Abu Dhabi: Waiting for his first iftar, Gregory Gottlieb, a 52-year-old British citizen shared with Gulf News his reflection on what drew him towards shahada (embracing Islam).
Gottlieb is among the growing number of Christians "who exchanged singing hymns and have tea with the vicar for iftar then Maghrib prayers".
"I was a traditional evangelical Christian. I always had a strong faith in God, but I had little incentive to lead the ideal Christian life due to rituals leaving the Church [that were] replaced with trendy music and various [new] interpretations of the Bible," Gottlieb said.
Gottlieb never felt that his spiritual journey was complete.
Truth within reach
"I continued to search for a viable answer to the ‘Why' questions that we all ask — like why do we exist?. For me the Christian faith did not provide the answers. It was the possibility that the truth may lay within reach which started me on my path towards Islam," Gottlieb continued.
"I count myself fortunate to have an understanding of both Christianity and Islam. It helps me to be a better Muslim, and to put Islam in an appropriate context in my discussions with non-Muslims," he said.
Gottlieb's journey to Islam took a leap after he befriended a family of Palestinians in London.
"Having been fed a diet of one-sided news about the Middle East crisis, I finally got to hear from them the other side of the story. For me it was a revelation," he said. A few years later, Gottlieb was once again directly exposed to Islam.
"I was sent on a work assignment to Egypt. There was my first contact with truly devoted Muslims. To my surprise, they were good, practising Muslims while seeing militant Islamic fundamentalism as enemy of the faith. This showed me that Islam is not one colour, but a rainbow of different viewpoints — a tolerance I did not feel existed in Christianity," he said.
Years later Gottlieb was working as a contractor for the US Marine Corps in Iraq.
"My six months there showed me a side to Western society that I hated and that led me to want to know more about the people I saw being abused every day," he added.
Gottlieb then moved to Abu Dhabi and for the first time he lived in an Arab, Muslim city.
"The call for the prayer was music to my ears. I loved it! I was jealous of the men entering the mosques so frequently. I longed to have that level of commitment to my faith, a level that affected me the most and like a magnet pulled me towards Islam," he said.
The idea of shahada was a frightening concept for Gottlieb. He feared the reaction of his western family and community.
"What would my family and friends think? Without speaking Arabic, how could I do it?" he said.
But lunch with an English friend who embraced Islam provided Gottlieb with the answers he needed to make his decision.
Surprise
"I asked him many questions about every aspect of becoming a Muslim. When I asked how his parents took it, his answer surprised me. ‘They don't know,' he said. ‘It would hurt them as they wouldn't understand. Back home everyone thinks I've given up alcohol for my health and no one noticed that I no longer have bacon for breakfast!'"
"My friend asked if I believed in the basic pillars of Islam. I answered positively. ‘So what are you waiting for?' he said. ‘Just do it. Don't worry about the practical details, they'll work themselves out later.' He was absolutely right."
