The Voice Behind Salam Academia — Esteemed Mentor Salam

Read in Arabic: Arabic Text

Listen in Chinese: YouTube Audio

Below is Esteemed Mentor Salam’s personal journey to Islam, shared in her own words. This is the background of the voice behind Salam Academia.

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

All praise is due to Allah, the Most High and Most Glorious, and endless blessings be upon our Seal of the Prophets, Muḥammad ﷺ. May Allah be pleased with all of his noble Companions.

I am here today to share with you my personal journey of faith. Of course, first we praise Allah — He is the One who guided us. He is the Lord who nurtures; He is the Lord of Sovereignty; He is the Holy Lord who deserves worship; He is the One who guides, who gave us the straight path, who granted us the blessings of being guided. He sent prophets and messengers to guide us. I became one of His guided servants. Today, I will share how I, as someone who was originally not a Muslim, came to know Islam and became a Muslim.

First let me introduce myself. I am from Sichuan, China. I am 50 years old this year. When I was 19, I met my husband, a young Palestinian, at Peking University. By Allah’s grace, I married him, and from then on, because of marriage, I became a Muslim. So I say: al-hamdu lillāhi rabbil-ʿālamīn (All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds).

Before speaking about my journey, I first want to share this phrase of praise because it rises from the depths of my heart, and it is the reason I want to share my journey with you.

The Qur’an mentions “All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds” six times, in six different chapters. Every time I think about the number six, I think: “O Lord, I praise You, for You guided me and granted me the correct faith.”

Before I entered Peking University, what I pursued was success in this world — a good job, a good family, a good career. But when the Almighty Allah gave me these six — the greatest beliefs — I realized that this is what I should truly pursue. Because believing in Allah means believing in His essence, His nature, His attributes. The group admin’s younger sister already spoke about this yesterday, so I will not repeat it today.

From all of creation, we know there is a Lord who nurtures, a Lord who possesses sovereignty, and a Lord who deserves worship. At that moment, the first belief brought me immense happiness.

Second: belief in the Hereafter, which takes us beyond physical space, because all created things exist within space. Allah has us believe in the Hereafter. He created the seven heavens and seven earths. If one has firm belief in the Hereafter, one may rise to the highest Paradise, al-Firdaws. What destination could be better than that?

Third: belief in the angels, which takes us beyond the limitation of time, because angels return only on the Day of Resurrection. When we believe in the angels and strive for a soul as pure as theirs, we also transcend temporal limits. What belief could be nobler than this?

Fourth: belief in the revealed books. Allah’s scriptures contain everything — sciences, literature, theology, empirical knowledge, and all understanding of creation. They encompass all. Through them, we transcend the limits of any single discipline. What belief could be more noble or ideal?

Fifth: belief in the messengers. Allah sent all His beautiful servants to be messengers, conveying to humanity the reality of cause and effect, the reality of reward and punishment for good and evil. We do not live only in a natural world; we also live within a social reality of moral consequence. When we follow the messenger and obey him, we obey Allah. What pursuit in life could be better than this?

Lastly: belief in divine decree. Allah created both blessing and hardship. Every person hopes for blessings and seeks to avoid harm. Allah’s decree — natural decree, religious decree, His revelations, His miracles shown to humanity — all of these decrees are perfect. In matters fixed and unchangeable, we place complete trust in Allah. In matters where we have choices, we make those choices actively. What belief could be more complete or more ideal than this?

These six numbers appear in the Qur’an. When I read the six chapters in which they appear, I utter: “All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.”

Whenever I recall how Allah guided me from being a non-Muslim to a Muslim, and each time I read these six beliefs in these six chapters and utter praise, I feel a deep desire to share this with all of you. Today, I finally have this opportunity.

Because as long as a person has the six pillars of belief — even if his faith is only the size of an atom, even if extremely weak — he will, in the end, with that atom’s weight of faith, enter Paradise.

So the best prayer for humankind is the one mentioned in Surah Yunus: “All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.” We praise Allah who guided us, granted us true faith, and allowed us to gather here as Muslims.

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Before sharing my journey, I want to share another numerical insight about praising Allah. The Qur’an mentions phrases of praise 27 times. Is this number a coincidence? It is not.

Allah gave us:

• 6 pillars of belief
• 5 pillars of Islam (the complete religion)
• 2 levels of excellence (ihsan):

6 + 5 + 2 = 13

Allah created us — beings of matter and spirit. We have bodies, and we are given souls. As beings of desire and need, Allah created the seven heavens and seven earths, allowing us to seek His general mercy in this world and His special mercy in the next. These two sevens together equal 14.

13 + 14 = 27.

Exalted is Allah, free of all imperfection — the Qur’an mentions praise 27 times. Sometimes it is “Praise belongs to Allah,” or “Praise is for Allah,” but all refer to praising Him.

Now that I have shared this, I first wanted to express “All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds” from my heart.

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Now I will briefly share my journey of faith. Because I am already 50, being Muslim has become something natural. I no longer have the same excitement I had ten years after entering Islam — now, being Muslim feels simply right.

First, I want to tell everyone that marriage was the main reason I entered Islam, but it was not marriage that gave me perfect guidance. The real reason was the Qur’an — it was the beauty of the Qur’an that guided me.

Allah gave me this beautiful marriage, but it contained many tests and challenges. After I married a foreigner (a Palestinian) at Peking University, I was unable to work while wearing a headscarf. I studied political science and public administration, so my work prospects were mainly in government departments, where headscarves were not allowed. Especially in banks and tax offices, uniforms were required, making hijab impossible. So I gave up working.

At that time, my intention was not because my faith was strong, but because I chose this marriage and wanted harmony in it. My husband was devout, strictly observing all five pillars of Islam. To live a happy and harmonious life with him, I temporarily decided not to work.

Later, due to life’s needs, my Palestinian husband, who came from a relatively poor family, stayed in China to seek employment, and I took our two children to Palestine so they could learn Arabic. I also wanted to learn religion because I felt my knowledge was shallow, and I did not understand Arabic. When my husband played Qur’an recitation at home and I could not understand it, I felt a strong desire: “O Allah, please give me the chance to understand what is being recited. So many people around the world listen to this — let me know what it means.”

I made this prayer in my heart every day. Allah granted me the blessing of going to Palestine with my children — they studied, and I sought knowledge.

During those years, because of long-term separation in marriage, my husband married a second wife. For me, as a woman, this was an immense emotional trial — like a sudden strike from a clear sky. My first reaction was to divorce him. I asked for a divorce and was determined to divorce him. I could not accept this test.

At that time, I had the habit of attending a lecture in the mosque every Thursday. I told my situation to the daʿiyah who taught the class. She said to me:

“Sister Salam, you should not make this choice. Allah will choose for you. Let me teach you the prayer of seeking good (Ṣalāt al-Istikhārah).”

She was trustworthy, so I followed her advice. I went home and fasted three consecutive days, and I performed istikhārah every day. In the prayer, I said:

“O Lord, by Your knowledge give me insight; by Your great blessing grant me ability. I ask You for Your abundant grace. You are powerful and I am powerless. You have knowledge and I have none. You know the hidden realities. O Lord, if this marriage is good for my religion, my life, my present, and my future, then bless this marriage for me. But if it brings me no benefit — for my religion, my life, my present, or my future — then remove this marriage from me.”

After performing this prayer, carrying it in my heart, one blessed Friday morning after Fajr, I rested for a while and entered a dream.

I was standing at the foot of a mountain, my mouth saying “Allāhu akbar,” and suddenly I rose to the top of the mountain. There, my mouth was reciting lā ilāha illā Allāh. My hands were raised, making the same prayer of istikhārah. In front of me rose a tall building; on my left and right also rose tall buildings.

In my heart, I thought: “If I do not keep this marriage, I will choose the building on the left. If I choose to form a marriage with another man, I will choose the building on the right. If I keep this marriage…”

Before I could finish thinking, an immense force pushed me toward the building in front of me. As I awoke, my lips were calling my husband’s name.

I woke up saying, “All praise belongs to Allah.” I knew Allah had accepted my istikhārah, guided me, and shown me that I must hold firmly to my marriage — that there is blessing in it and Allah wants to grant me goodness through it.

From then on, I was patient. Allah guided my heart, and I began learning the Qur’an. I could already understand the imam’s recitation. I had not thought about memorizing it, but that year — at age 38 — Allah placed in my heart a strong desire to memorize the Qur’an.

I memorized one page each day. Sometimes I stopped due to illness, children, or family matters. After three years — all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds — I completed the memorization of the entire Qur’an.

While memorizing, I gained a best friend — my husband’s second wife. We learned Qur’an together. According to usual thinking, we should have been enemies. But through learning and memorizing the Qur’an, my heart became calm, and we became friends. All praise belongs to Allah.

During that period, my heart was occupied with the Qur’an. Many devils — whether jinn or human — could not come near. Some people asked:

“Why do you accept this marriage?” “You should divorce.” “You should work — you are a top student from Peking University.” “You have a future — why live like this?”

Even my own family, since we were from a non-Muslim household, pressured me. But Allah protected me through the Qur’an. I was immersed in the joy of memorizing and the joy of His guidance.

After finishing the Qur’an, I continued praying at night. Daytime was spent raising children and managing the household. Days were for memorization, nights for revision. Five years later, my memorization became firm. Until now, at age 50, I have never abandoned night revision or daytime recitation. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.

In the process of memorizing, I realized that Allah only gives goodness. Often, we fail to turn a test into goodness; instead, we turn it into hardship by following our desires rather than asking Allah for what is best.

Praise be to Allah. This is roughly what I wanted to share today. I pray that Allah gives me the opportunity to share more with you — my reflections on the Qur’an and my understanding of the Hadith. After memorizing the Qur’an and revising firmly, I began seriously studying the life of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the beautiful conduct of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). At that time, Allah not only guided us but also increased us in moral beauty, strength in action, and knowledge. In shā’ Allāh, may Allah give me the opportunity to continue sharing.

All praise is for Allah, and countless blessings upon our Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him). May Allah be pleased with all the noble Companions and all who follow him. Thank you everyone for reading. Whatever I expressed incompletely or any verbal mistakes — may Allah forgive me, and please forgive me as well.

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته