Nine Lessons for New Converts/Reverts to Islam

1. It Gets Easier

The beginning is always the hardest.  You’ve found the truth, fulfillment, and a sense of peace you never imagined possible.  A handful of people can’t wait to share Islam with their families, but for most of us, breaking the news to parents, grandparents, relatives, and sometimes kids, brings a sense of dread.

This sense of dread has been even more heightened since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Many people perceive being a Muslim as the antithesis of being an American, even though Islam teaches us to uphold religious freedom.  To most people Islamic practice embodies the opposite of American values and lifestyles.  Family members may be shocked or even mildly okay at first, but after it has sunk in, they may be angry, devastated, or cut themselves off from you.  You may never again experience the kind of emotional hurts that you will when you first tell your family that you’ve accepted Islam.  The reality is they are hurting too, and their hurts are justified in their minds, even if they aren’t in yours.

In the beginning many family members will act their worst, making threats and saying hurtful things, but the more you stay calm and continue to be yourself despite your new faith, the more they will cool down and eventually realize they overreacted.  Some people may continue to cut you off, but even those hurts will heal as so many more people continue to love and accept you.  Hang in there, it does get better.

Next: Your Family May Never Get It