Xenia: my journey to Islam
September 22, 2009 by ImanK
Today I finally decided to write about my own journey to Islam.
A journey that started many many years ago. For those of you who do not know me, I was born in Athens in Greece. There is where I lived to the end of my high school years. My family was small but very loving, I only have one sibling (sister) and our parents gave us the best they could.
Religion did not play a big part in my life as I was growing up. When we were young we would go to church but that was not very often. The usual attendances maybe for Easter, weddings, baptisms, and the occasional Sunday. A few times I even went to Sunday school.
However God was at the back of my mind but as something very distant.
I used to be conscious that sometimes He was watching me but that did not stop me to at times act upon my whims and desires. I had this belief that He would understand and forgive me no matter what I was up to. The Christian belief of we will be forgiven as a result of the sacrifice of Jesus(as) was deep rooted in me.
Anyway, when I finished high school in Greece I came over to UK to continue my education. Here is where I met my husband who was a Muslim.
I was not compromising at all in any religious matters. So religion was something that we never discussed. I respected his faith and he, mine.
I had deep rooted negative beliefs and fear of Islam. In school we had learnt only very little about Islam and a very negative picture was embedded in me.
When our children were born, they would all go to the mosque for Eid and other Islamic occasions but I never joined them. Either I would stay in the car or stay at home. I was convinced that the Greek Orthodox religion was the only religion for me and it was the correct faith. Now how I had come to that conclusion, without even trying to research is a mystery. I think it was pure arrogance and ignorance all in one.
The years passed by and I carried on in my own world. I would also feel guilty for having married a Muslim and at times I felt like a traitor towards my parents, religion and country.
Then my husband passed away. He was abroad and my sons were at the airport travelling to attend the funeral. I received a text message from my youngest son saying, “Mum we love you and we do not want you to be different from us when you die and go to a different place. Please become a Muslimah.”
In my mind I was fighting the concept, but after 30 years I finally opened the Qur’an. Reluctanlty at first. But then I read and read and read on. Fascinating. The miracles of the Qur’an, the language (even though it was only a translation), the stories of the prophets. I knew I was reading the word of the Lord of the worlds.
Islam was not a new faith. Islam is the religion that all prophets(as) sent by Allah brought to humanity with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) being the last and final prophet. It was easy to understand. Believe in One God Only with no partners and all the prophets.
No trinity and complicated concepts. So easy to explain to a child. No need for clergy to speak to Allah swt. Basically no middle men. Just me and my Creator. I could speak to Allah (swt) and He could hear me. I speak to Him during the five daily obligatory prayers. I speak to Him anywhere. In the car, in the supermarket. Anywhere. I do not need anybody to intervene on my behalf for forgiveness. I go straight t to Allah (swt), I repent and I know He hears me and hopefully forgives me. We believe that He is the best of judges, He hears the supplications and our sincere requests for forgiveness providing we abstain from the sin.
Islam is not only religious duties. It is s a wholesome and pure way of life. A perfect system. Allah (swt) not only sent us the Qur’an as a guidance but sent us Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to show us how to apply the Qur’an in our lives and how to live in order to enter paradise. The road to paradise is full of obstacles. The only way we can get into paradise is by following the Qur’an and the prophetic sunnah. We will also need the mercy of Allah (swt).
Islam encourages us to find out things for ourselves. Islam does not say, ” This is it. Now follow it.” Allah swt says, “Look! Look around you, travel, look at your own bodies, the sky, the nature. Why can you not see?”
So I looked and looked again. I researched. I asked questions. The same questions again and again. It all came back as one thing. Islam is Allah’s true religion and I now was ready to become a Muslimah.
No guilt, no doubts just pure determination. I then accepted Islam as my religion. No need to feel guilty for following monotheism. For being on the straight path.
I thank Allah for taking me out of the darkness and into light.
[...] Read in English [...]
Καλώς ήλθατε επί της αμαξοστοιχίας, η αδελφή! Ευελπιστώ ότι Αλλάχ Παντοδύναμος έκανε τη μετάβαση εύκολο για εσάς.
Why did you marry a muslim in the first place?your husband merely married you for the sake of converting you to islam and to use you as a baby maker to produce more islamic kids to add to the population.it is part of the religious war on our free and christian society and christ our saviour.
Nick, get real, you are the one fanatically believing that Islam breeds fanaticism. This is neither the reality, nor even close to reality, so I would have to say that you are delusional. Not only that, I’d also have to say you are naive, thinking that Xenia’s husband converted her to Islam while you know nothing about Xenia, except what she has written in this article. Talk upon knowledge, not ignorance. I can easily also say that all Orthodox parents are converting their children to Orthodoxy without their consent, so why the double standards? Εμείς οι Έλληνες που ασπαστήκαμε το Ισλαμ, το κάναμε καθαρά απο επιλογή μας, μετά απο μελέτη και επίγνωση του θέματος. Αν εσύ δεν θέλεις να το μελετήσεις το θεμα επειδή φοβάσαι το αποτέλεσμα (όπως κάνουν οι περισσότεροι άνθρωποι με καθε τι “ξένο”), τοτε αυτό είναι δικό σου ζήτημα, αλλά μη προσπαθείς τώρα να μας πείσεις πως δεν ήταν επιλογή μας θα τρελαθώ!
Peace be upon you all and Nick, where did you get your information from?
To give you an idea, my husband was married to me for a very long time as per my story and I had never , ever read the Qur’an or knew what Islam was all about, except that they do not eat pork ( never ate it myself) since I got married, I never cooked it either due to respect . All my information on Islam were negative things all residue from the the Greek High School.
In my books ,people get married for a lot of reasons and as young as I was then I think we got married or he married me lol for the right reasons. If my husband married me just to convert me, a) he would have realised very early on that I was a difficult case to deal with and the marriage would not have survived.
As it goes we had 4 children and they were all wanted and loved . There were no dark intentions to increase the Muslim population and from your comment I wonder what kind of ideas you carry in your own personal life.
I only accepted Islam after my husbands death and this is enough to prove to you that it was My Choice.
Anyway you cannot convert anybody. How can you???
Amir is right. The baptise us in Greece and we have no say or idea.
Anyway in Islam we believe
2:256 There is no compulsion in religion, for the right way is clearly from the wrong way. Whoever therefore rejects the forces of evil and believes in God, he has taken hold of a support most unfailing, which shall never give way, for God is All Hearing and Knowing.
A strong recommendation
You can call a woman,
A mother
A sister
A wife
A daughter
etc
But a babymaking machine???? Is this how you view women?
But this is another matter for another time.
Peace
why is it that when ever a non muslim speaks with you people you tune over to selective hearing and purposely misconstrue everything?Why do you have to change your names!I can not convince you otherwise ,but i wonder how much bible study you guys have done because you have obviously missed the mark some where!!!!i dare you to ask God and he will reveal the truth to you.the problem is that the greek orthodox church is too steeped in the tradition rather then the spiritual .but perhaps you should ask the living christ and he will reveal the truth to you!You have forsaken the covenant and have gone off the opposite direction.How far you have fallen!!!!did i say you are a baby making machine?no you said it!you see you twist everything.you decide what you want to hear and filter out the truth.you as muslims have more responsibility then than your god allah.i need not to worry because my lord jesus christ is alive, not because i was taught by man but because i have expirienced him.he does not need membership because he is the king of kings and the lord of lords.he is alive and is coming.you seek him yourself in spirit and in truth.this is not about being greek because christianity does not have a flag.this is universal salvation.islam denies the divinity of christ who was prophecied centuries before his coming by variuous prophets.had you even read or understood the scriptures you have known what i mean.you must at least divulge deep in the bible so that you can have yoyr eyes opened.i plea that you will do trhis because it is a matter of life and death for you!!!eternal death.
@nick:
Where in this article does it say that Xenia was converted to Islam by her husband? In case you haven’t actually *read* the article, it quite clearly states that she converted after her husband DIED. Here’s a tip for you: Maybe you should actually go to school and learn to read BEFORE commenting on an article.
Oh, and a “baby making machine”? Gee, is it that suprising to you that she has children? Wow, seeing your level of intelligence I can be easily disposed to think that you are going to wait by the fireplace for Santa Claus to bring you some nice presents.
no not actually.i do not believe in santa claus neither do i believe in a jesus that is coming back to kill the jews and convert the christians to islam.and as for xenia i know that she converted to islam after her husbands death.but she also mentioned that she does not eat pork and she never did but she also says that she would not have it in the house in respecr of her husband.so obviously everything was centered what was respectful to him and the children were under his control.she mentioned that they would go to the mosque with him.when he died she recieved a letter from her son telling her in short that”she can not be different from them and that he does not want her to go to hell.”that is all form of manipulation and she fell for it.did they ever wonder about their mothers religion?i bet her husband would not even partake in anything should she had asked him.i mean like easter or something.it wasd all about him.i did not refer to her as a baby machine.obviously in your demented mind you did not read what i wrote.christianity does not allow you to be unequally yoked.that was her first error.in islam you are allowed to do just that for the sake of conversion and having children to add to islam.but you see my true god does not neeed membership .he is king of kings .he does not need a human army.look how you muslims try to desyroy israel .small nation and they always beat you against all odds.that is because our God the true God of abarham isaaac and jacob is with his people.he promised them in the bible and he is faithfaithfull to his word.as for you i dread your what is coming upon you if you do not repent and accept his grace and mercy through our lord crucified and resurected.you have alredy lost the battle and you do not even know it.please do not misconstrue my massage and interpret it the way you want.
@Nick:
Actually, you were the one who called the OP a “baby maker”. No one is using “selective hearing”. If you are that afraid to call a spade a spade, I wish nothing to do with you.
http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/xx197/mujaahid4life/accusation_fail/comment.png Nope, didn’t think so.
In regards to Jesus Christ being your “Lord”, please elaborate on this. What is the rationality of a human being being God? If you can, please explain this to us, because as it stands, it makes -100% sense to to any of us.
Salamun Aleykum ve rahmetullahi ve berakatuh
Kalimerhaba
I am etnically türk from turkey.I always wonder Hellas because of history.We are always enemy but I never hate someone because he or she is from diffrent culture,country,religion.It always comes to me nonsense.Hellas and greek nation,race and cultures lost its basic lands and most of cultural heritage in Asia minor.Who did that?Turks.Why did they do?Because of jihadits way and Islam.History always told us that fact.In my country it is the truth moreover I am not well-known about Greek looking but I think nearly same tellings.When I see this link.In fact I shocked.My counrty have a huge Islamic heritage and had lots of profits but in my country lots of Turks leave their religion or dont practise or rejecting and some of them describe it how an Islamic hater describe.On the other hand,You greek people you can believe a religion which is nearly always enemy against you.How a world is that.I also see lots of convert or reverts all over the world not important the number.I fully respect Hellas and its culture and I am sorry if my country did bad things yours but more respect you because you can RETHİNK.
Allah bless you endlessly and Inshallah help us and every good person to success.
ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ, με αγάπη σας κάνω ένα δώρο.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgu3kKgpYm0
YOU AFRAID OF TRUTH. 01/01/2010 ALEXANDRIA EGYPT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgu3kKgpYm0
WATCH IT IF YOU DARE OR ELSE YOU ARE HYPOCRITES.
YOU ERASE IT ALREADY ONCE, WHY?
Μάκη συγγνώμη που άργησα να δημοσιεύσω το σχόλιό σου.
Βασικά θα ήθελα να πώ πως κάποια πράγματα τα λέει πολύ στραβά για το Ισλάμ ο τύπος στο βίντεο που παρέθεσες, και λογικότερο μου φαίνεται να ήταν πρόην-κομμουνιστής παρα προην-μουσουλμάνος και μάλιστα πολύ πνευματικός… πρέπει να υπάρχουν και κάποια βίντεο που δείχνουν πού κάνει λάθη ο τύπος απο το βίντεο. Υπάρχουν παρα πολλά τέτοια, με και καλά πιστους προην-μουσουλμάνους που έγιναν χριστιανοί, αλλά ακόμα περισσότερα βίντεο, 1. μουσουλμάνων που απαντάνε στους “χριστιανούς” αυτούς και προφανώς ακόμη περισσότερα απο προην-χριστιανούς, είτε πιστούς είτε άπιστους είτε ό,τι να ‘ναι, προην-άθεους, προην-ινδουϊστές προην εβραίους προην προην προην και συνεχίζει η λίστα. Ποιός δεν θέλει να δεί τι;
It seems to me that all muslims want to remain ignorant about the truth.
Quote: [As for xenia i know that she converted to islam after her husbands death.but she also mentioned that she does not eat pork and she never did but she also says that she would not have it in the house in respecr of her husband.so obviously everything was centered what was respectful to him and the children were under his control.she mentioned that they would go to the mosque with him.when he died she recieved a letter from her son telling her in short that”she can not be different from them and that he does not want her to go to hell.”that is all form of manipulation and she fell for it.did they ever wonder about their mothers religion?i bet her husband would not even partake in anything should she had asked him.i mean like easter or something.it wasd all about him]
Answer: I am not afraid to change something, if I find that the alternative is better for me. Of course in a marriage if one part does not eat pork, you do not start cooking pork and using the utensils to repulse the other person.Like wise I would expect the same treatment form my partner. Example If I was repulsed by crocodile meat, I would expect him to abstain. This is respect, or maybe you have not heard of it?
As regards to my children, as I said, I was hardly interested in Religion. Shame but truth. So I left my children’s spiritual /religious education to their father. Of course my children have spent many Easters and so on in Greece and they were always allowed to take part in the festivals with their grandparents. However, they knew that Jesus is a Mighty prophet and not God.
And you know something Nick? I agree with you. Jesus is not dead. he was never crucified and all Muslims are waiting for his return.
In Islam nobody has to change their name unless it is a name associated with Saints and Saint worship. Other than that, we can keepour names. For example this is my Greek name and I have not changed it:)))
Now I would like to share with you
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/most-common-questions-asked-by-non-muslims
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/amazing-miracle-of-adam-and-jesus
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/references-to-jesus-in-the-quran
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/you-ask-about-islam
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/is-jesus-god-6492945
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/where-do-you-stand-6370331
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/muslims-love-jesus-too
After you read all this, I hope your quest for knowledge will be satisfied.
I am a busy person and have no time to answer to individual comments in slideshare.
Many thanks
Xenia
Sorry I forgot to add these links
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/the-same-message-since-day-1-judaism-christianity-islam
http://www.slideshare.net/Xenia111/invitation-to-islam
@ Makis and Nick
Διαβάστε και μην φοβάσθε την αλήθεια.
Kind regards
Xenia
I watched the links you posted.I still have not changed my mind.I will never convert to your faith because I know my Lord Jesus Christ son of the living God crucified and resurrected.