Chief Grant Antono embraced Islam three months ago. For many years, he attended Muslim funeral gatherings in his community. Whenever the Sheikh stood to deliver a bayan (Islamic reminder), he noticed that the message always focused on benefiting the people and encouraging them to do good rather than exposing or speaking about people’s sins. This impressed Chief Grant and sparked his interest in Islam, but he never had the opportunity to understand the religion more deeply.
One day, an iERA dawah team visited Chief Grant’s village and asked for permission to conduct dawah classes. He gladly granted them permission, seeing it as the opportunity he had been waiting for to learn about Islam. He joined the classes, and with every lesson he attended, his understanding and appreciation of Islam grew. He enjoyed the teachings and the clear explanations given by the outreach specialist.
After attending several classes, Chief Grant told the outreach specialist, “I want to become a Muslim.” The outreach specialist helped him take his Shahadah, and he embraced Islam. He was grateful that he had finally been given the chance to understand Islam and make his decision based on knowledge rather than misconceptions.
When the people in his village heard that Chief Grant had accepted Islam, some opposed his decision. They told him that he had joined an evil religion and even claimed that his intestines would be removed when he died. Chief Grant remained firm in his faith and replied, “Everyone has the freedom to choose what they believe. You are free to believe what you choose, but I have chosen Islam, and I will remain a Muslim.”
