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I belong to a very religious Muslim family. My parents have always been devout believers of the Islamic faith and were always very devoted to Islam. As is the custom, my parents raised all their children in the Islamic faith. They wanted me to follow their teachings and I went to "Madressa" (which is a religious school for children) and was taught the customs and traditions of Islam. I was taught in school that if I memorized the qur'an, that my parents would go straight to heaven. Although I memorized three parts of the qur'an, I did not understand the logic of learning the qur'an in arabic while I was void of understanding the language and the meaning of what I was reading. Throughout my whole life it has been my desire to be close to God, and yet, for all my reading and prayers and fasting and recitals, I did not feel any closer to God. God remained this cold and rather distant, fear-inspiring super-being that I couldn't seem to reach. And when I asked my Islamic scholar about this, he told me, if I feel distant from God it is only because we are all sinners and God is angry with us. I couldn't find a way to please God any better than I was already doing and yet I couldn't help thinking, why can't God find a way to forgive us our sins? Surely God must love us, yet Islam was only teaching us about hate and fighting wars - I wasn't hearing anything about a loving God. Instead I was told to go out and fight for Allah so that he would reward us in heaven. I couldn't understand how the Islamic faith would attract people if the faith was seemingly void of love yet full of hatred for others. I tried for a very long time to follow Islam and to find peace in my heart - but I failed miserably and realized I was feeling no closer to God than I felt before. In a country like Pakistan, we don't get to hear much about other religions, because it is forbidden for other religions to evangelize to us. Yet, I knew there had to be an answer out there, and I did not give up. But I did not realize that God was seeing the true intention of my heart - that I was truly seeking for Him and for the truth - and God made a way for me to find that truth. I met a christian women over the internet. This women explained to me about the gift of salvation that God gave us through Jesus Christ and taught me the truth. and gave me logical answers to help clear up my confusion. She gave me verses about Jesus Christ's teachings such as: "I am the way, the truth and the life - No man comes to the Father but through Me." And I was very impressed and suddenly I realized that God really did love me and did care about me. I realized He loved me so much that He died for me - yet He rose again and ascended to heaven. He truly is the Living God. My parents do not know of my conversion yet, eventhough they have seen a change in me. I want to tell them so much, yet I know that I am a new christian and need to learn much more. I also know, that if I confess my faith to them - that there will almost surely be a price to pay for it. My teacher has told me to hold off and learn the word of God first. My heart is filled with the love of God and the peace that surpasses all understanding has filled my innermost being. My joy is full, eventhough my circumstances and life don't give me much joy, I can rejoice in my Lord and for the first time I can say with certainty - I will go to heaven when my life here is over. I know it is hard for Muslims to accept that Jesus is the Son of God, but when I read about His life and ministry and the miracles and His teachings, my heart could not deny that I was receiving the truth for the first time. I realize one thing now - for a Christian the journey is a dangerous passage - but the landing is safe! I am appealing to all of you who were raised in the Islamic faith - please don't follow the faith of your parents and forefathers blindly. Don't be afraid of your parents - they can't help you if you end up in hell. When you die you will regret that you did not take the time to stop and search for the truth yourself - and then it will be too late. There is no second chance. Please open your heart to the Bible and search for God with your heart, and you will find Him. I feel a hatred towards Islam and the false lies it is spreading and I hate Muhammad, because he is a false prophet. I regret that all my previous years were wasted in persuing a false faith. And you too will hate it, if you take the time to search for the truth and realize how this false prophet has used his false doctrine to lead many of your loved ones astray. When you discover the truth, you will realize with great sadness just how many people have gone to their deaths facing eternal hell and damnation. Please remember - Jesus is the ONLY way to salvation. Search for the truth with your heart and the truth will set you free. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should never perish, but have everlasting life." Click HERE to return to the edited story Click HERE to create a banner that links to this story! Your e-mail address will be kept private!
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