were not taught set prayers but to pray from the heart. We went to
church every Sunday and were active participants inthe activities held
there.....
By the time I was in my late teens I was a missionary.
I always felt close to �God'and prayer was a way of life for me. Deep
in my mind, for I could never voice any doubts, I had some misgivings;
some things that didn't make sense to me but as a missionary I felt I
was calling to God, not to that particular church. I knew God, to be
the Infinitely Powerful Being Who had created all there is. I
couldrecognize a harmony and structure in all the nature around me,
yet I found anabsence of order wherever I looked aroundpeople. I
learned to love Jesus as a messenger of God but it seemed strangeto
me, that God would require a sacrifice in orderto forgive us. I
believed that God was above having any need. I felt I could
communicate with God as I was, without the necessity of an
intermediary because, again, God didn't need any help to hear what I
said.
One day I moved into a flat and met my neighbors who were Muslims. I
thought I would try out some missionary work on them.They listened to
me patiently and then I too, listened to them . They didn't try to
explain any complicated issues, they just read to me from the Qu'ran.
First they read in Arabic, then in English. It was Sura (Chapter)
Maryam. I listened in silence. The beautiful sound of the Arabic
recitation touched my heart and then the plain and direct language of
theEnglish translation struck a chord within. The beautiful story of
Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him)and his miracle birth to the virgin
Mary was a marvel of simplicity. God, or as I learned to call
Him,Allah s.w.t. had provided mankind with Prophets and Messengers
since the beginning of time. From Prophet Adam (peace be upon him),
Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus and Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon them all) and many others. They were all sent with
God's message to disdain all worship except, worship of the One True
God and to submit to His Will. Suchis the meaning of Islam. A Muslim
is one who bows to the will of Allah s.w.t. refusing the worship of
anyone or anything else and seeking to establish piety on earth.
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