This Ramadan has been the best one in a quite a while. A few months of fasting have passed through the last 3 or 4 years, and I did not reap the many benefits from it as I could and should have. When your iman is weak, you tend to only fast, but not do additional amal in order to elevate your iman. In any case I was determined to do more this Ramadan and really step up my game. Among the things that have happened with me this Ramadan, the best thing happened that I could have ever asked for in this life. My father, who hated Islam for a long time, took his shahadah! For a long time I have been watching Allah work with him. Ever since I became Muslim 14 years ago, I never thought my father would accept Islam. Then about maybe 10 years ago, he secretly started reading and studying the Bible as best as he could. He was never a very religious person, but he was Christian only because he was raised as such and it was the only religion he knew about. He used to be very critical of everything about Islam. He really didn't like it at all and couldn't understand why I would choose such a religion that I had to cover myself, and restrict what I ate and so forth. Then perhaps about 6 or so years ago he actually asked me some questions about salaat, for that was the one thing that both intrigued and angered him about Islam the most. He never used to like to watch the salaat being performed. He thought it was silly and unnecessary.
In any case, to watch Allah give someone hidayat is a wondrous thing and is very much a miracle in this case. I prayed so long that Allah would guide him, I still can't believe it. He took his shahadah on the 19th of August. A few days before that he called me and began to ask what should he do because he felt like Allah was guiding him but he was apprehensive. Before that, I had never really brought the message of Islam really hard to my father. I opted for patience in his case, and only interjected sometimes with what Allah says about certain subjects. That day however I talked to him like I would any Muslim. I talked to him strictly about the greatness of Allah. He was very grateful for it. Then the day before he came to my home to take his shahadah, he asked me to teach him salaat. He said that Jesus used to pray many times a day, so that he wanted to do the same. Maybe you can imagine my surprise and happiness about that.
So that's the story in a nutshell. Like I said, I still can't really digest what happened. Make dua for him that he become a strong Muslim and that Allah continues to guide him towards the practice of Islam. He was eager to make salaat so I am still teaching him what to say in it. Alhamdulillah both my parents and all my brothers and sister are all Muslim!!
