The Islamic Bulletin Volume X X No. 25 Page 10 creator. For created beings to exist they must have a creator to bring them into existence.God cannot need a creator because God is the Creator. Thus, there is an obvious contradiction in terms. The claim that God became His creation implies that He would need a creator, which is a ludicrous concept. It contradicts the fundamental concept of God being uncreated, needing no creator and being the Creator. Knowing I did not have an answer to him, I replied, “Let me think about the answer.” That evening, I thought long and hard about what my son said. The idea that Jesus as the son of God did not make sense to me anymore. I also could not accept the fact as Jesus and God being one in the same. Before going to sleep that night, my son told me to pray to God before going to sleep and ask Him alone to guide me to the right path. I promised my son that I would sincerely supplicate to God for the anwer. I went to my room and read from the book my son had given me. Next, I opened the Holy Quran and began to read. It was if something had been lifted from my heart. I felt different. I saw the truth in Islam. What had I been fighting against all these years? That night I prayed to God alone—not to Jesus, not to Mary, not to the angels or saints or holy spirit. Just to God I cried and asked for guidance. I prayed that if Islam was the right choice to please change my heart and mind. I went to sleep and the next morning I woke up and announced to my son that I was ready to accept Islam. He was astonished. We both began to cry. My daughter and granddaughter were called out and watched as I submitted, “ There is no God except Allah and Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger and Last Prophet .“ I felt a changed woman. I was happy, as if someone had lifted a veil of darkness from my heart. Everyone who knew me couldn’t believe that I had converted. Sometimes I couldn’t even believe it! But Islam felt so right, so peaceful, so serene! After my son left back to the states, I learned how to recite Surah-al-Fatiha in Arabic and have since learned how to perform the prayers. I continued with life as before; except now I am a Muslim. I always loved attending family gatherings with my daughter, and social events as well. I would attend family and friends weddings, henna parties, baby showers (aqiqah) and the gatherings when someone died. About 6 months after I had converted to Islam, I was at a funeral gathering that readlly touched my heart and reinforced what a beautiful religion Islam is. A young boy had died from a sickness. As my daughter was getting ready to leave for the condolences, I asked her if she knew the family well. She answered that she did not. “Then why go?“ I asked. “Because the family is grieving, and it is my duty in Islam to go and perhaps offer any support that I can.“ I decided to dress and go with her. I went along with my daughter to pay condolences to the boy’s family and was overwhelmed at the number of people in attendance. I was surprised and touched that so many people would come to give the family support. All I could think of as I saw the family grieving was what a beautiful religion Islam was that so many people felt it their responsibility to give their support. And that one event, where Muslims where showing an outpoor of sympathy is another moment that proved the beauty of Islam. I have been a Muslim for three years now, Alhamdullilah. Since that time, I have performed Umrah twice with my son and daughter. My son, daughter and I visited the Kabaah and the Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. I just celebrated my 70th birthday Alhumdullilah. Sometimes I think back to all the hardship and heartache that I must have caused my son. I also wonder if my daughter would have applied a little pressure on me, I might have become a Muslim sooner. But my son reminded me that Allah is the best of planners. And it is only He (SWT) that can give a person Hidaya (Guidance), and read a verse from the Quran, “ Indeed it is not such that you can guide whomever you love, but Allah guides whomever He wills. “ (Quran 28:56). I thank Allah every day that He honored and blessed me by guiding me to the path of Islam and making me a Muslim. Ameen This year the staff at the Islamic Bulletin were touched by the passing of three special individuals whose ages were 20, 30, and 96 (may Allah have mercy on them all). Their lives and deaths provide important lessons for us to learn, Insha’Allah. There is no guaranteed age for death. Here is what their families had to say about them. Goolam Hoosen Patel was a 96 year old man who was concerned about his prayers up until the last moment. After prayering his last prayer, he asked his family to position his body to be straightened towards the Qibla, and then waved his hands to the angels to take his soul. “The best of people are those who live longest and excel in their deeds, whereas the worst of people are those who live longest and corrupt their deeds.” (Tirmidhi, Sahih) My grand-pa was alive from the years 1915 -2010, he was always very active in the Muslim community. Beginning in the 1960s, he became a respected leader in the Tabligh Jamaat. He was also instrumental in establishing Darul-Uloom Zakariyya, one of South Africa’s most prominent schools, and opened a Quran school in India for the orphans. His family contains many alims, alimahs, and memorizers of the Qur’an. An old-school old-age sage who dispensed no-nonsense advice with humor and grace, he helped thousands to live longer, happier lives. He showed us all how to add not just quality years to our lives but lasting contentment to our hearts. I was studying at Harvard University and my grand-pa was visiting me, so I asked him to give a talk on Islam. I remember the students, who were in their 20’s looking at him, wondering what he could say to them. He started the talk my saying, “ a 100 years ago neither you nor I were here, a 100 years from now, none of us will be here, so we have to think about the time in between”... that broke the ice with the students, and they all enjoyed the talk so much when they would see me they would ask when I was going to bring back grand-pa to give another talk. The Thursday night before he died, he performed his Maghrib. Papa opened his eyes and asked to open the drawer of his bedside table, and called for Ameeri. “Bring me the Oud Attar (perfume), Ameeri, the best,” his favorite scent, which he often would soak a small piece of cotton in and place it in his ear. He said proudly, “put some on me.” The tears gathered in her eyes as her index finger grazed Papa’s earlobe and hand stroked his silvery beard. “INNA LILAHI WA INNA ILAYHI RAJIOON”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjQ1