Wadie Ahmed Fathy'nin Din Değiştirmesi: Pazar Okulu Öğretmenliğinden Müslüman Vaizliğe

Childhood: Planting Seeds of Hatred

I grew up in a Christian family in Alexandria, where my father was a preacher at the Friends of the Bible Society. He worked in evangelising in villages and poor areas to attract impoverished Muslims to Christianity. From a young age, my father insisted that I join the deacons at the age of six and regularly attend Sunday School lessons, where they instilled in us seeds of hatred and animosity towards Muslims.

Youth: The Maturation of Black Hatred

When I turned eighteen, I became a teacher at Sunday School and a deacon instructor. I had to attend preaching classes at the church and make regular visits to monasteries, especially in the summer, where they brought in specialists to attack Islam, the Quran, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

At one of these summer gatherings, the priest would explain how the Quran was full of contradictions, quoting only half a verse like “Do not approach prayer…” and leaving out the rest of the verse, which completes the correct meaning. They also interpreted the word “Nikah” as adultery or sodomy, and spoke about how the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) took his teachings from the monk Bahira and then distorted them to invent Islam.

These pieces of information raised perplexing questions among the youth, myself included. One day, I had the following conversation with the priest:

Christian Youth: “What do you think of Muhammad (peace be upon him)?” Rahip: “He is a genius and intelligent man.” Gençlik: “There are many geniuses like Plato, Socrates, and Hammurabi, but they did not have followers and a religion that spread so quickly. Why?” Rahip: (hesitates to answer)

I always asked questions like:

Gençlik: “What do you think of the Quran?” Rahip: “It is a book that contains stories of the prophets and urges people to virtues, but it is full of errors.” Gençlik: “Why are you afraid of us reading it and why do you consider anyone who touches or reads it a disbeliever?” Rahip: “Anyone who reads it is a disbeliever without explaining why.”

Turning Towards Islam

In 1981, I began debating with my Muslim neighbour Ahmed Mohammed Al-Demerdash Hijazi about justice in Islam. One day he asked me, “Do you have anything like this in Christianity?” I honestly answered, “No, we don’t.” This conversation pushed me to deeply think about Islam and its precise laws.

Between 1982 and 1990, I worked as a doctor at the Kom El-Shuqafa Chest Hospital. Dr. Mohammed Al-Shatibi frequently discussed the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with colleagues. Initially, I felt jealous, but over time, I grew to love hearing these beautifully worded and meaningful hadiths, and I began to feel that this man was a great prophet.

Was My Father a Muslim?

I started discovering hidden shocks about my father. He had completely abandoned churches, preaching, and missionary societies, and refused to kiss the hands of priests. He did not believe in the body and blood (bread and wine), and would sleep on Friday mornings, then bathe and go out at noon. New phrases started coming from his mouth like “I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan” and “There is no power and no strength except with Allah.” After his death in 1988, I found slips of paper in his Bible indicating errors in the Gospels and their corrections. I also found my grandfather’s (my father’s father’s) Bible, a 1930 edition, which fully explained the changes made by Christians, such as changing “Teacher” and “Master” to “Lord.”

The Path to the Mosque

I felt attracted to mosques, which were unlike the churches filled with pews, paintings, and musical instruments. Worship in mosques was simply bowing and prostrating to Allah alone. I decided to read the Quran, so I bought a copy, bathed, and began reading it. I did not find in it what they had taught us in church.

The Vision

One day, I fell asleep with the Quran by my side. Near dawn, I saw a light on the wall of the room and a man with a radiant face appeared, pointing to the Quran before disappearing. I felt that this man was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), indicating that the Quran is the path of light and guidance.

Declaration of Islam

I went to the Directorate of Security – Department of Religious Affairs – to submit myself to Allah. I prayed in the Church of St. George and St. Antony and confirmed to myself that I was on the right path. After a long struggle with bureaucracy, my conversion to Islam was officially registered at the notary office in August 1992.

Difficulties After Conversion

After declaring my conversion to Islam, I faced many difficulties. My family boycotted me and my father refused to give me my financial rights from my share in a company we owned together. However, I did not care, entering Islam empty-handed, but Allah compensate me with the brotherhood of Islam, and I found a job that provided a good income.

The New Life

All I hope for now is to be a beneficial Muslim to others and to contribute with my knowledge of Christianity and Islam to the call to Allah’s religion.

O Allah, let me live in Islam and die in faith. O Allah, keep my offspring after me devout, worshipping, fearing Your disobedience, and drawing near to You with obedience. Our last supplication is all praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.