Tuesday, April 15, 2014

I listened to my inner voice to become Muslim

Abdul Aziz was born Jermaine Boddy and was raised in Charleston, West Virginia, United States, as a Baptist Christian as were his parents and their forefathers. Here below, he narrates how he was drawn toward Islam and became a Muslim:
As a youth I attended Church and Sunday School regularly until my adolescent years when girls and running around suddenly became more important to me. I consider myself as “sinful” when I was on the street, but I was always conscious of Allah — or, I may say God in those days — and used to ask forgiveness on occasions for my sinful deeds in vain by the way I had been taught, “in the name of Jesus,” may Allah forgive me.
I continued on in my sinful ways despite a number of events in my life that were very life threatening such as drugs, being shot in the head, loss of jobs, and family and friends dying.
Only after my incarceration did I begin to seek refuge in Allah and I was “saved” while incarcerated in the county jail. Even then as I faithfully read my Bible and prayed every night before I went to bed, there were still some doubts in my mind as far as the Christian faith was concerned.
I continued to try to live my life as Christian when I came to prison but eventually went back to my old ways of my lower self.
Again after several years of constantly staying in and out of trouble worrying about worldly matters and confronting frustration I began going to Church again but only half–heartedly. I really enjoyed the singing and also the eloquent speech of the preacher Rev. Hightower but there were always unanswered questions, which I still cannot understand.
The more I think about it the more outrageous it sounds. “Jesus died on the cross for the whole world’s sins.” I seek Allah’s forgiveness.
Even though I was still confused, I held on to Christianity and started to seek knowledge elsewhere. I had been introduced to Al-Islam briefly while on the streets by a friend whom was not very knowledgeable or righteous but yet I somehow was drawn to this religion back then. I can remember telling my mother that I wanted to be a Muslim after hearing the Verses of the Holy Qur’an. She dismissed it by saying I did not know what I was talking about which I did not but somehow I knew that this was the True religion.
I had attended the Jumu’ah prayer on a couple occasions with a brother named Islam and then again with one of my homeboys but never really understood what was going on because I was not paying any attention.
Sometime later, I then asked a friend, Shahid Qazi to place my name on the callout to attend Jumu’ah but for the wrong reasons. My intentions were to just get out of going to work in the afternoons on Fridays. Actually I began to stay and listen to the Khutbah (Friday sermons) and after a short while some of my previous questions were starting in to be answered.
I would continue to attend Hightower’s services on Thursday nights and then go to Jumu’ah on Fridays for at least nine months and over the last part of those nine months I began to ask Allah to show me the straight path because although I still proclaimed to be a Christian I knew that Islam was a true religion. Slowly Islam touched my heart and I stopped attending the Christian services there shortly after I took my Shahadah (Masha-Allah) and my life changed drastically ever since!
(Abdul Aziz is a young of 28 years of age, from West Virginia, and have learned his Salat, Kalima, Du’a Qunut, couple other Du’as, and many Surahs along with all alphabet of Arabic. Abdul Aziz took his Shahadah just seven months back but has learned a lot and also is serving the Muslim community as an Amir of Da’awah and assistant security. May Allah keep him strong. Ameen)

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