12/26/2025
My Journey: From Fear to the Light of the Quran
In my childhood, I became a "Muslim" through a name, tradition, and fear. My mother would say, "My child, if you don't pray, you will burn in the fire!" My Madrasa teachers would say, "If there is a dog, angels will not enter. If you listen to music, your ears will be cut off."
I was afraid. In my imagination, I burned in the fires of Hell. But I found no peace anywhere.
I prayed, I fasted, I read the Hadith—yet I found no compassion for people, no kindness toward animals, and no freedom of thought.
What I Witnessed
I saw the Mosque’s Khatib calling people disbelievers (Kafir). I saw Fatwa-mongering clerics telling women to hide their faces. I saw groups of scholars mounting the pulpit only to label other groups as "misguided."
In one country, there are Shias; in another, Sunnis—and both are killing each other! I saw Muslims killing Muslims in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. In the mosques, there were words of peace; in reality, there were walls of division.
Returning to the Quran
One day, certain verses shook my heart:
• "There is no compulsion in religion" – Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256
• "And do not be divided among yourselves" – Surah Ali 'Imran 3:103
• "Indeed, Allah orders justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives" – Surah An-Nahl 16:90
I realized that Allah’s word does not belong to a sect or a school of thought (Madhab); it reaches the heart directly.
The Quran Set Me Free
I can no longer just stand and count prayers while my heart is absent.
Now I know:
Islam is not just about ritual prayer; it is about justice, kindness, and truthfulness. Islam is a relationship with Allah and a responsibility toward humanity.
I am now a Quranic Muslim:
The one I follow is Allah, whose word remains preserved and unaltered in the Quran. I know now that the Prophet (PBUH) who brought the Quran did not bring a message of bigotry, nor did he bring fatwas to kill dogs or inhumane orders regarding women's veiling.
I declare:
• I am no longer that Muslim who is merely a sectarian.
• I am no longer that Muslim who seeks to hold onto faith through fear.
• I now seek the liberation, light, and mercy given by Allah—which is found in the Quran.
My Future: Islam of the Heart, Not Just Ritual
I still pray—when my soul desires it, when my heart is soaked in tears. I still fast—when I want to purify my soul. I still supplicate—not in a memorized tongue, but in my own language.
My faith is no longer fear; it is love. The Hindu is my brother; I love Christians, Jews, and people of all other faiths. My Islam is not found in a loudspeaker; it lives in the silence of my heart.
Final Words
I am as I am. You are as you are. Allah alone will be my judge. If I go to Heaven, what do you gain? If I go to Hell, what do you lose?
Collected.
