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Plymouth woman accepts Islam after reading the Quran four times

A Plymouth woman discusses her experience of reverting to Islam saying people around her thought someone had radicalised her

By Mariam Khan

Maryum in Jerusalem in May 2022 (Image: Maryum)

A Plymouth woman who grew up Christian, accepted Islam after reading the Quran four times in the space of a month. Her decision left her friends and family shocked with her grandmother labelling her change of faith a “phase”.

Whilst the Muslim community is small in Plymouth, during Ramadan (April) three women accepted Islam. Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims which happens each year. During this period Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset and give charity. I spoke to a Plymothian woman born and raised here, who has changed her life by changing her faith.

Maryum grew up in a Christian Church of England household and has always believed in God. During her teens she began to waver, not really being able to understand why going to church every Sunday was important or understand liturgy, but just following along with the motion of the faith because that’s what she had been raised to believe.

In her early 20s, she came back to Christianity but attended an Evangelical Church which she found easier to access. Maryum reverted and took her Shahada at Piety Islamic Centre, so has only been a Muslim for a few months.

Shahada is a declaration of faith, one which is often repeated by new Muslims as they enter the faith. The words during the Shahada translate to, “I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.”

She said she came to Islam bit by bit, having studied other Abrahamic faiths at university but it wasn’t until a conversation with an electrician who came to fix something in her house just after the Manchester bombing that she felt more driven to explore Islam. She said: “I was scrolling through my phone and I said ‘this is so awful’ and I remember him responding, ‘that’s obviously extreme, what do you think about normal Muslims?’ and I said I don’t know any Muslims.” Maryum said this led her to further look into Islam.

During Ramadan this year, Maryum read the Quran – the Islamic holy book – four times in translation, doing further research for parts she didn’t understand. She said: “At first I was just interested in what the Quran said, you get people who have plucked bits of the Quran and say it’s violent and hateful.

“So I wanted to see what it said and actually, I didn’t glean the message of violence from it. I kept thinking there has to be something in it as it’s the fastest-growing religion in the world.

“My grandmother thinks I’m going through a ‘phase,’ we don’t talk about it cause it upsets her. It’s not an ideal situation for my mum but she’s glad I’ve found somewhere to feel a sense of belonging.

“Actually, I’ve felt more of a backlash from, friends or those at church who have decided to think “someone has done this to me, someone has radicalised me. I’ve been told: “women fought and lost their lives for your freedom.”

“I think it’s hard for many people to believe this is my choice, to accept it. My faith makes me feel happy and content, I keep thinking Allah is bigger than all our problems no matter what happens.”

“I still think there’s not much provision for revert women to be involved, the stuff that is available you have to be in that community and space to be in it, I think there needs to be better communication from the mosque administration and directors.

“Where I have been involved with the mosque I have found all the women to be really friendly and really welcoming, they have known each other longer than they have known me but I’ve never felt like an outsider.”

Source: Plymouthlive

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