Reversion

Assalamu Alaykum.

Hi and welcome to this blog!

I am a recent revert to Islam, coming from a Catholic background. My mother is a Baptist, and my father is a baptised Roman Catholic, but he is an atheist. I went to a Catholic school for a good few years of my Primary Education, and a year of a Church of England Primary School. Then I was later plunged into a non-religious school, surrounded in the tide of atheists and agnostics that I call my classmates.

It is difficult being a revert. My parents are firm Islamophobes (and for this reason I have not yet told them, although I will insha'Allah). For years, I have been cultivated into feeling nothing short of hate, anger, repulsion and animosity towards Islam. Suffice to say, this is due to a long and well-worn family history.

I remember a funny incident that occurred when I was much younger - I was maybe 9 or 10 years old. I had a huge argument with my father, who was a then constant source of disagreement. After a dreary sermon about the qualities of a good son, I promptly replied that maybe I should just convert to Islam so that he can just hate me all he likes. Little did I know that a few years or so later, the voice of Allah will call me towards Islam, alhamdulillah.

Forward a few years in time. I am sitting in my bedroom, reading the Bible, questions in my mind swarming like flies. The bedside lamp is on, once in a while flickering, as though it were blinking. But my eyes were unblinking. It stood, riveted to the words of the Bible, soaking up words, thoughts, images. Then I picked up my (English) copy of The Holy Qur'an, and did the same. This time the lamp did not flicker. The night was still.

Then I made the decision that has changed my life for the better.

This blog starts here as a way of me communicating and expressing my struggle to become a better Muslim, and I hope that people who read this not only will be willing to help me (Jazaak'Allah if you are!), but also to relate to my stories of everyday life as I try to climb, and keep smiling.

Here starts a new chapter in my life.

I hope it's a good one.