After my
separation of marriage of 10 years, my biggest regret was not instilling or
sharing the knowledge of God as I knew him as a believer in Christianity with
my wife and more importantly my children who are most dear to me whom
which I had dedicated to God as I knew Him then. My oldest brother "Ali"
Martinez was the first and only Muslim in our family at the time and he had
converted to Islam while Imprisoned in 1977 and was my first influence who
shared his belief in stages to me. The second in our family was my Nephew "Hakim
Malik" Toro who took Shahada in 1987 as a 5% Nation Member and came to True
Islam taught by the Prophet (PBUH) while incarcerated. He shared his knowledge
of Islam in stages also with me. I became a father 1st in 1997 and I named my
first born "Imanuel Jabril" Martinez out of respect for Christianity, Islam
and the family. My second was born in 2001 and was named "Issac Ali" Martinez.
Now my brother Ali was killed in 1992 in the Bronx New York and many of the
Christian members of our family in some ways blamed Islam for his death and
for my nephews incarceration and then came "911". so I continued my life
walking in limbo so to speak and practiced neither until my separation of
marriage and a motorcycle accident that left me Spleenless and near amputated
leg looking to God and believe it or not, Thanking The Almighty for it all. So
I went to my ex-wife one day and apologized and expressed to her my regret of
not sharing nearly enough religion with her in all our years together
especially due to the fact that she is from
Cuba and had so little knowledge of God and religion. So I expressed to
her my desire to live a righteous life and teach our children like wise and
asked if she would aid me. I told her that I was sorry for buying her a Bible
that was in "old Spanish" and difficult to understand and that if I bought her
a newer Spanish version would she read it and help me raise the children in
the knowledge Of God? She answered "No. I don't think so and frankly don't
bother' She had no interest. I told her fine but not to interfere with me and
(raising in the knowledge of God) the Boys when they are with me. I went home
that night and wept and prayed and demanded that God show me once and for all
"AM I A CHRISTIAN, MUSLIM, BUDDHIST, JEW, JEDI OR WHAT?" Because I did not
want my children to suffer in this life or the after life because of my
ignorance. In order to teach them I had to be taught and I had to be right. So
I typed into my
Netflix account search: Islam, God, Christianity, Judaism etc. went on
line and did the same and read all I could and watched all I could on the
matter and most of all prayed. I visited the local Mosque and got literature
on Islam. I read very briefly about Jesus and the divinity being conceived in
325 a.d in a foot note but didn't think much more about it for I had a lot of
videos to watch. I started to see the Truth that the culture and practice of
Islam was not at all how the media portrayed it. It was not intimidating but
actually quite inviting. It was beautiful, peaceful, powerful and oh so
Inspiring. But the Christ and the divinity issue was so strongly instilled in
me it held me back. I needed to know and understand more. Then "It" arrived.
The video "History
Channel's a History of God" a search for monotheism: Jews, Christians and
Muslims. It talked in dept about the myths of
Christmas and and Christ and the divinity and the "Trinity" and "The
Counsel of Nicea" That The trinity and divinity of Christ came 325 a.d. That
was It. I took Shahada right there and then. I went to the Mosque the
following Friday 03/30/07 after calling my nephew and sharing what I have
learned and asking him to go with me. I took the Qu'ran and Islam and ran with
it and have been running ever since Alhumdullillah. That's My story in brief.
Asalmu Alaikum and Jazak Allahu Khairun for your time.