I was hoping all who began following this blog would send their conversion story, or even an uplifting experience from those who aren’t converts! I had no luck though. Come on!

So you have converted to Islam… that is so wonderful! It can be confusing, though, if you don’t speak Arabic. Here is a list I’ve compiled of phrases you will see (and likely start using) often. 

Asalaamu alaikum (there are many different spellings for this. You may also see asalaamo alaykom, etc) - May peace be upon you

Asalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh - May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you

Alhamdullilah - Praise be to God

For example: 

“I’ve finally passed fourth grade! Alhamdullilah!”

Masha’Allah - As Allah has willed it (usually used when you hear something good.

For example:

“Guuuurl my hijab looks so good today. I finally figured out how to pin it without stabbing myself!”

“Masha’Allah!”

Subhan’Allah - Glory be to Allah (usually used as an exclamation when you are amazed or astonished)

For example: 

“Earlier today my brother actually showered!”

“Subhan’Allah!!!” (Masha’Allah and alhamdullilah would work here as well…)

Astaghfirullah - Forgive me, God (used when you have sinned or thought of/seen something sinful)

For example:

“Astaghfirullah sister I look way too beautiful today in my hijab to go around non-mahrams”

Insha’Allah - If Allah wills it

For example: 

“Insha’Allah tomorrow let’s go see that new movie… ‘A boy looks at a girl only once and then lowers his gaze and asks her father to marry her’”

JazakAllah khairun - May Allah reward you for this (used in gratitude)

For example: 

“JazakAllah khairun for your tips on beard grooming, brother!”

Insha’Allah I will make another post soon of words commonly used by Muslims! 

Asalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh :) my name is Leah and I’m one of the mods on this blog (here’s my about me). I’m 18 years old and I live in Toronto! It’s a pretty amazing city with an even more amazing Muslim community! I’m just copy and pasting my reversion post here for those of you who haven’t read it! 

I grew up in a very small protestant Christian school in rural Ontario with a massive Christian Reformed Dutch population.

In grade nine I went to a Catholic school, which was a huge culture shock. I developed quite a few bad habits there. I think that’s when I really started being close to God. I was always Christian, I suppose, but I never had my own relationship with God; I never prayed to Him on my own accord and in my own words, that I can remember. The next few years were really hard for me. I got kind of sick and depressed. I have some gastronomical issues that make life unpleasant sometimes, and mental runs in my family. I started missing a lot of school and started cutting myself. I got myself in a few really really terrible relationships. I basically just died on the inside for a few years. 

Eventually I got myself put in the hospital a few times and after a few months of some serious medical intervention I was feeling much better.

And through my life I can now see in hindsight a bunch of little signs pointing me toward Islam. God is the most perfect of planners. He put in all sorts of different people and books and blogs and experiences that helped me grow to be a Muslim.

And this is where I really started to convert to Islam. I had hit rock bottom. At this time I was in grade eleven and taking a world religion class. Which, I won’t lie, didn’t really teach me about what Islam is, it just taught me about what Islam believes. There’s a big difference there – Islam isn’t the five pillars, Islam is submission to God (which includes the five pillars). So from that world religion class, I began reading the Qur’an. And as a Christian who, at that time, was the closest to God that I’d ever been, I knew that was the word of God. And I knew it was God’s gift to me. After all I had gone through, God was just handing me this book that had every answer I’d been looking for about myself and God and this world. 

After reading it, I started doing some SERIOUS BUSINESS RESEARCH. AKA I read a lot of blogs and internet articles. And eventually I spoke to my best friend, who was Muslim, about it and she answered plenty of questions that I had. And more importantly, she taught me that you can be a Muslim and a teenager. And have swag. A lot of Muslims seemed so perfect and adult and foreign, it was incredibly intimidating. It took me about a year of this limbo to finally decide Islam was the correct way. And during this year, I was totally resisting it and rebelling. But finally, God won. Which I am seriously thankful for. I don’t know where or who I would be without Islam. And Ala supported me through all of it. And still does. If you hadn’t guessed already, I love her a whole lot.

I honestly cannot remember the day I took my Shahadah between Allah SWT and I. I think it was late July. I didn’t even know that Ramadan was soon and I should be fasting. I didn’t even know how to fast. I didn’t even know how to pray. I just knew that this was where God wanted me to be.

Eventually I went to the Mosque and on June 10, 2011 around 9:30 PM, I took my shahadah with three witnesses there. It took me long enough. It was wonderful, though.

People tell me how brave it was, converting to Islam at 16. And yeah, it was brave. But it wasn’t my bravery. Honestly. God supported me through all of this. It was His strength that pulled me through it. But you also have to recognize I wasn’t a normal 16 year old. I had experienced the inside of a Crisis ward and I’d had my heart crushed pretty thoroughly a few times. I had learned to take care of myself and I was pretty independent for someone so young. I recognize now that I really was young. At the time, I felt like I was middle aged and I was pretty ready to end my life there.

Lots of people want to know how my family reacted as well. As I said, we’re pretty quirky. I think after my crazy health issues they decided to go with the flow. Not to say that they took it all that easily, a year later and I’m still kind of butting heads with the Mothership but…. I think it will be okay. As long as I don’t marry a Saudi prince as his fourth wife. My dad has gone with me to quite a few Muslim events and he’s really enjoyed it, but my mum had a very different upbringing in the Bahamas so she’s not comfortable with it. She knows how important mothers are in Islam though, and how important Islam is to me so… alhamdullilah for everything. 

So yeah. If there’s anything I can ever help you with, please let me know. 

I want to begin this post by saying thank you to all who are reading this. Eeeeeeh! I’m so exciting to start! So as a ” thank you” I’d like to dedicate the next few posts to you reverts. Submit your conversion story with some present day information about you. Let’s all get to know one another!