Hosai Mojaddidi – Kristine’s Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
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Salam Alaikum everyone
Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim Al hamdu lillah wa Salatu was Salam
ala Shivan MBI. Even more setting, say that WeMo learn our Habibollah
Mohammed, some Allahu Allah He was salam. While it was it was salam,
the Sleeman Kathira Salam oligomer. With Allah Who better
care to everyone.
And 100 in there, first and foremost, Jamal Mubarak to
everyone in shot LA. We are so honored and blessed today here, as
we always are at the MCC Mela, protect and preserve this
community. And hamdulillah to have our sister here, Christine
Fernandez, yes, Fernandez. With us from the US she reached out
recently to the organizers and requested information on how to
become a Muslim. She is ready. She we believe already, of course with
certainty that the fact that she's here means that she already has
the firmness of faith in her heart. And this is of course, the
first pillar of Islam the declaration or the shahada, which
we do in public view of with witnesses. So Alhamdulillah this
is definitely a first step for anyone who wants to embrace this
beautiful face. We're very honored that Christine has chosen our
community to do this. And I'm so excited because I have yet to hear
Christine's story. But she came today prepared and willing and
excited to share her story. So Christine, first of all, once
again, welcome to our community. Thank you so much. Very happy to
have you here. Please tell us what prompted you to take this next
step in your faith journey.
First and foremost, it's good to see all of you everyone. I was
born Catholic, and my parents were also Catholic, and they raised me.
Like five years ago, I came in here I am, I am a nurse. And I
came in here in the US with with with afraid of like having a good
future.
Two years ago, my dad passed away all of a sudden from a stroke. And
my faith was shaken. And it was so bad. I was in a dark place. A year
ago, my mom passed away from COVID. So with all of those that's
happening, I was in a very dark place. And I lost my faith to God.
And
I'm like, I don't know where to go. I wanted to end my life. And
I'm just very lost. I'm so glad that my partner. His name is RJ
has sweetening right now, he's a born Muslim. And he was with me
all the time. When we when we first started dating, he never
insisted for me to convert to being a Muslim. He never pressured
me. He just prayed. And I see him and I respect him and he respect
my feet as well. And then the Ramadan came in last year, and I
was in a very dark place. And I saw him fasting. And for me, I was
asking like, why are you not eating? Why are not drinking? And
that's when they started looking like, why are you doing Ramadan.
And that's the first time I appreciate and I was very thankful
that I was able to know why you're doing and I started doing it even
though I'm not a convert yet. Like I'm not doing the shahada yet, and
it feels so good. And I appreciated God or Allah give to
us the food, all the blessings, it made me appreciate everything. And
that's what made me convert to Islam.
homiletic could be
a long walk but what a beautiful testimony Wow. As someone who has
lost both her parents I completely relate to what you experienced.
And it's just such an incredible blessing that almost part of that
in the midst of your agony of of grief that he opened this door to
find your faith and we are again so so honored, masha Allah may
Allah bless your partner for again, being patient with you and
and modeling Islam that's really the best Allah that we as Muslims
can do. We don't you know, we don't force our faith upon anyone
we just are supposed to have inshallah the best character and
just practice our faith as we are taught and that usually does
exactly what happened to you, which is bringing people to the
faith so hamdulillah What a beautiful story. We're so again
honored so the process to become a Muslim, the formal process, the
shahada, which I know now by now, you know is a very simple process.
What we do is we basically you declare you make a declaration of
faith in front of witnesses. It's a phrase that we say in Arabic and
just to simplify it, you can say it once or two or three times but
for today, inshallah We'll do it one time, it will be very simple.
And usually those who are in the audience will also pronounce it
with you just to reaffirm our own faith inshallah. So it's always
good for Muslims.
To practice into we say it anyway in the prayer many, many times
throughout the day, but it's good in times like this to just come
together. So I invite everyone here as well to also repeat
Inshallah, as we will. And I'll go very slow, we'll do the Arabic and
then we'll do the translation. And that's pretty much it. And then at
that point in sha Allah, there'll be a line of sisters waiting to
embrace you and welcome you, after of course, Aisha and myself we
want we want to get that first. So, this month, everyone ready?
And most importantly, are you ready? Because I'm ready. We are
ready all right, this will not matter to him. So when we begin,
when we say first
ash, Ash, everyone
hadoo Hadoo. And en la, la ilaha illa. Il il Allah, Allah, what ash
what ash? hadoo Hadoo and anna muhammadan Muhammadan rasul Allah
Rasul Allah, masha Allah to Kabir,
kabir,
Kabir, Allah, masha Christine, you just testified in front of all of
these witnesses and everyone who will be watching or is watching
that You declare that there is no God with a small g right? No God
other than the one and only God and that Muhammad is the last and
final messenger of God and hamdulillah Welcome to the faith
Oh dear sister, we are so happy to have you mashallah again it could
be at everyone.
Very welcome.
And sisters that was the time come and get your bus ticket to of
course brothers please keep Christine and her partner in
Sharla in your DUA and also know Christine that today is the
beginning of your journey your all your sins have been wiped clean.
You are brand new like a baby and we that's why we seek your DUA so
please remember us in your door today and every day in Charlotte I
mean does that was said I'm on a call to light but I kept everyone
thank you