Voice of Youth

Why Do People Want To Become Muslims?

Contributed By Calisha Bennett, Western Australia

Many may wonder why on earth is it that people in the world today want to embrace the religion of Islam and become Muslim? From an outside perspective Islam may seem like a terrorism promoting, backward, oppressive and violent religion (many thanks to the media), however this outlook could not be farther from the truth. Islam provides a guide for mankind to live a peaceful, just and liberating life. We are all equal in the sight of God (Allah) regardless of colour, race and ethnicity and the best of us are those who obey His commands and avoid sinful actions.

So what would make an educated, free-thinking individual of modern society today want to convert to a religion that is full of duties, rules and restrictions? How could a person want and choose to go from living a “free” life of indulging in their whims and desires to praying 5 times a day and not having sex outside of marriage?!? Sounds like a strange choice to make right?

Well, in fact, thousands of people all around the world make this choice every single day. They discover and learn what Islam truly is, choose to submit to the Maker of all that Exists (Allah) and make that testimony of faith totally out of their own free will. This testimony is, “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.”

Although it may seem difficult to believe, there are no ‘Muslim revert recruitment’ officers kicking down people’s doors and forcing them to accept Islam. People of all different ages and background from all corners of the Earth are discovering what Islam has to offer and quite frankly it is an offer that is simply too good to refuse.

Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity with over 1.2 billion Muslims (22% of the world‘s population). Islam is growing at about 2.9% every year which is faster than to total world population growth which increases by about 2.3% annually. (religioustolerange.org) Thus it is attracting a progressively larger percentage of the world’s population and is the fastest growing religion in the world. Doesn’t that make you want to find out what Islam has to offer?

Listed below are some of the ways by which people have discovered Islam:

People find out about Islam from Muslim classmates, colleagues, neighbours or friends whom they have seen performing Islamic rituals (praying, reading Quran, wearing a headscarf (hijab) etc) and ask about what they are doing and why.

Some people hit all-time lows in their life due to tragedy, death, depression, substance abuse, crime etc and the Islamic outlook on life and methods of coping and overcoming tough times was the only thing that saved them from a life of destruction and offered them a sense of purpose and peace at heart.

Sometimes a person is in a relationship with a Muslim and learns about the faith from him/her. In Islam relationships outside of marriage are not allowed and all individuals will be accountable before God if they do not refrain from doing so. There are cases commonly found amongst uneducated Muslims wherein the conversion is done so the couple can be together or get married although the one converting has barely been taught about the religion and becomes a Muslim just to be with their love! On the upside however, is that many of these people go on to learn more about Islam in the future and become knowledgeable practicing Muslims.

Many people are raised in Godless families who believe that as long as you are a good person then that’s all that matters. While living with this outlook may be fulfilling for some, there are others who desire a clearer objective and instruction. In searching for this instruction, they come across Islam which in turn provides for these individuals a true sense of identity and an enriching way of life.

Some people experience discontent with their religion/faith and have many unanswered questions. This causes them to search for answers in the other faiths of the world and once they come across Islam, their questions are answered both logically and scientifically.

When one has a near death experience, it opens up a deep and delicate part of a person’s spiritual side. Someone who has never believed in God their entire lives will call out “God help me!” at a time when their life is at risk. This comes from the innate nature of the human being to recognise that all power does not come from themselves or from random occurrence and that there is Someone Greater in control of their life and death. This experience then leads them in search of the truth of life and death and while there are those who find it in other faiths and ideologies there are many who find it in Islam.

Last but not least there is the “by chance” discovery of Islam. As Muslims however, we believe that things are destined to happen and that it is because Almighty Allah (God) has willed so. The gift of Islam is sometimes “dropped at the feet” of people – it just pops into their lives out of no where. Whether it is that they coincidentally meet a Muslim for the first time or find a Quran or they open up a page in the Quran that describes something that a scientist just discovered – the possibilities are endless. Having the chance to find out what Islam has to offer - even if one has not been looking for it - is a blessing that has the power to change a person’s life forever.

If God has willed for a person to find out about Islam then it is going to happen. It is then up to that person to decide if Islam is something that they want in their life and if it is something that will enrich and satisfy his/her soul.

It all depends on what you want out of life. If you want to live a good, clean and pure life that involves thanking a creator for all that he has given to you and trying to abstain from actions or habits that create problems and misery then perhaps Islam is for you.

Some have discovered Islam from a friend, some from a partner, some from a brochure or the internet. Some have bad things happen to them that cause them reflect on their lives and sets them off in search of meaning and fulfillment. Either way, every individual will have a turn at looking into the purpose of their life and choosing how they want to live. Maybe this is your turn to discover your purpose and way of living. Maybe it is your turn to discover Islam. Please get your hands on a copy of the Quran and begin your search for the answers that you are looking for. Life is short and we’ve got to make the most of the time we have so take a closer look at Islam.

Home | Contents | Previous | Next