All I have to say is what you know already; to confirm what you already know, the message of the Prophet (pbuh) as given by God (Allah) - the Religion of Truth. As human beings, we are given a consciousness and a duty that has placed us at the top of creation. Man has been created to be God's (Allah's) deputy on earth, and therefore it is important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life. Anybody who misses this chance is not likely to be given another, to be brought back again and again, because it says in the Qur'an that when man is brought to account, he will say, “O Lord, send us back and give us another chance.” The Lord will reply, “If I send you back, you will do the same.”

MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING

I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the highlight of show business. I was born in a Christian home, but we know that every child is born with his original nature (Islam) and that it is only his parents that turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion (Christianity) and so thought this way. I was taught that God (Allah) exists, but that as there was no direct contact with God (Allah), we had to make contact with him through Jesus. He was, in fact, the door to God (Allah). This was more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow it all.

I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones without life. And when they said that God (Allah) is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I more or less believed it, because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents.

POP STAR

Gradually, I became alienated from this religious upbringing. I started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in the films and the media took hold of me. Perhaps I thought that this was my god, the goal of making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful car. “Well,” I said, “He has it made.” He had a lot of money. The people around me influenced me to think that this was it; this world was their god.

I decided that this was the life for me, to make a lot of money, to have a “great life.” My examples were the pop stars, so I started making songs, although deep down I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich that I would help the needy. (It says in the Qur'an that we make a promise, but that when we make something, we want to hold on to it and become greedy.)

So what happened was that I became very famous while I was still a teenager. My name and photo were splashed all over the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life. The only way to do that, I thought, was to be intoxicated (with liquor and drugs).

IN THE HOSPITAL

After a year of financial success and high living, I became very ill. I contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was then that I started to think: What is going to happen to me? Am I just a body? Is my goal in life merely to satisfy this body? I realized that this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allah, a chance to open my eyes, to learn “Why I am here, Why I am in bed.” I started looking for some of the answers.

At this time, there was a great interest in Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and I became aware of death, that the soul moves on, and that it does not stop. I felt that I was taking the road to bliss and high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became a vegetarian. I now believed in “peace and flower power,” which was the general trend at the time. In particular, I believed that I was not just a body. This awareness came to me while I was in the hospital.

One day when I was walking and got caught in the rain, I began running to the shelter. I thought, “Wait a minute. My body is getting wet, and my body is telling me that I am getting wet.” This made me think of a saying that the body is like a donkey, that a donkey has to be trained where it is to go, or else it will lead you where it wants to go.

Then I realized that I had a will, a God (Allah)-given gift: to follow the will of God (Allah). I was fascinated by the new terminology I was learning in my readings of Eastern religions. By now, I was fed up with Christianity. I started making music again, and this time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I remember a lyric of one of my songs. It goes like this: “I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big hotel?” And I knew I was on the path.

I also wrote another song: “The Way to Find God Out.” I became even more famous in the world of music. I really had a difficult time, because I was getting rich and famous and, at the same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism is alright and noble. But I was not ready to leave the world, for I was too attached to the world. I was not prepared to become a monk and isolate myself from society.

I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards, and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible and could not find anything. At this time, I did not know anything about Islam. And then, what I regard as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem and was greatly impressed that it throbbed with life (unlike the empty churches and synagogues), while an atmosphere of peace and tranquility prevailed.

THE QUR'AN

When he returned to London, he brought back a translation of the Qur'an, which he gave to me. He did not become a Muslim, but he felt something in this religion and thought that I might find something in it also.

When I received the book (a guidance that would explain everything to me: who I was, what was the purpose of life, what was the true reality, what would be the reality, and where I came from), I realized that this was the true religion - religion not in the sense the West understands it, not the type for only your old age. In the West, whoever wishes to embrace a religion and make it his only way of life is deemed a fanatic. I was not a fanatic; I was at first confused between the body and the soul. Then I realized that the body and the soul were not separate and that one does not have to go to the mountains to be religious. all we have to do is follow the will of God (Allah). Then, we can rise higher than the angels. The first thing I wanted to do now was to become a Muslim.

I realized that everything belongs to God (Allah), that slumber does not overtake him. He created everything. At this point, I began to lose my pride, because until then I had thought that the reason I was here was because of my own greatness. I now realized that I did not create myself, and that the whole purpose of my being here was to submit to the teaching perfected by the religion we know as Islam. At this point, I started discovering my faith. I felt, after reading the Qur'an, that I was a Muslim. I now realized that all of the prophets (pbut) sent by God (Allah) had brought the same message. Why, then, were the Jews and Christians different? I learned that the Jews did not accept Jesus (pbuh) as the Messiah and that they had changed His Word. Even the Christians had misunderstood God's (Allah's) Word and called Jesus (pbuh) the son of God (Allah). Everything made so much sense.

This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason, not to worship the sun or the moon but rather to worship the One who created everything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun and the moon and God's (Allah's) creation in general. Do you realize how different the sun is from the moon? They are at varying distances from the earth, yet appear the same size to us; at times one seems to overlap the other. When astronauts go into space, many of them see the insignificant size of the earth and vastness of space and become very religious, for they have seen the Signs of God (Allah).

When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness, and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt that the only answer for me was the Qur'an and that God (Allah) had sent it to me. I kept it a secret. But the Qur'an also speaks on different levels. I began to understand it on another level, where Allah says: “Those who believe don't take disbelievers for friends, and the believers are brothers.” (4:144) At this point, I wished to meet my Muslim brothers.

CONVERSION

I decided to go to Jerusalem, as my brother had done. At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him that I was a Muslim. He asked what my name was; I told him “Stevens.” He was confused. I joined the prayer, though not so successfully. Back in London, I met a sister called Nafisa. I told her that I wanted to embrace Islam, and she directed me to the New Regent Mosque. This was in 1977, about 1 1/2 years after I had received the Qur'an. I now realized that I had to get rid of my pride and of Iblis and face one direction. So one Friday, after Jum'ah, I went to the Imam and declared my faith (the kalima).

You have before you someone who had achieved fame and fortune. But guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'an. Now I realize that I can have direct contact with God (Allah), unlike Christianity or any other religion. One Hindu lady told me, “You don't understand the Hindus. We believe in one God (Allah); we use these objects (idols) merely to concentrate.” What she was saying was that in order to reach God (Allah), one had to create associates (idols) for the purpose. But Islam removes all these barriers. The only thing that separates the believers from the disbelievers is the prayer (salat). This is the process of purification.

Finally, I wish to say that everything I do is for the pleasure of God (Allah). I pray that you gain some inspiration from my experiences. Furthermore, I would like to stress that I did not come into contact with any Muslim before I embraced Islam. I read the Qur'an first and realized that no person is perfect. Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) we will be successful. May Allah give us guidance to follow the path of the Ummah of Muhammad (pbuh). Ameen!