Aminah assilmi was a renowned female scholar of Islam she traveled around the United States to give lectures , her personal story has admired hundreds of individuals ,she was also President of International Union of Muslim Women , the organization that has many achievements under its belt.

“I am so very glad that I am a Muslim. Islam is my life. Islam is the beat of my heart. Islam is the blood that courses through my veins. Islam is my strength. Islam is my life so wonderful and beautiful. Without Islam I am nothing, and should Allah ever turn His magnificent face from me, I could not survive.” Aminah Assilmi

It all started with a computer glitch.

She was a Southern Baptist girl, a radical feminist, and a broadcast journalist. She was a girl with an unusual caliber, who excelled in school, received scholarships, ran her own business, and were competing with professionals and getting awards – all these while she was going to college. Then one day a computer error happened that made her take up a mission as a devout Christian. Eventually, however, it resulted into something opposite and changed her life completely around.

It was 1975 when for the first time computer was used to pre-register for a class in her college. She was working on her degree on Recreation. She pre-registered for a class and then went to Oklahoma City to take care of a business. Her return was delayed and she came back to college two weeks into the class. Making up the missed work was no problem for her, but she was surprised to find that the computer mistakenly registered her for a Theatre class, a class where students would be required to perform in front of others. She was a very reticent girl and she was horrified to think about performing in front of others. She could not drop the class for it was too late

Failing the class was also not a choice, for she was receiving a scholarship that was paying for her tuition and receiving an ‘F’ would have jeopardized it.

Advised by her husband, she went to her teacher to work out some other alternative to performing, such as preparing costumes, etc. Assured by the teacher that he would try to help her, she went to the next class and was shocked by what she saw. The class was full of Arabs and “camel jockeys”. That was enough for her. She came back home and decided not to go back to the class anymore. It was not possible for her to be in the middle of Arabs. “There was no way I was going to sit in a room full of dirty heathens!”

Her husband was calm as usual. He pointed out to her that God has a reason for everything and that she should think about more before quitting. Besides, there was the scholarship that was paying her tuition. She went behind locked doors for 2 days to think about. When she came out, she decided to continue the class. She felt that God gave her a task to convert the Arabs into Christianity.

Thus she found herself with a mission to accomplish. Throughout the class, she would be discussing Christianity with her Arab classmates. “I proceeded to explain to them how they would burn in the fires of hell for all eternity, if they did not accept Jesus as their personal savior. They were very polite, but did not convert. Then, I explained how Jesus loved them and had died on the cross to save them from their sins. All they had to do was accept him into their hearts.” They still did not convert, and so she decided to do something else: “I decided to read their own book to show to them that Islam was a false religion and Mohammed was a false Prophet”.

At her request, one student gave her a copy of the Qur’an and another book on Islam. With these two books she started on her research, which she was to continue for the next one and half years. She read the Qur’an fully and another fifteen books on Islam. Then she came back to the Qur’an and re-read it. During her research, she started taking notes that she found objectionable and which she would be able to use to prove that Islam was a false religion.

Unconsciously, however, she was changing from within which did not escape the attention of her husband. “I was changing, just in little ways but enough to bother him. We used to go to the bar every Friday and Saturday, or to a party, and I no longer wanted to go. I was quieter and more distant.” She stopped drinking and eating pork. Her husband suspected her of having an affair with another man, for “it was only for a man that a woman changes”. Ultimately, she was asked to leave, and she soon found herself living in a separate apartment.

“When I first started to study Islam, I did not expect to find anything that I needed or wanted in my personal life. Little did I know that Islam would change my life. No human could have ever convinced me that I would finally be at peace and overflowing with love and joy because of Islam.”

Throughout these times, she continued studying Islam and although she was changing subtly from within, she remained a devout Christian. Then one day, there was a knock on her door. It was a man in traditional Muslim robe, who appeared to her as a “man in a long white night gown with a red and white checkered table cloth on his head”. His name was Abdul-Aziz Al-Sheik and he was accompanied by three other men in similar dress. She was very offended by Muslim men coming to her in nightgowns and pajamas. She was further shocked when Abdul-Aziz told her that he understood that she waited to be a Muslim. She replied that she was a Christian and she did not have any plan to become a Muslim. However, she had some questions to ask if they had the time.

At her invitation, they came inside. She now brought up the questions and objections that she noted down while she was researching. “I will never forget his name”, she said of Abdul-Aziz who proved to be a very patient and soft-mannered person. “He was very patient and discussed every question with me. He never made me feel silly or that a question was stupid.” Abdul-Aziz listened to every question and objection and explained it within the proper context. “He explained that Allah had told us to seek knowledge and questions were one of the ways to accomplish that. When he explained something, it was like watching a rose open – petal by petal, until it reached its full glory. When I told him that I did not agree with something and why, he always said I was correct up to a point. Then he would show me how to look deeper and from different directions to reach a fuller understanding.”

It would not be long before she would externally submit to what she had already been submitting to internally during the last one and half years. Later in that same day, this Southern Baptist girl would declare in front of Abdul-Aziz and his companions: “I bear witness that there is no god but God and Mohammed is His Messenger.” It was May 21, 1977.

Conversion to Islam, or to any other religion for that matter, is not always a simple thing to do. Except for a few fortunate ones, a new Muslim usually face consequences. The convert may face isolation from family and friends, if not pressure to go back to the family faith. Sometimes, a convert may even face sever economic hardship, as in the case of those who are asked to leave the house because of converting to Islam. Some converts are fortunate to continue to be well respected by family and friends, but most of them face minor to severe hardship especially during the first few years after the conversion.

But the difficulty that Aminah Assilimi had to go through and the sacrifice that she had to make for the sake of her conviction and faith is almost unheard of. There are few who could rely so much on Allah as she did, standing firm and meeting the challenges, making sacrifices, and yet maintaining a positive posture and influencing people around with the beauty of what she found and believed in.

She lost most of her friends, for she was “no fun anymore”. Her mother did not accept her becoming a Muslim and hoped that it was a temporary zeal and that she would soon grow out of it. Her “mental health expert” sister thought that she lost her mind. She attempted to put her in a mental health institution.

Her father was a calm and wise man. People would come to him for advice and he could comfort anyone in distress. But when he heard that his daughter became a Muslim, he loaded his double-barrel shotgun and started on his way to kill her. “It is better that she be dead rather than suffering in the deepest of Hell”, he said.

She was now without friends and without family.

She soon started wearing hijab. The day she put it on, she was denied her job. She was now without family, friends, and job. But her greatest sacrifice was yet to come.

She and her husband both loved each other very much. But while she was studying Islam, her husband misunderstood her for her apparent changes. She became quieter and stopped going to the bar. Her changes were visible to him and he suspected her of having affair with another man, for whom she must have been changing. She could not explain to him what was happening. “There was no way to make him understand what was changing me because I did not know.” Eventually he asked her to leave and she started living separately.

After she openly accepted Islam, it went worse. A divorce was now inevitable. This was a time when Islam was little known, much less understood for what it is. She had two little children whom she loved dearly and whose custody should have rightfully be given to her. But in a grave violation of justice, she was denied their custody just because she became a Muslim. Before giving the formal verdict, the judge offered her a harsh choice: either renounce Islam and get custody of the children, or keep Islam and leave the children. She was given 20 minutes to make a decision.

She loved her children very dearly. It is perhaps the worst nightmare that a mother can have: asked to willfully leave her child – not for one day, month, or year, but forever. On the other hand, how could she keep the Truth away from her children and live as a hypocrite? “It was the most painful 20 minutes in my life”, she said in an interview. Those of us who are mothers and fathers, especially of young children, little imagination is needed to feel the pain and torment that she must have passed every second in those 20 minutes. What added further to her pain was that according to doctors, she could never bear another child because of certain complications. “I prayed like I had never done before … I knew that there was no safer place for my children to be than in the hands of Allah. If I denied Him, there would be no way in the future to show my children the wonders of being with Allah.”

She decided to retain Islam. Her two dear children – one little boy and one little girl – were taken away from her and given to her ex-husband.

For a mother, is there a sacrifice greater than this – a sacrifice that is done for no material reason but only for faith and conviction?

“I left the court knowing that life without my babies would be very difficult. My heart bled, even though I knew, inside, I had done the right thing” . She found comfort in the following verse of the Qur’an:

There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory). (Quran 2: 255)

Perhaps the air of Colorado was too thin for justice. Or perhaps there was a plan in Allah’s greater scheme of affairs. Aminah Assilimi later fought back and took her case to the media. Although she did not get custody of her children again, a change was made in the Colorado law that one cannot be denied child custody on the basis of his or her religion.

Indeed Allah’s love and mercy engulfed her so much that, as if, she has been granted the touchstone of Islam. Wherever she goes, people are touched by her beautiful words and Islamic manners and become Muslim.

By accepting Islam, she became a changed person, and a much better person. So much so that her family, relatives, and people around her started appreciating her mannerism and the faith that brought about such changes in her. Despite her family’s initial reaction, she remained in touch with them and addressed them with respect and humility, just as the Qur’an enjoins the Muslims to do. She would send cards to her parents on different occasions, but she would always write down a verse from the Qur’an or the Hadith without mentioning the source of such beautiful words of wisdom. It was not long before she started making a positive influence among her family members.

The first to become Muslim was her grand mother. She was over 100 years old. Soon after accepting Islam, she died. “The day she pronounced Shahada, all her misdeeds had been erased, while her good deeds were preserved. She died so soon after accepting Islam that I knew her “book” was bound to be heavy on the good side. It fills me with such a joy!”

Next to become Muslim was her father, the one who wanted to kill her after she became Muslim. Thus he brought alive the story of Umar ibn Khattab. Umar was a companion of the Prophet who persecuted the early Muslims before he converted to Islam. When he heard one day that his sister became a Muslim, he went out with an open sword to kill her. But upon hearing some of the verses from the Qur’an that his sister was reciting, he recognized the truth and went straight to the Prophet and accepted Islam.

Two years after she (Assilmi) accepted Islam, her mother called and said that she appreciated her faith and hoped that she would keep it. Couple of years later, she called again and asked her about what one would need to do to become a Muslim. Assilmi replied that one had to believe that there is only One God and Muhammad was his Messenger. “Any fool knows that. But what do you have to do?”, she asked again. She replied that if that is what she believed, then she was already a Muslim! At this, her mother said, “Well … OK. But let’s not tell your father just yet”.

She was not aware that her husband (Assilmi’s step father) had the same conversation with her a few weeks earlier. Thus the two lived together as Muslims for years in secret without knowing that the other was also a Muslim. Her sister who wanted to put her in mental institution accepted Islam as well. She must have realized that becoming Muslim is indeed the most healthy and sound thing to do.

Her son, upon becoming adult, accepted Islam. When he turned 21, he called her and said that he wanted to become a Muslim.

Sixteen years after the divorce, her ex-husband also accepted Islam. He said that he had been watching her for sixteen years and wanted his daughter to have the same religion that she had. He came to her and apologized for what he had done. He was a very nice gentlemen and Assilimi had forgiven him long ago.

Perhaps the greatest reward for her was yet to come. Assilmi later married another person, and despite the doctors’ verdict that she could never conceive another child, Allah blessed her with a beautiful boy. If Allah (swt) makes a gift to someone, who can prevent Him? It was truly a wonderful blessing from Allah (swt), and so she named him “Barakah”

The sacrifice that Assilmi made for the sake of Allah (swt) was tremendous. And so Allah (swt) turned in mercy to her and rewarded her with enormous blessings. Her family discarded her after she accepted Islam, and now by Allah’s mercy, most of them are Muslim. She lost her friends because of Islam, and now she is being loved by so many. “Friends who loved came out of nowhere”, she said. Allah’s blessings came upon her so much that wherever she goes people are touched by the beauty of Islam and accept the Truth. Both Muslims and non-Muslims now come to her for advice and counseling.

She lost her job because of wearing hijab, and now she is the President of the International Union of Muslim Women. She delivers lectures nationwide and is on high demand. It was her organization that successfully lobbied for the “Eid Stamp” and had it approved by the United States Postal Service, but it took many years of work.

She had tremendous trust on Allah’s love and mercy and she never looses faith on Him. She was once diagnosed with cancer some years ago. Doctors said that it was in an advanced stage and that she would live for another year. But her faith in Allah (swt) remained strong. “We must all die. I was confident that the pain I was experiencing contained blessings.” As a brilliant example of how much one can love Allah, she mentions about a friend of her named Kareem Al-Misawi who died of cancer when he was in his 20′s:

“Shortly before he died, he told me that Allah was truly Merciful. This man was in unbelievable anguish and was radiating with Allah’s love. He said: “Allah intends that I should enter heaven with a clean book.” His death experience gave me something to think about. He taught me of Allah’s love and mercy.”

Despite health issues, Sister Aminah maintained a rigorous schedule of speaking engagements around the nation and the world. Her current project included a Center for Muslim WomenÕs Studies that would serve as a resource center for new Muslims and as a summer camp for Muslim children.

Aminah Assilmi, a national Muslim community activist, scholar, author, and advocate for women’s rights who died at March 6th, 2010 in a car accident outside of Newport, Tenn. She was returning with her son from a speaking engagement in New York. Her son, who was injured in the accident, was taken to a hospital in Knoxville. She was 65.

INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAYHI RAAJIOON

Funeral arrangements are being made through:

Click Funeral Home
109 Walnut Street
Lenoir City, TN 37771
Tel: (865) 986-8013
More info: http://www.IUMW.org

She is survived by her daughter Amber, and sons, Whitney and Mohammad, as well as by several grandchildren.

Her Video

Walau bagaimanapun untuk mendapat hidayah ada bermacam-macam sebab atau ada berbagai-bagai cara yang di anatara satu sama lain tidak sama. Di antara sebab seseorang itu mendapat hidayah adalah seperti berikut:

- dia lahir di dalam keluarga yang beragama, maka dia mendapat didikan secara langsung dan praktikal daripada suasana keluarga. Orang ini agak bernasib baik.

- dia yang lahir-lahir sahaja Allah telah bekalkan kesedaran dan petunjuk. Dari kecil lagi sudah suka kepada kebaikan dan kebenaran. Dia terus mencari dan mengamalkan. Orang sepeti ini amat sedikit. Ini adalah pemberian Allah secara wahbiah (secara anugerah).

- orang yang di dalam perjalanan hidupnya terjumpa golongan atau kelompok yang beragama Islam dan mengamalkan syariat. Manakala dilihat kehidupan mereka begitu baik dan bahagia lantas mengikut golongan itu.

- orang yang sentiasa mencari-cari kebenaran, mereka sentiasa membaca, mengkaji, memperbandingkan serta melihat-lihat berbagai golongan dari berbagai-bagai agama dan ideology serta bergaul dengan golongan-golongan itu, maka akhirnya mereka bertemu dengan kebenaran.

- orang yang mendapat pendidikan Islam, mendengar ceramah agama, ikut kursus agama, menghadiri majlis-majlis agama, maka dia mendapat petunjuk dari mengaji dan mendengar itu.

- orang yang diuji oleh Allah, mungkin selepas kaya jatuh miskin, atau mendapat sakit teruk, atau ditimpa bencana alam dan lain-lain lagi maka di situ dia sedar dan insaf. Lantaran itu dia mendekatkan dirinya kepada Allah SWT.

- orang yang mendapat kebenaran, kerana Allah mengizinkannya mengalami alam kerohanian seperti melihat di dalam mimpi Alam Barzakh, melihat orang kena azab atau dia sendiri yang kena azab atau melihat gambaran Qiamat atau Allah perlihatkan kepadanya pokok sujud, pokok bertasbih dan lain-lain kejadian yang ajaib. Selepas itu dia pun kembali kepada kebenaran.

- orang yang sedar setelah melihat ada golongan atau keluarga yang kehidupan dunianya begitu hebat, rumah besar, kaya aya, kenderaan mewah, harta banyak tetapi kehidupan keluarga itu sentiasa porak peranda, krisis sering berlaku, berkasih sayang dan ukhwah tidak ada, masing-masing membawa haluan sendiri maka dari peristiwa itu dia sedar dan dia insaf bahawa kemewahan hidup tidak menjamin kebhagiaan di dunia apatah lagi di Akhirat kelak.

- orang yang sentiasa mengalami kehidupan mewah, serba ada, apa yang hendak semua dapat, pangkat ada, duit banyak, namun kebahagiaan tidak dirasai, kehidupan keluarga porak peranda lantas dia insaf dan sedar dan akhirnya mencari jalan kebenaran.

- orang yang dapat petunjuk kerana ada orang yang soleh atau orang yang bertaqwa mendoakannya, lantas doa itu dikabulkan oleh Allah, maka Islamlah dia sepertimana Sayidina Umar Al Khattab dapat petunjuk kerana doa Rasulullah SAW.

Lelaki India berbadan tegap itu menghempaskan dirinya ke atas sofa di ruang tamu rumahnya di Petaling Jaya. Hari ini, dia rasa terlalu letih. Pelanggan yang datang ke bank tempatnya bekerja hari ini, luar biasa ramainya. Dia cuma sempat berhenti rehat sewaktu makan tengah hari sahaja. Selepas itu, dia kembali sibuk melayan pelanggan sehinggalah habis waktu pejabat.

Lelaki itu menghidupkan TV 29 inci yang baru dibelinya tidak sampai dua bulan dengan remote yang berada di tangannya. Ditukarnya satu per satu siaran televisyen, TV3, TV2, semuanya sama. Tidak ada apa yang menarik. Bosan!. Dia menukar pula kepada siaran TV1 .

Kebetulan ketika itu, rancangan Forum Perdana Ehwal Islam sedang berlangsung. Salah seorang ahli panelnya ialah ulama terkenal, Dato’ Dr. Haron Din.

Biarpun dia bukan seorang Muslim, rancangan Forum Perdana Ehwal Islam bukanlah asing baginya. Selalu juga dia menonton rancangan tersebut. Malah, dia juga tahu sedikit sebanyak tentang ajaran Islam melalui rancangan tersebut. Lagipun, dia suka melihat kepetahan ahli panel itu memberi ceramah dalam bahasa Melayu, secara tidak langsung, dia boleh belajar bertutur dalam bahasa Melayu dengan lebih baik.

Sedang asyik mengikuti perbincang-an itu, tiba-tiba, lelaki tersebut tersentak apabila mendengar Haron Din mengatakan: “Bandingan segala kebaikan amal dan usaha orang-orang yang kufur ingkar terhadap Tuhannya ialah seperti abu yang diterbangkan angin pada hari ribut yang kencang, mereka tidak memperoleh sesuatu faedah pun daripada apa yang mereka telah usahakan itu. Amalan itu menjadi sia-sia akibat mereka sebenarnya berada dalam kesesatan yang jauh daripada kebenaran.”

Mendengar kata-kata Haron Din, darah lelaki India itu menyirap. Perasaan marah menyelinap masuk ke dalam hatinya. Mana boleh! Itu tidak adil! Takkan Tuhan hanya menerima kebaikan orang Islam sahaja? Bagaimana dengan kebaikan yang dilakukan oleh orang bukan Islam?

Bahkan, sepanjang hidupnya, dia melihat banyak kebaikan yang dilakukan oleh orang bukan Islam, dan ada kalanya, melebihi daripada Kebaikan yang pernah dilakukan oleh orang Islam itu sendiri. Apakah segala kebaikan itu tidak diterima? Dia mula menganggap, ajaran Islam mengamalkan sikap kasta. Jika begitu ajaran Islam, bermakna ia double standard.

Rasa tidak puas hati terus menyelubungi fikiran lelaki tersebut. Lelaki India itu akhirnya bertekad untuk ber-jumpa dengan Haron Din. Dia ingin berdebat dengan ulama tersebut. Pada fikirannya, mana boleh seorang ulama mengeluarkan kenyataan yang tidak adil seperti itu, dan boleh menyentuh perasaan orang bukan Islam di negara ini seperti dirinya. Apatah lagi ia dilakukan secara terbuka di kaca TV.

Lelaki itu tahu, Haron Din bukanlah calang-calang orang, tetapi dia tidak peduli. Dia tetap mahu berjumpa dengan ulama tersebut dan mesti mencari jalan bagaimana untuk bertemu dengannya.Setelah beberapa bulan memendam niat untuk bertemu Haron Din akhirnya hasrat itu tercapai. Melalui seorang pelanggan yang dikenali ketika berurusan di bank tempatnya bekerja, lelaki itu dibawa bertemu dengan Haron Din di sebuah rumah seorang ahli perniagaan di Petaling Jaya. Haron Din mengadakan usrah di rumah ahli perniagaan tersebut pada hari Khamis malam Jumaat, seminggu sekali.

Ketika sampai di rumah ahli perniagaan tersebut, kuliah baru saja bermula. Di hadapan lebih 20 orang jemaah, kelihatan Haron Din duduk bersila sambil memegang sebuah kitab. Kebetulan pada malam itu, Haron Din mengajar tentang bab syirik. Bila ternampak muka Haron Din, hatinya menjadi panas.

Lelaki itu membulatkan tekad, selepas tamat kuliah, dia mahu berjumpa dengan Haron Din. Dia mahu mengajak Haron Din berdebat. Lelaki itu memang betul-betul tidak berpuas hati dengan kenyataan Haron Din di dalam Forum Perdana. Ia masih terngiang-ngiang di telinganya biarpun sudah beberapa bulan berlalu.

Namun, tidak disangka-sangka, segala yang dirancangnya tidak menjadi. Perasaan marah dan bengang yang bersarang dalam dirinya selama beberapa bulan itu mula surut apabila dia duduk mendengar kuliah yang disampaikan oleh ulama tersebut.

Setelah tamat kuliah yang diberikan Haron Din, lebih kurang dua jam selepas itu, semangatnya yang tadi berkobar-kobar mahu berdebat dengan ulama tersebut, kian kendur. Rupa-rupanya, dalam diam, dia mengakui, cara penyampaian, serta kupasan Haron Din yang begitu terperinci dalam bab-bab syirik, membuatkan dia rasa amat terpegun.

Sebelum ini, lelaki India itu tidak pernah mendengar penjelasan mengenai Islam dan ketuhanan seperti yang didengarnya pada malam itu. Biarpun hati lelaki berkenaan sudah mula mahu akur pada kebenaran Islam, namun egonya masih menebal. Lelaki ini memperingatkan dirinya, kedatangannya pada malam itu bukan untuk terpengaruh dengan kata-kata Haron Din, tetapi untuk mengajak ulama itu berdebat dengannya.

Akhirnya dia memutuskan untuk menangguhkan hasrat berdebat dengan Haron Din. Bukan tidak berani, tetapi sebenarnya pada malam itu segala persepsi buruknya terhadap Haron Din dan Islam telah mula berubah.

Pun demikian, lelaki itu tidak mahu mengalah dengan perasaannya. Ego yang ada dalam dirinya mengaburi kewarasan akalnya. Misinya berjumpa dengan Haron Din ialah untuk menyatakan apa yang dikatakan oleh ulama tersebut dalam Forum Perdana adalah tidak adil. Tidak lebih daripada itu.

Dan yang paling penting, tujuan dia bertemu ulama tersebut bukanlah untuk mengakui kebenaran Islam. Lelaki itu membuat perancangan sendiri. Dia akan terus mengikuti kuliah Haron Din di situ, agar dia lebih faham tentang Islam dan senang nanti untuk dia berhujah dengan ulama tersebut kelak.

Selepas itu, pada setiap malam Jumaat, lelaki berkenaan menghadiri kuliah Haron Din. Kali ini dia pergi seorang diri. Tetapi ‘masalahnya’ semakin lama mengikuti usrah Haron Din, semakin jelas dilihatnya kebenaran Islam. Lama-kelamaan, tujuan asal lelaki ini untuk berdebat dengan Haron Din dan mengatakan bahawa Islam agama yang double standard, bertukar menjadi sebaliknya. Setiap kali dia mengikuti usrah Haron Din, semakin hampir hatinya pada Islam. Islam itu dilihatnya tulus, lurus tanpa simpang-siur.

Niat asalnya untuk berdebat dengan Haron Din akhirnya terpadam begitu sahaja. Sebaliknya, hatinya menjadi semakin lembut dan lelaki India itu bertambah berminat untuk mengetahui tentang ajaran Islam dengan lebih mendalam.

Suatu hari ketika mengikuti usrah Haron Din di rumah ahli perniagaan tersebut, lelaki India itu mengambil peluang bertanyakan bermacam-macam soalan tentang Islam. Dia bertanya, mengapa perlu meninggalkan agamanya dan memeluk Islam? Bukankah semua agama itu sama. Bukankah Islam itu juga sama seperti agama lain, menyuruh membuat kebalkan dan meninggalkan kejahatan?

Dan yang paling penting, dia mahu tahu, kenapa Haron Din mengatakan hanya amalan orang Islam sahaja yang diterima Allah, dan amalan orang bukan Islam tidak diterima-Nya seperti yang disebut di dalam Forum Perdana Ehwal Islam tidak berapa lama dulu.

Haron Din tersenyum dan secara berkias beliau menjawab; ” Untuk memudahkan saudara memahaminya, biar saya berikan contoh begini: kita adalah seorang hamba dan tuan kita memberikan kita sebidang tanah, cangkul, benih, baja dan segala kelengkapan yang lain untuk kita mengusahakan tanah tersebut.

“Tuan kita suruh kita usahakan tanah itu tetapi kita tidak berbuat seperti mana yang disuruh, sebaliknya kita mengusahakan tanah orang lain. Kemudian bila tiba di hujung bulan, kita datang kepada tuan kita untuk meminta upah. Saudara rasa, adakah tuan kita akan bagi upah sedangkan kita tidak lakukan apa yang disuruh, sebaliknya kita melakukan kerja untuk orang lain?

“Begitu jugalah simboliknya di dalam Islam. Jika kita melakukan kebajikan dan kebaikan, bukan kerana Allah, tetapi kerana sesuatu yang lain, contohnya kerana manusia, pangkat atau harta, apakah di akhirat nanti, Allah akan memberi balasan di atas amal perbuatan kita sedangkan semua amalan yang kita lakukan bukan untuk Dia?”

Ternyata segala jawapan dan hujah yang diberikan oleh Haron Din atas pertanyaannya itu, membuatkan dia mati akal. Begitu juga dengan setiap hujah dan persoalan yang cuba ditimbulkan lelaki itu dengan mudah dipatahkan oleh Haron Din dengan cara yang lembut dan bijaksana, tanpa sedikit pun menyinggung perasaannya sebagai orang bukan Islam.

Setelah empat minggu berturut-turut mengikuti kuliah yang diberikan oleh Haron Din, ego yang ada di dalam dirinya hancur dengan kebenaran Islam. Akhirnya hati lelaki itu terbuka untuk memeluk Islam. Enam bulan selepas itu, secara rasmi lelaki India tersebut memeluk Islam.

Dalam satu pertemuan empat mata dengan Haron Din setelah lelaki itu memeluk Islam, dia sempat bertanya mengapakah ulama tersebut mengeluarkan kenyataan seperti itu di kaca TV, sedangkan kenyataan itu boleh mengundang rasa tidak puas hati di kalangan bukan Islam, seperti apa yang dirasakannya.

Haron Din menjelaskan kepada lelaki India tersebut: “Memang kenyataan itu saya tujukan khusus untuk orang bukan Islam. Saya mahu orang bukan Islam berfikir tentang kehidupan, asal usul manusia dan kebenaran agama. Saya mendapat maklum balas, ramai di kalangan bukan Islam yang menonton rancangan itu. Jadi, sengaja saya bacakan ayat al-Quran itu agar mereka berfikir.”

“Dan saya adalah di antara mereka yang terkena provokasi Haron Din itu. Biarpun pada peringkat awalnya saya bertemu beliau atas sebab tidak puas hati dengan kenyataannya, namun akhirnya, saya bersyukur, kerana ia menjadi penyebab yang membuatkan saya akhirnya menerima cahaya kebenaran Islam,” jelas Mohammad Fitri Abdullah, 43, lelaki India yang dimaksudkan dalam cerita di atas.

Ketika Mastika menemuinya di pejabat Perkim bahagian Shah Alam di Masjid Negeri Shah Alam, Fitri berulang kali menyatakan betapa syukurnya dia mendapat hidayah biarpun pada mulanya dia langsung tidak terfikir untuk memeluk Islam.

“Seperti yang saya katakan, pada awalnya niat saya adalah untuk berdebat dan berbalah dengan Haron Din akibat rasa tidak puas hati terhadap kenyataannya itu. Tetapi, apabila saya mendengar penjelasan beliau, ego saya jatuh dan dalam diam-diam saya mengakui, saya bukanlah orang yang layak untuk berdebat dengan beliau,” jelasnya.

Sebenarnya sebelum memeluk Islam, Fitri memang seorang yang taat terhadap agamanya. Dia bukan sekadar seorang pengikut yang taat, tetapi juga bergerak aktif dalam beberapa persatuan yang berteraskan agama yang dianutinya. Selain itu, dia turut mengajar di beberapa rumah ibadat di sekitar ibu kota. Biarpun kuat terhadap agamanya, namun jauh disudut hati, lelaki itu sering merasakan ada sesuatu yang tidak kena dengan agama yang dianutinya.

“Sebenarnya, agama tersebut juga mengajar pengikutnya untuk menyembah Tuhan yang satu. Di dalam kitab-kitab lama, itulah ajarannya. Tapi masalahnya, apa yang dilakukan oleh penganut agama tersebut berlainan daripada apa yang diajar di dalam kitab.

“Mereka tidak menyembah Tuhan yang satu, sebaliknya menyembah bermacam-macam Tuhan, selain dari Tuhan yang satu,” tegas lelaki yang berasal dan Banting, Selangor ini. Lantaran itulah kata Fitri, hatinya sering berasa ragu dengan agama sendiri. Perasaan ini bukannya baru, malah timbul sejak dia berusia belasan tahun lagi. Dia melihat apa yang diajar di dalam kitab, dengan apa yang dipraktikkan oleh penganut agama lamanya, termasuk dirinya sendiri, ternyata bercanggah sama sekali.

“Tetapi apabila saya mendengar kuliah Haron Din, diam-diam saya mula sedar, saya memang berada dalam kesesatan yang nyata. Pertama kali mendengar ceramah beliau, sudah cukup untuk memberi kesedaran pada diri saya sekali gus berjaya mengubah pandangan saya terhadap Islam selama ini. Mungkin itulah kelebihan yang Allah berikan pada Haron Din,” kata Fitri lagi.

Kejadian itu sebenarnya telah pun berlalu hampir 15 tahun, namun cahaya iman yang menyerap ke dalam hatinya masih lagi sesegar dulu. Malah, dari hari ke hari semakin kukuh bertapak di dalam dirinya.

Jika dahulu Fitri seorang mubaligh yang aktif menyebarkan agama lamanya, kini Fitri masih tetap begitu. “Cuma bezanya, hari ini saya bergerak di atas landasan agama yang benar iaitu Islam. Saya cukup sedih bila mendengar ada saudara seagama saya, terutamanya di kalangan orang Melayu yang sanggup keluar dari Islam. Murtad.

“Hari ini, menjadi tanggungjawab saya untuk membantu mereka, memulihkan iman mereka, dengan pelbagai usaha dan cara, termasuk berkongsi pengalaman yang saya lalui sebelum ini.

“Ini adalah tuntutan wajib buat diri saya. Dengan kelebihan yang Allah anugerahkan kepada saya, saya perlu laksanakan amanah ini biarpun berat, sebagai usaha saya membantu menyemarakkan agama Allah di muka bumi yang bertuah ini,” ujarnya bersungguh-sungguh mengakhiri pertemuan kami pada petang itu.

catitan :
Benarlah bahawa Hidayah Allah hanya untuk hamba yang dikehendaki-NYA sahaja. Selagi hayat dikandung badan, kita mesti hapuskan gerakan mengkristiankan umat Islam di Malaysia. Semakin lambat kita bertindak, ditakuti bilangan orang murtad ini akan bertambah. Bertindaklah, walau dengan apa jua sekalipun, paling tidak kita doakan kesejahteraan dan keselamatan umat Islam dari fitnah Kristian ini selepas solat fardhu. Apa yang paling saya kesalkan bahawa isu ini dipandang sepi oleh sesetengah pihak dan kita tidak boleh lagi menuding jari serta mengharapkan kepada kerajaan, JAKIM Jabatan Agama Negeri dan sebagainya, Syiar Islam itu diamanahkan kepada setiap individu Islam dan bukannya kepada kerajaan atau mana-mana pertubuhan sekalipun.

Ustaz Harun Din adalah ulama yang amat disegani dan saya sungguh sedih melihat ulama seperti beliau seolah-olah tiada tempat dalam masyarakat kita.Sungguh sukar untuk kita lihat wajah beliau di kaca televisyen sedangkan ilmu yang beliau miliki amat penting untuk kita sama-sama kongsi,pelajari dan amalkan. Rancangan Forum Perdana kini gagal menarik minat penonton Islam termasuk bukan Islam kerana kita kehilanagan ulama-ulama seperti Ishak Baharom, Badrul Amin, Harun Din, dan ramai lagi. Kenapa mereka ini di gam? Disekat terus menerus? Mengapa?