Interview With Patty Torres
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Patty.  I’m a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend and a member of the community. I am Latino by nationality and I came to the US from Mexico as an infant.  I come from a big family with lots of relatives and I joined my family here who are 5th generation in the U.S. I converted to Islam in March of 2014.
What brought you to Islam? What was missing or what were you looking for?
I always had questions in regards to how things got its names and it never quite clicked to me, for example, how the sky was a sky and it was not being called the ground; this is what I used to think about. This thinking led me to Islam and I finally found an answer in Islam  that resonated with everything that I ever questioned before.  And love…I don’t mean affectionate love, I mean love for what you have and all your blessings in your life. In Islam I learned to love everything I had and appreciate them and that it came from God.
Who was or is key to your journey to Islam?
I want to give credit to my husband.  It’s funny because actually my first encounter with Islam was– do you know the guy that does the gainpeace.org..I actually worked with him in an MRI center before he made the website. I didn’t know Islam even existed until I worked with him. He introduced me to Islam and then many years later I met my husband who was friends with my boss at another job that I had.  I want to say that my husband was kind of like that stepping stone that led me into Islam.
What was your greatest challenge when becoming a Muslim?
The hardest challenge when becoming a Muslim was my transition from being a Christian to a Muslim and what that meant about my identity.  Whatever I knew from Christianity and then becoming a Muslim; I felt behind in not knowing things in Islam and that I didn’t have the proper information and I didn’t fit in or I couldn’t make that connection to explain my Islam if somebody asked me… so I felt lost for a long time.
What were you looking forward to the most as a Muslim?
Ramadan and the Eid  holiday were  things that I looked forward to the most because it felt like home. It was something that I related to and it just felt very welcoming.  The overall concept in Ramadan was that everybody was working in unison and that feels good. It feels inviting.   You feel everyone worshipping Allah swt and everyone is submitting to worship- everybody is doing sajdah at the same time and eating at the same time.  It is the unison of worship that draws me in.
How did you find Salihah Central?
We recently moved to the Skokie area and I had the opportunity along with my family to be able to be part of the construction of Sacred Learning Center. Like we actually participated in laying down a brick for that masjid and that for me meant a lot- like I felt like this is where I’m starting so that made me connect to the Community around Sacred Learning, which was Salihah Central for the women.
Tell us about your experience with Salihah Central- a favorite class or a favorite lesson.
My experience was when I was searching for knowledge  and it was the Seerah class with Anse Amina- that was one of the first classes I joined and that opened up a whole new realm of seeking and to continue on this path.  At that time I was facing some hard times and I needed to jump and indulge myself into understanding what it meant to be a Muslim Woman.  I felt like everything I needed to know was starting in that class.
Tell us about your fitness classes and explain your passion for this science.
My fitness classes are, well, I look at my approach as a method of connecting your mind, body and soul with the overall idea of balance in life. I don’t do it just to look good- I don’t do it to show others; it’s like- we’ve been given this body and we’re supposed to take care of it and that’s the overall concept that I follow.  It’s all about balance. I picked it up really well when I was first introduced to it and wanted to share that with others; with that philosophy in mind.
What is the best advice you received as a Muslim woman?
The best advice I was given is that God only knows of your sacrifices and your efforts and God is the only one that knows your true intentions and He is the only One that can judge you. I would say that advice carries me through all my happy and hard times.
What advice would you give to someone who is new in learning and new to Salihah Central?
First I would welcome them and tell them that yes, they should take classes at Salihah Central. I also know there are many programs and opportunities to learn so I would advise them to not get overwhelmed– take your time and be patient when things begin to piece together in your heart and your mind; it will connect and click on its own and it’s beautiful so just don’t give up. The love and the effort made at Sacred Learning/Salihah Central is so welcoming that you know it’s going to be a guide; so just take your time and don’t feel like you have to rush- it’s all at your pace.