I am ethnically a Russian Jew.  My quest began when I was 19 years old.  […] My belief in God was uncertain.  […] One night I was walking to the kitchen and encountered a dark fellow.  I remembered asking him: “Can I keep this vodka in the fridge tonight?”  We shook hands and went to sleep.  After that point, my life changed drastically…

This dark fellow, a Muslim, was the first Muslim I had ever met.  Extremely curious, I conversed with him about his faith.  What’s this stuff I hear about praying 5 times a day?  […]

Our talks were accompanied by our Christian roommate, Wade.  Together, we created “The Jewish, Christian, and Muslim dialogue sessions”.  In it, we discovered many differences and many commonalities.

My interest had then shifted from sex, drugs, and parties, to a massive search for the truth.  A search that I had to complete.  A search for God.  And a search for how to follow him.

In my quest for the truth, I asked myself: “Ok let’s start simple, how many God’s do I think are out there?”  I figured only one; knowing that a divided God is weaker than One God; figuring that if one God didn’t agree with the other, there might be arguments and feuds.  One God was my choice.

Once I opened up my mind to the possibility of the existence of God, I analyzed both atheist and theist beliefs.  The thing that directed me to the latter was the quote “Every design has a designer”.  With that in mind, eventually, I woke up with certainty that God exists.  […]

The major religions I encountered that fell under the title of Monotheistic, where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  Well since I’m a Jew, I started with Judaism.  One God, some prophets, 10 commandments, Torah, Jewish souls…uh, what: “Jewish souls?” […]

So God makes Jewish souls, and Christian souls, and Muslim souls, and Hindu souls?  I thought all men are created equal?  So, because one is born into a religion that means by the decree of God he must remain in it… even if the person believes it to be false?  Hmm…I don’t agree with that.

Another thing really bothered me…there is no strict concept of hell in Judaism…then why be good?  Why not sin?  If I don’t have fear of strict punishment, then why should I be moral?

Moving on, I discovered Christianity.  Ok, one God, a father, a son, and a holy ghost…one more time: one God, a father, a son, and a holy ghost.  Uhhh, please explain.  How can all those things be one God? 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 right?  So how can you say you believe in only one God?

[…] Ok then, so are you saying that we are all born as sinners?  And to sin is to do something wrong right?  Then you’re telling me that a one-year old baby is guilty of sin or doing something wrong?  […]

Islam; Islam means submission.  The main beliefs are as follows: One God, worship God five times a day, give 2.5% annual charity, fast during Ramadan (to be closer to God and appreciate life…among other reasons), and finally journey to Mecca for Hajj if you are able financially.  Ok, nothing hard to understand so far.

There’s nothing that conflicts with my logic here.  The Quran is a book with all of these interesting miracles and timeless wisdom.  Many scientific facts only discovered recently where proclaimed 1400 years ago in this book.

Ok, Islam had passed my initial religious prerequisites.  But I wanted to ask some deep questions about it.  Is this religion universal?  Yes, anyone can understand these basic beliefs…no analogy or equation is needed.  Does it agree with science?  Yes, dozens of verses in the Quran agree with modern science and technology.

[…] Naming is the very basis which humans identify with objects, both physical and non-physical.  If religion is supposed to be practiced and spread to every person on earth, shouldn’t there be a NAME for it?

Moreover, shouldn’t the name be given to us from God Almighty?  YES, my point exactly.  The names “Christianity” and “Judaism” were not written in the Holy Scriptures.  Humans named them, not God.  […]

Islam is the ONLY of these religions to include the NAME of the religion in its scriptures.  This is so huge for me.

I realized I would follow Islam at that point.  I then became a Muslim.  I knew the truth.  I was out of the darkness.  I came into the light…

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I am C.S. Mathos.  I was born into a secular family on August 1st, 1992, in Pennsylvania.  My mom was once a Christian, and as a kid she went to a Quaker church. […]To explain, I was surprisingly logical as a child, and reasoned that it was impossible that a god existed.  Really, I didn’t care about religion back then.  […]

I was obviously ridiculed when my love for paleontology did not subside.  […] When I did speak, I was most often honest, soft spoken, and didn’t have much to say, because I didn’t trust people, and I liked my imagination better than the real world.  Even when 9/11’s attacks came, I didn’t talk much, and didn’t react to it.  It didn’t scare me at all; I thought the word “Muslim” was the term for an ethnic group[…]When I did come out of my shell (5th grade), I fought with people about religion and politics.  I believed there were hypocrisies in Christianity, which was the only religion I remembered at that time.

When I became 13 years old, I really received insults, and took them seriously.  […] At that time I wasn’t interested in anything.  I decided I needed a religion.  I didn’t really search for one, just believed there was one God, and, because of my bitterness, I blamed my problems on Him.  […]

I just needed a religion.  I tried out Christianity, however I flat out left it.  Too many contradictions, sectarianism, and hypocrisy.

I looked around, and around, I looked at everything, from Christianity to Greek Mythology.  I decided to look at Islam last, since I took into account the prejudices of war and the possibility that I may actually be killed by someone due to following such a religion.  I gave up on everything else, and I said to myself: “The last thing you have to go to is Islam.  Just get a Quran and read it.  Hell, it may be what you’re looking for.”  I got the Quran off of a website and got it in the mail 5 days after it was ordered.  It was dark green; so dark green, I thought it was black.  It has a beautiful leather binding, gold imprints on it.  I started reading it, and I just saw that it was nothing as it was portrayed on TV.  I saw that there was only one God, and there was no one else to worship but He.  I saw this, and I wanted to join the religion.

[…] I decided that writing down how to pray was for later, conversion was needed for me.  I needed to submit to God.  NOW.  I found the Shahada, and I wrote it down.  Then, I took the Shahada, and became a Muslim.  As soon as I did, I felt the pain in my heart lifted, and I felt truly happy.  God has been good to me, and I try to pray 5 times every day to Him.  However, due to the circumstances of war prejudices, other people’s intolerance, and other people’s sectarianism, I have to practice my religion in secret.  I pray to God in the morning, noon, sundown, evening, and at 11:00 or 12:00 at night.  When I can drive, I’ll drive to the nearest mosque every Friday.  My own mother doesn’t even know I’m a Muslim.  I’ll tell her when I’m truly ready, or when I’m an adult and live elsewhere, or I’m in college.  I pray that God keeps me away from disbelief, and help me become the best Muslim I can be while practicing in secret.  If my mom is reading this, try to understand my religion before you pass judgment.  Let me practice my religion in peace, without your ridicules and jokes, which are hurtful.  I’ve been practicing Islam for a week, I think.  I lose track of time.

Non-Muslims that are reading this, I suggest you read the Quran and become a Muslim.  Peace be upon you, and God’s blessings.

By C.S. Mathos

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