Introduction to Islam..

Americans for the majority are ignorant on Islam.

The sad truth is, ignorance only reinforces ignorance, and like any ignorant thoughts in the past in American creates hatred. I am not proud of my thoughts about Islam prior to my actual discovery of the truth, and I am not proud that I didn’t search for the truth before I did. I didn’t search because, what I was told about this religion was wrong. This was a religion of hate, this was the enemy.

My first true encounter with Islam happened on September 11 2001, like most Americans. Before then, Islam was a far of religion. A religion of another world, we knew it existed, but had no idea what it was. I had seen pictures of Muslim women; I had seen pictures of Iraq and hear the name of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Besides that, nothing. On that infamous day, men spoke out of ignorance, and reinforced untrue claims to Islam without warrant. Sitting in a class in school, we spoke about the attacks, talked about it being Muslims. Not once did the teacher bring up that it was radically extremist, but encouraged the ignorant talk that continued. "That religion teaches to kill everyone who is not a Muslim." That statement became a common theme heard on the news and through out the chattering of Americans that day.

To be honest, I stayed away from the religion. I was fearful of what it was, and fearful of Muslims. All based on unwarranted claims made by the media, family and friends. This is one of the most embarrassing parts of my story, and I am hesitant to write it, but it should be written. You have to realize, ignorance is not an incurable cancer, it is easy to fix. I am proof of that.

The years after September 11, I spent in high school. I grew to know the politics of Muslims countries, but did not understand more then the basis, because I didn’t know Islam. To know why people do something you have to understand them, and you can not understand the Muslims unless you have a basic understanding what Islam is. I was a debater in high school, many debates and speech topics came through my hands about the Middle East, and saw many speak about the subjects, sadly most spoke out of ignorance even in public forums, they were applauded.

When I joined the military, I quickly learned that they, despite what the military says, they train you to be in a Muslims are the enemy mindset. I become emotional here; this is difficult even to think about now.... When we were training in the military, Muslims names were written on the targets during shooting practice. After we would have a good day at the gun range, we would be congratulated for killing hajji afterwards. Sadly this is not an isolated incident, but that is the only one that needs to be talked about. I am sure you get the picture of the ignorant men training the United States soldiers and sailors.

I find a lot of irony in my story of becoming Muslim. Everything that made me fear Muslims and Islam prior to becoming Muslim would all come together in one place and be the driving force that first made me study Islam.

I was stationed in the nation’s capitol, at base where I could look down the Potomac River and see where the plane hit the pentagon on September. 11. I worked as an anti-terrorism force specialist there, and a few months after arriving I found out that a civilian man I worked with was Muslim. This was a huge shock to me. He looked normal, talked normal, and was a black American male. If the conversation of religion would have never been brought up one day, it might have gone right by me.

How the conversation was brought up is an interesting story. This elderly woman would bring in pamphlets from her church and give them to us; we would in return throw them away. So being a kind Muslim man as he was, he wanted to share his truth with her. He walked into work with a stack of hand outs on Islam, and said "if she wants to give them out, maybe she will take them and read them, it’s only fair". We didn’t see her for about a week, but little did my friend know that those hand outs were sparking someone else’s interest, mine. I read each and every one of them he had there.

One day, just the two of us sitting and talking, I finally opened up and said, "so what do you know about Jesus". (Peace be upon him) He turned his head with a smirk on his face and said, "What do you want to know?" Its funny, all these years I didn’t know that Islam was even a religion of Abraham. It wasn’t mentioned to me while going to church. I thought it was as far from Christianity as paganism is. We began to talk about Islam. My first real conversation in my life about the truth. Jesus (peace be upon him), I was told was a prophet sent by god. Nothing more, he lived and was here on earth but is not divine himself. He looked at me, and said, "Where in the bible does Jesus say “I am divine?""

My friend had no previous knowledge of my story, but yet hit exactly my problem in Christianity. I had never agreed with anything more. We began our on and off talks about Islam, while I bought every book I could find, and watched every YouTube video about Islam that I could fit in my time. (In fact a funny side note, my first book on Islam was, “An Idiots Guide to Islam.”) Then one day, he brought me a gift. He had a book wrapped in a plastic bag, and said here read this. Inside was the holy Quran. With in 3 days, I had read every word. I had cried my way through it, because I was ashamed of what I had thought before... and now knew this is the truth. It finally felt good to be enlightened.

I wasn’t having enough interaction with my friend at work, not enough communication about Islam. So one day, I decided to go to an Islamic book store. When I pulled into the place I thought was simply a book store, and it was actually a mosque with a book store. Half way afraid, I walked up and spoke to a man sitting on the steps. I asked him, if he could help me. He looked at me and simply pointed to the iman office. I had no idea what I was doing, I walk up to this cheerful looking Muslim man and we began to talk. Prayer time came, and he asked if I wanted to watch them pray. Stepping into the mousqe for the first time was almost overwhelming, the silence was chilling, but inside I felt warm and at home. Sitting in the back a man came and set down next to me, we began talking about Islam, then it happened. The most beautiful sound I have ever heard rang through the building, the man looked back and invited me to join him... said "just do what I do, I will teach you to pray."

I did, then and there, when I prayed for the first time, I felt enlightened. It was the truth, a warm feeling took over me, and while I prayed with my face on the floor I accepted Islam for my self fully. The one decision in my life that I am more proud of then any thing else. After the prayer, the iman looked up and saw me in the crowd. His smile was amazing, in his broken English that I had been getting use to all day of talking, he asked are you ready? I said my shaahda, in front of Muslim brothers there that day. Stumbling through the Arabic, instead of feeling emotional I felt proud and enlightened.

It funny how someone’s name sometimes describes them, I was introduced to Islam from a man named abdul-nur. The slave of the light, and that he was. He showed me the light that I had been blindfolded from for years. I will always be thankful for Washington dc and the military for letting me meet him.