From Christianity to Islam, the Personal Choice

            Within the last decade I have noticed a new trend: young girls wearing the headdress characteristic of Islamic women.  I have learned about Islam from a class at St. Petersburg College in 1995.  Islam is worshipped by approximately one fifth of the world’s population (Ellwood 377), and its bulk in the United States are African American converts of a group known as the Nation of Islam (Ellwood 420).  Four years ago (1999), I had the pleasure of working with a woman who had converted to Islam.  In fact, she converted in order to marry a Pakistani man.  Ever since, I have noticed a growing number of female Caucasian converts from Christianity.  So I ask, “Why?”

“I was interested in Islam because of the teachings are so wonderful”  (Miller) Jaimie Lynn Miller was brought up in a Christian household that did not practice.  At the age of 15, she embraced Islam, but not without resistance from her mother.  "You were not born Muslim" and “It is not the American way.” Perhaps the lack of spiritual instruction influenced Miller’s conversion.  Miller chose to defy her mother’s reasons of family religion and nationalism. Here are the concepts that a new convert is to acknowledge:

In explaining the testimony of faith, Muslim scholars have listed seven conditions of the shahadah, which a Muslim must fulfill so that s/he may be acknowledging the unity of Allah in open and in secret.

These seven are:

1.       Al-`Ilm (Knowledge of the meaning of the shahadah, its negation and affirmation)

2.       Al-Yaqeen (Certainty – perfect knowledge of it that counter-acts suspicion and doubt)

3.       Al-Ikhlaas (Sincerity which negates shirk)

4.       Al-Sidq (Truthfulness that permits neither falsehood nor hypocrisy)

5.       Al-Mahabbah (Love of the shahadah and its meaning, and being happy with it)

6.       Al-Inqiad (Submission to its rightful requirements, which are the duties that must be performed with sincerity to Allah (alone) seeking His pleasure)

7.       Al-Qubool (Acceptance that contradicts rejection).  (The Islam Page)

The Shahada mentioned above is translated as "ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH" which translates to English as "I bear witness that there is no deity (none truly to be worshipped) but, Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah" (How).  The seven conditions add dimension to the one statement that is to be uttered in front of a witness.  Miller, however, does practice Ramadan in secrecy (Ramadan involves fasting during the hours when the sun is up).  This type of behavior is encouraged (He):

This means that love for Allaah must come before love for one’s parents and any other created being. If there is a conflict between pleasing Allaah and pleasing your parents, then pleasing Allaah must take precedence. In your situation, as you have described it, we advise you to do the following with regard to your parents:

1.       Address them in the best of terms and treat them in the best manner

2.       If they insist that you follow kufr, then conceal your Islam if you fear that you are not able to confront them openly, and pray where they cannot see you

3.       Do not think at all that there is any burden or sin on you if they get angry with you for becoming a Muslim. Remember that when a person pleases Allaah even though it makes people angry, Allaah will be pleased with him and will make the people pleased with him.

4.       Keep on praying for them to be guided and call them to Islam with wisdom and beautiful preaching. Maybe Allaah will guide them through you. (He)

The above advice comes from a sheikh, which is a Muslim scholar who uses verse from the Quran to further found his words:

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allaah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allaah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allaah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqoon (the rebellious, disobedient to Allaah)” [al-Tawbah 9:24]

That is, loving Allah comes before the love on any other being.

            The Quran is well written.  It reads well for youngsters to identify with when they are at a most impressionable stage. 

I found books on Islam and without even realizing it I was becoming more and more into it and losing my Christian beliefs. The thing though that change me the most was the Quran. I read the Quran and it all seemed to make so much sense to me. (Dryden)

 

Miller was 13 when she first encountered Islam; Katie Melissa Dryden was about 14.  What made more sense was conceivably what is the most mystic about Christianity: Jesus Christ being the Son of God.

I found also compared to Christianity, Islam made more sense how there is one God and only one God. How Islam has so much respect for Jesus and seeing him as a prophet rather than God's son, and how Jesus was saved from crucifixion not killed. (Dryden)

 

I remember when I was in CCD (what that stands for, I don’t know but it’s the Catholic religious school for those in public school), a catholic priest asking my class what percentage of Jesus was God and what percentage was man?  Everybody was wrong, and the priest enlightened us with his wisdom:  Jesus is 100% man and 100% God.  At this point I felt like someone just performed a magic trick, a neat one in fact.  I could imagine how others may have felt like they were conned like in a street side shell game.  The Muslim ideas of Jesus sensibly make more sense.  Comparisons are made between Jesus and other influential prophets from the way they healed people, fed many from very little food, allowed people to walk on water, and raised people from the dead (Philips).  Even the title of “Son of God” has been used for not only Jesus but also all significant people to God. (Philips)  The Quran addresses all of these in a way that brings Jesus down to earth and away from Heaven.  Jesus is an influential and respected prophet among the Muslim community, not a God, not a son of a God; he was a messenger of God.

            What does Islam have to offer young Americans?  Islam offers spiritual guidance for a global community.  The Quran unifies these beliefs, which are similar to Christianity but have key differences that appeal more than the ideas of Christianity.  Of these, a certain level of piety can be felt.  A Christian who is exercising robotic motions before a social court of opinion that simply states that you must attend a church differs from a Muslim who must affirm his beliefs at every moment of his life.  It is this real direction of Islam that these young converts feel that fills their spiritual void that they wish to satisfy.

Works Cited

Dryden, Katie Melissa. Personal interview. 18 Mar. 2003.

Ellwood, Robert S.  Many People, Many Faiths.  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002.

He is convinced of Islam but is concerned about his parents who are staunch Christians.  Islam Q & A.  2002 <http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=6018&dgn=2>.

How to Become a Muslim. Muslim Student Association, Oregon State University.  2000 <http://oregonstate.edu/groups/msa/books/muslim.html>.

Miller, Jaimie Lynn. Personal Interview. 18 Mar. 2003.

She is in love with a Muslim and wants to marry.  Islam Q&A.  2002 <http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=3023&dgn=2>.

Shafi, Ibrahim.  The Islam Page.  < http://www.islamworld.net/>.

Philips, Dr. Bilal.  The True Message of Jesus Christ.  United Arab Emirates: Dar Al Fatah Publishing, 1996.  < http://www.al-sunnah.com/true_message_of_jesus.htm>.