Many Come To Islam
But Why So Many Scholars?
Faith - Belief - Salvation: All topics discussed by preachers of all faiths and many people change from one faith to another on a daily basis. Yet, the real question should be, "Why do so many knowledgeable religious leaders - GO TO ISLAM?
Yusuf Estes explores this topic after meeting with many of those listed below, he believes he has discovered an amazing common fact amongst all of them. His comments are at the end of this story, inshallah.
First, let's begin with a list of some of those prominent preachers, bishops, clerics and scholars from all faiths who have left behind everything to enter into Islam:
Yusuf Estes -- Former businessman from Texas and music minsiter in Church of God (Texas USA)
Father Peter Jacobs -- Former Priest of Roman Catholic Church. From New York (USA)
(he entered Islam with Yusuf Estes)
Dr. Jerald F. Dirks, USA – M.Div. [Harvard US] Psy.D Former Priest of the United Methodist Church (Denver, CO. USA)
Yvonne Ridley – [BBC Reporter captured by Taliban] (London, UK)
Dr. Polosin A. Viacheslav Sergheyevich. M.A., PhD [Moscow State University]
Learned & Respected Ex Archpriest of Orthodox Church, Russia
Anslem Tormeeda, A Former Priest and the Greatest Christian Scholars, and Authors of Several famous Books.
I.K. Philobus, Dip. Theology, M.A. Theology [Princeton University USA Former Priest, and Secretary General of The German Swiss Mission
Raphael Latino, Los Angles, USA Former Jehovah’s Witness Minister, Los Angles, USA
George Anthony, Sri Lanka . Former Catholic Priest in Sri Lanka
Kenneth L. Jenkins, Texas, USA. Former Priest and Elder of the Pentecostal Church USA
Dr. Martin John Mwaipopo, Dip. In Church Administration [England], B.A.; M.A. ; PhD in Divinity [Berlin Germany]. Former Lutheran Archbishop and Member of World Council of Churches
Moisha Krivitsky
Former Rabbi [Jewish Priest] of Makhachkala Synagogue, Russia
Dr. Laurence Brown -- Medical Doctor (USA)
Professor Khadijah ‘Sue’ Watson, Master Degree in Divinity -- Former Pastor, Missionary, & Professor (USA)
Johann Wolfgang Goethe -- German poet, novelist, playwright and natural philosopher, one of the greatest figures in Western literature, namely Goethe Institute (Germany)
A. M. LeBlanc -- Author of "The Bible led me to Islam"
Monica -- Christian Catholic Church (Ecuador South America)
M. John Webster -- English (London, UK)
Sophie Jenkins -- Middle-Class English Ex-Christian of Protestant Church, from (UK)
Anna Linda Traustadottir, B.A. McGill University Montréal, Canada -- Danish/Icelandic, Ex-Christian of Lutheran Church, from Denmark
Dominique Scheppers -- City of Brussels, Belgium, European Union.
Indrani, and Chandra - Both were very pious Hindus (Singapore)
Monica Nur Sammour-Wust – From Switzerland, European Union
Kristiane Backer - Famous MTV Presenter, London
Michael Yip - Medical Student, From New Zealand
Na’ma B. Robert - From Southern London, United Kingdom.
Sarah Joseph, OBE - Lecture & Producer of Emel Magazine London, UK.
Kimberley McCrindle – From Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Karen Allen - ATV Scheduler, From East London, United Kingdom.
Dr. Jeremiah McAuliffe, Jr. - BA, MA, PhD. [Mideastern, US]
Dr. Moustafa Mould - Former Boston American Jewish linguist.
Noor – University of Essex, United Kingdom
Shakira Graham - University of Alabama, USA.
Nakata Khaula - Japanese from Japan.
Dr. Kari Ann Owen. PhD. - From San Francisco. USA
Karlsson - From Sweden.
Bruce Paterson, - Britain Imperial Computing Graduate (UK)
Helena - Former Christian Protestant (Sweden)
Sir J. Lauder Brunton - Oxford University. He was an English Baronet and a public man of wide repute (UK)
Colonel Donald S. Rockwell (USA)
Juan Gelvan – (Mexican American)
Khalidija Evans - (Alabama USA)
Chua Gim Sam – Ex-Taoist and Believer of Christianity (Singapore)
Leila Raffin – From Paris (France)
Debbie Rogers’ – A Scottish Woman on a Mission (Scotland)
Thomas Irving – Social Workers from Canada (Canada)
Cecilia M. Cannolly - Ex Member of Roman Catholic Church (Australia)
Jenny’s Testimony – From Melbourne (Australia)
Maryam Buston – (Australia)
Times Newspapers, London– By Giles Whittell, London (UK)
Digital Chosun Korea – By Zafar Khan (Korea)
The New York Times, Wednesday, April 7, 2004. - By Marc Lacey/NYT
Carole Sturm & Cherie Lyle– Carol Sturm a former member of Roman Catholic Church and Cherie Lyle a former member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church USA
Westerners Converted – By Christine Hauser, US
“Experiences of Somayyah [Irish Women], Katty Gregg [American], Bilal Philips [Canadian], Asma Markusson, [former US army reservist], Jumana Sharpe, [British], Jan Lifke [American]”…“Philips manned an Islamic information centre in a tent at an air force base in Dhahran.
In the six months after the war 3,000 Westerners converted at the centre, 98 percent of them US servicemen or women, he said. They gave up alcohol but wearing Muslim attire and praying five times a day clashed with military duties”.
Evening Standard London - Nick Compton, London
“Caroline Bate, a 30 years graduate from Cambridge, Middle England's dream daughter or daughter-in-law., she considers herself Muslim.
The same with Eleanor Martin, a 24-year-old TV actress. Matthew Wilkinson, a former head boy of Eton, became Tariq, when he converted to Islam in 1993.
Jonathan Birt, son of Lord Birt, late of the BBC and now the government's transport guru, converted in 1997.
The son and daughter of Lord Justice Scott also converted.
Joe Ahmed Dobson, the 26-year-old son of the former Health Secretary Frank Dobson, has recently and, somewhat reluctantly, emerged as the voice of new Muslim converts in Britain.”
Kay Jardine discovers why they are so keen to become Muslims:
"McCrindle's always searching for something that would make her feel happy, that would make her feel she belonged. She is one of a rapidly increasing number of British women turning to Islam, thought to be the fastest growing religion in the world”
“Similarly, to Lucy Norris, who lives in Edinburgh, her twin sister, Victoria, and their brother, Matthew, grew up as practicing Christians in a rural area in the West Midlands, where they attended Sunday school in the little church at the top of their road. As they got older, the three stopped going to church and seven years ago, at the age of 20, both, Lucy and her sister Victoria converted to Islam - six months after their brother Matthew”
More stories, articles and books of scholars and clergy entering Islam:
Thousands White Elite Embrace Islam – A Study By Jonathan Birte.
“The new study by Yahya (formerly Jonathan) Birt, son of Lord Birt, former director-general of the BBC, provides the first reliable data on the sensitive subject of the movement of Christians into Islam. He uses a breakdown of the latest census figures to conclude that there are now 14,200 white reverts in Britain. Speaking publicly for the first time about his faith this weekend, Birt argued that an inspirational figure, similar to the American revert Malcolm X for Afro-Caribbeans, would first have to emerge if the next stage, a mass conversion among white Britons, were to happen.
“You need great transitional figures to translate something alien (like Islam) into the vernacular,” Birt, whose doctorate at Oxford University is on young British Muslims, was quoted by the Times.
The New Your Times – By Jodi Wilgoren.
“One expert estimates that 25,000 people a year become Muslims in this country; some clerics say they have seen conversion rates quadruple since Sept. 11.
“Experts say Islam is attractive because of its universal message - the faithful believe that everyone is born Muslim and thus call the transformation reversion, not conversion - and because its teachings incorporate other traditions, honoring Jesus Christ, the Jewish patriarch Abraham and other Biblical figures as prophets. Though missionary work is rare in Islam, spreading the message is demanded by the Koran. Conversion is as simple as reciting one sentence - "I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger" - in front of witnesses, a ceremony known as Shahadah.”
The Observer, London – By Martin Bright
“A year ago they feared their religion would be tarred by the atrocities that left over 3,000 dead in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. But Muslims across Britain are now crediting an '11 September factor' for the upsurge of interest in their religion.
“The rise in Islamophobia and even racist attacks has been matched, sometimes in the same geographical area, by a thirst for knowledge of a religion which many are surprised to find has common links to Christianity and Judaism. Moses and Christ are both considered prophets in Islam"
Yusuf Estes has this to say after meeting, interviewing and comparing the stories and experiences of many of these and others who have given up everything of this life; Jobs, friends, wealth, position, reputations and even their own close family - for Allah and His messenger - For Islam:
"I have noticed a common thread amongst every single person I have given shahadah to over the last two decades, and it matches exactly with what I have heard from many of the religious scholars and preachers listed in this story, and that common thread is quite simple and beautiful at the same time:
Everyone of these folks have said to me, they were asking deep, down in their hearts - the very same thing I asked for over 20 years ago, with my head on the ground in Texas - we have all said these words: "O God! Guide ME!"
And it is only Allah Who Guides to His Straight Path - Al Hamdulillah Rabbil Alameen.
By the way, this list is no good - if you don't share it right now!
Please help us get the message out NOW, inshallah.
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