My story began about some two years ago now, when I really started to get interested in religion. I started to get interested, and I think I started a kind of a spiritual search.

Besides that, I also always was very interested in things like politics, and current events in the world.

On that point, it was obviously not possible to not come in contact with Islam. My conversion to Islam comes because of my interest in these 2 things, religion and current events, world politics.

My family was also very religiously involved, my mother had studied theology, and a part of my family is strictly religious. My mother and father though, are not very practicing Christians.

At first, I didn’t want to know about religion and so I didn’t look to the religious background of my family, I didn’t want to think about it. I lived like a standard teenage boy in the west, drinking alcohol, going to parties, girls and that kind of stuff.

After a little time though, I started to get interested in religion. I think it was also thanks to the many books and religious material in my house and my mother’s books. I started to read the Bible, going to the church and more things that Christians do.

On vacation in Italy, I really liked all the beautiful religious places. I found it very interesting. But a thing was in me, I didn’t feel perfect in Christianity.

It’s hard to explain, it was just some kind of feeling. It didn’t feel right, I didn’t think that it was all there was. I just couldn’t feel that this was the perfect religion brought by God.

Besides that, I found it a bit vague in the Bible. I started to learn about the errors of the Bible, I saw it was made for the greatest part by human hands; and I noticed a lot of contradictions.

I just read some of the books of Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, may Allah have mercy on him; I can recommend his books to everyone.

He makes it perfectly clear why the Bible isn’t the Word of God anymore, and tells about Jesus in Islam, and why Jesus wasn’t really God’s son.

I thought this couldn’t be the Message of God, there must be more, God doesn’t put us with nothing but lies in this world!

Further, I started to ask myself the question, why are we here? I think this was one of the main questions that brought me to Islam. The answer that Christianity and atheism gave me was just not satisfying.

Besides that, my other interest, in politics and things that are happening in the world/my country (the Netherlands) brought me to Islam. It was a hot item in the media, everybody speaks about Islam nowadays.

I wanted to search what Islam really was, instead of just listening to the media, so I started a search by myself. I started to read books about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and I found it very inspiring and interesting.

Things like the three in one god of Christianity never seemed good to me. I started to seek more knowledge of Islam. My desire to God grew, I wanted to worship Him, to kneel down for the Almighty!

I found out that a lot of things that the media says about Islam are simply not true. That is a pity. I think people should search for themselves instead of just listening to others.

You will find that Islam is really a beautiful religion with perfect rules and worship to God, that makes you feel great inside yourself, and gives you a feeling of certainty and peace. You should try Islam for yourself!

Also, I found that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was really a great man, a prophet, and I liked the stories of him and his Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) very much.

What I also liked about Islam is that almost all questions about life, were answered, with clear proofs.

Islam is really an all-embracing religion. It doesn’t make a distinction between religion and everyday life. This is something that I like very much too.

Religion and faith can be found in every aspect of life. With just normal business in life, Muslims trust completely in Allah the Almighty. They first seek help from Him, and just then with people. Here I really found Allah.

My desire to this all-embracing lifestyle became greater and greater. My iman (faith) started to grow real fast. I tried to put my trust in Allah with everything I did. This gave me peace in my heart.

When I wasn’t Muslim, I could get mad or sad about every little thing in life, but Islam taught me that I should not worry about these worldly matters; I only should care about how to gain the pleasure of the Almighty.

In Islam I found real peace, a peace that I couldn’t find in all the other lifestyles I’d surveyed. I was happy no matter what happened.

Things non-Muslims get upset about, for us it’s nothing, we have patience with them, and hope for the reward of our Lord; and maybe He’ll clear us from our sins with the hard things that touch us.

Everything that happens to us is the Fate of Allah, Allah says:

{And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.} (2: 216)

In this aya (verse), I see a beautiful part of the most important thing of our religion: tawheed (Oneness of God). We fully submit to God. We listen to Him, and obey Him.

This verse is also a great answer, I think, to people who say things like ‘this can’t be a rule of Allah, because you can think with your own brain that this is just not right.’ We say, who does know it better, the humans, or God the All-Knowing??? Of course God!

Behind some of His rules we find a hikmah (wisdom), and with others we don’t. But we accept His message fully, because He is the one that knows best what is right and what is wrong.

I, by then, also started to feel connected with the other Muslims all around the world. I started to see it as the community where I was a part of, I started to see other Muslims like my brothers and sisters. I liked the love with them for the sake of Allah.

I found the rules of how to behave and so of Islam, really beautiful and perfect just how it should be to make a peaceful and righteous community. If everybody would hold himself to the rules of Islam, the world would be more beautiful I think, although the enemies of Islam would like us to think the contrary.

I therefore call to all the non-Muslims to search for Islam and see for themselves if Islam is a bad religion. I guarantee you, you would not find what you think!!!

I started to tell my interest in Islam at my own home. It was inevitable that my parents would notice my interest in Islam. We started to discuss many things like religion and so. Though the more I started to get interested in Islam, I started to have more Muslim friends, praying, etc. the more it became difficult.

I even remember a time that my mother came into my room while I was praying. At first she was shocked, and even angry. But later, she accepted it and she even wanted to watch the movie Al-Risalah (The Message) with me.

The problems got bigger, though I didn’t officially speak out my Shahadah (Testimony of Faith) in the mosque. I just felt like a Muslim, I just had to wait for the right moment to do it.

I started to pray more, first one time a day, two times, until I prayed five times a day. I spoke with a number of brothers and sisters, and they helped me a lot in the beginning, they got me through it. May Allah reward them all. Ameen.

Eventually, it was the time to speak out my Shahadah in the mosque. I remember I told my mother about it the night before. She didn’t agree with me, and got angry, but the next day I went to the mosque with a couple of brothers. I think my mother doesn’t even know now that I did it, speaking my declaration of faith in a full mosque.

What I can remember of the night before, is that doubt came in to me. Should I do it? Am I sure? Don’t I go too quick? Is this really the right path? Afterwards I can see this had been a big attack by the shaytaan (Satan), who obviously didn’t want me to become a Muslim.

But thanks to Allah, He gave me strength and the next day, in school time I went to the mosque with some brothers. First I went into a room, with the imam of the mosque and other brothers. I talked with them and they were very nice.

Of course it was really scary for me, before a place full of people, almost all with another nationality, to speak my Shahadah. It was beautiful though.

I really felt great, I felt at home out there and I went home with a good feeling, and a lot of books that brothers had bought me.

At first I couldn’t do all my religious duties, I stopped eating pork and drinking alcohol, but the eating of halal meat was a step too far at that time. But after talking that through with my parents they accepted it. Many of these problems got right after all, of course after seeking the help of Allah Almighty.

There are still a lot of other problems with my parents, like that I don’t want to sit at the table when they are drinking wine or something. I discussed this issue with them, but their reaction was really bad.

I also see that the more religious duties I want to fulfill, the harder it gets. But that is a test of Allah. My parents are intellectual people so discussing with them can be quite hard sometimes.

Sometimes it is really hard with my parents, but I think it is my test I should behave good and show them that Islam is beautiful, because of course they love me, and I love them and I want to enter Paradise Insha’Allah with them. So may Allah give me strength.

All in all, I am now really happy with my new deen (belief). I wouldn’t sell it, not for a billion dollars! The biggest thing again in Islam, what gives me strength is the tawheed, the total and complete submission to God.

This is our only way out, we should not worship or obey anything besides the Almighty. Tawheed is the answer to why we are here, the answer to my question of why are we here?

In Islam, I found the answer in the Quran, it’s very simple and beautiful, in this life and insha’Allah in the Hereafter.

Our life is for Allah, The One who I searched for all that time. Because of that, the best books for me are the ones about tawheed, about our Creator. Because of that I found peace and firmness in my heart.

This was my story of my conversion to Islam. I must have forgotten some things, may Allah forgive me for that.

In concluding I want to say to everyone the importance of Laa ilaaha ilAllah (There is no one worth to be worshipped, except of Allah), because it is the core of our religion, the thing for which we were created, the strongest hold on, the only thing that leads us to Paradise.

If our tawheed isn’t right, Paradise will be forbidden for us, as Allah says! It’s the only way to Jannah al Firdaus al ‘Ala (The Highest place of Paradise). No one can bring us there except Allah Almighty.

So let’s worship Him with pure worship for Him, to find His Love and Mercy. Let’s seek love and luck with Him, by following the Quran and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him).

May Allah forgive me for the mistakes I made in this story; everything good comes from Allah, and everything bad from myself and Satan.

May Allah guide every searcher for the Truth, and make our Ummah (community) one, and guide all my brothers and sisters to Paradise.