEIT online, 14.11.2005 Ob Multikulturalismus oder Assimilierung, vor allem für muslimische Einwanderer sind bislang alle Integrationsmodelle in Europa gescheitert. Dennoch wäre es fatal, sich auf mehr muslimische Selbstverwaltung und rechtsfreie Räume einzulassen. Ein Kommentar von Jürgen Krönig Es ist nicht ratsam, die Vorzüge des eigenen politischen oder ökonomischen Modells allzu laut anzupreisen. Frankreich macht gerade diese Erfahrung durch. Entbehrt es doch angesichts des Aufruhrs in den tristen Vorstädten des Landes nicht der Ironie, dass noch vor ein paar Monaten Chirac und andere kontinentaleuropäische Politiker selbstbewusst die Überlegenheit des europäischen Sozialmodells betonten und, nicht ohne einen Schuss Selbstgerechtigkeit, den angeblich herzlosen, neoliberalen Weg der Angelsachsen verdammten. Von einem Gutteil der europäischen Medien wird derzeit als Erklärung für die französischen Unruhen das Mantra von Arbeitslosigkeit, Armut und Diskriminierung bemüht. Was zunächst einmal den Schluss nahe legt, dass es soweit nicht her sein kann mit den Vorzügen des kontinentaleuropäischen Modells. Schließlich mangelt es in den meisten Volkswirtschaften des Kontinents vor allem an Jobs. Was die Integration von Einwanderern gewiss nicht erleichtert. Doch die gebetsmühlenartig dargebotene Formel von Armut und Diskriminierung als Ursache für den Aufstand in den Immigrantenghettos verdeckt das Ausmaß eines gesamteuropäischen Dilemmas: Nirgendwo ist Integration wirklich gelungen, für welchen Weg man sich auch entschieden hat - ob für säkulare, farbenblinde Assimilierung wie in Frankreich, wo keine Zugeständnisse an kulturelle Eigenheiten der Einwanderer gemacht wurden, oder ob man, wie in Holland, Großbritannien und Deutschland, lange Zeit auf multikulturellem Pfad wandelte und es vor lauter Sensibilität versäumte, den Neuankömmlingen eine Anpassung an das Wertesystem ihrer neuen Heimat abzuverlangen. In Frankreich fackelt die zweite Einwanderergeneration aus dem Maghreb und Afrika in großem Stil Autos ab, in Großbritannien verbrannten Selbstmordattentäter, die aus scheinbar gut integrierten, in einigen Fällen sogar recht wohlhabenden Familien stammten, ihre Opfer, während in Holland der Filmemacher van Gogh in einem Ritualmord umgebracht wurde und Parlamentarier unter Polizeischutz im Versteck leben müssen. Anstatt "Staat" oder "Gesellschaft" die Schuld zuzuschieben und Täter zu Opfern zu machen, sollte man eine ehrliche Bilanz ziehen. Europa hat hinreichend Erfahrung gesammelt mit Einwanderung. Nach 50 Jahren lassen sich einige bittere Erkenntnisse nicht länger leugnen: Massenhafte Immigration, die aus demografischen wie ökonomischen Gründen bewusst gefördert wurde, bringt nicht nur Vorteile; sie zieht unweigerlich Probleme nach sich sowohl für Einwanderer wie für die heimische Bevölkerung. Kosten und Nutzen sind nicht gleichmäßig verteilt. Die Mehrheitsgesellschaft darf nicht überfordert werden, sonst erntet man Rassismus und Rechtsextremismus. Genauso wichtig ist die Einsicht, dass wachsende Vielfalt in europäischen Ländern auf Dauer das Mindestmaß an gemeinsamer Kultur unterminiert, dessen es bedarf, um einen großzügigen Sozialstaat zu erhalten. Des Weiteren: Manche ethnischen Gruppen vermögen sich ganz offenkundig besser an demokratische Industriegesellschaften anzupassen als andere. Die multikulturelle Ideologie ist in Europas Medien in einer Art dominant geworden, dass nur selten die Frage gestellt wird, ob es nicht interne Gründe innerhalb ethnischer und religiöser Minderheiten gibt, die ihre sozioökonomische Stellung erklären könnten. Dabei enthalten die Statistiken in Europa hierzu eine unmissverständliche Botschaft. Muslimische Einwanderer und ihr Nachwuchs sind in aller Regel ärmer, eher arbeitslos und schlechter ausgebildet als etwa Immigranten aus Indien oder Südostasien. Sowohl in Frankreich wie in Großbritannien leben fast 40 % der muslimischen Bevölkerungsgruppe von Zuwendungen des Staates. Die Arbeitslosigkeit unter asiatischen Einwandern dagegen liegt stets weit unter dem Landesdurchschnitt und deutlich auch unter der Rate für die weiße Bevölkerung. Die Unterdrückung der Frauen im islamischen Kulturkreis verschärft die sozialen Probleme der muslimischen Minorität, die ihren Frauen fast überall Erziehung und persönliche Entfaltung verweigert. Das ist nicht nur unakzeptabel für den demokratischen Rechtsstaat, in dem die Muslime leben. Es trägt dazu bei, muslimische Armut zu perpetuieren. In den meisten westlichen Gesellschaften hängt wirtschaftliches Wohlergehen, man mag das bedauern oder nicht, von zwei Einkommen pro Familie ab.

religious tolerance

Religious Tolerance in Muslim History By Idris Tawfiq Religious intolerance has become too much a part of modern life. It is a fact of life, though, that good people, of whatever faith, do not poke fun or try to insult one another's religion. On the contrary, we find that real people of faith are keen to get to know each other better and to learn from each other. Goodness, wherever it is to be found, comes from God. Where else would it come from? We should never feel threatened by goodness. It is only a threat to us when our own faith is weak or lukewarm and it shows up our own shortcomings. Since the very beginning, Islam has taught respect for the beliefs of others. We see it in the teaching and the practice of Islam right through history. Indeed, it is the sign of a Muslim that he or she respects the religion of others, and their Books and their Prophets. Those who teach otherwise, Muslim or not, are distorting the message of Islam. Muslims are no more or less perfect than anyone else. They believe, though, that the message they follow is a perfect message and is meant for the whole of mankind. Islam is perfect and it has existed since the beginning of time. Whilst some Muslims, throughout history, have not always lived up to the beauty of its message, Islam itself has nothing whatever to be ashamed of. It is an absolute basic belief of Islam, though, that people of other religions should be free to believe whatever they wish. In the Quran, which Muslims believe to be the word of God, you can read what means, [Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error: Whoever rejects Satan and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handle, that never breaks, and Allah heareth and knoweth all things.] (Al-Baqarah 2:256) In another place, God says what means, [Wilt thou (Muhammad) then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?] (Yunus 10:99) The Example of Madinah Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived side by side with Jews and polytheists. In Madinah, he made treaties with both, guaranteeing their freedom of religion and joining with them in a pact to defend the city. It was not that they were Jews or polytheists that made the Muslims eventually fight them, but because they broke the terms of the treaty and sided with the enemy which was attacking the city. It is, in fact, one of the hallmarks of the way Prophet Muhammad dealt with others, believers and non-believers, that he would listen very carefully to what they had to say, and he would ask, "Have you finished?" before giving an answer. He set the bench mark very high by showing Muslims that if they engage in dialogue, they must listen with great respect. The Example of Jerusalem When the second of the four rightly guided Caliphs, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, entered Jerusalem in 638 AD, he entered the city on foot, out of respect for the holiness of the place. His first action was to clear the rubble and the debris from the area of Al-Aqsa Mosque and to cleanse the whole sight with rose water. There was no bloodshed. There was no slaughter. Unlike the slaughter of 70,000 men, women and children which accompanied the arrival of the Crusaders in 1099, the Muslims entered the city peacefully, signing a treaty with the Patriarch Sophronius, which guaranteed their rights to worship, their lives and their property. The Patriarch, no doubt acting upon his lived experience in the city, asked that no Jews be allowed to live in Jerusalem. Salah Al-Din, known as Saladin in the West, lifted this injunction when he retook Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. Those who wished to leave were guaranteed their safety. Those who wished to remain were allowed to do so. In fact, allowing religious minorities to live within the Muslim state would be a test of how faithful the Muslims were to their high calling as a "mercy to mankind". Prophet Muhammad said, He who unfairly treats a non-Muslim who keeps a peace treaty with Muslims, or undermines his rights or burdens him beyond his capacity, or takes something from him without his consent; then I am his opponent on the Day of Judgment. (Abu Dawud) The Example of Spain There is a period in the history of Islam which is lovingly known to Muslims as the Golden Age of Islam. This was the period of the Muslims in southern Spain, which lasted for centuries. During this time, Christians and Jews held high office in the royal court. It was only when the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, retook the Muslim cities in the south that mosques and synagogues were burned down and Muslims and Jews were either expelled or forced to convert. Sultan Mehmet II officially recognized Patriarch Gennadius II as leader of the Orthodox peoples throughout the Ottoman Empire following the capture of Constantinople in 1453. In the same year, he granted to the leader of the Jewish community (the Chief Rabbi) the title "Hahambasha", or Chief Wise Man. Both actions show the respect for other faiths which was to symbolize the Ottoman rule. The Example of Palestine We have only to look at Palestine under the Ottoman Empire, to see that this was the greatest period when the region knew peace. Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together happily in the holy city of Jerusalem. Finally, a word of hope in our own day from the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. Some weeks after the Israeli attack on Gaza in January 2009, there was a rise in anti-Semitic attacks and hate crimes in many countries. In Edinburgh, the synagogue of the United Hebrew Congregation was attacked by vandals, allegedly protesting against the war on Gaza. The response from the Scottish-Islamic Foundation, Scotland's largest umbrella organization for Muslims, was swift: "We will guard the synagogue for you", they said, if it proved too difficult for the Jewish community to do so. What better example can we give of Muslim attitudes to other faiths than that? The Muslims of Scotland were prepared to guard the synagogue of the Jewish community. Muslims believe that God (Allah) is the Lord of all people on earth. He is not just the God of the Muslims. Because of this, Muslims have a very great responsibility to act with justice and kindness to all those who have not yet come to the fullness of truth, which Muslims believe was revealed in the message of Islam. Muslims have a responsibility to teach the world about Islam. In the Quran we read. [Thus We have made of you a nation justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves.] (Al-Baqarah 2:143) Religious intolerance has no place in our world. Muslims and others should know that it has no place in Islam, either.

looking for the truth about god

Looking for the Truth About God A Puerto Rican-American Man Finds Islam (Part 1) By Wesley Lebron I commenced thinking within myself that God had to be something greater than another human being like myself. I commenced thinking within myself that God had to be something greater than another human being like myself. Related Links * Could I Deal with God Directly? * Looking for the Truth Since the Age of Eight * Through Patience and Understanding * My Quest for Truth, Power, and Purpose In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent. We begin by sending salutations of blessing and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), upon his family, upon his companions and upon all who follow his guidance until the Day of Judgment. My name is Wesley Lebron. I am presently known amongst my Muslim brethren as AbdurRazzaq (the slave of the Provider) or Abu Sumayyah (the father of Sumayyah). I am of Puerto Rican decent and I was born in Passaic, NJ. I currently reside in Rockford, Illinois and I have lived here for about 3 years now. I will proceed to share my story of conversion with you and the process by which I became a Muslim after being Christian for 21 years. I will share how I lived a life that was in need of change and if that change would not have arrived, then only Allah (God) knows if I would have still been alive today. I was raised in a Christian household- Pentecostal to be more specific. My parents were not very religious. They rarely attended church and on the odd occasion practiced the Christian faith. I was taught about the Christian faith via my grandmother (father's mother) who played a very important and vital role in my life. My aunt (father's sister) always picked up my cousins and I on Sunday mornings in order to take us to Sunday school since our parents did not attend church. Growing up I was taught to believe that Jesus was the son of God and that he was God as well. We were taught to pray to Jesus, to turn to him in times of need, to believe that he had died for all of humanity. Once I reached the age of ten I became a little more disconnected from the church. I rarely attended church at this point in life due to my commitment and love for baseball. I would dedicate my Sundays to playing and practicing for upcoming baseball games, while spending much time with cousins and friends. The years to follow were crucial in my development toward the main belief system in Christianity, which was to accept Jesus Christ as ones savior and Lord. For the next eleven years I removed myself from Sunday school and church in general and I did not want to attend or partake any longer. I began to think much in times of need about whom I should call upon for help. I started finding myself questioning the teachings that were taught to me by my grandmother and the church that we used to attend. I started to have doubt about worshiping and calling on Jesus whom at this stage in life I considered to be a man who walked the earth, a man who lived and died, and a man who ate and slept. I commenced thinking within myself that God had to be something greater than another human being like myself. I then started re-directing my prayers and my asking toward God alone. I would say, "O God, help me," instead of "Jesus help me." Within these next eleven years my thoughts regarding God remained firm; I continued to seek from Him solely and from none other than Him. I regarded Jesus as a Prophet of God and I did not raise him above this standing. I prayed in a similar fashion using similar words and that was something that I had become steadfast upon. Since I was now removed from faith in general, and I had no faith guidelines to live by, I began indulging in and trying many different things. By the eighth grade I had tried drinking alcohol and that seemed to become more frequent the older I got, especially in my high school years. I was pretty good at concealing my newly founded hobby of drinking from my parents since most of the time my friends and I drank on the weekends in my room while my parents were downstairs asleep in their bedroom. When I became a freshman in high school I began to go beyond drinking and I tried smoking marijuana and taking tabs (little purple pills that made you hallucinate and laugh.) I lost my virginity this same year and I found that this had become a new addiction that I was willing to continue exploring. Marijuana for a while became the drug of choice since it was easier to conceal from my parents. I also began to sell marijuana inside and outside of school. By the time I reached my junior year in high school I was frequently drinking alcohol, smoking weed and selling it. I was making what I considered to be good money selling marijuana and the money made from selling it allowed me to buy things I desired, e.g. clothing, sneakers, taking girlfriends out to do things, etc. My parents would ask me, "How did you buy that shirt" and I would say, "my friend bought it for me; I sold a Nintendo game, etc." This same year, my junior year of high school, I decided to drop out of school and begin to work. I was uninterested in education and I was more interested in having girlfriends, partying, and making money. I was totally enveloped by the idea of making money both legally and illegally and I was caught up in this false sense of security. I used to think that I could make more than a college graduate if I continued to sell drugs and work full-time. I thought selling drugs would be safe since I knew my entire drug clientele and I was not from those individuals who sold drugs on a street corner. If I did not know you, I would not sell anything to you and that was the motto I lived by. My cousin and I also tried selling marijuana wholesale to all of the drug dealers whom we knew, and we figured that this would keep us off the streets and it would be safer. I lived this life style up until I was 20 years old, selling drugs, smoking weed; and consuming more alcohol after dropping out of school then I had in the years that preceded it. I found that I was drinking everyday and that most weekends I would not even know how I arrived at home and sometimes awake not knowing where I was for the first five to ten minutes. I began drinking and driving and this became a regular practice. I had my first kid when I was 20 and my second at 21 years of age. The two children were from different mothers and I was not with either of them. I began paying child support for both children. At this point I had stopped selling drugs, but I did not stop consuming them. I started to drink more; the stress of having children and paying child support was something that I found to be heavy on my soul. It was around this time that I had an unforgettable moment. I met a friend whom I had not seen in years and I went to visit him with two cases of coronas. I went to his home and along with two of his friends we drank the coronas mixed with some other forms of hard liquor. We then proceeded to go to a club around 12 am and continued to drink and party. Upon leaving the club I fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed into a light pole at a main intersection in Hackensack, NJ. Thank God that we both survived, but after recuperating from the intoxication and being spared that night by a cop who was a friend of my friend, I then saw just how bad the car was and how we should have been dead. This was a moment that began a small change in my life. I still drank alcohol, but I tried not to drink as much when I was the responsible driver. It was not to long after all of this that I was introduced to one of my mother's new foster children. He was around 17 years old and he had lived a rough life in NY City where he was raised. He and I became close friends and he introduced me to an organization that was called Zulu Nation. He took me and another friend of my mine to their meetings which were held in Harlem, NY once a month. The leader of this organization was a man by the name of Africa Bambada. He would come to teach about various things that contained faith, government conspiracies, etc. The two of us joined the organization while my friend who was the foster child was just reacquainting himself with the organization that he was once a part of when he lived in NY. It was at these meetings that we were introduced to the concept of Islam. To be continued…