OUR SON IS LEAVING ISLAM - HELP!
From worried parents (everywhere):
Assalamualikum. I am watching you on YouTube and Guide US TV.
Our son is about to leave Islam and we need help. He born here in U.S. and few years ago, he left home to get his masters and a good job in (another state) and then he met this girl who doesn’t believe in God at all.
He stop praying, fasting and doesn’t want to talk about God or faith with us anymore. He said, “I just don’t care . .”
Please Mr. Yusuf, help our son get back to Islam. He is good man and have good hart.
I guess you are really busy man and I asking Allah this message get to you and call him, my son and save him.
Please Sir. My phone number is: (000)555-1212 P-L-E-A-S-E call anytime.
Answer — Bismillah Salam alaykum dear brother,
Your email has just now reached me while I'm traveling in Muscat, Oman, working on emails before fajr. When I found your message, I had to cry inside.
It makes me so sad because it is similar to other families over the last 15 years or more.
While we have so many new Muslims coming to Islam by the front door — We are sad to see born Muslims leaving out the back door.
It is so strange by the way, last night during our lecture at the new center here in Muscat, Oman, a lady from your area who was visiting here accepted Islam along with several others.
Strange, isn't it? So, we can't say the west is the problem. In fact, many people in the U.S. enter Islam every day.
Strange as it seems, it is also the place many Muslims are leaving Islam.
Why is this?
It seems the part of your letter that is most common is the part about the boy being born and raised in a non-Muslim environment, and working hard for education and career in the material world (hayatu dunya).
The story usually goes something like this . .
The child begins public school with non-Muslim teachers using curriculum based on “Big Bang” and “Evolutionary” theories — with little or nothing to validate belief in God.
The child continues throughout school years making friends with others who are also influenced by the same notions.
Even the children who attend religious activities for a few hours on the weekends, have pretty much the same situation, although a little bit better. Some even memorize scriptures, and can recite many verses from memory, but without really knowing the meanings.
The biggest problem I have found with all of this, is the lack of true understanding of the correct message of real faith. The exact same thing that brings so many people to true faith in God around the world, is lacking in the lives of many of our own born-Muslims.
But is there a cure for the problem? — Good question.
The answer lies in understanding God’s message to us all. Not just reciting something with little or no meaning, but rather real understanding from true scholars and teachers.
A Muslim child should be taught from early years, even before they attend school, the basics of belief based on facts and proof. Prayer (salah) as a connection with Almighty Allah (God) and the deep understanding of Quran from the Arabic language.
These things along with the good life-style examples of the parents in their daily lives have a tremendous impact on the children’s development and form the basis for the rest of their lives.
We see the biggest effect for children is to see their parents and others around them following the good, moral and upright ways. Then they actually copy these ways because to them this is very normal way of life.
Now, what about the child who never heard about Islam?
While they grow up, they follow their parents in whatever they do. But when they begin their search for themselves to find meaning of life, they hear about Islam, usually from bad points of view, but at least they are hearing something.
When they look deeper into the real Islam, they are very surprised to find the opposite of what the media and other faith leaders say against Islam. Often times they find exactly what they are looking for and then convert to the beautiful surrender, submission, obedience to God, in sincerity and in peace (this is expressed in the root word for “Islam” — “aslama”).
After finding the truth, they enter into Islam, even though many people around them are trying to stop them or at least showing strong disapproval.
Here's what we have done to help people, like the non-Muslims and Muslims who have lost their way and want to find it again:
And our constant broadcast TV online (www.GuideUS.TV) 24 hours a day, every day, along with our satellite TV channel (Galaxy 19 - use "GUIDE US TV") and our free-to-air antennas in Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Dallas, Columbus, Ohio and free phone apps (iPhone & Android, type in guideus-tv)
All of this effort is coming only from donations from our own viewers. We do not take advertisements or commercials, only support from Muslim families who really care about Islam.
Here in Alexandria, Virginia some families helped support our dawah there, and it grew and grew for other Muslim families around the country.
Back to your situation - It is never too late for someone to enter Islam or return to Islam - but it does take effort and guidance.
The effort comes from us and the guidance comes from Allah.
Where to start? First, by learning the important basics of Islam (www.WhatsIslam.com) and then the reason to believe in Allah (www.GodAllah.com) and after that, the real place in the heart for meanings of Quran (1. www.AllahsQuran.com 2. www.ReciteQuran.com 3. www.QTafsir.com) and then the real way for modern people to learn about Muhammad, peace be upon him (www.ProphetOfIslam.com).
All of these and more are available, in the correct order on www.ShareIslam.com
I highly recommend to you and your wife, visit the websites listed here and pray to Allah in every one of your daily prayers, and in the middle of the night prayer (Qiyam) asking Allah over and over to guide your son to the true light of Islam.
After all, it is only Allah who guides to His straight path, isn't it?
May Allah guide your son and all of us too, ameen.
Jazakallah khair for your time in reading all of this and I hope I did not hurt your feelings in this direct manner.
Salam alaykum,
Yusuf Estes
P.S. If you would like to help other young people keep their faith, you can support by praying for this effort every day, watching our TV channel (www.GuideUS.TV), telling others about our websites and TV channels and by helping us pay to keep it going: www.DonateToIslam.com
