07-29-2003, 12:01 AM
assalamalyakum sisters and brothers in islam,
My first encounter with muslims was way back in 1974 and 75. We have a small college here and some were attending.
I was very curious. I would ask them questions. I remember one queston when I finally got them to reply to me. I kept asking them "who is your prophet?" I would say, "you know we have Jesus, who do you have?" I think my curiorisity was what helped me to learn about Islam.
However, I was attending a holiness church. I had been forgiven. (there is really something that happens to one when they are forgiven) While attending this church many religious things happened to me. I started to wonder. And once when I was in church I felt a tug at my heart. Just a little tug and my thought was that I should go to the front of the church and testify. However, I would not go and I thought in my own mind that I did not believe and I sat there and said to God I did not believe. Well that experience left me terrified. I thought I had done the unforgivable sin and now I was going to hell forever. All of this happened in my own mind. No one knew what I was experiencing.
However, the terror got the best of me and I started talking to my dad and my grandmother about it. They could only assure me I had not done what was unforgivable.
After this experience I met a new bunch of muslims.
To be continued.