Introduction

The study, which I carried out and published under the title of The New Muslims in the “Religion” page of “Asharq Al-Awsat” newspaper in thirty instalments during the holy month of Ramadan 1420 H, was well received by and left a good impression on many Islamic and non-Islamic circles inside and outside the Islamic world. I received many messages by e-mail, fax, post and telephone calls and read some articles that dealt with the study in various newspapers, which appreciated its idea along with its detailed description of the faith journeys that led these Western men and women to embrace Islam in quest of spiritual salvation and of a deliverance from spiritual vacuum.

Some of these messages and phone calls insisted on the publication of these instalments in a book, so that Muslims could get an idea not only about the spiritual illumination that the Almighty has thrown into the hearts of these new Muslim men and women but also about the fact that the image of Islam in the West is not as dark as it is depicted by Western media and imagined by many Muslims. Yet, by little effort and much devotion in calling people to Allah’s religion “with wisdom and beautiful preaching ; and argue with them in ways that are best”, Allah will guide to the right path He whom He likes and strengthen His religion on earth, as our Lord has promised for no one tells the truth better than He.

The publication of this study during the holy month of Ramadan was not accidental. I thought it convenient to allow Muslims to accompany their fellow new Muslim women and men on the latter’s faith journeys and way to Allah which led them to embrace the Islamic religion out of conviction, belief and faith, despite their fathers’ ignorance and their environments’ errors. Praise be to Allah Who guides He whom He likes to the light of faith.

In fact, this study would not have been this well received had it not been for Allah’s Grace and Help and for the instructions of my friend Prof Abdurrahman Ar-Rachid, the former editor-in-chief of “Asharq Al-Awsat” newspaper, in terms of its idea and outline. For he provided me with the idea of carrying out this study before I was appointed editor of the “Religion” page in September 1998, in addition to many ideas and instructions he offered in an attempt to bring this religion closer to people’s reality through a journalistic treatment of the stand of religion and the revealed law of Islam (henceforth, Sharia) with regard to modern developments, along with the issue of contemporary Fatwas (formal legal opinions) and with a number of ideas that I prefer not to disclose in this introduction as I would like to keep them for other occasions and future  achievements, God willing.

I do acknowledge that this study was met with some constructive criticism. For some people rightly said that I have mentioned two or three examples of new Muslims who were not really new, as many years have elapsed since they converted to Islam. May Allah make them and us hold fast to this religion. But my purpose in mentioning the names of these famous people in the West and in the whole world -though they were not new Muslims- was to learn the lesson and to depict the faith journeys which led them to embrace Islam in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

I would like to report here what Dr Abdul Wahid Al-Hammed wrote in the Saudi newspaper Riyadh about the issues that attracted his attention in this study. For he says : “…in reality, these brothers and sisters who embrace Islam teach those us who have inherited Islam since birth  a lot of things which we do not pay attention to, by virtue of habit, or of which we have no knowledge at all. This is why I greatly enjoy reading the writings of these brothers and sisters, especially when they talk about the motivations that led them to embrace Islam. Those who have read Murad Hoffman’s books or articles very much enjoy contemplating the ideas he puts forward, among which is his interview in “Asharq Al-Awsat” newspaper, during the month of Ramadan, in which he talks about his personal experiences related to fasting in Islamic countries.”

Among the messages I received is a letter sent to me from an Islamic country ; its author wrote : “I would like first to praise the good and new subject which you present in the “Religion” page about new Muslims. It is a subject that deserves attention and continuation, and its author deserves encouragement and praise. Actually, I was fascinated by the enthusiasm of those British women who have embraced Islam recently.”

All in all, my thanks go to anyone who has contributed to the success of this work in that a successful journalistic work is the result of collective efforts.

Our intention is to serve Allah Who guides to the right path.