Living of a converted man (Muslim) with his non-believing parents?

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We recently recieved a question from a man who was deciding to convert to Islam, but was confused over should he opt to live with his parents after conversion or not, here is his question and answer to it.

From: "Malik Irfan Rabbani" <@hotmail.com>

Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 19:36:02 +0000

Subject: a request for explanation

Sir:

I was an Ahmady believer.

Now as i am going to embrace Islam , i wanted to know that as Prophet Muhammed preached Islam by living among the most of cruel and very bad fanatic critics against Islam so by his own high level of character he changed the hearts of others and make them capable to be a divine slave of Allah.

My question is that after my embrassing Islam would i be able still to live with my parrents if they do,nt ask me to leave islam and ready to listen and understand the real religion the way i am learning now.

Because i believe every one should be given equal chance , although i am sure that they will listen to me as after all i did listen to Allah's real Message by Muslims why not them, but yeaa if they wo,nt i would have to leave them but what should be the duration of preaching ?

should i live with them after becomming muslim and if yes then how long?

thanks for your concern.

Irfan

Asslam u Alaikum Malik Irfan Rabbani,

Well first of all I want to convey my heartly wishes to you on even thinking of embracing Islam. Converting to another religion is not an easy task and choice, you have to leave many things and pemper yourself to face a lot of critisizm. Obeying your parents is very important issue:

Surah Al-Israa Ruku 3: 24 And out of kindness lower to them the wing of

humility and say: "My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me

in childhood."

But if your parents force you back or interupt your believes:

Surah Al-Ankabut Ruku 1:8 We have enjoined on man kindness to parents: but

if they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to join with Me (in worship)

anything of which thou hast no knowledge obey them not. Ye have (all) to

return to Me and I will tell you (the truth) of all that ye did.

Also living with your parents involves few problems. If you can make sure that your parents will not interfare using previous believes still they might influence your children. Naturally children are attached to grandparents more then sometimes even parents and the basic Islamic schooling always has been from Grandparents, now if your parents are teaching your child Ahmedia believes and you believe in Islam and want you children to be Muslim, this mingle of believes in your child will make him agnoatic and sometime later in his life he might turn Atheist or embrace another believe.

So keeping these problems in your mind you have to decide. Social acceptance of converted Muslims in pakistan is very bad (I suppose you are from ISBD, PK). This is not due to islam but our made social structure. In UK for example the city mosque try to help more and more the converted Muslims by introducing them to the old Muslims, influencial Muslims and introduce them to Islam in detail. But in Pakistan acceptance and tolerance are two things which quite frankly I don't believe is in the gene-pool. Anyway if you ever encounter any trouble regarding social acceptance in Pakistan, you will always find us on your side.

Salaams :)

Malik Usman.

http://Islamic.fr.st/