My Journey from Hinduism to Islam
FRIDAY, 03 DECEMBER 2010 21:20 ZAMEER ABDULLAH
One of my earliest recollections about Islam is as a boy. I saw a news clip showing Muslims praying in Mecca on Hajj, all in one direction to the one God Allah سبحانه وتعالى. I remember admiring how the Muslims were all praying to one God, direct with no intermediary or intercessor. This particularly appealed to me because I was always in a state of confusion and intellectual unrest with my own belief and manner in which I had been shown to worship.
I had been taught that we should respect all religions, because they were all different pathways to God, with Hinduism being the oldest and most sacred religion to attain the highest of knowledge and become one with God. I believed people who were born Hindus had been through numerous reincarnations until they had reached sufficient level of good Karma to be born in a Hindu household and have access to what was supposed to be the most supreme divine knowledge.
This belief in reincarnation plus the belief that God had in the past incarnated into numerous forms was something that just did not make sense to me. However despite all the doubts, I thought to myself it was inconceivable that such an ancient religion practised by millions of people could all be wrong? The problem, I thought to myself must be within myself. I did not possess sufficient knowledge and that's why I could not understand Hinduism.
To find an answer to these doubts I had previously as a boy asked my parents numerous questions. I asked them why if we were Hindus, did we not as the Hindu scriptures teach renounce the world and live as monks. The answer I received was that we need to be balanced and practical and not cop out of life's responsibilities. I asked if God had in the past incarnated into various forms why were these incarnations just in India and why did God not do this any more? Why if all religions were correct and different paths to God, were their teachings so contradictory? Their response was to tell me not to take religion too seriously or I would go mad trying to comprehend it. I thought to myself; How can we not take our whole purpose in life seriously? Surely if there was a God, who created all of us, he would've given us clear guidance and a message for us to follow.
The unanswered questions and contradictions led me on a quest where I would debate, question and discuss with various people. I spoke frequently to Jehovah Witnesses. I also read the bible and the bagwat geeta secretly in my room. I did find the various stories in the bible comforting but never in a way that would expel the doubts that I had.
I like many non-Muslims frequently asked questions,
If there was a God why was there so much suffering in the world?
Why were there so many different contradictory religions?
Why was there no clear message from God without contradictions and confusion?
I was an individual just waiting to be shown the truth, although for some reason I had never come across Islam, despite the fact that there had been many Muslims in my school and my very best friend was a Muslim!
It was when I was 19 years old before starting university that I bumped into an old friend and was shocked he had spent his holidays learning a foreign language - Arabic! I was really shocked that someone would want to use their summer holidays, instead of having fun, in a classroom learning another language. Whilst my friend explained to me that it was the language of the Qur'an, I thought what a waste of time. My parents had frequently discouraged me from thinking too much about religion or one would go mad and I thought this is what had happened to my old friend. I thought he had gone over the edge trying to figure out his purpose in life and now he was going to flunk life and probably become a monk.
However at the same time my stereotype of a person devoted to God did not fit the reality. My friend had told me he was going in to the second year of his degree, studying at a prestigious UK university whilst I was just starting. I agreed to meet him again, to discuss further his newly found passion for Islam.
By the time I was 19, I had become frustrated with not finding the answers to all my questions about life, so I had decided to put all my doubts to the back of my mind and become a pragmatic follower to the teachings of the Hare Krishna movement.
My friend and I met regularly to debate; we were accustomed to this manner of discussing. I would continue to repeat what I had read in the Baghwat Gita regarding Hindu philosophy. After every point I would just repeat what I had learnt regardless of whether it made any sense. We ended our discussion on amicable terms. However even though I refused to budge in the slightest on the validity of Hindu teachings my friend still wanted to meet regularly.
Now thinking back to those days over 20 years ago, it is Allah that guides whom he wills, but he used the dedication of my friend to guide me. I have to admire and appreciate his determination not to give-up and write me off as another one of those people who are blind to the truth, ‘a kafir' who will never embrace Islam, especially after our first encounter where I seemed such a stubborn follower of Hinduism. May Allah reward him for all his efforts and dedication in the service of Islam.
TBC...
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