الأخبار

As part of The World Muslim Communities Council (TWMCC) lecture series “Achievers and Contributors,” an online lecture was organised under the title “My Journey to Islam,” delivered by Addih Apewe, teacher at Newlegon Adma Primary School-Ghana, who recounted her story after embracing Islam and adopting the name “Hikma Apewe Addie.”

At the beginning of the lecture, Apewe said that she studied at the Islamic University of Ghana, where she majored in Media and Communications, specializing in Public Relations. She explained that she would recount her journey from Christianity to Islam, expressing her happiness at being given the opportunity to share her story.

Apewe noted that her story began at a very early age. When she was 9 years old, her father passed away, and she went to live with her uncle in the Ghanaian city of Bolga. At that time, her entire family was naturally Christian, and as a child, she had no control over the family’s religion and could only follow instructions.

She added that she later tried to support herself financially and worked in the city for a period of time. Then one day, an official came to train some people, and that was the first time she met one of the officials, Mr. Sauli Yaqub Adam. Their meetings continued over time until they eventually married after a long acquaintance.

She pointed out that when she initially accepted his marriage proposal, she had not thought about the other side of the story or the problem awaiting her: her husband was Muslim, while she was a Catholic Christian.

Apewe recounted her story at the school, emphasising her husband’s support during her years of education, as he helped her reach the position she holds today. She explained that he had taken the initiative to meet her uncle and ask for her hand in marriage. He faced difficulties in being accepted as a husband for her, but he overcame them because he was a mature man who was able to understand her, and that is what brought him closer to her.

Apewe also discussed another challenge concerning her place in the Muslim community after marriage, in addition to the strong reaction from her Christian community when she converted from Christianity to Islam. Nevertheless, she decided to continue with the life she had chosen for herself, defying many hardships along the way. Over time, things became normal, and she began asking about Islamic obligations such as prayer and fasting. She said that Allah guided her to Islam after a journey of searching, learning, and believing, until she was able to memorize some surahs of the Holy Qur’an in Arabic.

Apewe explained that the lesson she learned from her story is that Allah helps those who choose the path of guidance and tests their steadfastness in enduring hardship, and whether they are sincere in their faith or not. She said that she used to pray to Allah and ask Him to keep her firm in her new religion, adding that she is proud of the happy life Allah has made possible for her, as well as the many opportunities she has had to learn and know more about Islam.

At the end of the lecture, Apewe affirmed that in the future she hopes to help more people and support them in following the path of guidance. She addressed advice to all Muslims around the world, saying that they should never stop advising people to follow the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, especially since many non-Muslims have a mistaken image of Islam. She said that Muslims should spread their religion and explain its rituals in order to establish correct concepts in the minds of non-Muslims. Therefore, she stressed, Muslims must continue to advise their non-Muslim brothers.