My Family, Religion and Me

There is a very wide range of diversity of religion and beliefs in just my immediate family alone. I don't think anyone could ever find a family more diverse in religion, cultures or ethnic backgrounds. In fact; when I share my family differences with outside acquaintances, it simply blows them away in disbelief. Families in the United States for the most part adopt the belief systems that they grew up with. If their mother and father were Christian followers, and church goers; they raise their children to be also. In turn their children as adults are Christian followers and it usually continues on this way.

This is the largest difference in my family verses the traditional family, or at least the majority of families that I have encountered throughout my lifetime, I should say. The members of my family abandoned their family roots of Christianity and sought out their own path toward righteousness. My mother has dipped and dapped in many religious directions in the past 10 or so years, concluding with her own mixture of beliefs, currently labeling herself a spiritualist. My father also in many ways led a more spiritual belief system, but still believing Jesus his Savior and Messiah. He is now studying to become a member of the Catholic Church. My oldest brother, Jonah was a non-believer in God and religion all together. He believed that religion was created as a form of government before government to frightened people from crimes against humanity in fear of the fiery depths of hell. He is now a follower of Islam and lives a Muslim lifestyle, changing his name to Yunus Hashim. My sister Alicia, married a Arab Muslim when she was very young and lived a more Muslim lifestyle, though never actually committing. She is now following the same path of spiritualism as my mother. My brother Daniel, is probably the most famous topic of religion in our family. He began studying religion and by personal enlightenment has converted to Islam, changing his name to Abdullah Muhammad Hashim. He lives his life and has given his life completely to his beliefs, and is the most devoted follower I have ever known. There is no one else I have ever known I respect more than my brother Abdullah. Although, I can't say this about the rest of my immediate family.

When my mother decided to start her journey of self discovery, she told my brother Abdullah that he should also find his own path of beliefs. She was very supportive when his path concluded with his conversion to Islam, until he completely gave his life to his religion and no longer supported her decisions and choices of lifestyle. I remember a time when she stated I am worried about your brother, I think he is going to far with all of this. I think she even had fears he would become a terrorist Muslim traditionalist. And I believe these same fears and concerns were shared by the majority of the family.

My brother came to me shortly after my family started showing concerns about his choices, and told me that he would be leaving the United States because he feared of his safety here. I didn't know exactly what he meant by that and I still really don't. I remember a statement something like, it is very dangerous here for Muslims and if he couldn't convince his own family that he wasn't a terrorist, how would he ever convince anyone else of this? He went on to tell me that he wanted to spend some time with me before he left, because, when he left he would be more or less dropping off the face of the planet.

A few years later, he did leave. And in a lot of ways he did drop off the face of the planet. Although he told us that he was going to England, we didn't know where and had no way of contacting him or knowing if he were okay. He called a few times and updated us a little, but we still didn't really know anything about what he was doing or what was going on with him. He even went years without any contact at all. To the point that we began to wonder if he were alive or dead. After four years of almost no contact and not seeing him, he decided to return to the U.S. for a visit. He was now a husband and a father to two of the most beautiful humans in existence. Two humans I have sadly never met.
I was so excited for my brother's return. I missed him so much and needed him more than anything. He was the closest thing to a father growing up that I had. And our relationship was one more like a father and daughter than sister and brother. And I yearned for the guidance of a father, the guidance I had only known from him. I was already an adult by time he returned, but I was struggling with many aspects of my life and felt that he were the only one that could really help me.
When I finally got to see Abdullah for the first time in more than four years, I was amazed. He was absolutely glowing with purity, and happiness. He looked so at peace with everything. And seemed as though nothing in the world could effect that. I was envious because my life seemed to be such a mess at the time. I wasn't even able to remember a time that I was truly happy. Happy the way it flowed from his pores.
During my brother's visit to the U.S. my oldest brother also converted to Islam and then changed his first name to Yunus and adopted Abdullah choice of Hashim for his last name. So in a sense Abdullah created his own family name to be passed on, how bizarre that will sound to many. My brother Yunus is now getting married and will being living in Hong Kong. My father is none to happy about this. And has disowned them both.

As for me and my beliefs:


Before ever knowing anything about the beliefs of Islam, I had a moment of truce. I volunteered to assist with feeding the homeless. All of us volunteers formed an Assembly line, where we gave each homeless person and item of food. The last person in the line handed out a prayer card to each person and stated "Jesus loves you." I remember having a huge problem with the statement. Why would you ever say Jesus Loves you? Wouldn't it make more sense to say God loves you? Or better yet God bless you even? I was very confused. Later, being more educated on the subject, I found the reasoning as to why that Christian follower chose those words. Christian believe that Jesus was the son of God their Savior. I also learned at that same time that Muslims believed differently, that Jesus was merely a prophet of God and did not die to wash away every ones sins. This is also the day I decided I believed as the Muslims believed.

Muhammad, the prophet of God said:
"Whoever testifies that there is none worthy of being worshiped but God, Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is his slave and Prophet, and that Jesus is the Slave of God, His Prophet, and His word, which He bestowed in Mary and a spirit created of Him; and that Paradise (Heaven) is true, and that the Hellfire is true, God will eventually admit him to Paradise, according to his deeds." (Saheeh Al-bukari)

I recited Shahada November of 2008


Shahada ( The Declaration of the Testimony)
Ashahdu "La ilah illa Allah,Wa Muhammad rasoolu Allah."

I bear witness "that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger."


Allah states in the Holy Quran:
"I did not send the Messenger before you without revealing to him: none has the right to be worshiped except I, therefore worship me." (Quran 21:25)