 
My name is Alexis and I live in Chicago, Illinois, USA. I took my Shahada and converted to Islam on March 15, 2018
It has been nearly two and a half years since that beautiful day. My journey to Islam was nothing short of miraculous considering I was born into a very close-minded Christian family.
From a young age, I was forced to go to a Lutheran Church with my parents, study the Bible, and go through confirmation, which is when you become an official member of the Church. I didn’t want to do any of these things because I had no faith in Christianity and I knew it.
The Holy Trinity just wasn’t something I could understand or accept as Truth because I didn’t think there was any way that a man could be God. No explanation in Christianity was convincing enough. It didn’t make sense to me at all, but I had to pretend like it did to please my parents.
Because the media always paints Islam in such a negative way, I had no idea of its actual teachings. I had no idea about the Oneness of God. Christianity was the only religion that I knew and I didn’t like it so I ended up rejecting religion all together for a few years. I identified as agnostic, in search of the Truth, but unsure of where to start looking. I began college not having any spiritual guidance which made me extremely thoughtful and depressed.
One thing I enjoyed doing to get me through hard times was journaling. Whenever I picked up a pen, I pretended like I was writing to “the universe.” I always had faith in something, I just didn’t know it was Allah. Then one day, I met a Muslim for the first time. Finally, I got to learn about the actual teachings and practices of Islam. I was completely awestruck when I realized that the Oneness of Allah was what I believed in for my entire life, but now I have actual guidance and Truth to follow and believe in. There are many other reasons I chose Islam, one being the preservation and miracles of the Holy Quran. The Bible has been changed so many times that it’s hard to take at face value.
Many of the authenticated Hadiths that I studied were more proof of why Islam is Truth and the right religion for me. Of course, this huge change in my life was absolutely terrifying.
My parents didn’t take well to it, and I’ve received many mean comments and abuse because of it, but alhamdulillah, things have gotten easier with time. I try to be a good Muslim and daughter so that insha’Allah someday, maybe my parents will see that Islam is good.
If I’m the only Muslim in their lives, then I need to be a good example of what that means. So I take the mean comments and turn them into motivation to be a better person, daughter, and most importantly, a better Muslim.
I wouldn’t take back my decision for all the money, fame, and success in the world. Converting to Islam was both the easiest and hardest choice I’ve ever had to make, but I am so absolutely thankful to Allah for guiding me.
Thank you for your time, JazakAllah khair.
Connect with her via @trueman.black
