By Faisal Al-Zamel

The following is the story of a new convert who found guidance, faith, and a loving family, and whose life was transformed through the teachings of Islam.

A Childhood in Sri Lanka

I was born in a small village in Sri Lanka, a country of many religions: Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and others. Everyone worships whatever they want. Along with Islam, followers of all faiths live side by side. Each reflects the morals of their religion, and their lifestyle is clear. Muslims go to mosques when the call to prayer is heard, Christians attend churches when the bells ring, and Buddhists and Hindus worship their deities—whether idols, trees, mice, the sun, or something else.

Our home was modest, shared with my father, mother, and younger sister. My father was not committed to his Buddhist beliefs and was unaware of his social responsibilities. This led to the collapse of our family, and my life almost fell apart. I became an orphan, even though my father was still alive. He provided nothing for his family, spending most of his time with his friends in cafes and on the streets, as if he were a bachelor.

We were left in misery. Divorce followed, and our living conditions became extremely difficult. We had no breadwinner. How could my mother feed or support us? The sky does not rain gold or silver. So we turned to my uncle, who began to support me, my mother, and my sister.

Struggles and Hardship

When I was eight, my uncle married a woman who, like my father, lacked compassion and mercy. She caused my uncle to stop helping us, transforming him from a generous man into someone who held back his feelings.

My mother and I moved to my grandfather’s house, her father’s house. After a short stay, a Muslim man proposed to my mother. She agreed to live with a man who would protect her from life’s storms and floods.

A New Beginning

My mother faced opposition from our family due to our different religions, but she accepted without hesitation to gain the community’s support and respect, and to preserve her honor.

What prompted my mother to embrace the idea of ​​marrying this Muslim man was his morals and good character, which comforted her. He practiced everything his religion commanded.

Life began to smile for me with this Muslim man, who knew his rights and duties toward his family. He was pious and well-mannered, prayed on time, and attended the mosque frequently.

My mother converted to Islam thanks to Allah and the good character of her Muslim husband, in whom she found paternal and brotherly care. Most importantly, he did not force her to convert to Islam or to embrace it. It was his kind treatment of her that led her to the straight path.

Love of a Grandmother

As for me, I lived with my younger sister in my grandmother’s house. I grew extremely attached to her. She showered me with love and abundant advice. I couldn’t bear to be away from her, even for a moment.

Nevertheless, I visited my mother on specific days each week. I saw in the eyes of this man, with his big heart and wise mind, a fatherly love. He treated me and his daughter from my mother as equals, with love, kindness, and compassion, like a rushing river.

He expressed his pure feelings by buying us gifts and taking us to places of fun and entertainment—things I missed with my real father. However, I didn’t want to move in with my mother because of my grandmother’s love for me. She didn’t want me to leave her.

Seeds of Faith

During my frequent visits to my mother and stepfather, they would talk to me about Islam. My mother tried to convince me that it was a religion of peace and security for the individual, the family, and society. She would always say, “Islam answers all the questions one might have about religious matters.”

However, I did not convert to Islam.

At the age of fourteen, I was drawn to the paternal affection of this man, who became a substitute for my father. I lived with them for two years, and that period was a turning point in my life.

His profound piety had a profound impact on me. He would tell us stories of the prophets, righteous people, and the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He explained that human civilization began with the mission of the messengers and prophets. Through his stories, he emphasized the religious values ​​and principles derived from these beneficial stories.

This is how I learned about Islam and its teachings. He explained them to me without making me feel like he was trying to convince me to embrace it. Since I was a teenager searching for freedom as I understood it, I feared losing it under Islam. But I realized the tolerance of Islam and the beauty of life within it. He began giving me Islamic books, pamphlets, and tapes to deepen my understanding, knowing my love of reading. For this reason, I have always excelled in my studies.

Dreams of Light

One night, while I was deep in sleep, I saw a huge black mountain crumble to dust, and in its place appeared a light bearing the words “There is no god but Allah.”

Oh my God, how beautiful it was, a gift from the Lord of the Worlds, who knows the unseen.

When I woke up in the morning, I immediately remembered this wonderful vision and rushed to tell my mother and her husband. They were overjoyed and told me it was a good sign, smiling at each other.

Two days later, I had another dream that I still remember to this day. It kept recurring whenever I slept. I saw Arab men dressed in white forming a circle, and I was in the middle. They were chanting beautiful phrases in Arabic, and I repeated them after them, even though I didn’t know the language.

As usual, I rushed to my mother and her husband and asked them about the meaning of these phrases and the interpretation of the dream. My stepfather interpreted the dream in a way that greatly comforted me. My desire to know more about Islam has increased, and my reading has increased.

A Turning Point

After finishing my final high school exams, I went to school to check my results. My eyes fell on my high grades—I was thrilled!

I rushed to my mother to share the good news. She hugged me with tears in her eyes, overwhelmed with emotion, remembering how her life was before Islam and how she now lived in safety under a great religion. She said, “Congratulations, my daughter, congratulations, my love…”

My stepfather also came quickly, the one who nurtured hope and patience in me, kissed my forehead and said, “May Allah bless you, my daughter!”

I told him, “True success is from Allah, thanks to Islam, its morals, its nobility, its preservation of human life, and its honor for women. All this helped me succeed within a Muslim family. Now, I have great news—greater than my academic success. This result will be success in this world and the hereafter. It is the true victory for a person.”

The Moment of Guidance

My mother said, “You’ve made us curious… tell us, what is the good news?”

I said, “Mother, I want to embrace Islam…”

My mother fell to the ground in prostration, crying and repeating, “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds…”

My stepfather was no less joyful. He shouted “Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!” raised his hands to the sky, thanking his Lord with tears streaming down his cheeks, and said, “Praise be to Allah who made me a reason for guidance. I thank You, my Lord, I thank You!”

I will never forget those moments—they were my true birth.

I pronounced the Shahada: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

I renounced every religion that contradicts Islam, after hearing it repeatedly from my stepfather. I became a Muslim who loves Islam. I will try to repay this religion that saved me from being lost, gave me safety, and became a warm embrace. I will call others to it.

A Muslim Family

Yes… what a difference between a Muslim family and others. A Muslim family lives under the principle:

“The believers, in their mutual love, compassion, and sympathy, are like one body; if one part suffers, the rest of the body responds with sleeplessness and fever.”

Praise be to Allah who guided me to Islam. I would not have been guided if Allah had not guided me. He gave me a father who raised me and truly knows his Lord. May Allah reward him on my behalf.

A New Life in Kuwait

After that, I came to Kuwait for work and found it to be a land of safety and security. I felt Islam alive on this land through noble Islamic behavior and refined manners.

How could it not be, when minarets are everywhere, and five times a day the call “Allahu Akbar” echoes, mingling with the praises of the noble angels?

Peace and blessings be upon the beloved Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.