Ali Ataie – Todd’s Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
AI: Summary ©
A former Muslim student explains to a new Muslim student how he found peace in Islam through permaculture, and how he found people of peace and community. He also talks about his experiences with Islam, including his own personal journey of learning and studying, and how he believes in predestination and faith. He mentions his desire to be a Muslim and gives an example of his success in praying twice a day.
AI: Summary ©
Brother Todd is gonna take his Shahada,
and he's going to formally join our community
as a new Muslim. Make sure that you
introduce yourself,
shake his hand, ask for his dua. It
is our belief that a person who makes
the shahada
is as if they're born again as it
were with no sins
on their,
scales.
So we ask Todd to make a dua
for us,
when he does his shahada.
And Todd also wants to just make a
brief statement as well,
explaining why he's
becoming Muslim inshallah. Something a little just very
shortly, inspiring for us inshallah.
So I'm glad that I thought my khutbah
had scared him off, but
we found him.
Okay. So, brother Todd, you're going to repeat
after me.
My heart leaped when I was greeted by
my former students
and I knew,
which is really the first reason why I
converted.
I found peace in Islam. I found people
of peace in a world that's lacking peace.
I observed my students, the staff, the families
of the various ways where I used to
teach. And I found people committed to faith.
And there was something about them that was
different.
And I it was irresistible in a way.
And so this past summer,
one of the various teachers conveyed me to,
Zetuna
to study, permaculture which is a form of,
sustainable agriculture. Anyway, I was up there with
brother Amis and, for a few weeks.
And I can't tell you what I found
there. It was by permaculture, of course, but
it was beautiful.
People of peace, people unassuming, people
without agendas, people that just wanted to work
with one another, wanted to support one another,
people that were open, people that were friendly.
And I I found myself every day
praying with them. I had no idea what
I was doing but, you know, prostrating.
And
I felt part of that community and that's
I think that's huge.
And I also be remiss that,
you know,
observing the the parents that have aeroism. My
students, seniors last year that I worked with
on their capstone projects,
they wrote about Islam.
And I could see the centering quality to
it. And I thought, you know, I'm an
educator
and I want that for all these kids
to to have this
marvelous anchor of peace from which to choose
and relate to other people. So,
so there's that element. And there's this young
woman
who's a former teacher at a bare ways.
She could be my daughter. Anyway, this is
a very learning woman, and, she was so
helpful to me in guiding me. She was
an exemplar of faith,
really interrogate your faith. And I we had
so many discussions where I learned
and I read and I observed and I
interrogated. I went online and I saw all
these things and I realized.
But but the second reason is just is
read.
Islam is a
a faith of scholarship, of reason,
which is something again, which I think is
so lacking in the world.
I my greatest one of my greatest achievements
as a father is that my my children
love to read. And I think that's what
Allah wants us to do.
I think it's the most amazing instrument that
he's given us is to read. It's meditative.
There's
there's working memory. There's arguments. There's reflection. There's
ideas.
So there's that and I think that Allah
wants us to look at everything, his creations,
and to challenge them and interrogate them and
evaluate them.
And one thing that I love about
Islam is like there's no pope. Anybody can
make a work make an argument, but you
better be well reasoned. You better have done
your homework.
And the third thing is just the prophet
peace be upon him.
Every day the the bar seems to be
lowered on character in this country,
which I know as a teacher gets to
my students.
And in the prophet,
peace be upon him,
I see the exemplar of character. And I
wanna know and I wanna read and I
wanna
I see him as a missing piece in
what I'm trying to teach my students, and
I wanna learn from him. So I'm actually
gonna begin really my real deep dive into
Islam through the prophet.
And the 4th is I'm I my only
experience with the Quran is al Fatihah.
But I was amazed that in that short
verse that I found
mercy, but I also see, you know, that's
forgiveness. Like we all
and Allah is so loving us that he
he forgives.
And in in return, we praise, which I
think is a form of gratitude to be
so grateful what that means to us.
But we have to be accountable. That's where
the judgment comes in, and I honor that
responsibility.
And then the last thing is through this
relationship is that he guides you on this
path. And this is a path that I've
been seeking, which is really the last
argument why
it's it's a lot.
I it's something that's been lacking. I
I I believe in predestination. I believe Allah
made me for a purpose. That's why I'm
here today.
And I believe that this faith, this gives
me everything that I need to learn and
study for the rest of my days. There's
so much.
It's
and so I'm starting to learn what that
means. I'm I'm praying
right now just twice a day, Fajr and
Isha. And
some days it's really cool and I really
don't wanna stick my foot in the sink,
but I find that I get what I
do, what I do, when I get I'm
always happy that I'm praying.
I'm always happy and I'm starting to recognize
that structure is there for a reason. And
5 times a day, you turn to the
light.
To be reminded of that and to have
this constant dialogue
with your creator, that this makes so much
sense to me.
So so there you have it.
I can't tell you how appreciative I am
of everyone being here and that
I'm I'm
I'm a Muslim.