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Baptism Story from Islam to Christianity
I encountered Christ at the age of 12 when I started schooling at , Assumption English School, founded by the Brothers of St Gabriel. St Louis Marie De Montfort was our founder. While at school, I was always intrigued by the sign of the cross. We have morning prayers daily so it was a usual sight. I will usually pray the Al-Fatihah during these prayers as I was brought up to look at Christianity as a wrong religion, misguided. In school, I debated with many Catholics, however, it reflected a misunderstanding on my part as I couldn’t understand why would God take flesh and become Man.
Learning basics of Islam, found the truth
In order to debate the Christians, I would require Islamic knowledge. I started reading the Quran because I needed to learn more about what I believed in. It was during this time where I had an affection with Surah Maryam. I found out that the similarities are uncanny. In Surah Maryam, John the Baptist was born to Zechariah, the Mother of God, Maryam was also inside it. Maryam was chaste, holy and also a virgin in Islam and she gave birth to Jesus. Maryam even remained pure according to the Quran. In Islamic theology, Maryam is truly blessed amongst women, the greatest woman in the world and was mentioned 70 times. I started to learn more about Christianity, and my entire understanding of God was changed completely. I was intrigued as to how did the faith turn 180 degrees to discredit the Incarnation. Jesus as a child, in the Quran, denied that he was the Son of God. I tried to learn Hail Mary as, I wanted to get closer to Maryam and understand God from her perspective. I prayed it daily, I think it was then where I was given the wisdom of God and I finally understood God’s love for us. I managed to understand the Incarnation through the perspective and life of St Mary. With the help of St Louis Marie de Montfort, the patron of Assumption English School, I learnt more about the intercession of Mary. I started reading his book; “True Devotion of Mary”
First Mass; Holy Thursday
I’ve been practising Christianity since then, and I began to memorised other prayers. I approached my friend, the same person, whom I always debated with and I asked her to bring me to Church. We decided to go on Holy Thursday, the day Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. During Mass, I was at peace, and while the priest was washing the feet of his parishioners – I began to cry. I don’t know why I cried but I was so happy. I had this feeling in my heart, I wanted to become Christian, I wanted to be with Christ. I enrolled in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) after. It went well for a while, I got closer to Christ and His Mother, but this changed when my parents caught me red-handed.
Got caught by Parents
They saw my Bible in my cupboard, on the day, I didn’t bring my Bible to school. At first, they didn’t tell me anything except for me to go home quickly. When I got home, after I finished showering, I saw my Bible and other devotionals such as crucifixes and my rosary on the floor outside my room. I was terrified as I knew that I was going to get scolded. Initially, they were calm and Dad was asking me why I was in possession of the Bible and other devotionals. I told them about my desire to convert calmly and admitted that I believed in Jesus Christ. I told them about the entire story from reading the Quran to that day and my Mom started crying profusely asking me to renounce Christ and say the shahadah which is the Islamic creed. This went on for a while, I didn’t want to renounce Christ, so my Dad started to hit me. With each slap, I shouted Jesus name, well this made them angrier. My Dad lost his patience and took a knife and threatened me if I didn’t renounce Christ, he would kill me and that he didn’t care if he went to jail as long as he didn’t have an apostate as a son. I was too scared and I renounced Christ and said the Islamic creed. After renouncing Christ, I ran to my room to cry and I messaged my Catechist to tell him that I wouldn’t be taking part in RCIA anymore. I apologised to him because I renounced Christ and that I was too weak to declare him in front of my parents. At first, I was angry at God for abandoning me during the time I needed him the most, and I felt so depressed. Thank God, I began to believe in Him again because I felt the desolation of not having Christ in my heart. Throughout this journey up till today, I was caught more than 3 times red-handed and each time, I would get beaten up and scolded.
Why the Coptic Church?
I learnt about the Coptic martyrs who were martyred for their faith. I also learnt about the existence of the Libyan martyrs who were beheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). They didn’t renounce Christ and what touched me most is that there was a man among them who wasn’t even Christian but he declared his belief in Christ by saying, "Their God is my God”. The Coptic Orthodox Church, the Church of Martyrs resonated with me as I am facing spiritual persecution. It was also then when I met a friend, and he brought me to the Coptic Orthodox Church here. I met the wonderful priests of St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church who taught me the basics of the Oriental Orthodox theology. I told the priests of my desire to become a Christian and to be baptised. They didn’t find it necessary for me to undergo basic faith lessons as I was previously enrolled in RCIA. Coincidentally, the Bishop of Sydney and its Affiliated Regions, His Grace Bishop Daniel visited us.
Baptism
I took that opportunity to talk to His Grace and he suggested a baptism date. I got baptised by my Confessor on the 6th of August 2017. It was a simple baptism, it was only myself, and my Godfather in the baptistry with my Confessor. I couldn’t help but cry when my Confessor told me that I’m finally a child of God. I could finally receive the Body and Blood of our Lord. Never did I thought, I would have this opportunity to accept him and be united with him because of all the trials I went through. I will turn 23 this year (2021) and I am still learning about the Christian faith.
What I learnt
I am so thankful that I knew him and I remind myself daily that I was led to Christ not because I hated Islam but because I learnt of the love that God had for us. He loved us so much that he took flesh, suffered and died for us on the Cross. I am still a secret Christian – I have to pray the salah, secretly go to Church and pray yet thankfully with God’s grace I am alive, safe & able to continue my worship towards the one true God
Please continue to pray for all ex Muslims especially those in danger.
Glory be to God, forever and ever. Amen.
“You did not choose me: No, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last.”
John 15:16
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