Coming to Islam: Nissa | Facts about the Muslims & the Religion of Islam

Growing up with a Jewish background, Nissa knew that a person who wanted to accept Judaism would be ritually turned away three times before a rabbi accepted the potential convert’s request on a fourth attempt.

But she never imagined she herself would run into three different obstacles the day she officially converted to Islam from Judaism almost a decade ago.

Fourth Time’s A Charm

Nissa remembers the day in March 2016 when she drove to New York City from the rural college town upstate where she worked. She planned to declare her faith at the Islamic Center of New York University, ICNYU, a welcoming community for everyone interested in Islam.

What she didn’t plan for was a gigantic rally for then-presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders in Washington Square Park right outside the building. It entirely blocked off access to the ICNYU entrance and forced Nissa to come up with an alternative plan to declare her newfound Islamic faith. Strike one.

The Muslim friends who accompanied her for this momentous occasion then suggested Nissa try a local mosque to formally accept Islam. Oddly enough, that location was only open to registered members of its congregation. Strike two.

The third location in the City the friends attempted to visit was also a bust, and its doors too were closed. Strike three.

After hopping around New York City all day, Nissa thought the rally outside the ICNYU must be over. It was late, and she found herself back at the campus. A woman inside held her hand and was witness to her declaring her faith, “There is no god except Allah, and Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) is His messenger.”

Attempt number four at taking her shahada, declaration of faith, proved successful.

“It’s just so strange that that’s what happened,” said Nissa. “I had to try three times before I could do the shahada.” Nissa couldn’t help but reflect on how in her former Jewish faith, this practice was intentional and commonplace to ensure a person’s perseverance. Now, it illustrated to her just how committed to becoming Muslim she herself was.

Growing Up Jewish

Nissa grew up in New York in a culturally Jewish home. Many members of her family spoke Yiddish, she enjoyed the communal aspects of the religion, and she felt spiritually connected to different Jewish rituals especially during holidays.

“The idea that your religious life should also be your communal life really resonated with me,” she said of Judaism.

At the same time, however, Nissa always felt very uncomfortable with Zionism.

“That part was a big barrier for me,” she said. “I think for a lot of anti-Zionist Jews, it’s really hard to have a religion that’s so intertwined with a political stance you don’t agree with.”

In addition to her discomfort with Israel, Nissa knew a big piece of her spiritual puzzle was missing—perhaps the biggest piece—a connection with God.

“I somehow never understood that when you pray, you’re praying to God,” she said. “I knew it intellectually, but I never actually had that experience until I found Islam.”

A Peaceful Feeling

Even while living and working out in rural New York, which wasn’t exactly a hub for Islam, Nissa still found herself surrounded by Muslim friends. She felt comfortable around them. She wanted to take a Hebrew class, but because it conflicted with her teaching schedule, she opted for Arabic.

“Taking Arabic was really great,” she said. “I felt this peaceful feeling every time I went to Arabic class, even though I spoke Arabic as badly as I did.”

The Arabic Department at the university planned a trip to Morocco that Nissa chaperoned. Every time she visited a mosque there, she experienced that same peaceful feeling.

“When I got home, I felt like something was a little off in my life,” Nissa said. “I mentioned it to my therapist I was seeing at the time, and she said, ‘Well, maybe the universe is trying to tell you something. Why don’t you ask it and see what the answer is?’”

Nissa initially laughed off the idea, but she gave it a try. She ended up envisioning a massive copy of the Quran spread out before her. She thought it was strange, but didn’t think much of it since she just returned from a Muslim country.

“That night, I had this intense dream,” she said. “I was told I needed to get up at sunrise and pray as this other woman prayed…[who] was wearing hijab. I did it, and then in the dream, I felt that same sense of peace.”

When Nissa woke up, she found a rug and sat. She prayed, although admittedly, didn’t really know how.

“When I went outside that morning after having the dream and ‘praying,’ I can’t really describe it,” Nissa said. “The world had become more vibrant. Everything—the colors, sky, trees—were just vibrant and beautiful.”

She recalled someone telling her that her heart had been purified and a haze was lifted. She felt that peace, and she understood how the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. She learned from YouTube how to pray, understood more about dua, or supplication, and found that Islam really is a religion of peace.

After a couple of months of researching and learning, she decided it was time to accept Islam.

“Islam made me into such a more grounded person,” Nissa said. “More at peace with myself and peace with the world and peace with other people.”

If you have questions about Islam, need help connecting with Muslims, or want to find your local mosque, reach out to 877-Why-Islam.