Melissa Hardy has always been taught to pray before bed. For him, it was a pleasant moment as a religious person.
Melissa is also fairly diligent in participating in religious activities. This includes summer camps, something many German teenagers probably avoid.
"But a serious question arose in my mind. Why does God die, "he was quoted as saying republica.co.id from Onislam, Monday (9/2).
Melissa was starting to get confused by the questions she asked herself. In his mind, the word faith appeared. "I believe faith is a way to know whether the basis of my religion is real and true," he said.
Every time she tried to confirm her question, Melissa didn't get a satisfying answer. He could only bring that question to mind. Until one day, he thought about studying Judaism.
This thought arose because he watched the film 'The Pianist'. The film tells the story of a Jew who survives a Nazi chase. "I came to hate Palestine and love Israel," he recalled.
As time went on, a sense of emptiness emerged in Melissa's belief. “I don't have anything to believe. I felt something was missing. But I don't know what to do, "he said.
Feeling frustrated, Melissa took it out by getting drunk and partying. However, Melissa did not feel comfortable with this lifestyle. Finally, he returned to search.
Melissa then remembered about Islam. To his knowledge, Islam is the religion of the Arab nation. But he was curious, and decided to read literature about Islam. "I bought several books. I read Islamic pages like Islamonline, ”he said.
When studying Islam, Melissa was surprised. Islam states there is no god but Allah. Islam also requires prayer and fasting for every Muslim. "Islam also makes it compulsory for those who are able to perform Hajj," he said.
Since then, he started learning to pray. Then, when Ramadan arrived, Melissa also fasted. Another step that was taken was wearing a hijab. “I also learned that Muslims believe that Jesus (the Son of the Virgin Mary) is a prophet. Muhammad is the last Prophet. I know they have faith in the Bible and Torah, ”he said.
“I converted to Islam in May 2004 at the age of 16. I am now a Muslim. Islam has shaped not only my beliefs, but also my opinions and actions. Alhamdulillah, "he said. *
