Former Evangelist of The Seventh Day Adventist Church in Philippines

Why I embraced Islam?

By Abraham Poncardas Romas
A Former Evangelist of The Seventh Day Adventist Church in the Philippines

I was born on December 2, 1959, in Kawit, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, Philippines. Since birth my parents were devoted Seventh Day Adventists, one of the thousand branches in Christendom. I was a former Evangelist of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA). Since childhood until I became Muslim in 1981, I had been a devoted SDA.


MY FATHER’S BACKGROUND

My father was a former member of the ILAGA and CHDF (Civilian Home Defense Force) formed by a former dictator, President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos. ILAGA is the name given to a group (Cult) of who are trained to grab the land and annihilate Muslims in Southern Philippines. ILAGA members believe that they have an invisible bulletproof vest and some believe bullets do not hit them. They used to cut, roast, and eat the right ears of their victims, literally. Then, they make ashes of the remaining ears, and fill their amulet (perfume-liquid bottles). The ILAGA members believe that the more Muslims they can kill, the more power they will possess.


BRAINWASHING IN CHILDHOOD

In childhood I was indoctrinated (brainwashed) that Muslims are pagans. We believed that Muslims are warlike people, traitors, happy to kill non-Muslims, lawless, and all negative attributes of humanity are in the Muslims’ doctrines. Actually, when I was a Christian I did not know the difference between Islam, Muslim, and Moros—I believed they were all synonymous with paganism. What I knew about Muslims was that "they were pagans and idiots!"


PERSONAL BACKGROUND

I was brought up in the conservative Christian educational institution (church school). In my early days of childhood we were trained to open the Bible quickly and explain the meaning of the text day and night. We were also trained to deliver speeches in the pulpit as smart as we could. In my youth, I conducted countless Ministerial works in the Seventh Day Adventist Churches. I studied at Southern Mindanao Academy, Managa, Davao del Sur; Matutum View Academy, Tupi, South Cotabato; Notre Dame of General Santos City; Forest Hills Academy, Bayugan 1, Agusan del Sur; in college at Silliman University, Dumaguete City. Silliman University was founded and supported by Protestant American philanthropists, a sister University of the UNIVERSITY OF PHILIPPINES (UP). I got a degree in Bachelor of Arts, major in Speech and Theatre, and a junior college degree in Mass Communication. In my youth I was a battalion commander in paramilitary training, Senior Students’ president, Kabataang Baranggay chairman, Science Club President, Sabbath School Superintendent.


TRAINING GROUND

In 1981, I was trained extensively in Pagadian City, Philippines how to preach Christianity, particularly in Muslim community, and sell medical books under the banner of Adventism. Later with groups we were assigned in Zamboanga City: house-to-house and office-to-office approach, rigidly. Our main targets were to gather money and to spread our doctrines or to convert the Muslims into Christianity (Adventism). Even today there are Christian Institutions in the heart of the Muslim community in Mindanao whose main motive is to Christianize the Muslims gradually.


FIRST ENCOUNTER

One day in Zamboanga City, I was assigned at the Al-Malin Shipping Line Office, district of Santa Barbara, to do our jobs, where I met my first encounter with a Muslim intellectual. His name is Najeeb Razul Fernandez, formerly Samuel Fernandez, who was also a former Seventh Day Adventist-Evangelist. We discovered later that we were neighbors during our childhood, and our parents and his uncle’s family (Memong Fernandez) were close friends and neighbors.


PROPER ENCOUNTER

I introduced myself to Mr. Najeeb Razul Fernandez. He warmly welcomed me and asked my purpose of visiting his office. He was a liaison officer that time at Al-Malin Shipping Line Office. He asked me, “Are you Seventh Day Adventist?” Yes, of course! Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Of Course! We would not be a Seventh Day Adventist, unless we believe and follow Jesus Christ! He continued, “your religion is Seventh Day Adventist, was Jesus Christ a Seventh Day Adventist?” I knew that if I answer “yes”, the next question; “can you show me in your Bible that Jesus Christ was a Seventh Day Adventist?” I knew well that there is no passage in the Bible that mentions that Jesus Christ was an Adventist! I was shocked at the question, because in my experience I never encountered such question in my life. I tried my best to ignore his question, and I talked things which were not related to his question. He repeated the question direct to my eyes, and said; “if you could not answer that question, please bring that question to your team leader and tell me his response.”


SHOCKING REVELATION

Then he related to me the true name and life of Jesus Christ (pbuh) whose name is Iesa Al-Maseh ibn Maryam in the Muslim world. Iesa (pbuh) was a prophet and messenger of God. The religion of the Muslims and the prophets of Allaah is Islam. And in fact the prophets of Allaah (God) were Muslims. Islam teaches: Day of Resurrection, Judgment Day, Paradise, Hell-Fire, Angels, Prophethood, Morals, Divine Books, etc. all these words were like thunderbolts that awakened me from a deep sleep! After I heard those words I did convey them to my team leader, and I asked him what was the religion of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus Christ. He did not answer, instead I received warning not to talk to Mr. Fernandez or I will be excommunicated. My team leader’s reaction had pushed me to investigate what Islam is and sowed doubts to my belief being a Seventh Day Adventist.


If really my belief is the true one, I should not be afraid to deal with other religions! I did not heed his warning. Again I went to Mr. Fernandez, then he asked me “DID JOSEPH, MARY, THE 12 DISCIPLES WORSHIP JESUS CHRIST AS GOD, AS YOU SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS DO TODAY?” I turned speechless. I went back to our quarter in Zamboanga City, and debated with my team leader! At that moment after our confrontation, our team leader immediately ordered me to pack up my things and leave. That time I could not accept that I was a Muslim. My team leader and our whole group branded me that I became a Muslim and not fit to do our task in Muslim community. With tears and confusion, I was forced to leave my SDA companions. From that time it became my turning point to research ISLAM and become a Muslim few months later in Isabela, Basilan.


I pondered. The center of the Muslim world is in Middle East! If the West and the East knew the life of the Prophets, and particularly Jesus’ life, how about in the Middle East—the birth place of the Prophets, and where the Muslims are praying in the House of God,… built by Abraham, peace be upon him. More than one billion Muslims throughout the world, and more people embracing Islam compare with other religion, why? This trend had challenged me to research history in the Middle East, and life of the last Prophet.


I HAD NEVER BELIEVED THAT MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN GOD


I never ever thought that Muslims believe in God, as well as the above mentioned. What I had believed before was that Muslims are people who are doomed to Hell-Fire. Some non-Muslims believe that Muslims are like rats, a menace to a developed and peaceful society, and that is why some countries have done ethnic cleansing and deprive them of human rights: such as in Bosnia, Kosova, Kashmir, Chechnya, Mindanao, and the occupied territory in Israel originally belonging to Palestinians. A well-known saying in my native land: “A GOOD MUSLIM IS A DEAD MUSLIM.”


I embraced Islam, because I found out that Islam is the true way of life (religion) of God, given to the Prophets: and the Qur’aan is the only perfect book of God that has never been revised. I am appealing to non-Muslims to know what is Islam from the Qur’aan and Sahih Hadith or references written by Muslims.

Jazaakallaahu khayran that was a good read. May Allaah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless brother Abraham Aameen.