Marin is a wonderful person from Bulgaria. He has a professional degree in Machine Building and works in a factory for metal cutting machines. Marin said kalima shahadat and was referred to me by one of my students. I have always believed that learning is a mutual process. I taught Hisham (his Muslim name) how to offer prayers, how to pronounce Arabic, different Hadith (sayings of Holy Prophet PBUH), and answer his questions regarding Islam. In turn, I learned a lot from him, he taught me how to have firm faith in Allah, how to be contented with what Allah has destined for us, and most importantly how to get our prayers answered by Allah. I have seen impossible turning to possible when he prays, maybe he has better contact with Allah than born Muslims like us.
According to Hisham, he wasn’t a very religious person before accepting Islam. He did believe in God and Jesus Christ, he was visiting churches on special occasions. Hisham says that Christians believe in the trinity but he always believed that there is one God and Jesus is His prophet sent to show humans the right path. Hisham says that he was familiar with Islam but didn’t know the truth about Islam. In the past few years, he felt more confused about Christianity and was Christian only in papers. On social media, he met many Muslims from Pakistan and India. There he got to know about Islam and finally, he was ready to accept Islam as one of his friends kept telling him about Islam. He said he researched a lot, listened to different Muslim scholars, and felt that he always believed in la illaha illa Allah. He always felt that there is one God and no one except him, he prayed to him and felt His presence. He says when he said Kailima shahadat he felt light in his heart and felt contented.
In his journey towards learning Islam, he has read a translation of the Quran twice. He goes to the local masjid in Bulgaria. He says he was afraid when he went there for the first time but how he was treated there made him feel that he belonged to those people ever since he was born. Hisham intends to learn and memorize Holy Quran and be a useful and effective unit of the Muslim community. He liked helping people but now as a Muslim, he feels it his duty. He intends to learn Arabic as it is the language of the Quran and our Holy Prophet PBUH. I wish him luck and look forward to mutual learning.
Allah may bless us all with the true understanding of our religion. Ameen