Calling All Converts / Reverts & Friends

Posted by Hamza | Posted in Converts | Posted on 09-07-2009

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Bismillah

I have been approached by a team of highly skilled and able brothers who have the love of Allah (SWT) ’s Deen in their hearts and the concern for the wellbeing of the Muslims as their priority. They have asked me to get involved in a very big and beautiful project that will, inshallah, be of great benefit to those people who have accepted Islam as their faith.

It is unfortunate and tragic that a number of people who accept Islam go through many trials and many tests after they convert on their own without the support they need from us, the Ummah. I personally know converts who have not been accepted by their local Muslim community, they feel out of place, they have nobody to talk to, they feel alone and are left to tread water and often struggle to learn the basic tenants of their new faith and especially Arabic.

There are so many issues that they face and problems that they bring with them from their past and it seems the Ummah is struggling to cope with it, which quite often ends in that individual leaving Islam.

This is an indictment upon us and evidence against us on the Day of Judgement. May Allah (SWT) protect us. Amin

The project that I have been asked to get involved with will directly assist converts / reverts from all over the world and will be a great source of benefit to them, inshallah. It is multi faceted and will aim to cover all possibilities but we really need is to speak to converts from all over the world to ask them about their own journey and the issues they faced upon converting. We hope by listening something can be created that will help them, with the permission and blessing of Allah (SWT) .

This is a very serious request by serious and committed brothers, much work has already taken place and development has started.

If you are a convert / revert or a friend of one and know of their issues please provide your name and email address so we can begin to learn, it will be a few simple questions inshallah. You don’t have to put your email in the comment section for everyone to see; by simply commenting on this blog you are required to enter an email in the field which will not be published. If you dont want to comment but want to help by sharing your experiences just write “I’m in” in the comment section

If you would like to share your convert story and the issues you faced and are happy for everyone to see feel free to write, it would be most welcomed, from my experience it does inspire many of us.

As the project grows I will be able to provide more detailed information about the products and services Inshallah.

Allah (SWT) says in Surah Al-Ma’idah (5): 2

“And help you one another in righteousness and piety. But do not help one another in sin and transgression.”

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said

“The best men are those who are most beneficial towards others.” (Hadith narrated by Imam Baihaqi)

May Allah (SWT) make this project successful. Amin

Wasalaam

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HollyGO

Asaalamu alaikum wa ramatulahi wa barakatu

I started living my life as a Shahadah, trying to submit, trying to practice Muslimah on march 13 2009.

I'm in, in any way I can help let me know InshaAllah.

My shahadah day and other info is on my blog.
aisha_b

Assalaam Walaikum, I am a sunni revert of nearly 2 yrs AlhamduLillaah my family arnt too bothered apart from my brother and he wont acept me as his sister anymore, i cant even go to see my nephews ! I also have 4 children and only 1 has reverted so it is quite difficult sometimes at home. The main problem I find is not fitting in.... In white but I dont fit in other white people ( i wear hijaab and Jilbaab ) and I dont fit in with asian people either so I do find myself feeling qiute lonely somtimes.
Hafsa

I'm in.
Megan786

Asalaamu Alaikum
I've been a Muslim convert for over a year now, alhamdulillah. I truly believe that its the best choice I've ever made in life. I think the biggest obstacle I face is trying to get my parents to accept my decision. I make my mother uncomfortable when we walk around in public because I wear my hijab (which btw i love wearing). She even tried to take it off of me one time. I really don't know what to do. It seems as though her mind is closed off to anything I try to tell her. Does anybody have any suggestions? I'd really appreciate any feedback. Thanks so much. JazakaAllah Khairan
Hamza Isa

Salams

May Allah bless you sister. I had a tough time with my family at the beginning too, very tense and horrible and they were not even willing to discuss it, especially my sister.

The tipping point for me was when everyone in the house was so enraged and angry it reached boiling point (which i pray you never have to go through). I usually just took it all and absorbed it inwardly and I never met them with the same force but on this occasion I became very forceful indeed and ordered them to remain silent and to listen for once. I am not suggesting that you should do the same but what followed:

Remarkably, they did, and they listened and i began to explain to them what Islam actually means and after 15 mins they accepted that my decision was a sound one, at least for me. It was a very emotional speech but heartfelt and sincere but once I explained everything they were amazed and were very surprised because they had a very different view of Islam.

I pray that you don’t have to experience that heat but what worked was a sincere request for them to listen, without interruption and then to speak to them about Islam in soft tones.

A brother gave me some advice before this event occurred and that was to be at my mother’s service, be kind to her, and do as she asks, speak to her with respect and gently and at night make du’a for her and ask Allah to soften her heart. You know, it worked.

This brother (a convert too) said that sometimes he would massage his mothers feet for her, without being asked. That action of his was very out of character considering his pre Islam days but it softened her heart so much as to create a really tight bond, tighter than before and filled with more love and respect then before. She is now considering converting herself to Islam Alhamdulillah.

May Allah make things easy for you

wa salam

Hamza
aish

as salaamu alaikum
im a revert 3 years now but since last year Iv started to really devote myself to islam
if you need help or have questions plz let me know
and I have a question myself. Im really in Sufism (chishtiyah) and Id like to find a murid/pir here in the states Im from Jersey do you know of any that you can recommend?

great blog btw
jazakaAllah khairan
Hamza Isa

Salams

Many thanks for your comment and offer to help, much apreciated, May Allah reward you. Inshallah we will be contacting everyone shortly to ask a few questions and we are working on a wiki so everyone can add details too.

Alhamdulillah, I too attempt to tread the path of tasawwuf (Chishti - sabriyya) here in the UK, I'm not too sure about the tariqas in the United States but will try to find out for you inshallah and let you know

wa salam
Abu-Ibrahim

Asalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatollah,

I have been a Muslim convert for about 10 years and do encounter many struggles with Muslims in everyday life. When I embraced to Islam I felt it was the best thing that happened to me as it gave me hope and taught me patience. I have since been married to another Muslim convert and we both face a day to day challenge with the Muslim community in the Aston Area of Birmingham by Saddam Hussain Mosque.

After I embraced Islam I approached the Birmingham Central Mosque for help in getting married but the it seemed that the brothers weren't too interested in helping,
even when I had submitted the marriage application form. By the grace of Allah I found my wife, a Muslim convert abroad.

My parents are always against me being a Muslim and living in Aston I can really understand why. Everyday we witness Muslims between the ages of 14 to 30 loitering, & sitting on the walls of our house, smoking the stuff they shouldn't be smoking, drinking Alcohol, and taking up parking spaces by running a car business repairing damaged cars on the public road, while looking very intimidating towards people.

When an incident /accident occurs I have witnessed our Muslims brothers gathering together providing up false testimonies, and giving false witnesses which we all know is prohibited in Islam.

It's such a shame that if people were to see the behaviours of Muslims I believe they would never accept Islam (which teaches righteousness), unless Allah's miracle decides to guide whom he pleases. These are only a few examples my family and I face in our day to day life.
Dawud

insha Allah khayr, I'm in but don't have the time or energy to retype my story at the moment
ummAbdulKarim

As salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

I reverted to Islam just over seven years ago.

Reading this article echoes my thoughts of along time ago and current.

It appears that once you have made shahadah you are left then to learn the deen for yourself. There is no support mechanism and inevitably you learn things wrongly, you are vunerable as you don't know what is wrong and what is right and unfortunately this could lead to some leaving or not practicing fully.

I know we will always be learning until the day we die Masha Allah wal hamdulillah, but the lack of support can make the journey that little bit longer.

What books should you or should you not read? Which scholar can you or must you not take info from? which websites are safe or you must stay well away from? as a revert to this beautiful deen, you are am not qualified to make such big decisions. You are told oh just follow Quran and Sunnah by maybe one person and then you are told the opposite by another (How do you interpret the Quran and sunnah, is this not the job of a scholar?). What are you a hanafi, a Salafi, a Sufi or just a Muslim?.

Then you have concerns about the excess baggage you have brought with you into this new way of life, you have ways, habits you need or must change, help! how do you do this? How do you get rid of 30+ years worth of unIslamic baggage? Poor family relations, attitudes, behaviours, characters.......................................... the list goes on.

Support learning the Glorious Quran is needed, learning the language of the Quran.

I think each revert/ convert MUST be assigned a mentor, there should be a program of things that need to be done, this mentor must be available at all times.

For me the internet is my mentor, there is not a day that passes that I don't learn something about my deen even if it is something small. By the will of Allah azzawjal, it was the internet which helped me make shahadah Al hamdulillah.

LOL don't then get me started about then trying to raise your kids up in an Islamic family when you have no direct experience LOL...................................

I pray Brother you will find something useful in what I have said. I will be more than happy to assist with any of the work you are doing in shaAllah

May Allah subhana wa ta'ala bless you and the brothers in trying to address and rectify this situation and build a stronger Ummah.

Fe aman Illah
ma'asalama
Shane

Assalamu alaikum,

I'm a fairly new convert to Islam and would like to help. I think a similar project is underway. Please see the comments here:

http://www.suhaibwebb.com/blog/general/if-youre-a-muslim-convert-read-this/

Here are some of my comments:

Assalamu alaikum,

I converted about two and a half years ago and here are some of the questions that have come up since my conversion:

1. What are some resources, both online or in my local area, to help me as a new Muslim learn my Fard 'Ayn (Obligatory Knowledge)? What are some techniques I can use to help me differentiate between what Islamic information online is accurate, valid and mainstream and what is false, biased or fringe/extremist. Where can I get trustworthy Islamic information?

2. My parents are, unfortunately, republicans who watch FOX News religiously. How can I explain my conversion to them when they've been so indoctrinated with the Islamophobic views of the extreme right wing?

3. Isn't it true that according to Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah one should be of either Ash'ari or Maturidi Aqeedah and follow one of the Four Madhabs (Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanafi, Hanbali) under the tutelage of a Shaykh of Fiqh and Aqeedah? Is it also true that it's recommended to join a Tariqa and take a qualified Shaykh of Tasawwuf? How is it justified for other Muslims, including scholars, not to follow Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah in Aqeedah, Madhab or Tariqa?

4. What can I do when born Muslims who practice cultural Islam, which many times incorporates unIslamic practices, try to correct me when they see I'm not practicing Islam exactly like them? How can I, using adab, inform Muslims, who are many times ignorant of their own deen, that the Islam they learned and have been practicing, many times from their parents, is incorrect? Should I even bother when there are so many brothers and sisters that don't even know, for example, what a madhab is or what is fard in the prayer?

5. How can I keep from being discouraged when I see so many unIslamic practices and non-practicing Muslims in Muslim majority countries? When I see corruption, incorrect implementation of Shari'a, drugs, prostitution, unIslamic cultural practices, oppression, racism, the caste system and the myriad of other problems that are so contrary to the teaching of Islam I am disheartened. How can one rationalize the disconnect between the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the way Islam is practiced these days?
guest

I'm a convert and agree with article above re challenges converts/ reverts face: if you manage to make it into the mosque without any negative views (I happened to choose 'wrong entrance' so looked at like stray dog), you are 'open target' to get asked all kinds of personal questions, considered a 'trophy' for a few days/ weeks ('we got another Muslim'), then imposition of cultural values (you can only be proper Muslim if you wear shalwar kamis/ jilbab), and making you feel guilty about how you deal with your family (either by talking about non-Muslims as 'kufar', to cut them off, or stick with them no matter what the situation is). Alhamdulilah I got to learn about Islam before I knew any Muslims... still now (after 6 years since conversion), I feel more accepted by people in interfaith fora/ interest groups, than general Muslim community. It's sad, as Islam is SO beautiful.