Detailed Stories of Converts
Dr. Abdulkerim-Gyula Germanus (Hungary)
The Hungarian Orientalist Gyula Germanus is one of those who converted to Islam. The Egyptian writer Akkad has described him saying: "He is ten scholars in one." He mastered eight languages and had the honor membership of many scientific academies, including the Iraqi, Egyptian and Syrian ones.
Germanus was born in Budapest in 1884 to Christian parents. His story with Islam began when he was sixteen, captivated by an Eastern picture that "dispelled the darkness" for him. He later studied languages and Orientalism, which awakened his interest in Islam. In 1902, he visited Bosnia, where his preconceived negative ideas about Muslims were shattered. He was intimidated by their appearance, recalling bloody stories from fanatical books, but a few minutes of friendly talk revealed their overflowing hospitality and tenderness.
After years of study and travel, including at the Universities of Istanbul, Vienna, Delhi, and Lahore, he found that his intellect was quenched, but his soul remained thirsty. In a dream, he saw the Prophet (PBUH) who told him: "The road is ahead of you. The true path is open in front of you." On the following Friday, he announced his conversion to Islam at the Shah Jehan Mosque in New Delhi.
Germanus was led to Islam by its full compatibility with science, its enlightened mind, and the treasures of love and brotherhood he found in the hearts of Muslims. He took pride in Islamic values and urged Muslims not to be dazzled by the "hollow phony sparkle" of the West. He learned Arabic to access the treasures of the Qur'an and devoted his life to serving his new religion, leaving behind a scientifically distinct and enriching legacy of nearly a hundred books.
Mohammad Asad (Leopold Weiss) (Austria)
Leopold Weiss—a Jew—was not far in his understanding of Islam from what was in vogue since the beginning of the twentieth century in his native Austria and other European countries. After the First World War, Europe had lost its values, and people were searching for prosperity and personal gains, forgetting religious and spiritual values.
His journey began in 1922 when he visited Jerusalem. During his stay, he had numerous talks with his Jewish countrymen about Palestine and surprised them with his logical questions, confirming the Arabs' precedence in building a civilization there. He rejected the idea of stealing land from its rightful owners. He also had a conversation with an old man (Alhaji) who explained the beautiful connection between the body and soul in Islam's prayers.
Leopold's objectivity and fairness compelled him to read the Qur'an, which he did during a visit to Damascus. He discovered the large gap between it and the scriptures of the People of the Book. He found no mention of original sin, no clerics as mediators between God and man, and saw that the Sharia was established for everyone's benefit, giving the world a great model of civilization.
The picture became complete on a train in Berlin in 1926. Leopold, a journalist, observed the gloom on the faces of wealthy passengers. Upon arriving home, his eyes fell on a verse from the Qur'an, Surah At-Takathur: "The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things), until ye visit the graves." He realized this was not human wisdom, but a divine prediction of the modern era's anguish. He embraced Islam, taking the name Muhammad Assad, and became a strong defender and propagator of the faith, authoring many influential books.
Sir Jalaluddin Lauder Brunton (Britain/UK)
Sir Jalaluddin Lauder Brunton, a man of English origin, was a firm believer that Christianity must give way to Islam, the "True Religion of God." He saw Islam as a faith of truth, sincerity, and tolerance, which looks to the interests of man and guides him on the right path.
In his view, Islam is the only religion that can truly satisfy the needs of every member of the human family. He testified that only among Muslims could one find the "True Book of Brotherhood" in reality, and not merely as a pretense, as he had found in Christianity.
Dr. Ali Selman Benoit (France)
A Doctor of Medicine and a descendant of a French Catholic family, Dr. Ali Selman Benoit had a solid scientific culture that did not prepare him for a mystic life. His unitary sentiment for God prevented him from accepting the dogma of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus Christ. He believed in the first part of the Shahadah: "There is no true god except Allah," even before knowing Islam.
Other reasons that moved him away from Christianity included the practice of Catholic priests claiming the power to forgive sins, which he found unacceptable. He also couldn't admit the Catholic rite of communion, which he saw as a primitive totemistic practice. Furthermore, he found Christianity's silence and hostility towards bodily cleanliness an "outrage against Allah."
The essential element of his conversion was the Qur'an. He studied it with the critical spirit of a Western intellectual and was convinced of its divine revelation by the "magnificent work" of Malek Bennabi. He was amazed to find verses revealed centuries ago that taught notions confirmed by modern scientific research. This led him to wholeheartedly accept the second part of the Shahadah: "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
Donald Rockwell (U.S.)
Colonel Donald S. Rockwell was drawn to Islam for a number of reasons, primarily its simplicity. He was also impressed by the powerful appeal and compelling atmosphere of mosques, and the earnest devotion of its followers. He found the broad-minded tolerance of Islam for other religions to be a strong recommendation for all who love liberty.
He pointed out that Muhammad (PBUH) admonished his followers to treat believers in the Old and New Testaments well, and acknowledged Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as co-Prophets of the One God. This, he felt, was far in advance of the attitude of other religions. For him, the moderation and temperance that are the keynotes of Islam won his "unqualified approbation."
Dr. David Liepert (Canada)
Dr. David Liepert, a Canadian physician and author, recounted his spiritual journey in his book "Muslim, Christian, and Jew: Finding a Path to Peace Our Faiths Can Share." His path to Islam began with questioning the contradictions in Christianity from a young age. He found himself drawn to the idea of a single Creator and a faith that was both logical and compassionate.
His book serves as both a spiritual autobiography and a plea for interfaith understanding. He candidly explores how and why Islam, once a beacon of multicultural civilization, has been misunderstood. Liepert's journey exemplifies a search for truth that transcends differences and seeks common ground based on the "Common Word" shared by the Abrahamic faiths: love of God and love of neighbor.
Dr. Ali Polosin (Vyacheslav Polosin) (Russia)
Dr. Ali Polosin, a former high-ranking priest in the Russian Orthodox Church, converted to Islam in 1999. His search for truth was not a sudden event, but a culmination of his academic and spiritual inquiries. He had a deep interest in philosophy and religious studies, which led him to question the foundational tenets of Christianity, particularly the Trinity and the concept of myth in religion.
Polosin's doctoral thesis, "Dialectics of a Myth and Political Myth Creation," led him to an appreciation for the clarity and logical consistency of monotheistic ideologies. In his search, he found that Islam's core beliefs resonated deeply with his intellect and his innate human nature. He was drawn to the purity of Islamic monotheism (Tawhid), which he found free from the mythical and contradictory elements he had struggled with in other faiths.
After his conversion, he became an active member of the Muslim community in Russia, advising the Council of Muftis and serving as president of the Union of Muslim Journalists. His story is a powerful example of how a deep, scholarly pursuit of truth can lead an individual to Islam, even from a position of religious authority in another faith.
Dr. Jeremiah McAuliffe (U.S.)
Dr. Jeremiah McAuliffe's conversion to Islam was a journey that began from a place of intellectual and theological doubt. He was a Ph.D. candidate who, for his dissertation, was required to study a religion other than his own. He chose Islam, the one religious tradition he knew nothing about. This academic pursuit turned into a profound personal and spiritual quest.
During his research, he was deeply impressed by the Qur'an's coherence and logical presentation of faith. He found that Islam's clear concept of God, free from any form of polytheism or anthropomorphism, resonated with him in a way Christianity never had. He realized that Islam's teachings provided a comprehensive and rational framework for life that was both intellectually satisfying and spiritually fulfilling. His story highlights how scholarly inquiry and an open mind can lead to a powerful faith, culminating in his embrace of Islam.
Dr. Umar Rolf Baron Ehrenfels (Austria)
Dr. Umar Rolf Baron Ehrenfels, an Austrian anthropologist, was a prominent convert to Islam in the early 20th century. Born into a noble family, he was a deep thinker who was drawn to Islamic culture and society. He was captivated by the simplicity and rationality of Islamic beliefs, which he found superior to the dogmas of his Christian upbringing.
His anthropological work and studies of various cultures led him to conclude that Islam offered a complete and coherent way of life that addressed the needs of both the individual and society. He wrote extensively on his conversion and on Islamic culture, arguing that Islam provided a powerful and ethical framework for modern life. His intellectual journey and his subsequent scholarly work as a Muslim made him a respected figure in Islamic circles.
Lord Headley Al-Farooq (Britain/UK)
Lord Headley, born Rowland George Allanson, was an Irish peer and civil engineer who embraced Islam in 1913. His journey to Islam was motivated by a search for spiritual truth and a desire to find a religion that was both logical and practical. He had been a keen observer of the world and was increasingly disillusioned with the doctrines of Christianity, particularly its lack of clear guidance and its emphasis on dogma over reason.
He was a prominent advocate for Islam in Britain and believed that if the country were to embrace Islam, it would become a powerful force for good. He was a tireless writer and speaker, and his conversion drew significant public attention to Islam in England. Lord Headley's story is a testament to the power of personal conviction and the appeal of Islam's simple and direct message to a seeking heart.
Sir Abdullah Archibald Hamilton Bart (Britain/UK)
Sir Abdullah Archibald Hamilton Bart, formerly Sir Charles Edward Archibald Watkins Hamilton, was a well-known English statesman who embraced Islam on December 20, 1923. He had a deep interest in theology from an early age and was an active member of the Church of England. However, he found that both the Church of England and the Church of Rome were of no real use to him in his quest for peace with his Creator.
He reasoned that a God who would predestine human beings for eternal torment could be neither wise, just, nor loving. He was drawn to the simple purity of Islam and found that in becoming a Muslim, he was merely obeying the dictates of his conscience. He felt a better and truer man for it, having found a religion that aligned with his reason and moral sensibilities.
Muhammad Aman Hobohm (Germany)
Muhammad Aman Hobohm, a German diplomat, missionary, and social worker, found Islam to be a rational and natural religion that deeply impressed him. He had studied various political and social ideologies like Communism and secular democracy but found that none of them offered a complete code for a noble life. Only Islam, he believed, provided such a comprehensive framework.
Hobohm was particularly impressed by how Islam instilled a spirit of ethical and moral observance without the need for external compulsion. A Muslim, he noted, knows that they are constantly being observed by God, and this belief naturally keeps them away from sin. He saw Islam not as a theoretical faith but as a practical, holistic way of life that demands complete submission to the will of God, freeing man from the grip of superstition and raising his dignity.
Thomas Irving (Abu Nasr) (Canada)
Thomas Irving, a distinguished Canadian educationist and translator of the Qur'an, embraced Islam in the early 1950s. His initial encounter with Islam was through a missionary who spoke of the "obdurate adherence" of Muslims to their religion, which, instead of creating disdain, roused in Irving an "unconscious admiration" for their steadfastness.
Irving believed that Islam is the inborn religion of every soul, and therefore, the term "conversion" does not apply. He felt that he only "became" a Muslim in the sense that he realized it was what he was all along. As a dedicated Muslim, he worked tirelessly to promote Islam in the West, establishing Arabic and Islamic studies departments at various universities and authoring numerous books on Islam and the Arab-Islamic period in Spanish history.
Dr. Haroon Mustapha Leon (William Henry Quilliam) (Britain/UK)
Born William Henry Quilliam, Dr. Haroon Mustapha Leon was a 19th-century British solicitor who converted to Islam in 1887 after a visit to Morocco. Raised as a Methodist, he became a central figure in the history of British Islam, founding England's first mosque and Islamic center in Liverpool.
His conversion was a remarkable event that brought significant attention to Islam in Victorian England. He was a prolific writer and speaker, publishing frequently under the alias Haroon Mustapha Leon. The Ottoman Sultan even gave him the title of Sheikh-ul-Islam of Britain. His journey demonstrates the power of personal experience and intellectual conviction in leading one to a new faith, and his dedication helped establish a Muslim presence in Britain.
Dr. R. L. Mellema (Holland-The Netherlands)
Dr. R. L. Mellema's journey to Islam was a spiritual quest for inner peace. His brain was satiated with scientific knowledge, but his soul remained thirsty. He felt a deep need to divest himself of his gathered learning to find truth through inner, ennobled experience.
His turning point came in a feverish dream where he saw the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and felt a deep, spiritual connection. He described it as a ray of eternal truth shining down on him. He found that Islam's simple, logical faith and the sincerity of its followers resonated with him. His experience illustrates that for some, the path to Islam is not merely an intellectual one but a profound spiritual awakening that provides peace and rest for the soul.
Ali Muhammad Mori (Japan)
The name Ali Muhammad Mori is often associated with the numerous Japanese individuals who have embraced Islam. While the details of a single, prominent figure with this name are not widely documented, the broader phenomenon of Japanese converts is a testament to Islam's universal appeal. Converts from Japan are often drawn to the religion's clear monotheism, its emphasis on discipline, and its moral framework. They find in Islam a sense of order, peace, and spiritual purpose that aligns with their cultural values of harmony and respect.
William B. Bashyr Pickard (Britain/UK)
William B. Bashyr Pickard's spiritual journey was a long and winding one. After a period of an adventurous life in Africa and service in World War I where he was wounded and taken prisoner, his health broke down. It was during his recovery in Switzerland that he found solace in a French translation of the Qur'an. He describes the experience as if a "ray of eternal truth" shone upon him. He was so moved that he began to practice writing the Qur'an with his left hand, as his right arm was shattered.
He realized that in his heart, he was already "resigne a la volonte de Dieu" (submitted to the will of God). On New Year's Day, 1922, he openly joined the Muslim community. He lived a life dedicated to Islam, striving to live as a Muslim in theory and practice to the extent of his ability, finding a peace of mind that had previously eluded him.
Mark Shaffer (U.S.)
Mark Shaffer, an American lawyer and millionaire, was drawn to Islam during a visit to Saudi Arabia. He had some limited prior information about Islam but was deeply impressed when he personally witnessed Muslims performing their prayers. This experience created a "very strong drive to know more about Islam."
He obtained books on Islam, and after reading them, he felt a profound sense of peace in his soul. He asked a friend to teach him how to pray and then declared his conversion. He was so moved by his new faith that he went to the Da'wah office in Jeddah to obtain a formal certificate of conversion, which allowed him to enter the holy city of Makkah. Mark Shaffer's story shows how witnessing the sincerity and devotion of Muslims can be a powerful catalyst for a spiritual awakening.
Muhammad Alexander Russell Webb (U.S.)
Muhammad Alexander Russell Webb was a journalist and U.S. diplomat who, while serving as the Consular Representative to the Philippines, converted to Islam in 1889. He is considered the earliest prominent Old Stock American Muslim convert. He had given up on religion for years before finding a profound truth in Islam.
Webb was the sole person representing Islam at the first Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893. He saw Islam as a logical and practical religion that was free from the contradictions and dogmas of Christianity. After resigning his diplomatic post, he returned to America to propagate Islam, establishing the Oriental Publishing Company and writing extensively on his new faith, including his magnum opus "Islam in America."
Muhammad John Webster (Britain/UK)
While specific details about a prominent convert named Muhammad John Webster are not widely documented, this name represents the numerous individuals in Britain who have found Islam to be a compelling and logical faith. These converts are often drawn to the religion's clear monotheistic doctrine, its emphasis on direct worship of God, and its comprehensive moral and ethical framework. Their journeys are a testament to Islam's universal message, which continues to resonate with people from all backgrounds in search of spiritual truth and guidance.