FINDING THE STRAIGHT PATH

Matt Lennox, a 16-year old American of Scottish-Irish descent, who was raised in a nonreligious family, found himself amazed by what he learned about Islam in his freshman history class. Fascinated by it all, Matt continued to research Islam, along with many other religions to educate himself further.
To his surprise, he found that Islamic theology has much in common with the Christian and Jewish faiths. Growing up, Matt had always known Christians and Jews had similar beliefs, but Islam, the world's fastest growing religion, was practically alien of to him. However, as Matt was introduced to Islam, he was interested in it and continued to learn.
When asked "What interested you the most about Islam?" Matt answered confidently, "The Qur'an." He says everything he read in the Qur'an left him thinking, "Oh, man. Wow. I can't believe all this info that seems so wise and correct is all in one book." Matt claims many things in Christianity didn't make sense to him. Many of these aspects dealt with the Trinity, Jesus as God, priests and churches. One of the main things which bothered him was the idea that you had to be Christian to be saved from the Hell-fire.
In Surah Baqara verse 111, it states, "And [the Christians and Jews] say: 'None shall enter paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.'" Noticing this was true of Jews and Christians, Matt was somewhat perplexed. "How can only one type of people be right?" he questioned. If this were accurate, then only people from one geographical region would be right -- everyone else would be wrong.
After studying many different religions deeply, Matt understood this could not be true. However, Matt was not just interested by the Qur'an; he was fascinated by Malcolm X. "[He was] very, very smart, and the reality is that he was also very, very honest [although] all the people around him for the most part were not⦡mp;#8364;?His book, his movie, everything he says is so true," says Matt.
Matt was not only drawn in by Malcolm X, but also by Cat Stevens. He enjoyed and still enjoys Cat Stevens' previous music, such as "Peace Train". Peace, knowledge, God, and going back to God were all reoccurring themes in Stevens' music as Matt saw it. Intrigued by this, Matt read the story of how Cat Stevens came to accept Islam, becoming Yusuf Islam.
In the 60's and 70's, Cat Stevens was looking into different religions and beliefs, but when he came to Islam, it changed everything for him. "He changed his whole life and everything and that's weird 'cause people don't change their whole life when they're pop stars and everything," says Matt. And many would agree with this. It seems quite perplexing that a pop star that had everything he wanted would change his whole life around. Perplexing as it is, it continues to happen over and over again. Why? For one reason.
Matt explains: "Some people, even celebrities, find that there are so many complications with spirituality, politics, economics, society and philosophy in the "modern" world that when they find something so true, simple and natural as Islam, and they feel Allah's guidance towards Him, they find a great sense of meaning."
Although Matt used to be a strong believer in evolution, he now understands how advancements in science have affected people's belief in God. Noticing the general lack of faith in God, Matt claims, "Most people have given up on religion. As science progresses, people are going to look at science and say 'Where's God?' People will drift farther and farther away. " Matt's father, seeing evolution as simply a theory, was keener on the idea of Matt becoming Muslim, rather than believing in evolution.
Being raised a Jehovah's Witness, Matt's father saw the similarities between Jehovah's Witness ideas and Islam, making it easier for him to accept. His mother, fully supporting Matt, told him, "Whatever religion you want to have is good." Surprisingly, both his mother and father supported him and his interest in Islam. If it weren't for the understanding of his family, and the good communication between them, Matt's conversion to Islam would probably have been extremely different. There are still a few obstacles, however. Matt's parents may be supportive of him, but his father also believes Matt won't stay Muslim his entire life. Hearing this, Matt laughs and says, "I absolutely disagree."
Matt found an unexpected source of support in not only his parents, but also his "new-age hippie" friends. Sitting around doing nothing, Matt and his friends usually end up talking about anything and everything. Before Matt accepted Islam, he talked about his interest in Islam when the topic of religion came up. Although his friends' reactions were mainly "that's cool" and "that's really good to do that," one of Matt's friends no longer respects his opinion on religion or international politics. He believes Matt supports all those "like him."
When Matt's friend refers to those "like him," he's referring Osama bin Laden and his followers. September 11th, Matt says, "affected me only in the mental sense." Being able to blend into a crowd of European-Americans, Matt says, "Since I do not 'look like a Muslim' no one would think to say anything to me. Mentally though, I have a hard time watching American news anyway. American news just seems to talk about Islam like it is a foreign religion, and not that it is wrong, but that it is a religion of foreign civilizations which are not as advanced as Christian Europe/America." This view, which looks down upon Islam, can be quite irritating to many, including Matt.
Despite the fact that September 11th has only affected Matt in the "mental sense," he says, "Some Muslims in my school who I am friends with have had to deal with some guff." Matt recognizes these difficulties and offers some advice to his fellow young Muslims: "Although it is not always easy, do not be afraid of what other people think of you being [Muslim]. Anyone who thinks bad about a person on the basis of religion is not worth your time. Try your best to be a proud and upstanding example."
Although Matt may have accepted Islam, his life overall has not been changed dramatically. Aside from going to the mosque, praying, and reading the Qur'an, his daily events are pretty much the same. Islam, though, has definitely affected his priorities. "I have found though, that some things that used to seem important, like having certain things or going to certain events, now seem like a second priority, and I find that in general, since I became a Muslim it is very difficult to get me feeling upset," says Matt.
Having such an easygoing personality and open mind, Matt doesn't expect much out of life or people in general. When asked what his goals in life are as a person and Muslim, he answers, "I would like to go to college. I would like to go to the Garden (Jannah). My goal is to be happy. I do not think that would require [many] things. I would like to be successful in the world though so that I have the means to help others."
Matt, understanding the power of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala, claims, "I do not think that I or anyone could accomplish very much of significance without Allah." Understanding the importance of seeking knowledge in Islam, the one thing Matt hopes to gain from Islam which he has hasn't already is "continued knowledge. That is something Islam can keep giving me until I die," he says. "The only real challenge I face is trying to live my life as faithfully as possible."

By, Azizah Husain