Eesa was only thirteen years old when he became a Muslim. And the scientific facts in the Quran that caught his attention.
Then in secondary school his cousin, who was fifteen years old at the time, embraced Islam; she used to come around to the house and tell his family about Islam.Before Islam, when he was still a ten-year-old child he had a normal life of going to school and hanging out with his friends.
The family members all had different opinions and there were many debates; Eesa was quiet and just listened.
One day when he was at home his cousin asked him to come to her house.
She showed him the Quran and asked him if he knew what it was. He said “no”. She explained that it is like the Bible the Christians have and that this is the book of the Muslims.
So he admits that he did not know anything about Muslims. He only knew what his mother had told him about Christianity.
His cousin spoke to him about Almighty Allah. And she said that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the messenger from Allah and that he had brought the Quran from Almighty Allah. She clarified that Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not write it, but was given it.
Scientific Science in the Quran
It was the scientific miracles in the Quran that caught Eesa’s attention. He mentioned how other people talk about a spiritual experience when they embrace Islam; but for him it was facts and figures.
What stands out in Eesa’s mind is the formation of the baby in the mother’s womb, the stars, the oceans. So he was amazed how science today acknowledges all these facts. He was blown away by this; he didn’t know there were people long ago who had talked about the stars and so on and had been right.
Learning About Islam
He decided to concentrate on prayer first. So he had basic books with Arabic transliteration and diagrams of stick figures. He says that since he learned about Islam there has been a lot more material to help new Muslims.Praying five times a day, following the dietary code, and the dress code were not difficult for him. After his cousin explained the basics of Islam, he decided that he would concentrate on one thing at a time.
At first, he did not tell anyone he had become a Muslim; he felt he was not ready to face the comments and criticism. He still did not know exactly what Islam meant.
Eesa asserts that his years of travel and study in Egypt and Yemen have taught him so much about the vastness and mercy of Islam. But back then, he thought he would keep it to himself for a while. He did not know anyone else who was Muslim except his cousin.
He got books on monotheism from the local Islamic bookshop and books on prayer, fasting, the life of Prophet Muhammad…
After three or four months he attended a talk at the house of Abdur Rahman Green in South London. The talks were in the front room of the house and everyone was sitting cramped up but listening attentively. Eesa says that he learned many of the basics of Islam in these inspiring meetings.
Growing up a Muslim got Eesa through school and college without getting into trouble. He noted that it is very easy to get involved in the wrong crowd; but all he could think of when he was young was if he performed ablution to be ready for prayer or when is the next prayer is due. Such concerns filled his mind while everyone else at school or in his neighborhood was talking about a rave going on in some place.
He was fifteen when he started to talk about his Islam. He had a friend who also became a Muslim. The two of them were in their own little world and that they hung around together. They often got into trouble for leaving the school in order to attend the Friday Prayer.
Despite his young age, Eesa did not think Islam is strict; he found that it just made sense. He understood why alcohol was prohibited. It made sense to him that people should not drink because he could see all the harm that came from it.
At Green’s home he learned about the kind of places and environment a Muslim should be in, and what he should and shouldn’t do. Eesa sees that there is nothing wrong to interact with non-Muslims until it comes to doing something wrong.Eesa said that he was not isolated from non-Muslims; there was always a line he would not cross, because there were things they were doing that he would not do, like raving.
He said that he and his non-Muslim friends talked and had fun and were nice to each other but when they wanted to go out he made lots of excuses.
Seeking for Knowledge
Speaking about the multitude of different Islamic groups in the UK, Eesa had this to say:
“The Muslim community is made up of so many different groups; but this is because there isn’t enough knowledge. People follow blindly and they do not know. They are given proof and a reason for doing something a certain way and they just do it; but they haven’t searched for the knowledge.”
He says that you can find real information on Islam but you have to search and you should not be lazy. The best place to be sure about the right knowledge is to read the Quran and then examine the Hadith.
Then, Eesa suggests that new Muslims should do some research on the lives of the companions and see how they put Islam into practice.
The companions received Islam from the hands of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
(From Discovering Islam’s archive.)
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