Converts

 

Young. British. Female. Muslim.

An interesting article/comment on the Times websote that is a good read I think - accounts from a few people who have converted to Islam. What they have in common is that they are young, free thinking and female - the article mentions how 2/3rd of converts to Islam in the UK are female.

The conversion of people to Islam really does challenge those prejudiced against it, but at the same time their hatred of Islam may even help promote Islam - if you are confronted with something you are more likely to research it and sometimes even if you are researching a matter in order to refute it the innate beauty of Islam can still win out and overcome the prejudice with actual fact and knowledge.

Abel Xavier accepts Islam

Football star Abel Xavier embraced Islam on a trip to the United Arab Emirates last week and said he will now quit football at the age of 38 to pursue a career in humanitarian work, press reports revealed.

Former Portuguese international, Abel, who will now go by the name of Faisal Xavier, said he regretted leaving the sport but said he was happy to enter a new phase in his life.

"While it's an emotional farewell, I hope to participate in something very special as I enter a new stage of my life," press reports quoted Xavier, who also once played for Liverpool and Everton, as saying.

Egyptian Adventure

Author: 
Ya'qub Bell

My journey to Egypt was the first time I had ever set foot in an Islamic country, and because I had recently become a Muslim, I went there with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

Would it live up to my expectations or was I in for a horrible let-down? Arabs are famous for their generosity and hospitality, but I’d also been told scare-stories of tourists who’d been duped into being parted with their money. I travelled with two brothers: one Malaysian and one Filipino.

Ta'Leef Collective

Just a video that I came across promoting the Ta'Leef Collective - a non-profit organization (in America only?) dedicated to assisting new Muslims and emerging young adult Muslims.

">http://vimeo.com/7733898]

While I do not know much about the organisation and this is a sort of promo for them, I do think this is a good video for other muslims to watch, to ponder over and to be aware of some of the hardship new muslims go through.

My First Ramadan

Author: 
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...

Up in Smoke

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.

Telling The Family

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 [b]only[/b] 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).

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