ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Converts To Islam Brother Mubarak I am from a good and loving family, and we were raised believing in Christian principles. From the time I was in my early twenties, I have always had trouble understanding one very important teaching of christianity. Why do I need a saviour? Why isnt God powerful enough to forgive me by himself without the sacrifice of another (Jesus)? No one ever gave me a very good answer, but I still believed and practiced my faith.

Until recently, I was an over-the-road truck driver. I was in a truckstop in Iowa eating, and a driver sat down next to me and got very creative ordering off of the menu, avoiding eating meat. I asked him if he was a vegetarian and he said no, he was a Muslim, and he only ate meat when it had been properly and humanely slaughtered. We talked for a while, and he brought up my age old question about God having the power to forgive all by himself, without any help!

He gave me an english translation of the Holy Quran and told me to read it, and my questions would be answered. When I started reading al-Fatihah I thought about what a beautiful prayer it was, and so I started praying it a few times every day. It became my favourite Psalm. It seemed to so fully and completely address my inner desire to praise God. And the rest of the Holy Quran! I felt as though every hidden question about life I had ever had was being answered one after another.

About six to eight weeks passed. And finally, one Friday, I parked my 18 wheeler, and hunted down a mosque. I was in the Twin Cities, and it wasnt easy! I found the Islamic Community Center, but it was closed for Friday. I looked through the window and saw a poster on the wall about an Eid bake sale at the Masjid. I wrote down the address and drove there. I found the mosque, and attended the Friday Prayers. The sermon was very topical to things I wondered about.

I felt as though the Imam knew I was coming, and had prepared a sermon just for me. Of course, now I know...Allah knew I was coming, and had a sermon prepared just for me! And then the prayer...I was never so moved in my entire life! There are no words that I know of in the English language to describe the wholeness that washed over me. Here I was, with all these men, different colors, different nationalities, rich and poor, all lining up shoulder-to-shoulder to pray together as brothers.

I lined up with them.