New Muslims Share Experience in India

Sharing their experience after embracing their new religion, Muslim reverts in India have come together to discuss their conversion stories and tackle problems they are facing, Two Circles website reported Sunday, March 10.
“It is hard when you embrace Islam and you are forsaken by your parents, brothers and sisters, other members of the family and friends,” a Muslim revert said.
“It is painful when your own leave you and you are not accepted by the new community of believers.”
Nearly 50 Muslim reverts came together at a meeting organized by the Delhi-based Islamic Da’wah Center last week to share their experience after embracing Islam.
Themed “Reverts’ Get-Together”, participants also heard how the reverts found the path to the Islamic religion.
Participants also heard problems facing the new Muslims after embracing the faith.
A huge number of Muslim imams of mosques and heads of madrassahs and other educational institutions from across India also attended the event.
IDC chairman Mohammad Umar Gautam said the objective of the get-together is to know, understand and share experiences and problems among new Muslims.
One of the prime objectives of the event is to provide Muslim reverts with some social support so that they do not feel left alone, added Gautam, the chief organizer of the program.
He stressed that the program also aims at informing the world that people are not embracing Islam by force and compulsion but by their own free will.
Muslims account for 160 million of India’s 1.1 billion people, the world’s third-largest Islamic population after those of Indonesia and Pakistan.
Road to Allah
Participants shared their stories of how they found Islam.
Abdullah, earlier known as Kartik Kumar Gupta, was attracted to Islam because of his friend after seeing him give credit to Allah for everything he does.
Embracing Islam, Abdullah came to recognize the fact that the ultimate freedom is enjoyed by those who remain true worshippers to Allah.
He believes the reason for many misconceptions about Muslims and Islam was the general failure of Muslims to practice and preach what Islam stood for.
Abdur Rahman, another convert, called for presenting the true Islam to the world and for extending emotional and economic support to new reverts.
Another participant was attracted to Islam after the religious Hindu ritual burning of his father after his death.
He said it was also Islam’s teaching about caring for others that left great impression in his mind.
In Islam, cremation is prohibited as it is disrespectful to the dead body and Islam calls for respecting human beings whether alive or dead.
A Muslim’s dead body should be immediately taken to a mortuary for washing and preparation.
Two or three adult Muslims should wash the body and then put on the shroud (kafan). Before the burial, the funeral prayer should be done.
The burial should be done as soon as possible. It is makruh (reprehensible) to delay the burial of the dead.

Source: OnIslam