My name is Aisha Canlas. Before I came here in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I was a Catholic since my parents are also Catholic. We went to different churches to pray to God but through man made images. During that time I was asking myself is that the real face of God? How come anyone could know what He looks like? Have they already seen Him?
There is this one place in Manila where there is a mosque. Whenever it was time for salah and I heard the Adhan, I would close my eyes and feel serene even though I didn’t know what it meant. It was like music to my heart.
No one, even I, had known that I will convert to Islam eventually. I applied for a job in Saudi Arabia to give my family a better future.
To be equipped and not to experience a culture shock I researched things that may help me to get along well, while living in a Middle Eastern country.
I researched about the culture, the country as a whole, the language and of course the religion. I really got curious about Islam, that even before I took the plane going here I read things about it.
My conversion was not done in a snap of a finger. I frequently ask my doctors about Islam. Because in my mind they will be able to help me understand more about Islam since they have lived their whole life here in the Kingdom.
It was in January 15, 2008 that I learned that there is a Madrasa in my workplace. That’s when I decided to attend the class. I first attended it with my friend and roommate, who is a born Muslim, on January 17, 2008.
All eyes were on me at first, since I was new in class and the only Christian sitting among them. I listened to what our teacher was telling us about Islam, the Quran and about Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). From then on, I started to really understand Islam. After that I asked permission from my Mum who is in the Philippines to allow me to convert from Catholicism to Islam. My mother did not oppose. (My father died November of last year). She said she was just afraid that when I convert I would forget them. I said that Muslims have high regards towards parents, specially with the Mother.
It was January 24, 2008 when I made my Shahadah in front of my teacher and other students. I was questioned by some colleagues why I decided to enter Islam. I said that I believe that there is no one else to be worshipped than Allah and one of his messengers is Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)
It’s like I am separated from my problems, my worries and all the bad things in the world. I was really delighted and felt that I can stay there a lifetime praying to Allah and praising him for all the wonderful things he has done for mankind.
In my opinion, the best thing a Muslim can do is to lead a life of goodness to be a good example. That gets non-Muslims curious and also helps them realise that the negative stereotypes about Islam are wrong.
(www.islamonline.net)
