Story # 6

Name: Anonymous
Former religion: Christianity
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim: From the moment I was born I was essentially put into a Christian family. At a young age I started going to church with my aunt & sister. It wasn’t until September 11, 2001 I heard about Islam. Although everyone around me were saying Muslims are terrorists’, none the less I wanted to learn about this so-called “terrorist” religion. By this time I had slowly stopped going to church.


When The Passion of the Christ came out in 2004, it was a big deal in my family, as for most Christians in America. This movie made me furious, like how can Jesus be beaten and crucified and if he was the “Son of God” then he wouldn’t have suffered the way he did. This made me truly question Christianity.

The following year, Kingdom of Heaven (2005) about the crusades in Jerusalem definitely made me want to learn about Islam more in depth. I loved every time they said “Assalamu Alaikum”, “Allahu Akbar”, and the Adhan that played faintly in one scene made my heart melt. It was a given that Islam was in my heart after watching this movie but I needed to know more.

I began learning more about Islam on and off throughout high school via the history channel, the web and reading the Qur’an. Senior year of high school I went back to church for a month or so to see if Christianity was for me. But listening to the Pastor speak my thoughts were everywhere. So, on my own merit I stopped going to church once again cause I knew Christianity was not for me.

The summer of 2009 I did this Student Transition Program (STP) at the University of Mary Washington where I got the opportunity not only to take a world religion class but befriended some Muslims. This thirst of knowledge made me want to know more about Islam. During my 2nd year I meet some young adults who wanted me to study the Bible. I studied with them here and there but my mind set was focused on learning about Islam.

As my 3rd year at UMW came around, fall of August 2011, I was really thinking about it, so I looked at how to become a Muslim. I found that you had to declare it by saying the shahadah in front of 2 or more people, preferably in a masjid or an Islamic event. So near the end of September, 6 weeks into the semester I told my friend sister, Wiaam, that I wanted to become Muslim after class. That same week she asked me to come to her dorm. Ended up telling my friend sister Riham that I wanted I wanted to revert to Islam, as well. They asked me my story and I told them, then they asked if I believed in the Trinity. I answered them with no. That same night I learned how to pray (with a cheat sheet), how to make wudu and how to wear the hijab. So that Friday, September 23, 2011, I was super nervous and really excited to take my shahadah. I went over Riham’s, made wudu and headed over to Jummah prayer. Before the khutbah, Brother Sherif said we will do the shahadah…I repeated him saying,”Lā ʾilāha ʾilá l-Lāh, Muḥammad rasūlu l-Lāh | There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” I was officially a Muslim and was definitely the happiest moment in my life.

Though I’m struggling with my family about my decision to revert, I’m taking every day one step at a time. I’m fortunate to have great friends that I can call my sisters and brothers, who are helping with my struggles and helping me gain knowledge in this beautiful deen. May Allah show my family that me becoming a Muslim has changed me for the better, no matter how long it takes them, through my actions, insha’Allah. Ameen.

Ma’salama!