Sister Amanda Journey To Islam

The first time I was introduced to islam was in fourth grade, but I didn't know it yet. I  woke up and heard my dad yell "holly shit! Someone just ran a plane into the towers" for many years I though islam and terrorist went hand and hand. Potato patato. I thought islam was another word for terrorism. That's just what the media and society taught me.

The next time I was introduced to islam was freshman year of high school. We went on a camping trip with family friends. And one of the people that always come with, had brought a friend. Who went in the tent five times a day for some reason. I wonder why.......

At about junior year in high school I knew there was a difference between islam and terrorism.  Senses can remember, I went to church almost every Sunday. if I spent the night at a friends house on a Saturday night, my mom would pick me up Sunday morning to go to church. There was this man who went to church with us and he was getting married to a Muslim woman. And her family disowned her. This also put another negative image of islam in my thoughts.

The summer of 2010 hit and I had just graduated! I was ready to get my party on. i was always so shy until this point. i was ready to break out of my shell and actually be a social person for one in my life. There is no better way to get rid of nerves than downing a few shots of liquid courage!Like most of the teenagers it was time to party and do things which we see normal. Fall came, I was going to college at the local community college. I was still a Heavy party goer.

My best friend Jacob had just moved into an apartment with his friend named josh! One october night Jacob called me and asked me to bring some of my girl friends over because they were having a party. I was a little hesitant because it was a school night. But of course I said I would round up some friends and go over. All of my girl friends said no because it was a school night and we had been partying non stop. At the party only one of Josh's friends showed up and only one of Jacobs friends showed up, me. I walked in and told them none of my friends could make it. But I was down to play beer pong!

I walk past the wall and look at the only person I didn't recognize. I must have looked a little too long because he smiled at me and I kept smiling back. I couldn't help it. My eyes got stuck! He said "hi" from across the room and I replied with a wave hello. Josh and I were on one team, and Jacob and that-one-boy were on another. I through the ball and made it in a cup, pointed and the attractive man and yelled "DRINK!" Josh said he doesn't drink and the Jacob was going to be drinking for him. Because everyone one know no cup goes un-drank.

Later in the night after I got a Lil tipsy we started talking. I asked him why he didn't drink and he said because he never had. I thought "oh god I hope he's not Mormon!" 

We texted every day and hung out almost just as much. There was going to be a Halloween party at my moms and I told his he should come. Before my dad died he always told me I wasn't allowed to date anyone unless they got approved by him. So I thought the big bro check and moms approval would be a good idea.

A week after the party when I was at his apartment I saw a prayer mat and asked if he was Muslim and he said yes. We had been talking for two months now and he had just told me. I felt like he was keeping it a secret.

I was falling in love with him. I looked into islam a little bit on the Internet and a ton of hate websites came up. But after meeting this guy that nonsense couldn't be true. So I dug a little more. And found that a Muslim man can marry a Christian woman. I was satisfied so I stopped looking into it. But I did ask him what his believes were. He always brushed off the question because it was hard for him to explain. English was his third language. I told him that I read that he can marry a woman of the book but he said that he wouldn't ever do that. Something about his uncle doing that and it didn't turn out well.

After a year and three months of communications, we decide we can't do it any more with our differences. He asks to take me out on one more time for a meal before we say goodbye. I couldn't sleep. all night I was thinking of ways to make it work. At dinner we decided to not talk about it and just eat together one last time. After dinner he drove me home. On the way to my house I said " how can u ask me to change into something I know nothing about. Change into something I kept asking you about but you never answered me!?!?? He said  "you are right. It's not fair and I am so sorry for this."

So we remained in contact for a week or so but I couldn't handle it and I told him it hurt to be around him. And I asked him to stop texting me. It didn't work very well because he texted me the next morning. I asked him to teach me more about the religion to see if I could agree with it. He still wasn't a good teacher so I taught my self. He did give me lectures though. I listened to them every chance I got. I was on a mission to prove to him that islam was wrong and my way was the way to go! I would tell him things about my religion and he would hit me with why it wasn't the right way of thinking. I would be stumped and have nothing else to say because what he said was right and I didn't have a way to prove him wrong....every time! One conversation I remember was about Isa (Jesus) I said Jesus it the son of god, that's y we worship him. And me came back with " but aren't we all sons and daughters of Allah?" I replied with "yeah but....." And I didn't have anymore to say, because I couldn't compete with the truth.

It was about February of 2012 when I really  got into the research. I was confused and angry at this point in my life. Why would my parents teach me the wrong way of life? Why would a man of God stand on stage every sunday morning and not preach the truth?Why did I have to be learning this on my own? there was someone so close to me who could be the one to tell me this for a year and a half but never had the consideration to do so?  My life was changing faster that I could keep up. I wanted to just stop this research. my feet were tired but my heart was racing after islam. I was starting to believe, and beautiful things were happening.

While listening to the lectures my friend had given me I kept hearing this word. Ummah ummah ummah. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??? So I did what anyone would do! I googled it. The first thing that popped up was ummah.com. So I clicked on it and read for a very long time and learned a tone more that I had in the last few months. This it the perfect place for me! And I could ask real people all the questions I had bottled up inside. It was an exciting day in May for me!

Late June I said the Shahada aloud to my self. July came around and my family was having a BBQ, so I went over to my moms. I love hot dogs on the grill. My mom asked if I wanted a hamburger or hot dog. I said hamburger and she looked at me funny. Then I read the hotdog package to make sure there was not pork in it. They were beef dogs and I changed my mind. She must have saw me do this because a week or two later she asked if I was going to become Muslim. She scared me so I said "maybe, it's a very cool religion" she was not having that and did not talk to me for two months. My brothers and sisters were telling me she was disowning me. How could she say such things? She's my mother, gave birth to me. But it was true, I tried talking to her but she wouldn't even look at me. I did my first Ramadan that year. It felt amazing although I was hungry, it was the best experience of my life!

She got over it. But we don't talk about it in front of her. My brothers and sisters don't seem to care about what I believe in. Ishallah (god willing) Slowly I will show them through my actions and words that islam it's the right path. It's now February of 2013 and I covered my hair for the first time in public. I didn't feel how I thought it would. I felt good and proud to be representing islam. I now love the life I am trying to live and am still learning something new about islam everyday. I know there is much more to learn and I'm ready to dive into the pool of knowledge.  A quick shout out to everyone who has helped me through this. May Allah reward you for guiding me to islam.Ameen

Please share Islam with everyone u meet! People will know the truth when they hear it. Until you do something about it, there will be other people filling their ears with false information. And everyone deserves to hear the truth.