Stefano Nandewa was born into a Catholic family and had been a committed member of the church for almost 34 years. When the iERA dawah team visited his village, they met Stefano during their door-to-door outreach and introduced themselves as Muslims who had come to teach people about Islam. Stefano told them that he was not a Muslim and asked how they could teach him about Islam. The Outreach Specialist explained that they were there to teach people who did not know Islam and that many people consider Islam a bad religion without taking the time to understand what Muslims actually believe. This sparked Stefano’s interest, as he had also viewed Islam negatively.
Stefano agreed to attend the dawah classes, and as he listened to the teachings, his understanding of Islam began to change. One of the misconceptions he had was that Muslims remove the intestines of dead people during funerals. The Outreach Specialist explained that this was not true and invited Stefano to attend a Muslim funeral so he could see for himself. Stefano accepted the invitation and witnessed the funeral firsthand. After returning, he told the Outreach Specialist, “I want to be a Muslim.”
Stefano took his Shahadah and became a Muslim. His family was unhappy with his decision and said hurtful words to him, but he remained firm in his faith. He also encouraged his fellow new Muslims not to look down on themselves because of what they had heard about Islam before discovering the truth.
Stefano and the other new Muslims continued practicing their faith together. They built a simple grass mosque where they could gather for their daily prayers. Later, a proper mosque was built, bringing great happiness to Stefano and the other Muslims in the community.
