For 30 years, Ranisa lived a life defined by the rhythmic hymns and passionate prayers of her born-again Christian upbringing, her identity was deeply rooted in her faith. However, like many seekers, Ranisa carried quiet questions in her heart, questions that stayed beneath the surface until a knock at her door changed everything.
The journey began when members of iERA Uganda visited her home. While their initial explanation of Islam was compelling, Ranisa wasn’t ready to leap into a new way of life immediately. She didn’t convert that first day, but the seeds of curiosity were planted.
Recognizing her sincerity, the iERA duat didn’t pressure her. Instead, they invited her to attend their New Muslim Support Classes, a space designed for inquiry rather than just indoctrination.
Ranisa accepted the invitation and spent nearly a week immersed in learning. It was during these sessions that she began to deconstruct her previous understandings. The most significant turning point came when she explored the Islamic perspective on Jesus (Isa AS), learning that in Islam, Jesus is deeply loved and honored as a mighty Messenger of God, but not God himself.
After a week of intense study and soul-searching, an iERA daee reached out to her, sensing she was standing on the threshold of a major life decision. The daee gently asked if she was ready to take her Shahadah.
The emotion of the moment overwhelmed her. Ranisa looked back at the 30 years she had spent searching and realized how close she had come to missing this truth. She told the duat with sobering honesty:
“I realized that I could have died without ever truly understanding Islam.”
Terrified of the thought of leaving this world without this newfound clarity, she asked the daee to guide her to Shahada. With a firm heart and a clear mind, she uttered the words that brought her into the fold of Islam.
Today, she is no longer just Ranisa; she has embraced the name Shadia. iERA helped Shadia transition from a life of searching to a life of submission.
