Clement, a young man from Mulanje, grew up following his parents’ religion, Christianity. As he grew older, he noticed that Muslim men wore long garments, but he did not know they were called thobes. He was curious about Islam but had never asked a Muslim about their beliefs or practices. One day, he asked a Muslim friend how Muslims pray. His friend explained that Muslims bow and prostrate by placing their foreheads on the ground in worship of Allah. In return, Clement explained that Christians go to church, sing songs, and believe that Jesus is God. He also tried to convince his friend to become a Christian, but his friend politely replied, “You should follow what you believe, and I will continue following what I practice.”
Some time later, an iERA dawah team visited Clement’s village to conduct dawah classes. Clement decided to attend the sessions. During the first lesson, the outreach specialist taught about the Oneness of Allah (Tawheed), explaining that Allah alone is worthy of worship and that Jesus (peace be upon him) is a prophet of God, not God Himself. Clement questioned this because he had always believed that Jesus was both God and the Son of God.
The outreach specialist patiently answered Clement’s questions and showed him verses from the Bible that teach that God is One and that God has no son. As Clement reflected on these teachings, he began to change his understanding. The lessons answered many of the questions he had carried for years, and his interest in Islam grew stronger. Without hesitation, he decided to embrace Islam.
When Clement’s parents heard that he had accepted Islam, they told him that he had chosen the wrong path. Clement respectfully explained what he had learned during the dawah classes, sharing that Islam teaches the worship of one Creator alone and that Jesus is a prophet of God, not God Himself. After listening to his explanation, his parents understood his decision and allowed him to remain a Muslim. They even supported him by sending him to attend the iERA 6-Month Du’at Programme so that he could gain more knowledge about Islam.
