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Converts
to Islam
"Invite
to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching." - Quran 16:125
Click
on an Issue or Scroll
down to browse
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Practical
resources for new Muslims
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Articles of particular
relevance to Converts
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The
personal testimonies of Converts to Islam
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Profiles of prominent converts plus News Reports
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Links
to other conversion stories
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Submit
your conversion story
Practical
resources for new Muslims
Quran101.com
A site which enables non-Arabic speaking new Muslims to learn the short surahs
of the Quran and other requirements for performing
ritual worship (Salat). Each phrase slowly and clearly enunciated.
Includes 17 surahs plus ayat al kursi (2:255), the Tasha-hud (Al-Taheyat), the
Adhan and the Iqama.
Requires RealPlayer
Residential
Quranic Arabic Courses in England
A series of of five-day courses from beginners thru to advanced, March to
June 2003.
The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam
by Yahiya John Emerick (American convert to Islam)
408 pages, ISBN: 0028642333, available from bookshops priced US$18.95 and from Amazon.com
(US$13.26).
Holy
Quran (Arabic Script and Recitation)
Requires RealPlayer. Listen to and learn the Quran verse by verse.
Islamic
Dictionary
English Translation of Arabic words.
Glossary
of Islamic Terms and Concepts
Another Glossary of Islamic Terms
Over 100 Arabic terms explained.
The
Encyclopaedia of the Orient
Covers the Middle East and North Africa. Useful explanations
of many Islamic terms and mini-biographies of figures from Muslim
history and contemporary politics.
How to
perform Wudu and Salat
A step by step guide showing how to perform Muslim ritual ablutions and
prayer.
Beginners
Guide To Performing Islamic Prayers
Practical guide with additional, helpful background information on the importance of
prayer.
The
Right Way To Pray
A 14-step guide with phrase-by-phrase pronunciation of the Arabic
words. Requires RealPlayer.
How
to perform Wudu and Salat
Another practical guide.
25 Duas
(Supplications) from the Holy Quran
On the
tip of a Muslim tongue
Everyday Muslim expressions.
Islamic
Typing Test
Improve your speed whilst learning about Islam in the process!
Islamic
Quiz
Superb interactive quiz. Hundreds of questions at different
levels. Tells you the correct answers to questions
you get wrong.
Test
Your Knowledge of Islam
What's behind one of the fastest growing religions in the U.S.? What do Muslims
believe? Take this quiz to test your knowledge of Islam.
Online
Tests at Islam101
Multiple choice tests on various aspects of Islam, arranged in order of
difficulty by four levels. These tests can be taken online. After completing
each test, you can submit your test for a grade. Answers to the the missed
questions are provided online.
First
Steps in Arabic
Excellent interactive game. Learn to read by matching the Arabic
letters to their sounds.
BABEL:arabic
A free online Arabic course in 18 units. Requires RealPlayer.
The
HappyFace.com English-Arabic Dictionary
Oilfield English-Arabic words and phrases
Ramadan
Rules and regulations.
Amir University
Providing certified, affordable courses on Islam and Arabic in a
home-study environment. Accredited by the Abu Nour Institute of Damascus, an
affiliate of Al-Azhar University of Cairo, Amir distance learning Islamic
university is founded on Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jama`at [Sunni] teachings. The
curriculum addresses contemporary issues with a moderate Islamic approach.
International Language
Institute
Learn Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic in Cairo.
Latino
American Dawah Organization
a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 in New York City by a
handful of converts to Islam. LADO's mission is to promote Islam among
the Latino community of the United States and to provide education about
the history and legacy of Islam in Spain and Latin America and provide
free information about Islam.
Articles of particular
relevance to Converts
Questions
to Ask a Prospective Marriage Partner
Don't just rush into marriage. Sort out these key issues in advance.
Who or what
is a Salafi? Is their approach valid?
Their basic claim is that Islam has not been properly understood by anyone since
the prophet Mohammed
and the early Muslims - except themselves.
By Nuh Ha Mim Keller
From Drury
Lane to Makka
Abdal-Hakim Murad recounts the tale of theatrical scene painter, Hedley
Churchward, who in 1910 became the first confirmed British convert to Islam to
make the Hajj pilgrimage.
First Family Visit As a Muslim
Texas Muslim, Juan Galvan, shares his experience of explaining to his
Mexican-American family about his conversion to Islam.
Islam is
wonderful, but I can't stand the Muslims
"Why should I try to convert my non-Muslim friends when I often prefer them
to the Muslims that I know? How will being Muslim change their lives for the
better if they already display more of the Islamic virtues than most of the Muslims
they are likely to meet?"
By British convert to Islam, Michael A. Malik.
How do I tell my parents and
family I've become a Muslim?
Practical advice for the new Muslim on this sensitive issue.
The Status
of Parents in Islam
By Syed Hasan Akhtar, M. D. Austin, Texas
"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to
parents. Whether one or more attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word
of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of
kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say, "my Lord! bestow on
them Thy Mercy, even as they cherished me in childhood." (Quran 17: 23,24)
How do we
relate to non-Muslim relatives?
Dr. Aisha Hamdan offers practical advice to converts.
Advice for
New Muslims or those considering Islam
Practical tips from a fellow convert.
Searching Americans
Embrace The Logic Behind The Teachings Of Islam
"It's like seeing God without all the baggage,"
By Tara Dooley, Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas)
The new
face of Islam
The phenomenon of educated, white, middle class English converts to Islam.
by Nick Compton
The Dual
Purpose of the Quran
"I believe the Quran was written for two peoples: 1) For the Muslims
who have already dropped the ball. And 2) for the 'other, very different people'
(many hadiths refer to them as 'strangers' or 'immigrants') who will take a
fresh look at the Quran and understand it in new ways."
By Imam Tammam Adi PhD, Director of the
Islamic Cultural Center of Eugene, Oregon.
Frustrations
of a Muslim Convert
Committed to Islam, vexed by Muslims
A cautionary tale. How for one theologically motivated
convert to the pure monotheism of Islam, certain fellow Muslims have
turned the Straight Path into something of a rocky
road.
by Michael Young.
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Introduction
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Lack of Induction
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Internet - The good, the bad
and the dangerous!
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Beware the Zealots!
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Must we proceed at the pace of
the most prudish?
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"Muslim name" and
attire
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Relationship with non-Muslim
parents
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So-called "Islamic
Causes"
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Final Thoughts
Understanding
Conversion: Bridging the Two Selves
"Although conversion is a phenomenon that is completely unique to everyone,
nevertheless, those who are serious about it will all undoubtedly undergo
self-examination of some kind in order to embrace a new way of life and belief
system." Three years on American, Abdul-Lateef Abdullah, reflects on
conversion to Islam.
"Waste no time
debating what a good Muslim should be. Be one!"
Respecting our differences, by Muhammad Alshareef
Convertitis
- or the
Case of the Insta-Scholar
American convert, Saraji
Umm Zaid cautions new Muslims about the dangers of extremism and absolutism.
Caution For New Muslims
Dangers of Excess and Extremism among Muslims
By Imam Ghayth Nur Kashif
Humility
in Knowledge, Arrogance in Ignorance
"A pseudo doctor is danger to life. A pseudo religious scholar is danger to
faith."
Is
every new thing a Bid'a?
Dr M Hussain conducts an invaluable investigation of this
controversial subject.
British
and Muslim?
Outstanding article by Abdal-Hakim Murad
A very thoughtful insight into the British Muslim community, especially
converts. An absolute "must read"!
The Mosque - A Welcoming
Place for Would-be Converts?
Alas not, according to Yahiya Emerick
Building
a Better Dawah Program
Muslims have perhaps the least organized community in the world, yet we are
gaining converts faster than anyone else. But what if we were more
organized? American convert Yahiya Emerick sets out a strategy to utilize our
resources and build up the size and strength of the Muslim community.
My First Year As A Muslim
An open letter from Jeremiah D. McAuliffe, Jr., Ph.D. to the Pittsburgh Muslim
community one year after he embraced Islam.
Muslims
on the Internet
The Good, the Bad... and the Ugly
by Huma Ahmad
Get a Good Teacher!
Advice from American convert Abdul-Lateef Abdullah to fellow new Muslims.
Religion
is the latest consumer product.
The Guardian (London), Wednesday September 27, 2000
John Cunningham investigates why people change religion.
Moving Beyond Theory
Among Muslims in the West, American convert to Islam Yahiya Emerick finds
too much empty theorizing and not enough practical application of Islam to the
realities of everyday living in an environment non-conducive to the faith.
How Did
You Accept Islam?
As enthralling as many present-day conversion stories may be, it is to the
first converts to Islam, the Sahaba, that we should look for inspiration, writes
American convert, Yahiya Emerick.
Islamic
Da'wah in North America and the Dynamics of Conversion to Islam in Western
Societies
A point by point synopsis of the 1988 Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy of
Larry Allan Poston, Northwestern University.
The
personal testimonies of Converts to Islam
How We Came
To Embrace Islam
American, Khadija Evans, who experimented with umpteen Christian denominations,
atheism and even Wicca tells how her post-September 11 investigations of Islam
led first herself then her husband to their final spiritual home.
Becoming
Muslim - by Nuh Ha Mim Keller
"I studied philosophy at the
university and it taught me to ask two things of whoever claimed to have the
truth: What do you mean, and how do you know? When I asked these questions of my
own religious tradition, I found no answers, and realized that Christianity had
slipped from my hands."
The story of American former Catholic, Nuh Ha Mim Keller, who in the 25 years since his
conversion has gone on to become one of the leading contemporary scholars of
Islam.
Marwa's
conversion story
How a headstrong Slovakian teenager found solace and contentment in Islam.
The
conversation to Islam of (Yahya) Donald W. Flood
How a roulette analogy helped this former Las Vegas resident become a Muslim.
European Union temporary agent for research Candice Vancraenenbroek
pauses before speaking during an International Women's Day Conference
at the EU Charlemagne building in Brussels, Friday, March 8, 2002.
Vancraenenbroek, born into a Belgian Catholic family, converted to
Islam at an early age and has co-founded a group to help those women
who also wish to convert. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Finding My
Way….Lynette Wehner's conversion to Islam
How a spiritually dissatisfied American Catholic teacher found fulfillment
and direction through her new job at a Muslim school.
The
conversion to Islam of James Farrell
How the gift of a Quran transformed the life of a white, racist, anti-Muslim
working-class Chicago youth.
Italian
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Converts to Islam
Karla's
conversion to Islam
"How could you, an educated American woman convert to Islam - a religion
that oppresses women?" - Blonde-haired blue-eyed, former Christian, Karla,
explains how her theological dissatisfaction with the doctrine of Jesus as God
and her discovery of the rights given to women in Islam led her to become a
Muslim.
New convert to Islam since September 11,
US Navy
petty officer, Heather Ramaha.
More
in Hawai'i turn to Islam
Less than three weeks after terrorists struck New York City and
Washington, US Navy petty officer Heather Ramaha stood among a group
of women at the mosque in Manoa and converted to Islam
By Mary Kaye Ritz, Honolulu Advertiser, November 11, 2001.
Why I am a
Muslim
Ibrahim, a Pennsylvania teenager, explains how difficulties with church teaching
about Jesus as God led him from Catholicism to Islam.
The
conversion to Islam of Karima Burns
This Iowa student of Arabic became a Muslim in her heart when she
started reading the Quran in order do to her university homework and
couldn't put it down.
The
conversion to Islam of Sa'ad Laws
How the autobiography of Malcolm X guided a white, middle-class,
American teenager from "cow country" to Islam.
Yusuf
Estes, US Federal Prison Chaplain
The amazing tale of how an American former "born again"
Christian and his father, both ordained ministers, plus their friend,
a Catholic priest, all became convinced of the truth of Islam.
Oum
Abdul-Aziz
An American former "born again" Christian explains how her
in-depth theological studies led her to reject the Christian doctrines
of Trinity, the Divinity of Jesus and Original Sin and to embrace pure
monotheism in Islam. Contains detailed references from the Bible
and Quran.
Amina's
story
Irish lady recounts her long and slow spiritual journey
culminating in her conversion from Catholicism to Islam during the
summer of 2001.
Michael
Wolfe
"I did not want to 'trade in' my culture. I wanted access to
new meanings." - How an American writer born of a Jewish father
and a Christian mother found spiritual fulfillment in Islam.
'My
Dream Came True'
Detroit-based African American journalist and PR woman, Angelene
McLaren, has been a Muslim for six years. Upon conversion she took the
new name Sumayyah bint Joan. Here she records her encounter with
Islam.
Steven
Barboza
This African American former Catholic found spiritual peace and fulfillment
in orthodox Islam having investigated and rejected the racist ideology
of the Nation of Islam.
Dr.
Moustafa Mould
After a spiritual journey of almost 40 years, a Boston Jewish
linguist finds Islam in Africa.
My
personal decision for God and Islam
The conversion story of Anja from Germany
"I was quite amused by the thought, that actually there are still
people around, who follow a law from the Middle Ages." But
over a period of two and a half years, this university student grew to
take Islam very seriously.
Walter 'Abdul-Walee'
Gomez
"I could smell the mercy and the sweetness of heaven, felt the presence
of God in my torn, sick heart." Latino immigrant finds peace in Islam
after an adolescence of clubs, drinking, drugs, promiscuity and gangland
violence in Washington DC.
How
I Came to Islam by Yahya M
Italian-American man who became a Muslim when a graduate student in 1984
recalls the milestones on his journey to Islam - years of academic study, the
influence of pious but non-preachy Pakistani friends and the autobiography of
Malcolm X.
Aminah
Assilmi - Part 1
This American lady, a former radical
feminist and Southern Baptist from Oklahoma, studied the Quran, Sahih Muslim and
fifteen other books on Islam in an attempt to convert the Arabs in her college
class to Christianity and "save those poor ignorant heathens from the fires
of hell." But guess what happened!
Former Baptist explains why she
is now a Muslim
The Aminah Assilmi Story - Part 2
By Rebecca Simmons, Abilene Reporter-News, Saturday, November
1, 1997
Why I embraced Islam
by Maryum Jameelah (formerly Margaret Marcus),
an American Jew who converted to Islam in the late 1950's.
Monica
A former Catholic from Ecuador now living in the United States who was
attracted to Islam by the peacefulness of Muslim prayer and the practical
guidance Islam provides for living daily life.
Joanne Richards
How a Californian woman with a "fast and loose" lifestyle
gradually found her way to Islam.
Ibrahim Khalil M.A. (Princeton)
A former Egyptian Coptic priest who studied Islam in order to find fault
with it.
The result was, however, exactly the reverse.
Twelve Hours Old
Canadian convert Katherine Bullock marvels at becoming a Muslim.
Raphael
The hilarious yet serious story of how an American professional comedian and
former Jehovah's Witness "pioneer minister" came
to Islam.
Zainab
Young American, Protestant Sunday School teacher and youth ministries
activist who had great difficulty with the Christian doctrine of
"justification through faith " [good or bad deeds are irrelevant to
one's salvation]. She also found that her concept of Godly living
regarding dating, alcohol, clubbing, etc. was shared by her Muslim
acquaintances, not her Christian friends.
Abdus Salam Clinton Sipes
The amazing story of a violent, drunken, racist, cross-burning Klu Klux Klan
member transformed into the "servant of peace".
Khadijah
'Sue' Watson
A former Protestant fundamentalist
pastor, missionary and Bible College lecturer with a Master's
degree in Divinity. Her contact with a convert to Islam prompted her
to seriously investigate Islam and to conclude that "many Christians are sincere, but they
are sincerely wrong".
Phreddie
The remarkable, powerful testimony, full on insights, of a black American
Christian girl whose studies of the Bible and Church history studies left her
shocked at the "hypocrisy, blasphemy, and human tampering with holy
scriptures". Impressed by the respect Islam shows to women, she
became a Muslim at the age of only 18.
Abdul-Lateef Abdullah (Steven Krauss)
White, middle-class, American Protestant graduate student, disillusioned
with organised religion, introduced to Islam through his Malaysian martial arts
teacher.
Sakinah
When this Catholic lady's husband abruptly announced that he had become a
Muslim, she left him... then later slowly found her own way to Islam. A
remarkable story with a twist in the tail.
Diana
This Colorado member of the Campus Crusade for Christ, troubled by
Christian teachings on Jesus, was impressed by the Muslim way of worship and the
logic of Islam.
Deanne
An Australian Protestant teenager, troubled by the concept of Trinity, who
embraced Islam following a year at a Buddhist High school in Japan.
Abdul
Hakim
This Frenchman, a supporter of the anti-immigrant Front National, who
was twice beaten up by Algerians, was surprised to find himself drawn to Islam
whilst attending university in England.
Greg
Noakes
Church-going American Protestant whose university studies of Middle East
history and Arabic language eventually led him to Islam.
"What I found was a religion whose moral teachings closely resembled the
values I had been taught by my parents: belief in God, respect for others,
truthfulness, courtesy, charity and honor. What was new was the clarity and
vibrance of Islam, and the fact that all of these values were integrated into a
complete and seamless system. Islamic teachings were sublime, subtle and easy to
understand."
Jeremiah
D. McAuliffe, Jr., Ph.D.
Affluent Irish-American Catholic with a doctorate in Formative Spirituality
who withdrew from training to enter the priesthood and became a Muslim after
reading the Quran.
Suleyman
Ahmad
Born to Jewish Communist parents, this middle-aged American news
reporter found in Islam the fulfillment of his personal quest.
Karen's story
How a devout American Catholic with nagging doubts came to Islam.
Karima
Slack Razi
The journey of an American feminist
from secular humanism to Islam.
Sharon
From confused Christian and teenage runaway to contented Muslima.
The story of Conversion to Islam
of the Publisher of Islam For Today
From Trinity to Taweed. How studies of the early
Christian Church led a once committed Catholic to a new understanding of Jesus
as prophet, not Son, of God and acceptance of the oneness of God.
Belief-O-Matic
Quiz
Even if YOU don't know what faith you are, Belief-O-Matic knows. Answer 20
questions about your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, and more, and
Belief-O-Matic will tell you what religion (if any) you practice...or ought to
consider practicing.
Profiles
of prominent converts plus news reports
Islam's Soul of
the South
The improbable rise of a black Muslim politician in deepest Alabama.
By John Fleming, September 28, 2006
More US
Hispanics drawn to Islam
Marriage, post-9/11 curiosity, and a shared interest in issues such as
immigration are key reasons.
By Amy Green | September 28, 2006
Marmaduke
Pickthall: A Servant of Islam
A profile of the early 20th century English convert,
writer and Quran translator by Abu Ali Hadhrami
70's Singer
Cat Stevens hails Clinton in comeback performance
The Muslim convert, now known as Yusuf Islam, made his live comeback
on Tuesday by paying special tribute to former US President Bill
Clinton.
September 28, 2006
VH1 Profiles Cat
Stevens in "Behind the Music"
The life of this famous British convert to Islam now known as Yusuf Islam.
Another Profile of Yusuf Islam
Profile of Bilal Philips
Jamaican/Canadian convert and Islamic speaker and author.
Short
Profile of Yahiya Emerick
American convert, Islamic author and publisher.
The Personal Stories of Converts
to Islam
Click on a letter for a list of names.
A
B C
D E
F G
H I
J K
L M
N O P
Q R S
T U
V W
Y Z
Jews
For Allah
Jewish Converts to Islam
Converts
from around the world
Listed by country.
More Stories of Converts to Islam
Yet More
Converts
Listed by gender, nationality and former religion or belief system.
Web
Sites Built By Converts To Islam
ConvertsToIslam.org
A website by and for converts.
Submit
your story of conversion to Islam
If you are a convert to Islam and would like to share your
story, please email it to
islamfortoday@yahoo.com.
These questions may help to provide a structure for your article.
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When did you convert to
Islam?
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How old were you?
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What was your educational or work background?
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What was your previous religion/philosophy?
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Why did you convert to Islam?
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What spiritual or practical problems have you
overcome on
the road to conversion and since?
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How have you benefited the Muslim community?
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