Sacramento State students and others curious about the Islamic faith gathered in the University Union Ballroom to listen to prayers and Yusuf Estes, a former Christian pastor who converted to Islam, speak about the “real” Islam.

Estes said that Islam is based on the relationship between “the Muslim and the almighty Allah” in which the Muslim shall submit to God and do his will.

“Islam can’t be spread by force and violence,” Estes said.

The Muslim Student Association sponsored the event to allow people to ask questions about Islam.

Grayson Moise, junior accounting major, said that he is taking a class on the Islamic faith and wanted to learn more about it.

“I think it’s very interesting and crazy complex,” Moise said.

Faizan Ali, a student from Health Profession High School, said that his school does not offer these kind of events.

Ali said that he thought it was good that people who did not know as much about Islam were learning about it.

Elle Welch, who heard about the event through a friend, said she wanted to learn what Muslims practice and believe in.

“We have to learn about each other, or we don’t know anything,” Welch said.

The event included a sunset prayer where the audience watched how Muslims perform their prayers.

Saba Saghir, senior business major and part of the Muslim Student Alliance, said that the event is to teach people that Islam is not just a religion, but also a political or social system.

“People think it’s a religion of Muhammad or a new religion, but Islam goes back to the beginning of time,” Saghir said.

Catherine Robledo can be reached at [email protected].