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My name is Sharon. I'm American & live in Texas. When I was a child, I was taught to worship God at the appropriate times - Christmas, Easter, & Need Help Day. We went to church but we weren't crazy enough to let that effect our lifestyle or anything. After all people who base their lives around God are annoying & need therapy right?

So, this was our way and our family seemed quite pleased with it until I hit puberty. I wanted to know why God created me & no one could give me a satisfactory answer. Go through this life for what? A house, a car & 2.5 children did not seem like a good reason to me. I had trouble motivating myself when I realized I cared very little what others thought of me.

I decided to eat, drink & be merry because I did not have a clue. I dedicated myself to thrills & merriment AND I WAS GOOD AT IT. My parents declared it Need Help Day and began to pull out their only defence - the Bible. I decided it was time to be on my own my, parents did not understand my right to party & they were so boring.

I left with 5 dollars & went to live with flower children. Life was just a big party. Then I began to feel sorry for my parents at Christmas time & went home. They had a wonderful surprise planned for me - a Christian Reform school just for me! I was soon packed, shipped and on my way. I arrived at the door of this home for wayward girls & was led into an office to meet the evangelist that ran the ministry that ran the home. 

"What's your name?", he said as he extended a friendly handshake. I told him my name and shook his hand. Then, he managed to surprise me by biting my thumb," Don't you give me that HIPPY handshake! We'll soon run the devil out of you!" I made the mistake of saying, "Can I leave with him?". The rest of the day was spent showing me my bed & telling me the rules.

Bars on the windows, surrounded by a barbed wire fence, intercoms in every room so that THEY could hear you, radio bible broadcast in the morning at 5, 15 minutes of every class in bible study, then home to bible study, then more radio bible broadcast then 2 hours to bathe & get ready for tomorrow. I knew the first ten minutes I was there that I would make a break for it at the first possible opportunity.

The next day I jumped the barbed wire fence & booked it. I hitched a ride with a stranger, who to my horror turned out to be one of the dreaded WORKERS. They drove me right back to the home & I was ushered into PAPA'S office for punishment. I found out Papa was a man about 6'5, middle aged. He asked my name. I was angry at this point and responded with, "Do you talk to God?" He said, "Yes, quite often". I said, " Then why don't you ask him what my name is?" I was beaten severely with a black jack by a 24 year old man that wanted to please Christ by putting me in my place.

I never gave him the pleasure of seeing me cry. Amazingly enough, I am grateful for all of these events because this was the beginning of my search for the true church of Jesus having painfully become aware that this was definitely not it. I was forced to read the Bible & read it I did, not for them - for me. I was searching for truth for myself. I asked Jesus to save me and come into my heart. Everything was supposed to be wonderful after that, but everything wasn't.

Great, I was going to heaven now (everyone assured me of that). BUT WHY WAS I CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE? AND GOD, WHY WONT YOU LET ME TELL YOU MY PROBLEMS - WHY DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH JESUS? JESUS IS WONDERFUL BUT I NEED YOU.

I was finally released from the home back to the loving home of my family. They were eating pig meat & it bothered me. I told them the Bible says in Deuteronomy not to eat pigs. They said I was driving them crazy, had become a religious fanatic & it was plainly not normal to worry about what God thinks ALL THE TIME.

I was asked by my parents to find someplace else to live. I was 15 years old. I searched for the pure teachings of Jesus. I knew belief in Jesus was not enough. I need guidance and answers. I led a very lonely life even though I was surrounded by people. I went to many many many churches searching, always searching. I never considered Islam as a possibility because Christian preachers had already warned us of THOSE HEATHEN MUSLIMS (now here's the funny part) AND HOW THEY FORCE YOU INTO THEIR RELIGION.

All the lies they told me about Islam kept me from even putting Islam on the shelf as a possibility. Preachers tell tall tales but they have no effect on the plans of Allah. I read the Bible for many years because I wanted to be sure of which Christian religion should join. I had heard many ministers claiming to have the ' Holy Spirit' guiding them, and they were all teaching different doctrines. I came to realize that ANYONE could claim almost anything as Biblical teaching and I understood why, when I came across too many mistakes to print here.

The modern day Bible was collected and binded together in the 16th century. It was supervised by King James who had control of the church at that time. Books of the Bible we have today are books which agreed with the interpretation of the scholars of a particular school of thought. The chapters they did not feel expressed their point of view were not included in the Bible and called fraudulent. The average man never got a look at those chapters because the matters of the heart were decided for him by the church council which was functioning under the political wheel of the government. I finally threw my hands in the air & gave up because of these Bible Verses:

Isiah 46:3 I will not meet thee as a man.

Isaih 46:8 Neither shall I know the loss of children

Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to soccour them that are tempted.

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man.

1 John 3:2 Beloved now are we the sons of God.

1 John 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him.

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Matthew 15:24 I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel ( HE did not say he was sent to all mankind).

Mark 6:4 ( here Jesus calls himself a prophet)

Matthew 19:17 And he said unto them, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.

I was told that God was always there & that he was not made. We are told that Jesus is made in:

Hebrews 2:9 and Hebrews 1:4

Ecclesiastes 3:19 so that man hath no preeminence above a beast.

Genesis 1:28 ..and have dominion over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 ... the dead know not anything neither have they anymore a reward.

Psalms 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in the keeping of them there is great reward.

Ecclesiastes 10:19... but money answereth all things.

Isaih 52:3 ... and ye shall be redeemed without money.

1st Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear O Israel the lord our God is one Lord.

Psalms 82:6 I have said ye are gods and all of you are children of the Most High.

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels.

Hebrews 1:2 Spoken to us by his son..being made so much better than the angels.

Genesis 32:30 I saw God face to face.

1 John 4:12 no man hath seen God at any time.

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker strong drink is raging and whosoever is decieved thereby is not wise.

1 Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomachs sake and thine often infirmities.

Genesis 1:22 And god blessed them saying be fruitful and multiply.

1 Corinthians 7:1 it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God.

1 Corinthians 7:6 and I speak this by permission and not of commandment.

1 Corinthians She is happier if she so abide after my judgement and I think also that I have the spirit of God.

Phillipians 2:6 Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal to God.

John 5:57 Ye have neither heard his voice at any time or seen his shape.

2nd Corinthians 11:8 I robbed other churches (says Paul)

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.

John 5:30 I can of mine ownself do nothing.

John 8:42 Jesus said unto them if God were your father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God NEITHER CAME I OF MYSELF, but HE sent me.

AND THE LIST GOES ON.....THE LIST GOES ON.

Is there any wonder I was bewildered?

I became convinced that God hated me because He would not let me find the Truth. About this time an acquaintance sent me a pamphlet about Islam. She was American like me. I felt so sorry for the poor stupid misled thing. I was quite sure she was weak minded & had let her Arab husband brainwash her. I opened the pamphlet because I was sure it was stupid & nothing is better to make fun of than Muslims.

The pamphet said THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT THE TRINITY. I had never been exposed to anything but Arab boozers & Muslims who were not practising their religion. Those people were so easy to put down. I would tell them," Look at you. YOU can't even believe in your own religion enough to practice it!"

The guy who wrote this pamphlet was a different sort of Arab - to my dismay, not an easy target. I stopped reading in the middle of the pamphlet because I knew HE KNOWS THE TRUTH! I can't believe this! God has given the Truth to the Muslims! They are Arabs! I'm not Arab! This is a disaster! I cannot be a Muslim , everyone I know hates Muslims! I will have to dress like those women and take off my beloved make-up! How could you do this to me God?!

Then I thought I'd play a game with God...Well, they might not have the Truth & I'm not SURE they have the truth - so I'll just forget about all of this. I'd been on my own since age 15 & was now 26. I was lonely. I asked God to send me a husband. I asked God for a religious man (I had a Christian man in mind when I placed this request. I made a solemn promise to God to marry the very next man who asked me. I was going to take it as a sign.)

Allah has never failed to answer my requests. The next man to ask me to marry him was Palestinian. He was 2 things I did not want in a man - he was Arab & he was Muslim. He was different than any man I'd ever met. He was practicing Islam & he did not drink. I complained to God. I was convinced God sent me an Arab Muslim to ask me for marriage because He hated me.

I was now angry with God & decided to marry this Muslim since God will not help me. However I felt about this man's background, I have to say it was love at first sight. The most surprising thing was that he seemed to know everything I needed. It was the first time I felt like another human being loved me. We married. Our marriage was horrible. I told him not to ever discuss his religion with me & he didn't. I put him through a lot of misery in the beginning of our marriage.

Then one night he brought a Qur'an home to me. He handed it to me explaining that it was a Holy Book. He told me I could read it if I wanted to. My response in front of him was, "Why should I read that? Just set it over there. I don't want it." I waited until he went to bed & was asleep. I prayed, "Oh God show me whether or not this book is true. If the book is true I will accept it. If it is false - show me." I opened the Qur'an and randomly read;

Proclaim ! (or Read !) In the name Of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created-Created man , out of A leech like clot: Proclaim ! And thy Lord Is Most Bountiful, He Who taught (The use of) the Pen, Taught man that Which he knew not

I felt strangely some new emotion - I flipped open to another spot - I read :

There will be those of the people of the book who when they see the truth they will recognise it.

I quite suddenly became aware of the fact that I was touching something very Holy for the first time. I was in AWE. I knew I was holding the very Words of God. Then I realized for the first time that God did not hate me because He let me find this miracle.

I felt joy! I had found the treasure! I had finally found the Truth. I felt ashamed that I had been so arrogant towards my Creator & Merciful Allah. I knew I had been given Mercy because I found the Truth when I wasn't even looking for it. Allah in His Mercy sent it to a poor blind fool. I sat transfixed for quite some time rejoicing in my new found treasure.

It was 4 am. Who cares?! I have found a miracle! I ran to wake my husband. "Honey! Wake up! I need to tell you something you don't know!" My husband woke up and said," I have to work tomorrow. What are you talking about?" "That book you gave me is a miracle from God! Why aren't you guys screaming from the mountaintops about this book?!"

My husband smiled, "Every ayah (verse) has it's miracle - but not everybody wants to know about it." We have 5 children now, and have been married 15 years. Islam is my way of life. Now, when rednecks asks me about why I'm wearing this thing on my head I have to smile & be patient. I was once that arrogant redneck. I understand where they are coming from BUT DON'T WISH TO RETURN. You may not believe it but:

There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger.

By Sharon

http://www.sunnahonline.com