Prof Dr Maurice Bucaille dari Perancis Masuk Islam Gara-gara Mumi Firaun

Prof Dr Maurice Bucaille dari Perancis Masuk Islam Gara-gara Mumi Firaun

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Asep Awalluddin menulispada 22 Juli 2009 jam 16:01

Maurice Bucaille tak Ragu dengan Kebenaran Alquran

Penelitiannya tentang Mumi Firaun membawanya pada kebenaran Alquran.

Suatu hari di pertengahan tahun 1975, sebuah tawaran dari pemerintah Prancis datang kepada pemerintah Mesir. Negara Eropa tersebut menawarkan bantuan untuk meneliti, mempelajari, dan menganalisis mumi Firaun. Tawaran tersebut disambut baik oleh Mesir. Setelah mendapat restu dari pemerintah Mesir, mumi Firaun tersebut kemudian digotong ke Prancis. Bahkan, pihak Prancis membuat pesta penyambutan kedatangan mumi Firaun dengan pesta yang sangat meriah.

Mumi itu pun dibawa ke ruang khusus di Pusat Purbakala Prancis, yang selanjutnya dilakukan penelitian sekaligus mengungkap rahasia di baliknya oleh para ilmuwan terkemuka dan para pakar dokter bedah dan otopsi di Prancis. Pemimpin ahli bedah sekaligus penanggung jawab utama dalam penelitian mumi ini adalah Prof Dr Maurice Bucaille.

Bucaille adalah ahli bedah kenamaan Prancis dan pernah mengepalai klinik bedah di Universitas Paris. Ia dilahirkan di Pont-L’Eveque, Prancis, pada 19 Juli 1920. Bucaille memulai kariernya di bidang kedokteran pada 1945 sebagai ahli gastroenterology. Dan, pada 1973, ia ditunjuk menjadi dokter keluarga oleh Raja Faisal dari Arab Saudi.

Tidak hanya anggota keluarga Raja Faisal yang menjadi pasiennya. Anggota keluarga Presiden Mesir kala itu, Anwar Sadat, diketahui juga termasuk dalam daftar pasien yang pernah menggunakan jasanya.

Namanya mulai terkenal ketika ia menulis buku tentang Bibel, Alquran, dan ilmu pengetahuan modern atau judul aslinya dalam bahasa Prancis yaitu La Bible, le Coran et la Science di tahun 1976.

Ketertarikan Bucaille terhadap Islam mulai muncul ketika secara intens dia mendalami kajian biologi dan hubungannya dengan beberapa doktrin agama. Karenanya, ketika datang kesempatan kepada Bucaille untuk meneliti, mempelajari, dan menganalisis mumi Firaun, ia mengerahkan seluruh kemampuannya untuk menguak misteri di balik penyebab kematian sang raja Mesir kuno tersebut.

Ternyata, hasil akhir yang ia peroleh sangat mengejutkan! Sisa-sisa garam yang melekat pada tubuh sang mumi adalah bukti terbesar bahwa dia telah mati karena tenggelam. Jasadnya segera dikeluarkan dari laut dan kemudian dibalsem untuk segera dijadikan mumi agar awet.

Penemuan tersebut masih menyisakan sebuah pertanyaan dalam kepala sang profesor. Bagaimana jasad tersebut bisa lebih baik dari jasad-jasad yang lain, padahal dia dikeluarkan dari laut?

Prof Bucaille lantas menyiapkan laporan akhir tentang sesuatu yang diyakininya sebagai penemuan baru, yaitu tentang penyelamatan mayat Firaun dari laut dan pengawetannya. Laporan akhirnya ini dia terbitkan dengan judul Mumi Firaun; Sebuah Penelitian Medis Modern, dengan judul aslinya, Les momies des Pharaons et la midecine. Berkat buku ini, dia menerima penghargaan Le prix Diane-Potier-Boes (penghargaan dalam sejarah) dari Academie Frantaise dan Prix General (Penghargaan umum) dari Academie Nationale de Medicine, Prancis.

Terkait dengan laporan akhir yang disusunnya, salah seorang di antara rekannya membisikkan sesuatu di telinganya seraya berkata: ”Jangan tergesa-gesa karena sesungguhnya kaum Muslimin telah berbicara tentang tenggelamnya mumi ini”. Bucaille awalnya mengingkari kabar ini dengan keras sekaligus menganggapnya mustahil.

Menurutnya, pengungkapan rahasia seperti ini tidak mungkin diketahui kecuali dengan perkembangan ilmu modern, melalui peralatan canggih yang mutakhir dan akurat.

Hingga salah seorang di antara mereka berkata bahwa Alquran yang diyakini umat Islam telah meriwayatkan kisah tenggelamnya Firaun dan kemudian diselamatkannya mayatnya.

Ungkapan itu makin membingungkan Bucaille. Lalu, dia mulai berpikir dan bertanya-tanya. Bagaimana mungkin hal itu bisa terjadi? Bahkan, mumi tersebut baru ditemukan sekitar tahun 1898 M, sementara Alquran telah ada ribuan tahun sebelumnya.

Ia duduk semalaman memandang mayat Firaun dan terus memikirkan hal tersebut. Ucapan rekannya masih terngiang-ngiang dibenaknya, bahwa Alquran–kitab suci umat Islam–telah membicarakan kisah Firaun yang jasadnya diselamatkan dari kehancuran sejak ribuan tahun lalu.

Sementara itu, dalam kitab suci agama lain, hanya membicarakan tenggelamnya Firaun di tengah lautan saat mengejar Musa, dan tidak membicarakan tentang mayat Firaun. Bucaille pun makin bingung dan terus memikirkan hal itu.

Ia berkata pada dirinya sendiri. ”Apakah masuk akal mumi di depanku ini adalah Firaun yang akan menangkap Musa? Apakah masuk akal, Muhammad mengetahui hal itu, padahal kejadiannya ada sebelum Alquran diturunkan?”

Prof Bucaille tidak bisa tidur, dia meminta untuk didatangkan Kitab Taurat (Perjanjian Lama). Diapun membaca Taurat yang menceritakan: ”Airpun kembali (seperti semula), menutupi kereta, pasukan berkuda, dan seluruh tentara Firaun yang masuk ke dalam laut di belakang mereka, tidak tertinggal satu pun di antara mereka”.

Kemudian dia membandingkan dengan Injil. Ternyata, Injil juga tidak membicarakan tentang diselamatkannya jasad Firaun dan masih tetap utuh. Karena itu, ia semakin bingung.

Berikrar Islam
Setelah perbaikan terhadap mayat Firaun dan pemumiannya, Prancis mengembalikan mumi tersebut ke Mesir. Akan tetapi, tidak ada keputusan yang mengembirakannya, tidak ada pikiran yang membuatnya tenang semenjak ia mendapatkan temuan dan kabar dari rekannya tersebut, yakni kabar bahwa kaum Muslimin telah saling menceritakan tentang penyelamatan mayat tersebut. Dia pun memutuskan untuk menemui sejumlah ilmuwan otopsi dari kaum Muslimin.

Dari sini kemudian terjadilah perbincangan untuk pertama kalinya dengan peneliti dan ilmuwan Muslim. Ia bertanya tentang kehidupan Musa, perbuatan yang dilakukan Firaun, dan pengejarannya pada Musa hingga dia tenggelam dan bagaimana jasad Firaun diselamatkan dari laut.

Maka, berdirilah salah satu di antara ilmuwan Muslim tersebut seraya membuka mushaf Alquran dan membacakan untuk Bucaille firman Allah SWT yang artinya: ”Maka pada hari ini kami selamatkan badanmu supaya kamu dapat menjadi pelajaran bagi orang-orang yang datang sesudahmu dan sesungguhnya kebanyakan dari manusia lengah dari tanda-tanda kekuasaan Kami.” (QS Yunus: 92).

Ayat ini sangat menyentuh hati Bucaille. Ia mengatakan bahwa ayat Alquran tersebut masuk akal dan mendorong sains untuk maju. Hatinya bergetar, dan getaran itu membuatnya berdiri di hadapan orang-orang yang hadir seraya menyeru dengan lantang: ”Sungguh aku masuk Islam dan aku beriman dengan Alquran ini”.

Ia pun kembali ke Prancis dengan wajah baru, berbeda dengan wajah pada saat dia pergi dulu. Sejak memeluk Islam, ia menghabiskan waktunya untuk meneliti tingkat kesesuaian hakikat ilmiah dan penemuan-penemuan modern dengan Alquran, serta mencari satu pertentangan ilmiah yang dibicarakan Alquran.

Semua hasil penelitiannya tersebut kemudian ia bukukan dengan judul Bibel, Alquran dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Modern, judul asli dalam bahasa Prancis, La Bible, le Coran et la Science. Buku yang dirilis tahun 1976 ini menjadi best-seller internasional (laris) di dunia Muslim dan telah diterjemahkan ke hampir semua bahasa utama umat Muslim di dunia.

Karyanya ini menerangkan bahwa Alquran sangat konsisten dengan ilmu pengetahuan dan sains, sedangkan Al-Kitab atau Bibel tidak demikian. Bucaille dalam bukunya mengkritik Bibel yang ia anggap tidak konsisten dan penurunannya diragukan. Sumber: Republika

http://bs-ba.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=77898111614&topic=17771&post=156624

Zaid Shakir: Islam, Solusi untuk Menyembuhkan Penyakit Sosial

Nama Imam Zaid Shakir cukup populer di kalangan komunitas Muslim di AS. Ia bukan hanya dikenal sebagai juru dakwah, tapi juga aktif di berbagai kegiatan sosial dan aktif menulis. Mendapat sebutan “imam” adalah hal yang luar biasa bagi Shakir mengingat perjalanan panjangnya sebelum akhirnya ia mengenal Islam dan menjadi seorang Muslim.

Imam Zaid Shakir masuk Islam pada tahun 1977 ketika ia masih bertugas di dinas angkatan udara AS. Setelah itu ia melanjutkan pendidikannya dan meraih gelar BA di bidang hubungan internasional dan MA di bidang ilmu politik di AS.

Shakir pergi ke Kairo, Mesir untuk belajar bahasa Arab. Sekembalinya ke AS, ia menjadi imam di Masjid Al-Islam di New Haven Connecticut dari tahun 1988 sampai 1994. Shakir kemudian pergi ke Maroko untuk melanjutkan studinya di Universitas Abi Noor, salah satu universitas Islam bergengsi di Suriah. Di universitas ini ia memperdalam bahasa Arab, hukum Islam, studi Al-Quran dan spiritualitas.

Lulus Universitas tahun 2001, Shakir kembali ke Connecticut lalu pindah ke Hayward, California tahun 2003 untuk mengajar di Institut Zaytuna dan hingga hari ini, Zaid Shakir menjadi salah satu cendikiawan Muslim yang cukup disegani di AS.

Ditanya soal ikhwal ia menjadi seorang muslim hampir 32 tahun yang lalu, Shakir mengatakan bahwa semua bermula dari pencariannya tentang hakekat hidup yang sebenarnya. Sejak usia remaja, ia sering bertanya pada dirinya sendiri apa makna hidup sebenarnya.

Ketika itu, ia menyaksikan banyak hal negatif di lingkungannya mulai dari masalah alkohol, narkoba dan berbagai kasus sosial dan korban rumah tangga yang berantakan. Shakir memikirkan bagaimana ia bisa memberikan kontribusi untuk mengubah kondisi buruk di lingkungannya dan apa yang bisa dijadikan dasar untuk melakukan perubahan itu.

Semua pertanyaan itu sampai pada puncaknya ketika Shakir mulai mempelajari berbagai agama. Karena lahir dari keluarga Kristen dan tumbuh di lingkungan masyarakat Kristen, ia lebih dulu mempelajari ajaran Kristen lebih mendalam bahkan sampai dibaptis.

“Tapi kalau ada orang yang bertanya apa istimewanya pembaptisan dalam ajaran Katolik, saya tidak tahu jawabannya,” kata Imam Zaid Shakir mengenang masa ketika ia mempelajari ajaran Katolik.

Dari situ, ia membaca banyak buku tentang kekristenan, bagaimana peran seorang Yesus, peran kaisar Romawi dalam perkembangan agama Kristen dan munculnya konsili Nicea. Tapi semakin ia belajar, ia makin ragu dengan ajaran Kristen karena menemukan banyak kontradiksi dalam ajaran dan sejarahnya.

“Itulah yang menjadi perhatian saya ketika itu, bahwa agama Kristen bukan lagi agama yang diturunkan Tuhan untuk umat manusia tapi sudah berubah total menjadi agama buatan manusia,” ujar Shakir.

Ia lalu beralih ke keyakinan-keyakinan reliji dari Timur. Tapi perlahan-lahan, Shakir malah cenderung ke arah atheisme dan komunisme. Ia bahkan sempat beranggapan bahwa komunisme lah yang paling tepat untuk memperbaiki masyarakat yang sakit.

Kurang lebih setahun Shakir menganut keyakinan itu, sampai ia menyadari bahwa keberadaan Tuhan itu tetap penting. “Saya yakin bahwa harus ada Sang Pencipta yang menciptakan hal yang tidak ada menjadi ada, harus ada yang mengatur kehidupan ini,” pikir Shakir.

Ia lalu belajar ajaran Kristen lagi, tapi ia merasa belum mendapatkan jawaban atas pertanyaan-pertanyaannya selama ini. Shakir pun mempelajari agama Budha selama hampir dua tahun dan kerap melakukan meditasi. Saat memperdalam agama Budha itulah, Shakir mendapat sebuah buku tentang Islam berjudul “Islam in Focus”.

Setelah membaca buku itu, Shakir merasa menemukan apa yang dicarinya selama ini. Jawaban atas pertanyaannya tentang siapa itu Tuhan, apa hubungan Tuhan dengan ciptaanNya dan sebagainya.

“Semua pertanyaan itu berawal dari keinginan saya untuk mencari solusi untuk menyembuhkan berbagai penyakit sosial di masyarakat. Dan dalam Islam, saya menemukan tuntutan yang jelas untuk solusi itu. Itu artinya saya sudah menemukan apa yang saya cari, ketika saya mengenal Islam dan saya tidak akan pernah berpaling lagi dari Islam,” tukas Shakir.

Menurutnya, hal yang paling membuatnya tertarik dengan agama Islam adalah gagasan tentang persaudaraan antar sesama manusia, sesama umat Islam di seluruh dunia meski banyak umat Islam yang menganut mazhab yang berbeda-beda.

Shakir tidak pernah melupakan saat pertama ia mengucapkan dua kalimat syahadat. Ia selalu menyebutnya sebagai pengalaman yang emosional. Shakir tak bisa menahan tangisnya saat mengucapkan syahadat dan hal itu masih sering terjadi jika ia menyaksikan orang yang bersyahadat untuk menjadi seorang Muslim.

Setelah menjadi seorang Muslim, Shakir yang ketika itu masih bertugas di dinas angkatan udara AS mendapatkan dukungan dari rekan-rekannya yang mualaf. Meski komunitas Muslim sedikit, hubungan antar mereka sangat kuat.

http://www.eramuslim.com/berita/dakwah-mancanegara/zaid-shakir-perjalanan-panjang-dari-mualaf-menjadi-cendikiawan-muslim.htm

List of converts to Islam

List of converts to Islam

List of converts to Islam

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The following is a list of notable people who converted to Islam from a different religion or no religion. This article addresses only past professions of faith by the individuals listed, and is not intended to address ethnic, cultural, or other considerations. Such cases are noted in their list entries.

At this juncture, it is appropriate to indicate that it is central to Islamic belief that every human being born into this world is a Moamen. It is the upbringing of the child by the parents that keeps the child to practice or not practice Iman as a mature teenager. If someone comes into the fold of Islam, he/she has technically reverted to Islam, rather than converted to Islam. Hence, it is better to refer to conversions as reversions.

Contents [hide] 1 From Abrahamic religions 1.1 From Christianity 1.1.1 A 1.1.2 B 1.1.3 C 1.1.4 D 1.1.5 E 1.1.6 F 1.1.7 G 1.1.8 H 1.1.9 I 1.1.10 J 1.1.11 K 1.1.12 L 1.1.13 M 1.1.14 N 1.1.15 O 1.1.16 P 1.1.17 Q 1.1.18 R 1.1.19 S 1.1.20 T 1.1.21 U 1.1.22 V 1.1.23 W 1.1.24 X 1.1.25 Y 1.1.26 Z 1.2 From Judaism 1.2.1 A 1.2.2 E 1.2.3 H 1.2.4 I 1.2.5 J 1.2.6 K 1.2.7 L 1.2.8 M 1.2.9 N 1.2.10 Q 1.2.11 R 1.2.12 S 1.2.13 U 1.2.14 W 1.2.15 Y 2 From Dharmic religions 2.1 From Buddhism 2.2 From Hinduism 2.3 From Sikhism 3 Other 3.1 From Paganism 3.1.1 B 3.1.2 D 3.1.3 N 3.1.4 S 3.1.5 T 3.2 From Zoroastrianism 3.3 From Atheism 3.4 Undetermined former religion 4 Disputed or forced conversions 5 See also 6 References

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[edit] From Abrahamic religions

[edit] From Christianity

Keith Ellison American, raised Catholic, Representative from Minnesota’s 5th congressional district, first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress^{[citation needed]}

Yusuf Estes, a convert to Islam, is the National Muslim Chaplain for Muslim Americans.^[1]

Claude Alexandre de Bonneval as Humbaracı Ahmet Paşa

Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican reggae musician

Muhammad Ali– a convert to Islam.

Malcolm X– famous Muslim convert and civil rights leader

Mohammed Zakariya

Timothy Winter at Al-Hidayah (26 August 2007)

Chris Eubank British boxer

[edit] A

• Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar (Sharmon Shah) – former NFL football player^[2]
• Abu Tammam – 9th century Arab poet born to Christian parents.^[3]
• Abu Usamah – controversial American-born Imam of Green Lane Masjid in Birmingham, UK. Accused of preaching messages of hate towards non-Muslims in a UK Television documentary.^[4]
• Adam Yahiye Gadahn – spokesperson for Al-Qaeda; on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list^[5][6]
• Ahmad Rashād – Emmy award-winning sportscaster (mostly with NBC Sports) and former American football wide receiver.^[7][8]
• Ahmed Santos – Filipino, fugitive, founder of the Rajah Solaiman Movement & suspected by Filipino authorities to be an Al Qaeda operative converted From Catholicism^[9][10][11]
• Ahmad Thomson – British barrister and writer and also a member of the Murabitun movement.^[12]
• Akhenaton – French rapper and producer of French hip hop.^[13]
• Alexander Litvinenko – former Russian spy converted to Islam on his deathbed.^{[14] [15]}
• Alexander Russell Webb – Former Presbyterian.^[16] American journalist, newspaper owner, and former Consul-General of the U.S.A. in the Philippines.^[17][18]
• André Carson – former Baptist,^[19] second Muslim to serve the United States Congress.^[20]
• Anne Sophie Roald a Swedish theologist.
• Anthony Green or Abdul Raheem Green, Converted from Catholicism to Islam, and is now an Islamic lecturer.^[21]
• Art Blakey – American Jazz musician^[22]
• Aukai Collins – fought in Chechnya, paid FBI informant, author of an autobiographical book^[23]

[edit] B

• Benjamin Chavis – controversial former head of the NAACP; joined the Nation of Islam^[24]
• Bernard Hopkins – American boxer^[25]
• Betty Shabazz – wife of Malcolm X; former Methodist.^[26]
• Bilal Philips – Islamic scholar and author^[27]
• Bruno Metsu – French coach of the Senegal team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup^[28]
• Busta Rhymes – Music artist, born to Rastafari parents

[edit] C

• Cat Stevens the English singer of Greek ancestry.
• Count Cassius– Visigothic aristocrat who founded the Banu Qasi dynasty of Muladi rulers.^[29]
• Chris Eubank – British boxer^[30]
• Claude Alexandre de Bonneval – 18th century French nobleman.^[31]

[edit] D

• Daniel Moore – poet ^[32]
• Danny Thompson – English double bass player converted from Catholicism.^[33]
• Danny Williams – British boxer^[34]
• David Belfield – American, fled to Iran after assassinating Ali Akbar Tabatabai, an Iranian dissident.^[35]
• David Benjamin Keldani an Iranian priest, converted from Keldan Christinity.
• David Chappelle – comedian and television star^[36]
• David Hicks– Former Taliban fighter from Australia, recently released from detention in Adelaide. However, he later left Islam while incarcerated.
• Dawud Wharnsby Ali (David Wharnsby) – Canadian singer/poet.^[37][38]

[edit] E

• Emin Pasha – physician, naturalist, and Egyptian governor.^[39]
• Éric Abidal (changed his name to Bilal) – French football player , converted to Islam after marriage.^[40]
• Everlast – Rapper from the Irish-American hip-hop group House of Pain, converted From Catholicism. [13]

[edit] F

• Franck Ribéry– a French football player. His name after he converted to Islam is Bilal.^[41]
• Fredrick De la Marck a South African priest in Johannesberg.

[edit] G

• Gabriele Torsello – Italian freelance photojournalist based in London who was abducted in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.^[42]
• Gary Miller (Abdul-Ahad Omar) is a mathematician and a theologian.
• George XI of Kartli – Saffavid commander.^[43]
• Germaine Lindsay – participated and died in the 7 July 2005 London bombings^[44][45][46]

[edit] H

• Hamza Yusuf – American convert from Greek Orthodox; head of the Zaytuna Institute.^[47]
• Hedley Churchward – English painter^[48]
• Helen Richardson – Indian, Bollywood actress converted From Catholicism

[edit] I

• Ian Dallas – Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi – Sufi shaykh of Scottish origins.^[49]
• Ibrahim Muteferrika (original name not known) – From Unitarian Christianity, an early example of a Muslim publisher and printer.^[50]
• Ibn Jurayj grand father converted from Roman Catholic.
• Ice Cube, the American Rapper.
• Idi Amin Former president of Uganda.
• Ilie II Rareş – prince of Moldavia.^[51]
• Ingrid Mattson – Canadian scholar and current president of the Islamic Society of North America (2006) converted From Catholicism.^[52]
• Isabelle Eberhardt – from Lutheran Christianity, 19th century explorer & writer^[53]
• Ivan Aguéli (Johan Agelii) – famous Swedish painter.^[54][55]
• Iyasu V – Ethiopian emperor.^[56]

[edit] J

• C. Jack Ellis – Mayor of Macon, Georgia^[57]
• Jacques-Francois Menou – French general under Napoleon I of France.^[58]
• Jacques Vergès – French lawyer and famous anti-colonialism known for defending left- and right-wing international terrorists and dictators in court
• James Yee – previously Lutheran^[59] and former U.S. Army Muslim chaplain.^[60]
• Jean de Béthencourt – French explorer who led an expedition to the Canary Islands.^[61]
• Jeffrey Lang, a mathematics professor in USA.^[62]
• Jermaine Jackson (Muhammad Abdul Aziz) – former member of The Jackson 5 and brother of popstars Michael and Janet Jackson.^[63]
• Jerôme Courtailler – one of two French brothers convicted by French authorities in 2004 for abetting terrorists^[44][64][65]
• Jimmy Cliff – Jamaican reggae musician.^[66][67]
• Joe Tex – soul singer and recording artist.^[68]
• St. John Philby – Arabist, explorer, writer, and British colonial office intelligence operative; converted from Anglicanism.^[69]
• John Walker Lindh – the “American Taliban” converted From Catholicism^[70][71]
• John Whitehead – an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.^[72]
• John Nelson – first recorded Englishman to become a Muslim.^[73]
• Jonathan Birt, Jonathan Birt, the son of Lord Birt, former director-general of the BBC, and Emma Clark, the granddaughter of former liberal prime minister Herbert Asquith^[74].
• José Javier Gallego (born 1955) a spanish thinker, writer, crtic of philosophy and history.
• Joseph Thomas – Australian convert, acquitted of terrorism charges, placed under a control order under the Australian Anti-Terrorism Act 2005, currently pending retrial.^[75][76]
• Judar Pasha – conqueror of the Songhai Empire.^[77]

[edit] K

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) – retired basketball player & the NBA’s all-time leading scorer^[78]
• Keith Ellison – American, Representative from Minnesota’s 5th congressional district, first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress, converted From Catholicism^[79]
• Kevin Barrett – university lecturer and member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth.^[80]
• Khalid Yasin – Executive Director of the Islamic Teaching Institute, and a Shaykh currently residing in Australia.^[81]
• Knud Holmboe – Danish journalist and explorer converted From Catholicism.^[82]
• Kurtis Johnson – American citizen converted in April, 2007.

[edit] L

• Dolores “LaLa” Brooks – American musician.^[83]
• Lee Boyd Malvo – convicted of capital murder and arrested for the Beltway sniper attacks, for being involved in 16 murders and 7 additional attempted murders.^[84]
• Lennox Philip see Yasin Abu Bakr below.
• Léon Roche a french who lived in Algeria author of “Dix Ans à travers l’Islam” (Paris: 1904)
• Lorik Cana the Albanian footballer of Olympique de Marseille.

[edit] M

• Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Chris Jackson) – retired basketball player^[85]
• Malcolm X – American, from Christianity to Nation of Islam to Sunni Islam, African-American civil rights leader.^[86]
• Marmaduke Pickthall – famous translator of the Quran.^[87]
• Mario Scialoja – Italian ambassador and President of the World Muslim League.^[88]
• Martin Lings (Abu Bakr Siraj Ad-Din) (1909 – 2005) a british thinker & philosipher.
• Maryam Muhammad or Tawana Brawley see below.
• Matthew Saad Muhammad (formerly Matthew Franklin) – former boxer, converted From Catholicism.^[89]
• Maurice Bucaille a French medical doctor, author of The Bible, The Qur’an and Science, that was translated into several languages.
• Michael Muhammad Knight – American novelist, writer, and journalist.^[90]
• Michael Wolfe the American director.^[91]
• Mihnea Turcitul – was a Prince (Voivode) of Walachia. Converted from Eastern Orthodox Christianity.^[92]
• Muhammad Ali (formally Cassius Clay), from Baptist^[93][94] to The Nation of Islam to Sunni Islam.^[95] famous boxer.
• Mohammad Yousuf – Pakistani cricketer. Known for holding the world record for the most Test runs in a single calendar year, converted From Catholicism.^[96]
• Mohammed Knut Bernström – Swedish ambassador to Venezuela (1963–1969), Spain (1973–1976) and Morocco (1976–1983)^[97]
• Mohammed Zakariya – an American master of Arabic calligraphy, best known for his work on the popular Eid U.S. postage stamp.^[98]
• Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (Philip Barker) – professor of Urdu, former chair of the University of Minnesota‘s Department of South Asian studies and creator of the Tékumel fantasy world.^[99]
• Murad Wilfred Hofmann – NATO official, converted From Catholicism^[100]
• Mgumbe Gumbatiqua -Former Pornstar named Long Dong Silver.

[edit] N

• Nicolas Anelka – French football player^[101]
• Nuh Ha Mim Keller – from Catholicism to agnosticism to Sufism, Islamic scholar.^[102]
• Queen Noor of Jordan (formerly Lisa Najeeb Halaby)^[103]

[edit] O

• Olivier Saint-Jean see Tariq Abdul-Wahad below.
• Omar Bongo – Gabonese, President of Gabon.^[104]
• Omar Pasha – Ottoman general. Converted from Serbian Orthodoxy.^[105]
• Omar Sharif the Egyptian & International actor.

[edit] P

• Peter Murphy – vocalist of the goth/rock group Bauhaus, converted From Catholicism.^[106]
• Philip Barker or Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker see above.
• Philippe Troussier – French, former football player & trainer of a Japanese football team^[107]
• Poncke Princen – Dutch soldier, later human rights activist, converted From Catholicism.^[108]
• Preacher Moss – Former Baptist,^[109] American comedian and comedy writer.^[110]
• Prince Buster, Jamaican singer and producer.

[edit] Q

[edit] R

• Radu cel Frumos – was the younger brother of Vlad Ţepeş (Dracula) and prince of the principality of Wallachia, converted From Catholicism.^[111]
• René Guénon – French Author in the field of metaphysics, converted From Catholicism. ^[112][113]
• Richard Colvin Reid – shoe bomber (convicted terrorist) ^[114]
• Richard Thompson – British musician, best known for his guitar playing and songwriting.^[115]
• Robert D. Crane is the former adviser to the late President Richard Nixon, and is former Deputy Director (for Planning) of the U.S. National Security Council.^[116]
• Robin Padilla – Filipino actor.^[117]
• Roger Garaudy – French philosopher, converted From Catholicism.^[118]
• Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley – British soldier and peer.^[119]
• Rudolf Carl von Slatin – Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in the Sudan.^[120]
• Rustie Lee – British television chef and celebrity.^[121]
• Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood – British author, converted from Protestantism.^[122]
• Ryan G. Anderson – former Lutheran, convicted of charges of espionage for Al Qaeda^[123][124]
• Ryan Harris– football player for the Denver Broncos ^[125]

[edit] S

• Salman the Persian A convert from Christianity^[126] who was previously Zoroastrian. In search for truth, he traveled to Syria to follow Christianity. Upon the death of his teachers, he was directed to head to Arabia, where he was told the final prophet will rise. He later converted to Islam and became one of Muhammad’s first companions.
• Sana al-Sayegh, dean of the Science and Technology Faculty at Palestine International University, converted to Islam in August 2007. Fatah has accused its political rival Hamas of forcing the professor to convert from Christianity, a charge Hamas denies. ^[127]
• Sarah Joseph – commentator on women’s issues and founder of emel magazine, converted From Catholicism.^[128]
• Brad Terrence Jordan (“Scarface”) – American rapper^[129]
• Silma Ihram – formerly a born again Baptist who is an Australian pioneer of Muslim education in the West, founder and former school Principal of the ‘Noor Al Houda Islamic College’, campaigner for racial tolerance, and Author.^[130]
• Siraj Wahaj – Former Baptist.^[131] African-American Imam, noted for his efforts to eliminate Brooklyn‘s drug problems.^[132]
• Sheila Musaji – founder of The American Muslim magazine.^[133]
• Suhaib Webb – American Islamic activist and speaker.^[134]
• Suleiman Pasha – French-born Egyptian commander.^[135]
• Sultaana Freeman – sued the state of Florida for niqab restrictions.^[136]

[edit] T

• Tariq Abdul-Wahad (Olivier Saint-Jean) – originally from France, former basketball player for the Mavericks and Kings^[137]
• Tawana Brawley (changed her name to Maryam Muhammad) – African American woman noted for claiming to have been raped by several white men, a claim determined to be a fabrication by a grand jury. Later in life she converted to Islam.^[138][139]
• Tekuder – Mongol leader of the Ilkhan empire who was formerly a Nestorian Christian.^[140]
• Thomas J. Abercrombie – photographer^[141]
• Timothy Winter – prominent British Islamic thinker and scholar, and a lecturer in Islamic studies in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge.^[142]
• Top Topham – rock guitarist from England.^[143]
• Torquato Cardilli – Italian ambassador, converted From Catholicism.^[144]

[edit] U

[edit] V

• Vincenzo Luvineri – American rapper and the lyricist behind the Philadelphia underground hip-hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, converted From Catholicism.^[145]

[edit] W

• Wadih el-Hage born to a Maronite Christian family in Sidon, Lebanon, a former al-Qaeda member.
• William Abdullah Quilliam – 19th century British poet, ambassador and journalist.^[146]
• Willie Brigitte – French convert to Islam who associated with al-Qaeda in Pakistan and was possibly involved in a plot to conduct a terrorist operation in Australia.^[147]
• Will Ellis – American artist and scholar.

[edit] X

[edit] Y

• Yahiya Emerick – American Muslim scholar, President of the Islamic Foundation of North America, converted from Protestantism.^[148]
• Yasin Abu Bakr (Lennox Philip) – of Trinidad and Tobago, under trial for an attempted coup as of March 9, 2006^[149]
• Yusuf Estes – Former preacher and federal prison chaplain, converted from Protestantism.^[1]
• Yvonne Ridley – British journalist, from Anglicanism. She converted after being kidnapped and released by the Taliban.^[150][151]
• Mohammad Yousuf – Famous Pakistan Cricketer formerly known as Yousuf Youhana

[edit] Z

• Zaid Shakir – African-American Muslim speaker and intellectual in the United States.^[152][153]
• Zağanos Pasha – one of the prominent military commanders of Mehmet II (Mehmet the Conqueror) and a lala, at once an advisor, mentor, tutor, councilors, protector, for the sultan.^[154]

---

[edit] From Judaism

Former Jewish actress, Leila Mourad

[edit] A

• Abdullah ibn Salam – 7th century sahabi said to have been a rabbi of aristocratic stock. ^[155]
• Abdallah Schleifer
• Abdul Haqq Al-Islami Former Rabbi convert to Islam from Sabta, Morocco. ^[156]
• Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari – 9th century Persian scholar physician (a hakim), who produced the first encyclopedia of medicine.^[157]
• al-Hajj Abd al-Salam al Kuhin a Moroccan Jewish trader that converted to Islam and setteled in Timbuktu.
• Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari a well-known Jewish convert to Islam doctor, belonging to the famous medical school of Tabaristan or Hyrcania) & a tutor of medicine to Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Razi (known to the West as Rhazes).^[158]
• Amalia Rehman Israeli-born Jew who converted to Islam ^[159]

B

C

D

[edit] E

• Emad-ud-Deen or Richard Leiman ^[160]

F

G

[edit] H

• Hajj Mustafa Ali an American Jewish convert to Islam Sufi Rifa’i ^[161]
• Hibat Allah Abu’l-Barakat al-Baghdaadi – influential physicist, philosopher, and scientist who wrote a critique of Aristotelian philosophy and Aristotelian physics.^[162]

[edit] I

• Ibn Kammuna or was a 13th Century physician (ophthalmologist) and philosopher who lived in Baghdad.^[163]
• Ibn Yahyā al-Maghribī al-Samaw’al was an Arab Muslim mathematician and astronomer of Jewish descent.^[164] His father was a Jewish Rabbi from Morocco, but al-Samawʾal converted to Islam.^[165]
• Ismael Diadie Haidara a historian from Timbuktu, his grand father was a converted jew.

[edit] J

• Jacob Querido – 17th century successor of the self-proclaimed Jewish Messiah Sabbatai Zevi.^[166]
• Josh Hasan an American Jew from Brookline, Massachusetts ^[167]
• Jemima Goldsmith daughter of the billionaire Sir James, that was married to Imran Khan ^[168]

[edit] K

• Ka’ab al-Ahbar an arab jew later on became a Sahaby.

[edit] L

• Leila Mourad – Egyptian singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1940s and 1950s.^[169]
• Leopold Weiss or Muhammad Asad see below.
• Lev Nussimbaum – prolific author on the topics of Middle East and Russian history; the Nazi propaganda ministry included his works on their list of “excellent books for German minds” before discovering he was an ethnic Jew. ^[170]

[edit] M

• Michael jackson, now known as Mikael Jackson.
• Maryam Jameelah an American Jew ^[171]
• Michael Wolfe
• Mohammed Yusuf a Jewish convert to Islam that fought in Bosnia ^[172].
• Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss) – Viennese journalist who became Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations^[173]
• Muhammad Samuels a former Jew of Eastern European extraction, an American by birth from Bronx, New York ^[174]
• Ibn Yahyā al-Maghribī al-Samaw’al – mathematician and astronomer who wrote critical works on Judaism, his former faith.^[175]
• Musa the Muslim Ex-Rabbi of Makhachkala ^[176]
• Dr. Moustafa Mould an American teacher of linguistics ^[177]

Mgumbe Gumbatiqua Former Porn star

[edit] N

• Nasim Nisr

O

P

[edit] Q

• Qamar al Khattab^[178]

[edit] R

• Rashid al-Din – 13th century Persian physician^[179]

[edit] S

• Sabbatai Zevi[14]
• Safiyya bint Huyayy
• Samau’al al-Maghribi a twelfth century Jewish convert to Islam see above Ibn Yahyā al-Maghribī al-Samaw’al
• Samuel L. Lewis
• Sarmad – 17th century mystical poet and sufi saint, arrived from Persia to India, beheaded for assumed heresy by Aurungzebe.^[180]
• Sayeed Udeen ^[181]
• Sind b. ‘Ali a Iraqi Jewish convert to Islam ^[182]
• Suleyman Ahmad an American journalist and author^[183]
• Sultan Rafi Sharif Bey (Yale Singer) – a pioneer in the development of Islamic culture in the United States.^[184]

T

[edit] U

• Uri Davis

V

[edit] W

• Wahb ibn Munabbih

X

[edit] Y

• Yaqub ibn Killis – 10th century Egyptian vizier under the Fatimids.^[185]
• Yousef Al-Khattab a jewish convert to Islam^[186].

Z

[edit] From Dharmic religions

[edit] From Buddhism

• The Barmakid family – originally the guardians of the great Buddhist shrine near Balkh, upon conversion they became “the greatest family” in the early Abbasid caliphate.^[187]
• Mahmud Ghazan – seventh ruler of the Ilkhanate.^[188]
• Muhammad Khodabandeh – eighth Ilkhaid dynasty ruler in Iran from 1304 to 1316.^[189]
• Mubarak Shah – head of the ulus of the Chagatai Khanate (1252–1260, March-September 1266).^[190]
• Tarmashirin – Khan of the Chagatai Khanate following Duwa Timur.^[191]
• Hussein Ye – An Islamic scholar of Chinese descent whose lectures are frequently aired on Peace TV.^[192]
• Tagatat Tagasun Prof of anatomy and embryology, Chiang Maay University, Thailand

[edit] From Hinduism

Parameswara (sultan) the Palembang prince of Hindu descent.

• Parameswara – Malay prince of Palembang Hindu descent from Srivijaya that founded the Sultanate of Malacca around 1402.^[193]
• Dhiren Barot – convicted terrorist, who confessed to planning “to detonate a dirty bomb and launch an attack on London’s Tube”.^{[194][195][196]}
• Sumita Devi – Bengali actress and filmmaker.^[197]
• Vilayil Fazila – popular Mappila songs singer from Kerala.
• Malik Kafur – Indian military general.^[198]
• Abdul Wahid Pedersen – Danish cleric.^[199]
• Sahaj Ram Sapru – the grandfather of the British-Indian Muslim Philosopher, Sir Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, who was an official in Kashmir during the administration of the Afghan Governor Azim Khan. ^[200]
• Kamala Suraiyya (formerly Kamala Das) – Anglo-Malayalam writer^[201]
• Sharmila Tagore – Bollywood film actress.^[202]
• A.R. Rahman – Indian Composer and Musician from Tamil Nadu
• Chandra Mohan – Dy. Chief Minister of Haryana state of India along with her wife Asstt. Advocate General Ms. Anuradha Bali. Their new names are CHAND MOHD. and FIZA MOHD.

[edit] From Sikhism

• Ubaidullah Sindhi – religious leader and political activist.^[203]

[edit] Other

[edit] From Paganism

A

[edit] B

• Berke – grandson of Genghis Khan and leader of the Golden Horde who was the first Mongol ruler to establish Islam in a Mongol state.^[204]

C

[edit] D

• David Myatt – from Paganism, former Neo-Nazi-activist^[205]

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

[edit] N

• Negudar – Mongol general and noyan^[206]
• Nogai Khan – Mongol general and great-grandson of Genghis Khan.^[207]

O

P

Q

R

[edit] S

See also: List of Sahaba

• Samori Ture – founder of the Wassoulou Empire who resisted French rule in West Africa.^[208][209]
• Sultan Satuq Bughra Khan – 9th century Uyghur ruler who was one of the first Turks to convert to Islam.^[210]

[edit] T

• Tuda Mengu – Mongol leader of the Golden Horde^[211]

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

West African leader Samori Ture who fought European colonialism

[edit] From Zoroastrianism

• Abdullah Ibn al-Muqaffa – author and translator of Kalīla wa Dimna from Middle Persian.^[212]
• Naubakht – Pahlavi translator of the Abassid court.^[213]
• Fadl ibn Sahl – Persian vizier of the Abassid era.^[214]
• Saman Khuda – founder of the Samanid dynasty, one of the first native Persian dynasties in the Middle East and Central Asia after the collapse of the Sassanids.^[215]

[edit] From Atheism

• A. R. Rahman (Initially raised Hindu, but was atheist as a teenager until conversion to Islam) – famous Indian music composer^[216]
• Zhang Chengzhi – contemporary Hui Chinese author; raised as an atheist.^[217]
• Charles le Gai Eaton – British diplomat and writer.^[218]
• Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) – British musician and singer (had a nominally Christian upbringing, but never was a believer)^[219]
• Jeffrey Lang – American, Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Kansas. (Raised Catholic, but atheist from age 18 to conversion)^[220][221]
• Martin Lings – a widely acclaimed British scholar. He was raised as a Protestant, became an atheist, and later converted to Islam.^[222]
• Mos Def – American rapper and actor. ^[223]

[edit] Undetermined former religion

• Nur al-Anwar al-Jerrahi (born Lex Hixon) – syncretist, Sufi convert, and co-founder of the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order in the United States.^[224]
• Abd al Malik – birth name Régis Fayette-Mikano – French rapper of Congolese origins.^[225]
• Mumia Abu-Jamal – journalist, Black Panther, political activist, and although widely disputed, a convicted murderer.^[226][227]
• B.G. Knocc Out – American west coast rapper.^[228]
• Hasan Akbar (born Mark Fidel Kools) – American sentenced to death for the murder of two fellow soldiers during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.^[229]
• Amiri Baraka – an American writer of poetry and drama.^[230]
• Maurice Béjart – French choreographer.^[231]
• Robert “Kool” Bell – musician.^[232]
• Ronald Bell – musician.^[233]
• Mohammed Knut Bernström – Swedish ambassador.^[234]
• Khaled Edward Blair – British barrister, later married Princess Badiya bint El Hassan of Jordan.^[235]
• Charles Brooks, Jr. – converted while serving a sentence for murder; first person to be executed by lethal injection in the United States.^[236]
• H. Rap Brown – civil rights activisit.^[237]
• Titus Burckhardt – Swiss writer and scholar.^[238]
• Amir Butler– author, engineer and Islamic activist.^[239]

Ice Cube, famous rapper , actor, screenwriter and director.

• Kérim Chatty– Swedish bodybuilding stuntman who was once suspected of attempted hijacking. The preliminary inquiry was dropped. ^[240]
• Common – American rapper.^[241]
• Jill Courtney – Australian, girlfriend of convicted killer and drug trafficker Hassan Kalache, arrested on March 26, 2006 for attempted murder of unnamed people.^{[242][243][244]}
• Robert D. Crane – former Presidential advisor and ambassador.^[245]
• Ice Cube – Gangsta rapper and actor.^[246]
• Bob Denard – French mercenary.^[247]
• Jeffrey Mark Deskovic – served 15-year wrongful imprisonment sentence.^[248]
• Isabelle Eberhardt – explorer and writer.^[249]
• Baron omar Rolf von Ehrenfels – Austrian anthropologist and orientalist.^[250]
• Everlast – Irish-American rapper and singer-songwriter.^[251]
• Alys Faiz – human rights and peace activist;^[252] converted at the time of her marriage to Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.^[253]
• Jeff Fort – former Chicago gang leader, co-founder of the Black P. Stones gang, and founder of its El Rukn faction. He was convicted in 1987 of conspiring with Libya to perform acts of domestic terrorism.^[254][255]
• Philippe Fragione – French rapper and producer of French hip hop.^[256]
• Christian Ganczarski– Head of “al Qaeda in Europe”.^[257]
• Philippe Grenier – (1865–1944) French doctor, first and only Muslim MP in France.^[258].^[259]
• Gigi Gryce – American saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator.^[260]
• Walt Hazzard – former NBA player.^[261]
• David Hicks – convicted Australian terrorist.^[262]
• Lim Yew Hock – Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959.^[263]
• Craig Hodges – former NBA player.^[264]
• Ibrahim Hooper (Douglas Hooper) – Islamic activist, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).^[265]
• Abdullah Ibrahim – South African Jazz musician.^[266]
• Umar Islam – one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom.^[267]
• Malik ul Salih – established the first Muslim state of Samudera Pasai.^[268]
• Tiara Jacquelina – Malaysian actress.^[269]
• Ahmad Jamal – Jazz pianist.^[270]
• Jan Janszoon – Dutch pirate.^[271]
• Larry Johnson – retired American professional basketball player.^[272]
• Gustave-Henri Jossot – French caricaturist, illustrator and Orientalist painter.^[273]
• Vladimir Khodov – leader of the Beslan school hostage crisis– converted in prison.^[274]
• Abd al Haqq Kielan – Swedish cleric.^[275]
• Ghostface Killah – member of the Wu-Tang Clan.^[241]
• Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan – born Yvette Blanche Labrousse, Miss France 1930, wife of Aga Khan III.^[276]
• Yusef Lateef – American Jazz musician.^[277]
• Johann von Leers – advisor to Muhammad Naguib known for his anti-Semitic polemics.^{[278][279][280]}
• Gary Legenhausen – American philosopher and writer.^[281]
• Brandon Mayfield – American attorney-at-law, was erroneously linked to the 2004 Madrid train bombings.^[282]
• MC Ren – American rapper and hip-hop producer.^[283]
• Ali Shaheed Muhammad – member of A Tribe Called Quest.^[284]
• Idris Muhammad – American jazz musician.^[285]
• John Allen Muhammad – convicted serial killer, known as the Beltway Sniper.^[286][287]
• Anthony Mundine – Australian Boxer.^[288]
• Abdul Alim Musa – Muslim activist and director of Masjid Al-Islam in Washington, D.C.^[289]
• Susanne Osthoff – German archaeologist who had worked in Iraq since 1991 and had been taken captive there for three weeks.^[290]
• José Padilla – the respondent in Rumsfeld v. Padilla currently on trial as an alleged al-Qaida operative, converted while in prison for aggravated assault.^[291]
• Sokollu Mehmet Paşa – Grand Vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent.^[292]
• Christopher Paul (aka Paul Kenyatta Laws aka Abdulmalek Kenyatta) – American citizen, alleged member of al-Qaeda.^[293][294]

Swiss explorer, Isabelle Eberhardt

• Charles John Pelham (Abdul Mateen), 8th Earl of Yarborough.^[295]
• Q-Tip – North American hip-hop emcee, actor, and hip hop producer who was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest.^[296]
• Dwight Muhammad Qawi – former boxing world heavyweight champion.^[297]
• Jack Roche – convicted of involvement in an al-Qaeda plot to blow up the Israeli embassy in Canberra.^[298]
• Ilich Ramírez Sánchez – aka “Carlos the Jackal”, convicted murderer and terrorist, currently in prison in France.^[299]
• Ibrahim Savant – one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom.^[267]
• Frithjof Schuon – metaphysician, poet, painter, philosopher (in the original and Platonic sense of this term), and a leading figure of the perennialist school.^[300]
• Stephen Schwartz – American journalist, columnist, and author.^[301]
• Derrick Shareef– charged in a plot to set off four hand grenades in garbage cans December 22 at the CherryVale Mall in Rockford, Illinois during the Christmas rush.^[302]
• Sahib Shihab – jazz saxophonist and flautist.^[303]
• Divine Styler – American hip-hop musician.^[304]
• Nahshid Sulaiman – alternative hip hop artist.^[305]
• Apisai Tora – Fijian politician.^[306]
• Mike Tyson (Malik Abdul Aziz) – former heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Converted while in prison after being convicted of rape.^[307][308]
• Abdul Waheed (Don Stewart-Whyte) – accused of participating in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot.^[309][310]
• Jason Walters – of the Netherlands, member of the Hofstad Network, convicted on charges of terrorism.^[311]
• John Ward – (changed name to Yusuf Reis) British corsair and pirate.^[312]
• Rakan Ben Williams – suspected member of Al-Qaeda terrorist.^[313]
• Michael Wolfe – American poet, author, and the President and Executive Producer of Unity Productions Foundation.^[314][315]
• Michael X – civil rights activist in the United Kingdom ^[316]
• Yusuf Chambers – U.K. based Da’ee of international fame. Yusuf Chambers is a young preacher from London, has greatly involved himself in many organizations in U.K. and outside like Peace TV, Islam Channel, Al-Jumuah magazine, Unity TV etc

[edit] Disputed or forced conversions

Francis Bok a Sudanese ex-slave forced to convert to Islam

• Anusim of Meshhad, Jewish community in 1839. Most continued Jewish practices in secret and many of their descendents returned to Judaism in the early 20th century.^[317]
• Francis Bok – Sudanese–American activist, from Christianity; later returned to his Christian faith.^[318]
• Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig – while Ramattan TV showed footage of the two converting, both denied the conversion, explaining they had made statements on a gunpoint.^[319] According to Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, professor of sociology and history at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, also denies that any valid conversion took place.^[320]
• Joseph ben Judah ibn Aknin – 12th century Jewish philosopher, forcibly converted by Almohads, lived as crypto-Jew.^[321]
• Sabbatai Zevi – convert from Judaism, 17th century mystic, pseudo-Messiah and the self-proclaimed “King of Jews”. Converted ostensibly of his own free will as “Aziz Mehmed Effendi“, in September 15, 1666 while in prison. Although, some speculate that he may have been executed for treason had he not converted,^[322] Muslim authorities were opposed to his death.^[323] He lived his remaining ten years as a public Muslim favoured by the Sultan. Some of his Sabbatean followers became the Donmeh, who behave externally as Muslims.
• Jacob Frank – publicly converted to Islam in 1757^[322] and to Christianity in Poland but actually presented himself as the Messiah of a syncretic derivation of Shabbatai Zevi‘s Messianism.
• Omar Sharif – Academy Award-nominated Egyptian actor who has starred in many Hollywood films. He converted formally to Islam in the 1960s to marry a Muslim woman, however at present he does not follow any religion.^[324]
• Abdul Rahman al-Iryani, President of North Yemen from 1967 to 1974; converted to Islam as a child.^[325]

Posted by ISLAM IS THE BEST (http://isisbest.blogspot.com) at 18:42 0 comments

Labels: List of converts to Islam

24 December 2008

Zakir Naik

Zakir Naik

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Zakir Naik

Zakir Abdul Karim Naik
Full name	Zakir Abdul Karim Naik
Birth	October 18, 1965 (1965-10-18) (age 43) Mumbai, India
Influenced by[show] Ahmed Deedat

Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (born: October 18, 1965) is an Indian public speaker, and writer on the subject of Islam and comparative religion. By profession, he is a medical doctor, attaining a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from Maharashtra, but since 1991 he has focused only on preaching Islam.^[1]

Zakir Naik is also the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF)^[1][2] —a non-profit organization that owns and broadcasts the free-to-air TV channel network Peace TV from Mumbai, India and he is also the founder of the Islamic International School in Mumbai, India.

Contents [hide] 1 Biography 2 Lectures, debates and controversies 3 References 4 External links

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[edit] Biography

Zakir Naik was born on October 18, 1965 in Mumbai, India and is of Konkani descent.^[3] He attended St. Peter’s High School (ICSE) in the city of Mumbai. Later he joined the Kishinchand Chellaram College and then studied medicine at Topiwala National Medical College and Nair Hospital in Mumbai. He then received his MBBS degree from the University of Mumbai. In 1991 he gave up his activity as a medical doctor and started working in the field of Da’wah or proselytizing of Islam^[4]

Naik says he was inspired by the late Ahmed Deedat^[5] who had himself been active in the field of Da’wah for more than forty years^[6]. According to Naik, his goal is to “concentrate on the educated Muslim youth who have become apologetic about their own religion and have started to feel that their own religion is outdated”^[7] and that it was the duty of every Muslim to remove “misconceptions” about Islam to counter what he considers as the Western media’s anti-Islamic bias in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks upon the United States. ^[8] He has lectured and authored several books on Islam and Comparative religion^[9] as well as those directed towards removing “misconceptions” about Islam.^[10][11] Some of his articles are also frequently published in Indian magazines like the Islamic Voice.^[12][13][14]

Thomas Blom Hansen, a sociologist who held academic positions at various universities, has written that Naik’s style of memorizing some portions of the Qur’an and hadith literature in various languages, and travelling abroad to debate Islam with theologians, has made him extremely popular in Muslim circles. Although he usually speaks to audiences of several hundreds, it is the videotapes of his talks which are widely distributed. His talks are usually recorded in English, to be broadcast at weekends on several cable networks in Mumbai’s Muslim neighborhoods,^[7] and on the channel Peace TV, which he co-promotes. ^[2][15] Topics he speaks on include: “Islam and Modern Science”, “Islam and Christianity”, and “Islam and secularism”, among others.^[7]

[edit] Lectures, debates and controversies

Delivering a lecture titled Why Westerners embrace Islam in November 2002 at the at King Fahd Hospital auditorium in Jeddah, Zakir Naik argued that Islam offers practical solutions to various problems facing the West such as adultery, alcoholism and filial ingratitude. Naik also stated that “despite the strident anti-Islam campaign, 34,000 Americans have embraced Islam from September 2001 to July 2002.” He cites a report published in the Time Magazine which said that about 60,000 books on Islam and the Orient have been written between 1800 and 1950 alone. ^{[16] [17]}

In 2004, Naik visited New Zealand^[18] and then Australian capitals at the invitation of Islamic Information and Services Network of Australasia. In his conference in Melbourne; according to journalist Sushi Das, “Naik extolled the moral and spiritual superiority of Islam and lampooned other faiths and the West in general”, adding that Naik’s words “fostered a spirit of separateness and reinforced prejudice”. ^[19] Khushwant Singh, a prominent Indian journalist, argues that Naik’s pronouncements are “juvenile” and said that “they seldom rise above the level of undergraduate college debates, where contestants vie with each other to score brownie points”.^[20][21] Political Analyst Khaled Ahmed considers that Zakir Naik, by his claims of Islam’s superiority over other religious faiths, practices what he calls reverse Orientalism. ^[22] In a lecture at Melbourne University, Naik argued that only Islam, gave women true equality.^[23] He stressed the importance of the headscarf by arguing that “revealing Western dress” makes women more susceptible to rape.^[24] Naik asserted that about 2700 rapes took place daily in the United States. Under Islam, he said, a man who raped a woman was punished with the death penalty.^[23]

In August 2006, Naik’s visit and conference in Cardiff (UK) were the object of controversy when Welsh MP David Davies called for his appearance to be cancelled. He described him as a ‘hate-monger’, and said his views did not deserve a ‘public platform’; Muslims from Cardiff, however, defended Naik’s right to speak in their city. Saleem Kidwai, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales, disagreed with Davies, stating that “people who know about him (Naik) know that he is one of the most uncontroversial persons you could find. He talks about the similarities between religions, and how should we work on the common ground between them”, whilst also inviting Davies to discuss further with Naik personally in the conference. The conference went ahead, after the Cardiff council stated it was satisfied that he would not be preaching extremist views.^[25][26] Following a lecture by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2006, Naik offered to engage in a live public debate with him, but the Pope has not responded to this invitation.^[27][28]

In November 2007, the IRF organized a 10-day international Islamic conference and exhibition titled The Peace Conference at the Somaiya grounds in Mumbai. Lectures on Islam were presented by Naik as well as twenty other speakers.^[29] During one of the lectures, Naik provoked anger amongst members of the Shia communities at the conference when he mentioned the words “Radiallah ta’la anho” (meaning ‘May Allah be pleased with him’) after mentioning the name of Yazid I and made remarks that the battle of Karbala was political.^[29][30] Others however believed the comment was blown out of proportion.^[31].

[edit] References

This article’s citation style may be unclear. The references used may be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking.

1. ^ ^{a b} Islamic Research Foundation – Introduction (Dr. Zakir Naik)
2. ^ ^{a b} Mazumdar, Sudip (2006-01-23). “Beaming In Salvation”. Newsweek International. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10854375/site/newsweek/.
3. ^ Zakir Naik
4. ^ http://drzakirnaik.com/Home/AboutMe/tabid/54/Default.aspx – Biography of Dr. Zakir Naik from DrZakirNaik.com (A website constructed by his students)
5. ^ Spreading God’s Word Is His Mission – Arab News
6. ^ Muslims Mourn Ahmed Deedat, IslamOnline.net, August 8, 2005
7. ^ ^{a b c} Hansen, Thomas (2001) (in English). Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay. Princeton University Press. p. 177. ISBN 0-691-08840-3.
8. ^ Media Urged to Counter Anti-Muslim Bias – Arab news, Sunday 9 October 2005
9. ^ Ten Most Common Questions asked by Christian Missionaries against Islam by Dr. Zakir Naik on IRF.net
10. ^ Books Authored by Dr. Zakir Naik
11. ^ FAQs on Islam by Dr. Zakir Naik
12. ^ Prohibition of Alcohol in Islam – Islamic Voice
13. ^ Was Islam Spread by the Sword? – by Dr. Zakir Naik
14. ^ Are Ram And Krishna Prophets Of God? – Islamic Voice
15. ^ Syed Neaz Ahmad (February 23, 2007). “Peace TV Reaching 50 Million Viewers – Dr. Zakir Naik”. Saudi Gazette. http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25960&Itemid=146. Retrieved on 2007-05-18.
16. ^ New Muslims on the rise in US after Sept. 11
17. ^ Time Magazine, Islam, Orientalism And the West; Monday, Apr. 16, 1979
18. ^ “Scholar clears the air about Islam ‘labels’” (PDF). Te Waha Nui. September 6, 2004. http://www.tewahanui.info/pdfs/4/twn04pg04.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
19. ^ “Between two worlds”. The Age. July 28, 2005. http://www.theage.com.au/news/sushi-das/between-two-worlds/2005/07/27/1122143904716.html. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
20. ^ One man’s belief is another’s shackle – Khushwant Singh
21. ^ [1]
22. ^ “Second opinion: Zakir Naik’s ‘reverse orientalism’ —Khaled Ahmed’s TV Review”. Daily Times. December 16, 2003. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_16-12-2003_pg3_4. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
23. ^ ^{a b} Islam’s gender debate at the fore
24. ^ The clash of ignorance
25. ^ Row over Islamic preacher – WalesOnline.co.uk
26. ^ Cleric’s address hailed a success
27. ^ Dr Zakir Naik invites Pope Benedict XVI for open interfaith dialogue – Pak Tribune, September 29, 2006
28. ^ Pope Benedict’s Provocative Utterances op ed by Latheef Farook, South Asia News Agency, October 18, 2006
29. ^ ^{a b} Justice, peace & unity: The cornerstone of Islam by By Syed Neaz Ahmad, Saudi Gazette, March 31, 2008
30. ^ Row over Islamic preacher’s remarks
31. ^ Dr. Zakir Naik’s Remarks on Yazid Spark Anger Among Muslims

[edit] External links

• Islamic Research Foundation (official website)
• Peace TV (official website)
• Zakir Naik audio and video lectures from Halal Tube
• Zakir Naik Audio Links Directory of Naik’s Lectures
• Lectures by Zakir Naik – Download Lectures By Zakir Naik
• Lectures by Zakir Naik A video collection of Naik’s lectures
• Mumbai Newsline Here’s Zakir Naik, ‘Fundamentalist, not Fanatic’
• Zakir Naik’s controversial comments Zakir Naik’s controversial comment on battle of Karbala and Yazid
• Islamic Insights Zakir Naik Draws Ire With Karbala Comments

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakir_Naik“

Categories: 1965 births | Living people | Muslim scholars | Konkani Muslims | People from Mumbai | Indian Muslims