By Nathan Prince                                           

 

The idea of Islam rests on the periphery of Western consciousness. And what is not understood is always misrepresented. Media outlets bombard us with what is forbidden. Our values, it may be perceived, stand in direct contradiction to those around us. Maybe it has been this way since the beginning. So why did I become a Muslim? The question should be answered, perhaps, everyday.

           

Looking back to the high school classroom, I remember being fascinated by the subject of Islam. The calligraphy of Arabic words and the majesty of the art and architecture impressed me to no end. Arab friends and families shared their culture with me and I gained more knowledge from them than from any other source.

           

Certain features of the faith appealed to me. It is iconoclastic. Representations of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or religious depictions are not tolerated, similar, incidentally, to my Protestant-oriented upbringing. There is a solemnity in respect to what is sacred. There are no hierarchies or superficial social structures in the faith, which ultimately, ideally unifies all forms of life at every level. The democratic spirit emanates from believers – the only difference being, some are more knowledgeable, more capable than others. Nowhere in the history of the world will a phenomenon be found on such a scale. The astonishing veracity and power in which Islam spread through the civilized world served as the cultural link between the classical and medieval world. The link leads us into the modern.

           

Interest and curiosity is one thing, dedication and devotion, quite another. Ultimately, there was something missing in my life, an emptiness, a void. If I had no direction how could my immediate family? Islam should be a complete emancipation from pettiness and triviality. With it, everything becomes profound. Although rigorous in discipline and behavior, the ultimate goal should be liberation, liberation, in every, way shape and form. And I submit.