Say No to April Fools' Day (April 1st, 2010)
Today the imam 's topic of his Friday lecture featured a lot about lying and how it
affects person’s credibility and standing. With respect to history, he touched on issue related to April Fools ’ Day and how it brought into being, but he put more emphasis on the dire consequences for those who make up something untrue.
"Muslims are warned in the Quran and hadiths not to "cook up" lies no matter what." The Imam said, with his right hand fist waving up in the air . His tone seemed kind of too angry about how we Muslims still tell lies and prank one another on this day, which according to Islam, is prohibited and its aftermath is blazing hellfire.
If you guys ever read the history of April fools day, you wouldn’t have celebrated or played practical jokes on others anymore . April Fools; Day dates back to the era of Spain when they lied to Muslims. Christians mark this day knowing that it was the day Muslims lost in the Spain war. Historically, Islamic conquered Spain and had an overwhelming power over there. The Christian army could not win over the Muslims and sent spies to discover why. They discovered that the Muslims were strong on their faith and obedient to Allah. They decided to weaken their faith by persuading some to expose to illegal sex, alcohol and tobacco. People started using all those unlawful things until they were divided along some opposing sects and groups. By doing all harems significantly impacted their lives and as result, they lost their obedience to Allah. Then the power of Islam has considerably diminished because of some split among them. Christians told the pious Muslims and their families to leave their homes safely and could take only the essential belongings from their homes. They were told they could sail away in the ships anchored on the harbor. When they started taking their stuff to the ships, their homes were looted and then burned down to the ground; ships were forced to sink in the waters. Because of unpreparedness, Muslims were killed and defeated. The Christians then celebrated and danced. The festivity became a custom that was celebrated every year and that has been carried on until this day not only in Spain but in all over the world, too. The Muslims celebrate 1st April as well as playing jokes on others on this day because they don’t know the history and what happened on that day…this could be our ignorance of the story. It is a day the Spanish celebrate in remembrance of the day that they defeated the Muslims and swept them from power in Spain.
ISLAMIC PROSPECTIVE ON LYING
My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, I want you to tell your friends or family members who are blithely unaware of the origin of this April Fools' Day. We are required to encourage our people to avoid all kinds of practical jokes, pranking and spewing lies on this day or any day. We know lying is really bad and it's the complete opposite of truth. There's no doubt in my mind lying is a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth. So, anything that is untrue and deliberately intended to mislead another person is a lie. A lie, therefore, can be anything spoken or written that is totally or partially baseless, unreal, made-up, distorted or exaggerated. We can say, without doubt that, lying is one of the most evil characteristics, of which Quran and Sayings warn against.
According to Quran, Ghafir, Chapter 40, Verse # 28 ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ ), " Truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies! "
In , Az-Zumar, Chapter #39, Verse #60),
(وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَرَى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسْوَدَّةٌ ۚ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ) On the Day of Judgment wilt thou see those who told lies against Allah.- their faces will be turned black; Is there not in Hell an abode for the Haughty?
In Al-Anaam, Chapter #6, Verse #24, (انظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ) - Behold! how they lie against their own souls! But the (lie) which they invented will leave them in the lurch.
in Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #17), ( فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ), Who did more wrong than such as forge a lie against Allah, or deny His Signs? But never will prosper those who sin.
In Quran, may verses talked about lying and liars and I don't think I can write all of them here. But I take some of the most significant ones that warn people not to tell lies. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him*) also advised Muslims to be honest and truthful. in Quran, many verses or Sayings tell us not to tell lies. Some examples of hadith which address lying include::
"Four traits, whoever possesses them is a hypocrite and whoever possesses some of them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: the one who when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he disputes he transgresses and when he makes an agreement he violates it." (Muslim and Bukhari)
The following hadith also pinpoints that lying leads people to be evil and bad.
“Maintain truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Heaven. A man continues to maintain truthfulness until he is recorded in Allah’s book as truthful. Refrain from lying, because lying leads to blatant evil, and evil leads to the fire. A man continues to lie until he is recorded in Allah’s book as a liar,” (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmithi).
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 33; Muslim, 59)
It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Do not tell lies about me. Whoever tells lies about me, let him enter the Fire.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 106). It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘I joke, but I speak nothing but the truth.’” (narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 12/391)
For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) narrated that he he saw a liar being punished in the Hereafter by having his mouth, nose and eyes torn with an iron hook. (Bukhari 5745) and another liar whose head was smashed with big boulders , with his head comes back to its normalcy in shape and he continues to suffer the same pain and agony over and over again.
Despite such warnings, many people do tell lies. Lying may be out of habit, out of conceit or pride, to protect one's interests, to avoid uncomfortable situations, to exaggerate or make jokes, to avoid being hurtful, or to outright deceive and commit wrong. Even "white lies," such as empty promises to bribe a child or lies used in jest, are considered sinful in Islam. I don't understand why people cant' see how our religion vehemently forbids us to lie and propagate lies. Everyone is aware the fact that liars will have bad consequences in this world and in the next.
In short, there's no day or a moment when Islamic law permits a person to tell lies or to say whatever he/she wants based on lies. please beware of the common deceptive methods that Christians and Jews are doing to reverse ourselves from the path of obedience to Allah and our Sunnah. May Allah keep us all pure from such deceptions and avoid making us the “April Fool”. Ameen.
"Muslims are warned in the Quran and hadiths not to "cook up" lies no matter what." The Imam said, with his right hand fist waving up in the air . His tone seemed kind of too angry about how we Muslims still tell lies and prank one another on this day, which according to Islam, is prohibited and its aftermath is blazing hellfire.
If you guys ever read the history of April fools day, you wouldn’t have celebrated or played practical jokes on others anymore . April Fools; Day dates back to the era of Spain when they lied to Muslims. Christians mark this day knowing that it was the day Muslims lost in the Spain war. Historically, Islamic conquered Spain and had an overwhelming power over there. The Christian army could not win over the Muslims and sent spies to discover why. They discovered that the Muslims were strong on their faith and obedient to Allah. They decided to weaken their faith by persuading some to expose to illegal sex, alcohol and tobacco. People started using all those unlawful things until they were divided along some opposing sects and groups. By doing all harems significantly impacted their lives and as result, they lost their obedience to Allah. Then the power of Islam has considerably diminished because of some split among them. Christians told the pious Muslims and their families to leave their homes safely and could take only the essential belongings from their homes. They were told they could sail away in the ships anchored on the harbor. When they started taking their stuff to the ships, their homes were looted and then burned down to the ground; ships were forced to sink in the waters. Because of unpreparedness, Muslims were killed and defeated. The Christians then celebrated and danced. The festivity became a custom that was celebrated every year and that has been carried on until this day not only in Spain but in all over the world, too. The Muslims celebrate 1st April as well as playing jokes on others on this day because they don’t know the history and what happened on that day…this could be our ignorance of the story. It is a day the Spanish celebrate in remembrance of the day that they defeated the Muslims and swept them from power in Spain.
ISLAMIC PROSPECTIVE ON LYING
My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, I want you to tell your friends or family members who are blithely unaware of the origin of this April Fools' Day. We are required to encourage our people to avoid all kinds of practical jokes, pranking and spewing lies on this day or any day. We know lying is really bad and it's the complete opposite of truth. There's no doubt in my mind lying is a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth. So, anything that is untrue and deliberately intended to mislead another person is a lie. A lie, therefore, can be anything spoken or written that is totally or partially baseless, unreal, made-up, distorted or exaggerated. We can say, without doubt that, lying is one of the most evil characteristics, of which Quran and Sayings warn against.
According to Quran, Ghafir, Chapter 40, Verse # 28 ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ ), " Truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies! "
In , Az-Zumar, Chapter #39, Verse #60),
(وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَرَى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسْوَدَّةٌ ۚ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ) On the Day of Judgment wilt thou see those who told lies against Allah.- their faces will be turned black; Is there not in Hell an abode for the Haughty?
In Al-Anaam, Chapter #6, Verse #24, (انظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ) - Behold! how they lie against their own souls! But the (lie) which they invented will leave them in the lurch.
in Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #17), ( فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ), Who did more wrong than such as forge a lie against Allah, or deny His Signs? But never will prosper those who sin.
In Quran, may verses talked about lying and liars and I don't think I can write all of them here. But I take some of the most significant ones that warn people not to tell lies. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him*) also advised Muslims to be honest and truthful. in Quran, many verses or Sayings tell us not to tell lies. Some examples of hadith which address lying include::
"Four traits, whoever possesses them is a hypocrite and whoever possesses some of them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: the one who when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he disputes he transgresses and when he makes an agreement he violates it." (Muslim and Bukhari)
The following hadith also pinpoints that lying leads people to be evil and bad.
“Maintain truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Heaven. A man continues to maintain truthfulness until he is recorded in Allah’s book as truthful. Refrain from lying, because lying leads to blatant evil, and evil leads to the fire. A man continues to lie until he is recorded in Allah’s book as a liar,” (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmithi).
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 33; Muslim, 59)
It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Do not tell lies about me. Whoever tells lies about me, let him enter the Fire.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 106). It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘I joke, but I speak nothing but the truth.’” (narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 12/391)
For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) narrated that he he saw a liar being punished in the Hereafter by having his mouth, nose and eyes torn with an iron hook. (Bukhari 5745) and another liar whose head was smashed with big boulders , with his head comes back to its normalcy in shape and he continues to suffer the same pain and agony over and over again.
Despite such warnings, many people do tell lies. Lying may be out of habit, out of conceit or pride, to protect one's interests, to avoid uncomfortable situations, to exaggerate or make jokes, to avoid being hurtful, or to outright deceive and commit wrong. Even "white lies," such as empty promises to bribe a child or lies used in jest, are considered sinful in Islam. I don't understand why people cant' see how our religion vehemently forbids us to lie and propagate lies. Everyone is aware the fact that liars will have bad consequences in this world and in the next.
In short, there's no day or a moment when Islamic law permits a person to tell lies or to say whatever he/she wants based on lies. please beware of the common deceptive methods that Christians and Jews are doing to reverse ourselves from the path of obedience to Allah and our Sunnah. May Allah keep us all pure from such deceptions and avoid making us the “April Fool”. Ameen.
Did some Somalis embrace Christianity or Atheism for real or for bucks?-
Before I came to
Paltalk, I was so naive to know about the fact that some Somalis have
already embraced other faiths and left their beautiful Islamic religion for a
few bucks. I was like, what? Are they kidding me? Is that real? Am I dreaming? (Somebody pinch me to see if
I’m having a nightmare.)
So, the general notion that
Somalis being as 100 percentage Muslim kind of seems flying out of the
window,
but I still think some dudes are deadly wrong and will eventually get
their
sense back and revert to their religion. I may have heard some say we
had a few
numbered Atheists and Christians back in the old days, but the fact of
the
matter is, I never saw them for real. One of the reasons why I was so
ignorant of what was going on could be that I was not much interacted
with Somalis that much.
The first time I opened my Paltalk account, I joined American political debate rooms and became an admin in one of those rooms (later I became a virtual English teacher on Paltalk) until one evening I happened to cruise around in Somali forums for fun. You know what, one room attracted my whole attention, which was Somali Muslims VS Somali Christians discuss (sic). In that night, I remember I inadvertently jumped on the mike and chatted on and on, but brothers and sisters in that room who were really well informed, very respectful and educated enlightened me about many things including Somali pseudo Christians and atheists. At last, I came to realize those misguided individuals were not more than ignorant trolls out of boredom who think their intention to post deliberately provocative comments to message boards in Islamic rooms can cause disruption, but they don’t know my brothers and sisters in those above-mentioned rooms are well educated, well behaved, and well informed more than anyone else I have ever seen or imagined of.
The next night, my new friends who added me from the room had invited me to another forum, “the Jesus is NOT the son of God" in which a heated debate was going on when I came in, but I decided to sit back and listen to them, because I wanted to know for sure what was going on. Their debate geared up to a full scale, but one Somali Christian who sort of seemed to wallow in a total ignorance was on the mike babbling on and on without an iota of credible proof and evidence. That dude never answered questions asked on the mike or posted on the board, but he was trying to buy time and twist things to his own warped desires instead. I asked myself why they chose to be dumb like that way. They even couldn't talk about the religion they claimed they belonged to. Why in the world one to talk about a subject without having some proofs to back up I wonder? One thing I don't understand, every time Somali Christians are asked to answer questions, all they do is dodge the issue or rapidly leave the room to get under new names to avoid being ashamed.
My Muslim brothers as well helped me inform how their rooms were established in response to some young misguided Somali Christians and atheists who opened some rooms trying to proselytize others. I knew those brainwashed people couldn't have no position and knowledge to talk about. In order to get to know deeper what they had in mind, I tried to visit their rooms but unfortunately, all I saw was just name calling, and Islamophobia. None of them had the slightest ideas of all they were saying. I saw myself engaged in a full-fledged war against all self-proclaimed Somali Christians and atheists.
One night, I was debating with one Christian (his name withheld for some reasons) on the mike on a private mode, someone who sounded like his mother, without notice, got her way into his room and overheard him defend Christianity. She started yelling at him and he abruptly signed out of Paltalk. Therefore, I realized that they hide their belief from their parents or guardians as well. I can call them “part time pseudo atheists/ Christians" They are clearly a misguided delusional human being who exchange their Islamic religion for welfare. Did I say "welfare"? Mostly are confined to their basements from where they chat. I wonder if an ignorant person can stand up to propagate something that he or she doesn't know anything about it. Why are they making themselves look bumbling fools? They better quit making fun of themselves before it is too late.
I asked myself why those Somalis who say they are Christians go troll and bash our sweet Islamic religion. Is that a fun for them to do so? Sometimes I think they do it because they are bored. Sometimes it's just funny to see peoples' reactions to certain questions, and other times just for attention seeking but I believe no one can joke around the issue related with religion. I tell them to go get grips and get a life and quit trolling. Just because you live in Europe, U.S, or Canada DOES NOT mean you have to act them. Have respect for your religion, your culture, your family, and your ancestors. No matter what you do, Islam is the ONLY RELIGION that is spreading so fast today beyond one’s imagination. This is so sad what kind of example are they setting for their kids... I am convinced my brain is not built right to understand this. I came to conclusion there is not a single Somali who converted to either Christianity, or atheism for real.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first time I opened my Paltalk account, I joined American political debate rooms and became an admin in one of those rooms (later I became a virtual English teacher on Paltalk) until one evening I happened to cruise around in Somali forums for fun. You know what, one room attracted my whole attention, which was Somali Muslims VS Somali Christians discuss (sic). In that night, I remember I inadvertently jumped on the mike and chatted on and on, but brothers and sisters in that room who were really well informed, very respectful and educated enlightened me about many things including Somali pseudo Christians and atheists. At last, I came to realize those misguided individuals were not more than ignorant trolls out of boredom who think their intention to post deliberately provocative comments to message boards in Islamic rooms can cause disruption, but they don’t know my brothers and sisters in those above-mentioned rooms are well educated, well behaved, and well informed more than anyone else I have ever seen or imagined of.
The next night, my new friends who added me from the room had invited me to another forum, “the Jesus is NOT the son of God" in which a heated debate was going on when I came in, but I decided to sit back and listen to them, because I wanted to know for sure what was going on. Their debate geared up to a full scale, but one Somali Christian who sort of seemed to wallow in a total ignorance was on the mike babbling on and on without an iota of credible proof and evidence. That dude never answered questions asked on the mike or posted on the board, but he was trying to buy time and twist things to his own warped desires instead. I asked myself why they chose to be dumb like that way. They even couldn't talk about the religion they claimed they belonged to. Why in the world one to talk about a subject without having some proofs to back up I wonder? One thing I don't understand, every time Somali Christians are asked to answer questions, all they do is dodge the issue or rapidly leave the room to get under new names to avoid being ashamed.
My Muslim brothers as well helped me inform how their rooms were established in response to some young misguided Somali Christians and atheists who opened some rooms trying to proselytize others. I knew those brainwashed people couldn't have no position and knowledge to talk about. In order to get to know deeper what they had in mind, I tried to visit their rooms but unfortunately, all I saw was just name calling, and Islamophobia. None of them had the slightest ideas of all they were saying. I saw myself engaged in a full-fledged war against all self-proclaimed Somali Christians and atheists.
One night, I was debating with one Christian (his name withheld for some reasons) on the mike on a private mode, someone who sounded like his mother, without notice, got her way into his room and overheard him defend Christianity. She started yelling at him and he abruptly signed out of Paltalk. Therefore, I realized that they hide their belief from their parents or guardians as well. I can call them “part time pseudo atheists/ Christians" They are clearly a misguided delusional human being who exchange their Islamic religion for welfare. Did I say "welfare"? Mostly are confined to their basements from where they chat. I wonder if an ignorant person can stand up to propagate something that he or she doesn't know anything about it. Why are they making themselves look bumbling fools? They better quit making fun of themselves before it is too late.
I asked myself why those Somalis who say they are Christians go troll and bash our sweet Islamic religion. Is that a fun for them to do so? Sometimes I think they do it because they are bored. Sometimes it's just funny to see peoples' reactions to certain questions, and other times just for attention seeking but I believe no one can joke around the issue related with religion. I tell them to go get grips and get a life and quit trolling. Just because you live in Europe, U.S, or Canada DOES NOT mean you have to act them. Have respect for your religion, your culture, your family, and your ancestors. No matter what you do, Islam is the ONLY RELIGION that is spreading so fast today beyond one’s imagination. This is so sad what kind of example are they setting for their kids... I am convinced my brain is not built right to understand this. I came to conclusion there is not a single Somali who converted to either Christianity, or atheism for real.
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Auctioning off their faith-
After I got home from staff meeting,
I took a warm shower and then cooked some food. After a few minutes, as usual,
I logged in Paltalk and clicked on my favorite room " Jesus is not the son of GOD"
The funniest thing I’ve ever witnessed was that when an ignorant guy named “Jizas” was on the microphone rambling on and on. He started bragging about how much money he had and how he had a purple Paltalk nickname. That was , I guess, the second time he did that idiocy in that very room. What the heck! His feeble mind tells him we got no money to change our nickname as purple. I don't understand why some people are dumb enough to think that one can't afford to get $ 130 for the whole annual purple nickname subscription. I told him we didn’t want to open up unlimited video windows and watch women on cameras so that you indulge ourselves in bad stuff . We are here to spread the word of God and for our da'wa, our job does not require us to have such that color who you mujrims deem it as VIP. What is really very important here is we are glad having our black nicknames under which we vehemently fight for our deen.
The other thing that I don't understand as well is why they brag about the "ill-gotten gains" they were given in exchange of their religion. Their mumbling was just annoying and irritating. I thought he might be trying to inspire us to wake up and start making money through “Virtual Christianization”. Come on, we are not DUMB to give in your wealth and sell our religion for some money like you and others did.
Does that little misguided twerp knows that no one remains unemployed or is starving to death here? We, Muslim, are proud to be who we are and we struggle very hard to go to work and use our own energy and knowledge, we still stick with our religion, Islam, very strongly. No one wants to listen to his nonsense. Did he believe all he said would arouse us desire and curiosity to convert to Christianity and gain some worldly wealth? Subhanallah!!! Dude, you must be dreaming. Open your eyes, back off and quit making fool of yourself. All I say is no one gives dumb about all you are given. I know even women actually could care less about how much money you have. Always remember life is short and everyone will die sooner or later, so the point is none you got can stop that from happening. When people feel insecure about themselves, they do what's called “BRAGGING”. They boast themselves to the point that I feel I want to puke. That must be reflecting their belief that they have not good enough in life(NOTHING). I find those people who brag about material things a lot are usually doing it to hide other insecurities. I find the best way to deal with it is to ignore it. We Muslims are happy with our own life even if we got nothing in hand, because we realize it takes more than material things to be happy. I think that incompetent fool sounds to me like he’s actually miserable inside. Even the poorest of the poor still have their chance to enjoy themselves in their own little ways.
Allah said in Luqman, Chapter 31, Verse 18
وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ
"Do not turn your cheek in scorn away from people, nor walk proudly on the earth; Allah does not love the proud and the boastful
نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ
We give to them a little enjoyment for awhile, and then will compel them to a tremendous punishment. (24)
In Anfal, the following verse tells us how the wealth sometimes makes people forget and leave worshiping their Allah
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ
The Unbelievers spend their wealth to hinder (man) from the path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend; but in the end they will have (only) regrets and sighs; at length they will be overcome: and the Unbelievers will be gathered together to Hell;- Chapter #8, Verse #36)
Anyway, you, Somali Christians, listen to this, I know a lot of rich Muslim brothers and sisters in the room, but none of them has ever talked about their money. They are usually polite and are accustomed to wealth, and therefore don't feel the need to prove themselves. You nouveau riches, we are not interested in hearing your sick balderdash., so shut up your mouths and grow up from living in your aunt’s basements. I repeat anyone who needs to brag about themselves is trying to convince other people that they are important and worthy of respect. It stems from insecurity. Did I say “respect”? You’re lucky if I didn’t slap you right in the mouth. To me, you are an idiot who thinks you’re better than everyone else. Well I think they brag:
1- Because they can't hold happiness inside and would like to show the world how big they are, just because they don't have anything else. It is kind of a defense of weaknesses
2- Because they have low self-esteem and want everyone to look up to them like they’re some kind of hero.
For the sake of their argument, he is a rich and has $ 70, 000 in his account. I say this to them, if you worked your way up from nothing to being a successful businessperson earning a lot of money, you would be rightly proud of yourself, and at least you can brag about it, but two people can’t boast themselves about the money they were given to do the job.
1- Women who sell their bodies and
2- Brainwashed fools who auctioned off their religion for a few bucks.
We're happy with what Allah bestowed on us no matter how big or little it is. We're steadfast and adamant in our religion even if we fail to get what to eat in weeks or months. All we do is to show Allah how grateful we are. and how blessed we are to be Muslims. This shows you how resolute we are in the face of trouble, difficulty or financial problem, but thank to Allah, we are not poor nor are we boasters. Go try to approach to Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Larry Ellison, Micheal Bloomberg and the rest to see if we can sell our religion and they change our faith. NO ONE CAN AND WILL, because our faith is unshakable, and unfaltering, our religion is unsaleable, our love to Allah and prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H) is unchangeable, our brains are undeceivable, our path to Da'wa is undeviating , our devotion to Islam is unswerving, and our creed is fathomable and unmeasurable. So your misguided and brainwashed people who lost astray from the righteous path, give us a big BREAK and realize the fact that we Muslims love our religion more than any thing else you can imagine of.
However, no one is gonna live in that unending hedonistic delight and pleasure. I pray for you, dude to go brag about how many times you have read Quran next time I see you in the room, because the companions (sahabs ) always tried to motivate and race each other in good deeds. You know what I mean. In short, may Allah guide them all and show them the right path (amen)
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The funniest thing I’ve ever witnessed was that when an ignorant guy named “Jizas” was on the microphone rambling on and on. He started bragging about how much money he had and how he had a purple Paltalk nickname. That was , I guess, the second time he did that idiocy in that very room. What the heck! His feeble mind tells him we got no money to change our nickname as purple. I don't understand why some people are dumb enough to think that one can't afford to get $ 130 for the whole annual purple nickname subscription. I told him we didn’t want to open up unlimited video windows and watch women on cameras so that you indulge ourselves in bad stuff . We are here to spread the word of God and for our da'wa, our job does not require us to have such that color who you mujrims deem it as VIP. What is really very important here is we are glad having our black nicknames under which we vehemently fight for our deen.
The other thing that I don't understand as well is why they brag about the "ill-gotten gains" they were given in exchange of their religion. Their mumbling was just annoying and irritating. I thought he might be trying to inspire us to wake up and start making money through “Virtual Christianization”. Come on, we are not DUMB to give in your wealth and sell our religion for some money like you and others did.
Does that little misguided twerp knows that no one remains unemployed or is starving to death here? We, Muslim, are proud to be who we are and we struggle very hard to go to work and use our own energy and knowledge, we still stick with our religion, Islam, very strongly. No one wants to listen to his nonsense. Did he believe all he said would arouse us desire and curiosity to convert to Christianity and gain some worldly wealth? Subhanallah!!! Dude, you must be dreaming. Open your eyes, back off and quit making fool of yourself. All I say is no one gives dumb about all you are given. I know even women actually could care less about how much money you have. Always remember life is short and everyone will die sooner or later, so the point is none you got can stop that from happening. When people feel insecure about themselves, they do what's called “BRAGGING”. They boast themselves to the point that I feel I want to puke. That must be reflecting their belief that they have not good enough in life(NOTHING). I find those people who brag about material things a lot are usually doing it to hide other insecurities. I find the best way to deal with it is to ignore it. We Muslims are happy with our own life even if we got nothing in hand, because we realize it takes more than material things to be happy. I think that incompetent fool sounds to me like he’s actually miserable inside. Even the poorest of the poor still have their chance to enjoy themselves in their own little ways.
Allah said in Luqman, Chapter 31, Verse 18
وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ
"Do not turn your cheek in scorn away from people, nor walk proudly on the earth; Allah does not love the proud and the boastful
نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ
We give to them a little enjoyment for awhile, and then will compel them to a tremendous punishment. (24)
In Anfal, the following verse tells us how the wealth sometimes makes people forget and leave worshiping their Allah
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ
The Unbelievers spend their wealth to hinder (man) from the path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend; but in the end they will have (only) regrets and sighs; at length they will be overcome: and the Unbelievers will be gathered together to Hell;- Chapter #8, Verse #36)
Anyway, you, Somali Christians, listen to this, I know a lot of rich Muslim brothers and sisters in the room, but none of them has ever talked about their money. They are usually polite and are accustomed to wealth, and therefore don't feel the need to prove themselves. You nouveau riches, we are not interested in hearing your sick balderdash., so shut up your mouths and grow up from living in your aunt’s basements. I repeat anyone who needs to brag about themselves is trying to convince other people that they are important and worthy of respect. It stems from insecurity. Did I say “respect”? You’re lucky if I didn’t slap you right in the mouth. To me, you are an idiot who thinks you’re better than everyone else. Well I think they brag:
1- Because they can't hold happiness inside and would like to show the world how big they are, just because they don't have anything else. It is kind of a defense of weaknesses
2- Because they have low self-esteem and want everyone to look up to them like they’re some kind of hero.
For the sake of their argument, he is a rich and has $ 70, 000 in his account. I say this to them, if you worked your way up from nothing to being a successful businessperson earning a lot of money, you would be rightly proud of yourself, and at least you can brag about it, but two people can’t boast themselves about the money they were given to do the job.
1- Women who sell their bodies and
2- Brainwashed fools who auctioned off their religion for a few bucks.
We're happy with what Allah bestowed on us no matter how big or little it is. We're steadfast and adamant in our religion even if we fail to get what to eat in weeks or months. All we do is to show Allah how grateful we are. and how blessed we are to be Muslims. This shows you how resolute we are in the face of trouble, difficulty or financial problem, but thank to Allah, we are not poor nor are we boasters. Go try to approach to Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Larry Ellison, Micheal Bloomberg and the rest to see if we can sell our religion and they change our faith. NO ONE CAN AND WILL, because our faith is unshakable, and unfaltering, our religion is unsaleable, our love to Allah and prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H) is unchangeable, our brains are undeceivable, our path to Da'wa is undeviating , our devotion to Islam is unswerving, and our creed is fathomable and unmeasurable. So your misguided and brainwashed people who lost astray from the righteous path, give us a big BREAK and realize the fact that we Muslims love our religion more than any thing else you can imagine of.
However, no one is gonna live in that unending hedonistic delight and pleasure. I pray for you, dude to go brag about how many times you have read Quran next time I see you in the room, because the companions (sahabs ) always tried to motivate and race each other in good deeds. You know what I mean. In short, may Allah guide them all and show them the right path (amen)
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How my long time friend converted to Islam.
When I woke up today, I saw few missed calls
from a long time friend, Merilyn who used to live in my neighborhood. She left
me three voice mail messages asking me to take her to the mosque. I was like,
what? I immediately returned her call. She told me she wanted to convert to Islam.
“ Are you kidding me? Aren’t you? Buddy” I said, with my face furrowed in wonder
“Nah, I’m deadly serious. She replied in a quiet tone.
Before I said anything else, she asked me if she could come see me right away. I was so excited how the truth of Islam dawned upon her. I canceled all things I was going to do before the Friday prayer. I had a lot to do, but I had to prioritize her conversion to Islamic faith more than anything else. Therefore, I had to call a good female friend, Siham who I knew for a decade for help.
Siham’s car pulled over and she tottered inside, with big smiles on her face. It has been a while since we talked on the phone or met, because both of us lead very hectic lifestyle. However, today Siham and I met because of one important issue, which Allah would confer us with reward. After 30 minutes or so, Merilyn came in her girlish purple Kia, with a long loose skirt , t-shirt on, a scarf wrapped around her neck, with her tussled hair cascading over shoulders. Siham looked at me in amazement and I knew why she gave me that stern gaze.
“ Sister, all you got to do is change your outfit and we are going to take you to a Somali shopping mall now under our own cost. Is that okay for ya?” Siham said
“ Yea, it’s.” Merilyn retorted.
I pulled on my gray Pakistani full sleeved loose robe (qamees) made of acrylic fabric and sprinkled it with my favorite cologne, Deauville Pour Homme. We took my car to the mall, because we wanted to stay together. On our way to Somali shops, we cracked up some funny jokes and she asked us a lot of questions about Islam. I knew how resolute she was in her Christian religion back then. Many times, we debated a lot and one day she pissed me off when she said something that rude about Islam. Alhamdu Lillaah, today here she's, wanting to be a Muslim. I forgot all bad things she once said to me.
We went to Hamarweine clothing shop on Rainier Avenue, South Seattle and Siham chose a beautiful abayat for her. It was an exquisitely modern stylish garb made like crepe and chiffon with satin fabric. It has some embroidery on the cuffs and the front. Siham tucked a black scarf nicely and aesthetically round her neck but the hanging fringe of the scarf was fitted snugly under the Abayat on the neck. I really kind of liked how she looked on the Islamic dress code. I teased her new look and we shared a lot of laughter and jokes to our way to the mosque around 11 AM.
Merilyn was born of Christian parents. Her father was an orthodox catholic and her mom embraced Bahia’s. I never thought she would ever love Islam. Anyway, I looked at her right in the eye and she showed me how enthusiastic she was to accept Islam. My friend, and I taught her what to do and what outfits to wear at the mosque.
Merilyn pronounced the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith. "I bear witness that there is no God except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" The “Shahada” is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam. She was given a new name, “Aisha”
After the Friday prayer, my long time friend, Siham, the newly converted friend and I went to a local Somali restaurant along International Boulevard. That place is located a few blocks away from the mosque, with many men standing by idly. I remember once ( I think back in 2008) she and I had had tuna Samosa, fritters(bajiyeh), croquette(bur) and some Turkish delight (Halwo) when a Somali family invited us . Since that time, she pestered me to buy them for her, and I had no chance to get them for her. At the restaurant, she asked me to have the menu, but unfortunately, there was no a menu available. All one had to do was to order the food orally. She creased her eyebrow in wonder and looked at me. I smiled and roared in laughter.
A waitress brought us three big bowls of gravy added with cilantro, parsley, and some other spices, including ground black pepper. I took a big gulp and I wanted that so much since I had some cold. To be honest, the gravy made my tongue burn because it was so extremely hot, but I did not wince or show no facial expression of pain. I put the bowl back on the table and looked around instead , to make myself forget the burning sensation, coupled with the strong pepper tang still searing down my throat.
“ What is this for?” Merilyn said as her eyes still glued to the bowls.
“ This is thickened juices that drip from cooking meats seasoned with spices. We call it "Marak" in Somali” Said Siham
Another waitress who worn a long loose apron came over to us and interrupted our conversation.
“ Did you guys make your order?” she uttered.
"No, we didn't yet." I exclaimed
“ Let me see what you order first” Merilyn muttered in a soft voice.
" Me, why?" I answered bluntly.
I realized Merilyn had no idea how to order food without using a menu, so I did mine as loud as I could, which was a mélange of Basmati rice and pasta, with both fish and goat meat in it. I also asked them if they had mixed fruit juice and a bowl of veggies Siham had pasta with fried chicken, but Aisha ( ex Merilyn) ordered as same as mine . As the food was being placed on the table, Merilyn started picking some sautéed onions and raisins from the rice. Siham asked her why she didn’t like them and she told us she hated to eat fried onions.
After the lunch, I ordered three cups of tea with milk to go. I knew that restaurant was good at making strong Somali tea spiced with cloves, cinnamon and cardamom pods. We went back to mosque to pray Asr. We gave her a copy of Quran translation and a few introductory books about Islam written in English. I pampered her so much today. Anyway, we had so much fun.
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“ Are you kidding me? Aren’t you? Buddy” I said, with my face furrowed in wonder
“Nah, I’m deadly serious. She replied in a quiet tone.
Before I said anything else, she asked me if she could come see me right away. I was so excited how the truth of Islam dawned upon her. I canceled all things I was going to do before the Friday prayer. I had a lot to do, but I had to prioritize her conversion to Islamic faith more than anything else. Therefore, I had to call a good female friend, Siham who I knew for a decade for help.
Siham’s car pulled over and she tottered inside, with big smiles on her face. It has been a while since we talked on the phone or met, because both of us lead very hectic lifestyle. However, today Siham and I met because of one important issue, which Allah would confer us with reward. After 30 minutes or so, Merilyn came in her girlish purple Kia, with a long loose skirt , t-shirt on, a scarf wrapped around her neck, with her tussled hair cascading over shoulders. Siham looked at me in amazement and I knew why she gave me that stern gaze.
“ Sister, all you got to do is change your outfit and we are going to take you to a Somali shopping mall now under our own cost. Is that okay for ya?” Siham said
“ Yea, it’s.” Merilyn retorted.
I pulled on my gray Pakistani full sleeved loose robe (qamees) made of acrylic fabric and sprinkled it with my favorite cologne, Deauville Pour Homme. We took my car to the mall, because we wanted to stay together. On our way to Somali shops, we cracked up some funny jokes and she asked us a lot of questions about Islam. I knew how resolute she was in her Christian religion back then. Many times, we debated a lot and one day she pissed me off when she said something that rude about Islam. Alhamdu Lillaah, today here she's, wanting to be a Muslim. I forgot all bad things she once said to me.
We went to Hamarweine clothing shop on Rainier Avenue, South Seattle and Siham chose a beautiful abayat for her. It was an exquisitely modern stylish garb made like crepe and chiffon with satin fabric. It has some embroidery on the cuffs and the front. Siham tucked a black scarf nicely and aesthetically round her neck but the hanging fringe of the scarf was fitted snugly under the Abayat on the neck. I really kind of liked how she looked on the Islamic dress code. I teased her new look and we shared a lot of laughter and jokes to our way to the mosque around 11 AM.
Merilyn was born of Christian parents. Her father was an orthodox catholic and her mom embraced Bahia’s. I never thought she would ever love Islam. Anyway, I looked at her right in the eye and she showed me how enthusiastic she was to accept Islam. My friend, and I taught her what to do and what outfits to wear at the mosque.
Merilyn pronounced the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith. "I bear witness that there is no God except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" The “Shahada” is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam. She was given a new name, “Aisha”
After the Friday prayer, my long time friend, Siham, the newly converted friend and I went to a local Somali restaurant along International Boulevard. That place is located a few blocks away from the mosque, with many men standing by idly. I remember once ( I think back in 2008) she and I had had tuna Samosa, fritters(bajiyeh), croquette(bur) and some Turkish delight (Halwo) when a Somali family invited us . Since that time, she pestered me to buy them for her, and I had no chance to get them for her. At the restaurant, she asked me to have the menu, but unfortunately, there was no a menu available. All one had to do was to order the food orally. She creased her eyebrow in wonder and looked at me. I smiled and roared in laughter.
A waitress brought us three big bowls of gravy added with cilantro, parsley, and some other spices, including ground black pepper. I took a big gulp and I wanted that so much since I had some cold. To be honest, the gravy made my tongue burn because it was so extremely hot, but I did not wince or show no facial expression of pain. I put the bowl back on the table and looked around instead , to make myself forget the burning sensation, coupled with the strong pepper tang still searing down my throat.
“ What is this for?” Merilyn said as her eyes still glued to the bowls.
“ This is thickened juices that drip from cooking meats seasoned with spices. We call it "Marak" in Somali” Said Siham
Another waitress who worn a long loose apron came over to us and interrupted our conversation.
“ Did you guys make your order?” she uttered.
"No, we didn't yet." I exclaimed
“ Let me see what you order first” Merilyn muttered in a soft voice.
" Me, why?" I answered bluntly.
I realized Merilyn had no idea how to order food without using a menu, so I did mine as loud as I could, which was a mélange of Basmati rice and pasta, with both fish and goat meat in it. I also asked them if they had mixed fruit juice and a bowl of veggies Siham had pasta with fried chicken, but Aisha ( ex Merilyn) ordered as same as mine . As the food was being placed on the table, Merilyn started picking some sautéed onions and raisins from the rice. Siham asked her why she didn’t like them and she told us she hated to eat fried onions.
After the lunch, I ordered three cups of tea with milk to go. I knew that restaurant was good at making strong Somali tea spiced with cloves, cinnamon and cardamom pods. We went back to mosque to pray Asr. We gave her a copy of Quran translation and a few introductory books about Islam written in English. I pampered her so much today. Anyway, we had so much fun.
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The
confessed Somali ex-Christian convert: Why is he reverting to Islam Now?
(Names and places have been changed to protect his privacy)
As I was chatting in one of the Islamic rooms one night, a very close friend Private Messaged me and asked if I could add his Christian friend on my list. I was like what! My friend told me he had some panic attacks and mental break down and needed some help. Therefore, I added him right away and I greeted him very respectfully. In order to talk to him without interruption, I had to leave the room and set my Paltalk messenger on DND mode.
He told me he had been a Christian for almost 7 months. He has never confessed to his family that he left Islam. Within those months, he said he felt like his world was falling apart. He regretted how badly some people misguided and brainwashed him into believing in Christianity, which was based on transparent lies. I was so happy to hear how he has at last studied about the Bible's inconsistencies and discrepancies.
“It is not worthy to continue spending time on something that is not true and that is fruitless in my life.” He typed. I asked him to speak to me on the microphone or on the phone since typing could be a problem for both of us to get through things that required being discussed deeply. I know talking is faster than any kind of keyboard, but he seemed kind of hesitant to do so. I once again insisted I would prefer voice chatting than typing. At last, he accepted it with much reluctance. He gave me his phone number, and then I called him.
“I had no guts to let my Christianity be known to everyone. I was afraid to be ostracized, so I had to hide it , but now I reached to the point where I could no longer live in agony and stress. I had very terrible nightmares. My dreams were about me swimming in a blazing hellfire. Many times, I jumped up from my bed crying and wailing. I couldn't fall back asleep. I started crying myself to sleep a couple of months ago because I suffered many setbacks in life. Low grades in the college, financial meltdown, relationship crisis, family problem and many more” he exclaimed.
I felt some lump formed down his throat. It was clear that he had choked with strong emotion when he spoke about his problems and he certainly was trying to hold his tears back. As his voice reduced to a low mutter, I decided to give him some minutes to compose himself and calm down. I was like, um… I was thinking what to do and how to make this young man feel comfortable with this topic. I know what is like bottling up your inner emotions. I did all I could not to preach him that much and I wanted to focus on giving him some psychological advice first I understood he didn’t have had a lot of strength left to continue with this stress and he was close to breaking point. I didn’t want to make things look worse. I encouraged him to put the past behind him and focus on doing what was right for him, which I meant to worship to the almighty Allah and revert to Islam. I told him there was no solution open for him unless he accepted the truth. I honestly advised him to quit seeking intervention from chat rooms and look for a mosque imam close by, that was willing to give him honest feedback from an Islamic perspective, and with basic counseling knowledge, then I think it would be a tremendous effort if he tries doing all I said to him. I told him if he chose to sit and wallow in his misery, nothing he could say or do would pull him out of that terrible situation.
“Even though leaving Islamic religion would have been difficult at all, I see something’s clearly not working.” He snapped in deep tone full of guilt and remorse.
When I asked him what made him realize that he was wrong. He told me he never enjoyed life from the day he accepted Christianity. I told him how Quran provided real believers with the key to enjoying a truly satisfying life. In order to cope with life anxieties, one has to submit to Allah and obey all His orders. What struck me was that he even admitted he used to go to mosque with his dad after he embraced Christianity, because he didn’t want his family to get to know about his conversion.
“I have a battle inside me. I knew being a Muslim is destiny one would be proud of.” He said
No matter what changed his heart now, many folks out there who claim they were once Christians have CLEARLY never understood what it means to be a Christian at all and realize the fact that they were duped or brainwashed into believing man-made script full of fallacies, discrepancies, contradictions and errors. I told him he needed to find solution in the Quran if he was ready to deal with his distress. I know if someone goes through a traumatic experience, it can stay with that person for a long time and bottling up how one feels will make it worse. I was glad he had to talk it through with me. With the help of Allah, I felt confident to tackle his agony. I am certain that one can change the mistakes he or she has made and can control how they handle similar situations in the future if they are prepared to do so. Turning away from Islamic faith in which one were born and raised has so many repercussions and pain.
At last, he told me he was ready to revert to Islam and wanted to pronounce his Shahada. As he was uttering it, big tears rolled down on my cheeks, because we Muslims are given the Quran – the unique book that reveals everything very clearly. The Quran contains reliable principles to help us cope with life’s problems and anxieties. It explains how Allah will fulfill His purpose and bring about better conditions on the earth and hereafter to those who fear and obey Him.
I conclude my article this dua:
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ * هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ * هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ *
As I was chatting in one of the Islamic rooms one night, a very close friend Private Messaged me and asked if I could add his Christian friend on my list. I was like what! My friend told me he had some panic attacks and mental break down and needed some help. Therefore, I added him right away and I greeted him very respectfully. In order to talk to him without interruption, I had to leave the room and set my Paltalk messenger on DND mode.
He told me he had been a Christian for almost 7 months. He has never confessed to his family that he left Islam. Within those months, he said he felt like his world was falling apart. He regretted how badly some people misguided and brainwashed him into believing in Christianity, which was based on transparent lies. I was so happy to hear how he has at last studied about the Bible's inconsistencies and discrepancies.
“It is not worthy to continue spending time on something that is not true and that is fruitless in my life.” He typed. I asked him to speak to me on the microphone or on the phone since typing could be a problem for both of us to get through things that required being discussed deeply. I know talking is faster than any kind of keyboard, but he seemed kind of hesitant to do so. I once again insisted I would prefer voice chatting than typing. At last, he accepted it with much reluctance. He gave me his phone number, and then I called him.
“I had no guts to let my Christianity be known to everyone. I was afraid to be ostracized, so I had to hide it , but now I reached to the point where I could no longer live in agony and stress. I had very terrible nightmares. My dreams were about me swimming in a blazing hellfire. Many times, I jumped up from my bed crying and wailing. I couldn't fall back asleep. I started crying myself to sleep a couple of months ago because I suffered many setbacks in life. Low grades in the college, financial meltdown, relationship crisis, family problem and many more” he exclaimed.
I felt some lump formed down his throat. It was clear that he had choked with strong emotion when he spoke about his problems and he certainly was trying to hold his tears back. As his voice reduced to a low mutter, I decided to give him some minutes to compose himself and calm down. I was like, um… I was thinking what to do and how to make this young man feel comfortable with this topic. I know what is like bottling up your inner emotions. I did all I could not to preach him that much and I wanted to focus on giving him some psychological advice first I understood he didn’t have had a lot of strength left to continue with this stress and he was close to breaking point. I didn’t want to make things look worse. I encouraged him to put the past behind him and focus on doing what was right for him, which I meant to worship to the almighty Allah and revert to Islam. I told him there was no solution open for him unless he accepted the truth. I honestly advised him to quit seeking intervention from chat rooms and look for a mosque imam close by, that was willing to give him honest feedback from an Islamic perspective, and with basic counseling knowledge, then I think it would be a tremendous effort if he tries doing all I said to him. I told him if he chose to sit and wallow in his misery, nothing he could say or do would pull him out of that terrible situation.
“Even though leaving Islamic religion would have been difficult at all, I see something’s clearly not working.” He snapped in deep tone full of guilt and remorse.
When I asked him what made him realize that he was wrong. He told me he never enjoyed life from the day he accepted Christianity. I told him how Quran provided real believers with the key to enjoying a truly satisfying life. In order to cope with life anxieties, one has to submit to Allah and obey all His orders. What struck me was that he even admitted he used to go to mosque with his dad after he embraced Christianity, because he didn’t want his family to get to know about his conversion.
“I have a battle inside me. I knew being a Muslim is destiny one would be proud of.” He said
No matter what changed his heart now, many folks out there who claim they were once Christians have CLEARLY never understood what it means to be a Christian at all and realize the fact that they were duped or brainwashed into believing man-made script full of fallacies, discrepancies, contradictions and errors. I told him he needed to find solution in the Quran if he was ready to deal with his distress. I know if someone goes through a traumatic experience, it can stay with that person for a long time and bottling up how one feels will make it worse. I was glad he had to talk it through with me. With the help of Allah, I felt confident to tackle his agony. I am certain that one can change the mistakes he or she has made and can control how they handle similar situations in the future if they are prepared to do so. Turning away from Islamic faith in which one were born and raised has so many repercussions and pain.
At last, he told me he was ready to revert to Islam and wanted to pronounce his Shahada. As he was uttering it, big tears rolled down on my cheeks, because we Muslims are given the Quran – the unique book that reveals everything very clearly. The Quran contains reliable principles to help us cope with life’s problems and anxieties. It explains how Allah will fulfill His purpose and bring about better conditions on the earth and hereafter to those who fear and obey Him.
I conclude my article this dua:
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ * هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ * هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ *