Four Muslim Converts tell their story.
One in five Muslim Americans were actually raised in another religion before deciding to convert to Islam, or didn’t practice any faith at all, according to the Pew Research.
Tareq Saifur Rahman / Via Getty Images
BuzzFeed News spoke with four different Muslims about why they converted to Islam and how the process has impacted their lives.
We also heard what it’s like to be a Muslim convert under the current administration, and how they’ve navigated conversations about their new religion.
BuzzFeed
Annika Hackfeld, who was raised a devout Christian, was 18 years old when she converted to Islam during the 2016 presidential election. Her family are Trump supporters, and she went head to head with them when he tried to implement the travel ban in January.
BuzzFeed
Chris St. Louis first decided to learn about Islam after the tragedy that was 9/11.
BuzzFeed
St. Louis chose to follow the religion after realizing that it made him feel more at peace with some of the hardships he had struggled with throughout his life.
Cassandra Villareal was raised in the South, and never knew any Muslims before she decided to convert. Since opting to wear a hijab, she’s faced pushback for her headscarf — but that hasn’t stopped her from wearing it.
BuzzFeed
Raymond Martinez converted to Islam after feeling lost and in need of guidance in his life.
BuzzFeed
He now says since he’s been practicing Islam his life has completely changed; because of his newfound faith he was able to find a good job as well as a woman whom he fell in love with and, ultimately, married.
To hear more about their stories, you can check out the full video here, or you can also listen to them as guests on the BuzzFeed podcast See Something Say Something.
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Islam stands against killing people regardless of their colour, race, religion and nationality….it is a big sin to kill any body and god will never forgive you according to the teachings of Islam….Islam ,,,what does this word mean? Islam means peace and submission to Allah, god. a Muslim is not allowed to kill an animal, how can he kill a human being? a Muslim should be kind with all people regardless of their religion. being a Muslim, i have lots of non Muslims friends. i love and respect them. i am ready to offer them any kind of help when needed.i have worked in the tourist industry for a long time, Muslims respect their visitors and welcome them warmly..
the holy Quran says( enter Egypt peacefully) this means that a true believer must love and respect all visitors of Egypt
Muslims are peaceful by nature. they ruled Spain for roughly 800 years.during this time, non Muslims were flourishing and held high positions.the minority of non Muslims in the middle east enjoy stability and prosperity..
the prophet Mohammed says( whoever kills any non Muslims , he will be my persecutor in the day of judgement) our prophet had a Jewish neighbour . one day he became ill , the prophet himself visited him to ask about his health. I hope i could give you some information about tolerance in Islam..
what did they say about the prophet Mohamed ?
a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports.
– Bosworth Smith
Mohammad and Mohammadanism, London 1874, p 92.
It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.
– Annie Besant
The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p 4
His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.
– W Montgomery Watt
Mohammad At Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p 52.
Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born about AD. 570 into an Arabian tube that worshipped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy the widow and the orphan, the slave and the downtrodden. At twenty he was already a successful businessman, and soon became director of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five his employer,
recognizing his meet, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years older, he married her, and as long as she lived remained a devoted husband. Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God’s word, sensing his own inadequacy But the angel commanded Read’. So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired. He unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth: “There is one God.” In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an
eclipse occurred, and rumours of God’s personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced,’ An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human being.” At Muhammad’s own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history:’If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives for ever’.
James A. Michene~
“Islam: The Misunderstood Religion,”
Reader’s Digest (Amencan ea.) May 1955, pp. 68-70.
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level.
Michael H. Hart
The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History,
New York: Hart Publishing Company Inc. 1978, p 33.
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