Janan | Singapore – Takva Co.

And He found you lost and guided (you)

(Quran 93:7)

I think this verse is one my favourite verses of the Qur’an. I think people have the perception that if you’re a born Muslim – it means you may not necessarily go through the phase of a ‘spiritual journey’ or that journey to Islam… but I beg to differ on the basis of my own experiences.

I don’t believe in blind following- just because I am born to a Muslim family, I would have no choice but to adhere to the practice of Islam.

Because it would mean that I am a Muslim because my family is Muslim and not because I CHOOSE to be Muslim out of my own will (note: and with Allah’s permission fo sho!).

When I was 16/17, because of a dream, I started to think a lot about death. It feared me, at that age, to not know what will happen to me after I die. I mean, sure i was taught the basics but at that point, i was also questioning if it was true. I didn’t want to die not being sure of my own belief and faith (note that I didn’t mention Islam). I remember walking along my home area, thinking of the various religions – and I did a little bit of online research here and there… Alhamdulillah (All Praises due to Allah), in the end the Islamic faith rested well in my heart. I believe there was only One God and there could be no other. He is the Omnipotent. Atheism was out of the question because the fact that this sole earth has life forms is a sign of the existence of a Creator. Also, how can the planet Saturn magically have a ring around it, merely as a result of the Big Bang? Surely there had to be a designer!

I believe what drew me to Islam was not merely based on faith, but also because of the scientific knowledge found in the Qur’an. I feel it’s not right to say that I “just believe” in something without any evidences. In fact, I HATE it… when people tell you to “just believe” in something and failing to consider you have a brain for a reason… How can we “just believe” without rationalising? God is so Great to give us the capacity to think. May Allah, The Most Merciful, protect us from being complacent. There should be a reason why humans were given intellect… to think and rationalise. My father got free copies of a thin book which talks about science in the Qur’an… & having learnt about how the verses described the mountains, the stages of human embryo development and clouds… the deal was somewhat sealed. I mean, logically, how could Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) have known about this knowledge 1400 years ago? He could neither read nor write!

Nonetheless, although I was sure of the Islamic faith then (Alhamdulillah), there were a couple of stages in my life where I realised I would always have to go back to either seeking knowledge about Islam or read the Qur’an to remove the constriction within my heart when trials should be present. The blessings of trials…Alhamdulillah =) I mean, I get the feeling that people may think being Muslim is difficult because you need to observe the hijab, you cannot shake hands with men outside your family or who is not your husband, you have to be careful with what you consume, you have to fast for a month (!) etc. But if you truly and humbly understand the rationale behind these laws, I can guarantee, inshaAllah (Allah Willing), that your heart will melt with much happiness …

I don’t know about other Muslims, but sometimes I feel my heart get a feeling of an overwhelming outburst of happiness and contentment just being reminded or learning more about Islam. I love how Islam reminds me the importance of knowledge, the importance of being truthful, the importance of being good to your parents etc. Not saying that I am doing well in these aspects though x/ We are all struggling to be better, with the help of Allah, The Most Merciful.