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But shortly after his daughter was born, he tried to implement the lifestyle and commandments on not only his daughter but his partner-at-the-time as well. That’s when doubt crept in. He saw many strange prohibitions:
To burn a city that has turned to idol worship—Deuteronomy 13:15-17
Not to cease hating the missionary—Deuteronomy 13:9
Not to let idolaters dwell in our land—Exodus 23:33
Men must not shave the hair off the sides of their head—Leviticus 19:27
Men must not trim their beards with a razor—Leviticus 19:27
Men must not wear women’s clothing—Deuteronomy 22:5
Women must not wear men’s clothing—Deuteronomy 22:5
Not to tattoo the skin—Leviticus 19:28
Not only were there commandments that made his moral compass feel bad, but if the rabbis distorted Judaism with the Talmud, then who’s to say they didn’t distort the Torah? It’s an incredibly old book, even the Dead Sea Scrolls aren’t the original form of the Torah. The original text and language is long lost. The message MUST have changed, he thought.
[2:79] Therefore, woe to those who distort the scripture with their own hands, then say, “This is what GOD has revealed,” seeking a cheap material gain. Woe to them for such distortion, and woe to them for their illicit gains.
So, the boy, now man, was agnostic for about 7 years. A good portion of those 7 years he was away from his daughter on and off, for 3 years he was all alone, struggling to just make things work. And that is when he missed GOD. He missed praying, he missed religious practices, he missed the relationship with his Creator. But he didn’t know who or what they were.
Till a Muslim friend planted the idea in his head, to check out the Quran. Now his grandmother taught him to respect the Muslim people, they are cousins to the Jewish people. So, he did, he checked out the Quran and Islam.
[11:114] You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) at both ends of the day, and during the night. The righteous works wipe out the evil works. This is a reminder for those who would take heed.
The man went to a masjid in Alabama, witnessed a Sunni Isha prayer service, and was met with amazing hospitality and kindness. He never felt this kind of hospitality even amongst his own people! He met with the imam and they spoke for 3 hours, going over all his troubles, and doubts, and questions. The Quran was given to him, and he spent even more hours that same night reading through it. He literally couldn’t put it down till his body couldn’t handle it anymore. [73:4] …. And read the Quran from cover to cover.
But he studied the Quran and watched for certain things that could make or break this new journey he was about to embark on.
1. What’s the deal with Jesus?
2. What’s the deal with Satan?
3. What’s the deal with airline food? (this one’s a joke)
4. What are the qualifications of getting into heaven, and into hell?
5. And the big one, how is Islam corrupted?
Well, the Quran has been preserved, memorized by thousands of Muslims in its original text and language.
[15:9] Absolutely, we have revealed the reminder, and, absolutely, we will preserve it.
And getting into heaven is pretty easy, you don’t have to have a special golf club membership to get in. And the perspective of Jesus and Satan was very reasonable. So, he was in; he was convinced. After he read the Quran in full, he took his Shahada in front of over 100 Muslims.
Of course, prior to that he learned how Islam was corrupted, the Hadiths and Sunna. The same fallacy of the Jewish people with their Talmud, had snaked its way into Islam.
[17:36] “You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.”
[20:114] Most Exalted is GOD, the only true King. Do not rush into uttering the Quran before it is revealed to you, and say, “My Lord, increase my knowledge.”
It’s heartbreaking, but Satan is not a mortal, he’s not a man like you or me. He is capable of terrible things. But a good, righteous Submitter has only GOD to fear (3:175, 16:99-100).
I am here. I was blessed with the Quran, and my grandmother’s prayer was answered in that I was blessed by God with a heart and mind that yearns to learn the truth and follow the straight path. I have returned to the city I was born in, and Masjid Tucson is only a few miles from the street I was raised on. I am home. God has guided me down many paths to find His true religion. May this young man, not so young anymore, keep learning and growing.
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The 39th annual conference of the United Submitters International was held in Tucson, Arizona Aug 2-4, 2024. The khutba was delivered by brother Ayyub (with his two small children!). He asked the common question: “Is God’s love unconditional?” And showed us through Quranic verses who God loves and who He does not. We must all do the work to earn God’s love and His eternal reward.
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