The year 2014 will forever be a memorable year for me when I met Alhaja Adijat Ogunsina – Ummu Sheriff (CEO Al Amin Islamic Ventures) at Ibadan. She said “My Brother, have you heard about Islam before?”. I was like, “Yes! Islam is the Muslim religion”. I was still a Christian at this time.
Taking the conversation to another extent, we discussed so many things about Islam, being a Muslim, Christianity and the divinity of Christ among related topics. During the conversation, I realized it was expedient for me to do some research about my faith and what the Muslim-faith holds.
Exactly July 2014, I started research about the aforementioned topics starting from asking series of questions from our brethren in Christianity and some other knowledgeable people about the deen of Islam.
And We did not send before you any but men to whom We sent revelation, so ask the followers of the reminder if you do not. – (Quran 21:7)
ISLAM AS A RELIGION
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion believing that their is One God and that Muhammad (PBUH) is the servant and messenger of Allah.
All of it’s teachings are clearly stated in the Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Islam teaches that God is Powerful, Merciful and Oft-Forgiving.
And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers. – (Quran 3:85)
A Muslim is someone submitting to the will of Allah, abiding with the rules and regulations of Allah and enjoining what is good and forbidding what is bad.
Allah says; O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims. – (Quran 3:102)
Islam is pivoted upon Five pillars, and I will be sighting some evidences from the Christian Bible;
1. Oneness of God – Quran 41:6, Quran 112:1, Deut 6:4, Mark 12:29
2. Solat – Quran 22:77, Nehemiah 8:4-6
3. Zakat – Quran 98:5, Mark 12:41
4. Ramadan – Quran 2:183, Jeremiah 36:9
5. Hajj – Quran 22:27, Isaiah 2:2-3
SUPERIORITY OF ISLAM OVER OTHER WORLD RELIGION
Superiority of Islam over other world religions has come with the help and grace of Allah, and the fact constitutes an important argument in support of his claim. The Holy Quran says:
He it is Who has sent His Messenger, with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all other religions.” – (Quran 48:28)
Islam teaches that Prophets were sent to every nation. Allah clearly states in the Qur’an:
“We have sent to every nation on earth a Messenger of God calling the people to worship God alone and to avoid the worship of false Gods.” – Quran 16:36
Only in Islam will you find that God alone is worshipped and not any of His creations, as it is totally prohibited to pray to any other than God. Praying to any other than God is called shirk and it can take one outside the fold of Islam.
Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin. – Quran 4:48
Islam is unlike other faiths where praying to another entity (e.g Jesus Christ) before reaching to God is the best way.
When you ask a Hindu or a Buddhist why he worships a statue, he will tell you that he is not worshiping the statue that you see, rather he is worshiping God, who is ever-present, everywhere, and who is present within the statue.
When you go through all other religions you will find that the same principle exists.
Talking about History, Islam was spread through Allah’s mercy and his guidance. Allah says;
“And you see men entering the religion of Allah in companies” – Quran 110:2
When the above verse was revealed, Muslims were not up to a thousand but in the world today, we have about 2 Billion Muslims.
It is indeed by Allah’s choicest blessing.
PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) AS A MERCY TO MANKIND
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the best role model for all humankind. Among his outstanding virtues and characteristics, he was an extraordinary husband, a perfect father, and a unique leader.
He was also a great statesman, judge,
and spiritual leader. His most distinctive quality, however, was the fact that he was a blessing to all in both word and deed.
He infused justice, love, and dignity in all those around him. He spread the power of brotherhood to the extent that it became exceptional in human history.
Affirming that these grand virtues were bestowed on him by Allah the Almighty and that He prepared His loyal messenger to call for the true religion, is part of one’s belief.
The Qur’an describes the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as merciful and kind to the believers. Allah the Almighty says,
Now hath come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful. – (Quran 9:128)
In the present world, everyone’s thinking, tastes, aptitude, likes, and dislikes can never exactly coincide.
For many reasons, differences do arise in this world. But then, what is the permanent solution to the problem? The solution lies in tolerance. The Prophet’s entire life served as a perfect example of this principle.
According to his wife Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her), “He was a personification of the Qur’an ”. That is to say, the Prophet molded his own life in accordance with the ideal pattern of life that he presented to others in the form of the Qur’an.
He never beat a servant, or a woman, or anyone else. He did, of course, fight for what was right.
Yet, when he had to choose between two alternatives, he would take the easier course, provided it involved
no sin. No one was more careful to avoid sin than he.
He never sought revenge on his own behalf for any wrong done to him personally. Only if God’s commandments had been broken would he mete out retribution for the sake of God.
It was such conduct which gained the Prophet universal respect. In the early Makkan period when the antagonists far exceeded the Prophet’s Companions in number, it often happened that when the Prophet would stand to pray, his detractors would come near him and whistle and clap in order to disturb him, but the Prophet did not even once show his anger at such acts.
He always opted for the policy of tolerance and avoidance of confrontation. If we desire peace, we must tolerate many unpleasant things from others. Allah says;
Certainly you have in the Apostle of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much. – Quran 33:21
Among the examples of his general mercy is his mercy with the hypocrites by saving them from death and captivity for their outward following of Islam in this life.
From his comprehensive mercy is his mercy with the non-believers by lifting the punishment of annihilation in this world.
THE EARLY CHURCH
Early Christianity is the period of Christianity preceding the First Council of Nicaea in 325. It is typically divided into the Apostolic Age and the Ante-Nicene Period (from the Apostolic Age until Nicea).
The early Gospel message was spread orally, probably in Aramaic but almost immediately also in Greek. The New Testament’s Acts of the Apostles and Epistle to the Galatians record that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and it’s LEADERS included Peter, James, the brother of Jesus , and John the Apostle.
After the conversion of Paul the Apostle , he claimed the title of “Apostle to the Gentiles”. Paul’s influence on Christian thinking is said to be more significant than that of any other New Testament author.
By the end of the 1st century, Christianity began to be recognized internally and externally as a separate religion from Judaism which itself was refined and developed further in the centuries after the destruction of the Second Temple.
Numerous quotations in the New Testament and other Christian writings of the first centuries, indicate that early Christians generally used and revered the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) as religious text , mostly in the Greek (Septuagint) or Aramaic (Targum) translations.
As the New Testament canon developed , the Pauline epistles , the canonical gospels and various other works were also recognized as scripture to be read in church . Paul’s letters, especially Romans, established a theology based on Christ rather than on the Mosaic Law, but most Christian denominations today still consider the “moral prescriptions” of the Mosaic Law, such as the Ten Commandments , Great Commandment, and Golden Rule , to be relevant.
PAUL wrote more than 50% of the New Testament, and we still claim this is from God, How sensible is that?. Even if the Bible is written by the inspiration of God, Can we still claim these verses are inspired by God?
Hebrew 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and [of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets:
Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ SOAP.
Malachi 2:3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread DUNG upon your faces, [even] the dung of your solemn feasts; and [one] shall take you away with it.
Ezekiel 23:3 And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
1King 1:1-2 Now king David was old [and] stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
It is irrational to claim these verses are inspired by God. God is not an Author of confusion but Peace and Harmony.
Early Christians demonstrated a wide range of beliefs and practices, many of which were later denounced as heretical.
Alhamdulilahi for the gift of Islam.
Being a Revert to Islam is by Allah’s choicest blessing, mercy and Guidance. Allah says;
And you might see the sun when it rose, decline from their cave towards the right hand, and when it set, leave them behind on the left while they were in a wide space thereof. This is of the signs of Allah; whomsoever Allah guides, he is the rightly guided one, and whomsoever He causes to err, you shall not find for him any friend to lead (him) aright. – Quran 18:17
Quoting what Sheikh Mufti Ismail Menk said, And I quote “I always find reverts been steadfast on the deen than those born Muslims, Why? Because, a revert to Islam know what it takes He/She to have spent several years in darkness before seeing the light”.
That is just the bitter truth, After years of shaking, twisting, wiggling, shouting, dancing, guitaring, Pioneering, Drumming, Jumping which were all based on errors and fallacy, One needs to hold strong on the right path of Islam.
Allah says;
O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims. – Quran 3:102
READ ALSO : A SHORT STORY OF A REVERT
In commemorating my 3rd year (Jan 11th, 2018) in Islam, I cannot but to mention the efforts and supports of everyone. My profound gratitude goes to my Mentor and role Model, Mallam Yusuf Adepoju (Chief Lecturer, ACADIP Nigeria), Alhaja Adijat Ogunsina & Badmus Muh’Awwal Uptown.
I cannot forget the efforts of others like ACADIP Nigeria crew – (Nationwide), Dr Habeebah Adedoyinsola (CEO Royal Pearls Notion), Ishaq AbdulHafeez (Ameer ACADIP Ibadan Branch), Alhaja Akinpelu & her Daughter Akinpelu Maryam (Philippines) and the entire knowislam.com.ng crew.
We will all die, But when we die we pray Allah make us Muslims till death.
Like Zainab Odusote’s quote, FOREVER FOR ISLAM #FFI !
I will always say ISLAM TILL ETERNITY #ITE
I put my trust in none but the one who created my Soul and my Body as a Whole before my return to the Hole.
For one with Allah is majority!!!
Johnson Abdulazeez Ayomide (ACADIP Nigeria, Knowislam.com.ng Team).
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