The way she speaks is really impressive .. after my conversation with her ..
I thought that I must tell her the fact that she is very mature .. please
read her words .. and distribute it ..
IslamWay.com:
Dear Sister .. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatu Allah sister , first of all ..
Congratulations for accepting Islam
Sara:
wa alaikum assalam, thank-you
IslamWay.com:
Can you give us brief information about yourself ?
Sara:
My name is Sara, I am 14 years old and in high school. I live in the U.S.
IslamWay.com:
Welcome sister Sara .. I’m really amazed to see someone in your age
searching for the truth .. let me admit that .. Can you tell us .. how did
you know about Islam for the first time in your life ?
Sara:
Yes, the first time I heard about Islam was about 3 years ago, I was curious
about God and religion and wanted to know what others believed. I started
reading different materials and read about Islam. I was amazed by how much
sense it made.
IslamWay.com:
Isn’t it kind of strange to start reading about religions when you were 11
years old .. is there is any special thing that you have other than other
kids around you ?
Sara -smiling-:
I suppose it is strange to read about religion at 11, most my friends didn’t
understand how I could be so interested in finding God. My family is
Christian, and I have been raised in religion, so it seemed only natural for
me to study religion thoroughly and decide on my own what the truth was.
IslamWay.com:
Did you read the Quran ?
Sara:
Not at that time, no.
IslamWay.com:
“A Muslim woman is oppressed and needs to be librated like the western
women” .. do you have a comment about this ?
Sara:
It saddens me that so many people in the world today believe that Muslim
women are oppressed. I believe that we are the most liberated women on
earth! To follow the guidelines Allah has given us is the most liberating
thing any woman can do.
IslamWay.com:
Well .. from what you see in the west .. are the women there librated ?
Sara:
No, most women in the west are oppressed. We are used as sex symbols. Most
women wear outfits that barely cover them, they use their bodies to get
attention. We are expected to have ‘perfect’ bodies by the media’s
standards, we are supposed to look and act a certain way, and we are
expected to do whatever the media tells us to do, and that is to disrespect
ourselves and Allah.
IslamWay.com:
So did you wear the hijab ?
Sara:
No I do not. I would like to very much, but my family is unaware that I
converted to Islam, and I will wear the hijab after I tell them.
IslamWay.com:
You think that you will have problems with them after telling them ?
Sara:
I’m not sure. I supose I am allowing my fear to keep me from telling them.
IslamWay.com:
I see .. Just ask Allah to give your the power and the patience to take this
step .. and I guess all Muslims who are reading this interview now will make
du’a for you to ease things in sha Allah ..
IslamWay.com:
What is the thing you liked most in the Muslims community ?
Sara:
I admire the dedication Muslims have to Islam, there is an amazing peace and
grace that Allah gives to those who serve him as completely as they can. To
many it may seem hard to follow Allah’s guidelines, but Allah gives every
Muslim an amazing strength to help them. What I liked most about the Muslims
I met was how friendly and caring they were.
IslamWay.com:
"Most of Muslims nowadays are not practicing Muslims .. " first of all ..
what do you feel about that ? And is that why Islam is not spreading too
fast ? And what would you say to a none pracitcing Muslim ?
Sara:
- I firmly believe that the statement "Most Muslims nowadays are not
practicing Muslims .. " is false. I do not believe you can truly be Muslim
without being a ‘practicing Muslim’. Islam isn’t just a religion, it’s a way
of life. That’s one of the many things I love about it. - Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, I believe the
reason for this is that people see the truth in it, and when they decide to
live to serve Allah, they are given an amazing happiness and grace that
others see and admire, that is what draws people to Islam. - Trust Allah, serve him completely, and he will give you the grace, peace,
and happiness you need to be a ‘practicing Muslim’.
IslamWay.com:
What is your future plans ? Your dreams ?
Sara:
I’ve always had a dream: To become a leader in our world and once again help
establish peace and good relations between different people.
IslamWay.com:
Do you have any plans for learning arabic ?
Sara:
Yes. i LOVE languages. It’s something that i enjoy very much, and my parents
support my Arabic education, I will hopefully begin taking a language course
this Fall. My dad lived in an Arabic speaking country for years, and so he
would help me study.
IslamWay.com:
oh i see .. which country ?
Sara:
Sudan (in Africa)
IslamWay.com:
Can you tell us in details how did you revert to Islam ?
Sara:
I had originally heard about Islam about 3 years ago, my parents found out
that I was reading about it and discouraged me from doing so, studying it
much further. Then last Fall I started highschool at a new school that has a
lot of Muslim students.
When I first started going there I remembered my studying and was curious
about how they would act. My parents had told me Muslims were horrible mean,
militant, abusive people. So I kind of expected them to be that way, I was
wrong! The first couple of friends I made there were Muslims.
They were nice, friendly, caring people. I remember them talking about their
God, and I was amazed by how much they loved Islam. I began very quickly
began respect them, and quickly became very curious about their beliefs. A
friend of mine asked them about Islam one day, and it turned into a several
hour long conversation about Allah, and Islam, and daily life. I was
suprised by how much sense it all made, and how happy they were. I began
reading the Qur’an and looking for more information on the internet, and
soon after I said the shahadah and converted to Islam. I’m still amazed by
how happy and peacefull my life is. Allah has given me much strength in
every day life. Inshallah my parents will see this.
IslamWay.com:
In sha Allah .. May Allah reward you sister for your time .. and may Allah
keep you in the right path .. Amen .. As-salamu alaykum
Sara:
wa alaikum assalam, thank-you
(posted in 2001)