VIETNAMESE CONVERSION STORY
I testify that
there is no God, but Allah
I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of
Allah
That is the Shahadah I had pronounced from the bottom of my heart
in front of a crowed audience at a mosque in the Kingdom of Belgium on the 19th
of May, 2000, when I just reached the age of 26.
I was born and
grew up in Hanoi, Vietnam. Thanks to the blessings of Allah, I was allowed to
come to Belgium in 1998 to study for the Master of Science degree in Physical
Land Resources.
When I was in Vietnam, I had a very vague concept
of the Creator and often felt very embarrassed to ask myself, "where do men and
the universe come from?" At that time, The Lord or God, Adam and Eve for me were
simply the characters in children's tales. I have also been told about Allah,
Muhammad, Qur'an and Muslims but I had never thought that these terms are so
closely related to each other.
Among my classmates in Belgium, some
adopted Christianity while some follow the religion of Islam. Many times, they
have explained to me about The Lord but I did not pay attention to it. On the
contrary, I even protested against it strongly. I thought to myself, "since they
are highly educated as such, why do they believe in the items of nonsense like
that?"
I still remember, when for the first time I saw from behind
a Muslim friend in the position of bowing down to pray, I thought he was looking
for an object falling on the floor! Later on, when I understood the truth, I was
very ashamed of my lack of knowledge.
When I was told that the
Muslim population in the world are about one billion three hundred million,
making one Muslim in five people, I changed from indifference to the attitude of
curiosity and was moved to inquire about Islam. My curiosity increased when I
knew that the Holy Qur'an explained clearly a number of scientific phenomena and
stated about the Hereafter.
I knew, moreover, that there are also a
number of Muslim communities in Vietnam. This made me become even more eager to
know about Islam thoroughly. A religion that has many followers who adopted and
complied with a pure and respectable way of life. I thought there must be some
miracles that make Muslims acquire such a firm faith.
I started
inquiring about this religion in September 1999. The more I've learnt, the more
I appreciated Islam and realized that Muslims live very sincerely and possess
many qualities that make me respect them. The more I extended the relations with
Muslims, the more it confirmed my unshakeable sentiment towards
Islam.
Many times I have asked myself whether The Lord would really
exist. How can we believe in Allah while we cannot see Him by our own eyes? In
spite of plenty of modern equipment, we are still not able to see the Lord. I
was thinking over this every day and night in order to look for an appropriate
answer for myself.
Later, I found out that although being unable to
see The Lord, men can still perceive His Existence from their heart. This is
like when we see a painting, we only feel the thoughts or theme of the painter
in our mind but we do not pick them up directly from the painting. Yet, if men
can see and recognize The Lord in person (like in bone and flesh), then is it
true that The Lord is similar to the creatures that He creates? No and that is
the essence of Islam. That The Lord is never represented for worship under the
forms of statues that are moulded by men themselves.
In the process
of inquiring about Islam, I have received the encouragement, the whole-hearted
assistance and guidance of brothers and sisters-in-Islam the world over,
particularly the Vietnamese speaking Muslims.
I had the good
blessing of obtaining a Vietnamese translation of the Holy Qur'an in March.
After reading the Holy Qur'an, I believe entirely in Allah (subhanahu wa Ta'Ala
- all glory be with the Highest Lord) as the Creator and Lord of the universe.
The contents of the Qur'an are indeed the Words of Allah that were revealed to
Nabi Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him).
I believe
that Islam is the religion of Eternal Truth that is very close to life. I've
decided to follow Islam and to become a Muslim without further delay, not even
for another minute or second.
The day I became Muslim, it was the
most important day of my life. In my life from now on, I may see the light of
Truth of Islam thus ending the period of darkness and ignorance. I feel peace
and joyful since my mind has a firm support. I am very honored and proud when I
became a Muslim. My person has undertaken major changes. Previously, I often
drank alcohol and beer during the time of joy and sadness. I lied without shame
and when I did something it was just for my own interest. I never thought of
anything good or bad and I was very afraid of death! Now, I am completely
different. I am feeling Allah beside me all the time Who sees me, listens to me
and knows all my thoughts. This makes me become a good and pious person.
Although I feel very regretful for what I had wrongfully done previously, I
still have a peace of mind for indeed, Allah is the Most Generous and the Most
Merciful.
I have an ultimate hope, that is, to do in such a way as
to have numerous people the world over, particularly in Vietnam, to understand
the bright, beautiful qualities of the right path of Islam and to become Muslim
the same way as Allah has guided and directed me.
for more info.
about Islam in vietnam please
visit
www.angelfire.com/vt/vietnamesemuslims
