Malaak

I am a new Muslim woman from Richmond, VA. I had never even met
Muslims before last year, and had no idea that there was an Islamic
center in my own city. However, at that time, I was very interested in
Islam, but I could find nothing to read. I read encyclopedias and any
books I could get my hands on, but they were all written by non-
Muslims. They said that Muhammad (saws) wrote the Qur'an in the 7th
centruy, that Muslims worshipped the black stone, and that Islam bred
hatred towards women. They also said that Muhammad (saws) copied the
Bible, that Islam was spread with the Qur'an in one hand and the sword
in the other, and implied (if not stated directly) that all Muslims
were Arab. One book even said that the word "Allah" came from al-lot,
the moon god of the pagan Arabs. These are just some of the lies I
read.

Then, one day, two Pakistani Muslim women (who were also muhajjabas
[wearing hijab -ed.]) came to my college. I befriended them, and then
I started asking them all kinds of questions. I had already left
Christianity when I was 12, so I felt no challenge to my personal
beliefs. I was a biology major and had basically no religion. I was
amazed at what they told me, and I realized that all of my previous
knowledge was lies.

Then, I came home for the summer. I got my own apartment and started
working at 7-11. While I was working, a black muhajjaba came in the
store. I asked her where she worshipped and when she told me there was
an Islamic center on the same street I was working on, I was amazed.

I went the next day, but no one was there. So I went the day after
that day (which happened to be Friday) and found some people there. A
man told me to come the next week at noon so I could meet some of the
ladies. But when he said "noon," he meant "dhuhr," not 12. I didn't
know that. So I came at 12 the following week, but no one was there.
For some reason, I decided to wait, Subhan-Allah. And wait I did, for
an hour and a half (jumaa' [Friday prayer -ed.] is at 2), and finally
I meet some people. A lady there gave me a copy of Maurice Bucaille's
The Bible, Qur'an, and Science. When I read it, I knew that I wanted
to become a Muslim. After all, I was a biology major. I knew that the
things in the Qur'an had to be from Allah (swt), and not from an
illiterate, uneducated man. So I went the next week and took shahaada
[i.e. stated and accepted the creed of Islam -ed.]

When my dad found out, he went crazy. He came to my apartment and tore
up everything in it, including my Qur'an. I called the police, and
they came out. But they refused to help. They said "Don't you think
he's right?" and so on. So I fled to Nashville, TN.

I have continued to talk with my dad, though, because the Qur'an says
to honour your parents (it does not distinguish between Kaafir and
Muslim parents), and because I remember the story of Umar Ibn Al-
Khattab (raa). He hated Islam so much that he used to beat his slave
girl until his arm grew tired. Al-Hamdu Lillah, Allah (swt) has
rewarded me for my efforts. I saw my father for the first time this
summer, in full hijaab. He accepted it without too much commentary. I
think he realizes now that he can't bully me into renouncing Islam.

I saw my father for the first time this
summer, in full hijaab. He accepted it without too much commentary. I
think he realizes now that he can't bully me into renouncing Islam.

Renounce only what you can afford to.