Reported by Estebsar (Muslim Converts website) Estebsar

Please give us a biography of yourself.

My name is Ali Ibn Raymond I’m 19 and currently enrolled in college studying international affairs andrelations. I have one sister she is 13 years old, I have no brothers, I lived with my mother my whole life while .my father is incarcerated up until last year. At the age of 16 I converted to Islam.

What was your religion before converting to Islam? Did you practice any religion?

I had an atheist upbringing. I read science books from when I was a child, my mother was non religious and was a nature lover, my father was a Christian although I never grew up with him. By the time I was 16 I had went through various religions and found them empty and hollow just myths and fairytales it seemed. Before I converted I was a non practicing Zoroastrian.

How did you get familiar with Islam? What drove you to convert to Islam?

And 4. I was looking through my schools mythology section for some interesting stories and I came across the Qur’an. I had no idea what Islam was, I thought Islam was the same as Hinduism. I picked it up and read the first page and mashallah I don’t know why but I knew I had to check out the book and read It more. I can’t explain it mashallah I converted within the first 2 weeks.

What were reactions after you became a muslim? For example your family’s reaction, your friends?

When I first converted I was manipulated into Wahhabi ideals by media and the environment around me. I saw my new people suffering and dieing at the hands of the nation I was born in. Later that year I was within Daesh. I contacted them in the social networks. But I never went over sea and fought for those dogs of hellfire alhumdulillah.

My mom liked it. She didn’t find out I was terrorist until after though. But my teacher called FBI after I converted to Shia because I wasn’t hanging out with all the haram people and I wasn’t swearing and I was being quiet. So FBI and DHS came to our house.

Is there anything attracting in Daesh ideas? I mean before going to that shia mosque did you ever doubt theirway?

No not really, I enjoyed it, I felt unstoppable. I felt like I was better than any sheikh because I was a soldier of god. It was intoxicating.

What specifically attracted you to Islam and shiism?

After about the first year I had went to a Masjid, like most people I was told Shia are Kafir and all sorts of nonsense and lies. I didn’t know it was a Shia Masjid. They said that shia worships Ahlulbayt. But there I saw that it’s a lie.

How Islam changed your life as a young?

It changed the way I view the nation I live in and the society of it, I see nothing but sin and horror and it makes me sad knowing what will become of these people. It changed the way I behave and the way I treat my parents, before I didn’t care much for my family but now subhanallah I know “paradise is under the feet of your mother”

What was your feeling when you prayed for the first time? Wasn’t it hard for you to pray 5 times a day?

It felt peaceful I felt happy it was like all the weight on my shoulders just went away, I cried when I first

started to pray and still I cry occasionally but it’s not a sad cry it’s happiness.

If you want to say some words about the beauty of ahlulbayt and Islamic lifestyle and, the peace, the calmness you have found in this religion what do you say?

There’s too much to be said and too little words to describe it.

As a convert, what way of inviting to Islam you believe is more effective on non-Muslims?

The science, Islam has time and time again proven to be a religion of logic, knowledge, and science.

How do you see the spread of Islam in America?

The more they try and hate Islam and say we are bad people the more people research who we are and the more people see the truth.

What is the most beautiful Ayah of the Quran in your opinion? And why?

It is impossible for me to pick a single ayah of the Qur’an. Chapter Al-Waqiyah speaks to my heart the most because it allows me to reflect on what I’ve done and what I’m doing and reminds me to keep on the straight path and help others too it. It reminds me to fear Allah(swt) as well as love him. And Chapter Rahman

reminds me of his compation and mercy and love for us.

Estebsar

www.estebsar.ir