My journey to Islam started when I began to see and understand myself and my place in nature. I came to appreciate why Native Americans view life and nature as a great circle — in which every part of creation has its own purpose and function within that whole. I realized that when left to its own course, nature maintains perfect balance.
During this period, I began to think of myself as something other than a Christian. For a time, I was an atheist; later, I explored Buddhism. I read about the Tao, and attended a few Catholic services.
Eventually, I decided that I believed in God — but not in any specific religion. Something seemed missing from all of them. If God is perfect, I reasoned, then His religion should also be perfect — unchanging, complete, and in no need of alteration.
One day, I was driving down the alley behind the mosque when I passed an old man wearing a long Islamic shirt, a waistcloth, and a kufi (skullcap). I, too, was wearing a kufi. When we passed each other, he looked up, gave me a smile that I felt all the way to my toes, and said, “As-Salaam `aleikum!” (peace be upon you). I didn’t stop, but I made up my mind to go in the next time.
As fate would have it, the next time I passed the mosque and finally went inside, the only person there was the same old man. He recognized me from the alley and listened intently as I shared my story of coming to Islam. When I had finished, he said, “Welcome to the Truth.”
He told me two things that he said I must always remember.
The first is that Islam’s greatest threat does not come from non-believers, but from Muslims themselves. He explained that I would see and hear of Muslims doing and saying things that had little or nothing to do with Islam.
Therefore, it is my duty to learn as much of the religion as I could.
The second is that I must strive, to the best of my abilities, to be the best Muslim possible each and every day. Some days would be better than others, but I must always make the effort to be my best from the moment I wake up.
I took his words. And so, I strive each day to live Islam sincerely, learning and growing with every step I take.
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