My name is Richard, and I am a new muslim. I am a soldier in the US Army, have been deployed twice. Once right after 9/11, and then to Iraq. It was in Iraq, during that deployment, that I found Islam.

 

I had all of the common presuppositions concerning Islam, such as that it was a backward, barbaric, oppresive religion. I was a devout christian at that time, involved with the ministry and my church at the time. I was a fundemental as you can be in the Christian Protestant religion.

 

While deployed, I got a 4 day pass to go to Qatar. After long days and little sleep, I could not wait to go.

While there, along with sleeping and relaxing, we were offered a tour of Doha. I figured "when am I ever going to get to come here again?" and went. We went to the Suq's, the Camel Market, various shops, and ended at the Villagio Mall. The city was so beautiful, well organized and maintained. I was very impressed with the architechture and the friendliness of everyone. It was also the first chance I ever had to drink real "chi" tea, at the camel market.

 

Well, we were at the Suqs, and this man came up to me and my friend. I'll be honest, I was expecting the worst. But he just smiled, welcomed me to Doha, and handed me and my friend this little box. We were not supposed to take such things, but he insisted, and as nothing was leaking out or ticking, I accepted it and thanked him. He looked at me real strangely, smiled,and left. Kind of like " I can't believe I just walked up and did that." I was thinking " I can't believe I just took a package from a stranger!"

 

When we got back to the bus, I opened it up. Much to my surprise, it was filled with information about Islam. It was from the Rabwah Islamic Propogation Office. It had books in english about Islam, Christianity, all kinds of things. I felt better. I figured what this man had did was what we do all of the time, hand out tracts to people. You know what I mean, like those obnoxious Chick tracts, that look like little comic books? I placed them in my backpack, and figured that, at the most, I would show them to my pastor back home, see what he thought of them, maybe he could point out the errors and preach on them. That was the end of my thinking about it at that time.

 

When I got back to my bunk, to my surprise, I felt a compuslsion, undeniable, to get those books out and read them. I did, and could not stop.

 

Here, in simple black and white, was a message of commons sense and simplicity. I had never thought about contradictions in the Bible. I had never seriously thought of the Trinity, just accepted, on faith, that both were infallible theological concepts and truths. My faith, as a christian, was shattered and stripped away the more I read, the more I researched on my own.

 

We had intermittend internet, and I used it not only to contact my wife and family, but also to listen to Shiekhs such as Yusef Estes, Abdul Raheem Green, and Khalid Yassin. As well as Bilal Phillips, who had wrote many of the books I was reading at that time.

 

It is a frightening thing, the concept of leaving the religion which had sustained and supported you all of your life, once you find the truth. It is even more frightening to do so when you are deployed. Constantly holding me back from the Shahada were thoughts such as "What will my wife think? What will my children think? What about my friends at church, who love me, and I love them? "

 

But a stronger pull than my fears was calling me. I could not just let the truth lie, for I had finally come to the point where I had to make a choice. I could remain in Christianity, not believing in its dogmas and precepts any longer, hypocritical, reducing going to worship to a social club, or, I could accept the truth of Islam, say my Shahada, and leave the rest to Allah (swt)

 

In the silence of my small room, with none other to witness save myself, Allah(swt), and a person I was chatting with on the Islamreligion.com site, I said my Shahada. Immediately, relief came upon me in waves.

 

Being a new muslim is not easy. I have fallen, repented, fallen, repented, again an again, doing my best, since that day. And again and again, Allah(swt) has called me back, teaching me, instructing me in the deen. My wife leaves me be, she is not happy, but leaves me be about it, and still shows her love for me. My children see their Daddy pray differently now, but understand that it is worship.

 

And I will be honest, I have not worked up the courage yet to tell my former church family, though I have not gone there for many months.

 

I am attending the local Masjid here, the people are wonderful and compassionate, and have been a great help, as well as the MSA at our local university, who were among the first to take me in.

 

All glory is to Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. The Lord of the Worlds, the Creator, blessed me with the straight path. I do not deserve such grace and mercy, yet it is mine notwithstanding. He is my Lord, and I am his grateful slave.

 

Wa Salaam,

 

Bro. Richard Blevins

 

Masha Allah what an inspiring account...so glad to read it...brings warmth to the heart and soul...i really like the part about falling and repenting again and again and yet again...i recalled a story i read a long time ago about an old man living in mecca....someone asked him about his daily routine....and he replied...i fall everyday and pick myself up again...everyday...he said thats what a true slave does...knowing someone high above him....even if he falters would forgive him if he truly repents...repentance is an ongoing process but the sincere intention to change is i guess the constant...we are deficient in so many ways but His immense mercy keeps us going...Jazakh Allah Khair for sharing your story with us...May Allah swt ease things for you and your family aameen

 

congratulaton to accept the challenge, and remember more challenges you pass ,more easy the life will be

 i pray that God support u

i hope that you like Arab chai(Tea)