Concurrent with the martyrdom days of Hazrat Zahra (daughter of Prophet Muhammad) a Russian woman embraced Islam at Imam Ridha (Reza) holy shrien after uttering Shahada (an Islamic creed declaring belief in the oneness of God and the acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet).
A lot of Muslim converts attend in the Razavi holy shrine each year. Olga Radjabi is a Muslim convert who converted to Islam as she came to know Islam as a result of her personal interest in reading Qur’an in Russian language and other Islamic books.
“I became familiar with Islam through intensive studies and research about Islam and reading the holy Qur’an and several books on Shi’ite and Islamic concepts; this led me to embracing Islam as the best and the most complete religion”, she remarked.
Noting that Islam is a religion essentially based on human disposition, she added, “Islam calls its followers on doing good deeds and virtues that are considered rectitude according to viewpoints of all savants.”
Regarding differences between Islam and other religion, Olga said, “As I was formerly a Christian, I should confess that Islam is the only religion that guides man to felicity in the simplest ways.”
Noting that Hijab is beautiful and serves as a guardian to woman’s chastity, she said, “Islam has recounted clothing as a divine gift and has made it obligatory as Hijab and veiling safeguards woman from external and internal dangers without imposing any restriction to her.”
The Muslim convert expressed her happiness from being in the Razavi holy shrine and said, “The celestial atmosphere of this holy shrine is really tranquilizing and according to my studies this is a pilgrimage place that most of Muslim visit it.”
She who chose the name Maryam for herself after embracing Islam and Shi’ite noted, “I am very happy and pleased to be a Muslim formally in such a spiritual and shining place and I am proud of embracing Islam. I may not forget such a day.”
It is notable that some blessed packages and cultural items including a Qur’an in Russian, the 4-volume book of Principles of Beliefs, and poster of the Razavi holy shrine were dedicated to the Muslim convert.
The Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran is a complex which contains the mausoleum of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Twelver Shi'ites. It is the largest mosque in the world by dimension and the second largest by capacity.
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