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There was a wooden shelf in the corner of my parents’ bedroom with a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and every Sunday my father replaced the flowers in a vase that was set by the statue. I remember him so clearly as he stood in front of the shelf which also had many other statues and he prayed with such strong belief. When I was nine years old, before his passing, he taught me many prayers, and I was taught to perform a spiritual cleansing of the evil eye (in Spanish “mal ojo”).

Soon after my father passed, I started catechism (principles of the Christian religion) classes, and I spent most nights and Sundays at church. I received the communion as a Catholic and also the sacrament of confirmation, but I never felt close to God. During most of my younger years I had the Catholic religion forced upon me by my family; it wasn’t a choice to attend classes or mass, it was just obligatory in my home.

As I got older, my mother distanced herself from the church as she became busy with her full-time job and we weren’t practicing our religion much anymore. In my mother’s bedroom was still that homemade shelf my father had built and all the statues he prayed to. But no one placed any flowers in the vase or prayed as my father had done.

By my high school years my life had changed tremendously. I had become a very rebellious teenager. I was definitely lost. I experienced so many unwholesome things during my teenage life and I had lost my faith and didn’t believe in God.

Alhamdulillah, after my daughter’s birth when I was 27 years old, I realized it was time to change the way I was living. I was introduced to Islam by a few friends online and I will never forget the first time I heard the Qur’an recited—I felt a connection with God! I felt something that I had not felt before in my life. Even though I had no idea what was said during the recitation, I fell in love with the Qur’an.

I was blessed to be in contact with many wonderful brothers and sisters who provided me with the information I was looking for. It wasn’t long after that I decided to become Muslim. I took shahada in 2006, alhamdulillah. Today I know why I fell in love with the Qur’an; I know why I felt an instant connection with Allah SWT. Allah the Almighty Says: “This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” (Qur’an 5:3).Islam is beautiful and Allah SWT has granted us the greatest gift possible and that is the gift of guidance to His religion, the complete and final religion.

My life as a Muslim woman is amazing. My days are filled with so much peace and contentment — my family, home, and daily efforts are continuously blessed and it only gets better alhamdulillah. Muslims are bound together in heart and this unity is the means of strength for the Muslim ummah. In fact, it’s a divine gift that we Muslims must make use of. “And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise (Qur’an 9:71).

That we are meant to be supporters of one another means so much to me. I want for my brothers and sisters what I want for myself, and after contemplating for months I finally decided to launch an effort that would be of benefit to my sisters in Islam. In May 2011 I established Muslimahs Covered With Care (MCWC). This initiative is designed to provide hijabs and abayas to Muslim women. I personally understand the difficulty in adopting the Islamic attire and I understand the number of reason why some Muslim women do not cover.

Presently the MCWC team consists of seven wonderful women and others are always encouraged to join us. We have coordinators in the US, Europe, Canada, Australia, and the UK. Join our team in helping Muslimahs around the world to dress modestly, one hijab and one abaya at a time. Visit www.muslimahscoveredwithcare.org for more information.

In the narrative that chronicles the preservation of the Qur’an, Shaykh Mahmud Khalil al-Husari occupies a unique position. He was born in 1917 in the center of Tanta, Egypt, with an excelling aptitude for learning the Qur’an. He began his journey at the age of four with local Qur’an teachers and finished memorizing the Qur’an by the age of eight. Too young for admission to any of the Qur’an schools, he began to recite in the village mosques and quickly became a local sensation. As his voice matured, he was invited to gatherings and events to recite the Qur’an. When he reached the age of 12, he entered formal studies at the renowned al-Azhar University schools and completed formal degrees as well as attaining proficiency in the Ten Readings of the Qur’an.

In 1944, Shaykh al-Husari became nationally known when he won first place in a radio competition, and thereafter became a familiar voice in Egypt. He held various positions in the region’s mosques and religious institutions, as well as serving on several academic and government councils to advance the cause of the Qur’an.

His passion turned global as he became one of the first Qur’an scholars to travel widely throughout the world as an informal “Ambassador of the Qur’an.” He travelled to India in 1960 to recite at a conference in the presence of Egypt’s president Gamal Abdul Nasir and India’s Nehru, and went to Kuwait in Ramadan of 1963. He frequently visited the major Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan where he was chosen as the head of an International Reciters Forum at a conference in Karachi in 1966.

His passion to spread the voice of the Qur’an did not exclude the West. He visited France in 1965 where ten individuals embraced Islam upon hearing his recitation. He visited the U.S. on multiple occasions in the 1970s, met President Jimmy Carter, and visited some of the oldest Islamic centers in the country. On one occasion, it is said that 18 men and one woman embraced Islam after hearing him. He was the first individual ever to recite the Qur’an in the U.S. Congress, the first to recite at the United Nations, in 1977, and in London’s Buckingham Palace in 1978.

A Rich Legacy

In addition to being a reciter, Shaykh al-Husari left behind a dozen written works on the Qur’an and its sciences, including a textbook on the science of Tajweed. His greatest legacy, however, is one that placed his name squarely on the historical roadmap of pioneers in preserving the Qur’an and advancing its status in the world. Shaykh al-Husari has the distinction of being the first person in history to record the entire Qur’an in audio media and preserve it for posterity. Although there were others who did partial recordings before his time, and many who did recordings after him, his work became preeminent for a number of reasons.

To begin with, he was simply the first to record the entire Qur’an. The story behind this project reveals a glimpse into his visionary spirit as well as the workings of destiny. Shaykh al-Husari was greatly concerned about the efforts of Christian missionaries, particularly in Africa, to spread confusion and doubts about the Qur’an. Moreover, this was the dawn of the age of electronic communication and the world was just beginning to take shape as a global village. Shaykh al-Husari used his influence and position to raise awareness of the need to preserve the Qur’an, in the spirit of its early pioneers, this time in an audio format.

The project had initially been presented to a number of reciters but never came to fruition due to disputes about monetary compensation and related issues. After exhausting these avenues, the matter returned to Shaykh al-Husari, who reluctantly agreed to do it. But he did it as a service to the ummah, without any monetary compensation. He did the same for all his written works, preferring charitable distribution rather than selling for profit.

Most importantly, his complete mastery and precision in articulating the letters and words of the Qur’an were undeniable. After the project’s completion, the recordings were presented to numerous scholarly experts, and it was only after all of them testified to its precision that the project was allowed to proceed. And to this day, with the unanimous and universal approval of the leading experts of Tajweed, Shaykh al-Husari’s crystal clear voice continues to resonate with divine beauty and power from schools, cars, audio players, and computer software throughout the world.

Finally, the ambitious nature of the project was also a key factor in its success. After recording the entire Qur’an in the rendition of Hafs in 1961, Shaykh al-Husari’s work was not over. He proceeded to do another entire recording in the Reading of Warsh in 1964 and additional ones in Qalun and Duri in 1968. He also produced another recording in Mujawwad form, a slower style of recitation, as well as one in a teaching style (Muzallam). These recordings have all been widely available since, and continue to our times.

In 1980, Shaykh al-Husari began suffering from a heart condition and ultimately passed away on November 24, 1980 after completing the last prayer of the day. Upon his death, he left a third of his wealth for charitable works for advancing the cause of the Qur’an.

The Prophet stated: “Every Muslim should give charity.” He was asked, “What if one cannot?” He replied, “Then he should go find work and help himself and others.” He was asked, “What if one cannot?” The Prophet replied,“Then he should help someone in need.” He was asked, “What if one cannot?” He replied, “Then he should command what is right or good.” The Prophet was asked, “What if one cannot?”He replied, “Then at least he should refrain from evil, and that would be charity for him” (Bukhari, Muslim).

The spirit of charity, volunteerism, and service to others is a hallmark of Islam and among its greatest teachings. The Prophet never lost an opportunity to convey this message to others, and on this foundation he built a prosperous and charitable society oriented to public service.

Prophet Muhammad exhibited this generosity of character in his own life in a marvelous way. Before he became a Prophet, he earned the greatest respect and regard from his contemporaries by being al-Sidiq (the truthful) and al-Amin (the trustworthy). People confided in him, went to him to arbitrate differences, sought his advice, and even entrusted their valuables to his safekeeping. It was these ethical qualities in his early life that enabled him to be a successful Messenger later on. And so, when the first revelations came down to anoint him as a Messenger of the Divine and he rushed home fearful and full of great distress, his wife Khadijah, beloved supporter and confidante, consoled him and gave him confidence by reminding him of his impeccable character and service to others: “No, rejoice! By God, He would never disgrace you! For you uphold the ties of kinship, always speak the truth, bear the people’s burdens, help the destitute, honor guests, and serve those whose rights are due.”

This tradition of service continued throughout his prophet-hood and became an integral part of his mission and message. When he arrived in his adopted home of Madinah to establish the first Islamic society, his very first words to the people summed up that message: “People, spread peace among yourselves, uphold family ties, feed each other, and pray during the night while the rest of the people sleep, and you shall enter Paradise in peace!” The formula was simple. Build a peaceful society which consists of service to others (your families and those who are needy) and service to God (in the form of prayers). That, in essence, is the road to salvation. The balance between the body and spirit, between personal and civic responsibilities, and between spirituality and the mundane affairs of life is wonderful guidance bequeathed by Islam to humanity.

As part of this prophetic lesson, Prophet Muhammad emphasized the need for financial independence so that one can be in a position to help others. Charity, primarily in the form of donations, is a responsibility of every believer. This can be monetary donation or other type of material provision, depending upon the need. And for those unable to afford such, the Prophet strongly urged them to find work to earn something with their own hands so that they could help themselves and then others. In other words, tangible donations are among the greatest forms of charity and financial independence is, therefore, a desirable value in Islam.

Yet, for those who truly are not in a position to give material assistanceto others, then the Prophet recommended they find some other means to help someone in need. Financial assistance takes precedence but if that is simply not possible, then service to others is a priority. The principle of charity is so important that no single person is exempt from practicing it, even those who cannot afford it.For those who are neither in the position to give nor in a position to help, then they were urged to at least enjoin something that is good or virtuous. That could entail, for example, teaching someone something beneficial, speaking out for social justice, or promoting some worthy cause. Finally, those not in a position to practice any of these approaches must, at the very least, stay away from wrongdoing of any sort which indirectly protects people from that potential harm.

So charity and public service should involve everyone in a sound and healthy society. There are no exceptions because there are many forms of giving and helping. In our current political atmosphere where public assistance and providing for those in need have been assailed by some in the public discourse, these lessons on charity are very timely. There are, indeed, hopeful signs as the majority has rejected a selfish and self-serving political agenda—as the recent elections have shown. And in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we recognize once again that we live in difficult times; and that the tenuousness of this life is best dealt with by engaging and cooperating with those whose spirit of charitableness is ever ready to provide support and relief to those in need.

My name is Martha Patricia Garcia and I am 27 years old, a graduate of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). I am currently working as a reporter for the entertainment section of a national newspaper in Mexico. I was born into a Catholic family and never had the intention of changing my religion, but alhamdulillah (all praise is due to Allah), today I am very happy to be a Muslim.

Any lingering doubts about Islam did not last very long. I searched on the internet for the answer to the question: what must one do to become a Muslim?

The first impression I had about Islam was not good because it was based on two movies that made me want to never set foot in any Islamic country, particularly Turkey where one of the stories was set. I used to make many friends on the internet and the social network, Hi5, was very popular. I became friends with a guy and after a while I realized two things: he was a Muslim and he also lived in Turkey; that did away with my misconceptions.

Before I met him, Muslims seemed to me to be backward, fanatical people. But he was not anything like that. On the contrary, he was the friendliest and most polite 19 year-old I had ever met, and he was very intelligent. But as every rule has an exception, I wanted to be sure that he was not just an anomaly. I did not want to believe that the films, newsreels, and even print media were lying. So I began searching for Muslims from other parts of the world: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia, and all had the common denominator of good manners, kindness, and intelligence.

The Turkish guy and I started a long-distance relationship. He talked a lot about Islam and I liked learning, but always warned him that I would never change my religion because I was convinced about my faith. Four months later, our “courtship” ended, but I remained friends with many Muslims, who continued to explain to me their religion.
Everything was going well until in 2010, I was told that in Islam, Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him) was a prophet. That offended me so much that I became obsessed with finding something that could prove that idea wrong. I went to fellow followers of Catholicism and they ignored me; then I went to a Christian forum where they spoke ill of other religions and I happened to share that Muslims were good people. The forum administrator told me: “This is a Christian forum, if you do not like it, then leave.” So I left.

By then I had been communicating with an Egyptian who offered to send me books in Spanish to better understand Islam. I accepted because I did not know at the time that there were Muslims in Mexico. I received several packages and one of the booklets seemed to be the perfect tool to “sink” the arguments of the Muslims with regards to Jesus. It was called “The True Message of Jesus.” I took the book and, since it quoted the Bible, I decided to compare the verses mentioned one by one. My Catholic faith faded a bit more with each page I read. When I finished the book I did not know if I was a Muslim, but I knew I was no longer Catholic.

Any lingering doubts about Islam did not last very long. I searched on the internet for the answer to the question: what must one do to become a Muslim? I found the shahada, the testimony of faith: “Ash hadu anna laa il?ha illa All?h, wa Ashadu anna Mu?ammadan ras?l All?h” (I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship, except Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger). My heart was stirred by the idea of pronouncing it and so I did; I did it so many times that I memorized it. From that moment onward, I would repeat it, and as a Catholic would make the sign of the cross upon himself, I would say the Islamic declaration of faith whenever something frightened me.

Shortly after I was pleasantly surprised to find a Mexican Muslim on Facebook who took me to the Educational Center of the Muslim Community in Polanco, Mexico City, and a week later I declared my shahada to the community. At first my family did not accept it, but gradually they realized that I had made a very serious decision and I would not change my mind.

An Ordinary Muslimah

One of the biggest obstacles I faced was the clothing. I tried to adjust my wardrobe to keep using clothes that were Islamically acceptable to my eyes, but not strange enough for people to consider me “weird”. The battles were tougher in the beginning when I would leave the house without hijab (the Islamic head-covering) and try to “play super hero” by looking for somewhere to cover myself before going to the mosque, or to remove the hijab before returning home. I disliked the idea of being questioned, especially by my neighbor across the street, who was also my “godmother” for my first communion.

One day on a work assignment, I visited the hotel where the musical band, U2, was staying while on tour in Mexico City. As a journalist, I write for the entertainment section of the paper and often cover such stories. That day I dared to wear the hijab and when I asked a police officer for information about the fans surrounding the hotel, he looked at me in a derogatory manner because of the hijab and said “I cannot give that information.” This situation made my heart uneasy, but politely and firmly I asked “Am I being discriminated against?” while I pointed to my hijab. Another policeman who witnessed the scene from afar came and answered my questions politely.

That incident put doubts on my intention to wear the hijab regularly; I was terrified of being discriminated against. Little by little I started inventing more excuses not to cover my hair despite having the desire to do so. During this period, my clothing began to transform into long shirts and blouses, and pants a little less tight. At last, this Ramadan, alhamdulillah, I began to wear the hijab every day and nothing negative has happened. People glance at me with a bit of curiosity, but no one has been rude.

There are still days when I feel so strange that the thought of taking off my hijab crosses my mind, but then I remember that no matter how weird or unappealing my attire may seem to others, I have decided to do what pleases God. I will never give up my hijab! Another major battle I faced was the reaction of my family and friends. It took a while for them to get used to the idea that I do not drink and that I am no longer interested in partying. I cannot say I lost my friends because I know they are still there, although I do not see them as often. I would much rather say that I have found many new brothers and sisters.