Real & Wonderful Stories-Zahira

 My sister and I grew up in the Catholic church along with my other brothers and sisters. But unlike them we always felt something wasn’t right. At the end of each service the priest would always say “turn to your neighbor and wish them peace.” My sister and I not knowing exactly what we were saying would say, “As-salamu ‘alaykum,” because someone told us that meant peace.

Then my mother passed away, and we stopped going to church. Everyone else went, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to go. I use to see the Muslim brothers and sisters walk the street but never paid them any mind until a girl from my school came in one day with a scarf on her head. Of course we asked questions and poked fun, but she never paid us any mind. I, being the one to always make friends with girls no one else would talk to, spend many nights at her house. After about two months I started to wear long dresses and a simple scarf. Of course my family was confused but never really said anything. Finally, I was tired of olaying Muslim, and I took my shahadah.

My sister thought I was crazy to leave one religion and jump right into another. My stepmom would make food she knew I couldn’t eat just to see what I’d do. After a while they left me alone. But not my sister. She drove me crazy everyday about the mistake I made, and her favorite comment was, “Can’t you take it back?” Tired of my family’s comments, I went to stay with an aunt in North Caroline for the rest of the school year. She was married to a Muslim but had yet to take her shahadah. When I returned home, not only my sister but two of my brothers had taken their shahadahs. We’ve been striving in Islam ever since.