Identity

It'd be nice to say to you, "Hi. I'm Farah Adiva, Yasmin Balqis or Du'aa Alhena."

I wish. And you're probably thanking God I didn't have any of those atrocious combinations.

So hi, I'm Faith, a daughter of Islam from the children of Eve.

Or at least its nice introducing myself like that- especially after reading the story of Salman Al-Farsi.

Its not like Faith's what I was born with either. I chose Faith during my confirmation when i turned Catholic. I said my shahada at exactly 3.13am on the 15th of October.

How? I did it the modern way- through webcam with two friends and thats exactly what I told the sheikh and he deemed it valid. =)
---

(03:12) Tree:	okk readdddyyy?
(03:12) Faith:	okay
(03:12) Tree:	kk first u say and ill write it as u say it
(03:13) Tree:	Ash- hadu anna laa ilaaha illa Allah
(03:13) Faith:	yeap
(03:14) Tree:	Wa Ash-hadu anna Muhammad Rassul Allah
(03:14) Naomi:	yea do i need to type it out\?
(03:14) Tree:	yep tell her the meaninf
(03:14) Ezz:	I bare witness that there is no God But Allah, and i bare witness that prophet muhammad is his messenger
(03:15) Faith:	all this time ive never said the second bit before
(03:15) Tree:	say ittt
(03:15) Faith:	i did i meant
(03:15) Tree:	=D
(03:15) Ezz:	out loud
(03:15) Faith:	throughout
(03:15) Ezz:	ALLAHU AKBAR GOD IS GREAT
(03:15) Tree:	Allahu akbarrr! pap pap =D
(03:15) Faith:	pap pap?
(03:16) Tree:	gunshots in the air lol celebration

---

So there you go. I've had my first muslim month-and-a-half. Its been amazing throughout I guess. Its been hard hiding it I guess, and sometimes I just break down-Oh wait. yes.

My best friends don't know. And neither does my family. Here's a picture of my family so you know never to break it out to em if you pass by em:

The family's fundamentalist Catholic. Bit extreme on it. Got cousins these days actually having priestly-ambitions. I will never understand it. No sex for a lifetime? I don't think so.

Astaghfurillah.

My ex-boyfriend himself wants to be a pastor now.

Christians normally don't welcome questions, and the ones who are lovely enough normally provide answers which invite a thousand more questions. Well, my family doesn't welcome questions.

-Mummy, why do we ring the bells when the host is being blessed?
--So that it creates a mood for prayer.
-But why should we have a mood for prayer when we can pray without it?
--This is exactly why you fail your exams. You have such little faith!!!!!!!!

It was a genuine conversation.

I don't plan to tell them. Well, at least not in the near future anyway. I am able to hide it only because I've gone to a uni at least 4 hours away from home, and even if they drove past me to see a brown girl in a scarf...
I'm guessing I won't be recognised, as I'm just another one of 'their' kind.

The muslim kind.