Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

From the Darkness of Apartheid to the Light of Islam

Abdullah Shafiek Stuurman

When he saw them prostrating themselves in worship to Allah, his heart became submissive while thoughts and questions invaded his mind. On a rainy day that he will never forget, he turned his face to Qebla and sincerely prayed to Allah (be He exalted) to guide him to the Right Path before prostrating himself.

The journey to find the truth, which began through reading and asking questions, went on after he declared converting to Islam.

His heart was opened to the love of the Apostle (pbuh) and his purified family (as) whom he took as a model in thought, creed, and behavior.

He is Abdullah Shafiek Stuurman from South Africa who talked about his conversion to Islam and his love to Ahlul-Bait (as) in this interview withNoor Al-Islam .

My name is Abdullah Shafiek Stuurman. I was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1972, the period that witnessed the climax of the Apartheid Regime. I was born from a group or sector of the population that was considered as ‘The Coloreds ’ i.e. ‘second-class citizens ’, after the so-called ‘blacks’ were considered as ‘third-class’ citizens. Of course, the descendants from Europe, ‘The Whites ’, were classified as ‘First Class Citizens ’. We were neither hundred percent ‘white’ nor ‘black ’, hence this ‘second-class’ status, according to the classification of the former Apartheid regime.

As an example of the affect of the Apartheid regime’s propaganda on the psyche of the individual, I will give this small anecdote to show how it affected us in South Africa.

I was 5 years old, and we used to play with all the other children. Opposite to our school was an open field. One of the construction companies started to build a complex there. As was the case always, the watchman was ‘a black man’, one of the original indigenous people of South Africa. This person had a young child approximately my age at the time; he used to play on this open field, but none of the other children wanted to play with him because he was black. My former neighbors’ daughter was my best friend, and she told me that I must not play with this black child because they (the black people) are ‘devils’. While my friend and I passed by this construction site that was opposite to our school, this black child started to run in our direction. He wanted to play with us. We were so horrified because ‘the devil’ was running towards us. We ran away to the nearest house because ‘the devil’ wants to devour our meat !

This will tell how the Apartheid regime had constantly sought to establish the notion of discrimination among human being, according to their colors in spite of the horrible repercussions of such ideas at the economic, cultural, and social levels in South Africa.

Early quest for Truth

I attended a Roman Catholic School, St. Clemence, in Cape Town. My grandmother was an extremely religious person. She had exercised great influence over me.

When I was 15 years old, I started to search for the right religion. Although I was ‘a staunch Christian’ at the time, I always wanted to be on the truth side. Hence I wanted to know other peoples’ beliefs. The religion that was popular in South Africa, other than Christianity, was Islam. Therefore, I decided to ask some questions pertaining to the Muslims’ Faith.

The first Light: Going to a Mosque

One Friday I wanted to see how Muslims pray. I sneaked into aMasjid to see what Muslims did in a Mosque. I stood for a while at the door of one of the mosques in Cape Town where I saw a sight that had a profound impact on me. I have witnessed the most beautiful sight ever in my life: the way Muslims prostrate before Allah. Immediately, I knew that this is the way to surrender oneself before The Most High. That was one of the happiest days of my life, to see ‘the sajdah’.

I spent the whole weekend pondering over religion. On the following Monday, it was raining heavily, and I decided not to go to school. I had a small mattress which my father’s mother had given me.

I had an idea: to pray like Muslims, as I have seen them that Friday. I took the small mattress my granny gave me and put it in the direction of Mecca. Well, why I chose Mecca I don’t know, but I knew Allah is everywhere, so no matter to what direction I will turn, I will be in Allah’s presence. Afterwards, I spoke to Allah. I told him that He had created me. I wanted to be His servant, and I wanted to be with the truth. While I was saying this I prostrated like Muslims, as I saw them do that Friday, and I begged Allah to guide me and help me find the truth. I wept sincerely as I prostrated. I just wanted to tell my God that I was in need of guidance and that I knew that there was a God, but I desperately needed His guidance. I wanted to know about Islam, the Final Message.

Reaching the safety shore

I have to acknowledge the favor of the person who has facilitated my acceptance of Islam and conversion to the True Religion, my good friend and schoolmate Wasila Augustin. I was Christian, and she was Muslim. I asked her many questions about Islam, and she answered; moreover, she gave me several books to read. However, the more I read about Islam, the more questions I had. She was equally shocked when I have announced my acceptance of Islam in 1989.

I also have to mention my paternal uncle, Abdul Kareem Stuurman, who had embraced Islam approximately 25 years ago. When I wanted to know more about Islam, he answered my questions as well. He equally gave me several books to read. He gave me more information about the True Religion.

At the Karate Club

At a later stage, Wasila subscribed to a Karate Club that she convinced me to join as well. Fortunately, the person in charge of the club, Faried Louis, was also a believer, a young man who had embraced Islam. He used to invite us, the youngsters, to his house where we held discussions about Islam andAhlul-Bait (a.s.). He gave us several books about Islam, the Apostle (p.b.u.h.), and his purified family (a.s.). I became a believer following the teachings of this Islamic school. I found out that Imamism or Jaafari Twelverism is a correct flawless doctrine in spite of the attempts made by others to distort the image of this sect and make it look as though it were an apostate movement. I must also not forget my late next-door neighbor Ibrahim Davids who has taught me many things about Islam and was one of the first who introduced me to the teachings ofAhlul-Bait (a.s.).

The Family: Rejection then Acceptance

My mother initially did not like the idea of me being Muslim; however, when she saw that she could not stop me, she ‘backed down’ and accepted me as such. Likewise, my father was vehemently opposed to the idea; however, when they have seen that their opposition bore no fruit, they had to make peace with the idea. Up to now, I enjoy considerable amicable and cordial relations with both my parents. When they saw my insistence, they backed down and made peace with a Muslim in the Family.

Freedom of conviction and belief

The profound impact of my acceptance of Islam was phenomenal. For the first time in my life, I felt the freedom of asking questions about Islam, for asking questions freely is something that distinguishes Islam and Muslims from others. This was the major fulfillment I enjoyed besides the fact that Islam is built on logic, reason, and rational thinking.

Whenever a person buries the inherent prejudice, bias, and superstitious beliefs, he has inherited from the family and society, he will arrive at logic, reason, and rational thinking.

Furthermore, utmost sincerity, true honesty, and truthfulness are the only ingredients to arrive at the truth whereby Allah has promised that He will help anyone if this is his motto!

Presently, I am still studying the creed,Sharia and concepts of Islam in aHawza (seminary) in Lebanon to be able to fulfill my duty and invite my countrymen to Islam when I return,Inshallah , to my homeland. I am also translating some useful books in this regard.

Islam in South Africa

Islam is looked upon in a good light in South Africa, but with suspicion because of the people’s ignorance of the faith and due to the international propaganda against it. May Allah help them see the light and accept it as well! Presently, scores of people embrace Islam annually, especially the doctrine ofAhlul-Bait (a.s.).

Spreading Islam requires intensive efforts by Muslim activists, especially as South Africa had been burdened with a racist regime whose repercussions are still taking their toll on the people there.

Coming Home to Islam:

Personal Accounts of New Muslims

●« We directly experienced the way of Islam - the beauty of people striving to live a spiritual life »

The Lutz family

●« This religion is imminently practical and yet profound »

Muhammad Amin Bootman

●« When I converted, it was because my heart was telling me to »

Jennifer Mclennan

It is our pleasure to publish these three statements by American men and women who have recently converted to Islam. These testimonies serve as evidence to the fact that, in spite of all the complications and difficulties, Islam is still capturing many hearts and minds that have been exhausted by the long walk on roads that contradict the mind and soul and lead to alienation and concern.

Testimony of the Lutz Family of New Mexico: As narrated by Rahmah Lutz

We first encountered the teachings of Islam over twenty years ago when we were a young married couple with two beautiful children. We had sought a spiritual path for a while and had met many good and sincere people from different disciplines. Every path had benefits that we enjoyed, but none of them« fit » comfortably.

This led to a study of the teachings of Islam, and we began to repeat the key word that surfaced over and over:« Allah » . We fasted duringRamadan although we still didn’t understand the regulations of the fast, and we made simple attempts to pray as best we could.

At the time we were isolated in a small town in southern Colorado and had never met any Muslims. In the summer of 1977, I attended a Women’s Weekend at Lama Foundation, a spiritual center located on a beautiful and remote mountain top in northern New Mexico. For the first time, I prayed with Muslim women and asked questions about Islam. I returned home convinced that Islam was the« way of the family. »

My husband, Abdur Rahim, then visited the Lama Foundation himself, and we were invited to spend the winter studying Islamic texts at the Intensive Study Center. There were available copies of Al-Qur’an Al-Karim and collections ofHadiths . Abdur Rahim accepted the invitation, came home, quit his job, packed up our family, and we moved to the mountain.

We were directed to some young American Muslim families living in Santa Fe. When they discovered we were interested in Islam, they took us into their homes so we could pray with them and ask questions. Never once did they suggest we might be burdening them, although they were struggling to support their families on very little income.

Never once did they suggest we should pay for spiritual instruction. They believed that Allah had sent us to their door, and they opened their doors wide to receive us. We not only studied Islam from books; we directly experienced the way of Islam - the beauty of people striving to live a spiritual life and share their knowledge, provision, and blessings without question.

Testimony of Muhammad Amin Bootman, Vice - President, Bank of America

My wife and I converted to Islam a few years ago and, more recently, some of our older children have as well. Admittedly, our path to this religion has been traveled in slow motion. I had studied the ideas of George Gurdjieff for over 30 years, all of my adult life.

Here in California, where New Age religions and Eastern philosophies flourish, there has been a lack of popular interest in Islam. Negative press is certainly part of the reason, but at a personal level, I can only say that Islam was simply invisible.

In this culture, everyone loves to shop. New malls, subcultures, and belief systems seem to pop up overnight. Ironically, locked within the confines of the ultimate secular state, increasing numbers of people are shopping for religions.

As a convert, I can now see that it is a great pity that this religion is not at the top of the shopping list because, in some strange way, Islam includes everything else. As a newcomer, it was something of a shock over the last few years to encounter the marked Islamic reverence for all the prophets of the Torah and the Gospels. There seems to be a lot more about Moses and Abraham in The Qur’an than the Prophet himself, (peace be upon all of them). When you think about it, such deference and innate modesty would, indeed, befit the bearer of God’s final and perfected message to all of mankind. A faith such as Islam, which resolutely focuses on the Unseen One, has an uphill battle to get noticed at all.

My hope at this point, as a husband and a father, is that Islam will provide a much-needed balance for my family. Children learn by example, and this religion presents a standard of behavior quite beyond anything in my own culture. This religion is imminently practical and yet profound. In fact, Islam seems to be constructed along the lines of a whole series of balances. It is direct and yet sophisticated.

Testimony of Jennifer McLennan: Former Marketing Officer, British Columbia

It happened so gradually that I didn’t recognize what happened until I sat down to tell this story. I bought a computer with a free CD-Rom encyclopedia, and the first thing I did was look up« Islam. » A colleague at work learned of my budding research and asked very casually if I’d learned about the Sufis. He was from the South Pacific himself, but had read extensively about them. So off I went to the library and checked out all the books on Sufism. I didn’t get very far, though I enrolled in a course on Islamic Art.

I was floored. The professor’s approach was to teach the basic tenets of Islam before delving into the art. Since everything in Islam is done in the Name of God, I learned, it seemed to make sense.

It was like everything I had come to believe on my own - through informal explorations as a teenager and formal schooling as a university student, and self-analysis - was rolled up into a neat little package and handed to me. I had never felt so much like I belonged to something and that something was made for me. The Islamic concepts of God and angels, its recognition of all holy books, its respect for other religions and policy of tolerance for other religions, and many other truths rang true to me.

I went to my professor after the course was over and asked what I should do. At that moment, she became the guiding light in my life that she remains today.

A few people questioned my conversion: they thought it too hasty and not well thought out, but most expressed their apprehensions, however, gently about the religion of Islam. The funny thing is that I didn’t know what they were talking about. Born in 1975, I wasn’t exposed to the fame Islam was subject to until the Gulf War. Even then I didn’t understand enough of what was going on to develop prejudices against Islam. What I learned, I learned in my heart, and when I converted it was because my heart was telling me to, not because it made sense in any other way, because in the worldly sense, it didn’t.

I know now that it was the greatest decision I have ever made - the first one I made for my heart and soul. And I know now that I was right to do so because the obstacles I might have expected to encounter early on this path have not appeared for me. My family and friends have been beyond supportive, and the Muslim community has been very open in welcoming me.Alhamdulillah .

French Sister Marie Therese

(Hajja Mariam)

● I was fond of looking for knowledge and truth; I felt I had before me a goal that I had to pursue.

● When hijab and job conflicted, I preferred to quit the work and maintain hijab to be in harmony with my principle and creed.

Marie Therese Chambordone (Hajja Mariam) is a lady who has been guided to Islam in the wake of a meeting that took place in the French University of Poitiers with a law student who later became a well know lawyer. Poitiers, that old city, is the first Gallic town at which the Arab conquerors arrived after landing in Andalusia (history says a decisive battle between Arabs and Franks, led by Charles Martel, took place there at a site called the Land of Martyrs - Marbre des Martyres - and Arabs had to retreat from Poitiers). It is the city that resisted the Arabs.

Conquered, Marie’s heart responded to the invitation of Islam, the faith in which there is no compulsion. If the sword could not penetrate through that town, the calm logic and the disputation in the best manner managed to get through the doors of the spirit, thought, and heart of a French young woman that was an Education student.

In her house in a quiet district of Beirut’s suburbs where she lives with her husband lawyer Samih Hamdan,Noor Al-Islam met her and had this interview.

Q: Could you first tell us briefly about your birth and childhood?

A. I was born in Poitiers, a French town that is around 350 km to the southwest of Paris, to Catholic parents. My father was a clerk in a factory. After I finished my basic schooling, I went to the Education College and I graduated as a teacher; I taught for a few years in France before I came to Lebanon.

During my childhood, I got some religious education. At that time, students in France received religious education, but that was not compulsory; it rather had to do with the parents’ choice. A priest or a vicar was entrusted with teaching children of ages between 7 and 12.

I liked those lessons, especially the morals which urged us to behave well. These lessons guided my life; for instance, we were taught not to lie, to be kind and tolerant, not to harm anyone, besides what is stated in the Ten Commandments such as prohibition of adultery, killing, theft, etc.

When I came of age, I felt that my feelings and thoughts were drawn to what is absolute and true. I was fond of looking for knowledge and truth. I felt as if I had something missing and that I had a goal that I needed to pursue.

Q: How did you embrace Islam?

A: Before Islam was introduced to me, I used to feel that Allah was always there, in my entity. When I felt happy, I thanked Him. As if I was waiting for that change that has filled my entity with the gifts of the True Religion.

I was sitting in the college cafeteria and the student who later became my husband was sitting close to me. It was a coincidence that we met in that scientific atmosphere that was open to dialogue and questions.

When the waiter served food made of pork, Samih said he could not have such food because it isHaram (prohibited) inSharia and according to medicine. Instead, he ordered Halal meat or a vegetarian meal. When he was asked about that, he answered briefly. Here I intervened because I wanted to know about that issue. He told me that that meat was not good for eating according to theSharia teachings and to medicine, for when Allah prohibited eating it, that was due to His wisdom and benignancy. I accepted his reply. When we met later, I ordered a Halal meal or, if that was not available, a vegetarian one.

Afterwards, I started asking questions about the facts of this religion that prohibited eating pork.

(Noor Al-Islam reporter drew Mrs. Hamdan’s attention to the fact that pork was prohibited in Christianity as well, and Roman emperors used to force some of the early Christians to eat it and threaten to kill them if they did not.)

After that meeting, I was able to obtain a copy of The Holy Quran interpreted into French by a Moroccan and a Frenchman; the translation was not good. Today I have two other translations, one Saudi and the other Iranian.

I met my husband in France but did not know the truth about Islam. However, when I moved to Beirut my understanding of things became deeper. When I had my children, they are five, the eldest, Shadi, wanted to studySharia at the Islamic University; he helped me understand the principles and teachings of Islam. As soon as I arrived in Beirut, I started performing the duties, such as praying and fasting, and Allah has presented me with the gift of going to Hajj. I also accepted wearingHijab , which I preferred to maintaining my job as a teacher in a French school in Lebanon. Therefore, as soon as I finished my contract with the French state, I rendered my resignation to the College Protestants, because whenhijab and job conflicted, I preferred to quit the work and maintainhijab to be in harmony with my principle and creed.

Q: How do you view Islam and Muslims today?

A: If I have the right to classify others - because I do not attribute purity to my soul, as Allah, be He exalted, says in The Holy Quran{ Do not attribute purity to your souls; He knows him best who guards (against evil) } -, Muslims, in my opinion, are divided into four categories:

- Those born as Muslims but do not hold the Islamic creed: They do not know about the rules of the True Religion. In fact, they know nothing about wajibs (duties). These include the women not observinghijab , nor wearing decent clothes, and thus spreading trial and temptation:

- Those born as Muslims with creed but without education: These love Allah (s.w.t.), the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and the Imams (a.s.). However, theyare not well-educated when it comes to Islamic education. They usually do not differentiate between customs and myths, such as superstition about the number 13, and they think this is religion. There arewajib acts that these people neglect, but they perform things not related to religion thinking otherwise.

- Those born as Muslims with creed and education: Those are the ones who had studied Islam and are able to teach it to others. They have the ability to persuade; however, they believe in Islam theoretically. Some of them lie, cheat, dissemble, backbite, slander, act arrogantly, and do not show tolerance.

- Muslims in birth, creed, education and action: These do exist, although they are few. They spread in the earth a lovely air. When one sees them, one smiles and is pleased. They are the ones described by the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) when he says:« The closest of you to me on Judgment Day are those with the best ethics, those who smile and are kind to others. » They are the humble who like others and are liked by others. They are the ones who seek to live a pure Islamic life throughout every moment of their days. They are tolerant and humble, they assist others and are models to those who know them, and they only say what is necessary for them to say; they live as strangers in their communities.

Q: What is your opinion on women in general, and how do you evaluate hijab?

A: The woman is included in the aforementioned categories. Women frequently make mistakes such as appearing in public with make up that makes them source of trial, temptation and seduction; this is a result of poor house education and the influence of the milieu, school, and the media (newspapers, magazines, television, and cinema). All that may lead the woman to blindly imitate the westerners and ignore the values of the True Religion.

A believer woman does not believe in parts of the Book and disbelieves in other parts. On the contrary, she commits herself to The Holy Quran and its instructions and she sees in the Sura of an-Noor (Light) and the Verse ofHijab (Veil) instructors and guides.

I have observedhijab and wore it since I understood that it is a Divine order. Being a believer means nothing other than being obedient to Allah’s orders. If I didn’t do so, it means that I’m placing my will and desire above the Creator’s will.

Q: Then what are the merits of hijab in your opinion?

A:Hijab is something that protects and maintains the woman and the man alike. It tells the woman to be decent in the way she moves and speaks, and makes her safe from others’ mentioning the details of her body and spares her backbiting, becausehijab prevents others from seeing the details of her body. Besides, it bars her from talking about fashion which wastes time uselessly.Hijab makes me monitor myself and my movements, behave well, and talk to others in chastity as I am wearing this outfit which is imposed by Islam. When I first wore it, I felt gratitude to The Creator Who has guided me to the blessing of the True Religion. When a girl wearshijab this means she knows a lot about Islam, for it is a position, an opinion, and a commitment.

Q: How do you view the West?

A: When I look at the westerners objectively, I see that they have a lot of defects and types of corruption and debauchery. However, they have also some virtues such as honesty, cooperation, respect of others, respect of others’ freedoms, and precision in dealing with one another.

I feel regret for the westerners’ ignorance of Islam although they have many virtues and traits that Islam commends and urges its followers to observe.

Q: What do you like to say finally to the readers?

A: I have nothing to add other than reminding that a Muslim should feel his duty towards his fellow Muslim. They should not neglect guiding and advising one another. I also urge Muslims to narrow the gap between thought and practice, between theory and application.

Late British Muslim Hajj Abdullah Malek

(Arthur Henry Broer King):

This is how Allah, be He exalted, has guided me to Islam.

This is another bright witness and another story by someone who was guided to Islam, a story that clearly manifests the attractiveness of this great faith, its ability to penetrate the heart and living souls and to waken and attract minds regardless of how remote they are or how different their interests are. This is what one gets from the story of late British Muslim Hajj Abdullah Malek’s conversion to Islam which he himself had typed before his death in Beirut.Noor al-Islam obtained the story from the family of his widow Mrs. Suheila a-Sabbagh. Some parts of the story were taken away for the sake of brevity.

Upbringing and Education

I was born in London on July 31, 1926. My father, Reginald Canton King, was British, while my mother, Magdolina, was Dutch. I had no brothers or sisters, since my mother died when I was 18 months old, and my father never married after her death. He died when I was 14.

I went to a British public school until I was 19 years old. At that time, World War II broke out. When London was bombarded by the German forces I worked in the civil defense as a school activity. I was also a champion in fencing.

The Military Background

I joined the British Army in 1946, following the end of World War II. In early 1947 I became an emergency infantry officer. I liked the army life and decided to have a permanent job in the army. I underwent the necessary tests and arrangements and had that job.

In 1951, my battalion traveled to Malay in the Far East where the Chinese Communist organizations staged a guerilla war with the aim of controlling that country and making it Communist.

I returned to England by the end of 1953 and was appointed as battalion adjutant with the rank of a captain. In 1958, my battalion was overseas again as we were dispatched to Bahrain on a special mission in Al-Mohraq Island where we carried out war games in the desert. Nine months later I was promoted to major. Later I became a special administration staff officer in the British Armed Forces in Masqat, Oman. There were a lot of problems and riots at that time between the rebels and the sultan’s rule. Although the time I spent there was short, I got to know the geographic nature of Oman especially as I moved a lot in the country.

Embracing Islam

When I was 35, I reached the turning point of my life, the moment of decision-making. I was a major in the British forces, and I had a good chance to be promoted as I was a graduate of the staff and command college. However, I did not sleep comfortably. I always had strange thoughts and concerns. I fought those fears until I took the tough decision, following a long road of struggle with my self, and became Muslim in the year 1963. I knew I might have to render my resignation from the British Army.

I have had interest in religion since my early school days, when I was raised to Protestantism. In school also I was driven by my needs and experiences towards the Protestant Bishopric Church. Anyhow, my religious interests weakened after I finished schooling because of my new military career.

During my service in the British Army in Malay, my interest in religion was revived as I had good ties with the citizens and civilians there. Consequently, I learned about and saw the way four faiths were practiced in Malay: Christianity by the Europeans, Hinduism by the Indians, Buddhism by the Chinese, and Islam by native Malays.

In the beginning, I took interest in all religions. I asked simple but deep questions just to ease my curiosity. I then felt that I was attracted by Islam and the secure tranquil life that Muslims led. I believe my actual interest in Islam began when I first witnessed the Holy Month ofRamadan , when Muslims fast all day long the entire month every year. I was touched by the enthusiasm the Muslim Malays had about this month. I felt an urge to learn more about this religion that orders its followers to be humble and to subdue their bodies and needs. I wanted to draw a comparison between Islam and Christianity, so I studied each of the two faiths thoroughly. Just like any Christian, I had many questions about the clergymen. I had the chance to notice the lives of many priests; I was upset because they would not answer many of my questions. They insisted, though, that they could mediate between me and God claiming that they could forgive and ease any sin on His behalf. I have always felt that my faith is a personal matter between me and my Creator. Once again, I sensed that if one believes in a faith, one needs to live it, not to only be present in a church once a week. This is part of the old problem: faith with no action.

When I visited Kuala Lumpur, the Malay capital, I went to libraries and bought all the books I found about religion, especially the Islamic faith, including a translated copy of The Holy Quran, Islam’s sacred book. I was also sent books from England. I read them gluttonously at all the spare time I had. Besides, I spent many hours discussing the issue of Islam with friends.

I remained confused until two things became clear to me:

There is no way to doubt the Oneness of Allah; I felt this is what I could believe in, for it was more logical than the Trinity principle.

Islam proposes a complete way of living. In Islam, it is not enough to be faithful: you need to live Islam in every minute and every day of your life.

Guidance

Contemplating the issue, I believed that if there was a god, he would certainly guide any person whom he sees is really seeking the truth and that there must be power in prayer. Therefore, I prayed enthusiastically seeking guidance to the truth from Allah. Then I had a vision: I had a dream in which thousands of people walked and trotted around theKaaba . That was a long time before I knew anything about the Hajj rituals and circumambulating theKaaba . Following that dream, many doubts were removed from my mind. As I proceeded with reading, I knew that I was getting closer and closer to Islam; I have actually been guided.

By the end of 1953, it was time for me to leave Malay. Then Allah guided me to the faith. Nevertheless, I still had some doubt as I wondered whether my belief in Islam was a result of my relations with Malay and my Malayan friends. Besides, I feared that people may say bad things about me if I converted to Islam. Therefore, driven by my weakness, I decided not to take any further steps but to return to England and indulge in military life leaving things to move according to the natural course.

Three years of disinterest in religion passed, then I saw the same dream again; it awoke my conscience, and I realized that I was destined to become a real active Muslim. Nonetheless, I chose to take some more time as I thought that I was still young and had a lot of time and life ahead, and so decided to take my decision after I finish my military service.

Here I have to go back with my story to those days when I was a staff officer in the sultanate armed forces in Masqat. As I worked there, I wanted once again to be part of the method of the Islamic life and join, during the month ofRamadan , the ranks of the Muslim believers (Arabs, Pakistanis, and Baluch) who faithfully performed their duties.

Physical dangers had me consider the possibility of having a short life. Death by landmines was quite common at that time; people were killed when their cars moved on landmines, and I thought the same could happen to my car, and I could get killed. I wanted to die as a Muslim, if that was Allah’s will, after I did what I knew was the right thing to do. I wanted to be buried as a Muslim and stand before my Creator as a Muslim.

The next day after I left Masqat, thoughts stormed into my mind. I wondered whether I had the courage to declare my conversion or to keep it as a secret. The devil tempted me to neglect the whole thing. But I knew that I would hate myself for the rest of my life if I did so. I kept asking myself:« Should I do it? Can I do it? » The answer would not take long to come.

The next morning, an Arab driver came to wake me up. Seeing my translated copy of The Holy Quran he was surprised and asked me,« Do you read The Holy Quran? » Having taken my decision, I replied,« Alhamdulillah, I’m a Muslim. » When he heard those words, the driver embraced me and kissed my cheeks. I was overwhelmed with a sense of relief and happiness for taking the decision, so I cried.

When I arrived in Sharjah, I told my British commander that I had embraced Islam; he was shocked. Some British officers, who were annoyed by my conversion, opposed me, while the Muslims in the force rejoiced, and I was assisted by their backing to bear the difficulties. Many Arab men and officers helped me learn about my faith and its duties, especially praying in Arabic, along with the life style I should lead as a Muslim.

Shortly after the Month ofRamadan in 1962, I went to the Judge of Sharjah who questioned me about my faith. When I testified my witness as a Muslim, he wrote me a certificate stating that I had accepted Islam as a faith and become a Muslim. My name as a Muslim became Abdullah Abdel-Malek. Then I rendered my resignation from the British Army.

My New Life

When it was time for me to leave the United Arab Emirates, I decided to spend my vacation in Lebanon. For me as a Muslim, I wanted to learn all that was possible about Islam, The Quran,Hadith , and IslamicSharia (Law). I knew that was difficult in Abu Dhabi, but in Lebanon there were many MuslimUlama from whom I could learn a lot. Then, in 1964, I was able, Thank Allah, to go to Hajj.

Later in that year, a friend suggested that I marry a very good believer young woman whose family he knew very well. I liked the young woman very much, and we got married in 1966. We had a very happy life,Alhamdulillah .

In 1967, I went to Hajj for the second time, this time accompanied by my wife. Thank Allah; we had a baby-boy, Muhammad, in February 1969. We thanked Allah for the precious gift.

I worked in Lebanon in clothing trade and in premises besides my perseverance in learning about Islam. Of course, I also learned to speak informal Arabic and was able to read The Holy Quran fluently.