Real & Wonderful Stories

Compiled by: Abdurahim bin Mizhir Almalki

Samir

     My conversion to Islam has been intellectual and emotional. My parents were both educated at the university level. My mother is a Christian convert (she was atheist), and my father has his own beliefs. My family is rather wealthy.

     Ever since I was young, I've been intrigued by political questions. I enjoyed reading history books, although I was confused a little bit between military history and politics. I called myself a communist, but today I wouldn't say I knew what it meant. Over time I learned real politics and sociology. When the communist bloc fell, I admitted my error and was no longer a fan of the communist states. I became agnostic and that all human beings are condemned to egotism and to ignorance of some questions, like the existence of God.

     I studied philosophy. I wanted to avoid the same mistakes as in the past, and so I refused all dogmas. All this time the separation of my parents occurred, along with other personal problems. To forget all this I spend a lot of time laughing with (fake) friends, drinking, and smoking cigarettes and then hash. I sometimes took hard drugs (heroin, LSD, among others). Despite this, I passed my baccalaureate. Then I had to go into the army (we had no choice in the country where I live). The strict rules I could not avoid there were very good for me; also I was tried enough to enjoy simple things like eating and sleeping. Al-hamdulillah, my mentality changed.

     Back in civil society I spend one more dark year. I always had the temptation of my bad habits, and I felt that life was very superficial compared to the efforts and friendships of the army. I began feeling the necessity for something else in my life. Then one of my sisters, back from the journey to Syria, gave me a book. This book, written in my language, is a gift she received there. Its author, who titled it The Bible, Qur'ān and Science, wanted to show that there are some things in the Qur'ān that were simply impossible for a human being to know at the time the Qur'ān was revealed. Conclusion: the authenticity of the Qur'ān can be proven – scientifically. The first thing I thought after having the book was, "Oh! It would be super!" I was so ready for a change in my life.

     I bought a translation of the Qur'ān. Before having read it, I had become a Muslim. A psychologist would explain my decision a "choice." For me, all things come from God, and He had written this for me – He had chosen these means to make me accept Islam, al-hamdulillah! What no psychologist can see is what happens in my heart when I read the Qur'ān: faith has little to do with what one feels in front of a scientific demonstration!