His Entire Revert Story Started With One Random Click

Duration: 8:30 1400 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The speaker recounts his personal journey from being raised in a non-religious household to embracing Islam after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Born in Italy and later moving to America, he grew up with parents who were Catholic but became less religious over time, leaving him without strict doctrinal constraints during his youth. The lockdowns forced him indoors at age eleven or twelve, prompting a period of self-directed research into comparative religion where Islam stood out for its peaceful nature and welcoming tone. Upon reading the Quran online, he experienced an immediate spiritual warmth that compelled him to delve deeper into Islamic jurisprudence and theology, eventually leading him to take his shahada just before Ramadan in March 2023 at age thirteen. Central to his faith is a profound emphasis on discipline, sincerity in prayer during difficult times, and the guidance found in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. He explains that whenever he faces challenges or confusion regarding daily life, even minor aspects, turning to the teachings and practices of the Prophet provides clarity and calmness through dua (supplication). This dedication manifests in maintaining a strict schedule for prayers such as Fajr, Isha, and Tahajjud, which instills a sense of order beneficial for one's future. He views these spiritual disciplines not merely as rituals but as intellectual and emotional tools that help navigate life's uncertainties with peace and purpose. Beyond personal spirituality, the speaker offers crucial advice to youth regarding digital citizenship and social media usage in an age where technology poses significant risks. Drawing on his background in cyber defense and security, he warns young people about the permanence of their digital footprints and urges them never to post content they might regret later in life. He highlights how algorithms function by reflecting user behavior; therefore, intentionally searching for Islamic content or following religious educators can transform a social media feed into an educational resource within less than twenty-four hours. This shift allows young people to gain knowledge from Hadiths and Quranic recitations rather than wasting time on harmful distractions. Ultimately, the speaker concludes that combining online wisdom with physical community engagement creates a balanced path for spiritual growth. He encourages youth to visit mosques regularly without feeling pressured to burn out themselves, suggesting that consistent attendance at Jumu'ah or halaqas leads to increased blessings and problem resolution over time. By curating their digital environments to focus on beneficial content while maintaining regular mosque visits, young people can effectively curb negative influences from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This dual approach of mindful technology use and active community participation ensures that the next generation remains grounded in faith while navigating the complexities of modern life with integrity and knowledge.

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My family, some of them are religious, some of them are not. And since originally I was born in Italy, which is a very, very Catholic country, they were Catholic. When we moved to America, they were not as religious anymore. My father became an atheist over time. Then my mother became less religious, more of an agnostic. So I wasn't raised too religious. We went to church um every now and then. But I was just never truly religious in life. So I had more freedom to explore. I never had to follow any one religion strictly, which gave me more leeway to like look and see which ones felt better. So it was then as I was in here, living in America, COVID hit when I was very young. So everyone was locked indoors, couldn't play any sports, couldn't go to school, couldn't really do anything. So I was forced to just be online and just do research since I couldn't really do much. That's what I decided to do over over the COVID situation. So over time I was studying comparative religion, looking at different religions just for fun, not because I was too interested in any one specific religion, just because I wanted to gain knowledge. Although when I was looking at different religions, even though I was never too interested in one of them at the time, Islam stuck out to me more than more than the others cuz to me it seemed very peaceful, welcoming, and straightforward. So when I first opened the Quran online, I started reading the first few surahs and it warmed my heart up very much. It's a feeling that I've never felt before. It's something that like no book, nothing could ever make me feel. It's something so special about this book that I decided I had to keep studying because this isn't something that happens to people all the time. So, over time I started reading the Quran. I started um asking questions. Started um just just generally researching online since it was still COVID, everyone was uh locked in their houses. So, then around the age of 11 to 12, I started um getting more deep into Islam and starting started studying like the actual aspects and jurisprudence, like what are the rulings of different things etc. etc. So, then around the age of 13 I kept read reading the Quran. I started um asking less questions because they were all they were all covered. So, around right after I turned 13 uh in March of 2023, that's when I walked to the masjid and took my shahada 3 days before the month of Ramadan started. So, whenever someone is going to through a difficult time or whenever I am going through a difficult time, the best thing anyone, no matter what situation they are in, pray. That um like for example, whenever I'm in a bad situation, whenever something bad has happened, I pray and everything calms down. If something really bad is happening, pray, make dua, ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for anything you need with sincerity and Allah will fix your problem and while even while the problem is happening, pray. It'll make you much more calm. There's a lot of things, it's very hard to put one, but if I would have to um if I if I would have to put one specific thing, I would say it's dedication. Like for example, waking up for Fajr early in the morning, um staying up to pray Isha, um waking up for Tahajjud, um staying focused on the deen because Islam, it teaches a religion of discipline, which is very beneficial in life for your future. I think the one thing that inspires me is the Sunnah. That is um whenever I'm confused about something, whenever I'm whenever I am unsure how to live life even if it is the smallest aspects, I always go to the Sunnah. I see what our beloved prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wasallam did. I think that's a very smart intellectual question and I believe it it does not affect just adults. It also affects children because those are the people who are on social media a lot because these this this new technology has a lot of dangerous side effects. Since I study cyber um cyber defense and cyber security, it's very uh you should make sure what you say online. Do not say anything that will haunt you in the future because you might be young. You might be um still learning, but whatever you do, do not say anything um that you will regret online because um digital footprints it exists. Um someone who studies like for example the intel the intelligence community, they're smart. Um they use technology in a very advanced way. So, I think the best thing someone could do is don't say anything that they'll regret online and they should be careful what they say, careful with their cyber security. They should be careful with what kinds of technology they use. Don't talk to the wrong people and I think this applies to both adults and children and especially children because they're still learning and they're the people who use social media the most. Yes, absolutely. Like for example on social media apps like Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, they all have a built-in algorithm. However, the algorithm sees what videos you watch more, what videos you like more, which what videos you search. So, if you were to search up Islamic videos for example or follow people who give Islamic content, your the algorithm will switch to an Islamic algorithm in less than a day. So, I would say that's the best thing rather than uh wasting time scrolling on social media, looking at things that do not benefit you, it would be very easy just just for one day, look up Islamic things on social media. Your algorithm will change in a day. You will gain knowledge and it'll be very beneficial for your future. >> Subhanallah, so easy. That's phenomenal. And that explains a lot why uh so so many of the things that we talk about um if I'm having a conversation with a friend and my device is on, suddenly some of the information that I have shared in that conversation becomes part of the algorithm and will start if I'm saying, "Oh, I'm looking for a new pair of pants." Then suddenly I'll start seeing ads for pants online. So, these are some of the things that it does. I agree with you. It seems to happen very quick. And so, if we're feeding um that algorithm with things that are beneficial to us, um I would agree that it it works to our advantage cuz we'll just start seeing more and more of it very quickly. Uh are there any other nuggets of wisdom, insights that you would be able to share that might help our youth um curb some of the things that their parents and uh the the teachers of our halaqas would prefer them avoiding? >> Oh, yeah, absolutely. So, I think the first thing is um go to the masjid even if it's just for Jumu'ah. Um it doesn't have to be too often. Uh don't burn out yourself. I think just going to the masjid every now and then whenever you're comfortable comfortable is good. Then when you're comfortable, start going a little bit more because if you go to the masjid, if you go to a halaqah, um you will gain knowledge, you will start to enjoy that. So, I think going to more halaqahs would be very beneficial for the youth. And also, there's nothing wrong with having a social media, for example, because they can be very beneficial if you have an Islamic algorithm, for example. They They share They share Hadiths. They share Quran verses. They share Quran recitation. So, if you have that algorithm, and it takes less than a day to create it, you will actually start gaining knowledge rather than wasting time. I would say that yes, going to the masjid often, even though if even if it's not too often, you will start seeing changes in your life. You'll start seeing more blessings. You'll start seeing your problems going away. >> Inshallah.