I am a Muslim convert, Abdullah Abdul Malik. If any of you are familiar with me then you may know of my crazy and blessed path to Islam. Just to summarize in short, I learned of Islam just before being arrested for some small drug charges in 2004.�
While I was awaiting sentencing living at a friend's house, I continued to study the Quran almost every night for almost a year before being sentenced to a 2-year prison term in a Pennsylvania State Facility.
�
I had completed reading the Quran and thinking deeply on its meanings before my last day of freedom came. When I was sentenced, I went to court with just the clothing on my back and all by myself.
�
I entered the struggle all alone. After a few weeksof being in the county prison, I was eventually loaded onto that special bus that takes you to the real dungeons, the state prison.
�
When arriving, after hours of stress and problems from prison employees, I was placed in my new home, a small cell on the 2nd floor of Block E in Graterfords' infamous state facility.
�
While I was there, our time was 23 and 1, which means 23 hours of lockdown in the cell, and one or two hours outside in the yard.
�
It was in that hour that I met some Muslims. Before I came to prison, I didn't know any Muslims, or how to live as one. I had only met the one man who gave me the Quran. I had read the Quran and accepted it as the truth, but didn't know how to live as a Muslim at all.
�
I met the Muslims who were on my cell block. They were amazing people. They were not bad people, they were just people who made some bad decisions in life due to extreme circumstances to survive in some of Americas roughest areas.
�
I found that these people were unlike any other people I had ever met. There was something special and unique about them. The way they spoke, walked, their facial
expressions, way of communication, and devotion to God was unlike any other human beings I had ever seen in my entire life.
�
I felt they were the people who knew the truth, their faces used to shine. This was the exact week that Ramadan started.
�
In prison you get three meals a day in the cafeteria. The guard comes and unlocks the cells, and everyone leaves to eat. For the Muslims, we were given an orange pass on the front of our cell that said "Ramadan", so that when the time came for us to break our fast, they would know which cells to open so we could all eat together in the cafeteria.
�
In the morning, a man would come and open our cells with the pass and hand us lemonade, and a small paper bag with an apple, two pieces of bread, a pack of jelly, and a hard-boiled egg. That was our�sahur�(pre dawn meal). My cell mate would sleep while I would get up and eat my�sahur�all by myself in the dark.
�
Once a day in the afternoon, we would all get a two hour "yard out", which is when we grab our jackets, come out of our cells into the winter and go hang out in the big yard as a recreation. I used to meet the Muslims and ask questions and learn how to adopt the Muslim character. I came to love so many of them.
�
The brother I used to learn from and chill with the most was Umar, a Puerto Rican man in his 50s who converted to Islam years ago. He was my "sheikh". I felt that his face was lit with light.
�
He was a truly amazing person. He used to answer all my questions so clearly and help me understand so much information, from the basics to even deeper parts of the religion.
�
That was when I learned to say the Muslim greeting�as-salamu alaykum, the response, and many other things that new Muslims need to know. We used to walk and talk, and lift weights together. He was so humble and educated about Islam and how to follow it. I felt so thankful to have him around.
�
After our time in the yard was over, we would return to our cells for a few hours. At the time of sunset, the guard would come and open all the cells with the orange Ramadan pass.
�
We would come out and head to the cafeteria to break our fast. It would be just us eating together, a lot of us. We would all stand in line to get our food, even the people who gave us our food were Muslims.
�
There were four of them, and I found out that they were all given life sentences, so they will never be getting out of there. I was amazed to hear that, because when I saw them, they looked at peace and appeared to have no stress at all.
�
I used to struggle in my mind trying to cope with how to get through my two years, and these people have life sentences and look so humble and content with their situation. This is something that Islam can give you, and just something you have to witness for yourself.
�
The brother used to give the sheikh extra bread, and he used to give me some. When you have nothing, you appreciate anything.
�
I remember when walking through the cafeteria in line I used to look out of this huge long window and the sky and moon looked so much different and detailed. It was like I was really seeing the world for the first time. Everything was magnified and appeared so much more real. That was an amazing time in my life.
After eating, we would all return to our cells for the night. I had so much to think about, and felt at peace like never before in my life. It was there that I saw the true beauty and blessing of Islam.
�
This process continued for a few weeks until most of us were transported to another state prison. The amazing thing is that they transported us all together like the first time, so I was with the same people as before. We got to continue our journey together.
�
When we arrived at the new prison we were treated unfairly, like we weren't even human. They put us on a certain block or housing unit for a few weeks to kind of oppress us and try to show us who runs the facility.
�
The last prison was run by my inmates and the guards used to be afraid, but here at the new one, the guards were letting us know that they run it the way they want. So they put us on a new special block to neglect us and treat us like nothing, to kind of show us who is the boss.
�
It was there on that block that I spent the remainder of the month of Ramadan. For two weeks, we weren't allowed to come out of our cells at all. We were locked down for 24 hours a day.
�
When the time to break our fast came, they didn't even bring us our food, they would make us wait for hours. When they came, the food was terrible and they would just slide it through the opening under the door. We weren't allowed out to eat, or see our brothers. Some nights I wouldn't even finish the food.
�
After a few weeks, Ramadan ended, and we were assigned to move to our permanent housing blocks. Me and Umar and a few other brothers were assigned to the same block so we would be together for some more time. We would again get to continue our struggle together. That was my first Ramadan, a one that I will never be able to forget.
�
I was released just over a year later. This was almost four years ago. I haven't heard or seen any of these brothers and do not know how to contact them.
�
When I think back on my days there and the brothers I miss them dearly. We were like the Companions of Prophet Muhammad, living together and united. It was us against a world of struggles and pressure that most men would crack under. Sometimes I actually miss it.
�
From then until now, I continue to learn about Islam, practice it, and convey the message to others who are seeking the truth. All this brings back so many memories.��
�
This life is short and we are here to follow the truth, many are lost and searching and many don't care. But for all of you who are trying and are sincere, never give up. This religion of Islam is everything, with it we have success, and without it we are lost and empty.
�
Have a beautiful and blessed Ramadan, and use this time to correct yourselves, clean your hearts, and realize the blessing we have. The time is now, become your strongest and come back to the righteous path, we are not promised tomorrow.
