My name is Ann Marie and this is how I accepted Islam
I am 27 years old and I live in Ontario, Canada. Five years ago I accepted Islam and became a Muslim. I moved away from my family when I was 22 years old and I was living in a new place by myself. I was going through a severe depression at the time. I was trying to find myself and trying to understand the purpose of life.
I decided to start reading the Bible that I had a copy of at my apartment but had previously never taken the time to read it. I didn’t understand it so I felt very discouraged. One day my friend came over to visit me and while they were visiting, they said that they needed to pray. While they were praying I was watching them but didn’t understand what they were doing. When they were finished I asked them what they were doing and they explained to me that they were a Muslim. I had never ever heard of Islam until that day. They told me to read the Quran to get a better understanding.
The next day I went to the local bookstore bought a copy of the Quran in English and borrowed a bunch of Islamic books from my friend. I started reading them alone day and night. I was in tears every time I read the Quran and I felt different inside. My heart felt heavy, the words I was reading really touched me. The Quran is very easy to understand and I could feel this is what I been missing all my life. I kept having dreams about doing my Shahadah and these beautiful feelings took over me every day. Two weeks later I did my Shahadah and it was the best day of my life.
I started to pray, I was fasting every Monday and Thursday because I read that those were the day that the Prophet SAW use to fast and I found an online group for converts living in the same area as myself. I met the most amazing people that are so inviting, kind, caring and giving. Becoming a Muslim has made me a better person and this is one gift that is better than any gift in the world.
Advice I would give to new Muslims is to try to get involved in the Muslim community and try to connect with other reverts. It is important to take your time in Islam to gain knowledge and increase your faith. You may find it difficult at times because I know I did and I still do today but be patient because Allah will teach us one day at a time, InshaAllah. Hadith of the Days helped me by inspiring me each day that I read their posts and also I learn things about Islam that I do not have knowledge of yet.
Anne Marie
