El concepto de Dios en el Cristianismo

 Alá (azzawajal) dice en el Coran (a lo que se puede traducir al español):

“No hay nada que se Le asemeje.”

(42:11)

Sin embargo, ¿porqué los cristianos dicen que Dios es Jesús o que Dios engendró un hijo?

Los atributos de Dios son distintos a los del ser humano. La única similitud que existe entre los nombres y atributos de Dios y aquellos de los seres humanos son en nombre, pero jamás en grado.

Los atributos de Alá (el nombre árabe para decir Dios) son libres de cualquier deficiencia humana. Como musulmanes, a Alá lo podemos referir sólo como Él se ha descrito en el sagrado Corán o como el Profeta Muhammad (salalahu alaihi wa salaam) lo ha descrito.

Inclusive, los nombres an-Naasir y ar-Rasheed son nombres que no le debemos de dar a Alá (azzawajal), ya que no se encuentran en el noble Corán ni en los auténticos hadices. Sin embargo, estos y otros nombres se encuentran en las listas de los 99 nombres de Alá, pero desafortunadamente, estos hadices no son auténticos.

El estudio de tawjeed o la unicidad de Alá es un estudio fundamental en cualquier musulmán. Te alejará de las innovaciones en la religión y te ayudará a entender mejor quién es Alá, conforme a lo que Él nos ha revelado con sus profetas.

En el estudio del tawjeed al-asmaa was sifaat, o lo que se puede traducir a la unidad de Alá en sus atributos y nombres, debemos de entender lo siguiente: que nos referimos a Alá sólo como son son mencionados en el Corán y los hadices auténticos, pero sin atributos de su Creación.

Sabemos que los cristianos y los judíos creen que Alá pasó 6 días creando el universo y en el 7mo descansó (Génesis 2:2) Es por esto que los cristianos y los judíos se toman el sábado o el domingo como día libre y consideran trabajar en uno de estos días como un pecado.

Este atributo es meramente humano; todos sabemos que nosotros hacemos trabajo pesado y debemos de descansar para recuperarnos. Decir que Alá se cansa como su creación es atribuyéndole una acción solamente de su Creación y no digna para su Majestad.

Además, en la Biblia y la Torá, Dios se arrepiente de sus malos pensamientos en la forma como lo hacen los humanos cuando nos damos cuenta de nuestros errores. “Entonces el Señor se arrepintió del mal que dijo que había de hacer a su pueblo.” (Éxodos 32:14)

Además de esto, los cristianos han pintado, moldeado y creado figuras innumerables con apariencia humana y las han llamado “imágenes de Dios.”

Si pueden atribuir características y acciones meramente humanas a Dios, no es de ningún asombro que los cristianos aceptan a Jesús (paz y bendiciones) como Dios, o que Dios haga un acto animal de “engendrar” un hijo, cosa que solo se hace en la Creación.

Una vez que las grandes multitudes acepten el concepto de Dios siendo como su Creación y teniendo una figura humana, no es de ningún problema para ellos aceptar a Jesús como Dios.

Es más, me encuentro casi segura que lo hacen sin darse cuenta. Primero, por experiencia propia. Mis días como cristiana fueron una gran mentira en la que me introdujeron sin derecho a preguntar ni cuestionar las creencias que ni en la misma Biblia se mencionan. Por ejemplo, la trinidad nunca es mencionada en la Biblia, ni lo es el signo de una cruz. Nunca Jesús utilizó una cruz sobre su cuello ni le dijo a sus seguidores que lo hicieran.

Hoy escuché un comentario y la mujer le decía a mi mamá: “Recuerde a Dios siempre, y repita: Jesús, Jesús, Jesús…” Yo me preguntaba, ¿Jesús o Dios? Y me recordé que los cristianos creen que los dos extrañamente pueden ser uno. Que el Creador puede ser la Creación. Que lo infinito puede ser lo finito. Que el ignorante (ya que vienen varias partes en la Biblia donde Jesús no conocía de algo) puede ser el Conocedor del Universo.

Ilógico, pero lamentablemente es una falsedad en la viven los cristianos.

Nosotros como seres finitos no estamos en ninguna posición para definir al infinito Señor de todas las creaciones.

Puede parecer un punto muy relevante o simple, pero se debe de definir y mantener firme para prevenir cualquier descripción falsa a Alá (el nombre  árabe para Dios y el que utiliza Alá para si mismo en el Corán).

Si buscas conocer sobre la verdad, no hace falta asistir a una mezquita o hablar con un musulmán o musulmana para conocerlo. Simplemente leyendo el Corán encontrarás tus respuestas.

Yo sé que yo las encontré, después de tantos años de confusión y de ignorancia. Alá es el más Misericordioso, el más Beneficioso: ar-Rahman, nir Raheem y nunca es tarde para conocer el mensaje de Él, el cual vino con cada profeta y mensajero de Dios; con Abraham, con Noé, con Moisés, con Jesús, con Muhammad (paz y bendiciones estén sobre todos ellos) y muchos más.

Insha’Allah te haya beneficiado. Que Alá (azzawajal) nos tengan siempre en el mejor estado de fé (imaan), de salud, que siempre le agradezcamos todas sus bendiciones, que lo alabemos solo a Él, el único digno de adoración, y que nos abra el corazón y nos ilumine con el Corán. Ameen.

There is no such thing as true love… Or is there?

This is directed to those people that happen to love a person more than they love Allah. If you are one of them, then listen up.

Love is not the fairy tale it seems to be. Neither is it forever. To be more realistic, nothing in this life is forever. We all die. We all retire our jobs. We all grow old and lose our young attractions. There is nothing that speaks stronger in this life than death. Because some can lose their jobs and others won’t, but as Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) says in the Qur’an:

Every soul will taste death. (Qur’an, 3:185)

So why are we so attached to these worldly desires? It is clear proof that we will all perish, pass away, and new generations will substitute our position in this life.

People will hurt you, even when you least expect it.

They will forget about you.

Their love is limited.

Whether it be your spouse, your parents, or anyone you had a strong connection with, in the end it is a temporary love or one that will eventually hurt you.

You will get your heart broken, they will lose trust in you, and the word “forgiveness” doesn’t even exist in their hearts.

Unlike human beings, who are full of errors and mistakes, Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) is the only one that will love us even more than our own mothers do.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us:

Allah is more compassionate towards His slaves than this mother towards her child. (Reported by Muslim)

Allah will never hurt you. Allah will love you even when you are committing sin. And do you know what the most wonderful part of it is? That Allah CAN forgive us. Unlike those people that we love, if we commit mistakes they cannot forgive us for them. Allah’s mercy is bigger, greater and more important to have than any finite human being like ourselves.

Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur’an, 39:53)

It is also narrated in this hadith qudsi (meaning that it is an interpretation of what Allah says):

O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it.

Subhanallah.

Allah is the MOST forgiving. This forgiveness is the only one we should seek. Because He is the only one that will judge us on the day of judgement. Let’s make du’aa for this:

Ya Rabb, make us of the pious, of the believers, whom associate none with you, whom have taqwaa deep in their hearts, whom actions are directed towards you and towards you only! Ya Rabb, we seek your forgiveness, and we ask nothing in return, only of what you shall bestow upon us. Ameen!

Allah will never hurt us.

Allah will never try to look for revenge.

Allah loves us and is closer to us than our jugular vein. Even after He, the All Mighty, created us with errors, He has mercy upon us and waits for our true and sincere forgiveness.

Now tell me, who in this world is like that?

Who, from the people you love, has these qualities? No one. Because Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) is incomparable.

This is why we shouldn’t love people more than we love Allah. Because His love is the only pure, merciful and beneficent love we need in our lives.

Sufficient for us is Allah. (Qur’an, 3:173)

Allah will never forget us.

Unlike people, Allah will remember us if we remember Him. Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) says in the Qur’an:

So remember Me; I will remember you. (Qur’an, 2:152)

Allah’s love is limitless.

His love for us has no boundaries. For humans, if we commit a mistake, they forget us, they say mean things to us and forget about the love and connection you once had with them.

For Allah, this is not the same. Even after we have fallen in sin, even if our sins are thicker than the foam of the sea, if we ask for his sincere forgiveness, Allah will forgive us. Insha’Allah.

Take my story as an example. Before becoming Muslim, I was in the worst of sins. If I would have died in this state, I would have gone to hell because of it. Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) says to us in the Qur’an:

Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. (Qur’an, 4:48)

Also, Allah says to us:

O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah . Indeed, association [with him] is great injustice. (Qur’an, 31:13)

If Allah wished, He could have made me die in that state of shirk (associating others with Allah). Because He ta’aala has proven to us many times how hundreds of people die in the state of shirk every single day. In my country it is hundreds each day! May Allah protect us from those that do.

But Allah is so merciful, He has chosen us to be Muslims, from this darkness that we are in. Even after we have committed the worse sin there is for Allah, He still forgives us and gives us time to repent!

Where will you find someone like this in this dunya (world)?

People are greedy, selfish, stubborn and egotistic. Their only desire is to please themselves. There is no true love for many people, and it is only until you get hurt by them that you realize what their true intentions really were.

It is hard for us to forgive others. There are those that never accept forgiveness from you, no matter how true and pure your repentance is.

But for Allah we can commit sin as many times, that if we truly repent from our hearts, He will forgive us. Subhanallah, all Glory be to Allah!

Let us take advantage of this Ramadan to seek forgiveness from our Rabb, our Lord. This is the month to ask for sincere forgiveness to Allah, so do not take it lightly!

When you are sad, stressed out, or in depression, read Qur’an and you will see how peace will enter your heart by remembering Allah.

Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (Qur’an 13:28)

And Allah knows best.

The Truth About Jesus – Lecture by Abdul Rahman Green

As salaam alaykum,

I hope you are in the best of emaan, health and peace insha’Allah.
I just wanted to share this video with you concerning the message of Jesus and unfortunately what Christianity has done with it. However, this wonderful lecture talks about the true message of Jesus and this brother has a marvelous way of giving dawah that makes you want to finish the whole video mash’Allah, even if you are non-Muslim.
Insha’Allah you will enjoy it and learn some very basic yet misinterpreted conceptions about Jesus (radi allahu anhu).
Chao.

Ramadan is just a month away! Why fast?

For the Mind and Soul

(Part One of Two)

As-salaam alaykum everyone. As a recent convert (Allahu Akbar) I’ve been thinking about Ramadan these days more than ever; what will it be like? Will my body last an entire month of fasting? How can I make this experience even more profitable?

I’ve been looking around some website and books on Ramadan, including Hadiths and quotes from the Qur’an. The benefits of Ramadan are just so many Alhamdulillah! Although we may not see them.

So I’ve decided to write a quick post on some of the benefits of this sacred month, not just physically, but mentally the amount of blessings and good things come out of it insha’Allah.

There is a great reward for those who fast

Abu Huraira, radhiya Allahu `anh reported:

The Prophet said, “(Allah said), ‘Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.’ Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk.” [Bukhari]

Allah, the Most High, the Most Beneficent, will reward a person that fasts for His sake only. Think about it. It is indeed a sacrifice. I don’t think fasting is all that easy, given the many hours without food or water. Insha’Allah there will be reward in our fasting and Allah will accept it.

Our supplications are granted

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam, said: “There are three people whose supplications are not rejected: the fasting person when he breaks the fast, the just ruler and the supplication of the oppressed”. [Tirmithi, Ibn Majah and Ibn Hibban]

Our dua’s are accepted when we indulge in this action intended only for the sake of Allah. We must remember constantly why we are fasting, for what purpose we are doing so and to always thank Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) for giving us the strength and patience to fast.

Just think for a minute how many people out there starve to death because they can’t eat even a loaf of bread or drink a drop of pure, clean water. Think how privileged you are as a Muslim to be able to fast! So many people don’t have food at their tables, and cannot have this “luxury” of fasting for the sake of Allah.

It is a means of forgiveness for us

Abu Huraira narrated that Allah’s Messenger said : “Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” [Bukhari]

Subhanallah, how merciful our Rabb truly is. If you fast just 30 days of the 365 days of the year, with devotion, purity in your heart and sincerity, Allah will forgive any sins you have had in your past. Whether you are a new revert – like myself – or you have grandchildren and have retired, it is never too late to ask Allah for forgiveness and to repent to our Lord, to the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. May Allah always guide us.

 ___

So these were the brief benefits that we have when fasting during Ramadan. Imagine how wonderfully merciful and forgiving our Lord is that He has given us this “tool” or action to use for our own benefit, and of course always for the sake of Allah.

You won’t find these benefits in other religions. They have deviated from the straight path of monotheism – Judaism and Christianity – and now follow practices that were never accepted during the time of the Prophets (peace be upon them all). We as Muslims are benefited in so many ways and take them for granted, that we don’t even have time to sit down and think about this and thank Allah (swt) for all that He has given us.

Insha’Allah I’ll be writing about the physical benefits of fasting during the month of Ramadan in a new post. So keep tuned for a new article on how not only your mind, but your body can benefit from this sacred and blessed month of Ramadan.

Allahu Akbar. May Allah safeguard us from Shaytaan, may Allah reward us and may Allah protect us and guide us from any evil. Ameen Rabb.

And Allah, our Lord, most Beneficent and most Merciful, knows best.

Chao.

Following the righteousness of Rasul Allah

~ Patience (Sabr) ~

As-salaam alaikum. May this message find you in the best of health and emaan, and may Allah always protect you from the cleverness of Shaytaan and what is evil.

Despite the few posts I’ve been able to meticulously write on concerning my day to day issues as a revert to Islam, I find that there is one thing that we should never lose focus on.

Patience is one of the most important things we must have as Muslims or as non-Muslims on the path to Islam. Not only is it Sunnah to be patient in our everyday tasks, but also because it gives us such a peaceful and enjoyable quality that openly invites others to Islam through our own attitudes.

Even though this blog is focused on Islam and topics concerning Islamic issues, I think that everyone must learn to be patient, humble and peaceful in everything they do. Taking religion away for a minute, it’s highly important because this peaceful attitude towards life will help you understand, well, everything in life.

When you are bitter, stressed out, or hasty, you start to spread this negative attitude towards others.

On the contrary, when you are of a peaceful manner to everyone around you, your joy and happiness will spread and people will want to enjoy your company.

For me personally, one of the best ways to tell people about Islam is not by my words, but through my actions. I never tell someone not to do something, or frown upon an action and make that person feel bad.

Instead, we must learn to take the good out of our religion, and share this with others.

For instance, I like to pray in my room, with my door closed, as to not make my family members uncomfortable seeing me pray. However, I comment on my prayers occasionally to my mother, and recently we were having breakfast together and she asked me how I prayed. Alhamdulillah, I made her curious about Islam yet I’ve never forced Islam on her or anyone!

When you do something good, and your friends or family members compliment you or praise you on it, always tell them why you did that action.

For example, if you are like me and happen to be an addict to cleanliness, and you clean the entire house one day, when your spouse or mother or anyone else in your household compliments you, let them know that cleanliness and purity is of great importance to a Muslim.

Spreading the message of Islam (submission to the will of Allah) is not done through war, violence, and terrorism like the media has portrayed Muslims to be. These acts are strictly forbidden in Islam.

If you want to know exactly how to spread the message of Islam, look into the actions and words of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (salalahu alayhi wa salaam: peace be upon him).

I love reading up on the Prophet’s biography, as it gives me a very peaceful feeling afterwards. When you read a book on the Prophet Muhammad (salalahu alayhi wa salaam), read a hadith, or see a video, you will realize just how wonderful Allah (subhana wa ta’aala: glorified and exalted is He) is and that Islam will touch the heart of those people whom Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) wishes.

“…and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Qur’an, 14:4)

Remember to act accordingly to the Sunnah (prophetic way). When you study your religion, you will realize just how truly beautiful it is, and how wonderful the Prophet (salalahu alayhi wa salaam) was in reference to how he spread Islam.

Don’t feel frustrated if you have failed to act patiently beforehand. Instead, ask Allah to forgive your sins and act righteously as the Prophet did during his time. Allah is indeed with those that perform good actions.

“And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Qur’an, 29:69)

I ask Allah to bless you, to guide you aright, and to help you in your calamities. Allah is the best of planners, and Allah (subhana wa ta’aala) knows exactly why you are in a certain circumstance, and He will guide you through it if you just put your trust in Him.

Whether it be at work, at home, at university or anywhere you might find yourself, take a few seconds to remember Allah, and to thank Him for the countless blessings He has given us, without us realizing it sometimes.

Nobody can be given a blessing better and greater than patience.“
——— Prophet Muhammad (s) as reported by Abu Said Al Khudri
in Sahih Bukhari, vol 2 hadith 548.

I invite you to bookmark this page on your browser to read the beautiful qualities and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (salalahu alayhi wa salaam) and insha’Allah to implement his teachings in our lives.

Positive Quotes from the Prophet Muhammad 

“Make things easier, do not make things more difficult, spread the glad tidings, do not hate.” [Bukhari, Al-Ilm (Knowledge); 12]

And Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful, knows best.

Chao. 🙂

Quick “Ideas” Update

As-salaam alaikum everyone! I know it’s been forever since I haven’t posted anything new here.

I do hope you’re all doing well, and that Allah (subhana wa’tala) has granted you guidance, health, wisdom and all the countless blessings He gives us each and every day.

So you’re probably wondering what I’ve been up to lately. Do know that I will continue to have new ideas for this blog, and make it much more than just a “diary” type of blog.

I created this blog with the intention of sharing my ideas to the world, to discuss certain topics related to Islam, and of course to spread knowledge insha’Allah.

So I have some series I want to start posting up for my followers to read and obtain a bit of knowledge, may Allah will this.

Ideas. 

The first idea that came to mind was to create a section of this blog dedicated to my revert story to Islam. I’m always curious how new Muslims have come to the religion, or how Muslims that have been raised as Muslims “re-discover” their Muslim identity. So I’ve decided to work on that. I’ll divide the whole story into chapters that insha’Allah I’ll post up weekly so you know exactly what got me into the religion of Islam.

Also, have you ever gotten stuck on a question a non-Muslim might ask you?

It sometimes happens to me, like I don’t know exactly how to answer it correctly – like when you’re asked, Why do women have to cover? or Why do you have to pray in Arabic? – or other times, I just wish I could quote directly from the Qur’an and know I’m not making up my answer.

So given this, I want to start up another sections called ‘The Selected Questions’ Series or SQ Series, to help give short, and to-the-point answers to Muslims when we get these simple, yet serious questions from non-Muslims.

And finally, I’ve really, really wanted to start reading the in depth analysis books called “In the Shade of the Qur’an.” It’s an entire volume series dedicated to the analysis of the Surah’s in the Qur’an.

My hands are twitching just thinking how delightful this may be; to obtain this amount of knowledge.

However, I know most people don’t get all anxious to start reading a 19 volume book series on the Qur’an.

So I’ve decided to create reviews on the books, that really summarize the Surah’s and what I found most interesting. This way, I’ll be able to give you a small, yet meaningful amount of knowledge, as well as broaden my Islamic studies.

Some great sites to check out!

To wrap things up, I’d like to leave you with some links to great Islamic websites I’ve found these days and that have given me much to read on, and study.

After I reverted to Islam, I’ve started online Islamic courses on the website Islamic Online University. 

The diploma course is completely free, so you can enroll whenever you want. However, please take the courses seriously, since this is a university and will require some of your time.

The good thing about it is that you can study whenever you want, and finish the diploma as fast or as slow as you’d like. Click on the underlined link to check their website out and start your Islamic Studies today, insha’Allah.

Also I found this website that gives free Live courses every day, from Monday to Friday on a variety of Islamic topics that change constantly. The website is Sisters of Sunnah and the imams are well known, such as the creator of Islamic Learning Materials is on there, Muttaqi Ismail, and he gives lectures on Wednesdays if I’m not mistaken.

To join the live sessions at SOS (Sisters of Sunnah) and see the daily schedules, just scroll down and hit Join live, enter your name and that’s it!

So go check those two websites out insha’Allah.

So that’s all for tonight.

I hope you continue to look around my blog and comment if you desire.

I would like to know what else I could write on my blog about and get some inspiration from you, insha’Allah.

Thanks for the support, and please follow me on Twitter if you’d like: @TheTicaMuslimah.

May Allah bless you.

Chao!

Who am I?

Bismillah hir–Rahman nir–Raheem

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

This is a picture from where I live in Costa Rica. Mash’Allah, such a beautiful scenery.

———-

As-salaam alaikum (May the peace and blessing of Allah be on you)

I’ve gotten some hateful comments on my blog this week, which I clearly won’t allow these hatred-filled emotions to be published on my blog.

Why, you may ask? This is a blog that I created because I love Allah and for the sake of Allah only. I will not accept hate of any sort be expressed on my blog, whether it be to Islam, or any other religion.

I was told to “leave Costa Rica now” since “we don’t want you here on our country.”

I literally Laughed Out Loud.

I am, in fact, Costa Rican. I was born in Costa Rica, raised by Costa Ricans and my entire family and descendants are in fact from Costa Rica.

My parents decided to live in the United States for several years, where I learned English, the northern American lifestyle and I learned to cherish and appreciate the country.

However, my family was always very strong in teaching me as much as they could about my roots. They taught me Spanish and my Latin culture, about Costa Rica and many more.

So for all those that think I’m not from Costa Rica, and that I should leave as I happen to be a “terrorist” (this is laughable, I must admit) then I have nothing to say to you and your ignorant words.

However, most of my followers probably think I’m a foreigner living in Costa Rica since the majority of my articles are in English.

Well, to clear things out, I am Costa Rican. And a Muslim. Subhanallah (All Glory be to Allah).

It might be rather strange for viewers to imagine a Latin Muslim; which is the purpose for which I created my blog 🙂 It’s just like those that don’t understand how a north American can become Muslim, living in the US.

Islam is not a religion of hatred, or of racism, or of oppression or all these other things mentioned on the news. Get your facts straightened up.

Islam has been sent for ALL of mankind.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Every other Prophet was sent only to his people, whereas I have been sent to all mankind.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî]

Oh, and for the “terrorist” point of you, please read this:

There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. (2:256 Noble Qur’an)

Different from Christianity, since according to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus (peace be upon him) said:

But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them–bring them here and kill them in front of me. (19:27 Bible)

 Luke 19 was actually one of many Biblical statements that powered the killings of the Crusaders and other “Holy” wars, where Christians would slaughter those that did not accept their religion. Islam has never been a religion forced upon people. War was used only when the Muslims were being attacked and had to defend, not force upon others.

I strongly suggest you consult the imams as to these topics, as I am not a scholar and it’s preferable for this to be discussed with someone of better knowledge than I or any non-scholar for that matter.

Please, I ask you, Muslims and non-Muslims, know the religion of Islam. Know so that you won’t fall in this state of ignorance of which you WILL repent one day, when you’re in front of your Creator on the Day of Judgement pleading for forgiveness because of your actions.

Islam is a religion of God – Allahu Akbar! Muslims are not hated here in my lovely country of Costa Rica. And I will not leave my home country anytime soon to “please” those that “hate” Islam, because I haven’t happened to come across any, alhamdulillah. 🙂

Indeed, those who disbelieve – it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them – they will not believe. (2:6) Noble Qur’an

And Allah (swt) knows best.

Chao. Que Dios te bendiga a todos (which means, may God bless you in Spanish).

Things that stopped me from becoming a Muslim

Bismillah hir–Rahman nir–Raheem

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

 

May Allah (subhana wa’tala) grant us guidance, knowledge and strengthen our emaan (faith). May Allah (swt) bless all Muslims that seek refuge in His Mercy alone, and may Allah (swt) protect us from any evil or harm.

As-salaam alaikum! (May Allah bless you) Islam is indeed the most beautiful religion there can be. It gives you responsibilities, humbleness, takes away that horrendous ego that limits us from submitting to God and so much more.

However, my journey to Islam has been one that took longer than what I would have wanted it to. Looking back, I truly wish I had taken advantage of so many opportunities to change my life and become Muslim. However, Allah (swt) knows why we become Muslim and why those non-believers turn away from Islam.

Why did I prolong my Shahada (declaring that you are a Muslim) so much? Despite the fact that my aqeedah (knowledge) was growing, I lacked salaah (practicing Islam by praying). I felt Muslim for a long time before I finally took my Shahada under the eyes of Allah.

Here are the reasons as to why I didn’t become a Muslim immediately after knowing about Islam.

Fearing the unknown. 

Prior to learning and researching up on Islam, I knew nothing about the religion. I didn’t even know what a Muslim worshiped, what they believed in, or anything! (Looking back, I’ve learned so much in one year Subhanallah).

 Despite that most people associate Muslims with terrorism or any of these false claims, I never had this idea about Muslims Alhamdulillah. I didn’t even know that the Qur’an existed! Oh Mash’Allah that I became Muslim because Allah (swt) wanted me to become a believer.

When I was told about Islam, I didn’t want to read up on it. I was somewhat afraid of it. You see, when you don’t know about something, you will fear the unknown. Especially in religious matters.

Even after I researched into Islam, I didn’t want to read the Qur’an. I knew that some way or another, this religion would “sneak up” on me, grab me by the feet and throw me into its “cobweb”. And I didn’t want that at the time being. I was happily a Catholic, and didn’t want to explore unknown territory.

However, there was something that really caused curiosity in me. Why is that people don’t like Muslims? This I knew quite well: the media was always attacking Muslims. They were always saying how racist Muslims were, how terrorism was accepted and how these women had to be forced to cover their faces and body.

But, when I read about Islam it felt like such a peaceful and beautiful religion. “These Muslims!” I would think, “How they get on all fours and put their heads to the ground and worship God! I’d like to see those people at my church bow down that way to God! Never!” I would think, “Never, as long as there big fat egos are in the way.”

However, these thoughts were all kept to me, and I never discussed it with my family or my close friends. When I did bring it up, my friends were shocked and told me to stay away from those “terrorists”, to find God in some other Bible, like the Baptist Bible or another Christian sect. Just don’t go into that book! They would warn me, believing they were doing good.

I was “letting my religion down.”

Another reason that made me turn back from becoming a Muslim was the feeling that I was turning down not only my religion, but also my identity, my community and my family. After several months of reading into the religion, I felt betrayed by my own community.

I would think to myself, Jesus wasn’t crucified? These saints we worship are all wrong? Why wasn’t this explained to me during Bible school? And most importantly, why hadn’t I realized all this before?

So I would put the book I was reading down and continue my pagan life.

However, I never truly stopped researching about Islam. It just made sense. No religion, not even Catholicism, had even made so much sense before. Worship one God. Period. No idols involved, no weird rituals, no intermediaries between me and God. It was like a breath of fresh air, from all this nonsense I was being fed at in church.

So I read about Islam, read about God, read about the Prophets, and about revert stories and the more I read about Islam, the more I wanted to become Muslim.

What would my friends think?

As shameful as this might be to admit, I was in fact afraid of what my society would say. You see, we live in a world where the society decides what you can and cannot do. It tells you what to think, how to dress, what career you should pursue, how you should treat others, etc.

So becoming a Muslim meant going against – well – everything!

The way I was dressing was completely inadequate. The way I thought was poisoning my heart. I was in a stage in my life where wealth was the only concern I had for my future.

When I would sit down and read about God’s oneness and what our purpose in life was, it felt reassuring. I didn’t fear death anymore. I could stand up to the world and not fear being turned down. More than ever did I want to reject these disgusting and ridiculous people shown on the television and heard on the radio that brainwash adolescents into thinking this is how you will be happy – with money and cars and fame – and how you should be.

Islam is liberating. It’s not like anything you could ever imagine it to be. You find peace in it, and these worldly desires are nothing but – worldly desires!

However, at this moment I was more concerned about my family and friends than about what I really wanted. So I kept Islam closed and shut in my heart and continued living that life my society expected me to. Unfortunately, silencing my beliefs was rather more saddening than I thought it would be.

The hijab.

One of the main reasons that stopped me from taking my Shahada and becoming a Muslim was this thing Muslim women wrap around their heads.

I didn’t really know that Muslim women had to wear this on a daily basis. In fact, when I read about it from a traveling website, I had read that it was a sign of respect to wear this when entering mosques. So I believed for quite a while that the hijab was only worn when entering mosques.

It wasn’t until several months later that I read about the hijab being something compulsory. When I read that it was mandatory, I began frantically looking for more information as to oppose this truth. I wanted an article to yell out to me, “Relax, it’s not mandatory. Muslim women don’t have to wear the hijab.”

But I never came through an article like this Alhamdulillah and it made me hesitate on my quest for the truth. Despite that this was a disappointment to hear, since my mother’s a hair stylist and I’ve been around the impression that women look beautiful with long, pretty hair, my search for the truth didn’t stop there.

In fact, as I read about the hijab, it actually started to make sense. I read about how we live in a society where men are allowed to look at women however they want, and that we as women allow them to! And this is in fact the perfect description of my country. Costa Rica is a wonderful country, but unfortunately women grow up with this idea screwed into their head that you are a sex symbol. If you don’t look sexy and attractive and show as much skin as possible, no man will ever lay eyes on you. Because there will always be hotter and more attractive looking women around you, and you have to “beat” the competition.

What a loud of – erm, nonsense! It felt reassuring to know that if you cover and dress modestly, you are in charge of who looks at your body. And I loved the idea of only being attractive to my future husband insha’Allah. It sounded safe and comforting and, something a pious woman would do – someone who loves Allah and will not submit to Shaytaan.

So after many months of debating whether or not I should be against the hijab or not, I listened to the scholars of Islam and of course, the Qur’an foremost. I actually find the hijab beautiful and would love to see more women in my country cover up a bit more.

This is in itself a topic on its own, so I’ll cover more of it in the near future insha’Allah.

En fin…

So these are the reasons as to why I didn’t take my Shahada until almost a full year after my quest began.

I struggled with mainly the outer contexts of Islam, such as the society around me and their opinions, the hijab and dressing modestly and the church that has so much power in my country.

Mash’Allah Islam entered my heart and I never doubted it. Yes, you may go through the phases of wondering why eating pork is haram or why men should grow a beard, but these are all external points that are insignificant when it comes to what truly lies in your heart.

Remember that Islam is not just about obtaining knowledge (aqeedah). Why you may ask? Because the one that knew the most about Allah (swt) was, who? Shaytaan. But, he had no emaan (faith) and therefore his knowledge turned into satanic knowledge, which we still have nowadays in people.

So Islam is not just about the “obtaining knowledge” part. Yes, we as Muslims MUST obtain knowledge. It’s not a decision. It’s mandatory to know our religion, to know what we say in Salaah, to know about other religions, to question this earthly life, etc. (This is what I love about Islam, there are no secrets in it and nothing is hidden from us Muslims Alhamdulillah!)

But there is also the emaan that we cannot ignore. Without it, our religion is not a religion. It’s just an empty belief.

Never underestimate the power of your Salaah. Praying is our relationship with Allah; directly, no intermediaries, no one looking, nothing. It’s just you and Allah (swt). Praise your Creator, thank Allah for the life you have, for the calamities and tests He has put in your life.

 

And most truly Allah knows best.

Chao.