How I became Shia, A thread :

So I was born into a “Sushi” household in which one parent was one thing and the other parent was the other.

Throughout my life I’ve been striving to find the truth.

I kept asking about:
- Prophets
- Islam
- Allah SWT
- Quranic stories

Coming from a not-so-religious household it was hard to stay on the Deen as a kid and teenager.

But the way I see it, it’s like a boat that’s swinging during a storm. Left and right until you reach your destination.

I learned the prayer at the age of 7,8 or 9 I don’t remember.

A Sudanese woman, a family friend was staying over as she was just visiting the country.

One day I asked her about the prayer, she replied I’ll teach you no problem.

She taught me. Alhamdulillah.

That was my first real step towards learning the Deen.

At that time I was living in Qatar. (Stayed 3 years then came back)

It wasn’t until I started school there that I was asked THE question.

I was confused at first as I didn’t know what those two terms meant.

I answered “I don’t know” and came back home pondering.

Asked my mother and she told me to tell them it’s none of their business, “just say you’re muslim”.

I didn’t pay much attention to it after that.

Years went by and I didn’t know the differences these two had.

I didn’t even know what it was.

Didn’t know anything.

2012 was the year I believe I first visited our local Husseinia.

It was a big Majlis with Bassim Al Karbalai as a guest.

Once again I didn’t know anything.

I took a picture for the culture but didn’t know who what when or why.

At the time I used to train Taekwondo (picture 1), before I stopped for personal reasons and started hitting the gym instead (picture 2).

The Taekwondo building was right beside the Husseinia so during big Majalis they’d hire the Taekwondo building to have the men have their Majlis there and the women in the smaller building (Husseinia).

I’m telling you this for a reason.

Reason being after every Taekwondo training, during Arbaeenia etc. We’d have to rush out because people were flooding in, waiting for the Majlis to start.

One of my parents used to come at that time and I’d just stay. Listen to the majlis, pray, eat then go home.

I knew NOTHING.

After my first Majlis, Dad took me to the Husseinia for the first time.

There was a prayer, I missed having a collective prayer with others. So I joined.

During prayer dad corrected me as I was making obvious mistakes as the hands, the “Ameen” etc.

After prayer, as a kid I was confused and told my dad “Baba they’re praying wrong??”. Ofc I whispered this in his ear. He replied with no and gave me a look.

10 minutes later I got a nose bleed out of the blue.

Everything started then and there.

I knew something was up.

I started having doubts about the ways I was conducting the Deen.

Was I right? Was I wrong?

Didn’t know at the time...

Slowly I eased into the concept of me being wrong my entire life.

Very slowly.

To this day I’ve doubts that I research on to prove myself wrong.

It helps me strengthen my iman.

Back to the story:

So I started attending Majalis more often every year and I didn’t understand nor did I have any education on what was being said.

I just picked up small stories and names and ideas...

The year was 2015 I believe when i finally “understood” that it was a “difference of Caliphate.”

Little did I know there was a whole lot more to it.

Years went by and the older I got the more I wanted to know and the more I wanted to become a Shia.

Ramadan 2020.

I held a daily live stream on Twitter after every iftar. We called it “Iftar talks”.

We’d used to talk about Deen in general.

One day I had @lowkeygumma come on and she’d explain stuff about shiism. Which I found educational.

The tipping point for me was when she told the story of Karbala.

I remember crying so much that night. Unstoppable tears. Didn’t even know where the tears kept coming from.

I could feel pain in my chest and love towards Ahlul Bayt from that day onwards...

Weeks go by and I finally had it.

I wanted to become a Shia by any means.

So I went to my local Husseinia as a grown man with a beard seeking the truth.

Asking questions without feeling ashamed.

“Why is there hate towards this figure?” “Who are the 12 imams” “Explain this concept”...

And I kept asking and asking and asking as if I’ve never ever found anything more interesting in my life.

They gave me half assed answers tbh. Which discouraged me a lot.

It was a setback.

Days go by and I meet some of you folks on Twitter...

I read some threads. Follow some links. Ask some questions.

@_Lowkkey and @ MoeAli were of great use as well as @AHussain371 at the time.

Kept having doubts and unanswered questions until I found her...

She was the reason I fully became Shia blindly. She explained everything so beautifully. Alhamdulillah and she didn’t judge nor did she mock or anything. She loved helping me...

It’s so cliche but it’s true, a woman made me fully become a Shia.

Alhamdulillah for having her in my life... Alhamdulillah...

She taught me about the whole Ring concept so I asked a man in the Husseinia about the rings and he told me he’d get me one as a gift.

And here we are today.

Alhamdulillah for everything and InShaAllah I’ll keep learning more in the future. And as always...

May Allah guide us all to the straight path