A famous TikToker from the Philippines, Fiona James, recently made headlines after she embraced Islam during the holy month of Ramadan. With almost 0.8 million followers on the social media app TikTok, Fiona changed her name to Zainab after embracing Islam at the Islamic Information Centre in Satwa, Dubai, in the first week of Ramadan. Islam is the world’s second-largest religion, with over 1.8 billion followers. It is a religion of peace, tolerance, and social justice that has gained popularity among people of various cultures and backgrounds.
Fiona, who has spent more than eight years living in the UAE, has always found the azan (call to prayer) from the mosques to be fascinating. She said that she felt peace anytime she heard Azan. In fact, she also committed some of her time to remembering Azan. This also sparked her interest in religion. To learn more about Islam, she started taking online classes from the Islamic Information Centre. She plans to finish the course in a month. She is also studying and memorizing brief verses from the Holy Quran.
Furthermore, Zainab said that her family is pleased and supportive of her choice to convert to Islam. “I have a lovely and serene feeling inside. On my own, I converted to Islam. I was not coerced into adopting this religion, she continued. She described how her friends and supporters responded, saying: “They were very happy and very supportive of my decision.” She has also been given a certificate attesting to her conversion to Islam.
In addition, Salman, a Pakistani friend of Zainab’s, guided her in her studies and helped her learn the basics of the religion. Salman has two million followers on TikTok, and the two of them have collaborated on thousands of videos for the social media site. “Our friendship has lasted five years. Islam forbids coercing someone into accepting a faith. Instead, it all comes down to gathering the necessary knowledge and networking with the appropriate individuals. She kept asking me questions, so occasionally we would talk about it as well. This, in my opinion, inspired her to embrace Islam, Salman stated that she made the decision to embrace it on her own, and no one compel her to.
In conclusion, Fiona James’s story highlights the importance of education and understanding when it comes to accepting Islam. Her journey to Islam is a personal one, and it is important to note that no one forced her to embrace the religion.