Sometimes ago; I wrote about friends that
surprised me when they converted to Islam. Last Friday; more of them accepted
Islam and declared their Sajda (Shahada). One of them just walked out of my
clinic. He comes every month to take his prescription meds.
“I heard that you too accepted Islam,” I
said while I was writing his prescription. “You are lucky,” I glanced where he
was sitting, “that you took your shahada in front of a big crowd and led (of
all people) by Dr. Lawrence Brown.” Obviously; he has neither the idea nor the
prior knowledge of who Dr. Lawrence Brown is. Last Friday was the 7th
and last of the series of Friday lectures in Abha City attended by the region’s
who’s who. Very unfortunate for me; there was no way I could have left my work
to make the two hours journey with friends.
“I accepted Islam,” he replied, “more out of
gratitude for the blessings that God showered me with even before I recognized
His Almighty. This is the 32nd year in my company and they still
offered me to stay while they let go of younger people not wanting to leave.”
I chuckled lightly. It reminded me of an
episode of “The Deen Show” I watched last night where two of the guests said,
“I didn’t choose Islam; Allah chose me.” I tapped the keyboard of my new
Samsung Convertible (Tablet/Laptop Hybrid) and showed him Dr. Brown’s You Tube
videos. Standing behind my desk; he looked at it wide-eyed. “I’ll go and watch
it - now,” he muttered.
Some people think that Filipinos in Saudi
Arabia converting to Islam is imperative to territory; something out of
necessity. It could be true for some but most are genuinely guided to the right
path. In this “Deen Show” episode; a Filipino American converted to Islam as
matter of family affair. When his cousin and brother accepted Islam; he too
declared his faith 2 months after. A Chinese man born in Beijing who had
migrated to USA was led to the faith by a friend who showed him a copy of the
Qur’an. When he discovered that a chapter of the Qur’an is titled “Luqman;” he
took it as a sign from Allah. His Chinese name is “Luman.” He changed his name
to Luqman. This other guy picked a beautiful calligraphy he found in the net as
the wallpaper of his laptop.
“Bro; you are a Muslim now?”
“No!”
“So what is this wallpaper on your laptop?”
“Why, what is it…?”
“It is the Shahada in Arabic; a declaration
of belief in the one true God.”
MashaAllah! In all humility that is how i describe my way to Islam. From 1989 until i left KSA in 1994, my known Muslim friends there would tell me..."embrace Islam, Pinkee" to which i'd just smile back...not saying anything...not feeling annoyed just like some that i'd invite now that i am a Muslim.
ReplyDeleteBack then after i resigned and left KSA, my former chief nurse there even went to visit me back home. But i never thought about Islam anymore.
In 2004, i was invited by my colleague to come to Sudan but for some reasons i was not able to "leave" with them when she left our place of work. Later i learned that i was not included becoz the one who had to give the go signal for me to join found me 'difficult" and "mataray" as i did not give in to what she was asking me to do. I didn't precisely want to do it due to a personal conviction of doing only what is right and just.
So, i was told that they left already. Later, my friend called me saying that they arrived safe and sound and that i should just wait for a month before the Hospital sends a working visa for me too. So i waited while every once in a while i would receive a "long distance call" from my friend. Then 3 weeks later, i received another call telling me to send them something to eat as the truth was they were not yet able to leave as they were deplaned 3x already! So i went to see them at their rented apartment and brought them what they asked me to bring them. I was also told not to divulge their situation to anyone.
After what i did for them i think the one to give the approval of my joining them realized that i was not what she thought i was so she told me to prepare my papers and that i was going to go with them already. In short, in less than a week i was able to join them in coming here. And now i am the only one left among the 5 of us and the only one who embraced Islam.
mash'allah! When Allah wants to bless you with something; the entire universe will conspire to make it happen.
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