My Story | Embracing Islam

I have always believed spirituality is a personal journey, where one continuously evolves in their quest for a higher truth. After studying Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism, I have finally found my peace. I have converted to Islam.


My falling in love with Islam was never a coincidence. The seeds were first sown in my heart as a child growing up in Oman, distributing chocolates to the local children during Ramadan. As a schoolgirl in Dubai, I would wake up an hour early just to hear the Fajr prayer by the local mosque in the silence of the dawn hours.


The Adhan has always captivated me. It is as if my mind, heart and soul become transfixed in a sort of divine ecstasy, the allure of which is hard to resist and even harder to forget. It is for me the most beautiful sound in the universe, in the presence of which I need not pretend nor fear.


Though I am not at all a religious person, those close to me know that I am deeply spiritual. As a person whose passion lies in social justice and fighting for others, I draw all my strength from my spirituality. But over the last ten years, my spirituality screamed in anguish. The death of my only sister. An abusive father. A violent marriage. My spiritual turbulence cast a shadow on my days and tormented me at night.


I want to thank Amma, my dearest mother. She gave me freedom to choose my spiritual path knowing completely well the social consequences of a Tamil Hindu Brahmin girl becoming Muslim. It will always be my honor to be called your daughter.


I also want to thank my beautiful Muslim friends who have been a source of strength, patience and enlightenment throughout my journey. You have been my light in my darkest hours and I am forever grateful to you all.

Islam is one of the most misunderstood faiths, where the spotlight is often cast on the fanatical and outlier elements. Very rarely do people experience the true essence of Islam, the racial and ethnic diversity, and the heartwarming hospitality and kindness of Muslims. I invite you all to go beyond the bigotry and stereotypes, and to see the Islam that I love.

26 thoughts on “My Story | Embracing Islam”

  2. True, it is one of the most misunderstood faiths. In fact, there is a deliberate message that media wants to convey to the world, depicting Islam with wrong images. However, every single person is responsible for his / her own self. They have to look for the truth by themselves, not rely on media. May Allah protect you and go on exploring the depths of this great religion! Best wishes sister

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Yes, you are absolutely right. The path of spirituality is a personal journey where one has to discover the truth for themselves. Our relationship with the Supreme leads to a greater understanding of ourselves as well as the world around us. Thank you so much for your wishes brother!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. it is so great to know that Allah should you the right path and you have been blessed. just remember every single person in this world has some issues and no one can claim to be 100% happy all the time. But being close to Islam will give you more peace in challenging times and you just need to hang on those tough times. for.instance people might hurt you for no reason and that’s a test from Allah to see how you react. the best is to stay patient and you will have your reward.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for these beautiful words. Yes, what you say is true. Showing patience, kindness and wisdom in the face of intimidation and ignorance is the best way to serve Allah. The Adhan has always given me so much peace. I am so happy to have joined Islam and Inshallah this is the beginning of a new life for me.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. Beautiful. Throughout our travels, we have met many Muslims like you — kind, gentle, caring, generous, loving,,,, In Kashmir, Senegal, Oman…It has grieved me to see the religion often maligned, its followers persecuted. Thak you for this uplifting post.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Leah. It is equally heartening to meet people like you, who choose to observe with their eyes and hearts, as opposed to believing what is portrayed. While I have received a lot of support for my decision, unfortunately there will always be backlash and racism. But I have never been one to be intimidated, because fear is a quality that breeds hate. The same hate that gives birth to racism. Hate can never destroy hate. Only love can. Thank you for your support. Much love from Dubai!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Please leave a reply.

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.