Strength of Palestinians Brings More People to Islam
By Sundus Abrar
Mar/Apr 2024
The pro-Israel bias of prominent Western media outlets has become even clearer as they continue to unapologetically broadcast the Gaza genocide. In response, more people are turning to social media to educate themselves about Israel’s atrocities. In their effort to learn this suppressed narrative, many have been moved by the Palestinians’ resilience.
Activist and famous TikToker Megan Rice felt compelled to read the Quran after seeing the Palestinians’ firm faith. She witnessed them praising God and turning to prayer during their tremendous hardship, marveling at their certainty in Islam. Driven solely by the intention to build empathy and compassion for different faiths, she started the World Religion Book Club to discuss various religious texts. When she started reading the Quran, she shared her journey on social media. Her conception of it began to evolve, and Rice was candid in her appreciation. Her account drew many followers, and she became a prominent figure when she started reading and sharing her reaction in live videos.
Rice took her shahada two weeks later. “I went in just to better understand my fellow human beings. I did not go in with any intention or conversion, but of course Allah had other plans for me, SubhanAllah,” Rice said in an interview with Islamic Horizons. She’s not the only one. While it’s challenging to accurately quantify how many people are reverting, there is no doubt about the heightened interest.
Dawah Organizations See a Surge in Demand
Wajahat Sayeed (founder and president, Al-Furqaan Foundation) stated that the foundation is seeing a significant demand for copies of the translation of the Quran. The largest North American publisher of the Quran, it also publishes The Clear Quran (trans. Mustafa Khattab).
Since the crisis in Gaza began, this 20-year-old da‘wa foundation has seen a tenfold increase in Quran packages going out. Gain Peace has also received the highest number of requests recently that they’ve had in the last 25 years.
“The Clear Quran uses modern English, and since Dr. Khattab is experienced in dawah, his translation has a context that is relatable to and Muslims and those of other faiths,” said Dr. Sabeel Ahmed (founder and executive director, Gain Peace). “The Muslim community would miss out on the opportunity to strengthen the umma if we don’t attempt to acknowledge and mindfully extend the support required to those entering Islam.”
Beware of the Haram Police
Following her shahada, Rice received harsh commentary from fellow Muslims regarding her personal choices. She was being bombarded by the haram police, “individuals who offer unsolicited advice without understanding context.” Their often overzealous and accusatory comments and conduct is incompatible with the Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sunna.
This approach is especially demoralizing for reverts just embarking on their journey. Several people reached out to Rice and shared their leaving Islam due to such overbearing judgments. Rice chose to prioritize her relationship with her faith and, for the time being, is refraining from publicly sharing her progress in learning about the deen.
“I recognize the need for correction sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be so disciplinary. Saying ‘Don’t do this. It’s haram’ won’t sink in because the correction comes before the why,” she stated.
Sara Morandini, 38, has been Muslim for three years and agrees with Rice. Raised Catholic and adhering to Buddhism for almost ten years before considering Islam, she began learning about Islam after a challenging year following a divorce and the abrupt loss of two loved ones in a car accident.
“I was going through a lot, and I said to myself, ‘It doesn’t take anything away from me if I start reading the Quran,’” she remarked. Propelled to Islam through the difficulty she was enduring, she found solace in learning about the Quran and sunna and was mindful of who she chose to be around. Trying to be close to people who were helping her, she advises reverts to prioritize their personal connection with God and commit themselves to gaining knowledge.
“You will meet people who may disappoint you,” she says. “The foundation of faith cannot be another person. It can’t be your husband, a parent, or an influencer.”
Living in Italy when the Covid-19 pandemic started, she took her shahada via Skype in 2020. She appreciates the shaykh and her local Muslim community, both of whom were patient and encouraging before and after she became Muslim. She has had mostly positive experiences in her interactions with other Muslims — with one exception that occurred a few months after she accepted Islam.
A Muslim woman invited her home for dinner. Upon being introduced to the woman’s husband, Morandini acted upon instinct and shook his hand. The host chastised her, even though she offered a more elaborate explanation later. At that time, Morandini, who is of Brazilian and Italian descent, had little awareness of Islamic values and recalls feeling deeply hurt. “Her first reaction, the look on her face, was very hard for me. I avoided her for a long time after that,” she said.
“Harsh admonishments, no matter how well intentioned, can be incredibly detrimental to spiritual development,” Dr. Ahmed said. “You can’t teach new Muslims the way you teach children at Sunday school. You need to consider the baggage and where they are coming from to optimize the teaching. They can get overwhelmed and discouraged. A lot of patience and wisdom is necessary.”
Welcome Without Judgment
Gain Peace works diligently to integrate reverts into the community via classes on Islam’s foundations and facilitating mentorship between volunteers and reverts. Mentees are trained before being matched to assist reverts according to their specific situation. Dr. Ahmed observed that reverts benefit tremendously from observing the growth of others like them. “If they are in the company of other new Muslims, they can find motivation in their success.”
Rice attests to this. “Even though I am a Muslim now, I am technically seeing it from the outside and I still have questions. I so badly want to share my experience with Islam with the rest of the community, but it feels like there is a fear of asking questions. So, I turned to other reverts and felt more understood by them,” she shared.
Sayeed advises Muslims to be thoughtful when informing others about Islamic principles. Though he has been a lifelong Muslim, he didn’t always have a strong connection to the deen. He underwent a personal religious transformation and left his corporate career to focus on dawah. “It was a whole character transformation,” said Sayeed. “If you are going to antagonize, you are missing the point. We need to be caring and have a love for all humanity. When people become religious, they forget how they once used to be.”
Community members’ judgmental attitude can lead to mosques and events becoming intimidating environments for new Muslims. With this in mind, Al-Furqaan Foundation recently opened The Clear Islam information center in Windsor, Ontario. People can walk into this downtown storefront and receive literature on Islam and talk with the staff or volunteers. Sayeed’s goal is that the space be welcoming even to Muslims who may have lost touch with the faith.
Ramadan for New Reverts
At the time of speaking to Islamic Horizons, Rice had been a Muslim for only two months. However, she was already being enthusiastically approached about Ramadan, which was another two months away.
“From the very moment I reverted, people have been asking me ‘Are you excited about Ramadan?’ As a revert, I am just seeing it as a time that we are dry fasting because I haven’t experienced it. That alone is a little scary. I’m not seeing it in the same magical light yet,” said Rice.
Ramadan 2024 will be the first Ramadan for many new reverts. Dr. Ahmed said that although the community is energized and eager to welcome reverts when they take their shahada, more commitment is necessary for sustained support.
“Right after the shahada there are 200 people hugging the brother or sister and offering advice, and that’s very overwhelming,” he said. He encourages mosques to understand the needs of reverts and educate the community during khutbas, to host events with special consideration for reverts and maintain a database to stay connected with them. He advises families to reach out to inquire about reverts and work to build relationships with them. Invite them for iftar at your home and include them in Eid celebrations. It’s about time that the community goes beyond that first hug.
Please contact Gain Peace at 1-800-622-ISLAM and gainpeace.com to learn more about Islam. Visit furqaan.org to donate copies of the Quran and support other projects.
Sundus Abrar is a freelance writer. She hopes to see a more diverse and inclusive Muslim community.
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