Converts To Islam

Khadijah Jones

From a very young age I have always believed in God. My mum used to send me and my elder sister to places such as Kiro Club, there we would all play games and the team leaders would read stories from the bible and before we went home we would all pray in a circle. This took place at the Primary School we went to St Marks C of E.

Then to get me into the high school where my mother wanted me to go, St Peters, I had to go church every Sunday, so my mother has always encouraged me and my sister to go to religious events, but on the whole my family is not a practicing Christian family. Everyone in my family was christened, and all the weddings take place in churches.

I started having contact with my father when I was 11 years old, as he thought that he was going to die in hospital and he wanted to see me and my sister before. But Alhamdulilah my dad survived, as he got better me and my sister stayed in touch with him and his family and this was when I got introduced to Islam. I used to go and see my father very often, he lived with my nan and cousin, and next door lived my Aunty, her husband and her son. Both my Aunty and my cousin had embraced Islam for different reasons. So as I used to go very often I saw how differently my Aunty and Cousin lived, they were so dedicated to God it was unreal to me. I respected them in a big way, As I

used to see them praying I started asking questions, like why?

I didnt really understand as at this point I had only just turned 12 years, so they explained Islam to me in a very easy way. I started going to Islamic circles with them, I went to conferences. After 10 long months of dedication to Islam I converted. I converted in my Auntys house with all the sisters there who had helped me, my Aunty made lots of food, I had to do my Ghusl (Bath) so I was pure and then I was sat down on a prayer mat and I read the Kalima three times. Everyone brought me presents and advice it was lovely.

As a treat my father paid for me and my aunty to go to Leicester for a four day Islamic event. It was the best four days of my life, I met so many new friends, everyone there was a Muslim, it was just like how an Islamic state would be. Everyone was treated the same, it was wonderful. My dad paid for that because he new how my mother and the rest of the family were treating me, so he lied to my mother and told her that I was going somewhere with my Aunty because he new that if my mum new the truth then she would not allow me to go.

My sister and father were the only ones who accepted me, my mums side of the family hated Islam, they said I could be a Muslim but not dress like one, so once I had put my views across to them that no matter what they said or did I would not compromise Islam for NOTHING! They had to except it. They all thought it was a phase I was going through as I was only 12, I converted on the 22 November 1998.

My father passed away in 1999, I was devastated as I had got so close to him through Islam, as I could talk to him about anything and I dont have that kind of relationship with my mum, but as I studied death so many times I new that Allah would not give me

something that I could not bare. After this my mums side of the family had learnt to accept it. Now 5 years later everyone is fine, my advice to people thinking about converting is to study hard and stick with it, Islam is a beautiful way of life and you will thank yourself at the end, people learn to accept you for you and if they dont then you may realise who your family and friends are.

Holy Quran 8:4***
These are the believers in truth; they shall have from their Lord exalted grades and forgiveness and an honorable sustenance.***