An Old Man's Actions
& Chat Room for Islam
Brought Tears to Her Eyes
. And Islam to Her Heart.
Many have cried, including us - when we read this true story - See how you feel while you READ:
PATIENT GIVES DAWAH TO NURSE & SHE GETS TO ISLAM
– A TRUE STORY ABOUT DAWAH IN THE CHATROOM --
Use www.ChatIslam.com for Dawah
Sister Cassie wrote told this story many years ago - How she came to understand about the amazing faith - called Islam.
"My name is Cassie, I am 23 years old. I graduated as a qualified nurse this year and was given my first position as a home nurse.
My patient was an English gentleman in his early 80s who suffered from Alzheimer’s. In the first meeting, the patient was given his record and from it I could see that he was a convert to the religion of Islam, therefore he was a Muslim.
I knew from this that I would need to take into account some modes of treatment that may go against his faith, and therefore try to adapt my care to meet his needs. I brought in some ‘halal’ meat to cook for him and ensured that there was no pork or alcohol in the premises as I did some research which showed that these were forbidden in Islam.
My patient was in a very advanced stage of his condition so a lot of my colleagues could not understand why I was going through so much effort for him. But I understood that a person who commits to a faith deserves that commitment to be respected, even if they are not in a position to understand.
Anyway after a few weeks with my patient I began to notice some patterns of movement.
At first I thought it was some copied motions he’s seen someone doing, but I saw him repeat the movement at particular time; morning, afternoon, evening."
She described her patient's movements as follows:
"The movements were to raise his hands, bow and then put his head to the ground.
I could not understand it.
He was also repeating sentences in another language.
I couldn’t figure out what language it was as his speech was slurred but I know the same verses were repeated daily.
Also there was something strange, he didn’t allow me to feed him with my left hand (I am left-handed).
Somehow I knew this linked to his religion but didn’t know how.
A co-worker told her about chat room online for debates and talks about Islam and Muslims. She contineued:
"As I did not know any Muslims except for my patient, I thought it would be good to speak to someone live and ask questions."
She went online to a chat room to talk with real Muslims about Islam, worship, beliefs and traditions.
Here's a great one to use in your dawah right now - www.ChatIslam.com
After she entered the website and talked with the presenters and others there, she tells us:
Here I asked questions regarding the repeated movements and was told these were the actions of the (Muslim) prayer.
She really didn't believe it, until she saw comments about the Islamic prayers online:
I was shocked.
A man who has lost all memory of his children, of his occupation, and could barely eat and drink was able to remember not only actions of prayer but verses that were in another language.
This was nothing short of incredible and I knew that this man was devout in his faith, which made me want to learn more in order to care for him the best I could.
She said she came to the chat room often - asking questions and getting good answers.
Perhaps it was the monitor in the chat room who gave her the link to read the Quran (translated to English of course).
The link gave more than just something to read - because she also listened to the recitation (that always makes a big difference - even in Arabic):
Try for yourself (share these too):
www.AllahsQuran.com & www.ReciteQuran.com
The chapter of the ‘Bee’ (surah An-Nahil) gave me chills and I repeated it several times a day.
I saved a recording of the Quran on my iPod and gave it to my patient so he could listen. He started smiling and crying, and by reading the translation I could see why.
What she learned from the chat room, she used to care for her patient.
But then slowly found she was being attracted back to the chat room to learn answers for herself.
She goes on to tell us about her own life:
I never really took the time to look at my life; I never knew my father, my mother died when I was 3, me and my brother were raised by our grandparents who died 4 years ago, so now its just the two of us.
But despite all this loss, I always thought I was happy, content.
It was only after spending time with my patient that felt like I was missing something. I was missing that sense of peace and tranquility my patient, even through suffering felt.
I wanted that sense of belonging and a part of something that he felt, even with no one around him.
A sister in the chat room gave the nurse a list of locations for masjid (mosques) in her area. So she went to visit one and she said -
I watched the prayer and could not hold back my tears.
I felt drawn to the mosque every day and the imam and his wife would give me books and tapes and welcome any questions I had.
Each questions she asked in the chat room gave her answers to clear up many things, and she knew this was true. As she said:
I could do nothing but accept them.
I have never practiced a faith but always believed that there was a God; I just did not know how to worship Him.
One time in the chatroom, a speaker asked her if she had any questions. She said 'No'. Then he asked her if she was pleased with the answers she had heard. She said 'Yes'.
She tells us what happened next -
He asked then what was stopping me accepting Islam, I could not answer.
I went to the mosque to watch the dawn prayer.
The imam there asked her the same question, she couldn't answer him either.
When she returned to her patient something really strange came over her -
I then went to tend to my patient, I was feeding him and as I looked in his eyes I just realized, he was brought to me for a reason and the only thing stopping me from accepting was fear.... not fear in the sense of something bad, but fear of accepting something good, and thinking that I was not worthy like this man.
That afternoon I went to the mosque and asked the imam if I could say my declaration of faith, the Shahadah.:
Shahadah - (declaration of faith or creed in Islam is: There's none worthy of worship, except Allah & Muhammad is His messenger). In Arabic: Laa elaha illallah, Muhammadan Rasoolullah.
The imam helped her through the shahadah. She said -
I cannot explain the feeling I felt when I said it.
It was like someone woke me up from sleep and sees everything more clearly.
The feeling was overwhelming joy, clarity and most of all.... peace.
This is how many of us feel when he first say shahadah and enter into Islam. Al Hamdulillah (All Praise be to God). She went on to tell us -
But the first person I told about my shahadah was not even my own brother -
- It was my patient.
And when he saw me, even before I could open my mouth - he just looked at me, smiling - and he cried.
I broke down in front of him crying. I owed him so much.
Sister Cassie then returned back home and she went back online to the chat room - and repeated her shahadah for everyone in the chat room.
They were all very excited and happy, no doubt. She said -
They all helped me so much and even though I had never seen a single one of them, they felt closer to me than my own brother.
I did eventually call my brother to tell him and although at first, he wasn’t happy. Still he supported me and said he would be there for me. I couldn’t ask for any more.
Just after my first week as a Muslim - my patient passed away in his sleep while I was caring for him.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon*
He died a peaceful death and I was the only person with him.
He was like the father I never had and he was my doorway to Islam.
From the day of my Shahadah to this very day and for every day for as long as I live, I will pray that Allah shows mercy on him and grant him every good deed I perform in the tenfold.
I loved him for the sake of Allah and I pray each night to become an atoms weight of the Muslim he was.
Islam is a religion with an open door; it is there for those who want to enter it.... Verily Allah is the Most Merciful, Most Kind.
~ Note ~ Our sister Cassie did share the message of Islam with her brother. He finally accepted and made his own shahadah - Just before she passed on to Allah October 2010
*Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon (From Allah we came and to Allah is our return).
[Source: UK dawa group]
Use www.ChatIslam.com for your dawah.
Is someone asking you about Islam? Or giving you tough questions?
Here's something easy for you to do - Just tell them you have a question about Islam to ask them. Then give them the link or ask them to visit www.WhatsIslam.com
Tell them you have a question for them - but, ONLY AFTER they watch this video:
www.Whats Islam.com
When they come back to you to find out what your question is - say to them, "What do you think about Islam now?" Or "Do you have any more questions?"
This method has helped us give hundreds of shahadahs to people everywhere. Try it - and share it, inshallah.
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