Those confusing questions that I tried to ignore once again rose in my head? On what was Trinity? How can 3 equal 1? Why do I have to worship Jesus and why do I have to talk to Jesus in order to get to God? Why should I worship someone that didn’t create me? And why would someone die for my mistakes that I make and they pay for it? all though people answered them but still was not good enough it seemed to me that I would ask these questions and people would just give me short answers. I slowly started to explore different religions my first interest Judaism I didn’t know much but being raised as a Christian and told that Jesus was a Jew I wanted to become a Jew, but when I found out that I could not because I was not born into it that I wouldn’t be able to, after learning this I was left back to square one trying to search, later on I would meet a friend that I worked with that was from Iran, we eventually grew closer and finally asked to marry me I was excited as any teenager at 17 would be but I felt that it would be good for me to learn about his culture and background, as my research began I seen that the main religion in Iran was Islam when asking my fiancé he was not practicing and would refuse to answer me so after him closing me out I left it alone and figured it wasn’t a good religion so I left it alone.

September 10th 2001

this night would be the most weird night I would ever had, I had went to sleep that night and dreamed of being around a big black cube in a big empty place that was so beautiful, and a man approached me with a medium length beard and white robe and Invited me to Islam. After waking up I felt ok what ever what is Islam that day that I woke up was September 11th. I had went to school that day and in my computer lab class and finding out that there was an accident In NCY as we watched the news on the computer the horrifying site of another plane came flying at high speeds and hit the other twin tower at this time I was really shaken up, after living in Oklahoma and living there when the Oklahoma city bombing happened it was a huge flash back. Seeing the headlines on the news saying it was Islamic terrorists and then remembering my dream I felt angry and said no way will I come to this religion! As time went by after 9/11 the news would play the footage and as my anger grew towards these people I thought where full of hate. My fiancé at the time told me don’t listen to the media they lie and excaudate and I felt yeah you’re from Iran of course u would think so your one of them. After a few weeks I kept getting dreams about Islam I tried so hard to ignore them but they kept coming stronger and every night. I thought the only way to ignore them was to try to join the Army I was ready to fight these people but as I listened to the news day by day and the dreams kept coming I felt ok I will see what this religion Is all about. At school I was able to print things about Islam when I got my own computer at home I got online and went to anything I thought that could help, I had went to Islam chats,Qur’an chats, Arabic chats. anything that I thought that could help me I contacted after a few days I was receiving emails, mail, Invitation to peoples homes to help me learn about Islam because my fiancé would refuse to help.

The first family. The first family I stayed with was a Palestinian family In Florida a family I will never ever forget as I watched and observed there life style and as they would answer my questions that I had in Christianity that no one else could answer I knew that I was wrong and the media that I trusted had been lying all along. After coming back to Ohio from that visit I was back to a home that was always fighting and had missed the family that I had stayed with so much I then asked them If I could visit one more time the second time I visited I knew that this was the life style that I wanted and wanted this life as a Muslim but still had more questions. As the year passed I stayed with another Muslim family from Iran I knew that I wanted to change but didn’t know how, I didn’t know a lot of Islam but the 5 pillars of Islam and felt them so strongly. Even though I didn’t know a lot I felt if I had it in my heart to become a Muslim and If I waited and I died then I couldn’t go back, and I decided if I become Muslim now and learn as I go and if I die then I will be in the right faith.

September 12,2002.

I remember that night so clearly I wanted to become Muslim so badly I didn’t know what to do, I went to a chat room on Aol called Koran chat I went into the room crying asking I want to become Muslim but didn’t know what to do, a sister that I will never forget had messaged me and asked to call me I immediately gave her my number and she had called me and a gentlemen that would talk to me about Islam went over the 5 pillars of Islam I felt it in my heart so much that I told him I want to become Muslim please what do I do? He then told me to say Ashadu la ilaha il Allah Muhammad rasool-Allah which I repeated in English "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." After saying these words the Imam then informed me to take a shower and then should go to sleep, I had then went to sleep that night and had the same dream I had in the beginning, I was around this big black Cube again which was the Kabba but this time I was surrounded by millions of Muslims and the man that had approached me before approached me again with a smile and said to me Masha’allah sister you are on the right path I had then woke up and had tears in my eyes, but when I woke up I had felt as if something had lifted from me I felt like a totally different person but knew that it was a great feeling and will always remember. It still surprises me from this day how I became from a broken child, to a closed minded human on the world, hating a religion that I was angry at. To a loving Muslim.

Till this day I could never Imagine ever leaving this religion it is the most peaceful and loving and most beautiful religion. A Religion that protects the woman’s body and heart and where we are respected and treated with the greatest respect. And it makes me sad to know I used to be like the people now so closed minded. Insha’allah may Allah Guide them to the right path the way he did me. Ameen.