According to rahyafte (the missionaries and converts website):
An Exclusive Interview of a Revert to Islam, Julia, from Sweden, by Bentolhoda Mofakhami
Rahyafte team (related to Edoardo Agnelli Islamic Association) invites you on a special journey into the life of our sister Julia. Thank you Julia for accepting the interview. Please tell us about yourself.
My name is Julia Thorsen Marghad and was born in Sweden as the first child of my family in August 1993. I grew up in a small city together with my mom and dad.I have a brother. My parents divorced when I was 7 years old, and we lived part time with mother and part time with father. My mother met a new man, and I have two sisters from the new marriage.
My family were always non-believers, or atheists, including me. We celebrated Christmas, Easter, midsummer and holidays, but it was never a religious reason with them. It was just the tradition of Sweden. Myself, I lost the point, like ’why are we celebrating this? What is the reason? Always same, too much food, alcohol and always the same TV programs’. Same with visiting the church. We only went to church for funerals, some weddings and some baptizings, just because some people wanted it ’traditional’.
The alcohol culture in Sweden is quite big. In all the big holidays, people drink. To celebrate something, people drink. On the weekends, people drink. Everywhere there is the alcohol, in restaurants, in events, during dinners, everywhere. It never woke my interest to drink. I mean… first, I saw a lot of negative sides from the alcohol. Second, you could have so much more fun without the alcohol.
How did you get familiar with Islam?
Me and my family went on a family vacation to Alanya, Turkey, in July 2011. I was exited for warm weather and another culture.
We arrived quite late (like 03:00), and on the bus I remember so well how I laughed for the people who would live next to the mosque – they would get disturbed. But when I stood on my own balcony, we had a great mosque there, just outside.
It was something with the call for prayer. It was so beautiful and it woke something inside me, like ’I want to know more’. To hear it several times per day…. wow. I can’t explain that feeling.
I came home to Sweden, and suddenly I had an arabic person on my Skype. We started to speak during some months, became friends and I decided to visit. I went to the country, and I stayed for 3 weeks (during christmas and new year, nice for me! I hated those holidays).
Back to Sweden again. I graduated from school in june, and at the same time I studied in school, I studied islam at home. I found it more and more logic.
I went back to the same country and decided to stay for 3 months. I experienced the last period from Ramadan. I saw the fasting. I also experienced both eid celebrations. For each day that went, I read the swedish translation of the Quran, and I felt that ’Islam is the right for me – I feel at home’.
I came back to Sweden in November 2012, and finally took my testimony of faith in December 2012!
What drove you to convert to Islam?
The thing that everything is so logic and so clean. The Quran is still intact and authentic (if you compare with the bible). If you compare Christmas with Ramadan, it makes more sense to celebrate Ramadan than to celebrate Christmas. Also the point that women and men are seen for who they are, their personality and level of belief, and not for how they look and how attractive they are looking.
One big reason is the alcohol part, that as a Muslim you are not allowed to drink alcohol. And one heavy reason is that it makes sense to me. I feel totally convinced about Islam being the truth!
What was your family’s reaction after you became a Muslim? Did you have any problem with people who knew you? Are you married?My family’s reaction was a bit difficult in the beginning. As for my brother and sisters, they understood immidiately I guess. It was more hard for my mother. I guess she thought that ’it is just for a period’, but after a time she finally accepted.
My father hasn’t speaken anything, so I dont know his opinion.
I met my husband and got married in August 2014.
How do you see the spread of Islam in your country?
We have lots of immigrants from Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Libya and Lebanon in Sweden. We also have immigrants from other Muslim countries as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, just to name few. We also have some revert people, like me.
I see the spread with mosques in much places, the ease to find halal meat in Muslim crowded areas. I see hijabi sisters outside. I hear ’salam alaikom’ outside.
What is the most beautiful Ayah of the Quran in your opinion? And why?
94, 5-6: “Surely with difficulty is ease. With difficulty is surely ease.”
Allah’s promise, he makes it clear that what He tells is what we should rely on in difficult times. To have patience because Allah promises us that after hardship comes ease.
What’ your opinion about hijab? Did wearing hijab have any effect on your private life? Do you think it is only dedicated to women?
Hijab is so much more than covering your hair. We are supposed to hide our body shape, we should think about how we act, how we speak and to speak the truth. We are not supposed to use make up, perfume or to change our eyebrows…. to lower our gaze and avoiding laughing loudly. It applies to men too, to wear acceptable and respectful clothes, and to lower the gaze.
I was in the beginning thinking that ’I will be Muslim without the hijab’, but today I wear jilbab and I can’t even imagine to take it off! I love it and I feel free!
What specifically attracted you to Islam?
The alcohol is forbidden, women are seen for who they are and not for their hair color or designer clothes, the logic, sense and meaning with it all.
What was your feeling when you prayed for the first time? Wasn’t it hard for you to pray 5 times a day?
To pray was so relieving. I finally felt complete. I did that together with a imam and his family in their home. I had a note book and wrote down from a YouTube video how to pray and what to say and also their translations. It took me 2 weeks to learn it by heart.
If you want to say some words about the beauty of Islam, the peace, the calmness you have found in this religion what do you say?
First, I want to thank Allah(swt) for guiding me this far. Guidance is a blessing. Secondly, I want to thank my husband for helping me finding my Muslim identity. Who I am, as a Muslim. Before marriage I was practicing, but after marriage I learnt more and more and got more exposed to the Muslim life.
Thirdly, I want to thank my husband’s great family and relatives, for welcoming me to their family and accepting me as a practicing Muslim. I love you all.
Fourth, I want to thank my family and friends for accepting and respecting me for my choice to live as a Muslim, and accepting my husband.
Thank you very much for your attention. May Allah bless you and keep you strong and firm on this true path.
By Bentolhoda Mofakhami
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)
■ Feel Free to Share the posts with your Friends…
■ You too can take part and help us in sharing the knowledge…
■ May ALLAH SWT reward you for conveying His Message To Mankind
