Truly hit me that I would have to tell my family & friends that I had embraced Islam.

"Truly hit me that I would have to tell my family & friends that I had embraced Islam."- Dr. Will Caldwell

I remember the moment it truly hit me that I would have to tell my family and friends that I had embraced Islam. I was exiting my plane at JFK airport after a semester abroad in Jerusalem. Landing in the familiar environment of the United States suddenly impressed upon me that my journey of faith, which so far had been a complex adventure abroad, would soon become a grind of informing my parents, mentors, and a host of acquaintances that I was now a Muslim. The fact that I appeared to be the only non-Jewish person on my El Al flight from Tel Aviv was a perfect representation of the isolation I felt in that moment.

As I walked toward customs, I dipped into a multi-faith prayer room and asked Allah for the strength push forward even though I had no idea how to do so. I stayed there for quite a while, praying for some sign of encouragement.

When I finally gathered the strength to leave, I turned the corner into customs and was greeted with a room full of women in hijab and men with shaved heads. I stopped there and stared, processing what I was seeing. Finally it hit me: these people are all returning from Hajj. I had no idea my flight lined up with their return because, at that point, I didn't know when Hajj occurred.

When I finally took my place in line, I introduced myself to the couple in front of me. I poured my heart out about my shahada and all the anxieties I was feeling about returning home. They listened attentively and offered words of reassurance. But most importantly, they transferred something of their own state of tranquility, which I assumed must have come from their pilgrimage, to me in that moment. Then they asked me to meet them on the other side of customs.

When I met back up with them, they filled my water bottle with zamzam, told me to trust in Allah, and departed. I knew in that moment that Allah is the best of planners.

Moments like this are why I work at Taleef today. Small acts of love and service at the right moment in our journeys make us who we are. Taleef is a community built around the intention to provide this kind of support to spiritual seekers of all backgroundswhether we are new to the faith, reimbracing it after a hiatus, or learning for the first time as a youth. Your support in this month of Ramadan will ensure that our door remains open to everyone Allah sends our way in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Dr. Will Caldwell 

Director of Education

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