Why Islam is my choice — Page 31
31 Ya ḥ y ā ‘Abdur Ra ḥ m ā n How I Accepted Isl ā m My name is Ya ḥ y ā ‘Abdur Ra ḥ m ā n. I was born on December 5. 1939 in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the house that I currently live in. This house was purchased by my grandfather who had immigrated to this country from the West Indies in mid 1920s. The house was passed on to my father John and eventually was inherited by me after my father passed away. My father’s side of the family belonged to the Methodist Church, but my father was not a particularly religious person. My mother, however, was a Christian Scientist and showed a very keen interest in religion. She used to take an active part in the church activities and was an extremely loving person. I was being raised while my grandparents and my aunts still lived in the house. My grandparents, aunts and my mother all loved and pampered me very much. After finishing grammar school, I joined Rindge Technical High School in Cambridge where I wanted to graduate as an electrician. Meanwhile my father purchased a car. He wanted me to learn driving and obtain a license, so I could drive him around. After receiving my license, I started driving my father’s car. Driving became such a passion with me that I almost always craved for it. When I was not driving my father around, I used to take the car out myself, of course, with the permission of my father. This new found hobby of mine distracted me from my studies, resulting in my having