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New converts should be well-prepare & instructed for their first Ramadan

“I’ve seen the way (religion) shaped my husband’s worldview and how he treats his parents. He’s very filial, he loves his siblings a lot, he’s very kind and generous, and I thought all of that came from the guidance of Islam.

According to rahyafte (the missionaries and converts website):

For the past seven years, the number of Muslim conversions administered in Singapore has stayed fairly consistent at between 600 and 700 a year. Darul Arqam, the nondescript, three-storey white building is home to the Muslim Converts’ Association (MCAS), which provides free Islamic classes in various languages. More than half of these converts involve foreigners, some of whom traveled to Singapore just to get converted.

The reason for this, according to MCAS deputy manager Iskandar Yuen Abdullah, is Singapore’s unique system.

 

“The process that we have in place is a very holistic approach. We offer the understanding of Islam, we offer them social network opportunities, and then we have a learning path from foundation courses to the advanced,” he said.

 

“They also receive an official card at the end of the conversion to show that they’re Muslim, so that there will be no disputes or arguments down the road. It’s unique (to Singapore),” he added.

“SO MUCH LOVE” FROM STRANGERS

 

Some new converts have hard moments during their first Ramadan but they could change it to a nice memory if they have been instructed completely and if they have prepared themselves well. There is a wealth of information online about the kind of food to eat so that the body adjusts quickly to the rigour of fasting at least 12 hours a day.

 

That was exactly what Shane Hew did – he Googled. The 27-year-old bachelor may be slim but he is a self-confessed big eater. And ever since he embraced Islam in January, he has become even more aware of what and how much he eats. To ready himself for his first Ramadan, he followed instructions he found online.

 

The Uber driver’s Ramadan breakfast menu looked like recommendations from a women’s health magazine. Suhoor consisted mainly of oatmeal, banana and yoghurt, but no coffee – which dehydrates. The meal plan worked well for the Chinese Singaporean. His stomach only started growling at about 4pm or 5pm. When the hunger pangs hit, he told himself he had “just a few more hours” to go.

 

Being a chauffeur-on-demand allowed Mr Hew – who took on the Muslim name Ehsan – the flexibility to break fast at a different mosque each day. He enjoyed the time spent with what he called his “food companions” – strangers he sat with for iftar (the meal eaten by Muslims after sunset during Ramadan). “During this whole breaking fast at the mosque, I get to experience so much love from different people,” he said.

 

He recounted the first day when he queued up for food. “There was a Bangladeshi who was very loving and treated me as if I was his young brother – scooping rice for me and just stuffing me with food. And there was an Indian father with his kid who kept staring at me. The man asked why I converted to Muslim, then said, ‘May God bless you with peace in life.’”

“You definitely cannot see this anywhere else. It makes me feel like I actually belong. There is no awkwardness. That’s the beauty of it,” said Mr Hew.

 

NIGHTLY PRAYERS

 

Hunger and thirst aside, another aspect of Ramadan may prove challenging for new converts.

“The fasting part was my greatest worry at the start, but then I realised during Ramadan we have to perform the nightly prayers,” said Ms Li Jinghan, who underwent conversion just before Ramadan last year. “That was difficult,” she recalled.

 

The bubbly 26-year-old Chinese Singaporean met her Malay Muslim husband Muhammah Aizat Khalis in 2012 while both were studying at university. “Before we even agreed to be together, he made it very clear that for us to even get to the stage of marriage, I would have to convert. But he didn’t pressure me, he was just saying, make the effort to learn, and then we’ll see how it goes.”

 

After dating for three years, with the blessings of both their families, the couple decided to marry. That was when Ms Li converted, taking on Jihan as her Muslim name.

“I converted about two weeks before Ramadan, so I was just getting used to praying. It was really painful to do the five prayers (a day), and then now (during Ramadan) I have to go to the mosque for extra prayers. After we break fast, we’d be at the mosque at about 8pm and we’d pray until 9pm or 10pm. It was really exhausting,” Ms Li said.

 

Sometimes, she would break down and cry. Noticing her struggle, her in-laws asked her to take it easy, but Ms Li felt obliged. “I feel bad if I don’t try,” she said.

 

 

 

This year, things got a lot easier. “It’s been a whole year of praying, my legs got used to it. In March I actually went for the pilgrimage and we prayed a lot. That was when I realised, okay, so last year wasn’t so bad,” she said, chuckling.

 

BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS

 

Inspired by her own initial struggles in practising Islam, she recently quit her job at the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) to focus on building an online platform for converts worldwide.

 

“I realised a lot of Muslims are being marginalised in their own society, they can’t declare their faith like I do in Singapore. And they might not be able to find the products they need easily, be it prayer items, or modest clothing, or even Islamic books to know more about their religion. I’m just hoping I can bring ease and convenience to the lives of Muslims worldwide.” Ms Li said.

She has the full support of her husband, an immigration and customs officer. “She kept thinking about it every night – even after she got home from AVA she would work until 2am, 3am just to pursue her dream,” said Mr Aizat, 28.

 

I asked Ms Li what Ramadan meant to her. She said: “I’ve seen the way (religion) shaped my husband’s worldview and how he treats his parents. He’s very filial, he loves his siblings a lot, he’s very kind and generous, and I thought all of that came from the guidance of Islam.

 

“When I understood that, all I want to be is a blessing to others. That’s what I aim to be, as a Muslim.”

Group shot of Mr Aizat’s and Ms Li’s families.

 

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

DUA: Allah please accept this from us. You are All-Hearing and All-Knowing. You are The Most Forgiving.You are The Most Relenting and repeatedly Merciful. Allah grant us The Taufiq to read all the 5 prayers with sincerity.
(Taken from:To Be Earnest In Prayers By Amina Elahi)

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