Monday, December 17, 2012

Sue Watson is a professor, pastor and missionary, who deserves to be called radical fundamentalists, and have now decided to become a Muslim convert.

Sue Watson, Professor, Pastor, Church Planter and Missionary, Now in Saudi Arabia

Description: An eight year student of formal theological studies accepts Islam due to the consistency of its message.
By Sue Watson
Published on 16 Jan 2006 - Last modified on 17 Oct 2009


“What happened to you?” This was usually the first reaction I encountered when my former classmates, friends and co-pastors saw me after having embraced Islam. I suppose I couldn’t blame them, I was a highly unlikely the person to change religions. Formerly, I was a professor, pastor, church planter and missionary. If anyone was a radical fundamentalist it was I.

I had just graduated with my Master’s Degree of Divinity from an elite seminary five months before. It was after that time I met a lady who had worked in Saudi Arabia and had embraced Islam. Of course, I asked her about the treatment of women in Islam. I was shocked at her answer, it wasn’t what I expected, so I proceeded to ask other questions relating to God and Muhammad [may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him]. She informed me that she would take me to the Islamic Center where they would be better able to answer my questions.

Being prayed up, meaning-asking Jesus for protection against demon spirits, seeing that what we had been taught about Islam is that it is Demonic and Satanic religion. Having taught Evangelism, I was quite shocked at their approach, it was direct and straightforward. No intimidation, no harassment, no psychological manipulation, no subliminal influence! None of this, “Let’s have a Quranic study in your house,” like a counter part of the Bible study. I couldn’t believe it! They gave me some books and told me if I had some questions they were available to answer them in the office. That night I read all of the books they gave. It was the first time I had ever read a book about Islam written by a Muslim, we had studied and read books about Islam only written by Christians. The next day I spent three hours at the office asking questions. This went on everyday for a week, by which time I had read twelve books and knew why Muslims are the hardest people in the world to convert to Christianity. Why? Because there is nothing to offer them!! (In Islam) There is a relationship with God, forgiveness of sins, salvation and promise of Eternal Life.

Naturally, my first question centered on the deity of God. Who is this God that the Muslims worship? We had been taught as Christians that this is another god, a false god, when, in fact, He is the Omniscient-All Knowing, Omnipotent-All Powerful, and Omnipresent-All Present God - The One and Only without co-partners or co-equal. It is interesting to note that there were bishops during the first three hundred years of the Church that were teaching as the Muslim believes, that Jesus [may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him] was a prophet and teacher!! It was only after the conversion of Emperor Constantine that he was the one to call and introduce the doctrine of the Trinity. He, a convert to Christianity who knew nothing of this religion, introduced a paganistic concept that goes back to Babylonian times. Space, however, does not permit me to go into detail about the subject, but God willing, we will another time. Only, I must point out that the word TRINITY is not found in the Bible in any of its many translation nor is it found in the original Greek or Hebrew languages!

My other important question centered on Muhammad [may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him]. Who is this Muhammad? I found out that Muslims do not pray to him like the Christians pray to Jesus. He is not an intermediary and in fact it is forbidden to pray to him. We ask blessing upon him at the end of our prayer but likewise we ask blessings on Abraham. He is a Prophet and a Messenger, the final and last Prophet. In fact, until now, one thousand four hundred and eighteen years (1,418) later there has been no prophet after him. His message is for All Mankind, as opposed to the message of Jesus or Moses (peace be upon them both) which was sent to the Jews. “Hear O Israel”But the message is the same message of God. “The Lord Your God is One God and you shall have no other gods before Me.” (Mark 12:29)

Because prayer was a very important part of my Christian life I was both interested and curious to know what the Muslims were praying. As Christians we were as ignorant on this aspect of Muslim belief as on the other aspects. We thought and were taught, that the Muslims were bowing down to the Kaaba (in Mecca), that that was there god and center point of this false deity. Again, I was shocked to learn that the manner of prayer is prescribed by God, Himself. The words of the prayer are one of praise and exaltation. The approach to prayer (ablution or washing) in cleanliness is under the direction of God. He is a Holy God and it is not for us to approach Him in an arbitrary manner, but only reasonable that He should tell us how we should approach Him.

At the end of that week after having spent eight (8) years of formal theological studies, I knew cognitively (head knowledge) that Islam was true. But I did not embrace Islam at that time because I did not believe it in my heart. I continued to pray, to read the Bible, to attend lectures at the Islamic Center. I was in earnest asking and seeking God’s direction. It is not easy to change your religion. I did not want to loose my salvation if there was salvation to loose. I continued to be shocked and amazed at what I was learning because it was not what I was taught that Islam believed. In my Master’s level, the professor I had was respected as an authority on Islam yet his teaching and that of Christianity in general is full of Misunderstanding. He and many Christians like him are sincere but they are sincerely wrong.

Two months later after having once again prayed seeking God’s direction, I felt something drop into my being! I sat up, and it was the first time I was to use the name of God, and I said, “God, I believe you are the One and Only True God.” There was peace that descended upon me and from that day four years ago until now I have never regretted embracing Islam. This decision did not come without trial. I was fired from my job as I was teaching in two Bible Colleges at that time, ostracized by my former classmates, professors and co-pastors, disowned by my husband’s family, misunderstood by my adult children and made a suspicion by my own government. Without the faith that enables man to stand up to Satanic forces I would not have been able to withstand all of this. I am ever so grateful to God that I am a Muslim and may I live and die a Muslim.

“Truly, my prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are all for God the Cherisher of the Worlds. No partner has He, this I am commanded. And I am the first of those who bow to God in Islam.” (Quran 6:162-163)

Sister Khadijah Watson is presently working as a teacher for women in one of the Da’wah (Invitation to Islam) Centers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/56/
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Misionaris pun Akhirnya Berkiblat Pada Islam

Redaksi 1 – Senin, 3 Safar 1434 H / 17 Desember 2012 11:44 WIB


Sue Watson merupakan seorang profesor, pendeta, dan misionaris, yang pantas disebut sebagai fundamentalis radikal, dan kini telah memutuskan untuk menjadi muallaf.

Hidayah telah menghampirinya, sehingga dia tertarik pada Islam, dan akhirnya memeluk agama yang diturunkan melalui Nabi Muhammad SAW ini. Kisah keislamannya bermula ketika dia baru saja lulus dari pendidikan pasca sarjana, lima bulan setelah mendapatkan gelar Master of Divinity (Ketuhanan) dari sekolah seminari ternama, dia bertemu seorang wanita yang pernah bekerja di Arab Saudi dan telah memeluk Islam.

Jiwa misionarisnya muncul. Dia pun mencoba bertanya kepada wanita itu dengan maksud menjalankan misi kristennya. Kepada wanita itu, Watson bertanya tentang perlakuan Islam terhadap wanita. ”Saya terkejut dengan jawabannya. Jawaban itu bukan yang saya harapkan, jadi saya bertanya lagi tentang Tuhan (Allah SWT) dan Muhammad,” ujarnya. Namun wanita itu tidak mau menjawab pertanyaan tersebut. Wanita itu justru mengajak Watson untuk berkunjung ke Islamic Center karena di sana ada orang yang bisa menjawab pertanyaan itu dengan lebih baik.

Selama delapan tahun, Watson mempelajari kristen di sekolah teologi. Sebagai seorang penganut Kristen yang taat, dia memandang Islam sebagai agama setan. Dalam setiap doanya, dia meminta kepada Yesus agar dilindungi dari roh-roh jahat. Namun setelah peristiwa di atas dan dia kemudian berdialog di Islamic Center tersebut, dia seperti mendapatkan pandangan lain tentang Islam. ”Saya cukup terkejut dengan pendekatan mereka (umat Islam), karena langsung dan lugas. Tidak ada intimidasi, pelecehan (terhadap agama lain), dan tak ada manipulasi psikologis,” tuturnya.
Watson pun menceritakan, ustadz di Islamic Center itu menawarkan dirinya untuk mempelajari Alquran di rumahnya. ”Ini seperti studi banding terhadap Alkitab”. Saya tak percaya, mereka kemudian memberikan beberapa buku mengenai Islam dan mengatakan jika saya memiliki pertanyaan maka mereka akan bersedia menjawabnya di kantor katanya.

Malamnya, Watson langsung membaca semua buku itu. Itulah untuk kali pertama, dia membaca buku tentang Islam yang ditulis oleh seorang Muslim sendiri. Selama ini, dia hanya membaca buku-buku mengenai Islam yang ditulis oleh orang Kristen. Keesokan harinya, dia kembali menemui Ustadz itu untuk menanyakan beberapa hal mengenai Islam yang didapatnya dari membaca buku itu. Hal itu terus berulang setiap hari selama sepekan. Hingga tanpa terasa, dia telah membaca sebanyak 12 buku dalam tempo sepekan itu.

Dari situ, dia mulai memahami mengapa Muslim merupakan umat yang paling sulit di dunia ini untuk diajak memeluk Kristen, karena tak ada lagi yang bisa ditawarkan kepada mereka (Muslim). Islam mengajarkan hubungan dengan Tuhan, pengampunan dosa, keselamatan, dan janji kehidupan yang kekal,” paparnya.

Selama menjalani proses dialog itu, secara alamiah, pertanyaan pertamanya terpusat kepada Allah, Tuhan umat Islam. Siapakah Allah yang disembah kaum Muslim ini? Sebagai seorang Kristen, dia diajarkan bahwa Allah itu merupakan Tuhan palsu. Namun setelah membaca buku Islam dan berdialog, dia baru mengetahui bahwa Allah itu Maha Kuasa, Maha Mengetahui, dan Allah itu Maha Esa. Tidak ada Tuhan lain yang mendampingi Allah.

Selanjutnya, pertanyaan yang penting lainnya yakni tentang Muhammad. Siapa Muhammad? Dia baru mengetahui bahwa umat Muslim tidak berdoa kepada Muhammad, seperti orang Kristen berdoa kepada Yesus. Dia (Muhammad) juga bukan seorang perantara, sehingga dilarang berdoa kepadanya. Dia pun mengetahui bahwa umat Islam juga percaya pada Yesus sebagai seorang nabi seperti Muhammad. Menurutnya, banyak kesalahpahaman dari penganut Kristen tentang Islam.

Tanpa disadarinya, dia mulai mengakui kebenaran Islam. ”Tapi saya tidak beralih memeluk Islam pada waktu itu juga karena saya belum percaya sepenuhnya di dalam hati. Saya terus pergi ke gereja, membaca Alkitab, akan tetapi di satu sisi juga belajar Islam di Islamic Center. ”Saya benar-benar meminta petunjuk Tuhan, karena tak mudah untuk pindah agama. Saya tak mau kehilangan keselamatan,” ucapnya.

Dua bulan setelah proses pengenalan dengan Islam, Watson masih terus meminta kepada Tuhan agar diberikan petunjuk. Hingga akhirnya, suatu ketika, dia merasakan ada sesuatu yang jatuh meresap ke dalam dirinya. ”Saya lantas terduduk, dan itulah untuk kali pertama saya menyebut nama Allah SWT. Ada kedamaian yang dirasakan. Dan sejak itu, empat tahun lalu hingga sekarang, saya percaya bahwa Allah lah satu-satunya Tuhan” tuturnya.

Keputusannya memeluk Islam bukannya tanpa risiko. Setelah menjadi mualaf, Watson dipecat dari pekerjaan sebagai pengajar di dua Perguruan Tinggi Kolese, dikucilkan oleh teman-temannya di sekolah Teologi dan sesama profesor teologi, dan tidak diakui lagi oleh keluarga suaminya. Pilihannya itu juga disikapi negatif oleh anak-anaknya yang sudah dewasa dan dicurigai oleh pemerintahnya sendiri.

”Tanpa adanya kekuatan iman, mungkin saya sudah tak sanggup menghadapi itu semua,” ujarnya. ”Saya sangat berterima kasih kepada Allah SWT yang telah menjadikan saya sebagai Muslim. Dan saya berharap hidup dan mati sebagai Muslim.”

Mantan misionaris yang kini telah berganti nama menjadi Khadijah Watson itu, sekarang bekerja sebagai seorang guru untuk melayani kalangan perempuan di salah satu pusat dakwah di Jeddah, Arab Saudi.

http://www.eramuslim.com/dakwah-mancanegara/misionaris-pun-akhirnya-berkiblat-pada-islam.htm#.UM8Gh-Q2Ym0