Birmingham Revert Shares Emotional Journey to Islam During Ramadan
Liyana Jones, a 22-year-old resident of Hall Green in Birmingham, has opened up about her transformative journey as a Muslim revert during this year's Ramadan. The young woman, who converted to Islam in 2025, described how the past twelve months have left her profoundly moved and at peace with herself.
From Curiosity to Conversion
Liyana's path to Islam began when she moved to Birmingham in September 2021 to study at the University of Birmingham. Coming from Hertfordshire with limited exposure to Islam and having grown up attending Catholic school and church services, she developed a growing curiosity about the faith during her university years.
"My journey started from mere curiosity," Liyana explained to BirminghamLive. "It ultimately rolled into an experience one year later that left me nothing short of speechless."
Ramadan 2025 marked a significant turning point when Liyana began discussing her feelings about Islam with other Muslims in the Birmingham community. She found the local Muslim community exceptionally welcoming and supportive as she explored her growing interest in the religion.
The First Ramadan Experience
"Last Ramadan, I started to tell people around me that I was really looking into Islam and thinking about reverting," Liyana recalled. "People bought me my English translation of the Quran and started to take me to events."
For the first time in 2025, Liyana participated in Ramadan fasting, despite previously feeling she couldn't because she wasn't Muslim. "I don't know why I thought that," she reflected. "I just wish I had given it a go earlier."
During that holy month, she read the Quran daily and learned how to perform Islamic prayers. Her exploration culminated in attending Eid Salah prayers at a mosque for the first time, which solidified her decision to formally embrace Islam.
Emotional Moments and Formal Conversion
Liyana's journey extended beyond Birmingham when she traveled to Albania, where she experienced what she described as a purely emotional moment in an Islamic shop. Struggling with how to properly wear a hijab, she received unexpected help from a shop assistant.
"I walked into the shop and the assistant said 'let me show you how to do your hijab correctly,'" Liyana shared. "She sat me down in front of the mirror and really slowly put it on and showed me where I could pin it. After she was done, we both just cried and cried. It was so emotional."
This touching experience, combined with the welcoming smiles and greetings she received throughout Albania, confirmed for Liyana that it was time to take her Shahada—the Islamic declaration of faith—upon returning home.
In May 2025, Liyana officially became Muslim through the Shahada ceremony. In the year since her conversion, she has completed reading the Quran for the first time and experienced significant personal transformation.
Finding Peace and Positivity
Reflecting on nearly a full year since her Shahada, Liyana admitted she now feels "at peace with myself" and has transformed from being "quite a negative person" to someone who consistently sees the positive side of things.
The young revert, who shares her experiences on social media as @liyanaa.j, continues to embrace her faith journey with gratitude for the supportive Birmingham Muslim community that helped her find her footing in Islam during that pivotal Ramadan period.
