Reverted at the age of 13, 12 June 2023 00:01 AM, in my garden!

My dear brothers and sisters,

This is something I rarely talk about. Usually, I just give a short explanation of how I came to Islam, but today, I wanna share the full story. The deep, in-depth journey of how Allah guided me to the truth.

Why would a 13-year-old Belgian kid, raised in a rich household, surrounded by comfort and luxury, choose Islam? Why would someone who had everything the dunya could offer still feel… empty?

I won’t share everything, some things are just too personal, and who knows, maybe there are people reading this with bad intentions. But I pray that what I do share will touch at least one heart.

How It All Started

We gotta go back 5-6 years, when I was just 10. A normal Belgian boy. Eating fries, getting new gifts, living a life with no real purpose. Religion? It wasn’t a thing in my house. Yeah, I did my "First Holy Communion," but it was just a tradition, nothing more.

Then Allah placed someone in my life. A Muslim kid, Youssef. An Egyptian brother. He’s still my best friend to this day.

I started going to his house often, and I noticed something… different. His family was unlike any other family I had ever seen. They would pray together. His dad, his mom, him. There was this… peace in their home. A kind of warmth. Like some kinda blessing was hanging over their house. I had never felt anything like it before

That was my first introduction to Islam.

And Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) already put inside me a curiosity for knowledge. And let’s be real, it’s in all of us. Just think back to when we were kids, always asking, "Why is the sky blue?" "Why is the grass green?" SubhanAllah, it’s in our fitrah !! we are born wanting to learn, wanting to seek the truth.

But back then, I didn’t really think I could believe in God. I needed proof. I needed a reason. Why should I believe?

Years passed. I got into secundary school (idk what y’all call it, but we go there at 12-13 and stay for 6 years). There were Muslims there too, but honestly, they didn’t play a big role in my journey—at least not yet.

What really brought me to Islam?

It wasn’t a deep debate. It wasn’t a lecture or a book.

It was pain.. It was loneliness. It was the nights spent staring at my ceiling, wondering why I even exist.

I had everything. A big house. Good grades. Expensive vacations. But inside? Inside I was dying.

I remember sitting by my window, looking up at the stars, feeling so small. Asking myself, Why am I here? What’s the point of all this?

My brother saw me like that. He was worried. Everyone was. But no one had the answers.

I tried distracting myself. I got into online business, dropshipping, affiliate marketing : working with two brothers from the UAE. They were Muslim.

One day, they asked me a question that changed everything.

"What if you die tomorrow?"

"Do you wanna die as a Muslim or as whatever you are now?"

SubhanAllah.

That question hit me hard. It made me realize this life isn’t forever. I could die any moment. And then what?

I took my Shahada minutes later.

"Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah."

For the first time in my life, my heart felt free.

The Journey Continues…

I could keep talking for hours about everything that happened after, but this post is already long enough.

I actually shared my story in a podcast with the Imam of my local mosque, and a good friend of his. If you wanna hear more, you can check it out here:🔗 Podcast Link

If y’all want a part 2, let me know in the comments. I’ll gladly share more, because maybe, just maybe... my story might help someone the way Allah helped me.

May Allah guide us all, keep us firm, and grant us Jannah. Ameen.

Diederick

8 comments