Russian Archpriest Viacheslav Polosin Converts to Islam

Russian Archpriest Viacheslav Polosin Converts to Islam
Nezavisimaia gazeta--religii, 2 June 1999

Archpriest Viacheslav Polosin, a priest of the Kaluga diocese leave of absence who now heads the administration of the Committee on Relations with Public Associations and Religious Organizations of the State Duma of the Russian federation, has converted to Islam.

"I decided to bring my social status into line with my convictions," Viacheslav Polosin declared, "and to testify publicly that I consider myself an adherent of the great tradition of the true faith of the prophets of monotheism, beginning with Abraham. And thus I do not consider myself a priest nor a member of any Orthodox church."

At the same time Viacheslav Polosin recited the traditional formula testifying to his acceptance of Islam: "There is no god besides the One God Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger."

Viacheslav Polosin consider that the final revelation on earth is the Holy Koran sent down to the Prophet Muhammad and he categorically disagrees with those who "for some reason consider that the Arabic text of the Holy Koran is alien to the Russian mentality."

In his interview with the journal Musulmane, Viacheslav Polosin subjected to sharp criticism the Christian, and especially the Orthodox, tradition. In his opinion, Christianity contains an "assimilation of the Creator God to his creation, man," which is anthropomorphism.

"For centuries there have existed mediators, fathers and teachers, who while not prophets have spoken in the name of God," Viacheslav Polosin said about the Christian cult of saints, "and this practice has so become the norm in the church that it is difficult for the laity to escape it, and for one in the position of a priest it is impossible." According to Viacheslav Polosin, his wife "completely shares this choice of worldview."

Among Muslims who had influence on this choice the former Orthodox clergyman identified Geidar Jemal and reported that the stories about the Holy Kaaba and the Hadj made a great impression on him. (tr. by PDS)

(posted 3 June 1999)

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FATHER VIACHESLAV: FROM CHURCH TO MOSQUE
by Alexander Soldatov
Moskovskie novosti, 8-14 June 1999

Viacheslav Polosin, a former priest of the Russian Orthodox church and chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet on Freedom of Conscience, recently announced his conversion from Orthodoxy to Islam. This unprecedented event of the adoption of the religion of the Prophet by a prominent Orthodox clergyman was a surprise for many. The former archpriest is suspected of psychological illness or of subtle political calculation. But he himself speaks of his own free, spiritual, philosophical choice.

--As far as I know, this is the second time in your life when you have officially announced a change in your worldview?

--From childhood I believed in God, in my spirit. Later, when I was in the university, I came across Orthodox literature and went to the church and found there something that I had not seen in philosophy classes. I do not regret that; I learned a lot there. I submitted my documents to the ecclesiastical seminary in 1979 and have now, after twenty years, given an interview to the journal "Musulmane;" these are two stages in the development of my life.

Interview with Musulmane

"Several years of intense work have brought me to the conclusion that the Koran does not contain an assimilation of the Creator God to his creation, humanity, which is anthropomorphism, the essence of paganism. There is no basis for the ritual practice of appeasing God like some kind of human ruler. . . . I have decided to bring my social status into conformity with my convictions and to bear public testimony that I consider myself a follower of the great tradition of the correct belief and of the prophets of monotheism, beginning with Abraham, and thus I do not consider myself any longer either a clergyman or a member of any Orthodox church. . . . As regards possible penalties, we all are mortal and all sooner or later will depart from this life, so it is better to depart from it abiding in the Truth and not in spiritual ambivalence or in the delusions of human fantasy. With regard to the practical difficulties, including the Arabic language, I must place my hopes in help and cooperation from my new brethren. My will fully shares this worldview choice."

--How did your clerical path evolve?

--Within the church circles of Moscow I was not "my own person." There also were family circumstances which forced me to request ministry in Central Asia. I served briefly in Frunze and somewhat longer in Dushanbe. There I dealt with Islamic culture and the eastern mentality for the first time, which made a deep impression on my soul. After half a year I was ignominiously deprived of my registration for disobedience to secular authorities, that is, to the commissioner for religious affairs. For three year I was not accepted anywhere and was in complete disgrace. In 1988, when perestroika began, I was offered a half-destroyed church near Obninsk. From there I was elected in 1990 as a member of the soviet of the RSFSR.

The position of the Moscow patriarchate

For the Moscow patriarchate, the announcement by Archpriest Viacheslav Polosin of his conversion to another faith came as a complete surprise. In the Department of External Church Relations his move is explained as instability of character and convictions and a quick "subsequent change" of religious views is predicted. In the patriarchate there is an inclination to let the matter drop, relying on the decision of Fr Viacheslav's ruling bishop, Archbishop Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk.

--Were you suspected of conversion to protestantism?

--American protestants, who in 1991 arrived in Russia in abundance and whom I received, proposed that we begin our meeting with prayer. But I categorically objected, saying that this was a secular institution and that I protected freedom of conscience and thus there must not be any prayer here. I was cordial with protestants, but where this rumor that I wanted to adopt protestantism came from, I don't know.

--For many it is a puzzle what your real position on the new law on freedom of conscience of 1997 is. Some consider you its author and some recall that you have frequently criticized the law itself.

--As long as I am a state employee I cannot discuss the whole truth about this law. I participated in the writing of this law as one of fifteen members of the working group and I had very little influence. Then the law was presented to the duma where work on it went forward. I can consider myself a coauthor of what resulted from this work. But the demonization of the law was necessary to those circles and forces who figured on being able to make a name and money for themselves on the basis of the negative events that arose around the country. Actually the law upheld the principles of a secular state and maintained the situation.

--Was your religious quest provoked by your displeasure with formal Orthodoxy?

--While I was working in the state apparatus I began to see more clearly how various activities within the church or politics affect the life of the people. Some people try to interpret Christianity so as to justify the irresponsibility of the government, giving it an image of divine ordination.

--There are similar examples in the history of the Islamic world: khans, Turkish sultans, palace intrigues of the Sublime Porte.

--In the Koran viewing the government as "God's anointed" is strictly forbidden. It is said that if someone usurps power and a Muslim tolerates this, then he is an accessory to this sin. In the Ottoman empire there was a stagnation of Muslim culture--the cult of the military, violence, slavery. Islam degenerated there. The Revelation itself is a different matter.

--What has been the reaction of your new Muslim brethren to your decision?

--My interview with the journal Musulmane provoked lively interest, so much so that it was necessary to put out another printing.

--What has been the reaction on the part of your leadership in the duma?

--Some naturally will be unhappy, but I don't care to please everyone. I think that nothing will change in my work in the duma. I do not intend to criticize Christianity. When I was within Orthodoxy, I criticized it rather harshly. Now I don't. Islam, as it is presented in the Koran, is the most democratic religion because it contains a prohibition of tyranny; vis-a-vis the Creator is the people, society on earth. There are no mediators of a priestly caste or anointed monarchs in the Koran.

Viacheslav Polosin's office

In the State Duma he occupies one office along with Murad Zaprishiev, a former deputy and now an employee of the staff of the duma Committee for Relations with Public Associations and Religious Organizations. In a prominent place in the office there is the Koran and the walls are decorated with Arabic inscriptions. In this office Polosin and his colleague sometimes perform their prayers, for which they use a special rug. At the same time, Viacheslav Sergeevich opposes making a demonstrative profession of Islam in his secular work and especially in governmental service.

--Do you have plans to return to a more political life?

--For the time being, no. I would prefer to use my profession and knowledge for socially useful activity within the bounds of Islam. I see myself as a public and academic Islamic leader, but not a politician. But what the future will bring, only God knows. In 1990 my election as a deputy also was unexpected.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Viacheslav Sergeevich Polosin was born in 1956. In 1979 he graduated from the Philosophy Faculty of MGU and in 1984 from the Moscow Ecclesiastical Seminary. He was ordained a priest and served in parishes in the dioceses of Central Asia and Kaluga of RPTs. In 1990 he was elevated to the rank of archpriest. In the same year he was elected a people's deputy of RSFSR from Kaluga region and headed the committee of the Supreme Soviet on freedom of conscience.

While working in the Supreme Soviet, he graduated from the diplomatic academy of the ministry of foreign affairs and defended his dissertation on the subject: "The Russian Orthodox church and the state in USSR, 1971-1991." From 1993 he has been an employee of the staff of the State Duma on relations with public associations and religious organizations. He was a member of the Russian Christian Democratic Movement and a member of the Council of Christian Organizations. In 1991 he went on leave from the Kaluga diocese and since 1995 he has not officiated in liturgies.

In his interview with the Musulmane journal, he officially called himself a Muslim: "I consider that the Koran is the final Revelation on earth, sent down to the Prophet Muhammed. There is no God but the One God, Allah, and Muhammed is his Messenger." Viacheslav Polosin is the author of many scholarly works on historical,political, religious, and philosophical subjects. In February of this year he defended another dissertation on the subject: "The dialectics of myth and political myth-making." His basic philosophical ideas are presented in his book "Myth, Religion, and the State" (Moscow, 1999).

From the point of view of Islamic theologians, to convert to the religion of the Prophet it is sufficient to recite the famous formula containing the profession of faith in the one God Allah and his prophet Muhammed. In doing so it is not important which language is used for reciting the formula. It is important that the recitation be made before two witnesses who are Muslim and can give written confirmation of the fact of the profession of Islam. The rite of circumcision, which many consider to be analogous to baptism in Christianity, is not obligatory for entrance into the Muslim umma. (tr. by PDS)

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"RUSSIAN ISLAM" RECRUITS ADHERENTS FROM RANKS OF ORTHODOX
by Sergei Chapnin
Metaphrasis

--Viacheslav Sergeevich, you first announced that you had embraced Islam in an interview in a small journal, "Musulmane." What's is this related to? Why did you not first announce that you were demitting the Orthodox priesthood?

--I did not want to make a political show or sensation out of my spiritual choice. In Islam it is required that one profess monotheism in the presence of witnesses, and the journal for Muslims which is purely for internal use fully accords with this goal. So I made the announcement in the presence of witnesses, which were all the readers of the journal. And the print run of the journal, 7,000 copies, is not so small in our times; for example, its twice that of the newspaper "NG-religii." And the issue is not the demitting of the priesthood but a complete break from the jurisdiction of a particular church: it would be strange to profess Islam and consider one's self an Orthodox layman.

--The title under which your interview was published is "The straight path." Does that reflect your personal conviction that your path to Islam was really straight?

--The words "straight path" frequently are used in the books of the Old Testament. When the king rode along the stony gorges in the Palestinian hills, his servants cleared his path of stones and straightened it out. When the prophet John the Forerunner called for making straight the way of the Lord, that is, the path for Jesus the Savior, the spiritual Lord and King, John had in view the spiritual straightening out, freeing the soul from pagan superstitions and embracing the truth. In the Holy Koran "straight path" is one of the central terms: it is the path to the Most High without mediators or priests, without faith in the independent miracle working of manufactured objects. After all, even in the New Testament Jesus Christ called for this, saying that his goal was that
all could turn directly to God, to "thou," "Abba, Father." This was connected with Jesus' unconditional prohibition of calling anyone one's father on earth (Mt 23.9). The straight path is direct communion of the soul with God through the only mediator, the Spirit of God, his action and energy. Islam, monotheism, right belief--this is the exposure of all departures from the commands of the preceding prophets, including Jesus, and the affirmation of the social doctrine of monotheism which had earlier been lost.

--It is obvious that your decision will have enormous response in Russia and in the whole Christian world: for the first time in history a Christian cleric consciously and not under the pressure of circumstances embraces Islam.

--Twenty years have passed since I declared myself Orthodox. In 1979 it was not easy to make the decision about entering seminary; such actions were then condemned by society and I faced many obstacles. Strictly speaking, it is impossible to "leave" into Islam. "Islam" in translation means submission to God, entrusting one's whole self to God, or it can be translated as "resignation to God." From the root "sam" comes the world "salyam," or "shalom" or 'peace." To embrace Islam doesn't sound right in Russian. The issue is not an embracing but rather profession of strict monotheism. My faith in God has not changed but only grown stronger, and I have changed my social status.

--Isn't your departure from the church connected with the fact that over the last ten years you have been engaged solely in political activity and you rejected active participation in church life? What kind of spiritual path have you traveled in that time?

--Since 1993 I have been involved in politics only episodically. It is possible to talk about the influence of lawmaking as an element of politics, but this isn't public or independent politics. Thus there's no politics here. Through participation in the state structures I came to see the consequences in practice of decisions that are made. Sometimes they have very great effects in society. Any mistake or miscalculation of the public interests leads to difficult and sometimes tragic consequences and brings about disorder in society. This forced me to think about how religious concepts can be applied to politics and how people use these concepts for their goals that are far from religion, for example, for usurpation of authority. In Islam there are no such concepts that all authority is from God. On the contrary, the power of the people is affirmed and accommodation to tyranny and to the one who usurps the power of the people is considered sin. If we are talking about the decision to profess one's self as a strict monotheist, let's say, within the confines of the Abrahamic tradition, this matured gradually and is connected only with my worldview quests.

--What were the milestones along the way? Were there new spiritual experiences? Were these conversations with people, reading books, or some other events?

--Yes, primarily it was books and people.

--In the interview with the journal Musulmane you mention Geidar Jemal. What kind of influence did he have on you and what role did he play in your conversion?

--His addresses and sermons on the program "Nyne" [Now] produced a strong impression on me. He often spoke about the tradition of Abrahamic monotheism. Geidar Jemal is a respected man who participates in political processes and politics always evokes a multitude of questions. I would wish to distance myself from political activity in the field of Islam for I have not participated in it, but his religious sermons often produced an impression on me. Besides this, my conversations with Murad Zargishiev also played a great role. I studied the history of Christianity and Islam and the theological works of various writers, including the French philosopher Rene Genon who embraced Islam. It was a long process. In the end it was the same as going to graduate school after undergraduate. Islam is for me not a negation of the former path nor a negation of Christianity, including Orthodoxy. It is a transition to some new quality which I view as the next stage for myself.

--Does that mean that your conversion to Islam personally does not mean renunciation of Christ the Savior?

--The way he is described in the New Testament is for me only partially acceptable inasmuch as there are questions about the authenticity of the texts, but I have not renounced Jesus as he is described in the Most Glorious Koran. It is said, first, that he is a prophet; second, a righteous man; third, he was conceived in a miraculous manner. He really saved people and thus is called Messiah in the Koran. The doctrine of the divine essence of Christ arose in the fourth century and was made dogma in the fifth. For several centuries Christians got on well without professing that Messiah was God and there is no basis for considering that they were profoundly mistaken.

--The famous Orthodox theologian of the eighth century John of Damascus spoke of Islam as one of the Christian heresies. Christian consciousness took Islam in the period of its beginning as one of numerous Christian sects.

--Yes, it was considered that way. And really there were many Christian sects at the time in the East, so that even patriarchs were considered as "heretics" as well as whole local churches.

--What is your opinion about this?

--Islam is not an offshoot from Christianity but a second and great reform of Abrahamic monotheism. Abraham believed in the one God and was the first to express this publicly. He announced it and confirmed it for his successors, becoming the "father" of all believers. Subsequently this tradition suffered deviations. It is known that all of the prophets--incidentally many of them also are called "saviors"--criticized the people for their deviation into heathenism. And the greatest prophet, Jesus, also criticized people for heathenism. More than that, he himself spoke of himself in parables as sent by God with a special mission. Before this people said: "Prophets are sinners like us." But God sent a sinless Angel of God--in the bible angels are called "sons of God" (Job 38.7)--who really was a pure prophet but he was not obeyed. They conceived the desire to destroy him. He criticized the dominating shortcomings of the time and spread the Good News of the one God beyond the boundaries of a single people, for all people; this was a great reform of Judaism. Islam is the second reform, cleansing the Christianity of the sixth and seventh centuries from the pagan accretions which has been formed in the period of its acquiring official status and compulsory mass acceptance.

--How do you relate monotheism and the dogma of the Trinity? When you entered seminary and especially when you gave your clerical vows, it was required that you profess faith. What has changed in your understanding of divinity?

--Throughout the course of life a person develops. I was from a nonbelieving family and the soviet environment, at a time when there was a system without religious education. I knew nothing of religion before the age of eighteen. There was only an internal urge and a faith in an unknown God. Twenty years ago I came to the Orthodox church. I accepted Orthodox teaching, perceiving it through a prism of my personal comprehension. In my spirit I always believed in the one God and the teaching about a plurality of persons and hypostases I understood approximately as now I understand the teaching about the plurality of names in the Most Glorious Koran and the Old Testament. There can be many names because a name does not signify the essence but an activity of God in this world. If he clearly saves someone from danger, they say "God is merciful." "Merciful" in this case is his name, but it is not the substance of God and does not pretend to be so. Moreover, in Christian dogmatic manuals it is said that we know nothing about the substance of God. At the same time there is a paradox here: we know nothing about the substance but we distinguish several persons within this substance.

--Aren't you confusing person and action, hypostasis and energy? If there is a plurality of actions and a plurality of names, this does not mean that there is a plurality of persons.

--I am talking about this as I understand it. What the Greeks thought in creating this teaching that was completely new for the church, which, note, was not even mentioned in the creed of A.D. 381, I do not know. Incidentally, Jesus is not directly called God in this creed. Several years ago I specifically began investigating this subject in order to confirm all of this for myself theoretically. In the Holy Koran it is said: "You must not give companions to God." It does not speak of "hypostases," which means that the issue is that believers must not imagine two or more subjects of activity when discussing the Creator. If for the Christian a "hypostasis" is not a different subject but a "name," he is not violating the command of God. In the term "hypostasis of God" there is Greek influence in which there is much sophistry. The fruit of such Greek thought were several doctrinal innovations which appeared many centuries after the New Testament was already well known. For me this is obvious, but it does not mean that I criticize Christianity as a confession, but there already are many conjectures about this. I speak of levels of comprehension. In practice I do not know how a specific babushka believes who comes to the Orthodox church or some elderly Baptist woman. Do they have a concept of a companion of God or is it only an abstraction for her, only a name, or does she not even think about this? Perhaps she has blessed simplicity and God hears and receives her prayers. It is not important where she is, in an Orthodox church, or in a Baptist congregation, or in an Islamic one. Therefore in the Koran Christians and Jews are called brothers and "people of Scripture," that is, heirs of Abraham.

--I get the impression that until now you have been talking as an historian of religion who has come to God not through personal spiritual experience but more through analysis of the historical development of world religions. Does this mean that scholarly investigation for you means more than personal experience? Or are you simply defending yourself?

--No. In all that I have said there is an internal torment. Honestly, even in clerical activity several things disturbed me. For example, an akathist is appointed and you open it up and there, for example, in a prayer to Saint Nicholas it says: "Save us from our sins." Of course, confusion arose here because this even contradicts the teaching of the Orthodox church. What is the point of Jesus' mission when some other person can save people from sin? Of course, without theoretical knowledge, without historical study, there will not be a full picture.

--As an Orthodox priest, albeit in the past, you know well the Orthodox liturgical tradition. Do church music, hymnology, and iconography really confuse you? Is it really easy to renounce all this wealth?

--It is not easy, but this is not a spur of the moment decision and I have not renounced aesthetics and the spiritual beauty. In the beauty of singing the human search for God is expressed and this evokes awe. Over several years I gradually underwent spiritual cleansing. There were both doubts and internal struggle. In Orthodoxy this is called "spiritual growth," and in Islam this inner struggle with thoughts and self-analysis is called the "great jihad." For about the past four years I have continually thought about this and approximately a year ago I finally got it settled. I treat with great care and respect the feelings of other people who experience awe in the face of what you have mentioned, standing in church and everything that is connected with prayer. I do not
criticize this in the least and I do not criticize people. I consider that in any case it is impossible to pull them anywhere, even if I consider that some form of religion is better. Monotheism lies at the base of Christianity and thus, when people turn to God, God the all-seeing and all-powerful, he can hear them just as in Islam. Trying to win them over only brings harm. It is a different matter if a person is dissatisfied and seeks answers to questions. It is possible to talk with such a person and to help him in his movement. I regret that the newspaper "NG-religii" wrote that I have criticized Christianity. This is not true.

--It is no secret that in recent years your relations with the Moscow patriarchate have not been harmonious. Did this play any role in your conversion?

--No. The decision to adopt Islam and to profess monotheism was a deeply internal decision and my interrelationships with the patriarchate had no place here. In 1991 I went on leave on my own initiative and I began wearing secular clothing. If I had continued believing as I had been believing when I entered seminary, I would have continued to serve in a parish. After the dismissal of the Supreme Soviet in 1993 the patriarch offered me the rectorship of a wealthy Moscow church, but I declined. Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk suggested in 1994 that I work in OVTsS, but I declined myself and agreed only to be an external consultant for it and I received the appropriate official authorization for his signature. This was a definite move in the direction about which we are now talking. But at the time my decision still had not been formulated and there was only some reservations with regard to concrete liturgical practice. I emphasize that as a priest I served sincerely and did not deceive anyone when I performed the sacraments, rites, and rituals. People who partook in these services should not have any doubts. There were no personal contacts between me and the hierarchy. Metropolitan Kirill I consider the de facto leader of the church and he also is a potential candidate for president of Russia. If the "Regeneration" society nominates him for vice president of Muslims of, say, Tatarstan, his rating will dramatically increase. I wish him and Fr Chaplin well!

--It is impossible to remove your action from the political context. Whether you want it or not you are on the edge of very serious problems. On the one hand, Islam in Russia is divided into several groupings. On the other hand, Russian Islam has no clear figures who really belong to the political elite. Will not the Islamic leaders each try to win you over?

--I don't know; nobody has made any suggestions to me.

--Would you agree with the correction "nobody has made any for the time being"?

--No. In 1990 by God's will I became a deputy of the Supreme Soviet. It is an awesome thing, of course, to speak of the will of God himself, but events were filled with coincidences. The unclear position of the synod in those years was like this: Archbishop Platon, with the blessing of the synod, was running for Supreme Soviet, but lower level bishops were not supposed to permit priests to run for seats. One exception was made for Fr Aleksei Zlobin. Then some Kalugans suggested to me that I run. Struggling with doubts, I went to Bishop Ilian and told him that people wanted me to run. He said: "I wanted to run myself for this district, but the synod forbade me to and so I give you my blessing and let them solve the problem." He blessed me. I speak about this in order to show that this was not a human intention on my part. Everything happened as if by itself. I met with voters only three times and the election district was the whole province. Everything worked out.

What the future will be, I do not know. I try to be obedient. The word "Islam" means "obedience, submission to God." If such is God's will, I am obliged to submit to it. If not, I myself will not strive for it. By nature I am a quiet man, peaceful. Scholarship attracts me more and I would return to it. Reading books, writing, involvement in education activity among my own people so that everything will be quiet. Now my desire is not to return to politics, much less to public politics. In today's Russia this would be unpleasant for a nonbelieving person and for the time being nobody has the power to change it. I see myself in the public educational field but being a political pawn in somebody else's hands is not to my liking.

--One more question about your "past" life. In 1991 you became a priest on leave. What have the recent pages of your spiritual life been like? Have you officiated since then; were you assigned to some church?

--No. When I was a deputy and arranged with the patriarch for the leave, I retained the right to officiate in Kaluga diocese. However I did not exercise that right often and since 1995 I have not conducted the liturgy at all.

--And when was the last time you wore vestments?

--Several years ago.

--What will be the fate of Orthodoxy and Islam in Russia? Will there be real cooperation between them?

--My civil position has not changed. Today, as in the time of the Supreme Soviet, I consider that between Christianity and Islam in Russia there should be a social union. Specifically social, confirmed at the governmental level. Before the revolution, both Orthodox and Muslims were present at official ceremonies. Of course, Orthodox ceremonies were governmental, but Muslims were present at them, though they did not participate directly but stood alongside. Muslims had special prayers for the tsar as their earthly patron.

Russia always has been a Eurasian country, widespread and essentially imperial. The empire was integrated, although there were colonial acquisitions and the union of Christians and Muslims was complementary. Moreover the ideology of the state, as a secular program, must be based on values of monotheism, because this is the essence of what is. In the ideology there should be no questions like whether one must kiss icons or not or what processions to make or what kind of vestments to wear. The ideology provides only the most general matters which pertain to every person. This is the moral basis and then the laws are a reflection of the morality. If someone is punished for something, this is a moral judgment. This scale of moral values of society must be based on monotheism, which is common between Christians and Muslims: do not kill, do not steal, do not wish another ill, help the needy, do mercy, etc. The future ideology of Russia, if Russia is destined to survive and again become great, is monotheism and concretely a social union of Islam and Christianity.

--If one speaks of Islam as an ideology, then it is obvious that there are various trends: fundamentalism, "euro-islam," and the like. Which is more attractive to you?

--What is more attractive is simply monotheism in its pure form in order not to think of God in an unworthy manner. I like it when there are no contradictions and there is logical consistency. The Glorious Koran says outright that the truth is not contradictory. There is the doctrine of the transcendental God, the Creator, the Almighty, the Merciful and all the rest should be in agreement with this. If something contradicts this, that means it must be eliminated.

--How do you perform the prayers?

--Usually, five times a day is required.

--Daily or only on Friday?

--I made my announcement only recently and before this it was necessary not to advertise all of this. Now I will do it as required.

--Do you have a prayer rug?

--I do. In state service it is extremely difficult to perform the prayers, but all rules are constructed flexibly. If by force of circumstances it is necessary to put it off, it can be done after work. Incidentally, it's the same in Christianity. (tr. by PDS)

Understanding Conversion: Bridging the Two Selves

Understanding Conversion: Bridging the Two Selves


By Abdul-Lateef Abdullah
11/12/2001



Sometimes I think about how much my life has changed over the past
three years. When I try to reflect back on my days before Islam, I
often find it difficult to recapture what life was like. Sure I can
remember events, people, places, different experiences, but to go back
and really feel what it was like, I have to reflect deeply. When I am
able to re-connect with my "former self" I find it a remarkable
experience. Although I am still very much the same person as I was
three years ago, how I experience the world and how I view it and life
has completely changed. Life is the same, yet different.


We all view the world through a lens, whether we realize it or not. Our
basic beliefs and values, whether derived from religion or some other
source - known or unknown - allows us to judge the world, other people
and ourselves. It is how we understand right from wrong and impacts the
intricate nuances of our daily lives.


As our world continues to move in strange and unpredictable ways,
Muslims everywhere, particularly those living in the West, are finding
themselves compelled to discuss Islam with non-Muslims of all
backgrounds and beliefs. Many have existing biases against Islam while
others come with an open mind. Either way, we Muslims must be capable
and confident in not only being able to discuss basic Islamic beliefs,
but in conveying our own experiences and feelings about the religion.
Particularly for those of us who have converted (or 'reverted') to the
faith, such occasions to discuss Islam with non-Muslims can be great
opportunities to converse in a way that is personal and unique. To be
able to do this, however, requires knowledge of one's self, and the
knowledge of what one has undergone to arrive at their place within the
religion of Islam. The power of personal stories and experiences is
great, particularly those in which an audience can relate to and
actually see themselves taking part. You can draw them in and help them
to question their own beliefs - an important step in opening up
people's hearts and minds. Personal stories also help people empathize
with what you have undergone, and such a level of understanding can be
a powerful agent of change.


Understanding ourselves can be a great source of wisdom. Knowing
who we are, our weaknesses, our faults, our strengths and our "danger
zones," is essential if we are to progress in our quest and ongoing
effort of self-perfection in the mold of the Prophet of Islam (SAW). My
process of reverting from Christianity to Islam took intensive
one-on-one study with a knowledgeable teacher and an additional wealth
of independent study. The entire "process" occurred over one and a half
years, which, compared to other converts may be long, yet to others
maybe not so long. Nevertheless, throughout this period, every day,
every moment in fact I was consumed with self-reflection. "Who was I"
and "who did I want to be" were two of the most nagging questions I had
to answer; while probably the most prominent was, "what did I believe?"


Ultimately, the process of conversion for me began with this question
of "what did I believe." I was Christian, yet I did not really know
what I believed about my own religion, the religion I was born into and
practiced - in varying degrees - for 27 years. What I learned about
myself through reflection, however, was that I did know what I
believed, which was that I really didn't believe! Further questions I
had were "What did I believe about God?", "What did I believe about
life?", "How about death?", "What did I believe about my society and
culture?" All these questions seemed SO big and so difficult to answer.
But eventually I did answer them for myself, and - Alhamdulillah (all
praise be to God) - the answers all pointed in the direction of Islam.


Although conversion is a phenomenon that is completely unique to
everyone, nevertheless, those who are serious about it will all
undoubtedly undergo self-examination of some kind in order to embrace a
new way of life and belief system. In fact, we MUST do this. Whether we
realize it or not, "conversion" occurs on many levels within us; and
especially with those from the West, many, many engrained cultural
values have to be challenged and overcome in order for
"self-Islamization" to occur. In my time talking with born Muslim
brothers, I have found it amazing that many dedicated Muslims have
undergone their own rediscovery of the religion, almost in the same way
as a non-Muslim who comes into Islam for the first time.


Many born Muslims I meet tell me that they have a certain level of
envy for converts because they recognize a high level of dedication and
appreciation for Islam within them, that they too desire, but have been
unable to achieve. In fact, in speaking with one brother from my local
surau, he even had the courage to ask me what I thought was the cause
of this. Of course I told him that I could only speak from my own
experience, but that in my example much of it had to do with getting to
know myself and facing up to my true beliefs about not only religion,
but life itself. I empathize with Muslims who are born into Islam and
cannot appreciate it as much as they would like. Perhaps they feel as I
did about Christianity for many years.


In discussing this matter with the brother from my surau, I challenged
him to "put Islam to the test." I told him that maybe he had to undergo
the same process that we converts undergo when we convert, namely, the
process of questioning basic beliefs and challenging ourselves to find
truth. For people born into Islam, this means going beyond basic levels
and striving to go deeper than they ever have before to understand
Islam. This, from what I observe, is how many Muslims have rediscovered
Islam. They have more or less willed it. They have traveled, they have
studied, they have sought out knowledgeable teachers, they became more
involved in their communities - whatever it takes. They have gone past
the understanding of religion as it was passed down to them from their
parents, and found Islam for themselves. For many it happens when
confronted with different life circumstances, for example, perhaps when
they go abroad to study and are suddenly no longer in an Islamic
environment, or when they or a family member becomes inflicted with an
illness or they experience a tragedy, or for some perhaps when a
particularly stubborn Christian missionary puts them to the test and
they find that they do not have the level of faith they thought they
did. Whatever the scenario, experiences such as this force us to draw
definitive conclusions about why we live this life of Islam.


As Muslims, we know that submission means, "we hear and we obey
(24:51)," as we are (ideally) slaves of our Creator. For many, myself
included, accepting Islam includes a greater yearning for truth and
knowledge of God as well. This can only occur, however, when we push on
with that search for truth, even once we have accepted Islam. If we
read the biographies of some of Islam's great personalities, we come
across lives such as those like Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali who, while
already having achieved great worldly status as a scholar, yearned for
a more direct experience and deeper level of truth. In order to do so,
however, he underwent a major questioning of his beliefs and an
abandoning of all his worldly status before he could arrive at it. The
results of his life journey speak for themselves; Imam Nawawi, speaking
about Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Religious
Sciences), wrote "were all the books of Islam to be lost save the
Revival alone, it would suffice for them." He also earned the title of
"Hujjat ul-Islam," or "the proof of Islam" for his great works and
teachings.


Imam Al-Ghazali looked deep within himself to arrive at the conclusion
that his worldly successes - even as an Islamic scholar - would not be
enough to save him on the Day of Judgment. He feared for his fate, and
thus had to address the inkling in his heart that told him to go
further. Uncovering our self can be a difficult experience. It often
entails dissecting the darkest layers within us. It requires
self-effacement, and the courage to be vulnerable and admit that we may
not have the answers we thought we did in life. It is, without a doubt,
a test of the highest and greatest magnitude. Allah draws our attention
throughout the Qur'an on the importance of reflection, "Those who
remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and
reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou
hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the
chastisement of the fire (3:91)." We know that reflection is not an
easy thing, particularly when it is on ourselves. In another ayat, "Do
they not reflect in their own minds? Not but for just ends and for a
term appointed, did Allah create the heavens and the earth, and all
between them: yet there are truly many among men who deny the meeting
with their Lord (at the Resurrection) (30:08)!"


When I look at myself today as opposed to three years ago, I see
two different people. Nay, rather, I see two people with many of the
same attributes, but in completely different places. A very well known
contemporary sheikh talks about religion as a shelter. He says if your
shelter is strong, if it protects you from all the shaytans (devils) in
the world, it has no holes in the walls, and it keeps out the rain,
than it is a good shelter. However, if your shelter is porous, if it
doesn't protect you from the shaytans, than you need a new shelter. The
"me" 3 years ago was in a badly damaged shelter that was not protecting
me from the elements. "Me" today, however, with Islam, inshaAllah (by
the will of God), is in a much better shelter, one that protects me as
long as I stay in it and don't leave it. Conversion within us must do
this. It must literally move us from one place in life to another.
Therefore, every piece of "us" must change, must undergo examination
and renewal to arrive at truth, not just back into it accidentally or
unwillingly.


Many of us today do not understand how dramatic the process of
conversion - whether we are non-Muslims coming into Islam or Muslims
who feel the need to "re-find" Islam - is. If we read the stories of
the companions of the Prophet Mohammad (SAW) and look at how
dramatically their lives changed upon coming into Islam, only then do
we fully understand how encompassing Islam is and how radically it can
effect every aspect of one's self. It can turn animals into saints,
heathens into angels. It is nothing less than the total renewal of the
person, from top to bottom. If we all delve a little deeper and get to
know ourselves a little more, both the good and the bad, we can all
undergo some sort of re-awakening for the sake of Allah. All it takes
is will, effort, and reliance on and help from Allah.

One Question That Led Me To Islam

Junaid Jamshed: From Pop Stardom to the Path of Allah
04/09/2005
by Shaista Gohir



Junaid Jamshed was one of Pakistan’s most popular musical artists when he ended his career as a pop star in 2003 to lead a more spiritual life. He talks to Muslim Voice UK about his journey from pop stardom to religious enlightenment.

He initially rocketed to fame in 1987 as the lead singer of Pakistan’s first ever pop band Vital Signs, with the patriotic song ‘Dil Dil Pakistan.’ After a string of hit songs, the band split and Jamshed began his solo career in 1996 achieving even more success as a solo artist. This was also the start of his life changing spiritual journey. He recalls the turning point in his search for inner peace: “The most memorable moment of my life was when I went with my friend for three days in a jamaat, in the path of Allah in October 1997. That is when I realised what a big mistake my whole life had been and that I needed to change.”

Although his interest in Islam continued as he delivered hit after hit, it was another five years before the Pakistani pop legend came to the conclusion that his career was not compatible with Islam. He bid farewell to the pop scene on 14 August 2003 and confirms that the decision was not an easy one to take. “It was a difficult decision. Music was not just my passion, my career and livelihood; it was the only thing I knew,” said Jamshed.

Despite his announcement, the singer was unable to leave the pop world immediately and had to wait another year due to his contractual tour and album obligations. He has not abandoned music altogether and now sings Islamic songs with his new nasheed album, ‘Jalwa-e-Jana,’ to be released in October, during the first week of Ramadan.

Now a devout Muslim, he explains why it was essential for him to leave pop music: “Islam does not permit music, especially the way it is done these days and the money that you earn from it is ‘haram’ (not permitted). It was not the kind of life I wanted to lead.”

He reflects upon the day he declared that his pop career was over: “I was quite sad on the day I made the statement because music was my biggest passion; it was in my blood and under my skin and the only thing I was used to. However, I did it to make Allah happy; I did not want to be someone who was written in his bad books.”

With responsibilities to his family, he was worried about his future after music, so the ex-pop star ventured into business although he was not business minded. However, he now runs ones of the most successful designer clothes chains in Pakistan and is grateful to God for his success. “In a very short time of two and a half years we have progressed in leap and bounds even though I am not a business man. This is from Allah; he notices every little thing we do for him and his rewards are boundless,” said Jamshed.

Jamshed claims that he is far happier today than he ever was at the height of his stardom and says he does not miss the glamour, adoration and the money. He compares the two phases of his life: “What did I get out of my music? I used to come across audiences that listened to me; I got a lot of fame; and made lots of money. However, there is no shortage in those things, even now. When I go out in the path of Allah, thousands of people still come and listen to me. I have my own business now which nets me a very comfortable amount of money. As far as fame is concerned; initially I was famous for being a singer and now I have a lot of respects in the hearts of people.”

He is critical of his past and adds: “Initially in my life, I used to call people to something which was against the will of Allah Almighty, and now I call them towards Allah and ask them to fulfil what he wants them to do.”

The tall hazel eyed singer was at the pinnacle of his career when he chose faith over pop stardom. The once heart throb, who was always hoarded by fans where ever he went, is barely recognisable these days choosing to dress in simple shalwar kameez with an ever growing beard.

So how did everyone react to his momentous decision? He says there was a big uproar after his announcement and the fans that had once been crazy about him were against him: “Initially most people thought I was mad. It was hard for them to take; here was a man who was their favourite and now he was telling them that everything that he had done was not right. In addition, he was also calling them towards something they did not want to do.”

The 41 year old is pleased that his family were supportive. He says his wife saw it coming and jokes: “My wife was relieved as it was a much better option.” He explains that although he did not get up to much, he was expected to lead a certain lifestyle because of the profession he was in: “According to the press, I was an eternal playboy and they would link me to one woman or another. So for my wife it was a pleasant change and she is proud of me.”

Living with his family in Karachi, Jamshed says his three sons and daughter have all reacted differently: “My daughter loves the change in me, but when my youngest son who is three years old sees a photograph of me from the past, he thinks it is someone else. My eldest son, aged 13 is the only one that really remembers the two phases of my life.”

Jamshed is devoted to his faith and feels that he has a responsibility to guide people on to the right path. Although he initially channelled his efforts into charity work, he is now concentrating on ‘dawah’ work. He explains why he would rather spend his time calling people to the path of Allah: “I was involved in raising money for a hospital in Jang, which is complete now. I don’t think I will be doing more charity work as it was not an easy thing to do. I would rather spend my time in the path of Allah. Yes, charity is Allah’s work but charity money is someone’s ‘amanat’; it is a big responsibility ensuring that the money is spent in the right places.”

Reflecting on his past, he says he has no regrets about his decision: “I do not miss any aspect of my previous lifestyle at all. My new life is simple, pure and beautiful. I feel that if you bring into your life the commandments of Allah and the way the prophet performed them, your life can become paradise even in this world. People mistakenly think that their good times never end. I have realised that in this world happiness, grief, good and bad are all temporary. We all need to realise this before it is too late.”

Jamshed ends the interview with one of his favourite quotes from the Quran : “Allah does not change the state of people unless and until they themselves make an effort to change their lives.”

One Question That Led Me To Islam

Junaid Jamshed: From Pop Stardom to the Path of Allah
04/09/2005
by Shaista Gohir



Junaid Jamshed was one of Pakistan’s most popular musical artists when he ended his career as a pop star in 2003 to lead a more spiritual life. He talks to Muslim Voice UK about his journey from pop stardom to religious enlightenment.

He initially rocketed to fame in 1987 as the lead singer of Pakistan’s first ever pop band Vital Signs, with the patriotic song ‘Dil Dil Pakistan.’ After a string of hit songs, the band split and Jamshed began his solo career in 1996 achieving even more success as a solo artist. This was also the start of his life changing spiritual journey. He recalls the turning point in his search for inner peace: “The most memorable moment of my life was when I went with my friend for three days in a jamaat, in the path of Allah in October 1997. That is when I realised what a big mistake my whole life had been and that I needed to change.”

Although his interest in Islam continued as he delivered hit after hit, it was another five years before the Pakistani pop legend came to the conclusion that his career was not compatible with Islam. He bid farewell to the pop scene on 14 August 2003 and confirms that the decision was not an easy one to take. “It was a difficult decision. Music was not just my passion, my career and livelihood; it was the only thing I knew,” said Jamshed.

Despite his announcement, the singer was unable to leave the pop world immediately and had to wait another year due to his contractual tour and album obligations. He has not abandoned music altogether and now sings Islamic songs with his new nasheed album, ‘Jalwa-e-Jana,’ to be released in October, during the first week of Ramadan.

Now a devout Muslim, he explains why it was essential for him to leave pop music: “Islam does not permit music, especially the way it is done these days and the money that you earn from it is ‘haram’ (not permitted). It was not the kind of life I wanted to lead.”

He reflects upon the day he declared that his pop career was over: “I was quite sad on the day I made the statement because music was my biggest passion; it was in my blood and under my skin and the only thing I was used to. However, I did it to make Allah happy; I did not want to be someone who was written in his bad books.”

With responsibilities to his family, he was worried about his future after music, so the ex-pop star ventured into business although he was not business minded. However, he now runs ones of the most successful designer clothes chains in Pakistan and is grateful to God for his success. “In a very short time of two and a half years we have progressed in leap and bounds even though I am not a business man. This is from Allah; he notices every little thing we do for him and his rewards are boundless,” said Jamshed.

Jamshed claims that he is far happier today than he ever was at the height of his stardom and says he does not miss the glamour, adoration and the money. He compares the two phases of his life: “What did I get out of my music? I used to come across audiences that listened to me; I got a lot of fame; and made lots of money. However, there is no shortage in those things, even now. When I go out in the path of Allah, thousands of people still come and listen to me. I have my own business now which nets me a very comfortable amount of money. As far as fame is concerned; initially I was famous for being a singer and now I have a lot of respects in the hearts of people.”

He is critical of his past and adds: “Initially in my life, I used to call people to something which was against the will of Allah Almighty, and now I call them towards Allah and ask them to fulfil what he wants them to do.”

The tall hazel eyed singer was at the pinnacle of his career when he chose faith over pop stardom. The once heart throb, who was always hoarded by fans where ever he went, is barely recognisable these days choosing to dress in simple shalwar kameez with an ever growing beard.

So how did everyone react to his momentous decision? He says there was a big uproar after his announcement and the fans that had once been crazy about him were against him: “Initially most people thought I was mad. It was hard for them to take; here was a man who was their favourite and now he was telling them that everything that he had done was not right. In addition, he was also calling them towards something they did not want to do.”

The 41 year old is pleased that his family were supportive. He says his wife saw it coming and jokes: “My wife was relieved as it was a much better option.” He explains that although he did not get up to much, he was expected to lead a certain lifestyle because of the profession he was in: “According to the press, I was an eternal playboy and they would link me to one woman or another. So for my wife it was a pleasant change and she is proud of me.”

Living with his family in Karachi, Jamshed says his three sons and daughter have all reacted differently: “My daughter loves the change in me, but when my youngest son who is three years old sees a photograph of me from the past, he thinks it is someone else. My eldest son, aged 13 is the only one that really remembers the two phases of my life.”

Jamshed is devoted to his faith and feels that he has a responsibility to guide people on to the right path. Although he initially channelled his efforts into charity work, he is now concentrating on ‘dawah’ work. He explains why he would rather spend his time calling people to the path of Allah: “I was involved in raising money for a hospital in Jang, which is complete now. I don’t think I will be doing more charity work as it was not an easy thing to do. I would rather spend my time in the path of Allah. Yes, charity is Allah’s work but charity money is someone’s ‘amanat’; it is a big responsibility ensuring that the money is spent in the right places.”

Reflecting on his past, he says he has no regrets about his decision: “I do not miss any aspect of my previous lifestyle at all. My new life is simple, pure and beautiful. I feel that if you bring into your life the commandments of Allah and the way the prophet performed them, your life can become paradise even in this world. People mistakenly think that their good times never end. I have realised that in this world happiness, grief, good and bad are all temporary. We all need to realise this before it is too late.”

Jamshed ends the interview with one of his favourite quotes from the Quran : “Allah does not change the state of people unless and until they themselves make an effort to change their lives.”

One Question That Led Me To Islam

One Question That Led Me To Islam

Sister Erin/Sumaya Fannoun

April 12, 1998.


Bismillah Arahman Araheem


My intention in writing my story is that for Allah's sake, I may help someone who is searching for the Truth, to realize that they have found it in Islam. I began writing this on Easter Sunday, kind of appropriate, I think. I have been Muslim now for seven years, (all praise is for Allah). I first learned of Islam while attending University, from a Muslim friend of mine. I had managed to get out of a very good, college-prep high school believing that the Qur'an was a Jewish book, and that Muslims were idol-worshipping pagans. I was not interested in learning about a new religion. I held the ethnocentric view that if since the US was "#1", we must have the best of everything, including religion. I knew that Christianity wasn't perfect, but believed that it was the best that there was. I had long held the opinion that although the Bible contained the word of God, it also contained the word of the common man, who wrote it down. As Allah would have it, every time I had picked up the Bible in my life, I had come across some really strange and actually dirty passages. I could not understand why the Prophets of God would do such abominable things when there are plenty of average people who live their whole lives without thinking of doing such disgusting and immoral things, such as those attributed to Prophets David, Solomon, and Lot, (peace be upon them all) just to name a few. I remember hearing in Church that since these Prophets commit such sins, how could the common people be any better than them? And so, it was said, Jesus had to be sacrificed for our sins, because we just couldn't help ourselves, as the "flesh is weak".


So, I wrestled with the notion of the trinity, trying to understand how my God was not one, but three. One who created the earth, one whose blood was spilled for our sins, and then there was the question of the Holy Ghost, yet all one and the same!? When I would pray to God, I had a certain image in my mind of a wise old man in flowing robe, up in the clouds. When I would pray to Jesus, I pictured a young white man with long golden hair, beard and blue eyes. As for the Holy Spirit, well, I could only conjure up a misty creature whose purpose I wasn't sure of. It really didn't feel as though I was praying to one God. I found though that when I was really in a tight spot, I would automatically call directly on God. I knew inherently, that going straight to God, was the best bet.


When I began to research and study Islam, I didn't have a problem with praying to God directly, it seemed the natural thing to do. However, I feared forsaking Jesus, and spent a lot of time contemplating the subject. I began to study the Christian history, searching for the truth. The more I looked into it, the more I saw the parallel between the deification and sacrifice of Jesus, and the stories of Greek mythology that I had learned in junior high, where a god and a human woman would produce a child which would be a demigod, possessing some attributes of a god. I learned of how important it had been to "St. Paul", to have this religion accepted by the Greeks to whom he preached, and how some of the disciples had disagreed with his methods. It seemed very probable that this could have been a more appealing form of worship to the Greeks than the strict monotheism of the Old Testament. And only Allah knows.


I began to have certain difficulties with Christian thought while still in high school. Two things bothered me very much. The first was the direct contradiction between material in the Old and New Testaments. I had always thought of the Ten Commandments as very straight forward, simple rules that God obviously wanted us to follow. Yet, worshipping Christ, was breaking the first commandment completely and totally, by associating a partner with God. I could not understand why an omniscient God would change His mind, so to speak. Then there is the question of repentance. In the Old Testament, people are told to repent for their sins; but in the New Testament, it is no longer necessary, as Christ was sacrificed for the sins of the people. "Paul did not call upon his hearers to repent of particular sins, but rather announced God's victory over all sin in the cross of Christ. The radical nature of God's power is affirmed in Paul's insistence that in the death of Christ God has rectified the ungodly (see Romans 4:5). Human beings are not called upon to do good works in order that God may rectify them." So what incentive did we even have to be good, when being bad could be a lot of fun? Society has answered by redefining good and bad. Any childcare expert will tell you that children must learn that their actions have consequences, and they encourage parents to allow them to experience the natural consequences of their actions. Yet in Christianity, there are no consequences, so people have begun to act like spoiled children.


Demanding the right to do as they please, demanding God's and peoples' unconditional love and acceptance of even vile behavior. It is no wonder that our prisons are over-flowing, and that parents are at a loss to control their children. That is not to say that in Islam we believe that we get to heaven based on our deeds, on the contrary, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us that we will only enter paradise through God's Mercy, as evidenced in the following hadith. Narrated 'Aisha:The Prophet said,



"Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and receive good news because one's good deeds will not make him enter Paradise." They asked, "Even you, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Even I, unless and until Allah bestows His pardon and Mercy on me."


So in actuality, I did not even know who God was. If Jesus was not a separate god, but really part of God, then who was he sacrificed to? And who was he praying to in the Garden of Gethsemane? If he was separate in nature from God, then you have left the realm of monotheism, which is also in direct contradiction to the teachings of the Old Testament. It was so confusing, that I preferred not to think of it, and had begun to thoroughly resent the fact that I could not understand my own religion. That point was brought home when I began to discuss religion with my future husband at college. He asked me to explain the Trinity to him. After several failed attempts at getting him to understand it, I threw my hands up in frustration, and claimed that I couldn't explain it well because, "I am not a scholar!" To which he calmly replied, "Do you have to be a scholar to understand the basis of your religion?" Ouch!, that really hurt; but the truth hurts sometimes. By that point, I had tired of the mental acrobatics required to contemplate who I was actually worshipping. I grudgingly listened while he told me of the Oneness of God, and that He [Allah] had not changed his mind, but completed his message to mankind through the Prophet Muhammad, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. I had to admit, it made sense. God had sent prophets in succession to mankind for centuries, because they obviously kept going astray, and needed guidance. Even at that point, I told him that he could tell me about his religion, just for my general information. "But don't try to convert me", I told him, "because you'll never do it!" "No", he said, "I just want you to understand where I'm coming from and it is my duty as a Muslim to tell you." And of course, he didn't convert me; but rather, Allah guided me to His Truth. Alhamdu Lillah.


At about the same time, a friend of mine gave me a "translation" of the Qur'an in English that she found at a book store. She had no way of knowing that this book was actually written by an Iraqi Jew for the purpose of driving people away from Islam, not for helping them to understand it. It was very confusing. I circled and marked all the passages that I wanted to ask my Muslim friend about and when he returned from his trip abroad, I accosted him with my questions, book in hand. He could not tell from the translation that it was supposed to be the Qur'an, and patiently informed me of the true meaning of the verses and the conditions under which they were revealed. He found a good translation of the meaning of the Qur'an for me to read, which I did. I still remember sitting alone, reading it, looking for errors, and questioning. The more I read, the more I became convinced that this book could only have one source, God. I was reading about God's mercy and His willingness to forgive any sin, except the sin of associating partners with Him; and I began to weep. I cried from the depth of my soul. I cried for my past ignorance and in joy of finally finding the truth. I knew that I was forever changed. I was amazed at the scientific knowledge in the Qur'an, which is not taken from the Bible as some would have you believe. I was getting my degree in microbiology at that time, and was particularly impressed with the description of the embryological process, and so much more. Once I was sure that this book was truly from God, I decided that I had to accept Islam as my religion. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.

I learned that the first and most important step of becoming Muslim is to believe in "La illaha il Allah, wa Muhammad arasool Allah", meaning that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. After I understood that Jesus was sent as a prophet, to show the Jews that they were going astray, and bring them back to the path of God, I had no trouble with the concept of worshipping God alone. But I did not know who Muhammad was, and didn't understand what it really meant to follow him. May Allah bless all those people who have helped me to understand and appreciate the life of the Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him), throughout these last seven years. I learned that Allah sent him as an example to mankind. An example to be followed and imitated by all of us in our daily lives. He was in his behaviors, the Qur'an exemplified. May Allah guide us all to live as he taught us.



"O you who believe (in the previous Messengers, Moses and Jesus, may peace be upon them)! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger (Muhammad, may peace be upon him), He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight). And He will forgive you. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful."

[Translation of the meaning of Sura al-Hadid, Ayah 28]

Pakistan cricketer Youhana embraces Islam?

Pakistan cricketer Youhana embraces Islam?

By Indo Asian News Service


Islamabad, Sep 17 (IANS) The Pakistan cricket team's vice-captain Yousuf Youhana, the lone Christian in the squad, has embraced Islam, a media report Saturday said.

The conversion reportedly took place in Makkah, the report said.

'The conversion took place with members of a tableeghi jamaat (group of preachers) present with him where he and his family said the Kalma (a Quranic verse testifying that there's no god except Allah and Mohammad is His Prophet) and later performed Umra (a religious pilgrimage to Mkkah),' The News reported Saturday quoting a player.

'Youhana and his family have also been issued certificates in the holy place confirming their Muslim status, which allowed them to perform Umra,' the player further said.

The paper admitted that 31-year-old Youhana 'is not eager to speak about it and is neither denying or confirming' the event.

'But some of his team mates and friends confirmed that Youhana on a recent trip to Jeddah finally took the decision to convert to Islam and he was supported in this by his wife Tania and children,' it said.

The paper also said that two unidentified national team members played a crucial role in Youhana's conversion to Islam.

'It is also true that two players of the Pakistan team had a key role in helping him take the decision which was first opposed but then supported by his wife,' a source was quoted as saying.

'The truth is Youhana had tried to take the decision to become a Muslim some years back, but faced with a lot of opposition and emotional blackmail from his wife, parents and other relatives he stalled the inevitable,' it wrote.

He then convinced his wife and children of the need to become Muslim and some players helped in this process, said the paper.

According to the paper, Youhana has already taken his children out of a modern private school in Lahore and admitted them in a school with more Islamic leanings.

Youhana has scored 4,272 runs in 59 Tests at 47.46 and 6,761 in 202 one-day internationals at 41.11. He has also smashed 13 centuries in Tests and 11 in one day internationals.

American Performing Artist Discovers Islam: An Interview with Everlast

American Performing Artist Discovers Islam: An Interview with Everlast

By Adisa Banjoko


11/01/2004

American rap music has seen more than its share of influence from the religion of Islam. With groups such as Public Enemy rapping about their respect for the Nation of Islam, to people such as Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest embracing mainstream Islam, the religion seems to be a recurrent theme in the genre, both impacting lyrics and lives. One artist more recently touched by Islam is Eric Schrody, better known in music circles as Everlast.

What follows is an interview with journalist Adisa Banjoko in which Everlast discusses his journey to Islam and the challenges he faces as a new Muslim.

Adisa: Tell me about the first time you learned about Islam?

Everlast: It was probably around the late 80's. I was hanging out with Divine Styler (a popular Los Angeles rap artist). He was basically at the end of his 5% period (a reference to an American religious sect); he was starting to come into Islam. He lived with the Bashir family. Abdullah Bashir was sort of his teacher – and mine it wound up later. As he was making the transition from 5% into Islam, I would just be around and hear things.

I'm trying to think of the first time I recognized it as Islam. I think it was when one of Divine's friends took Shahada (the Muslim profession of faith) and I was there. I heard him say, "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His servant and messenger." And I remember me being like, "What is this? I'm white. Can I be here?" It was out of ignorance, you know? Cause here in America , Islam is considered a "Black thing." And that's when someone pointed out to me, "You have know idea how many white Muslims there are in the world." I was like, "Really," and somebody broke it down. I said, "That's crazy. I had no clue."

Adisa: Do you feel any extra pressure being a white Muslim in America?

Everlast: I don't think of it on the grand scale. To me, Islam is mine. Allah is the God of all the worlds, and all mankind and all the `Aalameen (worlds). Islam is my personal relationship with God. So, nobody can put any more pressure on me than I can put on myself. But as far as the mosque where I pray, I have never felt more at home or more welcome. And it's not just mine. The few mosques that I've gone to around the country, I've never ever been made to feel uncomfortable. Like in New York , the mosque is big and there's so many people that nobody is looking to notice you. There were Chinese, Korean, Spanish [peoples] – everything, which was a good thing for me because at my mosque I'm the only white male, [although] there are some white females.

I think at first, I thought about it more than anybody else the first couple times I went to Jumma (the Friday congregational prayer). The first time I went to Jumma, I was taken by a friend of mine in New York . It was in Brooklyn in Bed-Stuy (Bedford-Stuyvesant). I was nervous about the neighborhood I was in, not the mosque. But I was just so at ease once I was there. I was like, "This is great." I didn't feel any different than anybody else in the mosque.

Adisa: How did your family take your turning to Islam? Because you were raised Catholic, right?

Everlast: Well, you know my mom is very open minded, very progressive. My mother lives with me. And I've been raised all my life without a belief in God, but a knowledge that He exists. I was taught, if anything in the world, know [that] there's a God. And my mom, even though she was Catholic she was the first person to point out the hypocrisy in the church. My mom really hasn't attended church in a long time. But as far as me, my mom is just happy that I have God in my life.

She sees me making prayers. And Divine is one of her favorite people in the world. She knows how much different we are than when she first knew us as kids. When me and Divine first hooked up, we were wild. We were out partying, fighting, doing whatever we had to do. We thought, "Yeah, that's what being a man is about. We're going to go out here and be thuggish."

She has seen how much it's changed me and him, and how much peace it's brought me since I've started to really accomplish something with it. I actually had a long talk with my mother the other day and we were on the topic of religion. We were actually talking about life and death, and the future, and when she might go – that won't be for a long time, in sha' Allah (God willing). But I asked her to do me one favor. I said, "Mom, when you die there might be some angels who ask you a question, and I want you to answer it; and I'm not sure exactly how it goes, 'cause I ain't died yet. Remember that there's only one God, and he's never been a man."

She said, "I know what you are trying to tell me."

I said, "Jesus wasn't God, Ma".

Some of what I know has definitely shown up in my mother. She's no Muslim, but she knows there's only one God. And that makes me very happy. I know guys that have turned towards Islam and their families have turned them out.

Adisa: My family tried to. I just can't understand that. But you know what? That's a trial. Although I've changed my name for like 8 years now, they still run up calling me by my birth name. Then it's, "Oh I forgot that you're Muslim." Then it's the pork jokes... It never stops.

Everlast: It's one of those things where people laugh at what they don't understand, or they fear what they can't grasp. The thing is that nobody can pretend that they don't understand it, because I've never come across anything more simple in my life.

Like I remember that when I sat down and asked, "So, what does a Muslim believe," and I got the list run down to me. I was like, "You don't put up the wall between Christianity and Judaism." They were like, "Nah, it's all the same story."

If when you finally get down to reading the Qu'ran, the Bible, and the Torah, which is pretty much just the Old Testament, you find that the Qu'ran is just an affirmation of what is correct and isn't correct within those books. And then you say to yourself, "How did that go down when these cats were all from different parts of the world?" But they are all confirming each other's story.

I'm reading a book right now called Muhammad: The Life of the Prophet, by Karen Armstrong. It was written by a non-Muslim. So far, I'm only about a quarter of the way through; but it starts out telling you how they originally tried to make Muhammad look like the most evil man on the earth – that he established Islam under the sword. But then you learn that Muhammad only fought when he had to. Muhammad only fought to defend Islam. It's a very good book about the man. It just lets you know that this cat was a man. We ain't trying to tell you that he was anything else but a man. We're telling you as Muslims that he was the most perfect example of a man to walk the earth so far. And from what I've read, he is the last one to come of his kind.

When you get beyond being scared of Farrakhan (the Nation of Islam's head) and what he's saying – and here as a white person I'm speaking – when you get beyond the ignorance of believing that Islam has anything to do with just people that are blowing up things, that doesn't have anything to do with Islam, they might do it in the name of Islam, but it has nothing to do with Islam – you can't argue with it.

When I explain Jesus to a Christian, he can't argue with me. And I don't mean argue, saying, "Jesus isn't God!" I mean, how much more sense does it make that he's a man? If I was Christian, which to me means to be Christ-like, and God asks me, "Hey how come you weren't more like Jesus?" I'll say, "I wasn't more like Jesus because You made him half of a God; I'm only a man!" That doesn't make any sense.

God doesn't want things hard on us. God wants things easy as possible. Allah is going to make it as easy as possible. If you ask and you are sincere, Allah will bring it to you. He might throw some rocks on your path, to make you trip and stumble. But it's going to come to you.

Adisa: Talk to me about the first and second time you took your Shahada (profession of faith).

Everlast: Well the first time, it was right after I had heard a tape from Warith Deen Muhammad (son of Nation of Islam founder, Elijah Muhammad, who took most of the Nation of Islam into mainstream Islam). That just kind of broke down the whole Jesus thing. He explained that we [Muslims] do Christians a great favor by bringing Jesus down to the level of a man. Why would God create a man who is half a God and compare us to him? And it just sent off a bomb in my head. So I took Shahada. And then the initial high wore off.

It was almost like a Christian who says that they accept Jesus. Then they say, "No matter what I do now, I'm saved." Cause I was raised with that kind of mentality. Like, "OK, I accept the truth so let me just go out here and sin my butt off and I'm saved."

I didn't really claim to be Muslim though at that time. I picked and chose what I wanted to believe. Allah gave me leeway for a time. But eventually it was time to fish or cut the line. I was coming to a point where I was unsatisfied emotionally and spiritually. I had money in the bank and a $100,000 car, women left and right: everything that you think you want. And then just sitting there being like, "Why am I unhappy?" Finally that voice that talks to you – not the whisper [of Satan] – the voice said, "Well, basically you're unhappy because you're living foul and you're not trying to do anything about it."

My stubbornness at that time wouldn't allow me to talk about it at that time. You get in that state of mind where you're like, "I can figure this out all by myself."

I finally got humble enough to talk to Divine and Abdullah about it. They asked me, "How do you feel? What do you think it is?" So finally, I'm sitting there taking Shahada again. From that point on, I've made a commitment where I'm going to try my best. I'm going to do my best to make my prayers, let's start there. Let's make our prayers and pray for the strength to stop doing one thing at a time. That's what I'm still dealing with.

You know, once you get over the big things, it becomes very subtle. It can be as subtle as looking a man, and not even speaking bad about him, but backbiting him in your mind. The easy ones to beat – well I shouldn't say easy – the big ones are easy to notice. It's the subtle psychological stuff that helps you get into who really you are. You got to be able to face the truth of who you are. If you are not able to face that truth of who you are, you're going to crumble, man.

People question me and go, "You're Muslim?" And I'm like, "Yeah I'm Muslim, but I'm also a professional sinner. I'm trying to get over it, trying to retire. I won't front and say I'm better than you. I just believe that I've been shown the truth and hopefully that will save me."

Adisa Banjoko is a journalist and lecturer living in the San Francisco Bay area.

This interview was originally published on 12 July 1999 and has been republished, with a few minor changes, by IslamOnline.net with the permission of the author.

ماريا أسلمت

ماريا أسلمت

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
بسم الله والصلاة والسلام علي رسول الله ، الحمد لله رب العالمين ، الحمد لله يهدي من يشاء و يضل من يشاء
بفضل الله و كرمه أعلنت احدي زوار الموقع أسلامها اليوم 27 - 3 - 2006 ، ندعو الله لها بالتثبيت ، و نترككم مع بعض الرسائل التي أرسلتها للموقع أولا : الرسالة التي أعلنت فيها الشهادة ثم الرسائل من الأقدم الي الأحدث

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3/26/2006 :التاريخ
ماريا :الاسم
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

أحبتي في الله : من على هذا الموقع الرائع أقف وأنا لست بأنا؟

أقف وأقول : أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدا رسول الله.


حقا لا إله إلا الله أقف وأنا أشعر بعزة مابعدها عزة هي عزة الإسلام حقا أجمل مافي الكون هو أنت أيها المسلم.

سعادة كنت أفتقدها منذ زمن طويل وبحثت عنها في كل ملذات الحياة فلم أجدها حتى أني لم أفكر البحث عنها في الإسلام إلا منذ شهور قليلة لكلمة كنت قد سمعتها من فتاة لم أراها إلا مرة واحدة على طريق الصدفة اجتمعت بهاوكنت وقتها في حالة يرثى لها قالت لي : لن تجدي السعادة إلا مع الله مهما فعلتي ومهما تلذذتي في هذه الحياة فوقعت هذه الكلمة في الصميم وأصبح لدي شعور يراودني كثيرا شعور لا أستطيع وصفه كنت أتهرب من هذا الشعور وهو يأبى إلا وأن يطارد فكري .

حتى جاء اليوم الذي دخلت فيه موقع أذكر الله بالغلط تصفحت بعض ماكتب به ثم خاطبت نفسي وقلت لها ماذا تقرأين؟؟؟؟ وفي اليوم التالي لم أجد نفسي الا وافتح الموقع ذاته وأقرأ المزيد كنت أقرأ امور لم أكن أسمعها طيلة حياتي وبعدها تم التواصل بيني وبين بعض الأخوة الأحباء في الموقع وكلموني أجمل ماسمعته عن الاسلام فجزاهم الله عني كل خير وأنا على صلة معهم حتى اتعلم هذا الدين المتسامح ومن هنا أريد أن أرسل لكل من وقف جانبي بهذا الأمر وأخص بالذكر أولا الأخ منيرالمغربي والأخ محمد التونسي والأخ خالد والاخ محمد السيد وأحبة قلبي سارة ومريم وبتول وحبيبة وكل الشكر لإدارة الموقع وأتمنى من الجميع الدعاء لي في تيسير أموري

وأشهد أن لا اله الا الله
وأشهد أن محمد رسول الله



بعض من رسائل ماريا السابقة
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3/22/2006 :التاريخ
ماريا :الاسم
هاي للجميع انا من طبعي فضولية جدا وأحب اعرف كل شئ إلا مايخص ديني لأني لا اعرف ماهو ؟؟؟؟ أنا أقرأ مايكتب في هذا الموقع وخصوصا بتول وفاتحة قلبي وroug2006 لأني أراهم الأكثر مشاركة فيه ومواضيعهم جميلة ولكن كثير من الأمور تراود فكري وأحب أن أسأل عنها ولكن لا أعرف كيف التواصل كيف يابتول فأنا أجهل الكثير في النت ولا أعرف أن أعمل به كثيرا فأنا أول موقع دخلته هو هذا الموقع وبالغلط أيضا ولكن اعجبني

----------------------------------------------ماريا :الاسم
هاي أولا لإدارة الموقع ولكل المشاركين وأخص بتول وفاتحة قلبي والجميع ولكن اريد ان أسأل بتول كيف التواصل عبر المسنجر سامحوني ولاتضحكوا علي لجهلي في النت فأنا لا أعرف شئ للأسف ولكن عندي رغبة في التواصل معكم وكل الشكر لكم

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3/23/2006 :التاريخ
ماريا :الاسم
أريد أن اسأل مامعنى تعـلمي بالدليل أنك مخلوقة مكلفة ! وأن عـليك فـرائـض أنت مطالبة بها ، وأن
الملكين يحصيان ألفاظـك ، وأن أنفـاس الحي خطاه إلى أجله 0 ومقدار ما معنى مكلفة وما معنى فرائض يعني هل أنا مكلفة بشئ مثلا ومامعنى الملكين وكل
الشكر لك

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3/23/2006 :التاريخ
ماريا :الاسم

أرجو ممن أرسل لي دعوة على المسنجر أن يقابلني اليوم لو كان بالامكان ليلا 11 والنصف تقريباوأتمنى أن أرى بتول وفاتحة قلبي أيضا

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3/25/2006 :التاريخ
ماريا :الاسم

حقا لا ادري كيف أشكركم وكيف أعبر عن محبتي لكم وأخص بالشكر الكبير السيد منير والسيد محمد من تونس والغالية على قلبي سارة وبتول فقد أحببتكم من كل قلبي وأيضا مريم الغالية

My Life as a New Muslim

My Life as a New Muslim

By Sr. Fathima Lienberg




I am Fathima Liebenberg, a white Muslim woman converted to Islam in 1995. I am very proud to say! I am a Muslim, but if it was not for my son I would never have been a Muslim. For me it was a hard and long struggle because it cost me my job, friends and family.

My life before Islam

I was a very pious Christian who went to the Pentecostal churches. I used to collect the street children and take them to the church and Sunday school. My life consisted only of reading and studying the bible, until my son told me about Islam.

My son came home one day and said, "Mummy! Why don't you become a Muslim?' I was shocked at the very idea and said, "Never'.

He said, "Mummy! Islam is such a pure and clean religion, they pray five times a day'.

That is when I decided to read the books and the translation of the Noble Quran. The more I read the Quran, the more I was convinced that Islam was for me. I turned to Allah and finally I found peace and tranquillity. I hid it from my family until one day I decided to phone my brother and tell him I was now a Muslim.

My brother was so shocked, because we were very devoted and pious Christians, and I was the only one to be converted to Islam. My family phoned me about a year ago and told me never to contact them again as I now was no longer their sister. I love my family very much and miss them but I know one day we will meet again. Insha Allah.

I was so happy when I received my 'Muslim Identity Card' that I felt like standing on the roof tops and shouting out to the world that I am a Muslim. I lost my family, but gained a new family in Islam. My new family, the Muslims, were so wonderful, I cannot express it. I would like to make special mention of my appreciation to the Fakrodeen family of Prince Edward St. I love you who treated me as if I was part of the family, May Allah reward you all.

Appa Tasneem Jazakallah, when I am in your Madrasah with all the little ones, it feels like I am in Jannah surrounded by little angels. I am so happy that Allah Taala has chosen me to be a Muslim.

I have worn the Hijaab since I became a Muslim and will never take it out. My only wish is to go to Macca even though I doubt that it will be possible but Insha Allah, one day Allah will provide me with the means to reach there. Each time I want to be closer to Allah, I read the Sunnats of our Beloved Prophet (SAW).

Paper will not be enough for everything that I wish to tell you about Islam. I also want to say Jazakumullah to the Kazi family, and I would like to thank our Ulamas of the Jamiatul Ulama (KZN). And to our brother Ahmad Deedat who is so ill. May Allah Taala cure you and return you back to all of us.

Islam is a way of life. Islam means peace and a Muslim is one who strives for peace through his submission to Allah Taala. A Muslim's first duty is to Allah the Almighty and it is out of your deep love for Allah that your duties become acts of devotion.

It is no easy task for me as a white Muslim lady, living amongst Christians, but I keep my head up high and I am so very proud to be a Muslim. So, my dear brothers and sisters if you are born Muslim but have not been a dutiful one it is not too late. If you have not started yet, you can start tomorrow or even tonight. Brothers and sisters, as Muslims, keep your heads up high and show the world that you are proud to be Muslims.

Yours Sister-in-Islam, Fathima Lienberg