I used to work with an Australian non-Muslim man around 12 years ago. He was intelligent, well read, and a free thinker. Through his own means he knew the truth about the situation and Palestine. His character and honesty amazed me, to the point that I thought he would be a perfect candidate with Islam. I resolved that at the first opportunity I would speak to him about Islam, and I waited for an opportunity to come up for me to do so.
We continued to work together for around one year, and an opportunity never came up for me to speak to him about Islam (or so I thought at the time). Our lives took us in separate directions, and I lost touch with him for years. Around 6 years later I saw him by chance in the city. “Assalamu Alaikum! I’m Muslim now!”
Amazed and ecstatic I said “Alhamdolillah! Congratulations! How did this happen?!” He replied “A friend gave me some DVD’s by Harun Yahya, and it all made so much sense that I became Muslim”.
I was extremely happy for him, and we went our separate ways again. In the coming months I would think a lot about this series of events, and I couldn’t help feeling that I had lost the chance to earn a lot of reward by speaking to this brother about Islam when I had the chance. From that day, I resolved that I would no longer wait for an opportunity to arise to speak about Islam – I would try to create opportunities for people to ask me about Islam instead.
For example, during Ramadan, if I was offered food, I would say that I was fasting. Naturally, a non-Muslim would ask “What is fasting?” and I would have an opportunity to talk to them about Islam, at their request, without forcing anything on them. If it was time to pray I would excuse myself and tell the people I was sitting with that I was going to pray, naturally they would ask me why, and then I had another chance to talk about Islam at their request. Alhamdolillah I continued in this way for 6 more years, and I always regretted not speaking to that first brother about Islam when I had the chance.
Just two weeks ago, an elderly woman came to IICSA seeking information on Islam. She sat and had dinner with the sisters there, while I sat separately with the men. The whole night passed and I had not spoken to her. Just before heading home, I greeted her. She told me her son gave her a Quran a year ago and she had been reading it and believes it whole heartedly. She told me I knew her son, I asked what his name was. Jon, she said. I said “I know a lot of Jons... which one?”
She said her sons last name, and I was stunned to realise it was the same brother I was working with 12 years ago. I immediately sat with her and we talked for some time. Allah SWT guided her then and there to say her shahada and embrace Islam on the spot. With tears in my eyes I called her son, and I said “Jon, I have some good news for you, your mom is Muslim now, Alhamdolillah. You should congratulate her” and I handed the phone to Jon’s mother, who now had tears in her eyes too.
So do not wait for an opportunity to speak about Islam to someone. Just practice Islam openly, proudly, and without arrogance, and you will see that people will just ask you about Islam themselves.