フィリピン人牧師イサ・ビアゴの回心：闇から光へ

始まりだ：

His name was Crisanto Biago before he embraced Islam and became Isa Abdullah Biago. At forty years old, he hails from the Philippines, is married, and has a son. He was a Catholic priest but converted to Islam fourteen years ago. Today, he lives and works in Doha, and we had the honour of meeting him to learn about his life before and after Islam.

Childhood and Religious Education:

Isa studied at the theological institute and obtained a bachelor’s degree in theology. He worked as a Catholic priest and viewed Muslims as enemies due to the negative propaganda that was promoted against them. Isa says, “I couldn’t even stand hearing the name of Muslims, given the global propaganda portraying them as pirates and savages.” This negative view was shared by most Filipino Christians, who make up 90% of the population.

Beginning the Search for Truth:

One day, Isa attended a lecture by an American missionary named Peter Gowing about Islam. This lecture sparked his desire to learn about this religion, so he began reading some books about the pillars of faith, the pillars of Islam, and the stories of the prophets. He discovered that Islam believes in the prophets, including Jesus (peace be upon him), which amazed him greatly. Isa says, “My problem was the lack of books that talk about Islam and the Quran, but I did not give up.”

Doubts about Christianity:

Isa began to feel doubts about the religion he was teaching. He wondered, “How can God hold a human being accountable for the sins of others? And why doesn’t God forgive these sins directly?” These questions troubled him, so he started searching for the true revelation. He read the Torah but found it full of errors and contradictions. He says, “The original Torah is missing, and there are more than one version, so how can I believe this?”

イスラム教徒との出会い

Isa spent two years in a state of searching and doubt until he met a group of Muslims distributing pamphlets about Islam. He took one of their booklets and read it eagerly, then started discussing it with the group. He says, “I loved debate and argument, which is not surprising because there are many conflicting Christian groups in the Philippines.” He sat with a team of Muslims in a park and found that the person debating him was a former senior priest who had converted to Islam. They talked about the political system in Islam and the equality the religion brings.

In one session, Isa asked the Muslim debater, “What made you leave Christianity and embrace Islam?” The debater replied, “When I read the Quran and studied the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), I found the truth I had been searching for all my life.” Isa was deeply affected by the debater’s words and became increasingly interested in Islam.

Continuous Search:

Isa continued his search for the truth and read a book by Ahmed Deedat, which answered all his questions about the Bible. He would meet the Muslim man every Friday to ask him about everything. He asked about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his relation to the descendants of Ishmael and was given passages from the Torah mentioning Muhammad (peace be upon him). Isa says, “My faith in Jesus (peace be upon him) helped me accept faith in Muhammad (peace be upon him).”

Making the Decision:

Isa’s search lasted for two months, but he felt hesitant because he feared losing everything if he converted to Islam. He says, “I knew for sure that if I converted to Islam, I would lose everything: money, my academic degree, the church, and I would lose my parents and siblings.” He was unable to teach Christian doctrine because he was not convinced by it. Eventually, he met his Muslim friend and asked him about prayer, and he was told that the Shahada (declaration of faith) comes first. Isa raised his finger and said, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” without knowing the meaning of these words until his friend explained it to him.

Declaring Islam:

After declaring his Islam, Isa’s parents were extremely angry. The senior priest came to the house to discuss with him, but when Isa showed him the contradictions in the Bible, the priest could not convince him of anything. Isa says, “I later heard that the entire church was praying for me to come back to my senses, as if I had gone mad.” Isa began to firmly establish himself in Islam and started presenting Islamic programs on local television and radio.

Impact of Islam on His Family:

After converting to Islam, Isa married a Muslim woman and was blessed with his only son, Abdul Samad. He says proudly, “After that, my father, mother, sister, her husband, my nephew, and my niece all embraced Islam. I thank Allah that I was the reason for their guidance to the straight path.”

Da’wah in the Philippines:

Isa says that more than four hundred people convert to Islam every month in the Philippines according to official records. He adds, “Most Filipinos are Christians in name only and do not have anyone to invite them to Islam. Some are convinced of Islam but are hindered by fear of the future.” He believes that the best way to invite others to Islam is through good treatment and the ethics of Islam.

Obstacles and Challenges:

Isa mentions that there are obstacles that prevent people from embracing Islam, such as the false ideas ingrained in their minds about Islam, the behaviour of some Muslims that gives a bad image of the religion, and the suspicions raised about Islam, such as it promoting terrorism and mistreating women. He emphasises that the role of preachers is to present the true image of Islam and clear the misconceptions about this great religion.

影響力のある対話

In one of the influential dialogues with his parents, the conversation went as follows: Mother: “Why did you leave the religion you were raised on? How can you abandon everything we taught you?” Isa: “Mother, I have searched deeply and found that Islam is the truth. I can no longer teach something I do not believe in. Islam answered all my questions and gave me the inner peace I was searching for.” Father: “But we will lose you, and you will lose everything. Why make such a difficult decision?” Isa: “I know it’s difficult, but I ask you to try to understand me. I want you to know that I have found the light and the truth in Islam.”

日々の挑戦

Isa faced many challenges after his conversion. One day, a former church friend came to him and said: Friend: “How dare you leave the church? Have you gone mad?” Isa: “I haven’t gone mad; I have found the truth. I hope you try to understand my position. I have searched and found that Islam is the right path.” Friend: “You won’t succeed in life this way. You will lose everything.” Isa: “I might lose material things, but I have gained peace of mind and tranquillity of heart. That is more valuable than anything else.”

With these details and dialogues, Isa Biago’s story becomes more impactful and lively, helping the reader understand the depth of his transformation and his discovery of Islam.

Quranic Signs:

Isa Biago’s journey embodies the Quranic Sign: “You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews and those who associate others with Allah; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant. And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, ‘Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses.'” (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:82-83, King Fahd Complex Translation).