Why I left Islam
Why I Left Islam - The Road to Eternal Destruction
I am an American but I was born to Palestinian parents. I was raised Muslim. My upbringing was more secular though I never questioned that I was a Muslim. My upbringing as a Muslim was part of our lifestyle. Islam is not just a religion but it defines culture. I wanted to share a little bit about my religious background as a means to share what God can do with a person and why I spend so much time blogging about Him who saved one such as me. This post is why I left Islam and have not looked back.
Growing up, I never questioned my ethnicity nor my religion even though I did not grow up in the middle east though I did spend many years in the middle east and graduated High School in the middle east but I attended an American High School. While the home I grew up in was not a strict Muslim home in that we did not practice all the tenets of Islam, it not only defined who we were but was the very culture that defined how my parents raised us.
Growing up, I was surrounded by non-Muslims. My Christian friends grew up in families such as mine. They did not attend church except for the Christian holidays or if they did, their lives were no different from anyone else. No one talked about religion.
In Islam, there are 5 tenants that one must follow. It is also taught that at the day of judgment, if a person’s good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they will gain entrance into paradise though that is not an absolute for it is at their god’s mercy. If I did something against the rules, I would try and make it up by doing something good to keep the balance in my favor. Muslims fool themselves in believing that any works they do would be pleasing enough to gain entrance into heaven to spend eternity before a holy God. I was one of those that fooled myself and tried to earn my way through my works.
In 1983, I met a Christian who started sharing the Gospel with me for the first time. Even though I had been around “Christians” my whole life, this was the first time I had ever heard what Christianity really taught. The process for me lasted a year and was an incredibly difficult process. I was not looking for a religion to accommodate my needs. I was not looking at all.
What I learned about Christianity is that God is holy. His holiness is beyond our comprehension. We may grasp perfection but we cannot fully comprehend His holiness and perfection. As a Muslim, I was taught that I can gain access to paradise simply by my good outweighing my bad. How utterly foolish for humans to believe that our defiled goodness can gain us access to such holiness. I knew that as a Muslim, I had utterly failed. I even saw Islam as not so clean. Watching the news and the murders of innocent people over a piece land touched something in me that I knew could not be right. Is their Allah really telling the people I come from to murder children in school buses to gain land? Did their Allah really create women to be inferior so that even our testimony in a court of law is not equal to that of a man? That’s what the Koran teaches. It takes the testimony of two women to equal that of one man. If women are inferior so that Islam teaches that husbands are permitted to hit their wives so that they submit, how would I ever be able to live a life that would be pleasing to a god, their Allah, if as a woman, I was inferior? I gave up. I accepted Islam but I had no hope that I would ever be able to meet the strict standards that was required to enter paradise.
Christianity teaches that man has no hope of ever being able to live to such a standard of perfection that would be acceptable to God. It is impossible. The very first sin a person commits will condemn. It is hopeless. Yet, God provided a way that will meet His holiness and satisfy His justice. Despite the fact that I was extremely angry with this man for trying to “convert” me to Christianity, I was curious enough to keep going back to hear more. For a whole year, I fought with him, I yelled at him and even walked away from him in the middle of his witnessing. I learned that God is merciful and loving so that He provided a way of salvation for man who is not capable of doing it himself.
On day about a year after I met this person who shared the Gospel with me, I was home alone sitting on my porch one evening. I was thinking about everything that this man had told me about the Gospel. I don’t remember how long I sat there and thinking and asked out loud, more or less rhetorically, “is all this true?” In a single instant in time, the Lord came to me and I just believed. At that moment, I believed that Christ was indeed God who came to earth to save mankind. I believed without a doubt that if He did not pay my penalty, there was no way I could pay it myself and yet spend eternity with Him. My death would result in my separation. I truly understood the word “pardoned.”
Several weeks later, I did something that was so very scary to me. I took the Koran into the bathroom opened it up and placed it on the bathroom floor. I was almost hyperventilating in fear at what I was about to do. What I was doing according to the Muslim faith was more than just wrong, the Muslim god could strike me dead at that moment. After putting it on the floor, with dirty shoes, I stomped on it, symbolically making the outside as filthy as the inside. As a Muslim, I was taught that taking the Koran into the bathroom was a most horrible thing to do. In the Arab culture, the bottom of one’s feet is not to be pointed towards a person let alone taking a dirty shoe and stepping on the Koran. I desecrated the holy book of my youth, the Koran. This act was my way of renouncing Islam and removing it forever from my life. I knew that Islam was a religion that was wrong and led her people down a road to destruction.
I did not become a Christian because I wanted something that would fit my lifestyle. If it was not true, no matter how much it fit my lifestyle, damnation would be my eternity. Islam teaches that somehow man has the ability through the performance of deeds that their Allah will grant them access to paradise. The senseless murder of innocent civilians is not forbidden by their Allah and in fact, is a good deed. Christ teaches that all mankind is lost and that no man has the ability to please God. Because of our inability, He paid the penalty for man so that we may spend eternity with Him.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And this is why I left Islam and have never looked back. Islam is a road to everlasting damnation while Christ leads those who place their faith in Him to everlasting life in the presence of a Holy God.
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my diciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32)
How cool is that?
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My comment rules are that there are to be no name calling or insults. Disagreeing with me, even vehemently, is fine and comments disagreeing with me will be approved. Nasty, ugly comments that include insults will not be approved. To those that have already commented that included insults, if you wish, you may resubmit your comments excluding the insults and I will approve the comments.
Insults do not add to a conversation and that is not how I wish to run my blog.
Thank you.
I’ve always wanted to reach out to Muslim friends I know, but when they look at the Bible, they consider it no good. I’ve been told that extensive knowledge of the Koran is a good starter, especially when studying with more devout Muslims. What do you think?
It is good to have an understanding of a person’s religion of whom you are witnessing to, whatever that may be. An extensive knowledge, in my opinion, is not necessary. I have seen Christians, with good intentions, end up in a debate. In my case, the person knew next to nothing about Islam and kept the conversations (which lasted a year) focused on Christ, the nature of man, the need for salvation, etc. When I would bring up Islam or the teachings of Islam, he never debated me but listened patiently and simply brought the conversation gently back to salvation. Once a debate begins, focus is lost as to the goal, that is, sharing Christ and the need for salvation.
If you want to witness to Muslims, have an understanding of their religion but you don’t need to know it as well as they do. Try and find out (there are good resources on the internet) what their objections or questions will be as to the Bible and be ready to answer those. I probably will be posting topics on that.
Its an excellent Blog.
Thank you for your kind words. I went and took a look at your blog. I would love to be able to visit your country.
Just wondering, did you actually read the Koran before stomping on it?
Yes I did but I did not read it from cover to cover.
I mentioned that in my post not as a means to offend anyone but only as part of my testimony in how I left Islam.
You are welcome to my country anytime, I feel it takes lot of thinking process to write such a blog which you. You have a good thought process, i personally feel anybody who goes against his/her caste has thought a lot about it. which you have, we should erdicate the caste system from this planet.
Thank you for your very kind words.
What?
Tishrei,
My heart churned with you all through this post….. Coming to see and understand Christ as you did has to be a most unforgetable experience….. It makes me think of what it had to be like for my ancestors years ago….. It would be nice to know how long Christianity has been in my lineage in some way or another, but I know that the Finnish, Norsemen, and Germanic peoples were all heathens at one time….. They, too, had to come to a time of decision…..
And yet, as you state, there are many people who just never talk about religion….. They have not grown up with any religious beliefs, so you are richer in that you have had some experience in dealing with what people want to call faith….. I think you can be sure that God knows how to use your background to produce fruit to His glory.
You can read about my becoming a Christian in the right hand side bar….. I think the post is entitled something like “Becoming A Christian Kid”….. It’s just that God knows how to work in all sorts of hearts and situations….. When Revelation tells us that we will cast our crowns before Him, we can know that that will be a heartfelt casting of crowns.
Margaret
The first Finnish-language translation of the New Testament was published in 1548 and it was remarkable act considering we had then 250 000 habitants. The first touch with christianity dates back to 11th century when Christian missionaries entered Finland from east (orthodox church) and from west (catholic church). The native pagan religion still persisted until Christianity was strengthened under Swedish influence in the 12th century and in the 13th century Northern Crusades was launched against the last pagans in here.
Nowadays we have the main Lutheran and Orthodox churches which are constitutional national churches of Finland (with special roles such as in state ceremonies and schools). But this is very much off topic, my apologies
I just found this blog and have very much enjoyed of topics. Keep up the good work!
(I’m not native English speaker, my grammar might not be perfect)
Hi Kristiina,
Hey, thanks for that bit of history – honestly, I had no idea.
Your English is great and I would love to hear more from you.
Oh I just read this and it moved my heart. Thank you for sharing your testimony.
Realizing that as a sinner, we need His grace. It is not by our works, but His love and mercy.
Thanks Liz
Beautiful testimony Tishrei. Thank you for sharing it with the world.
Thanks and thanks for stopping by
This is the first post where I have felt something else other than disgust. I am not a fan of any religion for the simple fact that every religion, excluding Buddhism, has a long line of violence, Christianity and Islam being right at the top of that list. Let’s not forget that the Christians were the ones that started the crusades and provoked the then peaceful Muslims. If you’re all for peace for all and goodwill towards men I would suggest leaving religion all together since the bible isn’t exactly kind towards women either. Women are supposed to be subservient to men at all times. Women who are raped are supposed to marry their rapists if they were virgins at then time of their rape. If not, they are to be killed for adultery. Does that sound like a loving god to you? From what I’ve read in the Bible there are two Gods; the benevolent and loving God, father to all, and the angry vengeful God who would smite you for the tiniest indiscretion. As I have said, if you’re all for love and peace you’d do best to do as I’ve done and just forget religion completely.
I’m sorry you have felt disgust as you read through this blog site.
I can’t tell you how often I hear about the crusades as if that was God instituted. That’s like saying that if I do something wrong, you are going to reject Christ’s salvation. You are rejecting Christ’s salvation because you don’t like what you’ve seen such as the crusades.
You’re arguments are that you don’t like the way women are treated. Before you make such an argument, I would ask that you really read the bible instead of finding things you don’t like — read it as a whole instead of pulling things out of context — read it in the context of the time period (that worldview) and not in your American western 21st century worldview and maybe you would at least be able to understand their lives in those days.
You ask if God is a loving an benevolent God — YES YES and YES. Jesus spent 6 hours on the cross so that man may live. You reject that because you don’t like how women lived over 2000 years ago. Please at least try and understand that your worldview from the 21st century western society is vastly different than the worldview of ancient biblical times. That’s like comparing apples to onions (not even the same fruit .. apples to oranges).
Well, I discovered your website yesterday and I’ve got to say your testimony is amazing. This is truly a reflection of God’s culture-penetrating, irresistable love.
Have you shared this at your church before, or with some friends?
Thanks Dan. Sorry for such a late reply and in case you didn’t read my sticky post, I’ve been away from my computer as I had a friend in town that I had not seen in quite a while.
And yes, my salvation is certainly a reflection of God’s irresistible love
“Let’s not forget that the Christians were the ones that started the crusades and provoked the then peaceful Muslims.”
That’s not true. I do grant the Crusaders behaved not Christ-like in how they slaughtered Muslim, Jewish, and Greek Orthodox civilians alike. But they did not start the Crusades, and the Muslims were not peaceful, not before then and certainly not at that time. In fact, the Crusades started because the Byzantine empire appealed to western Christianity for help given the attacks they received from the Muslims. Jerusalem did not get into the hands of the Muslim world by accident. It involved invasions into Christian lands for centuries prior to that point.
Yes, us Christians should be ashamed at how men behaved then in the name of Christ be it slaughtered of women and children during the Crusades or be it the actions of the Inquisition or be it offer of salvation by the papacy to those who agree to fight the Crusades (if it was just defensive warfare, that would not in of itself be wrong, but to make it a war for which one based one’s salvation on, that’s just plain horrible). But let’s give blame where blame is due. Neither side had their hands clean during the Crusades.
“excluding Buddhism, has a long line of violence”
Buddhists were not even blameless in history, too. Back when there were Christian missionaries in Japan, they were driven out and persecuted by Buddhist leaders. That would keep Japan isolated from Europe til the 1800s. And I say this as an Asian guy, raised in a culture where Buddhism is predominant.
” Women are supposed to be subservient to men at all times.”
Then do tell why in 1 Corinthians Paul stated that men are bound to their duties to their wives, and even in Ephesians 5 where submission of wives to husbands is taught, husbands are commanded to treat their wives as if they are their own bodies, so as not to mistreat them. And they are to treat them with the kind of servanthood role that Christ showed for the church, even to the point of sacrificial love.
“If not, they are to be killed for adultery. Does that sound like a loving god to you? From what I’ve read in the Bible there are two Gods; the benevolent and loving God, father to all, and the angry vengeful God who would smite you for the tiniest indiscretion.”
The same God of love is also God of wrath and justice. God hates sin, and all of humanity is guilty of sin against Him, from the smallest to the oldest.
Yet He showed His love in having His only begotten Son take our place at the cross to take away that sin all of us are guilty of and deserve death over.
“Please at least try and understand that your worldview from the 21st century western society is vastly different than the worldview of ancient biblical times. That’s like comparing apples to onions (not even the same fruit .. apples to oranges).”
Exactly. If folks thought treatment of women was horrible under OT law, look at what it was like for them apart from OT law.
And Christ and His apostles, including Paul, contrary to modern day feminist claims, actually liberated women. Yes, not in the way folks today want it. But in the way that they are not properties of men. They still are to submit in wedding vows, but men are never to treat them like properties and in fact as leaders are required to look after their needs and treat them the way they themselves want to be treated.
Hi Daredevil,
I see most of your comments are directed at Mindy. She has not been back after leaving these comments (she left a lot of comments on this blog on different posts and she was not happy with what she read).
You’re right — apart from the OT law, women were treated — well let’s just say that I treat my animals in my care with more dignity, care and love than women in those days. My critters actually have more freedom and “rights” than women in those days.