“Islam was the most personally inspiring religious and philosophical framework that I had encountered in all of my journeyings; the more I studied the Qur’anic revelations, the more the Qur’an  would reveal itself. The religion was alive in people’s beings, and it made me alive too. Islam was an ocean, and I was thoroughly enjoying the plunge into learning.”*

“I was taking classes on Islam at the University of Cairo. I got to visit mosques and I was reading classical spiritual manuals from the 12th century late 11th century in translation because I wasn't good at Arabic yet.  I Was like, oh this is really simple and beautiful and at the same time it demands a lot from you as a person. It's not an easy tradition that you can kind of just like get off the hook. You have to fast Ramadan and you have to have your life structured and I like that. It was a challenge and it made sense. I liked things about Christianity, I liked ethics of Christianity but I didn't like the theology. Islam still has theology, but the central principles are really simple and intuitive for me. The divine is like a unified…. created in time itself so stands outside of time.”

Were you religious growing up?

“I thought Evangelical Christians were kind and well-meaning, but I thought their theology was not what I wanted for my own life.  My mother is evangelical. I think she probably still prays for me to convert back to Christianity. But we don't talk about it. She occasionally asks me things about Islam, but she's very much indoctrinated into Anti-muslimness “

Your conversion, has it affected your relationship with your parents do you think? 

“I think my dad, I don't think he really cares about issues of ultimate salvation. My mom is happy that I'm a successful academic and religious studies scholar, I think she would rather I was a Christian writing books on the Bible. “

Celine Ibrahim, PhD / Brookline, NH

*Excerpt from “One Nation, Indivisible: Seeking Liberty and Justice from the Pulpit to the Streets” Celene Ibrahim (author/editor)