A
Jewish Woman Thinking About Embracing Islam: In US Did
Research On Different Religions
Islamic Rulings -
Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answers
I have very difficult question and I this is
my only hope that you can help me to find the answer.
I am Russian Jewish girl and I know this Muslim guy
for over a year. The longer we know each other, the
more problems and difficulties we face. Not in the
religious or cultural ways. We love each other and
there is an issue of whether he can marry me or not.
He is very good Muslim and he comes from traditional
family. I am very found of his believes and believes
of his family. I was born in very agnostic country and
couldn't be properly introduced into any religion. It
was forbidden. When I came to US I started my research
on different religions and found out, that my believes
do not really match all jewish sayings. I did a lot of
research on Islam and by looking at him and couple
other Muslim boys and girls, and
by reading Quaran, I have very strong feeling that I
could become a good Muslim. I want to go to school to
learn the culture and religion more precise, to learn
the language. I contacted the mosque and was ready to
go... but I faced the issue: would I be accepted as
Muslim sister like other people who came from
different religions accept Jewish? Jewish and Muslims
are in big contradictions and I know that friendship
is almost impossible. I am praying to God (in my home
language - Russian), to lead me the right way to
achieve my believes. Please, help me to find my
answers!
Thank you very much.
Praise be to Allaah.
"I have very strong feeling that I could become a good
Muslim." The way you express yourself so clearly in
your message indicates that you are indeed open to the
truth and have been sincerely seeking for it.
"I am praying to God (in my home language –Russian),
to lead me to the right way…" What you say here, at
the end of your message, makes the Muslim reader feel
deeply moved by the story of a woman who has turned
towards Allaah after realizing that He answers the
prayers of those who call on Him and ask for guidance
to the right way. Allaah says in the Qur'aan
(interpretation of the meaning): "And when My slaves
ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer
them), I am indeed near (to them, by My knowledge). I
respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he
calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So
let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may
be led aright." [al-Baqarah 2:186]. It is a good sign
that your heart appears to be open to Islam. Allaah
also tells us in the Qur'aan: "And whomsoever Allaah
wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam, and
whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his
breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up
to the sky…" [al-An'aam 6:125]
Please note that Muslims who understand their religion
properly will not feel any kind of reservation or
resentment towards any brother or sister who embraces
Islam, no matter what their origins. The fact that a
new Muslim comes from a Jewish or Christian background
should not be a reason for any kind of discrimination
or prejudice. We will give you two examples from
Islamic history of two Jews – one man and one woman –
who entered Islam.
The first one is Abu Yoosuf ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam
(may Allaah be pleased with him). Anas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: "When ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam
heard that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) had come to Madeenah,
he came to him and said, ‘I am going to ask you about
three things which no one knows except a Prophet. What
is the first Sign of the Hour? What is the first food
that the people of Paradise will eat? And how is it
that a child may resemble either his father or his
maternal uncles?' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Jibreel has
just now informed me about these.' ‘Abd-Allaah ibn
Salaam said, ‘He is the enemy of the Jews among the
angels.' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The first sign of the
Hour is a fire that will gather the people together
from the East to the West. The first food that the
people of Paradise will eat will be the caudate
(extra) lobe of fish-liver. As for the child
resembling one parent or another, when a man has
intercourse with his wife, if the man's discharge
precedes the woman's discharge, the child will
resemble the man, and if the woman's discharge
precedes the man's, the child will resemble the
woman." [‘Abd-Allaah] said: ‘I bear witness that you
are the Messenger of Allaah…'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari,
3082).
Al-Bukhaari also reported: " ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam
came and said: ‘I bear witness that you are the
Messenger of Allaah and that you have brought the
truth. The Jews know that I am the best of them and
the son of the best of them, and I am the most
knowledgeable of them and the son of the most
knowledgeable of them, so call them and ask them about
me before they know that I have become Muslim, for if
they know that I have become Muslim, they will say
things about me that are not true.' The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent for them and
they came to him. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to them, ‘O
Jews, woe to you! Fear Allaah, for by Allaah besides
Whom there is no other god, you know that I am truly
the Messenger of Allaah and that I come to you with
the truth, so become Muslim.' They said, ‘We know
nothing about that.' He said it three times… He said,
‘What kind of man is ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam among
you?' They said, ‘He is the best of us and the son of
the best of us; he is the most knowledgeable of us and
the son of the most knowledgeable among us.' He said,
‘What would you think if he became Muslim?' They said,
‘May Allaah protect him from that! He would never
become Muslim.' He said, ‘What would you think if he
became Muslim?' They said, ‘May Allaah protect him
from that! He would never become Muslim.' He said,
‘What would you think if he became Muslim?' They said,
‘May Allaah protect him from that! He would never
become Muslim.' He said, ‘O son of Salaam, come out to
them.' He [‘Abd-Allaah] came out and said, ‘O Jews,
fear Allaah! By Allaah besides Whom there is no other
god, you know that he is the Messenger of Allaah and
that he has come with the truth.' They said, ‘You are
lying!' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) told them to leave." (Reported
by al-Bukhaari, 3621)
This man's Jewish origins did not prevent him from
being one of those who were given the glad tidings of
Paradise before they died. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: "I never heard the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) saying to any man who walked on the face of
the earth that he would be one of the people of
Paradise except for ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam. Concerning
him, the aayah (interpretation of the meaning) ‘… and
a witness from among the Children of Israel testifies
that this Qur'aan is from Allaah…' [al-Ahqaaf 46:10]
was revealed."
The Jewish woman who became Muslim was Safiyyah bint
Huyay ibn Akhtab, from the Jews of Khaybar, who
believed in Allaah as her Lord, Islam as her religion,
and Muhammad as her Prophet.
This Jewish woman Safiyyah, who embraced Islam, became
a mother for all of us Muslims, as Allaah said in the
Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning): "The Prophet
is closer to the believers than their own selves, and
his wives are their mothers…" [al-Ahzaab 33:6].
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
stayed between Khaybar and Madeenah for three days
when he got married to Safiyyah bint Huyay, and
invited the Muslims to his waleemah (wedding feast)…
The Muslims said, ‘Is she one of the Mothers of the
Believers or is she one of those whom his right hand
possesses?' They said, ‘If he covers her, then she is
one of the Mothers of the Believers and if he does not
cover her, then she is one of those whom his right
hand possesses.' When he got on his camel, he made her
ride behind him, and he put a screen between her and
the people." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4762).
Safiyyah (may Allaah be pleased with her) was the one
for whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) came out of seclusion (I'tikaaf) especially
to accompany her to her house. (The one who is in
seclusion for worship is not allowed to come out
except for a valid reason). ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (may
Allaah be pleased with them both) reported that
Safiyyah, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) told him that she came to the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) to visit him whilst he was in I'tikaaf in
the mosque, during the last ten days of Ramadaan. She
spoke with him for a while, then she wanted to go back
to her house, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) got up and took her back…
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1894)
According to another report: The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) was in the mosque,
and his wives were with him, then they left. He said
to Safiyyah bint Huyay, "Don't rush, I will go with
you." Her home was in the house of Usaamah, and the
Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments