ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Converts To Islam Karima Eight years ago I met my former husband in North Africa. We fell in love and decided to live together in Holland. He is Muslim but I did not really see him practising anything except for Ramadan. I wanted to marry him and have children together. I understand Muslims want to bring up their children in an Islamic way so I started to read about Islam.

I found it important to know much about this religion so I also did Ramadan together with my husband. In this time I also took some Arabic lessons, the teacher had a lot of knowledge about Islam so I could ask him a lot of questions. I still was afraid about Islam, Dutch people believe Islam is a violent religion. But the more I read about it the more I felt good about it. I was brought up Catholic, go to church at least one time every week and do a lot of things inside of the church.

However the last years I have not felt at my place in the Catholic religion, it seemed old fashioned and far away from my normal life. In Islam I found answers to the questions of my daily life. For me it is a more practical and modern religion. When my husband finally wanted to marry (this was more because otherwise we couldnt stay in a hotel in his country together than for something else) I also decided to do the Shahada.

I didnt know before they would ask me some questions and I was surprised by the question: Do you think Jesus is the son of God? Of course not, I never believed that this is symbolic, it means you are close to God because you are a prophet. I never see this literally. After three years our marriage ended and there I was a Dutch Muslim woman alone. How I can be a good Muslim with only a few Muslim girlfriends around? How I can find a good Muslim husband? Why I decided to become Muslim?

Why I not just marry a nice Dutch man, Muslim or not Muslim? This was a very difficult time in which I prayed a lot. And I feel I get support from God, I feel I decided for myself to become Muslim not for my husband. Now I see this time as a test of my religion, I am very happy, I search for support in praying to God because he gives me answers. Not long after this I found a new husband. A man who is very serious about Islam.

Who, like me, still needs to learn a lot but who also can help and support me and live with me in an Islamic way. He gives me new energy to study more about Islam.