The rhythmic clank of the iron borehole handle echoed through the quiet village afternoon. A spot where neighbors met not just to fill their jerrycans, but to share the gossip of the day. On this particular day, Geoffrey Kayizzi, a devout Protestant, and Suzan, a dedicated Catholic, stood by the water source, waiting their turn.
Their routine was interrupted by the arrival of a few iERA daees. With gentle smiles and respectful greetings, the daees struck up a conversation. They hadn’t just come to talk about water; they had come to speak about the source of all life—the Oneness of God.
As the conversation deepened, the topic of worship and the nature of the Creator came to the forefront. The daees explained the concept of Tawheed—the absolute oneness of God—and how true worship belongs to Him alone.
Geoffrey shook his head slightly, trying to reconcile this with what he had been taught since childhood.
“But in my church,” Geoffrey explained, gesturing with his hands, “we are taught that there are three Gods in one. In Luganda, we have a saying: ‘Bwetukuba akabonero tuba tusabye bakatonda bonna’—whenever we make a religious sign, we are praying to all those gods at once.”
Suzan nodded in agreement, speaking up from her perspective as a Catholic. “Yes, and for us, we are taught that Jesus himself is God. That is why we pray directly to him and worship him.”
The daees listened with deep empathy, acknowledging the sincerity of their faith but recognizing the confusion that had been handed down to them.
With great patience and respect, the lead daee opened a copy of the Quran and turned to Surah Maryam (the Chapter of Mary).
“Look at what the holy books actually say,” the daee explained gently. “There is only one God. He does not share His divinity with anyone. If you look at the story of Jesus—whom we call Prophet Issa—the Quran honors him deeply. But it clarifies that he was a beloved messenger of God, not God himself.”
Hearing the story of Jesus and Mary read with such immense reverence—yet with absolute clarity about God’s oneness—struck a powerful chord in both Geoffrey and Suzan. The idea of three gods or a human being God suddenly felt like a heavy, complicated knot that the daees had just effortlessly untied.
The truth was undeniable. The explanations were logical, peaceful, and rooted in the very scriptures they thought they knew.
Suzan looked at Geoffrey, and Geoffrey looked back at her, both seeing the same realization mirrored in each other’s eyes. The traditions they had blindly followed for years suddenly felt distant.
“We have been going astray,” Geoffrey admitted softly, a mix of humility and relief in his voice. Suzan nodded, tears of clarity welling in her eyes. “We want the truth. We want to worship the One true God.”
Right there by the borehole, as the water glistened, Geoffrey and Suzan raised their hands and pronounced the Shahadah (the testimony of faith), officially entering the fold of Islam. They had come to the borehole to fetch water to quench their physical thirst, but they walked away with their souls completely refreshed by the light of truth.
