My name is Darrick Abdul-hakim.  I am a 20-year-old Muslim brother living in the United States.  […]

I grew up as a Christian who had a good deal of information.  I was very excited to express my Christian belief to my friends, co-workers and colleagues.  However, at the age of 17, life became a bit more complicated than before.  I began to observe my fellow Christians in more depth.  I was shocked how most didn’t practice the Christian faith to 100% expectation. 

To make matters worse, I became increasingly dissatisfied with the Biblical scriptures.  For example, the belief that Jesus claimed to be God was a church addition.  Jesus certainly never asserted that he was the God of the world. 

[…] I wondered what would happen if I were to become more religious, but that never happened and instead I left the Christian life and bid it farewell.  Not only that, but also my faith and belief in God, slipped quietly out the door.  I was now an agnostic, not knowing what faith to follow, or knowing if we are surrounded by God or not, I was just lost in a chaotic world.  I wasn’t an atheist, I was just confused about who, or what God really was. 

[…]  I began to have thoughts about the Universe whether we are really humans at all.  I began to ask why I should remain moral (I refused to drink because I felt it was a sin, interesting for someone who didn’t have a faith or believed in a God!). I began to question my own existence.  I began to contemplate whether I should be here or not and on account of this, I had seriously considered suicide.  I wanted to quit my job because I was coming under stress, by this time I was 18 years old.

Alhamdulilah, I had the comfort of friends to keep me from committing such a catastrophe.  But, I was still without a faith, life couldn’t get much better from my end, and I still didn’t know how to cope with my grandmother’s death. 

Eventually, I began to read for myself.  I ran across a book, which was discussing the world’s faiths, and I came across Islam.  I simply never had given Islam any thought at all.  On the following day, when I was on my way to work I saw a man with a copy of the Quran in his hand so I asked him if I could see it, Alhamduliah (all praise is due to Allah) he not only let me see it, he gave it to me! I was stunned, excited, and compelled.  I went to read it and was amazed by its literature; the things I didn’t notice before struck me.  It was comprehensible, and lucid for a layperson like myself. 

On September 11th, I saw the world trade centers go crashing down.  I wondered to myself, could the teachings of Islam have provoked such an act? Could Islam be this bad?

But, the more I read, the more I found out that Islam was a faith that denounced all forms of extremism.  Islam by all means is peace.  We certainly wouldn’t judge Christianity by the barbaric abortion clinic bombings, or we wouldn’t describe Judaism as an ethnic faith that just wants a Jewish world from the Israeli who assassinated the Israeli prime minister in 1995 because he felt the Prime minister was an apostate of God. Why must we do the same to Islam? 9/11 compelled me to learn more about Islam.  I bought and read a total of 10 biographies on Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  I was amazed by his life.  I didn’t look at Muhammad from a Christian perspective, but from a Historical, Political and cultural perspective.  After my readings into Islam, I decided to convert.  I was on a quest for the faith, and I found it.  Alhamdulilah.

Now, after my conversion, I have read a large number of books on Islam.  I still am currently reading the Biographies of Prophet Muhammad.  I can truly say that life now is much better!

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I used to literally think that Islam was an Island somewhere in the Middle East (which surprisingly is still a common misconception amongst a large portion of the population today, thinking Islam is a country).   I knew of the Muslim religion, but I looked at Muslims like Buddhist, with strange rituals.  I used to think they worshipped idols.  But that night when I went out with my friends, Islam had become a hot topic.

Some of my friends started to bash Islam, saying that it was a stupid religion.   I was surprised that some of my friends happened to be Muslim and they began to defend their religion.  Being curious about the whole topic and its impending impact on the near future, I began to investigate.  And what I found surprised me. I found out that the Muslims worshipped God.  Furthermore I found out that the Muslims believed in Jesus as being a Muslim (one who submits to God), who was a Prophet and Messenger of God, that God saved him from the Crucifixion, and that he was no part divine or any part of God, and that God alone should be worshipped.

Those pieces of information struck a chord with me, for I remembered believing in God as One Absolute being when I was younger, and likewise, I remember rejecting Christianity based upon its worship of Jesus.

Thus I began an inquest into Islam and Christianity.  I became interested in the subject of religion and began reading constantly.  I would consult my grandmother on issues regarding Christianity, and would consult my friend on Islam.  I would bring the arguments back and forth to one another to see whose arguments would stand up.

Eventually after reading through the Quran and the Bible, observing God’s Miracles in nature and undergoing a thorough soul searching experience.  I said to myself about Islam, “it sounds so true, but can it be real?”  And right in that instance, I remembered my previous prayer when I said, “God, if your real, and you exist, please help me!”  I was covered in goose bumps.  I realized that this was the answer, but I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to become Muslim.  I didn’t know how well I would fit in with the Muslims from an ethnic standpoint.

I continued reading and was really looking for something to give me a conformation about my decision.  Then one day while reading the Bible, I came across verse 26:39 in the Gospel of Matthew.  The verse reads:

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

For me, this verse confirmed three things that I had learnt from an Islamic view of Jesus.  That he was Muslim, as he prayed as a Muslim by falling to his face in prayer.  That he didn’t want to die, because he prayed for the cup of death to be removed from him.  And that he was not God, because he himself prayed to God for help.

This was the conformation that I needed that really solidified my decision to embrace Islam.   And I couldn’t accept the Message, without accepting the Messenger.  So on December 28th, 2001 by the Mercy of Allah, I took the declaration of faith (To say I bear witness none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), and embraced Islam.  And since that time, by Allah’s Grace, I have achieved things, and been places, and have done things that I never would have imagined possible.

After tasting faith, I know the fruits it bears, and I pray that Allah allows me to do more good, and allows me to live the remainder of my life on His path.  All praises are for Allah, and peace and blessing be upon His messenger, Muhammad(PBUH&HP).  Ameen.

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