Hosai Mojaddidi – Kristine’s Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)

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			Salam Alaikum everyone
		

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			Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim Al
hamdu lillah wa Salatu was Salam
		

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			ala Shivan MBI. Even more setting,
say that WeMo learn our Habibollah
		

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			Mohammed, some Allahu Allah He was
salam. While it was it was salam,
		

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			the Sleeman Kathira Salam
oligomer. With Allah Who better
		

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			care to everyone.
		

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			And 100 in there, first and
foremost, Jamal Mubarak to
		

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			everyone in shot LA. We are so
honored and blessed today here, as
		

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			we always are at the MCC Mela,
protect and preserve this
		

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			community. And hamdulillah to have
our sister here, Christine
		

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			Fernandez, yes, Fernandez. With us
from the US she reached out
		

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			recently to the organizers and
requested information on how to
		

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			become a Muslim. She is ready. She
we believe already, of course with
		

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			certainty that the fact that she's
here means that she already has
		

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			the firmness of faith in her
heart. And this is of course, the
		

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			first pillar of Islam the
declaration or the shahada, which
		

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			we do in public view of with
witnesses. So Alhamdulillah this
		

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			is definitely a first step for
anyone who wants to embrace this
		

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			beautiful face. We're very honored
that Christine has chosen our
		

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			community to do this. And I'm so
excited because I have yet to hear
		

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			Christine's story. But she came
today prepared and willing and
		

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			excited to share her story. So
Christine, first of all, once
		

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			again, welcome to our community.
Thank you so much. Very happy to
		

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			have you here. Please tell us what
prompted you to take this next
		

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			step in your faith journey.
		

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			First and foremost, it's good to
see all of you everyone. I was
		

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			born Catholic, and my parents were
also Catholic, and they raised me.
		

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			Like five years ago, I came in
here I am, I am a nurse. And I
		

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			came in here in the US with with
with afraid of like having a good
		

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			future.
		

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			Two years ago, my dad passed away
all of a sudden from a stroke. And
		

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			my faith was shaken. And it was so
bad. I was in a dark place. A year
		

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			ago, my mom passed away from
COVID. So with all of those that's
		

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			happening, I was in a very dark
place. And I lost my faith to God.
		

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			And
		

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			I'm like, I don't know where to
go. I wanted to end my life. And
		

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			I'm just very lost. I'm so glad
that my partner. His name is RJ
		

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			has sweetening right now, he's a
born Muslim. And he was with me
		

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			all the time. When we when we
first started dating, he never
		

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			insisted for me to convert to
being a Muslim. He never pressured
		

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			me. He just prayed. And I see him
and I respect him and he respect
		

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			my feet as well. And then the
Ramadan came in last year, and I
		

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			was in a very dark place. And I
saw him fasting. And for me, I was
		

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			asking like, why are you not
eating? Why are not drinking? And
		

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			that's when they started looking
like, why are you doing Ramadan.
		

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			And that's the first time I
appreciate and I was very thankful
		

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			that I was able to know why you're
doing and I started doing it even
		

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			though I'm not a convert yet. Like
I'm not doing the shahada yet, and
		

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			it feels so good. And I
appreciated God or Allah give to
		

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			us the food, all the blessings, it
made me appreciate everything. And
		

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			that's what made me convert to
Islam.
		

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			homiletic could be
		

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			a long walk but what a beautiful
testimony Wow. As someone who has
		

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			lost both her parents I completely
relate to what you experienced.
		

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			And it's just such an incredible
blessing that almost part of that
		

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			in the midst of your agony of of
grief that he opened this door to
		

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			find your faith and we are again
so so honored, masha Allah may
		

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			Allah bless your partner for
again, being patient with you and
		

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			and modeling Islam that's really
the best Allah that we as Muslims
		

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			can do. We don't you know, we
don't force our faith upon anyone
		

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			we just are supposed to have
inshallah the best character and
		

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			just practice our faith as we are
taught and that usually does
		

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			exactly what happened to you,
which is bringing people to the
		

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			faith so hamdulillah What a
beautiful story. We're so again
		

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			honored so the process to become a
Muslim, the formal process, the
		

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			shahada, which I know now by now,
you know is a very simple process.
		

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			What we do is we basically you
declare you make a declaration of
		

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			faith in front of witnesses. It's
a phrase that we say in Arabic and
		

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			just to simplify it, you can say
it once or two or three times but
		

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			for today, inshallah We'll do it
one time, it will be very simple.
		

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			And usually those who are in the
audience will also pronounce it
		

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			with you just to reaffirm our own
faith inshallah. So it's always
		

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			good for Muslims.
		

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			To practice into we say it anyway
in the prayer many, many times
		

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			throughout the day, but it's good
in times like this to just come
		

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			together. So I invite everyone
here as well to also repeat
		

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			Inshallah, as we will. And I'll go
very slow, we'll do the Arabic and
		

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			then we'll do the translation. And
that's pretty much it. And then at
		

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			that point in sha Allah, there'll
be a line of sisters waiting to
		

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			embrace you and welcome you, after
of course, Aisha and myself we
		

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			want we want to get that first.
So, this month, everyone ready?
		

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			And most importantly, are you
ready? Because I'm ready. We are
		

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			ready all right, this will not
matter to him. So when we begin,
		

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			when we say first
		

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			ash, Ash, everyone
		

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			hadoo Hadoo. And en la, la ilaha
illa. Il il Allah, Allah, what ash
		

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			what ash? hadoo Hadoo and anna
muhammadan Muhammadan rasul Allah
		

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			Rasul Allah, masha Allah to Kabir,
		

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			kabir,
		

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			Kabir, Allah, masha Christine, you
just testified in front of all of
		

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			these witnesses and everyone who
will be watching or is watching
		

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			that You declare that there is no
God with a small g right? No God
		

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			other than the one and only God
and that Muhammad is the last and
		

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			final messenger of God and
hamdulillah Welcome to the faith
		

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			Oh dear sister, we are so happy to
have you mashallah again it could
		

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			be at everyone.
		

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			Very welcome.
		

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			And sisters that was the time come
and get your bus ticket to of
		

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			course brothers please keep
Christine and her partner in
		

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			Sharla in your DUA and also know
Christine that today is the
		

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			beginning of your journey your all
your sins have been wiped clean.
		

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			You are brand new like a baby and
we that's why we seek your DUA so
		

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			please remember us in your door
today and every day in Charlotte I
		

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			mean does that was said I'm on a
call to light but I kept everyone
		

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			thank you