MWA Member Ellen Keim shares her Ramadan story

Ramadan serves many purposes, but one of the main things is that it is a wonderful opportunity to practice Da’wa. I may not even have become a Muslim if it hadn’t been for Ramadan. One of my Muslim friends knew that I was interested in Islam and sensed that I was close to making a decision. But what I needed first was to see Muslims in action.

I was more than a little nervous when I went to her house. I didn’t know what to expect; I didn’t know if I was dressed properly; I didn’t know if I would be asked to participate in any way. I knew absolutely nothing about Islamic prayer and I had never seen Muslims praying except for brief glimpses on television.

I didn’t even know if I was late or early because I had no concept of waiting until after sunset to break the fast. I did know that Muslims fasted during Ramadan, but to me that just sounded hard. I had no idea how meaningful it could be. Read more

ABOUT MWA MEMBER, ELLEN KEIM
I’ve believed in God for as long as I can remember. I was baptized, raised and confirmed in the Lutheran church. When I was twenty-one I became what you might call a “born-again” Christian. I was a Methodist minister’s wife for ten years. I studied the Bible, taught adult Bible classes and became a lay preacher. And in 2009, on the last day of Ramadan, I said my Shahada and became a Muslim. I started I, Muslimah to help me, and maybe others, to grow in the faith.