Why I choose Islam

No other religion professed by a large community have I found so comprehensible and encouraging.  There seems no better way towards tranquility of mind and contentment in life, no greater promise for the future after death. The human being is part of a whole; man cannot claim more than being just a particle of creation in its magnificent perfection.  As such, he can only fulfill his purpose of living by carrying out his function in relating himself to the whole and to other living parts.  It is the harmonious relationship between the parts and the whole that makes life purposeful, that can bring it nearest to perfection, that helps a human being to achieve contentment and happiness. What place does religion occupy in this relationship between Creator and creation?  Here are some people’s opinions on religion. “A man’s religion is the chief fact with regard to him; the thing a man does practically believe ... the thing a man does practically lay to heart, ...

I converted to Islam two months ago and did not think it important to share my story, but in the past few days, I realized that I myself benefitted from other new Muslims’ stories, so why not let someone benefit from my journey to Islam?  Inshallah  (God-Willing) someone will read it and come to the truth as I have.   I came from a Catholic family from central Europe.  I don’t know if you have ever visited central Europe and seen the condition there?  Most of the people claim to be Protestants, Roman-Catholics, Orthodox Christians or some other sort of Christian. Islam is not popular or well known among people. I would to go to church and  I learnt about the religion in school but I never really  pondered over it. The only reason I was a Christian was because my parents were Christians. It was only when I became 16 that I really began to think for myself and to question my faith. I no longer could take what was said to us “this is how it is, ...

My life before Islam was empty in a way. Just the feeling to live for the day and not knowing the meaning and purpose of life. My self-confidence was quite weak. I didn't feel that I belonged anywhere in the society, something was missing. I was searching for something, I just didn't know what it was at that time.

 It was a long journey and it took time. I knew there was a God, I just couldn't identify myself with Christianity. God for me has always been something so great and big that my mind is limited to understand what He is. This, as God has such great power and can not be compared to a human being. God has no limitation, he is capable to do whatever He desires.

 I searched for a long time among different religions and the more I came to know about Islam, the more I felt Islam is the full truth and it made complete sense. Islam described God as I had always imagined Him.
 What I mostly love about Islam is Allah's love and mercy. For me, being a Muslim...

"There is no god but God, and Muhammad, may God praise him, is his messenger."

These are the words of the Shahadah oath, I believe.

The Creator is known by many names. His wisdom is always recognizable, and his presence made manifest in the love, tolerance and compassion present in our community.

His profound ability to guide us from a war-like individualism so rampant in American society to a belief in the glory and dignity of the Creator's human family, and our obligations to and membership within that family. This describes the maturation of a spiritual personality, and perhaps the most desirable maturation of the psychological self, also.

 My road to Shahadah began when an admired director, Tony Richardson, died of AIDS. Mr. Richardson was already a brilliant and internationally recognized professional when I almost met him backstage at the play Luther at age 14.

Play writing for me has always been a way of finding degrees of spiritual and emotional recon...

I was raised in a sadly dysfunctional family. My father was anti-religion (all religions) and my mother was a non-practicing Southern Baptist. On my father's side of the family, religion was something to ridicule while one was "straight" and to adopt when one was drunk or high. On my mother's side of the family, religion was "understood" but never talked about. My mother's father had been a Southern Baptist minister at one time, but faith was something only for Sunday sermons.

 At a very young age (as young as nine or ten years old), I started to have an interest in "going to church". I was allowed to go to Vacation Bible School during the summer as long as it kept me out of my parents' hair, and I was allowed to go to church on Sundays as long as they served a hot lunch afterward. I learned to sing songs like "Jesus Loves Me" and "This Little Light of Mine". It was good. It was fun. By the time I reached the ag...

Like most reverts to Islam my story is simple from the perspective of an outsider. Young man finds a religion that's different to his family's and eventually tells them and reverts. 
 However, like many things in life, it is the travelling of the journey and not the getting to the destination that seems most hard. Of course with Islam the journey will never be complete until it is ordained by Allah, Glory to Him, but instead we reach milestones along the way. So I shall tell the story of my life until now and my hopes and aspirations for the future.

 I was born in the UK to a family of two loving parents and one brother (Colin), shortly to be followed by my twin sister (Linda) and later to my other two sisters Melissa (who died when I was very little) and my youngest sister Emily.

I was never baptized, as my father did not believe in putting a baby who could not object, through such a religious ceremony. However, my mother would send us to a Christian Sunday school...

The author: Sir Abdullah Archibald Hamilton Bart, formerly Sir Charles Edward Archibald Watkins Hamilton, embraced Islam on 20th December 1923. A well-known English statesman, fifth baronet of the first (1770) and third baronet of the second creation (1819) Sir Abdullah was born on 10th December 1876. He was a Lieutinent in the Royal Defence Corp. and was also the President of the Selsy Conservative Association. Since arriving at an age of discretion, the beauty and the simple purity of Islam have always appealed to me. I could never, though born and brought up as a Christian, believe in the dogmatic aspect of the Church, and have always placed reason and commonsense above blind faith. As the time progressed, I wished to be at peace with my Creator, and I found that both the Church of Rome and the Church of England were of no real use to me. In becoming a Muslim I have merely obeyed the dictates of my conscience, and have since felt a better and a truer man. There is no...

Many people ask me how a preacher or priest in Christianity can ever go to Islam, especially considering all the negative things that we hear about Islam and Muslims everyday. Some people are simply curious, while others take a profound exception to my "conversion" to Islam. Some have asked how I could have turned my back on Jesus, or if I truly understood the Holy Ghost and some even questioned whether or not I considered myself as "born again" or had ever really been saved at all. These are good questions to which I will offer answers to at the end of this writing. I would like to thank everyone for their interest and offer my humble story, God Willing. 

One very nice Christian gentleman asked me in email why and how I left Christianity for Islam. This is more or less a copy of the letter I sent to him.

 Introduction 

 My name is Yusuf Estes now, but in years past my friends used to call me Skip. I have preached Christianity and worked in the entertai...