Hari Raya Special: A Muslim Revert’s Journey | OpenHaus S4E4 with Jinghan/Nur Jihan, Muslim Revert

Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Li Jinghan (Nur Jihan Li): Early Life and Conversion

Li Jinghan (李静涵), now known as Nur Jihan Li, is a Chinese–Singaporean woman who embraced Islam in 2015darul-arqam.org.sg. Raised in Singapore, she met her future Malay-Muslim husband, Azat, while at university. After three years of dating, they married and Jinghan formally converted to Islam, adopting the Muslim name “Nur Jihan” (commonly Jihan)zaobao.com.sgdarul-arqam.org.sg. Her conversion was followed almost immediately by observing Ramadan – her first fast was only days after embracing Islam. As Zaobao reports, Jinghan struggled initially with Islamic practices (such as prayer postures), but was motivated by the patient support of her husband’s family and her own resolvezaobao.com.sg. Jinghan’s parents reacted differently: her father quickly accepted her decision, while her mother worried about social stigma (for example, hearing rumors that “Muslims are terrorists” or that “Malay families won’t allow daughters to return home”zaobao.com.sg). This family experience – and seeing her mother diligently learn about Islam – led Jinghan to begin publicly sharing her journey. She started writing a blog and giving talks to explain her experience to Chinese-speakers and others interested in Islamzaobao.com.sg.

Searching for Meaning and Spiritual Reflections

Jinghan describes her discovery of Islam as a profound spiritual awakening. Initially raised without a strong religious identity (she was a “staunch atheist” or nominal Taoist by some accounts), she says that encountering Islam filled a deep personal need for purpose and guidance. In interviews she has noted that learning about Islam made her feel “really sad” only in the sense that misunderstandings about the faith troubled her – because she found Islam itself to be “a very soft and gentle religion”archive.org. During this period she “read up and studied” (as she later explained), eventually feeling that Islam “provided me with the answers and guidance I was longing for” – a turning point leading her to embrace the faith wholeheartedlydarul-arqam.org.sgdarul-arqam.org.sg.

Her father’s reaction also helped shape this perspective. When questioned about allowing his daughter to convert, he famously replied on Facebook: “What’s the purpose of life? To seek happiness,” and noted that “every religion teaches good. If you tell me that this religion makes you happy, why should I stop you?”asiaone.com. This encouragement reinforced Jinghan’s sense that Islam was bringing her peace and fulfillment. After converting, Jinghan felt her outlook truly change – as she later wrote, Ramadan (the fasting month) became “a sacred and precious time” that made her heart “softer” and more grateful, teaching her to view life’s challenges differently and to “learn gratitude instead of constantly complaining”zaobao.com.sg.

Ramadan Experience and Faith Practice

Jinghan’s early experiences as a Muslim were marked by both challenge and learning. In her first Ramadan (shortly after conversion), she fasted 13–14 hours a day. This was physically difficult – she recalled kneeling and praying for the first time and even crying from knee pain – but it left a “lifelong unforgettable” impressionzaobao.com.sg. Over the next several years she observed each Ramadan and developed her practice of Islam. By 2019 (her fourth Ramadan), she remarked that she had “gotten the hang” of fasting and prayer, noting how the observance had deepened her faith and characterzaobao.com.sgzaobao.com.sg. Jinghan has spoken about how the discipline of five daily prayers made her more disciplined and her manners more gentle, and how family support (her father even woke early to join her suhoor pre-dawn meal) helped her perseverezaobao.com.sg.

Outreach, Writing, and Public Engagement

From early on Jinghan decided to share her conversion story publicly to inspire and inform others. She wrote a personal blog (in Chinese) and has given public talks explaining Islam, aiming especially to help prospective converts (and concerned parents) understand the faithzaobao.com.sg. For example, after sharing her family’s story on social media, one post went viral – AsiaOne reported that her February 2019 Facebook post about her father’s support garnered over 5,000 shares and 14,000 “likes”asiaone.com. In that post she quoted her father’s words and underscored the lesson that Islam’s teachings brought her happiness and peaceasiaone.comasiaone.com. This kind of testimony has been widely viewed (AsiaOne called it “heartwarming”asiaone.com), resonating especially among Chinese audiences curious about Islam in Singapore and abroad.

Jinghan has also engaged with the Muslim community through social media and local events. On Instagram (as @naanthewiser) she documents her life as a “Chinese Muslim revert,” sharing reflections and even running a halal food business called “The Petai Convert” (selling a traditional sambal petai sauce) that highlights cultural integration with faithinstagram.comopen.spotify.com. While these activities reflect her personal initiative, they also serve a broader outreach: she showcases a positive example of a Chinese-Muslim identity and creates dialogue around the faith. In recognition of her influence, international media noted her story; for instance, the travel site HalalTrip listed “Nur Jihan Li” among its “40 inspiring Muslim influencers” in 2021halaltrip.com, highlighting her impact as a content creator who inspires others through her life story.

Perspectives on Islam’s Peace and Universal Good

Throughout her public discussions, Jinghan emphasizes Islam’s peaceful and universal values. In the CNA Insider documentary “From Jinghan to Jihan: Finding Love and Faith” (2016), she reflected that “after I got to know about [Islam], I felt really sad… It’s actually a very soft and gentle religion; it’s just that a lot of things are taken out of context or misquoted”archive.org. She often quotes the idea (rooted in Islamic teaching) that Islam is a “way of life” promoting peace and compassion. Her mother’s journey – initially learning by searching online, then sharing that information – also became part of Jinghan’s message: misconceptions in Chinese society about Islam can be dispelled by honest education and personal witnesszaobao.com.sg. Jinghan stresses that Islam’s core message resonated with her search for meaning, and she encourages others to explore those teachings themselves.

Legacy and Influence

Since her conversion, Nur Jihan Li has continued to be an active voice for Muslim converts, especially Chinese-speaking communities in Singapore and Southeast Asia. She marked ten years of being Muslim by performing Umrah (pilgrimage) with a friend, noting on social media how her faith journey had enriched her life. Through media interviews (in English and Chinese) and social media, she offers a testimony aimed at fellow Chinese and others who might fear or misunderstand Islam. As one AsiaOne article observed, Jinghan’s story illustrates a modern, multicultural Singaporean perspective – showing how family love and open-mindedness (“father’s love”) and her own personal quest for truth led her to Islamasiaone.comasiaone.com. By sharing her experiences and writing about them, she has helped inspire other Chinese Singaporeans and Chinese speakers globally to consider Islam (and to see it as compatible with modern life and personal happiness)zaobao.com.sgasiaone.com.

Sources: Authoritative media and organizations have documented Jinghan’s story. The AsiaOne news outlet and The Straits Times (via NLB) covered her family’s journey and her conversionasiaone.comasiaone.com. CNA Insider produced a profile video “From Jinghan to Jihan: Finding Love and Faith”archive.org. Chinese-language coverage (e.g. Lianhe Zaobao) reported her Ramadan reflections and outreach effortszaobao.com.sgzaobao.com.sg. The Singapore Muslim Converts’ Association noted her 2015 conversiondarul-arqam.org.sg. These sources together provide a detailed, verified account of Li Jinghan/Nur Jihan’s path, her insights into Islam’s peaceful nature, and her work engaging with Chinese and global Muslim communities.