Article by Hanîfah Ashawe, Summary: "The reason why women are turning to Islām must certainly have something to do with the honour that Islām gives them and the equality with which it deals with people, not only in terms of gender, but also in terms of race, nationality, class, etc. However, the overriding reason why I and so many others like me were attracted to Islām was because Islām answered the most important question which I had ever asked: "Why am I here on this earth?" So I crossed the divide and managed to see what lies on the other side ... alhamdulillāh, I chose Islām."

At a time when Islām is faced with hostile media coverage particularly where the status of men in Islām is concerned, it may be quite surprising to learn that Islām is the fastest growing religion in the world, and even more ironic is that the statistics show the majority of converts to Islām are women!

The status of women in society is neither a new issue nor is it a fully settled one, and where Islām is mentioned, for many the term 'Muslim Woman' prompts images of exhausted mothers chained to the stove, 'victims' suppressed in a life of indoctrination, frantic to be westernised and so on. Others will go to great lengths to explain how the hijāb is an obstacle, clouding the mind, and comment that female converts are either brainwashed, stupid or traitors to their gender. I reject such accusations and pose to them the following question: why is it that so many women who have been born and brought up in the so-called "civilised" societies of Europe and America are willing to reject their "liberty" and "independence" to embrace a religion that supposedly oppresses them and is widely assumed to be prejudicial to them?

Before coming to Islām, I had strong feminist tendencies and recognised that where the woman was concerned, a lot of shuffling around had been going on, yet without being able to pin her on the social map. Like the many women who shared my background. I would accuse Islām of being a sexist religion, discriminating, oppressing and giving men the greater privileges. All this coming from a person who didn't even know Islām, one who had been blinded due to ignorance and had accepted this deliberately distorted definition of Islām.

However, despite my criticisms of Islām, inwardly I wasn't satisfied with my own status as a woman in this society. It seemed to me that society would define the terms such as "liberty" and "freedom" and then these definitions were accepted by women without us even attempting to question or challenge them. There was clearly a great contradiction between what women are told in theory and what actually happens in practice.

The more I pondered, the greater emptiness I fell within. I was slowly beginning to reach a stage where my dissatisfaction with my status as a woman in this society, was really a reflection of my greater dissatisfaction with society itself. Something vital seemed to be missing from my life and nothing would fill this vacuum. Being a Christian didn't do anything for me, and I began to question the validity of only remembering God one day a week - Sundays! As with many other Christians too, I had become disillusioned by the hypocrisy of the Church and was becoming increasingly unhappy with the concept of the Trinity and the deification of Jesus. Eventually, I began to look in Islām. At first I was only interested in looking into those issues which specifically dealt with women. I was surprised. What I read and learned taught me a lot about myself as a woman, and also about the real oppression of women lies: in every other system and way of life outside Islām. Muslim women have been given their rights in every aspect with clear definitions of their role in society - as had men - with no injustices against either of them. As Allāh says: "Whoever does deeds of righteousness, by they male or female, and have faith, they will enter Paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them." [an-Nisā' (4):124]

So having amended my misconceptions about the true status of women in Islām, I was now looking further. I wanted to find that thing which was going to fill the vacuum in my life. My attention was drawn towards the beliefs and practices of Islām. It was only through establishing the fundamentals that I would understand where to turn and what to prioritise. These are often areas which receive little attention or controversy in society, and when studying Islāmic creed, it becomes clear why this is the case: such concise, faultless and widely comprehensive details cannot be found elsewhere.

The fundamental belief of Islām is Tawheed which is a simple message 'lā ilāha illallāh'. It is recognise that Allāh alone is to be worshipped and then to direct all worship towards Him - the root message which strikes at all false worship and it is the place where any person who seriously wants to learn about Islām should start.

By this time I had begun to meet practising Muslim women and how I felt so secure and welcome in their company! These sisters, I regarded not only as friends, but advisors, and supporters too, and the beauty of their companionship was that every person was attracted due to the same reason: to help each other in worshipping Allāh. This is what united their hearts together. Allāh says: "And He has united their [i.e. the believers] hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allāh has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise." [al-Anfāl (8):63]

Alhamdulillāh, I accepted Islām willingly.

Through my reading, researching and attending lectures, I have come to know my Rabb (Lord). I have come closer to acquainting myself with some of His Names (Asmā') and Attributes (Sifāt) of Beauty and Perfection. I have found this a great help in understanding the whole Religion. To know, for example, that among Allāh's Names is that He is the Most Wise (al-Hakîm) and the Most Just (al-'Adl), and therefore that He commands only that which is wise and just, would completely relieve a person from seeking to find justifications for Allāh's Laws, or from having doubts about the fairness of Allāh's Laws. Now, alhamdulillāh, I can appreciate much more why the true Muslim scholars emphasise so strong for Muslims to learn about Allāh - His Asmā' and Sifāt - before trying to reason with Allāh's Laws. Unfortunate I would have been, had I taken the stance that "Islām gives the best deal to women" and made this my reason for embracing Islām because then my faith would have been without a firm ground and sooner or later I would have come across some laws ordained by Allāh that I couldn't logically / rationally understand or see the wisdom behind. Had I not studied the foundation of belief, namely Tawheed and looked at how Allāh describes Himself in His Book, perhaps I would still be in darkness. And all praise and thanks is for Allāh who guided me to the truth - It is as He says: "Wherewith Allāh guides all those who seek His good pleasure, to ways of peace, and He brings them out of darkness, by His will, into light and guides them to a Straight Path." [al-Mā'idah (5):16]

[Source: ad-Da'wah ila Allāh Vol. 1 Issue 3]