We’ve all witnessed a conversion – after a Jumah, perhaps, or during a major conference, the announcement is made that someone is about to accept Islam. We’ve all become excited and tense, eager to see who this fortunate person is, eager to listen to their new shahada. We’ve all shouted takbirs with joy, and felt the tingling of an iman rush with the excitement of a new addition to our Muslim family.
Over the course of the last decade and a half, alhamdulillah Allah has blessed and honored me to have given many people shahada. Most of the time, I simply happen to be at the right time and place when the person who wishes to embrace Islam walks into the masjid or lecture hall. While it is, of course, an honor that I am able to give the shahada, because I had nothing to do with the person’s conversion, I don’t feel as much of a connection (even though every person’s accepting of Islam has its own personal thrill).
Occasionally, however, a person converts because Allah guided him or her through a lecture of mine. It is with such conversions that I truly feel humbled and awed (the infamous ‘Satish Babu’ conversion is always mentioned wherever I go – see the email below as well!).
This year, one conversion that really moved me was that of Sr. Dana. I was attending the RIS convention in Los Angeles and had just given a very emotional lecture on the beauty and power of dhikr. Wandering through thebazaar (a necessary requirement for every North American convention!), I saw a shy man approach me, wishing to shake my hand. After introducing himself and thanking me for the lecture, he told me that his wife was a Christian and that he had driven to Los Angeles from a small town in Kentucky in order to show his wife a Muslim gathering. He said that he was the only Muslim in the entire town, and that he and his wife and come down to the convention primarily to hear my lecture. He asked that I make du`a that Allah guide his wife. Touched by his story, and humbled by his compliment, immediately I prayed, “Allah will guide her soon, insha Allah!” And I thought that was the end of that. Little did I realize that the du`a would be accepted immediately!
A few minutes later, I saw him approach me again, looking very excited. He said that he had just spoken to his wife, and that she was so moved by my lecture that she wished to accept Islam right then and there – and all praise is due to Allah wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
I flagged down one of the organizers of the convention, and told him what had happened. Immediately, we returned to the convention, where I met Sr. Dana, who was literally trembling all over, nervous and excited. I spoke with her briefly behind stage, and then we went on stage to perform her shahada.
I myself was so overcome with emotion that I could barely speak. Sr. Dana’s enthusiasm, her raw emotion, her tears of joy, were too much for me. Rarely do I have trouble speaking on stage – this was one occasion where I found myself stuttering and stammering to sound intelligible.
You can watch the video for yourself to feel just a glimpse of the raw emotion that was present:
Afterward, Sr. Dana wrote me an e-mail which was also very moving. With her kind permission, I am sharing it. I hope that it moves you as much as it moved me!
Salaam alikoum Mr. Qadhi.
InshaAllah my email finds you and your family in good health and preparing for Ramadan.
I do not know if you will remember me, but it has been on my mind to email you so I hope you do not mind. My name is Dana. I am from Hawesville Kentucky and on May 30, 2010 at the 1st RIS US convention you helped me make my shahada, ALHAMDULILAH!
When speaking to you backstage my tongue and brain would not function, because I was so very touched and honored that you were going to perform my shahada for me. I must tell you this story dear brother, because I want you and your family to realize that when you give lectures, and are away from them, that you are gaining much reward inshaAllah.
My husband Khalid arrived here from Morocco in 2005. In 2008, I finally agreed to start listening to Islamic lectures. Oh dear brother, Shaytan was with me in these times, because I was always saying: ‘I do not like this lecturer’s voice, this person is ‘old school’ ’ etc.. May Allah swt forgive me.
In July 2008, I discovered a wonderful lecturer – a man named Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, do you know of him? He was wonderful Alhamdulilah. I searched the internet high and low for all of his lectures, then I came across a video and it was him dying. Oh, may Allah be pleased with him! I was very sad and did not listen to another lecture for a very long time.
In November 2009, I came across the RIS website by total accident, and then I discovered PeaceTV and my husband said to me: ‘Honey there is a lecturer named Yasir Qadhi, I think you will like him.’ We sat together and did listen to this lecture you did give at a Peace Conference where an Indian man said to you he was not sure about converting to Islam and you replied (please forgive me if it is not word for word): ‘Sir why wait to convert to Islam? Do you believe in the Quran? Do you believe in Mohammed pbuh? Do you believe in One God? Then you must not wait, for you do not know what the future holds, none of us know what tomorrow holds for us, you must not wait!’ That man came on stage with you and took his shahada. Even to this very moment I think of this and I weep. SubhanAllah! Needless to say I searched the internet high and low for your lectures, I found out you wrote books and inshaAllah my local library will be willing to order these for me.
I am an LPN and I had lost my job. But I still wanted to go to Long Beach this year for the RIS convention. I told my husband, ‘We must go!’ I could not explain it, but I knew we had to go. I kept joking with my husband, ‘Would it not be awesome if Yasir Qadhi performed my shahada for me?’ In my mind I knew it would never happen. I came to this conference to meet other Muslims (since it is only my husband and I in my area), and to hear your lecture, and to see Amr Khaled. I do not speak Arabic (one day inshaAllah) but when he makes du`a WOW it is amazing! When Sunday came I was so very excited!!
When you came on stage and started talking of dhikr, inside me literally something was pulling. I can not explain it to you brother – there are no words to describe it. But I felt like my insides were being torn apart, and new life was being instilled into my very core. When your lecture was over, I cried, because I knew I must make my shahada – because I knew I could not go any longer denying what has always been there. I knew I loved ONE God: Allah. I knew that Mohammed pbuh is his messenger. And I wanted to be a Muslim by taking my shahada, so I could finally praise Allah and pray to Him and submit to Him, like I was created to do.
When my husband called me and said he shook your hand, I laughed at him and thought ‘Yeah right!’ But he said, ‘Honey, I am serious!’
My next words were: ‘Ask him if he will perform my shahada, and call me back.’ Well, I never got that call back. But the entire time I was waiting for the call, my insides were on fire. I was full of energy and smiling from ear to ear. I was literally shaking from joy. Then I saw you standing by me. ALHAMDULILAH!!!!!
Having you perform my shahada showed me how much Allah swt loves me, how I am worthy of His love and that He is SO MERCIFUL, KIND and FORGIVING!
This is funny I must tell you: I was so joyful and proud, I wanted to give you a huge bear hug for helping me!! My husband could tell, and was literally dragging me off the stage
I know, I know, customs, etiquette, etc. etc. …, but you are my dear brother in Islam and I did not understand why my husband was telling me ‘No!’, but now I do
I just wanted to share that in case you thought I did not show proper appreciation towards you performing my shahada.
THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for helping me along my journey, even though you had no idea, but now I hope you have the slightest insight, thank your wife and children for letting you travel and let them be proud of you and what you do. May Allah swt bless you with continued success in this life but most importantly with shade on the Day of Judgement. May we see each other again here in this life inshaAllah but most importantly in Jenna inshaAllah. May I continue to gain from your lectures, your books, may I be brave to spread the word of Islam to my community but most importantly may we both continue to be slaves and obedient servants to Allah swt. AMEEN!.
Thank you again and I look forward to your next lecture inshaAllah.
Sincerely with the love of Allah swt
Dana
PS Dear brother, you and your family are welcome to our humble home anytime. So you may discover “rural” America at it’s finest!
*tear * that was soo cute ! masha'allah
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