Idris from Kent
I was born and raised in Kent, which is in the South East of England. I'm 37 years old and I embraced Islam 18 years ago, when I was 18 years old. Although my birth-name is Andrew, most people know me by my Islamic name which is Idris.
I was raised as a devout Christian by my mother and stepfather. But, in my teens, I lost interest in religion and stopped going to church. As my rebelliousness led to too many confrontations with my stepfather, I eventually moved in with my father and his girlfriend who weren’t interested in religion either.
I dabbled in all kinds of things looking for identity, belonging and happiness. But nothing worked, I always ended up lost and unhappy. I thought the solution to this would be university—a chance to get away from family and start afresh.
I didn’t have the grades needed to study my subject of choice, leaving me with just Chinese, Russian or Arabic to choose from. So I chose to study Arabic since it had a module in history which interested me.
This was the first time I came across Muslims. When I first saw the bearded men and women in scarves, I thought I was at an Amish farmer’s convention!
Really, I didn’t know what to expect!
I remember receiving my first essay title… “Was Muhammad a greater prophet or statesman?”. I thought they were talking about Muhammad Ali, the boxer! I thought to myself: “Did that famous boxer ever claim to be a prophet?” That’s how unfamiliar Islam was to me.
Anyhow, on the surface of things, I felt like I was in for another let down. University didn’t meet my expectations. I was doing terribly at Arabic. I wasn’t enjoying independence. And I was miserable all over again.
But then a tragedy happened.
An old friend of mine ended up hanging himself.
This tragedy caused me to lose all balance in life. My view and direction were like his. And I started worrying that if I didn’t find some kind of direction or purpose, I might end up the same way. I reached a point where I, the person who had run away from instruction all his life, yearned for someone who could guide me.
So I rushed to one of the Muslims on my course, an English convert, and asked him to explain Islam to me. Reflecting my own state back then, I remember that one of my main questions was whether his religion gave him peace of heart. I was sick of my life and just wanted to change and start afresh. But given that the only exposure I had had up until then was the coverage of the Gulf War on the media, I also had concerns. “Is Saddam Hussein a Muslim?”, I asked. By Allah’s grace, my concerns were laid to rest and, soon after, he took me to the local mosque where I became Muslim.
As soon as I became Muslim, my life radically changed. I took to Islam like a fish to water, though I was overzealous in many ways. I felt like a new baby. I had entered a completely different dimension and I was thirsty to learn everything I could. Before Islam, I had been the worst student on the course. But, within a few weeks I became top of the class.
The religion gave me purpose and direction. And I soon got the opportunity to spend some time in Morocco as part of my course. So within a few months of being Muslim, I found myself in a historic city that had hosted Islam for over a thousand years.
Its traditions, culture and beauty were overwhelming. Mentioning God was the norm. People worked to live and didn’t live to work. They ate together around one plate and would give one another time. And they embraced me. And, from there, my life changed completely.
Islam has helped me find balance and direction. It’s given me the tools to guide myself and take the right course in all my affairs. I was a hedonistic young man before, bent on personal happiness. I justified everything I did. I had no goals and treated myself as a leaf in the wind.
But, through Islam, I was able to develop the skill of taking the needs of others into consideration. And now I am passionate about making a change in the lives of others.
Idris’ advice to anyone thinking about converting to Islam
There will never be a perfect time to convert, so don’t hesitate! The most important thing is that you believe. You’ll gradually build on that. Realise that you won’t have all the answers at first. The path to growing into your full potential is one that will be filled with mistakes. So be easy on yourself and find good, positive company, who are sympathetic.
My name is Allie and I'm from
Australia. Although I never felt connected to the stereotype, I'm what
you'd call a true blue Aussie. I was born in Melbourne, 4 years in the
Gold Coast and then Sydney.
I was born into a Catholic family that wasn't deeply religious. We'd go to church on Sundays and celebrate Christmas and Easter. I guess you could say that religion was more about being a good person.
I went to a Catholic school and absorbed much of the bible rhetoric there. But when I started to ask questions that no-one could answer, I lost faith and became a self-declared atheist. This began around the time of my Confirmation, at 12 years old.
Growing up, I went to some of the best private schools in Melbourne and had everything I could ever want. Yet, despite that, I always felt that something was missing. As a result, I was always searching for something that could fill the gap… something better, something new, something meaningful. But no matter what I did to end the depression, that empty feeling would never go away.
I went to university on the other side of town, but wasn't happy there. So I changed to another university. And then another. And then finally I moved interstate to complete a business degree in the Gold Coast, famous for fun in the sun.
But, again, I felt like I was going in the wrong the direction. So I decided to volunteer overseas and thought I'd found my calling in peacekeeping and finally applied to join the Army for Officer training.
I passed the test to join the army. But my plans were cut short when the ligament in my right foot tore and fractured whilst training for the physical examination.
I ended up in plaster for 5 months and with little else I could do, I ended up hanging out a lot with this Muslim guy from my Uni, who is now my husband. He was the one who introduced me to Islam and I directed all of my questions about the religion to him. Unlike the unanswered questions of my childhood, these questions were getting logical answers. You could say that, for the first time, religion actually made sense. I was in awe. These weren't his answers... these were God's.
What God had basically done was remove me from my normal life and introduce me to Islam through this guy. He never pressured me to embrace Islam. But the more I learned, the more it made sense and the more it entered my heart. I remember the first time I heard the Quran, I don't know what it was, but I got this overwhelming urge to cry.
We decided to get married and, although I still hadn't embraced Islam by then, I made my shahadah a few months later and have never looked back.
I can safely say that Islam has totally changed my entire life for the better. My life is full and there is no gap for me to fill. I have a clear direction in life, which is to be good, do good and make it to paradise along with my family.
Islam has brought me closer than ever to my non-Muslim family because Islam emphasises how important it is for us to keep close family ties and be the best we can be to our parents. It has given me direction in my work by guiding me to what I love - being a mother and working on creative side projects that inspire and educate people, rather than chasing my ego and material gains. I know my everyday rights & responsibilities and this provides me with great comfort & clarity.
I didn't really have any major concerns about converting to Islam. I just didn't really consider anyone else in my decision because when I found the truth in Islam, it was just between me and Allah.
I was seeking the truth and, when it came my way, there was nothing left for me to do except embrace it. I did, however, take my time questioning everything to make sure it was the absolute truth and I recommend others to do the same!
There were concerns about implementing Islam in my life. Things like how I'd dress, how I'd relate to my non-Muslim family, how I'd integrate with other Muslims that come from different cultures and so on. And, in the beginning, there were some very embarrassing and awkward moments, but ultimately Allah uses these experiences to guide you.
It's now been 4 years since I embraced Islam and I live a very happy life in Dubai with my husband and two children.
Allie's advice to people who think about converting to Islam...
Don't dwell on the whole "implementation" side of things. Don't worry about the "what if" and the "how" and so on. They'll all come later. If you find the truth in Islam, then just jump in and you can work the rest out later.
You will have challenges, but you'll also find strength in yourself that you didn't know was there. Allah will be there to guide and support you through your struggle and, hopefully, you'll have new Muslim friends to support you on your journey.
Ultimately, you'll look back at whatever challenges you faced feeling humbled that Allah didn't test you with anything more than you could bear.
Dawud Lynas from Dewsbury was asked to answer questions regarding his experiences of
Ramadan and his experiences as a revert to Islam for the Paigaam
Publications Magazine.
q1. When did you embrace Islam?
I Converted to Islam in 1998 at the age of 19 whilst studying at university in Leeds.
I became interested in Islam at 18 after a Muslim friend gave me a book on the Scientific Miracles of the Qur’an, as he new I was looking into my native religion of Christianity. However, the bible gave me no real answers to my most important question as to what is the purpose of life? And what will happen after death. I was immensely intrigued about the notion of there been a final prophet which was prophesied by the prophet Jesus in the Torah and the injeel. After reading only until the end of the 2nd chapter of the Qur’an, I wanted to take my Declaration of belief in Islam.
q2. What was your first Ramadan experience?
I remember fasting in the shorter days around December where Iftar was at around 4pm. My experience was spiritually cleansing, as I found that I could focus on increasing my knowledge and worship with out worrying about my stomach for a while. I loved participating in iftars at Muslim friends houses and enjoyed the taraweh prayer where I could listen to the Recitation of the most beautiful thing I had ever heard.
Q3 How does it differ to your Ramadan now?
Throughout my Journey and since my conversion, I now realise that the month of Ramadan is not all about abstaining from food and drink, or relations with ones wife from Fajar until Magrib, its about raising your standard as a believer, to do more prayers, do a good turn with both non Muslims and Muslims, guard my tongue even more from backbiting, controlling my gaze etc
q4. How good is the link between reverts and the wider Muslim community
I think the Muslim community can always do better. 15 years ago it was really uncomfortable to walk in some mosques, where people just stared at you with out coming over to welcome you. As an Englishmen, I was always brought up that it is rude to stare, however, there are something’s may be we just have to accept or Should we! The problem is that nearly all mosques don’t provide talks in English, they give a talk before Jummah prayer in Urdu but hardly in English, and I fear for the newly converted that they may be put off by this, which is an important point as to the Muslim community that facilitating for the English Speaking Muslims. However, now mosques are becoming more aware that there are those native to this land who are converting and want to integrate with the wider community and slowly but surely it is improving.
I think converts have an un realistic expectation that when they convert all Muslims are great and follow the religion as it should.
q5. What do you think needs to be done to improve relations between reverts and the wider Muslim community?
1. Every Mosque should have a an outreach worker who is in charge of Looking after New Muslims and facilitating non Muslims to be welcomed in the mosque to spread the message of Islam. I think this person should be a native as they understand how to approach there own people better and can empathise with their needs.
2. Jummah Prayer Translated into English and other talks
3. A Safe space or center for new Muslims and a place where we can attract non Muslims to learn about Islam and get over the misconceptions arising, a promoting the peace and tranquility that Islam has to offer
I was born into a Catholic family that wasn't deeply religious. We'd go to church on Sundays and celebrate Christmas and Easter. I guess you could say that religion was more about being a good person.
I went to a Catholic school and absorbed much of the bible rhetoric there. But when I started to ask questions that no-one could answer, I lost faith and became a self-declared atheist. This began around the time of my Confirmation, at 12 years old.
Growing up, I went to some of the best private schools in Melbourne and had everything I could ever want. Yet, despite that, I always felt that something was missing. As a result, I was always searching for something that could fill the gap… something better, something new, something meaningful. But no matter what I did to end the depression, that empty feeling would never go away.
I went to university on the other side of town, but wasn't happy there. So I changed to another university. And then another. And then finally I moved interstate to complete a business degree in the Gold Coast, famous for fun in the sun.
But, again, I felt like I was going in the wrong the direction. So I decided to volunteer overseas and thought I'd found my calling in peacekeeping and finally applied to join the Army for Officer training.
I passed the test to join the army. But my plans were cut short when the ligament in my right foot tore and fractured whilst training for the physical examination.
I ended up in plaster for 5 months and with little else I could do, I ended up hanging out a lot with this Muslim guy from my Uni, who is now my husband. He was the one who introduced me to Islam and I directed all of my questions about the religion to him. Unlike the unanswered questions of my childhood, these questions were getting logical answers. You could say that, for the first time, religion actually made sense. I was in awe. These weren't his answers... these were God's.
What God had basically done was remove me from my normal life and introduce me to Islam through this guy. He never pressured me to embrace Islam. But the more I learned, the more it made sense and the more it entered my heart. I remember the first time I heard the Quran, I don't know what it was, but I got this overwhelming urge to cry.
We decided to get married and, although I still hadn't embraced Islam by then, I made my shahadah a few months later and have never looked back.
I can safely say that Islam has totally changed my entire life for the better. My life is full and there is no gap for me to fill. I have a clear direction in life, which is to be good, do good and make it to paradise along with my family.
Islam has brought me closer than ever to my non-Muslim family because Islam emphasises how important it is for us to keep close family ties and be the best we can be to our parents. It has given me direction in my work by guiding me to what I love - being a mother and working on creative side projects that inspire and educate people, rather than chasing my ego and material gains. I know my everyday rights & responsibilities and this provides me with great comfort & clarity.
I didn't really have any major concerns about converting to Islam. I just didn't really consider anyone else in my decision because when I found the truth in Islam, it was just between me and Allah.
I was seeking the truth and, when it came my way, there was nothing left for me to do except embrace it. I did, however, take my time questioning everything to make sure it was the absolute truth and I recommend others to do the same!
There were concerns about implementing Islam in my life. Things like how I'd dress, how I'd relate to my non-Muslim family, how I'd integrate with other Muslims that come from different cultures and so on. And, in the beginning, there were some very embarrassing and awkward moments, but ultimately Allah uses these experiences to guide you.
It's now been 4 years since I embraced Islam and I live a very happy life in Dubai with my husband and two children.
Allie's advice to people who think about converting to Islam...
Don't dwell on the whole "implementation" side of things. Don't worry about the "what if" and the "how" and so on. They'll all come later. If you find the truth in Islam, then just jump in and you can work the rest out later.
You will have challenges, but you'll also find strength in yourself that you didn't know was there. Allah will be there to guide and support you through your struggle and, hopefully, you'll have new Muslim friends to support you on your journey.
Ultimately, you'll look back at whatever challenges you faced feeling humbled that Allah didn't test you with anything more than you could bear.
q1. When did you embrace Islam?
I Converted to Islam in 1998 at the age of 19 whilst studying at university in Leeds.
I became interested in Islam at 18 after a Muslim friend gave me a book on the Scientific Miracles of the Qur’an, as he new I was looking into my native religion of Christianity. However, the bible gave me no real answers to my most important question as to what is the purpose of life? And what will happen after death. I was immensely intrigued about the notion of there been a final prophet which was prophesied by the prophet Jesus in the Torah and the injeel. After reading only until the end of the 2nd chapter of the Qur’an, I wanted to take my Declaration of belief in Islam.
q2. What was your first Ramadan experience?
I remember fasting in the shorter days around December where Iftar was at around 4pm. My experience was spiritually cleansing, as I found that I could focus on increasing my knowledge and worship with out worrying about my stomach for a while. I loved participating in iftars at Muslim friends houses and enjoyed the taraweh prayer where I could listen to the Recitation of the most beautiful thing I had ever heard.
Q3 How does it differ to your Ramadan now?
Throughout my Journey and since my conversion, I now realise that the month of Ramadan is not all about abstaining from food and drink, or relations with ones wife from Fajar until Magrib, its about raising your standard as a believer, to do more prayers, do a good turn with both non Muslims and Muslims, guard my tongue even more from backbiting, controlling my gaze etc
q4. How good is the link between reverts and the wider Muslim community
I think the Muslim community can always do better. 15 years ago it was really uncomfortable to walk in some mosques, where people just stared at you with out coming over to welcome you. As an Englishmen, I was always brought up that it is rude to stare, however, there are something’s may be we just have to accept or Should we! The problem is that nearly all mosques don’t provide talks in English, they give a talk before Jummah prayer in Urdu but hardly in English, and I fear for the newly converted that they may be put off by this, which is an important point as to the Muslim community that facilitating for the English Speaking Muslims. However, now mosques are becoming more aware that there are those native to this land who are converting and want to integrate with the wider community and slowly but surely it is improving.
I think converts have an un realistic expectation that when they convert all Muslims are great and follow the religion as it should.
q5. What do you think needs to be done to improve relations between reverts and the wider Muslim community?
1. Every Mosque should have a an outreach worker who is in charge of Looking after New Muslims and facilitating non Muslims to be welcomed in the mosque to spread the message of Islam. I think this person should be a native as they understand how to approach there own people better and can empathise with their needs.
2. Jummah Prayer Translated into English and other talks
3. A Safe space or center for new Muslims and a place where we can attract non Muslims to learn about Islam and get over the misconceptions arising, a promoting the peace and tranquility that Islam has to offer
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