"Father, if it's heaven really exists?" Jeffrey Lang asked his father as a small walk with his dog on the beach, about 50 years ago.
Now, Jeffrey is a professor of mathematics who earned his master's and doctoral degrees from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana in 1981. The question that once flung as a child was now fulfilled. Lecturer and researcher at the University of Kansas United States is found in Islam, 32 years ago.
Born on January 30, 1954 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Jeffrey grew up in a Roman Catholic family and the environment. During the first 18 years of his life, he studied at Catholic schools, where he met the pastor and friends of the same religious background.
Live in environments not just Catholics make Jeffrey a devout adherent of the religion. Critical attitude he has since childhood would keep him away from his family's religion. Discussions he had built with parents, school chaplain, and her school friends have never failed to answer the question about the existence of God.
"In those days, I've started asking questions about the values of life, whether political, social, or religious. I even often quarrel with many people to argue about it, including the leaders of the Catholic church,'' he wrote in a book about his travels found Islam.
Ahead of his graduation from Notre Dam Boys High School, at the age of 18 years, Jeffrey was a deadlock logic about God leaving only one option for him, becoming an atheist. The father is angry with the selection of Jeffrey said, "God will make you downcast, Jeffrey."
His speech is really happening. Jeffrey bowed and knelt before the Lord in one night, in a dream.
In his dream, Jeffrey was in a small room a quiet and tranquil. "There was no furniture of any kind, nor any decorations on the walls are white-gray. There are only a carpet patterned with red and white the dominant color of the floor space, "he said.
Jeffrey added that he was not alone in the room. He and several others are in multiple rows. "I'm in the third row. No women there, only men. We all sat on our heels, facing a small window that brings a bright light into the room. "
Jeffrey felt strange because it did not recognize anyone, but doing the bowing and prostration together and in rhythm. "Do not worry at all, as if all sound turned off," he said. Still in her dream, amid the silence, Jeffrey realized that they were led by someone who stood at the front in the middle of the room. "He was in my left side, right in the middle of the room, apart from the line."
"I only got to see at a glance, the man was wearing a long white robe. In their heads is a white cloth with a red motif. That's when I awoke from my dream. "
The dream came Jeffrey repeatedly throughout the 10 years she lived a life without God. Because it did not understand, Jeffrey ignored. It's just one thing that is not forgotten Jeffrey, "I always feel comfortable every waking from strange dreams."
***
Ten years later, on his first day teaching at the University of San Francisco, Jeffrey met a Muslim student in math class that diampunya. In a relatively short span of time, Jeffrey has forged friendships with Muslim students, it is also his family. Both are talking and discussing, but never talked about religion.
Until one time, one Muslim student's family to give Jeffrey a copy of the Koran. Because not looking for religion, and as an atheist, Jeffrey read by various prejudices in his brain.
Jeffrey was soon involved in what he called the struggle. "The Qur'an directly and personally attacked, criticized, humiliated, and daring. From the beginning, the book was incised lines of war, and I was on the opposite, "he said.
"You can not just read the Koran. Would not be if you do it seriously. Choice (when you read the Qur'an) is, first, you have surrendered to him or, second, you are challenged. "
Jeffrey overwhelmed. He was confused. "I suffered a severe defeat. Because the time to read it, I felt very clearly that the author (Allah SWT) knows about me better than I know myself, "he said in astonishment.
Astonishment was increased. When Jeffrey and new objections raised questions in his mind every finished reading the Koran to a certain part, he immediately get the answer as to continue reading. "As author of the book was reading my mind."
"The Qur'an has always been far ahead of my thinking. He removes the obstacles that I had built many years ago and answered all my questions, "he said. The harder he tried to fight with the arguments and questions, the more clearly he obtained a defeat in that struggle. "I was led into a corner where there is only one choice."
***
In 1982, Jeffrey found a small number of Muslim students take advantage of a small room in the basement of the church to pray. He ventured to visit the place one day. After several hours in the small room, Jeffrey came out with a new identity; Muslim.
He has bersyahadat there, just before noon. Entering the time of midday he mingled and stood in line with the students, led by a man named Ghassan. Jeffrey pray first.
Jeffrey dissolved in every prayer movement that followed. When completing the movement and do sit bowed iftirasy, Jeffrey looking toward the front and see Ghassan. "He was in my left side, in the middle of the front there, under the window showering the room with light. It is separate from the line, wearing a white robe, with a white scarf in red-patterned head. "
"The dream!," He shouted to himself. Having convinced himself that he was dreaming, Jeffrey was ambushed by a sense of warm heart reconciling.
He knelt with his forehead touching the floor. The highest part of his body is full of knowledge and intellect are at the lowest point, in a total surrender to Allah SWT. Jeffrey cheeks wet with tears.
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