[We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves, until it becomes evident to them that it is the truth... ]

(Qur'an Fussilat XLI:53)

I had paused repeatedly at this verse before becoming a Muslim, for it had raised within me the hope that a time might come when I would see these signs as the believer sees them, and that the many doubts in my heart would be erased.

As it was then however, I did not see them in that way at all. It was but a distant hope, and for me, one that was likely to remain unfulfilled, albeit the signs available in the horizons of our universe at any given time are more than adequate to leave us, believers and nonbelievers alike, in a state of awe and wonder. As for the signs within ourselves, these are often obscure and differ immeasurably according to various personalities and conditions. These are the signs seen only by believers, whose faith is increased thereby.

I had failed to fully appreciate their value, even after faith had indeed entered my heart, until, that is, I was continuously asked: «How did you believe?» and:

«What was it that brought you to Islam?» I was unable to give a satisfying answer, except of course that I had been led to Islam by the grace of God. But at the same time I understood that those Muslims who enquired were not simply curious. They were interested as well in affirming their own faith, however little or great it might be.

For this reason, I began to look into the past, even to the days before I knew anything about the religion of Islam. The result was that a few seemingly unrelated experiences and impressions fell into sequence, and the «hand of God» was no longer invisible. It was in fact there all along, making it irrelevant that I had been born in a culture very far from that of the keepers of God's final scripture. For the guidance in that scripture is for all mankind, available to those of us who are unable to accept as a substitute the dictates of any man.