Hosai Mojaddidi – Melisa’s Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
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Melissa wants to move forward with Islam and is hesitant about the process. She gives resources to her faith and recommends practicing Islam for personal reasons. The importance of practicing Islam is emphasized, along with the role of Jesus and Mary in Islam and the importance of testing one's stance on Islam. The speakers encourage people to take action and share their experiences to clarify their stance.
AI: Summary ©
So hi, Melissa, how are you?
I'm good. How are you? I'm doing well. I'm so happy to see you and
meet you. It's an honor for us. Thank you so much. Happy to meet
all of you, too. Yes. So please forgive me, I kind of entered, I
think at a conversation that was already in progress. But I would
love to learn more about I do have some friends that I kind of
witnessed them, like their practice, or religion, Islam, and
then I kind of became very interested in that. And so I just,
they gave me the resources to like, reach out to you guys. And
to kind of like, move forward on.
Yeah, I'm very shy.
Thank you. So if you don't mind, I would love if that's okay. I don't
know how much Edelen or when you have already kind of prompted your
ask certain questions. But when we do this process, right, of someone
entering a song, it's very simple. By the way, I don't know how much,
you know, but like, honestly, becoming muscles by one the
easiest things you could do you just have to say a phrase. Yeah,
yeah, I did read a little bit. I was doing a little bit of
research. And I do see that you guys kind of like, rephrase that
for us. Because it's an Arabic. So yes, yeah. easy for us to kind of
like, say it. And definitely. So the way that the what we'll do is
I'll kind of just give you a summary of how the processes,
okay, just so you know what to expect. So, initially, we do kind
of like to just ask questions like about your background, your
knowledge about Islam, you kind of just summarized that you've
studied a little bit because of friends gave you resources, but I
would like ask specific questions. For example, what what was your
previous faith? Or did you have one, and then we would kind of
have a conversation like about specific things. Related to that
right, just to again, make sure that you're clear on what the
creed of a Muslim is, like, what what the beliefs are of a Muslim
so that there's no conflict. And if you fully 100% accept, and
you're ready to take the next step of coming into Islam, I mean, we
are so happy and honored again, to facilitate that for you. And the
actual process is just literally I'll say a phrase very slowly in
Arabic, and you will repeat after me word by word. And then I'll
give you the English translation, and then that point, you are a
Muslim. And and then sister Edelen, she can then from that
point forward, give you more of the specifics like now that you're
a Muslim, what do you what should you learn? And how should you pace
yourself? Like, what's priority? First, right? Do you have because
a lot of women, especially when they become Muslim, they suddenly
worry about having to look a certain way. And so they want to
wear hijab, but we would say, you know, let's, there's other things,
you know, that will come and there's no rush, we literally go
at your pace. And, you know, I just like to always emphasize that
Islam came in 23 years, you know, when you study Prophet Muhammad's
life, the whole faith was completed over that period of
time, because we have to assume that beings be you know, like,
there's, it's a process, you know, you can't just transform
overnight, but the faith, if it's in your heart, that's all you
need, then the changes that you're going to make are more practical
day to day changes, like tomorrow's you know, gonna be
Ramadan. Okay, what does that mean? Right? So those are the
things that sister Evelyn can talk to you about. But so if you don't
mind, I would love to just that first question that I asked you.
What did you have a previous face? And what was that? Um, it looks
Catholic, but um, we didn't really like
don't know how to pay like, it was a religious Yeah, practice it. And
then like I said, like, so me having friends that really
practice Islam and watching them kind of like, made me want to
follow and like believe in.
So I wanted to pursue to Islam. Okay, that's wonderful. Well,
sister, Edelen, she, I'm sure she may have told you but she also had
a Catholic background, a lot of the converts that we found, and
I've actually done a few different shadows, I also had a Catholic
background. And I think the what I've observed is there's a lot of
similarities. If you if you knew anything about your Catholic faith
in terms of ritual and tradition, respect and reverence. There's a
lot of prayers that people I think, feel just very comfortable.
But then obviously, the biggest difference that we just want to
point out is the role of Jesus and, and also Mary, I would say,
because both of them are very central figures in Catholicism,
right, Mary being the mother of Jesus, and there are divinity or
there is divinity scribed to
Jesus in terms of him being the son of God. So those are things
that we always want to clarify that you understand fully that in
Islam, we are in very, very strict monotheists which means God has no
partners whatsoever and prophets are are human beings that are
given specific roles, but we do not worship prophets. We don't
worship anybody but God even Prophet Muhammad. Yes. Okay, so
that's clear for you.
and your research? Yes, yes, no, I'm totally I'm sure you know all
this. It's more for us. Because you know, as an organization, too,
we want to make sure that we do our part to clarify all this
stuff, but I'm sure if you've studied it, this was pretty clear
that Yeah, we don't worship any anyone else. So thank you for
clarifying. And then so and you accept fully that God is one and
that Prophet Muhammad is the last and final messenger? Yes. Perfect,
then that's all really that. And I'm sure, like I said, all the
other stuff as far as the five pillars and the articles of faith,
the fact that we believe in, in a heaven and *, we believe in an
unseen world, these are all just central parts of the belief of a
Muslim, but if you've studied and you've read, and you know that, so
what we can do now is we can do the actual process of you taking
your shahada in sha Allah, which is again very simple, it's just I
will recite the Arabic and you can go we'll go kind of like, you
know, like, it's like a dance kind of I'm doing it and then you do it
and then you know, so we'll do it that way. And I'm not rushing you
at all. So just feel free if it's like not clear. Can you repeat
that? Okay, well, I'll try to be I have my mic really close here. So
I'm going to speak as clearly as I had an apologize in case I my
wordiness that correct? Oh, no worries don't worry it at all.
I'll like I said, that's why we tried to do a very phonetic so
that it's doesn't Don't worry, and you hopefully won't be
intimidating to right. Alright, so we start with saying in the name
of God, which is Bismillah Okay, so I'm gonna I'm that's what I'm
saying. Bismillah, which just means in the name of God. And now
we'll actually do the shahada, which begins ash, Ash, how do I do
and, and lair? La ilaha ilaha IL Allah in LA, wha wha, Ash? Ash
hadoo Hadoo Anna, Anna, Mohamed, then Mohammed Dawn, or soon Rasul?
Allah. Allah. Very good. That was one time now we're gonna do two
more times just like that. Okay. Ash, Ash, how do I do an N La La
ilaha illa Ha, il Allah. Allah Allah. Wha wha ash? Ash? hadoo
Hadoo Anna Anna Mohammedan Muhammad Rasul. Rasul. Allah,
Allah. Very good and one more time. Okay as us how do I do an en
la la ilaha ilaha IL l Allah, Allah, wa, wa s. US ash. How do I
do? Anna? Anna Muhammadan Muhammadan rasul. Rasul Allah,
Allah. That's it, Allahu Akbar.
You are now officially a Muslim sister Melissa, welcome to heck
of Islam. We're so happy if you were with us, we would hug you you
might find that awkward but
bear hug Exactly. But what did we just say? All you said was I
testify that there is no god but God or Allah. And I testify that
Muhammad is the last final messenger of God. That's all what
was said. So once you declare that publicly in front of witnesses and
you believe it in your heart, you are officially Muslim but you are
Muslim before you met with us today because you believed it so
this is just ceremonial but we're so honored. Thank you so much
again, I wish we could come through the phone and hug you
properly.
But it's a beautiful gift you know, there's a saying of the
Prophet Muhammad that says that everything has keys right and the
keys of Paradise is the words that we just shared. So you gave us the
keys we gave you the keys and this is just it's just an exchange
inshallah God willing that we are we will all be together Inshallah,
in paradise in the next life, and I'm here as a family of Muslims
brothers and sisters. So welcome to the faith of Islam. Thank you.
You're very, very welcome. So honored you and thank you so much
for the honor of giving us this opportunity. Thank you. I
appreciate all of you guys think you're very welcome.