The British Pop Star Cat Stevens Forsakes

the False Life of Fame so as to Adapt himself

to the Teachings and Principles of Islam

Yusuf Islam : “My son listens to my old songs, and his favourite song is ‘Moon Shadow’”

In this section we will discuss the faith journey which led the British singer Cat Stevens to embrace Islam and change his name to Yusuf Islam after a patient study of the Holy Qur’an, a serious attempt to understand its meanings and principles, and diligence in knowing its teachings. The beginning of this faith journey, as we mentioned earlier, took place when his brother presented him with a gift as a result of the influence of Islam on the latter during a visit to Jerusalem, to the Aqsa Mosque and the encounter with a number of Muslims who talked to him about Islam. The brother surprised Cat Stevens by talking to him about Islam and Muslims in Jerusalem and offered him a copy of the Book of Allah so as to read it and ponder over it. Cat Stevens made all efforts to read the Qur’an. His brother also applied himself assiduously to the study of the Holy Qur’an, and found the path he was looking for, which he could not find in the writings of  philosophers and the books of other religions. His heart opened up to the light of faith. 

I took advantage of the many occasions on which I met Yusuf Islam, both in Britain and the USA, to talk about his faith journey as well as about his journey in the fields of Islamic work and Da`wa. He related to me a great deal about these journeys and drew my attention to some of what was written about him and about his conversion in Western references. He offered me, as gifts, video cassettes and audio cassettes about him and about this faith journey so that I could thoroughly know about its aspects when I write about him. Though he announced his conversion back in 1977, that is approximately twenty three years ago, his Islamic experience is rich, indeed, especially his experience as a new Muslim who had given up his fame -as a musician and singer- in favour of his new religion. This rich experience should be recorded in this book. Thus, we devote some space to him so as to follow the details of the story of his faith journey, which resulted in his conversion to Islam, after which he worked very hard for the sake of the Islamic Da`wa, putting to use all his fame, money and efforts.

Cat Stevens made a point of announcing his conversion to Islam in the mosque of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Regent Park in London in 1977. In his youth Stevens was keen on singing and music, giving no attention to the issue of religion. Yet, there was a number of puzzling questions whose answers he was looking for in philosophy and religious books. But he did not find them then. One day, his brother offered him a copy of the Holy Qur’an as a Christmas present which he accepted. He started reading the Book of Allah about which he said : “It seemed to me through my reading of the Holy Qur’an that I had found answers to some of those puzzling questions from the start. Actually, this was a good introduction to my belief in Allah -God of the Universe- and my subsequent embracing of Islam”.

Stevens’ brother went through this faith journey which led him to embrace Islam. Furthermore, he and his brother tried hard to convince both their parents to convert to Islam ; they succeeded in their endeavour, for their father announced his conversion to Islam just two days before his death, despite his hostility to Islam and Muslims in his youth.

Immediately after embracing Islam, Yusuf Islam decided to change the course of his life and to live in accordance with the Islamic teachings. He said : “I found that the Holy Qur’an forbid usury ; therefore, I withdrew my money from usurious accounts, because of the forbidden interests. I deposited it in non-usurious accounts, and that perplexed my Jewish accountant, for he did not understand what I had done. So, I explained to him that my new religion forbids usury and that I wanted to live in conformity with the teachings of Islam.”

He went on to say : “I also understood that the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) guide us to the fact that the type of singing and listening that is allowed is religious songs and invocations of God. This is why I immediately decided to forsake singing and music and to concentrate on Islamic Da`wa. Thus, I founded a study circle in which my brothers – the new British Muslims and I studied our conditions and the way of following the guidance of our new religion by abiding to its commandments and avoiding its interdictions.”

When he was once asked about whether he felt some nostalgia for traditional music and singing in the Western sense, Yusuf Islam answered : “No … though I sometimes write good songs, some of which are an expression of my spiritual quest and my faith aspirations.”

Yusuf Islam tried to stop the selling of his music which he had produced before becoming Muslim but to no avail. He stated : “I wrote to the record companies asking them to stop producing and selling these discs and tapes, but my efforts were unsuccessful. The companies have continued producing the records of the songs I released before my conversion to Islam, and there are still young admirers who buy them - both in Britain and in some Western countries. It is strange to hear that these Cat Stevens’ songs still sell well in the music market.”

His astonishment springs from the fact that the youth still listen to the songs which prevailed in the sixties and in the seventies. Even his son listens to them and his favourite song is “Moon Shadow”. Yusuf Islam said in this respect: “I don’t forbid my son to listen to these songs, for he wants to know what his father used to do. But when I enter the house, I say turn off the recorder.”

When the British journalist Francis Welsh, from the Weekly “Sunday Telegraph” issued on February 20, 1994, asked him about the truth of the rumour that Muslims killed renegades (at that time a Fatwa -a religious ruling- was issued ordering Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie for writing his blasphemous book Satanic Verses), Yusuf Islam answered with a smile : “This is what they say, but what is awaiting them is worse than this in the Hereafter.”

It was not easy for Yusuf Islam to combine his adherence to Islam with the fame he had achieved in the music world ; hence his decision to make the difficult choice of giving up singing and music and continue his faith journey, without becoming introverted and getting satisfied with the fact that he had become Muslim. On the contrary, he had to use his capacities in the service of Islam and do as much as he could to spread Islam. Yusuf Islam felt that his conversion to Islam did not mean to be a devout Muslim who only confined himself to the carrying out of religious duties but who struggled for the cause of Allah and for the sake of his Muslim brothers.

Thus, immediately after he became a Muslim, he frequently went to the mosque of the Islamic Cultural Centre in London, attending religious lectures and reading the most important Islamic books so as to acquire more knowledge about the Islamic religion. He felt a need for setting up a study circle in the mosque in order to help new British Muslims to preserve their Islam, and to show them the right path. He started to extend the activities of these religious gatherings, which took care of teaching religious observances. It was from here that Yusuf Islam became aware of the importance of founding Islamic schools that would help the new generations of British Muslims’ offspring to acquire an Islamic upbringing and education. As a result, he gave the issue of Islamic education and founding Islamic schools the biggest part of his attention and concern. He took the initiative of founding an Islamic school and was surprised by the great importance given by Muslims in London to send their sons and daughters to such Islamic schools, so as to preserve their cultural and religious identity.