convert

By Jannah As-Sabil

The alarm on my Nokia went off. I turned over and glanced at the clock: 4:15am. Time for Suhur. I dragged myself out of bed so that I wouldn’t drop off back to sleep. With blurry eyes, I put on my dressing gown and made my way downstairs, being careful not to trip over in my half-asleep state. Trying to prepare Suhur as quietly as I could so as not to disturb my sleeping family, I put some bread in the toaster and (quietly hmm…) bashed around a bit, making myself a hot chocolate. I sat on the sofa, consuming food and drink in the 10 minutes before the Athan for Fajr went. Unfortunately I tended to leave Suhur quite late, which meant rushing around trying to eat in time. Yet there I was, actually doing Ramadan!

The Story of One Man's Journey from Weed to Islam

by Abdullah bin Islam

Yes, I've smoked weed. I've blazed white widow, purple haze and terrible home-grown. I've had bongs, hot-boxes and I've pulled whiteys. I've bought Ounces, Henry's and a few mint leaves wrapped in a load of tinfoil. I've taken exams while high. I've sat down on the side of the road at the dead of night, trying to get control of my balance so I can get home and sneak upstairs without waking my parents. I've trekked halfway across London to pick up a tens, because all my regular dealers had ran out because it was Notting Hill Carnival weekend. I've boasted about being high-grade and looked down on people who couldn't smoke more than one spliff without their face turning green.

So the hard part is over. I've told my mum, dad and brother that I am converting to Islam, alhamdulliah, and am going to wear the hijab asap. Coming from a family of agonostics (my mum and brother) and a new revert to Islam ( my Dad) this wasn't as hard as I thought. Now it came to telling everyone else.

My mum and Dad came from a very strong Pentecostal church- which I used to go to in my search for God- where Christianity was the only religon and if you mentioned another one prayer immediently followed. To my aunties, grandmother,uncles and cousins, Islam was a made up religon which was all about violence etc. I never thought this even when I was a christian, I knew Islam came from the word Salaam which meant peace ( I had a lot of muslim friends).