Can My God Accept Me?

Below is the story of a Lebanese Muslim girl, who was very far from her religion. This is her journey on how she returned to Allah (S.W.T.). The story is being narrated by Amr Khaled.

"I am a Lebanese girl, a daughter to a Muslim father and Christian mother. I lived in Lebanon for the first ten years of my life before migrating to Australia with my parents. This was the end to my relation with the Middle East. I am 22 years old now. With my moving to Australia, my relationship with my religion ended completely. All I know is that I am a Muslims, and that's it. I do not know what the Holy Book (the Qur'an) looks like, I do not know what Surah Al-Fatiha is, and I don't even know how to pray.

"Religion doesn't even encompass any importance in my life. My father left my mother before I entered university, and each married others. Both my parents left Australia, leaving me alone, without a family or siblings, and without any information on my grandparents back in Lebanon. I lived by myself, so I had to work hard to provide for  my living. I went to university in the mornings, and worked at a bar at night time. I had a boyfriend, in the Western meaning of the word, and didn't leave anything from the forbidden/sins (Haram). I did not do it without feeling embarrassed or ashamed, for I was totally Western. I only knew very little Arabic.

"Because I am very pretty, I entered a beauty contest in New Zealand, and won the title of the town the contest was held in. I am now getting ready to compete in the major beauty contest in New Zealand. I became the cover girl (model) of improper, disrespectable magazines. During this time, I was visiting a Lebanese family in Australia. I watched an episode talking about chastity/virtue and the site address was on the screen (http://www.amrkhaled.com). I had a severe breakdown when I was watching, as if that episode was directed at me (talking to me). So here I am writing to you to ask you whether it is possible for The Divine to accept. Can my God accept me and can I return to God?"

My (Amr Khaled's) comments: I received this letter and to myself Subhan'Allah. The human soul, no matter how low it goes, it longs for God. It is like how the stomach longs for food, the soul longs for God. So I wrote back to her ans said that of course God will accept your repentance and I directed her to some tapes on repentance. She called me after two days saying I repented to God, and left my boyfriend, and won't see him after today. Two days later, she called again and said, 'I want to learn how to pray.' Two days after that, she called and said, 'I want Qur'an tapes.' So we sent (through DHL) Al-Ajamy, Mishari Rashid, Al Madinah readings, and all my tapes.

She became silent for a week. Then she called up saying that she gave up her beauty title. The surprise came four days later when she called to tell that she wore the scarf/veil.

The story does not end here. Several days after the news of wearing the scarf, she said that she had been feeling severe pains in her head, so she went to the doctors to get it checked. The doctor told her that she had cancer in her brain and her days are few. This girl was to enter the operation the next Friday to undergo an emergency operation to her head with only 20% chance of succeeding, according to the doctors over there.

That was what the doctors said, but she kept saying what the scientists fail to say, namely: I am very happy to be meeting God! I am happy that I repented before knowing that I was sick. I don't know if my father or mother will know of what happened to me, as they don't call me but rarely. But I repented only three weeks ago, and have sinned and disobeyed God 20 years prior. I pray to God to accept me from the people of Heaven, and if I live, to serve Islam through this site, for this site was my window to Islam.

Sarah, 22, passed away, and we prayed for her during the Friday prayers and buried her in the Muslim cemetery in New Zealand. Immediately before entering the operation room, Sarah had sent me a short note saying, 'I lived far away from God for 22 years, but I repented 3 weeks ago. But I witness you, that I repented to God, left my boyfriend, working in the bar, and the beauty contest. I wore the scarf, and was consistent with my prayers. I witness you that I did all this for my God, and I don't know any Muslims except for you and this forum. So please pray to God to be Merciful on me and forgive me. And pray to God to guide my mother, for she doesn't know anything about me. Sarah.'

This is a message from Amr Kahled to you, the readers:

Please dedicate as much effort as you can in good deeds from Hajj, Umrah, Sadaqah (charity), and praying, and dedicate it to Sarah.

Have you seen God's mercy on his creation; and that it's written for her to die at that time, but that God has written Himself to be The Merciful, and let her seek forgiveness, and leave all her sins just three weeks before passing away. Subhan'Allah!