Let
me start by welcoming you to Bakkah.net. I am very happy that
you are spending time with us.
About
Me (the webmaster)
I
would like to briefly mention something about myself to give
you an idea of who is behind Bakkah.net. My name is Abul-'Abbaas.
It is an 'Arabic name, it means "the father of Al-'Abbaas
(the one who frowns excessively)." I have four daughters
and a son (named Al-'Abbaas of course).
I
am an American from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was raised
a Christian, but later investigated other religions and found
Islaam. I accepted Islaam there in 1994, a few years after
high school. I got married about two years later in Cincinatti,
Ohio, after having made Hajj (pilgrimage) to Makkah.
My wife and I now reside happily in Makkah, Saudi Arabia,
with our children.
The
Importance of Islaam in My Life
Upon
embracing Islaam, I felt a sense of ease. For the first time
in my life, things were making sense. I realized that I haven't
been created to chase after women, money, or status. My Lord
wants something different from me.
As
a Christian, I felt that I was not fulfilling God's Rights
over me. I inwardly knew that I was not being shown how to
properly thank my Lord for all of His Blessings. This is what
drove me to look for something else.
When
I started reading literature about Islaam, I knew with surety
that this is indeed the religion that the prophets came with.
I knew the Qur'aan was God's Revelation, and I knew that Muhammad
was indeed a truthful messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam).
When
I accepted Islaam, I felt that I was finally doing what I
was supposed to do with myself. These mere feelings became
confirmed by scientific proofs found in the Qur'aan and in
the sayings of the prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam). My further reading led me to understand more
and more details about the life of the prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam), his sayings, his manners, etc. With
each piece of knowledge my conviction became stronger.
These
days I am a student in a university here in Makkah called
Umm Al-Quraa University. I study Religion full-time.
I could never have imagined studying any religion full-time,
let alone in a foreign language! Obviously, I am a different
person now.
So
even now, semester by semester, year by year, with each midterm
and final exam and the knowledge that comes along with them,
I feel more and more at ease, knowing that Islaam is the true
Religion from God.
I
have changed from a confused person who never knew what to
do, which group of people to please, which goal to pursue,
to a person who knows with surety what is expected of him.
My struggle now is to keep to my goals of pleasing my Lord,
even when they are contradictory to what others want from
me. Even when what I want gets in the way, I know that what
my Lord wants from me has more of a right.
And
that, in a nutshell, is the meaning of Islaam - The Muslim
submits himself to his Creator, directing all acts of worship
to Him alone, and dedicates his life to earning his Lord's
Pleasure, struggling to stay away from harmful things that
God has asked him to avoid, even though he may crave them.
This goal, even though it may seem difficult, has actually
been made quite easy through the example we have been given
in the prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam).
Islaam
is indeed easy and practical. Yes there are duties and obligations
to fulfill, but they are all within a person's ability.
After
having lived over 20 years with no guidance and no purpose,
I really appreciate God's Guidance. I wonder how others can
live their lives without Islaam!
A
Prayer
I
beg my Lord and your Lord, the one God who has no partners,
I beseech Him to increase me in guidance and to make me firm.
I also beg Him to guide you also to this beautiful Religion.
I'm
sorry if I took too much of your time. I hope that you have
enjoyed hearing about what Islaam means to me. If you have,
and you want to hear more about Islaam, then I have prepared
a nice article just for you. Its called Why
Are We Here? I have also prepared some links for you for
further reading. Please click on any article that interests
you:
Why
Are We Here?
The
Status of Jesus in Islaam (EL)
Who
is Allaah? (EL)
Who
is Muhammad? (EL)
Noah's
Ark (with pictures) (EL)
What
are the Teachings of Islaam? (EL)
Frequently
Asked Questions About Islaam (EL)
You
should also feel free to drop
me an e-mail if you have any questions about Islaam or
the website.
Webmaster
This
article was taken from BAKKAHnet (www.bakkah.net)
