I want to touch on a topic I have been ignoring quite sometime now. I was asked once by student, while I was unfamiliar with the situation. Why do so many African Americans convert to Islam, while in prison. Shocking point.
Until I went to Optometrist (eye doctor) I have not come across this. During the waiting session, the electricity went out. And mostly people start to go one by one. Mother and I were waiting for a ride. For that reason we were the last once to leave. Any who, while we were waiting. this man came to us.
Asalamu Aleykum, he said.
Okay, I am not trying to be racist but my entire life, I have only seen one African American who happened to be a Muslim. This was not shocking to me, I just didn't expect the eye doctor to be a Muslim It didn't had anything to do with his skin color.
Usually when someone came up to me and says "Asalamu Aleykum", especially, White and African Americans. I always doubt whether they have pick up the phrase or are they're really a Muslim. As strange as it may sound, I didn't hasted to replay to this man. From his attire and way his face shine you could just tell that this guy was a Muslim.
On the other hand my sister couldn't keep it, so she asked.
Are you a convert?
The amazing part was his answer.
No, Everyone is born as a Muslim.He reply
Takbiir!!!!! there he began to tell us his journey.
I have seen so many people who call them selves "Revert Muslim", "Islam Convert" and similar to it. It always made me ponder. Why point to a door you closed. Why would you want to read at a letter you teared.
He refused to be called a convert. Because he never was, indeed he was on the right path. Masha'allah.
.Last week our English teacher brought it up, she looked at me and say is the true. I didn't want to say this, as she her self was African American. Few point had been laid out.
Why in prison and not before?
During the slavery era, the history and background of African American had been destroyed. Therefore when they get to prison they lay the foundation. They get exposed to the literature work.
The second reason that is mainly talked about is , prison is a very racist place. Mostly they walk out of there disliking white and vice verse. They end up considering Christianity a white religion. And want belong to a group.Or they get to exposed to the reality. Indeed,Allah guides who he wants.
Simply because in prison they have time to reflect without the distractions of the world around them, they have more time to focus and think about their life and where it is going plus prison brings about exposure to new cultures and news ways of life, even though prison may not be the best of places, the situation allot of them find themselves in prior to prison leads only to prison.
ReplyDeletethis is the channel Allah has made for them to become muslims, as the majority of those in prison are from "the hood" as you americans call it, there is no other way for them, i don't see other muslims arabs or asians venturing to them to give them da'wah.
so alhamdulillah prison in that sense is a blessing for them, a time to reflect and analyze, and when they do, they become muslims.
afican americans have muslim blood from africa so it should not be such a strange thing to you that "blacks are muslims" i think your somali so your skin colour ain't that far off is it? but somalis don't consider themselves "black"...no diss intended.
so yes masha Allah good for them its good, Allah has his ways and who knows, the reason why so many AA are becoming muslims maybe from a duaa made by a muslim ancestor of theirs during times of oppression.
You made an excellent point there, masha'allah I haven't though about their background. Du'a will always be answer no matter how long.
ReplyDeleteI know most of "somalis" don't consider themselves African but belive it or not I do, AND proud of it.
Masha'allah again you made a great point. Thnks for stopping by.