Why did I embrace Islam.....

Why Did I Embrace Islam?

by: Ayman Yousif B. Dizon                                                         

My only vivid answer to this question is that Allah Subhana Watta’ala guided me in admitting the greatest truth and testifying to the biggest reality that there is only one God worthy to be worship alone.

I knew well that human nature and its disposition refuse to be convinced of certain facts and realities without satisfactory proofs and cogent arguments. However, if there is someone who cares for religion, the aim of such person is nothing but to find God. As such my own interest in Islam meant nothing but search for the truth and the direction of right thinking. This was when I saw that many doubts and misgivings had been growing in my mind and memory about the Christian beliefs and its fundamentals.

At the same time, the capacity of Christianity fell short of providing resistance and protection against those doubts and misgivings. Christianity used to press that all its doctrines were to be admitted without proof and argument. To cite an example, I was not inclined to accept the Christian belief that Allah Subhana Watta’ala sent Prophet Essa Sallalahu Alayhi Wassalam  for the whole world as a redeemer of the sins of all mankind.

The desire to search for the truth had been constantly growing. In those days I had the opportunity to work with a religious and capable Muslim. He affirmed that, through the blessings of Islam, he enjoyed contentment in life and mental tranquility. A feeling of weirdness against the name of religion had got hold of my heart. His assertion filled my heart with a sense of astonishment: Is there a religion which provides contentment and mental peace to those who profess and follow it? A related incident happened before when I was trying to accept and hold the noble Qur’an in Arabic language which was handed to me by that same man during one of our discussions in comparative religion, without any word it was taken from me by another Muslim worker with hatred in his eyes. The man told me that I have no right to touch the book in my present state and left me astounded. These incidents challenge and induced me to acquire a deep knowledge about Islam and its disciplines by reading Islamic books and research.

One of the most important teachings of Islam that influenced me aside from Tawheed is that it does not call a man to submit to it without thinking and reflection. Man has been invited to think and reflect deeply and clearly and weigh every Islamic belief on the scale of his understanding and wisdom before accepting it. In other explanation, there is no compulsion in the religion of Islam. Allah Subhana Watta’ala is the one who knows all and give guidance to whom HE likes to be His slave.