American Muslims

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Mahdi Bray .. Imam of American Muslims
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Mahdi Bray tells his story sayingduring my
studying days in my collage, a Pakistani friend
gave me a copy of English translated Qur'an. It
was covered with a plastic bag and he told me
this Book will help you.
Ill give it to you but promise me with one
thing,,so what did he promised him? and how did
he repent from Christianity to Islam ..?
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I was a Christian, thats true. I lived my
childhood in a system seemed to be like the
apartheid in South Africa. And though I was a
Christian, they separated between black and white
people in the church as black Christians wasnt
accepted. This racism had a big influence on my
as a child. My house used to be thrown with rocks
by a racist group who was against the presence of
black people in the city. Due to that my whole
life has all become about social integrity and
Ive visited many places looking for justice.
The civil rights movement in the church,
African Nationalism, Left Socialists and others.
Finally, I started thinking about capitalism when
I started my work in Rock and Roll music
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Ive learned many things by joining these
organizations. Even though, I felt an empty space
in my heart, and this space ended when I was
working in rock music with Rock and Roll stars.
Ive got a lot of money and I had an enormous
fortune. Still, my deeps stayed empty.
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during my studying days in my collage, a
Pakistani friend gave me a copy of English
translated Qur'an. It was covered with a plastic
bag and he told me this Book will help you. Ill
give it to you but promise me with one thing
wash your hands before reading it and put in a
clean place, dont enter the bathroom while
having it and dont left it or put it in the
floor. And I promised him so. He also gave me
Yusuf Ali translations for Qur'an meanings and
I took it with me in all the places for about
seven years.
When I was in my job in music, I used to
read it from time to another,,, but its words
hadnt passed through my heart yet.
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In a day in 1972, I stood before the mirror and I
looked at myself remembering that little child. I
started thinking with the things my parents have
taught me. Honesty, integrity, respecting women
and modesty, I lost them all, my heart was
totally void but somehow it was missing
something. So I opened Yusuf Ali translation for
Qur'an meanings, opened Surah number 55,
Arrahman , and  there I read verse seven which
says ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????
?????? 7And the Firmament has He raised high,
and He has set up the Balance) of Justice)
felt like stones falling over my head! There I
knew that, justice doesnt come from Martin
Luther King, not from Chi Guevara nor Malcolm X
or any one of these. Justice, comes from Allah.
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And I wanted to be involved in this justice. I
escaped with myself to The Forgiving God. I
didnt know how to say La Elaha
Ella-Allah Theres no God but Allah I just
said Oh God, I want to be a Muslim.
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So I continued reading Surat Arrahman, and I
found in it such great blessings from The
Almighty. How can we praise His Blessings?
I started crying. Not because I was upset, but
due to all these wonderful things I found., I
found Islam! And Im a Muslim from 30 years
now. Actually I havent found Al-Islam, but
Allah SWT has guided me to it. There was no place
in America to teach it because in that time,
Islam was still humble in there and there were no
masjids. So, I started reading books. At first, I
was transliterating Arabian letter into English,
like saying Astagfirollaha than saying,??????
????
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At the end, I went to an Islamic Center in
Washington, the biggest Masjid there. It was a
day of Eid Al-Fitr and I didnt know the meaning
of Eid. Everyone was shouting Eid Mubarak! I
though therere saying Eat Mubarak. I didnt
get what they meant, I thought theyre saying
Blessed Food !! And thats, my story with
Islam.
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Text source Islam story web site www.Islamsto
ry.com Prepared by - Translation Campaign
Team www.facebook.com/translation.campain 2012

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??????? ???.. praise be to Allah ..
?? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ..