Growing up, Jason loved and looked up to his father. The only problem was that his father was a drug dealer. Despite his father’s efforts to keep him away from a life of crime, Jason got involved in gangs, theft and drugs in his early teens before winding up in prison at age 17.  

The gang Jason belonged to was one of the many American gangs that adopted Islamic culture for their own, so he was required to attend Islamic Services like jumu’ah. Despite not being Muslim, he soon saw through this and came to realize that the true message of Islam was totally different from the actions of the gang that he was associated with.

I was not willing to sacrifice my eternal soul for them, I told them I wasn’t going to be a part of their gang anymore.

After the unexpected death of his father, Jason started to consider his own actions and how he may be judged by God for what he had done in the past. He prayed to God for guidance. 

He was invited to an Eid celebration by a fellow inmate and the sermon given by the Imam touched his heart. It was shortly after this that he decided to take shahada and left the gang that he was a part of for 20 years.

As word spread in prison about Tayba courses, Jason decided to write to us and apply to get enrolled. When he received the course, ISLAM 99, he was blown away by the wealth of information the book contained and how easy it was to learn.

Through Islam, I now know that the time that we spend in this world is but a short time compared to the hereafter. I now regret how I have wasted the first part of my life... [I now know] that I should be spending it trying to gain true knowledge of Islam

Mujahid hopes to continue doing Tayba courses so that he can learn Islam and pass it onto fellow Muslims in prison. He is already tutoring some brothers in his prison. He also prays that through our courses and seeking knowledge, he can improve his character and increase in taqwa.

Once he is released, Mujahid hopes to take care of his mother for as long as Allah gives her life. He also hopes to get a stable job, get married, and save up enough to go on Hajj.

Mujahid is one of our PrisonConnect students. Find out how you can follow is, and other student stories, by visiting our PrisonConnect website.