“Do unto others as you shall have them do unto you.”

My name is Anita. I am from America. I entered Islam in November 2010.

I grew up in a home that was protestant Christian and Catholic. I attended multiple churches and Christian schools.

And just over the years in studying the Bible and going to different kinds of churches both catholic and Christian, I just began to think and began to have a lot of questions because of a lot of studying that I did from Bible classes that I was required to take in school and the church.

I started questioning teachers about things that I was finding questions but I didn’t find the answers to, or some things that I find contradicting each other.

I was basically told: “You shouldn’t be asking such questions. What you’re asking is not a part of what our book says.”

Searching For the Truth

Anything that you can possibly think to ask in your mind, Allah has an answer for.

When I found people refusing to give me an answer or a direction, it’s kind of led me onto a path where I was searching on my own.

I started searching in many different religions and visiting their places of worship.

After studying a number of different religions and participating with a number of groups, I decided, ‘well, I haven’t looked at Islam yet, so let’s go look at it.’

When I first started looking into it, it seemed a little confusing to understand, but then after speaking with people, and gaining a clear understanding, I realized that it was very clear that all of my questions that I’ve ever asked in my life were answered perfectly.

So, at that point, I knew then that what direction I was supposed to going, and what changes are new that I need to make in my life.

Wudu: Purification of the Body and Heart

The first time I made wudu (ablution), I felt like it was a real purification process, and it was refreshing, and I just felt like it made my mind clear for the prayer.

I believe that what separates Islam from other religions in respect to wudu is that Islam reiterates the process of being clean. So, Allah gives us that water to make wudu as a reminder that we must be clean all times, especially at the prayer.

Wudu is not just a purification of the body, I see it as being an inner purification of the heart.

Before I wake up during the night and before I go back to sleep, many times, I would make wudu and dhikr when I’m in bed to relax myself to go back to sleep. It works amazingly.

If I have a dream that’s unsettling, I just get up and go and make wudu and I just clear myself and clear my mind then go back to bed again.

When we’re making wudu, the water is falling from our bodies, our sins are falling from our bodies.

For being cleansed of our sins with the washing of wudu, versus being cleansed of our sins with the fire.