Iqraa – Risalat Al Islam: “Conversion”

Muslims ought to clean up their vocabulary and stop using words like “conversion” or “convert” when referring to someone who has chosen or was guided by Allah to accept Islam as their faith, their spirituality, their religion, their way of life. To refer to such a person as a “convert” is not only offensive and insulting but it is also, in my opinion, un-Islamic. To call someone a “convert” discriminates between the “true Muslim”, that rare specimen placed at the top of the hierarchy, the so called “born Muslim” with everyone else below, the Arab Muslim, the Pakistani Muslim, the “pure” Muslim, the brown skin Muslim. this Muslim, that Muslim and lastly we find the unfortunate, accidental Muslim, the “convert”. And that’s why to call someone a “convert” is un-Islamic because it discriminates. the word “convert” is a word of discrimination with the underlying message that not all Muslims are equal. The unfortunate “convert” is the one who will never be and therefore cannot be equal to or on the same level as the real Muslim.

I could go on and on about why the word “convert” is derogatory, offensive and un-Islamic. Similarly, the word “conversion” is just as bad. To accept Islam as my faith, my spirituality. my way of thinking, of apprehending the world, my way of life is not like changing suits, or dollars into euros. You don’t change who you are fundamentally. So please stop discriminating and please don’t give me that calling someone a “convert” is a respectful term because one chose to be a Muslim while others were born into a Muslim family. Stop discriminating. stop calling people converts and referring to their “conversions” and treat all Muslim as equals. The “convert” is not an adjective or a second or third class Muslim.