Joan’s life had always been a restless search for the Divine. Born into a devout Catholic family, her thirst for spiritual fulfillment initially led her to the Born-Again movement. She became a familiar face in the villages, traveling from door to door, preaching with a fire that few could match. But while she spoke of faith, her personal life was becoming a battlefield.
When Joan fell in love with a Muslim man, she hoped her father would see the goodness in her character. Instead, she met a wall of fire. “Never bring him here,” her father warned, his voice trembling with rage. The ultimatum was cold and final: denounce the man and the faith he represented, or lose your family. To survive and return home, Joan chose her father. She walked away from the man she loved, but the questions in her heart remained unanswered.
The turning point came through a whisper from a friend. “There are preachers in the next village,” the friend said. “But they are different. They are teaching Islam, and they are teaching people how to develop their lives.”
Curiosity, mixed with a lingering memory of her past love, drew Joan to the classes. For a month, she traveled to the neighboring village, sitting quietly at the back. When the team of Duats eventually moved their classes to her own village, Joan saw it as a divine sign. She didn’t just want to watch anymore; she wanted to understand.
As the 25-day lesson plan unfolded, Joan found herself startled. The tactical, organized teachings didn’t match the scary stories she had heard. One afternoon, after the dust of the classroom had settled, she approached one of the teachers privately.
“Why is the world calling you terrorists?” she asked, her voice steady but searching. “What I see here is a beautiful religion. What I hear is peace. Why the gap?”
The Duat sat her down with patience and kindness. He didn’t argue; he explained. He spoke of Islam not as a new invention, but as the final chapter of the same message brought by all the Prophets from Adam to Noah, Moses to Jesus. He explained that Islam is the submission to the One Creator, just as the Prophets had practiced.
The logic resonated within her like a bell. That day, Joan took her Shahada, declaring her faith in Allah and His Messenger. She chose a new name to match her new beginning: Faridah.
When Faridah called her father to tell him her decision, the response was expectedly harsh. He warned her never to appear again in front of him. But this time, Faridah didn’t waver. The dignity of the Duats, the logic of the lesson plans, and the truth she felt in her soul gave her a strength she had never known.
She had been a preacher, a daughter, and a wanderer but now, Faridah was finally home.
