A churchly choir converted into a caller to Allah At the beginning of his speech about the story of his proselytizing to Islam, he talked about the omnipotence of the creator in the universe. He said:" every craft has its craftsman, and every matter has a wise director and this universe is unique in its making with the wisdom of Allah, Glory be to Him, who has created it by His omnipotence and every action in life has a reason so that matters can go on naturally. So, it has become a must for every one in this life to believe in Allah, Glory be to Him, and to know that Allah is the only creator Who has created the universe with all livings and inanimate beings with no help of any other creature. It is the true believer who believes that these creatures need care and protection from earthquake, collapsing, and vanishing and Allah is of infinite bounty, the owner of the world, the most Gracious and merciful, and Who never has a son or wife. He is the Ever-living, the Eternal and the Dominant of that world. And say: praise be to Allah, Who has no partner in sovereignty, nor has He any protecting friend through dependence. And magnify Him with all magnificence. The guided was an acolyte in a church. Muhammad Somawy is from Philipine, he was a Christian and adherent to Christianity to the extent that he was punctual at the times of prayers and hymns hold in the church. He also was a religious choir like his parents who were adherent to their religion. My story with proselytizing. Muhammad Somawy says:" my story with proselytizing began in 1990 during the Iraqi invasion against Kuwait and how these actions were a reason for my proselytizing. The base of my doctrine was to believe in Allah. When I was Christian, many questions came to me. I was punctual in attending the Christian religious occasions. In addition, I was a religious choir as a vocalist for the sake of Allah who is, as the Christians think, the Christ; the son of Allah (exalted be Allah above all that) This was the principle of my previous worship and religion, it was that the Christ, Jesus is a God and the son of Allah as I studied and learned from the cradle. But, many question came to me, I was not convinced of what we used to do. And all what I wished from doing this was just to live with them as a catholic Christian. My previous work. I was working as a welder in making the iron windows and doors; in addition to a driver to transport the passengers in return for a little money. It did not come to my mind in any day to go outside Philippine or to Kuwait to work there. I thought that my work would not enable me to work abroad. My sister's travel. For something Allah willed, my sister traveled to Kuwait to work there before the Iraqi invasion. The invasion occurred during her existence and it lasted for seven months. We did not know any thing about her and we became more worried about her, she is the only sister among us and she got a great deal of my parents' love. at that time sadness prevailed all family and my parents became more worried. As a result of the events, we lost the hope that she was alive. I am the oldest brother, so I shoulder the responsibility of searching for her. Was she dead or alive? The matter was not easy and requires asking every one about her. More than this, what could we do if she was dead? And where she was if she was alive? The whole matter belonged to Allah, Glory be to Him. I had to pave the way for my parents if any bad thing happened to my sister. What I did was to calm them and dry up their tears that made me very sad. The most important thing is that we lost the hope that she would come back. The surprise. Nine months after she had traveled - this period is equal to the period of pregnancy- and after the invasion of Iraq had ended, I received a letter, we considered it to be my sister's new birth and her new birth in Islam. On this letter, I found my sister's name before and after adopting Islam. She embraced Islam in that period, what is important is that we became so happy . It was a surprise, what a wonderful surprise! My sister was still alive. My mother wept out of happiness, she thanked Allah Who protected my sister. My sister told us that she was safe, embraced Islam and got married Kuwaiti. But, this matter was not as important as the matter of her being alive. My travel to Kuwait. Two months later, we received another letter from my sister in which she told us that she urgently needed me to travel to Kuwait and to be beside her. Somawy laughed saying that it seems that she desired me to embrace Islam by summoning me to go to her. finally what we got from the message was that she needed me to be beside her. I was ready to stand beside her, I missed her, she was; as I said, my only sister and I have to relieve my worry about her as long as it is available to me. Allah's decree was continuing and the matters were going on according to Allah's will, I prepared my papers and passport and I sent them to my sister. After that, the license to enter Kuwait reached me and I traveled to Kuwait on Novamber28 in 1992. A new life and calling to allah. When i had arrived at Kuwait many questions came to me because it was the first time I had ever seen the Arab who wear Deshdasha, Ghutra and oqal (covers for the head which the Arab wear), the matter is so different from Philippine. My sister waited me eagerly both of us was eager to see the other. She busted into tears and she said several times: Am I dreaming" she could not believe that I was with her; she thanked Allah a lot and asked about my father, mother and my brothers, she took me to her home located in the district of Alqosor. I did not stayed with her for long, she and her husband started to call me to Islam after I had known how she embraced Islam they started to endeared this religion to me it seems that she summoned me from Philippine for that matter. I asked them if it is obligatory to embrace Islam. They replied frankly this is not in Islam. There is no compulsion in religion. There is no compulsion in religion, but it is up to you I said: so leave my matter until Allah decides about it". I reveal no secret win I say that I started to think of Islam, why my sister adopted this religion and now she is calling to it?, this question started to be repeated. After that, I asked them to study Islam and give me the chance to understand it very well. They accepted this became very happy and respected my desire. I started to learn the principles and basis of Islam. Both of them started to give me the books and tapes. I remember that my sister gave me a book entitled" lawful and unlawful in Islam to read it but, I did not pay attention to what is lawful and what is unlawful as I did to the Islamic doctrine, it is the base of the principle according which faith would be achieved. I did not get benefits from this book except some laws and pictures of the life of muslim. I did not hasten to examine the new religion. When I was with them, I used to hear Azan (call to prayer):"Allah Akbar" (Allah is the greatest). azan is asort of mass media. The first thing I have known was the meaning of Azan; it calls muslims to prayer in certain times of day and night. I began to think more and more about Islam. Here-In Islam- the Azan is Allah Akbar on every minaret: but, there-in Christianity- only bells and rings that are nothing but alarm. I realized the great difference between the Christians' rites which happen every Saturday and Sunday and muslims' Azan which calls them five times a day as a kind of obedience to Allah. Day by day Iused to watch my sister and her husband praying together, I felt that they were at the utmost calmness and peace of mind, and then loving Islam started to infiltrate to my heart. Television is a propagandist. One day, my sister and her husband went to visit some relatives and left me alone watching TV on Diwania channel to watch the news to know what is happening around the world. But surprisingly, I switched the TV on channel two that transmits its program in English.Allah decreed that I would watch a program for sheikh Salah el-Rashed. I watched sheikh Salahwho was the secretary- general of the committee of defining Islam at that time. That was in Ramadan, the month of guidance and criterion(of right and wrong). In that program, he talked about the relationship of Islam with other religions, Islam and Christian and Jesus and Muhammad(p.b.u.h) in the Bible. I used to wait that interested program every Wednesday in the evening and listen carefully to what he was saying. Muhammad (p.b.u.h) in the Torah and Bible. I knew from that program that the Prophethood of Muhammad(p.b.u.h) has been foretold in the Bible and pentateuch and that he would be the following messenger after Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them. At that very time, I was searching for any proof asserting that the prophet Muhammad has been mentioned in the Bible as did not find his name either in the Old testament or in the New testament of the holy scriptures. Consequently, I payed great attention to Islam for its calling to oneness as sheikh Salah made this clear for me. This was exactly what I heartily believed in when I was a Christian. But what aroused my astonishment so much that I could not resist or oppose was his explanation of the Prophethood of Muhammad (p.b.u.h) in the light of the Christians' holy scriptures before it were distorted and other trustworthy Evangelican sources. Sheikh Salah also quoted some evidences from the Bible. I found that what he explained and manifested about the seal prophet's mission who had been mentioned in the original Bible before it was distorted is true and I could not deny this matter. I started to recite what has been mentioned in the Deuterocanon about the Prophet(p.b.u.h) which is the following: so, a prophet among their brothers was sent and he is like you, I will put my words in his mouth, so he will address what I enjoined to them. So, he who disobeys my words which he speaks in my name, I will punish him" The beginning of embracing Islam. I started to accept Islam as a new religion, my heart started to be opened to it and I love more and more. Who can bear the punishment of Allah, every one has to fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds, the Maker of the reasons, the Owner of the sky and earth. "(And it will be said unto him): Read thy book,Thy soul sufficeth as reckoner against thee this day". My way to Islam was opened as Allah wills, I desided to go to the comittee of definning Islam with my broyher in law to declare embracing Islam and to announce my witness of the Oneness of Allah, the Creator witnessing that Jesus, the son of Mary is the slave and messenge of Allah and Muhammad is the seal of the prophets and messengers, the prophet of mercy. Jesus is a humankind and messenger. I declared that I had embraced Islam on the fifteenth of the blessed Ramadan. And I have adopted Islam because I am afraid of the punishment of Allah and I am convinced of the Oneness of Allah. My adherence to Islam started to increase and I started to have a good relationship with the new guided brothers.Embracing Islam does not mean that i do not believe in Jesus but it means that I believe in Allah as the only God, in Islam as a religion and in Muhammad as the messenger and prophet of Allah. Islam puts Jesus in his right position which is he is the slave and messenger of Allah like the prophet, Muhammad (p.b.u.h). The different between them is that the prophet, Muhammad is the seal of the prophet ,and the Quran was revealed to the later and the Bible was revealed to the former. Both of them call to the oneness of Allah. I learned Islam. The prophet Muhammad was sent by Allah to the whole people until the day of judgment. Now as ten years passed after I had embraced Islam, I understood this religion very well, and my faith became strong, after I had studied the oneness in Islam which is about the absolute belief in the oneness of Allah. I also learned how the muslim performes his rites and duties as Islam allowed things and prohibited other thing. So, the muslim has to take Allah into consideration at any time. My proselytising was by Allah who guides whom He wills, and it is He Who guided me to be a muslim and sent me from Philipine to Kuwait to fulfill an executed commandment. I do not forget the people who did my sister and her husband favors after Allah, Glory be to Him. This program that enlights the people's mind was the reason for me to convert from one religion into the one that guides to righteousness and follows Allah's satisfaction. The committee of defining Islam and calling to Allah. The committee of defining Islam was the reason for teaching me Islam, it was the beginning of guidance and light in my heart. It includes the men who devote themselves to serve the religion, I ask Allah to reward them and those who established this great foundation of calling to Allah. An assistant of propagadist. I have learned and studied Islam after i had declared that I embraced Islam in this committee, I have got over all courses and lectures and obtained many certificates. First, i graduated as an assistant of propagandist of the Philipini community, now I am working as a preacher of Islam at the branch of the committee of defining Islam in Al-Ahmady. Praise be to Allah, I was the reason for many people to adopt Islam , that is the bounty of Allah; which he giveth unto whom he wills. Allah is of infinite bounty. The performance of Al-Hajj (pilgrimage). I took part in many dialogues between muslims and Christians. I performed Hajj and Umrah many times. Allah granted me protection and guidance which I have never imagined it. Allah, Glory be to him guidance. Allah fated me to convert from a religious choir to an Islamic preacher. really it is Allah`s guidance who is of great bounty, the Lord of the worlds and the most Gracious and Merciful. The praise to Allah, who hath guided us to this. We could not truly have been led aright if Allah had not guided us. Alahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me! ~
