Foreword

The continuously growing interest in embracing Islam among intellectuals and those possessing the highest scientific competencies, the best talents, gifts and intellectual capacities in the West is a phenomenon which deserves enough contemplation, scrutiny and pondering, for it is without precedent particularly in these modern times.

Many barriers made it impossible for Westerners to even get close to Islam or peacefully coexist with its peoples during the previous centuries ; especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when hostile campaigns were launched in various ways and different forms against Islam and Muslims. These campaigns ranged from military occupation, political domination, economic exploitation, attacks against Islamic beliefs, culture and civilisation to a complete denial of Islam’s contribution and ignorance of its efforts in the development of Islamic civilization.

What we have here is a civilization phenomenon, in all respects, which mainly consists in the conversion of enlightened classes in the West, in particular, to Allah’s Religion in successive batches whose ethnic and racial origins vary but whose hopes and aspirations are unified by their belief in Allah, in His messenger Muhammad Bin Abdullah (PBUH) and in His Book which He revealed to His chosen Prophet as “a guide to mankind, and clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong)”.

Allah, the Almighty, Says in His Holy Book : “We will show them Our Signs in the (furthest) Universe (of the earth), and in their own selves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the truth”.

Interpreters all agree that this 53rd Verse of Surat Fussilat is one of the challenges of the Holy Qur’an because it thoroughly confirms the fact that Allah, the Greatest, sent His Messengers to spread guidance and true faith, that Islam is the last Heavenly Message, and that anyone who is in quest of truth will acquaint himself with this religion. This is what has happened throughout the history of Islam, and is happening in the modern period in the most overwhelming and wondrous manner.

These intellectuals and scientists, who embrace Islam on the basis of sound knowledge, are on the whole from among the elite of their societies in terms of learning, education, training and contribution to the shaping of the development of their own countries. Their brilliant minds, which are free from preconceptions, have led them to the belief in the true religion ; thus Allah Almighty’s following verse : “… until it becomes manifest in their minds that this is the truth” applies to them after the Creator -the Most High- has shown them His wondrous Signs that have had an impact on their minds in accordance with his Almighty’s saying : “We will show them Our Signs in the (furthest) Universe (of the earth) and in their own selves”. They are all part of those people to whom this Verse and other Verses of the Holy Qur’an apply.

In this book, which is co-published in Spanish, French and English by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) and the International Islamic Charitable Organisation (IICO) for its author Prof. Imam Muhammad Imam under the title of The New Muslims, we find what proves this truth and embodies this phenomenon that we deem a good omen, God Willing. For it presents selected examples of new Muslims, be they famous or not. The author relates their stories in fascinating style and draws conclusions from their experiences and from the godly guidance which has brought them out of darkness into light and from a state of confusion and doubt to that of absolute certainty. The book deserves to be read as it allows the reader to see the very civilisation phenomenon which is specific to this era. It also serves an objective that the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) strives for, namely to spread true conceptions about Islam, correct the misleading ideas propagated about it, and deepen the sound understanding of Islam as a creed, a culture and a civilisation.

May Allah grant us success and guide us to the right path.                        

Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri                                          Sheikh Yusuf Al-Hajji

Director General of the Islamic                                   President of the International

Educational, Scientific and Cultural                           Islamic Charitable Organization

Organization -ISESCO-                                                                 (IICO)