An avid reader of Radiance Viewsweekly, I have always been fascinated by the column “From Darkness to Light”. To read about how Islam has touched and transformed the lives of people all across the world is both fascinating and intriguing. Piqued with curiosity, I decided to study in depth the first account reports of our revert brothers and sisters and zero in on the factors that had made them embrace Islam. The conclusions I arrived at were at times contrary to popular belief, but, very often real eyeopeners.
The predominant reason for initial attraction towards Islam has been:
1) Personal interaction with Muslims
It is quite clear reading through several articles that dawah by deeds is indeed more effective than dawah by words. We being the Khair-e-Ummah (Best Community) and Ummatun Wasatan (Model Community) should wear Islam on our sleeves. The following incidents make it clear that developing a good rapport with people of all faiths and practising the etiquette taught by Islam will go a long way in creating a positive impression about Islam in their minds.
- A) Good manners
A sound personality clubbed with good manners attracts us to an individual, especially if we are meeting them the first time. That’s exactly what caught the attention of William when he observed his friend Nassar. A tough-looking Jew, who drove a huge truck and carried a gun around, William was used to people feeling uncomfortable around him but not his Muslim friend. Nassar’s impeccable manners, friendly attitude, patience and wisdom was not lost on him. He says, “Through Nassar, I really formed my first Impressions about Islam”
Thoroughly impressed by the personality and character of a Muslim man, Ms. Canlas, a committed Christian, went ahead and married him, simply because she could find no one who could match him. “In my opinion, the best thing a Muslim can do is to lead a life of goodness. This gets Non-Muslims curious and makes them realise the negative stereotyping of Muslims is wrong,” says Aisha Canlas.
On the contrary, a bad disposition can push people away from Islam. Observing the Islamophobic wave after 9/11, Ms. Sara, an activist for religious freedom, wanted to learn about the true nature of Islam. But, her interaction with Muslim men was distasteful. She was either pressurised to convert to Islam or bombarded with marriage proposals from unknown Muslim men. She says, “I realised Islam was not for me.” A few years later Sarah embraced Islam after learning about it from the right sources.
- B) Muslim Culture and Lifestyle
Our unique lifestyle, modest dressing , behaviour and mannerisms has made many inquisitive about the religion of Islam, prompting them to learn more about it. Travelling to Muslim countries, people have realised that the media portrayal of Islam and the actual behaviour of Muslims were at odds with each other.
Idris Tawfeeq, formerly a Christian priest, was taken aback while observing Muslims on his trip to Cairo. He was amazed how street vendors would abandon their trade and turn to pray the minute they heard the Adhan. In his teaching profession too, he noticed the difference. He says, “Unlike many troublesome teenagers, I noticed that the Arab Muslim Refugee students were polite and kind. A good example of what a Muslim should be.”
- C) Hospitality of Muslims
We don’t have to be rich to be generous. Limited means is never a hindrance to hospitality.
A classic example would be the story of conversion of Stephen Leca, now a well-known Daii, who has till date travelled to 112 countries, carrying the Message “Islam is peace”. As a tourist in Turkey, Leca lost his way. Unable to find a hotel, a kind passer-by gave accommodation to him and his wife to spend the night. He woke up the next morning only to find out that the kind Muslim man, two women and five children had slept out in the freezing cold, sparing their only room to the travellers. To say Leca was shocked would be an understatement. Neither could he believe what he saw, nor could he understand what had prompted this ordinary man to do this extraordinary deed. The poor man humbly replied that Islam taught him to be good to his guests.
“He was not a very knowledgeable Muslim but his actions spoke louder than words. Immediately I bought a copy of the Qur’ān and Hadith and started to read. In two months, I said my Shahada,” says the now famous Daii.
- D) Sense of Purpose in Islam
As Muslims, our objective is to achieve success in Duniya and Akhirah. This propels us to stay within the peripherals of Shari’ah, even if the majoritarian sentiment is otherwise.
Though Ms. Nicole had the glitzy job of an event photographer, she always felt her life was empty – devoid of peace and purpose. She often noticed Muslims keeping away from alcohol, avoiding certain places, etc. Impressed by their behaviour, she was prompted to learn about Islam, its fundamental beliefs, teachings and objective. Having discovered what she had longed for, Sr. Nicole Queen embraced Islam.
It’s amazing how good personal interaction can even alter hardcore anti-Muslim, Islamophobic views. The main catalyst for the conversion of Mr Arthur Wagner, a prominent leader of the far-right political party AfD, seems to be his close interaction with Muslim refugees in Germany.
We are well aware of the hadith: “The most beloved of Allah’s servants are those who have the best manners.” The above incidents validate the fact that not only are they loved by Allah, but loved and respected by fellow humans too.
2) Soul Searching
“No one is born except upon fitra.” The inclination to bow down to the one and Almighty God is deep rooted in every human heart. Very often these feelings are supressed due to ancestral religion, societal fear, etc. But, when one pays heed to this inner voice, it changes the course of his/her life.
Though the word “God” was never mentioned in Ms. Claudia’s household in communist East Germany, His Marvellous creations were not lost on her. Though she was made to believe that religion was man-made and opium for the masses, her inner voice cried restlessly against it.
“I know that there had to be a higher being. I looked for God in various faiths. I found what I had searched for in the Qur’ān,” recollects Claudia Azizah .
Alizia Kim, once a popular international model, longed for order and discipline in her glitzy, glamorous, yet empty lifestyle. Feeling lost, hopeless and confused, she hoped a religion could be her lifestyle choice. She then discovered Islam, accepted it and is now active in the field of Dawah.
3) Islam is a Feminist Religion
In spite of the constant negative stereotyping of Islam as anti-women by the media, women are in the forefront in accepting Islam. Having read the original sources and not being swayed by what they see or hear, women have discovered that Islam honours and liberates them. A woman is not a sexual object, but worthy of respect and a legal entity of her own. Therefore, we find 3 out of 5 people who accept Islam in the UK to be women.
Let us see what prompted Ms. Catherine to accept Islam. Attending college, she was shattered as boys whom she considered her friends were more interested in her body than her brains. All she wanted was admiration for what she could achieve. This prompted her to take a good look at Muslim women. They were covered and looked radiant. She came across a quote, “Hijab: You only see what I want you to see. Is that not Freedom?” This was the freedom and respect she longed for. Learning more about Islam and its treatment of women, she accepted it.
Contrary to popular belief, Theresa discovered that hijab was not a tool of oppression as the media portrayed it to be. “I am a Muslim and wear a scarf. I realise that my scarf does not tie my hands behind my back, prevent thoughts from entering my head or words leaving my mouth.”
Islam gave women her due rights in the 7th century, a good 1200 years before the advent of feminism. It is a well-known fact that till date Muslim women enjoy these rights all over the world.
4) Knowledgeable Muslims
I am sure almost all of us would have been asked about Islam at some point of our lives. Be it our Hijab, our lifestyle or the controversies courting us, it has always aroused curiosity. Have we answered these questions well or have our replies been vague and irrational? For, when a Muslim well equipped with knowledge answers these queries wisely and convincingly, he effectively calls people to Islam.
Let us see how things took a drastic turn in Sharifa’s life. Being an articulate person, she was promised a job in the American embassy in Egypt only if she could convince the women there that Islam oppresses women. With this sinister objective, she set out to learn Islam. As she read more and more, not only did her views about Islam change, her curiosity also grew. Seeing her inquisitiveness, a Muslim took personal interest in educating her. She says, “My Muslim friend once took me to a knowledgeable elderly gentleman who answered all my doubts. At the end, he did what no one had done so far. He invited me to Islam and I accepted.”
Islam treats men and women equally. Muslim women can inherit, run a business and participate in government as well. All these facts were unknown to Theresa who had grown up believing that Islam considered woman to be chattel. Only when her Muslim friend explained to her the wisdom behind hijab and the rights accorded to women in Islam did her views change. As this appealed to her feminist ideals, she embraced Islam.
5) Good Books
Books being an applied form of the Qur’ān and Hadith are excellent tools for Dawah. As they are written, keeping in mind the contemporary situation, they appeal to a man’s intellect easily and gives him time to ponder over a matter. Be it the prophet’s biography, autobiographies of revert celebrities or even small pamphlets about Islam – all these books deliver the message of Islam effectively.
Looking for a book to keep him company on his holiday, Mr Derbyshire accidentally knocked down a copy of The Prophet Muhammad: A Biography by Barnaby Rogerson at the bookstore. Impressed by the first page, he took it with him on vacation. “I could not keep it down until I completed it. I have never looked back since. I took my Shahadah soon after my return from holiday,” recalls Yusuf Derbyshire now.
We are all well-acquainted with the famous black basketball player Lew Alcindor, who later became Kareem Abdul Jabbar. His spiritual journey to Islam began after he read the autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm X’s fervour for social justice made him study the Qur’ān in depth.
Without any exposure to Islamic teachings and its basic concepts, many find it hard to understand the Qur’ān. Ideally a step-by-step approach should be taken wherein Islam is gradually introduced to them through small booklets, short stories from Seerah, etc. which helps them understand the message of Islam easily.
6) Islam Free of Contradictions
Very often, search for the true religion begins when one is dissatisfied with one’s current religion. Unable to get satisfactory answers or being reprimanded for questioning the fundamentals of their faith, the quest for truth grows stronger. Islamic teachings, being rational and free of contradictions have effectively and convincingly answered these queries.
Amira was always bothered by the concept of trinity and why the focus was always on Christ and not God. Neither could Kaighla accept the concept of The Original Sin or trust the authenticity of the Bible , it being compiled and changed over thousands of years. Man-made images of Christ, compilation of the Bible by the Pope and the contradictions in it were other disturbing factors that prompted many to learn about different religions, their fundamental beliefs and teachings.
When these queries were responded to with rational, thought-provoking and convincing answers, many embraced Islam. Comparative religious study is the need of the hour for every Daii. Even if a detailed study of all religions is not feasible, knowledge of basic fundamentals of world religions is a must.
Even though conversion is legal and the world endorses religious freedom, embracing Islam isn’t always a rosy picture. Gaining acceptance from friends and family is a mountainous task. Family, friends, society and even the police resort to illegal, unethical and inhuman methods to harass the new convert and pressurise him to go back to his old ways.
Waiting at the police station for hours for no crime except for converting to Islam, being abused verbally, physically, mentally and even being threatened to death are just a few examples of what new converts had to put up with.
One revert sister, the lone Muslim in her entire town had to ward off her family’s efforts to get her admitted into a mental hospital after her conversion to Islam. She lost all her American friends, her pets were killed, her windows shot at and her house spray-painted with the words “Terrorist Lover”. The police refused to help. If this mental torture wasn’t acute enough, she was once beaten up by an unknown man in the parking lot who stabbed her and fractured her ribs.
In spite of all that they had to face, their strong Imaan and commitment to the truth has made them face these challenges boldly. May Allah always guide them and keep them steadfast in their faith.
For a long time now, people in the West have been prejudiced against Islam as they have learnt about it from orientalists who criticise it. They never had a chance to verify what they had read. With the advent of globalisation and Muslims settling down in different parts of the world, it is now a golden opportunity to do away with these misconceptions and prejudices. The doors of Dawah are now wide open. We should use this opportunity to invite people to Islam with our words and deeds, extensively and effectively. This is the basic duty of every Muslim.
[All articles reviewed are from Radiance Viewsweekly April 2016 – June 2019]