in the name of Allah the most
beneficient of the most
merciful I remember my first Ramadan it
was in 2009 and I actually learned on
the very first day of Ramadan how to
pray even though I had converted 2
months before Ramadan but I was
definitely convinced that I was going to
make my first Ramadan the best that I
possibly could even though I knew
absolutely nothing about Islam but I
knew that I believed in the one God and
that that feeling is what was going to
carry me through my first
Ramadan my family it took them some time
to accept my conversion to Islam uh
first and foremost my parents are
divorced my father is a born again
Christian Pastor in Florida so I
actually didn't tell him for almost a
year because I was just so nervous of
what his reaction was going to be so I
slowly gave him subtle hints on that
clearly I wasn't celebrating the
Christian holidays anymore my brother
initially took it really hard because he
just felt he was losing not only me but
he was losing Christmas with me and also
due to his lack of knowledge but as I
sat with him and educated him more about
Islam he was more accepting about it and
I also made such a great effort to still
have somewhat of a nice family gathering
during the time that they celebrate
their holidays my mother was the most
accepting of all because being her
oldest child I'd always made good
decisions in my life and she knew that
if it was a decision I made I'd
thoroughly thought it out and looked at
all sides positive and negative so
obviously if my she said if my daughter
made this decision it must be a good
decision for her and I support
her the advice that I would give someone
about Islam depending on what their
religious background is is to really
look at what they really feel is their
relationship with God and feeling that
connected relationship and if their
worship whether it be from any other
Faith do they really feel that they're
making a sacrifice to God and look at
Islam at the level of sacrifice you're
actually making for God before yourself
and before worldly things and see that
that really will enable you to have that
peace at
heart