In retrospect, however, that day was indeed the day I began my passage to Islam.

I was born in Japan into a Catholic family. I attended a Catholic kindergarten school and then a Christian elementary school.

Until about the third grade, my family attended Sunday services regularly and, from thereon, we just attended Christmas and Easter services and occasional Sunday services.

Although it was not to the greatest extent, Catholicism always played a role in my life, and I always have had a place for my faith and belief. I had been looking for a way to practice my faith and beliefs, but I could not find it in Catholicism.

Since my first encounter with a Muslim, my interactions with the Muslim Student Association and Muslims students at Cal State Long Beach never stopped. Not only by participating in their events, such as the annual Islamic Awareness Week, Fast-a-thon and Eid at the Beach Carnival, but also by having Muslim friends around me, I was able to ask random questions such as: "Are Muslims allowed to drink coffee?" or "Are Muslims allowed to put makeup on?" I was encouraged to further explore Islam by what I had seen, heard and learned from sisters and brothers of the MSA.

The society we live in today gives us access to many things, including things that have been religiously discouraged or prohibited. It is easy to compromise faithfulness to Allah, but not succumbing to these by using self-control and discipline will make one a better Muslim – one who submits to God.

Contrary to what the mainstream media might say, nobody is forced to practice his or her faith in any way. Rather, I found that there is a community that encourages all of us to be better Muslims. I attended some Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers and then decided to fast for Ramadan.

As the month of Ramadan passed, I saw Islam to be fitting to me more and more day by day.

Indeed, I have found the place where I live my everyday life with faith and belief, and the community helps me to do so.

Originally, I felt that my faith is something between Allah and me, and has no need to have a witness by taking shahadah or proclamation of faith in front of anyone. However, one early morning when I was driving home from taraweeh prayers (special prayers in the month of Ramadan), I thought about how I came to this passage. It was not because I woke up one morning and received a message from a higher being. I was guided by Allah through all of my good Muslim friends I have met thus far, and they were, in fact, signs from Allah. When I realized that, I felt I ought to tell them that I am now their brother in faith. Soon after, on the morning of Eid ul-Fitr, I took my shahadah.