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My journey from 7th day Adventist to Islam
World Hijab Day

My journey from 7th day Adventist to Islam

By Habiba Harun (New Zealand) 

I was raised by my seventh day Adventist mother and never really had much to do with my dad. Unfortunately, I was sexually abused at a very young age, first when I was five at a Christian school, then from age 6-12 by my music teacher who also happened to be a Christian minister. When I was 13, I rebelled and I blamed Christianity. I started drinking, taking drugs, smoking, and I became very promiscuous. Many men took advantage of me at that young age. I also called myself pagan, I didn’t understand paganism, I just wanted to rebel from Christianity, Astagfirullah!


Praise be to Allah,  it was then that I met my husband, Harun.  At the time he was Ryan, a born again Christian. He had come to Christianity from atheism a year earlier, when he woke up outside a church after a night out drinking. He felt something inside him, like there has to be a God, and accepted Christianity.


When I met Ryan, I had a huge crush on him and wanted him. Unfortunately I thought the way to get a man was through my body, but he didn’t want my body. He resisted me completely. Then he asked me to go to church with him, and I said ‘**** church’, Astagfirullah. But after about a week of getting to know Ryan and what a decent man he is, I went to church with him. And it was amazing. These were good Christians. Not pedophiles like the people I had encountered, much the opposite, people who followed God. I felt an overwhelming shame for my rebellion and my actions and I became a born again Christian.

I came to accept that yes I had bad experiences with Christians, but not all Christians are like that, and Christianity does not condone what had happened to me. This is why now I never judge a religion on the actions of its followers, God is perfect, we are not. But there was still something missing;  we didn’t quite know what.  So we went to different churches trying to find the right one. I also researched other religions, mostly Sikhism, for the sake of Evangelism. My Sikh friends directed me to the Quran, as this is a book that was read by Guru Nanek and it has a lot pertaining to Christianity. I never got round to getting.g myself a Quran or researching it until I saw some Maori Muslims in town. I told them my address and they bought us some books and dvds. Ryan was interested in seeing what the Muslims had to say too.


We looked through some of the information but still weren’t convinced, so I went to Jumah. I was so scared that they would hate me if I didn’t cover every inch of skin on my body. I was expecting a bunch of foreigners in burqas, but instead I was greeted by reverts in beautifully designed abayas, and one of them gave me some lollies. haha I thought this was nice, so different to what I expected. Then an Egyptian lady came in, she hugged me and was so welcoming. She was respectful towards Christianity and that was so nice. I got her number and she told me to ring her any time with any questions. That night when Ryan got home from work he was kind of sad because I’d gone to the Mosque without him.

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By this time I had learned that Muslims have to prayers 5 times a day, I just didn’t know when they were.  So I rung that lovely lady from the mosque and asked her when it would be good for my husband to go to the Mosque. That evening he went to Magrib. When he still wasn’t home an hour and a half later,  I was worried.  What had these Muslims done to him, I asked myself?


He arrived home smelling of Arabic perfume, wearing a white hat, and smiling a smile so warm, I had never seen anything like it. ‘I converted!’ He told me excitedly.
I was horrified. I had enjoyed learning about Islam, but converting? This was something else. I was ready to take on this imam. So Harun took me to Isha prayer, and I tried to challenge this imam with the power of the Bible and of the holy spirit.  But he knew the Bible well, and he showed me why Islam is the truth through Bible scriptures, and he explained why the concept of  trinity doesn’t work using Bible verses. I could not and cannot deny that the Bible is preaching Islam for the most part, and it’s easy to see where it has been changed. He read me the beginning of Surah (chapter) Maryam and he read me Al Fatiha and I couldn’t deny Islam.  So I took shahada (testimony of faith),  Alhumdulilah!  it was like that same amazing feeling I got when I became Christian but a million times stronger. 


I knew I had found the truth. Alhumdulillah! Allahu Akbar! 

View Comments (21)
  • It is very good that drugs are no longer part of your life, as it seems, and your have normal family. I have read the qoran and visited Arab countries, and have real muslim friends. Should any of you pray, telling your heart to God and your desire to do His will, and study the Bible and qoran: your life will change. I did so and call me to become a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian.
    Don’t follow me or anyone else who sounds or act nice, but pray (speaking to God telling Him your joy, sorrow, weakness and plan) study and be willing to obey. You won’t be in darkness, sin and have no assurance of salvation.

  • That was such an incredible story! Thank you for sharing it with us. I am currently a Seventh-day Adventist Christian and lately I have been looking into Islam. It has been very hard for me to even doubt my religion since my family and I have always been very devoted christians. There are many things about Islam that simply are making sense to me and I am trying to learn as much as I can about it. Knowing these stories about people who were SDA’s in the past and reverted to Islam is indeed very comforting.

    🙂

  • MashAllah this is among the strongest and beautiful stories. SubhanAllah sister you’re do strong Alhamfulillah. InshAllah all your prayers will be answered. Allah bless you.

  • I am also a former Seventh Day Adventist who has converted to Islam. Thanks for sharing your story. I am sorry for the things that happened to you but so glad you are a Muslim now. Mashallah.

  • Your story is incredibly beautiful. It made me cry so much and May Allah SWT bless you and your husband Insha
    ‘Allah.

    • That’s good, the most incredible story that i heard in my life. and this show me the way to convince closed christen friend that still on the lost path thanks at your contributing new experience to me.

  • Mashallah ! Subhanallah your story is amazing , i can not stop my tears ! Wallah .

  • This Even though i read alot of stories about people converting to islam but this the first time i cry :’) this was really touching.

  • Reading this article, I have to let you know that I am a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian. What caused you to leave the Seventh-Day Adventist church? You said that you went to a Christian school during your childhood you were sexually abused between the ages of 6 and 12 by a music teacher who was also a pastor. Was this Christian school runned by Seventh-Day Adventists? What was the name of that school?

    As a Seventh-Day Adventist I have to say frankly that if it was Adventists that gave you a bad experience with Christianity, then I have to express my appologies, but at the same time I am embarassed, because it seems as if the local Adventist congregation had failed you and your mother, and this is why you became a Muslim.

    Let’s face it, no religion in the world is going to save you. Nobody is perfect, but I will assure you that according to Islam’s standards, Seventh-Day Adventist Christians are the true people of the book.

    • Salam aleykum I have read your story and it’s so beautiful. I am also a convert to Islam and will be performing Hajj for the first time this year insha Allah.. I will make lots of Dua for you and your husband and welcome to the biggest family in the wordl!!!!!!!

    • mashaallah your story is really touchable wallah, when i read it i felt like crying… Glory be to Allah…Habiba

    • Dear Sister Habiba,

      Assalamu alaikum,

      Congratulation for finding the way that makes you happy. Can you give us more of your experiences as a Muslim in New Zealand? How is the impact of other people? the society? The people? at work?

      I read a report about the rating of world countries by a research group in US, based on the Quran criteria and the result was interesting. The highest ranked country was New Zealand! Considering that this research probably was from non-Muslim researchers point of view about Islam, but anyway there should be something especial about it. Can you please explain us some of your experiences? I consider you should not have any problem for finding other Muslim people and Halal meat. But how much of the population are Muslim and how free is the country (from peoples acceptance point of view) for different religions to practice their faith?

      Many Thanks,
      Milad

      P.S. Sorry I did not email you, but if you reply me here others can read and get some more information.

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