Before I embraced Islam, there were negative feedbacks I heard from various media pertaining to Islam particularly after 9/11. That information I heard and read became a dirty lump in my heart. Every time I met a Muslim that negative impression looms from my bosom. The people whom I consider then as loving people are only the Christians.
In my school days that negative treatment did limit the network of my friendship. Even I have plenty of Muslim classmates, due to that biases, it didn’t become a reason for me to get close with them. To be honest, since elementary up to college I brought with me the package of biases towards Muslims. Everything had changed as I finished my bachelor degree. I worked then in one of the Catholic movement which is focusing on Muslim-Christian relation. My journey with the movement in a short period of time had slowly melted the frozen dirty lump in my heart. The process is simple. Read and study the culture and religion you hated most. This was the step I did when I was on that movement.
As I studied deeply the text of the Qur’an plus my immersion with Muslim families, all of the biases and prejudices ended. From then I started to get close with Muslims staffs on the movement. And I slowly learning and understand their way of living.
Then it came a wonderful blessing, Allah had chosen me to accept the religion Islam. Although the process is through marriage, in reality, my heart had already trembled by the vibration of Qur’an as I began reading it. I had proved to my fellow Christians workers then that my conversion wasn’t because of my husband, but it is truly came from my heart for Allah’s sake.
Alhamdulillah now I am fully part of the culture which I mocked before. I am so grateful to Allah for choosing me to become a devoted servant of his religion.
- Mel Abdurajim -
- Mel Abdurajim -
Picture source:
0 comments: