~ SubhanAllah All Around!!! ~

Update on my Grandma:

Alhumdulillah the Dr.'s are sayin its a miracle that my Grandma is alive. She's in the last stages of Alzheimer's and at that state, a person's body completely shuts down. They had her on life support for the past few days, but the Dr's were able to taker her off of it! SubhanAllah! :D

Allahu Alim...

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More good stuff...

Today, after Jummah, I went to lunch with two sisters who had recently embraced Islam. One sister was a little older and converted in 2001, but the other sister, is only 24, and caught my attention and admiration because she comes from a strongly Christian family and embraced Islam just this past Ramadan. Alhumdulillah, those of us who are Muslim, tend to take the basics of Islam (e.g. prayer, fasting, etc...) for granted. What got me a lil teary eyed was when she spoke of the first time she told her parents that she had converted....

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Growing up with Grandparents who preached to her about Christianity since she was old enough to speak, the Sister went to church everyday, spent all her time doing things for the Baptist church her Grandparents had built and was the epitome of a model Christian youth in her community, often being referred to as a "crazy Christian" by her little brother. However, in college, she got an opportunity to study abroad in Morocco and live with a Muslim, host family. From there, she told of how she developed an interest for the culture, learned Islamic values and developed a love for the Arabic language, in which she is now fluent. After many years, she still keeps in touch with her Morocccan family whom she refers to as her 2nd family. Alhumdulillah, the family made her feel welcome and because of their kindness, she was able to see the true path. May Allah {swt} give them blessings!

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Still, although she was observing Islamic teachings and surrounded herself with only Muslim friends, she didn't feel that she was ready to give the shahada until this past year. The day she took the final step, she remembers asking herself, "Do I really believe in what I am about to do?" She told me how she felt; how she knew that it was the right thing to do, that she really believed in the words she was about to declare. However, there was one challenge she hadn't considered,

I didn't think about how I was gonna tell my parents or my grandparents, it
was just too much to think about. All I knew was that this is for Allah {swt}."

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Now came the hard part. Her family knew nothing of Islam, but were aware of her interests in the Middle Eastern cultures. Four days after taking Shahada, she called her parents on a conference call and told them the news. Her dad accepted quickly and told her that he supported her in anything she did, while she heard only silence from her mother's end. This worried her and so she asked her mother if she was ok. Her mother uttered out, " You've broken my heart," and started sobbing relentlessly. She didn't speak to the Sister for 2 weeks. Even while relating this story, the Sister became teary-eyed. Her mother and she had never once had an argument, and have always held the utmost respect for each other. After that, the sister flew home to be with her family so that it may be easier for them to accept her being Muslim.

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The first night home, the Sister felt uncomfortable, but her father sensing this, eased her by saying, "This is your home and I want you to feel comfortable in it. Do whatever it is you need to do." She then performed wudu quietly and closed her door to pray quickly because she knew her family would feel uncomfortable if they saw her. However, a couple of days later, she was again praying, but had forgotten to close the door, and her mother walked by. She asked the Sister what she was doing and realizing that she was performing salat, turned around and burst out sobbing. The sister became so distraut that she quickly finished praying, and ran and hugged her mother, holding her like a baby for hours while her mother told her over and over that the sister had been decieved by the devil. The sister refrained from performing salat for the rest of her stay because she felt that at that point her mother was too fragile.

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Even now, only a few months later, the Sister is holding strong and May Allah {swt} give her strength and courage to overcome these difficulties. Her mother is so distraught that she's unable to sleep and eat. What amazed me was the amount of fortitude the Sister showed. How difficult is it to go against one's family? To upset all those you love? All those you hold so dear? She feels unaccepted and estranged from the one thing she holds so dear: Her perfect & close relationship with her mother. My mom is my best friend and to think that I would bring her that much pain is inconceivable. Still, she has faith in Allah {swt} and her love for Him keeps her courageous.

{Subhan Allah}

Allaahumma Aatinee bin a'afiyati min h'aythu shi-ta wa kayfa shi-ta-wa annaa
shi-ta-fa-innaka taf- a'lu maa shi-ta kayfa shi-ta

{O Allah, give us welfare from wheresoever You desire, as You wish and when You want. Verily You do that which You find satisfying because it pleases You. {Ameen}

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wasalaam :)