Take a winding road to become a convert, Pogba: Islam is beautiful

Being a Muslim makes Manchester United (MU) central midfielder Paul Pogba feel inner peace. In fact, in his statement, Pogba admitted that his life is currently going well.

In an interesting interview with 'The Times Life Times' some time ago, the French footballer claimed that he was only interested in studying Islamic teachings when he was an adult. Although the mother practices strict Islam, her three children were not raised conservatively, in a religious context.

Pogba became interested in Islam and deepened his faith, not in his mother's lap. Another factor, namely the environment that made Pogba grow as a follower of the belief of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alaihi wasallam.

After going through difficult times at the age of 20, he confidently anchored his choice to become a devout Muslim. "This is a nice change in my life, because I was not born a Muslim even though my mother is a Muslim. I grew up that way, thanks to everyone," Pogba said in the statement.

The decision to become a convert was not taken haphazardly. Pogba said he often discussed with his friends and did in-depth research before deciding to become a Muslim.

"It all started because I had many Muslim friends. We always talked. I questioned many things in myself, then I started research. Once I prayed with my colleagues and I felt something different," he continued.

There is nothing wrong in Pogba's practice of finding his identity, being a Muslim through many big questions that he must meet first is one of the journey of a convert. His faith increased when the 27-year-old player performed worship (Umrah) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Pogba visited the house of Allah SWT to deepen his spiritual journey.

Since becoming a convert, Pogba has felt many changes in his life. His mind became more open and made him feel that he had become a better person than before.

"I feel really good. From that day on, I (kept) going," Pogba explained.

Why is Your signal missing?

Allah is Merciful, it is impossible to block His servants, no matter how bad their behavior. In fact, what often happens is that His servants "block" Allah.

Blocking Allah is by not taking His guidance and allowing himself to be misled so that the signal of faith is cut off from him.

Pay attention to His words :

فَمَن يُرِدِ اللّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلإِسْلاَمِ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاء

Whoever Allah wants to be guided by, He will spread his chest to Islam and whoever He wants to be led astray, He will make it narrow again heavy as if it is climbing the sky. (Surah Al-An'am: 125).

This verse motivates us so that every Muslim must be willing to obey the teachings of Islam in order to obtain the signal of Allah's guidance.

Conversely, if someone feels cramped and stuffy with Islamic teachings, he has cut off the signal of his faith, aka being in error.

Talking about guidance as a network of inner signals of faith in Allah, there are three kinds.

1. Hidayah fitrah

2. Hidayah taufiq

Hidayah Fitrah

This guidance is what has been implanted in humans so that they have a tendency to monotheise Allah and always do good based on that tawhid.

See Surah Ar Rum verse 30.

فَأَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّینِ حَنِیفࣰاۚ فِطۡرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِی فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَیۡهَاۚ لَا تَبۡدِیلَ لِخَلۡقِ ٱللَّهِۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ ٱلدِّینُ ٱلۡقَیِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُون

So turn your faces straight to the religion of Allah; (stay on) the nature of Allah who created man according to that nature. There is no change in the nature of Allah. (That is) righteous religion; but most humans don't know.

The hadith of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam:

كل مولود يولد على الفطرة فأبواه يهودانه أو ينصرانه أو يمجسانه

Every child is born in a state of fitrah (tauhid), then both parents make him a Jew, Christian or Magi. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

This is the guidance of nature that has been given to anyone, be it Muslim or infidel. That's also why every human who dies before puberty is sentenced to heaven.

Anyone who uses and functions this guidance has received a divine signal even though it is not optimal. The signal will be good if it also functions the guidance of the bayan, namely the Al Quran and Sunnah.

Hidayah Taufiq

Taufiq means conformity, conformity or agreement.

Because it is called hidayah taufiq, it is the approval, conformity or convenience that comes from Allah when a person carries out activities to obey Him and stay away from all His prohibitions.

When a servant performs obedience to Allah to the fullest, Allah will give him taufiq so that he can carry out that obedience more easily.

The language of the easy guidance of taufiq is guidance that comes from Allah.

Therefore, even though someone has made the Al Quran and hadith as their guide, he still needs His guidance.

That is why we still read the phrase 'ihdinas shirathal mustaqim' 17 times in prayer. Because if the sentence hada / هدي without the idiom ila or li (الي / لي) as in the sentence above has the meaning of guidance.

That is why the meaning of the sentence above is "guide us to the straight path."

Taufiq is the prerogative of Allah, Allah who has the will to whom His guidance is given, this is the meaning of verses such as this:

مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُرْشِدًا

Whoever is given guidance by Allah, then he is the one who gets guidance (in all the goodness of this world and the hereafter); and whosoever he leads astray, you will not find a helper who can guide him. (Surah Al-Kahf: 17).

And other similar verses :

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء

Surely Allah misleads whomever He wants and shows whomever He wills. (Surah Al Fath).

Therefore, if someone has been doing good deeds, in love with the Quran and the Sunnah, then Allah will provide His guidance, or His taufiq. He will get additional guidance with the next guidance (taufiq).

In other languages, someone who has received the guidance of a bayan and made it a way of life will get Allah's taufiq.

Allah says :

وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْوَاهُمْ

And those who are willing to receive guidance, Allah adds instructions to them and gives a reply to their submission. (Surah Muhammad: 17).

So ... From the description above, the acquisition of guidance in a person shows the indicator of the signal to Allah. If he makes his fitrah and shadow guidance, namely by making the Al Quran and the Sunnah as his life guide, then he will have a strong signal with Allah, so Allah will guide him.