A chance encounter to a bookshop.

A chance encounter to a bookshop. A book to another book. A website to a conversation. This information gathering was such an important time. Because when I look back it was critical what I read and who I spoke to. I did not rely on my future husband to provide information. Quite the opposite. I was determined to separate my pursuit of Islam from him. I needed to be clear about my intentions - that I wasnt pursuing Islam to please him or gain his approval. So I sought out other Muslims.

One day I went to Friday prayer at Preston mosque. I was terrified. It took every bit of effort to get myself in that door. And there I met two sisters who were like angels planted there for me, who took me under their wings. I owe a great deal to them, and to every other Muslim I have met in the few years because all of them have inspired and supported me in the warmest and gentlest and most generous of ways.

I said my shahada in Ramadan in December 1999, just before the new millennium ticked over. Around this time I was introduced to the Revert Support Group, operating in Melbourne, which has been a great help and support to me, as a source of information and a sharing of knowledge and experience, and a way of meeting other new Muslims. Increasingly I learned the value of prayer. I learned that to worship God regularly strengthens ones commitment and sense of connection.

It helps to set up an ongoing dialogue with God, a consciousness of God that starts to become more frequent, more natural, a remembering or mindfulness of God throughout your day. Prayer acts as a reminder that you are a part of Gods creation, and only a tiny part at that. You are reminded of your place in time and the universe. You cannot pray without feeling humility. It is impossible.

I also learned that the frequency of prayer forces you to monitor your actions more closely, makes you more vigilant of your behaviour, and helps you to keep the concerns and preoccupations of everyday routine in perspective. So why Islam over Christianity? (as my Christian friends ask) Throughout my Christian upbringing, despite the emphasis on Jesus Christ, I never really conceptualised him as God. I thought of him as an historical figure only, not a divine being.

And I had great difficulty with the concept of the Holy Trinity. This concept for me obscured the path to God. On the other hand the concept of Tawheed in Islam, the oneness of God, is a concept that I can fully embrace.