According to rahyafte (the missionaries and converts website):citing khaleejtimes, 53-year-old American citizen David Aaron Snyder, who changed his name to Harun after converting to Islam, confesses that last year he was moments away from ending his life, but a divine sign from God prevented his suicide.
See the Persian text here
He describes the moment of his suicide attempt as follows: “I was standing on the balcony of a 19-story building in one of the Gulf countries, about to throw myself down, but before doing so, I shouted loudly to God and said, ‘I surrender to You. You know I am addicted to alcohol and I am unable to quit it.’ Then I turned my face towards the sky and asked Him if He even listens to my words.”
Suddenly, within a few seconds, the sky cleared up, and he saw lights that resembled lightning. After examining the weather conditions, he realized there was no rain or storm coming. Therefore, he considered those lights as a sign from God. In his belief, God wanted to answer him and let him know he could quit alcohol addiction. Since then, he has never consumed alcohol, and his life has undergone a fundamental transformation.
Harun continued: “I truly don’t know how I was guided to Islam. But whenever I heard the call to prayer, I found inner peace. One day, I found a mobile app that recited the Quran with English subtitles. Listening to the Quran gave me a sense of spiritual satisfaction. The Quran immediately became the source of my tranquility and helped me quit alcohol addiction.”
In February, Harun contacted an Islamic center to ask questions about Islam. He says: “After hearing the answers to my questions, I embraced Islam. Then the lady I was talking to asked me if I was ready to recite the Shahada (Islamic declaration of faith) or not. In my heart, I knew that the time for changing my religion had come. When I recited the Shahada, I cried tears of joy. From that moment until today, I have experienced an extraordinary life.”
Harun has dedicated most of his time during the blessed month of Ramadan to learning about Islam. He says: “I really love fasting as a Muslim. The first week of this Ramadan has been one of the best weeks of my life.”
At the end, Harun stated: “I don’t know what events I will experience in the future, but I am confident that an amazing life awaits me.”
