How cycling through Africa with no money brought us closer to Allah

Adam I. Seedat,                                                              By 5Pillars,                                                                          25 November 2019

Nathim Cairncross and Abdullah Jimenez embarked upon a year-long bike trip which took them from Kenya to Turkey. Now living in Istanbul, their experiences on the trip uncovered some incredible spiritual gems, as Nafees Mahmud reports.

Amongst the hustle and bustle of the approximately 20 million people living in Istanbul are two recently arrived friends: 38-year-old Nathim Cairncross, an English teacher from South Africa and 24-year-old barista Abdullah Jimenez from Spain.

They are the most chilled out people you can meet: comfortable in their own skins.

One reason for this is the journey that brought them here. They travelled from Cape Town to Istanbul (mostly) via bicycle over a year and both men attest to the spiritual growth this led to.

“This journey allowed me to know myself and he who knows himself, knows his Lord. Through this trip I got a step closer to my own truth: knowing how to act according to what my own heart wants,” says Abdullah.

Nathim adds that despite the shortage of money and having no guaranteed accommodation the simple act of getting up and going compelled him to “develop more trust and conviction that all will be ok.”

A good idea

Such journeys are usually undertaken by travel writers or those fundraising for charity. For them, the motive wasn’t specific. The casual way in which the trip was initiated is reflective of their admirably nonchalant demeanour. Nathim says “it just sounded like a good idea.”

It was proposed to them over dinner by another friend who started the journey with them but ended up taking a different route. “It was very spontaneous,” Nathim reflects. For him, it was another opportunity to break free of the shackles of daily life which he feels can impose rigid structures on people.

“I wasn’t thinking about consequences. If you think about those matters you kind of create barriers for yourself.  Even during the journey, we can see if we put up excuses it wouldn’t have happened.”

He’d previously made a similar trip in 2010, cycling from Cape Town to Mecca to perform Hajj so his confidence in his own endurance wasn’t under question. For Abdullah, two days after the adventure was proposed he quit his job and within two weeks had everything he needed (bike, spare parts, backpack) except what seemed the most obvious necessity: money.

“I only had fifty dollars. I told the guys I want to do this but have no money. They hardly had any either and said I didn’t need any.” Initially he was sceptical but as the journey began he says the truth of their insight unfolded.

They left Cape Town in August 2018. The journey involved a plane ride to Madagascar (which they cycled around for three months), a flight to Mauritius then to Kenya from where they cycled through Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. From there they took a flight to Ankara and cycled to Istanbul.

Generosity of strangers

Though the biggest challenge was not having money, this didn’t stop them from getting what they needed.

Nathim says: “In Madagascar we went to a mosque only to be told we couldn’t sleep there. But then someone took us to his home and we stayed with him for two whole months! We practically became part of his family, sharing meals with them.”

Nathim feels this heightened his reliance on, and trust in, Allah. “This generosity is something you can’t predict. You can’t say ‘I’ll leave here this morning and get this, this and this.’ You don’t know what is coming your way. Sometimes you get your provision for the day, sometimes you don’t. With or without money, if you make a move, if you get out there, things happen for you.”

On numerous occasions when it seemed despair could set in, simple but remarkable things happened for them.

“We cycled from Nairobi to Mombasa. One morning we didn’t have any food so we did about 50K and we could feel we were in trouble: our bodies were shaking. We were in the middle of nowhere. The sun was blazing. Then a car pulls up. We look at the car and we see a can of Coca Cola and Fanta coming out.

“I cycle up to the car, take the cans and rub them all over my face and then the guys in the car give us a bottle of water. We gulped down the drinks. We continued and then the same thing happens. We’re dehydrated so we stop. We’re just talking. Next moment, a truck pulls up in front of us and the driver asks: ‘Where you going’? We say Mombasa and he says, ‘come, I’ll take you’. Just like that.”

Enjoying Ethiopia

One of the most important aspects of the journey was experiencing different cultures, the most enjoyable of which was Ethiopia’s.

“The food is amazing, and the hospitality. People sitting in a restaurant see you walking past and they look at you and invite you to the table. They don’t know you but everyday, every single day this happens. When you engage with the people there they give one hundred per cent eye contact and attention and try and figure out what it is you want. And of course, the women in Ethiopia. They are beautiful. It is not this typical Barbie beauty they put on TV. It is original beauty,” Nathim shares.

Beyond the initial challenges of accommodation and money, others included the climate (that Sudanese sun is harsh, brother! Nathim exclaims), losing a bike in Egypt, stomach ailments and language barriers.

Being back in the developed world has deepened their appreciation for simple things such as hot running water.

Reflecting on what they gained most from the trip Abdullah says: “I saw I was in the hands of Allah. I had to turn to him for everything I needed and that is what I did. I saw my duas sometimes being accepted instantly. I prayed for money and it came from someone I didn’t know. I stopped worrying. I was living in the moment.”

For Nathim, it was seeing how “life has its own rhythm. It’s not about these man-made systems. In some parts of the northern world these are so strong it’s impacting people and making them inhuman. Whereas in Africa people still have a lot of the human spirit in them.”

Keeping the human spirit alive isn’t easy in this day and age. In this context the idea of cycling from one continent to another with no money and no planning doesn’t seem so radical after all. 

https://5pillarsuk.com/2019/11/25/how-cycling-through-africa-with-no-money-brought-us-closer-to-allah/

The Five Pillars of Oppression

I read the Quran to learn about terrorist beliefs but ended up becoming Muslim

I read the Quran to learn about terrorist beliefs but ended up becoming Muslim

 By Jennifer R Williams                                                                   Adam I. Seedat

All American Muslim

If you were to pass me on the street, you would never suspect I’m a Muslim: I don’t wear hijab. I have platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. And I am heavily tattooed. I grew up in Texas and was raised Southern Baptist. I use the word “y’all” a lot—and not ironically. But I am Muslim. I also speak Arabic and hold a Master’s degree in International Security with a focus on terrorism and the Middle East.

 Several years ago, I realized that although I had long studied, analyzed, and written about Islamic political theory and how jihadist ideologues like Osama bin Laden use the Qur’an to justify their heinous acts of violence, I had never actually read the Qur’an. So I read it—and what I found in its pages changed my life. I found answers to questions about faith and belief and morality that had been plaguing me since my youth. I found the connection to God I thought I had lost. And seven years ago, I converted to Islam.

 Just to be clear: I detest the twisted interpretations of Islam espoused by the likes of Al Qaeda and ISIS just as much today as I did before I converted—in fact, probably more so, since now I see it not only as a sick bastardization of a beautiful religion, but a sick bastardization of my beautiful religion.

When I read the Qur’an, I find a God who is beneficent, who is merciful, and who cherishes mankind. I find a religion that encourages independent thought, compassion for humanity, and social justice. The jihadis claim to love these same things about Islam, but have somehow decided that the best way to share God’s message of mercy and compassion with the world is to blow up mosques and behead humanitarian aid workers. Great plan, guys.

Three years ago, the hashtag “#MuslimApologies” began trending on Twitter. The hashtag was a tongue-in-cheek response to those—such as right-wing radio host Laura Ingraham—who, in the wake of the beheadings of Westerners by ISIS, have questioned why Muslims have not been more vocal about denouncing terrorism carried out in the name of Islam (except that many have). Tired of constantly being asked to apologize for the acts of a few vile individuals who twist Islam to justify their barbarism, Muslims on Twitter decided to take a humorous stand—by apologizing for everything: the Twilight saga, World Wars I and II, that Pluto is no longer a planet, and, my personal favourite, that Mufasa had to die in The Lion King. Some also used the hashtag to sarcastically apologize for the important contributions Islamic culture has made to the world, from algebra to coffee to the camera obscura.

Of course, I wanted to get in on the fun. After tweeting my sarcastic apology for the terrible ending of the television show LOST, I decided to tweet something a little more serious: a 140-character summary of my conversion story:

After sending my tweet, I went to bed. When I awoke the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my humble little tweet had been retweeted numerous times and I had picked up dozens of new followers. Several people—almost all Muslims—had responded expressing their happiness for me and welcoming me to Islam. So, that was nice. I also got a few trolls, of course: people telling me I was brainwashed, trying to convince me that the CIA created ISIS, or asking me if I had engaged in female genital mutilation yet. That was less nice, but to be expected; it is Twitter, after all.

Then things took an unexpected turn. My tweet went viral—at last check, it had been retweeted more than 11,300 times—and I soon began to notice a disturbing trend: of the thousands of people who were retweeting and following me, many of them had the black flag of ISIS as their Twitter profile photos. Others had pictures of themselves holding swords, standing in front of the black ISIS flag. Uh-oh.

Then the Saudis showed up: men whose profile pictures showed them in traditional Saudi dress (sometimes behind the wheel of a swanky SUV or insanely expensive sports car) started replying to my tweet and asking to speak to me in private. One guy told me how beautiful I would look in hijab. Another just straight up asked me to marry him.

So I’m famous. In Saudi Arabia. Great.

Not that I have anything against Saudis, of course. I’ve known plenty of perfectly lovely Saudis, and I would be making the same mistake as American Islamophobes if I painted all Saudis as Islamic fundamentalists. But there is no denying that something is rotten in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ruling al-Sauds have given a lot of power and influence to hardline Islamic fundamentalists within their society in order to secure their rule. Among the results of this dubious bargain is that Saudi-funded Salafi-Wahhabi madrassas around the world preach hate and the Saudi state has beheaded far more people in the last several months than ISIS has—for crimes ranging from adultery to apostasy to “sorcery.” So it’s still a little disconcerting that I’ve suddenly become a big hit in Saudi Arabia.

It’s clear that my tweet about becoming Muslim struck a nerve with a lot of Muslims, both here in America and in the broader Muslim world. Non-Muslims sometimes don’t realize how much hatred and negativity gets thrown at Muslims and how utterly soul crushing it can be to have to defend yourself and your beliefs on a daily basis, and it’s really nice to see someone saying something positive about Islam.

At the same time, though, it’s precisely the actions of ISIS and their followers and the words of intolerance emanating from the Salafi camp that provoke this reaction against Muslims. And I, for one, do not appreciate having my conversion story used to attract more people to a repugnant ideology that spawns suicide bombings and beheadings.

 About the Author

Jennifer R Williams lives in Washington, D.C. and is a foreign editor at Vox.com. Before joining Vox,she was a senior researcher at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

https://www.allamericanmuslim.com/jennifer-r-williams.html

OIC, Muslim leaders urged to make a stand on Babri Mosque verdict

 New Straits Times

10 November 2019

 KUALA LUMPUR: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Muslims leaders worldwide have been urged to make their stand following the verdict on the 16th century Babri mosque in India.

In a statement, Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organization president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, World Mosque in Defence of Al Aqsa chair alliance Datuk Seri Ahmad Awang and Ulama Assembly of Asia chair secretariat Datuk Wira Abdul Ghani Shamsudin also demanded that the Indian government ensure protection of all religious minorities and their places of worship.

India’s Supreme Court had yesterday ruled that the disputed holy site of Ayodhya in northern India should be given to Hindus who want to build a temple there.

It was in the old temple town that Babri mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992, which sparked riots that killed nearly 2,000 people, mostly Muslims.

“Replacing the mosque with another land does not resolve the dispute.

“It must also be based on justice for those killed and compensation for the mosque destroyed,” the statement read.

“The court also declared the demolition of the Babri mosque was against the rule of law.

“So, why is there a silence on this issue?

“Those responsible must be brought to justice.”

The statement also raised concern that the verdict would trigger more claims to avenge historical demands on holy sites.

“The question now is how does faith determine a land dispute?

 “The rule of law should have ideally determined a property dispute, but in this case a belief took dominance in the court decision,” it said.

 Mohd Azmi, Ahmad and Abdul Ghani also voiced their concern over the growing “hate campaign” against Islam and Muslims in India.“The Ayodhya verdict signals a long-term impact on the status of Muslims in India. The religious harmony that India wishes to cultivate amongst its people is now erased by the Hindutva ideology.”

Image: Women perform rituals at the banks of Saryu river on the day when the Supreme Court announced a verdict over a disputed religious site, in Ayodhya, India, 09 November 2019.-EPA

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/11/537377/oic-muslim-leaders-urged-make-stand-babri-mosque-verdict

Muslims can still get Babri-Masjid back

Hem Raj Jain

Dear Sir / Madam

Sub:- USA / UNHRC / UN should take cognizance of unprofessional Supreme Courts of nuclear India & Pakistan making South Asia politically explosive.

The countries being run on rule-of-law cannot function properly if their apex courts indulge in over-reach, majoritarianism, judicial-cowardice etc. Therefore USA (the leader of free world), UNHRC and UN should ensure through a mechanism at UN that UNHRC intervenes in the proceedings of the Supreme Courts of nuclear India & Pakistan (with the permission of these Courts) especially in cases which have brought Pakistan & India on the brink of internal political explosion & even war between them, as mentioned at:-
https://www.alwihdainfo.com/USA-UNHRC-UN-should-take-cognizance-of-unprofessional-Supreme-Courts-of-nuclear-India-Pakistan-making-South-Asia_a78990.html  or  https://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/opinion-details/3482

Regards

​Hem Raj Jain
(Author of ‘Betrayal of Americanism’)
Shakopee, MN, USA.
Whatsapp: 7353541252 

P.S. – The un-Islamic coward Muslims (who are not filing writ petitions despite my repeated request to them as mentioned at https://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/opinion-details/3316 ) got what they deserved through said November, 9 SCI judgment. Even now if Muslims want to get Babri-Masjid back then (ii)- They should change all the Advocates who were fighting Babri Masjid case in SCI. and  (ii)- They should file Review in SCI as per my legal & political advice  

Discovering the Beauty of Architecture: 5 Beautiful Pieces of Islamic Architecture Around the World

 Adam I. Seedat

By Mariam

1.   The Alhambra, Granada, Spain

The Alhambra is a palace built by a princes belonging to the Muslim Nasrid dynasty in the 14th century. Through time, some parts of the palace have been demolished. Today, there are three remaining parts: a fortress (al-Qasbah) on the west end of the hill, a princes-like residence to the east, and a group of pavilions and gardens known as the Generalife. You can identify the courtyards and spaces of the Alhambra easily, they are beautifully decorated with colored tiles, geometric forms, carved wood, and impressive calligraphy.

                                                                                          ©Romain Matteï
2. The Citadel of Aleppo, Syria

One of the most impressive works of architecture in the Midle East is is the citadel that stands on the top of a hill in the middle of the Syrian city of Aleppo. This example of Islamic military architecture is very impressive. Some of the fortifications found on the site by archeologists date back to the Roman times and earlier.

 On the inside you can find residences, store supplies, wells, mosques, and defensive installations, everything that was needed to hold out in times of war or a siege. The huge entrance block, built around 1213 is the most-imposing part of the building complex. There are two towering gates: called the Gate of the Serpents and the Gate of the Lions.

                                                                                    

3. Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse, Kashan, Iran

Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse is a very unique example of Persian architecture and decoration. It was built in the 16th century and is today, a very known and popular tourist attraction. It is located in a historical area in Kashan. You can get access to many valuable attractionsfrom that location. The rooftop makes the structure of the bathhouse quite particular, as it is a charming and artistic part. It is a popular destination for many photographers at different times of the year as it offers a lot of breathtaking colors and angles. The bathhouse is registered as a national heritage site.

 ©Ali Kordzadeh

4. The dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Palestine

The oldest extant Islamic monument of these times is the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. It is not only the oldest but also the best-known. The dome was built in 691–692, that is about 55 years after the Arab conquered Jerusalem. The structure consists of a luxurious wooden dome placed on top of an octagonal base. The site is very sacred to both Islam and Judaism.

5. Sulayman Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey 

One of the most prominent features of the Istanbul skyline is the towering dome of the Suleymaniye Mosque complex. The Mosque is built by the Ottoman emperor Suleyman the Magnificent between 1550 and 1557. It is the largest and most impressive of the mosque complexes in Istanbul. The complex was designed by the Ottoman master architect Sinan and is considered one of his masterpieces. Around the mosque itself you can find a hospital, several religious schools, a row of shops, a mausoleum, and a bath.

*MAURICE BUCAILLE'S INSPIRING CONVERSION TO ISLAM*~{“I have converted to Islam and believed in this Qur’an.”}

~Y A S M I N~

 *STORY OF MAURICE BUCAILLE'S INSPIRING CONVERSION TO ISLAM*

MAURICE Bucaille was born to a French parent and, 

like his family, he grew up a Christian.. After his secondary education, he joined Faculty of Medicine, France University. Later, he became the most renowned and cleverest surgeon ever in modern France, but a story happened to change his life completely.

France is known for its unique interest in archeology and heritage. When French Socialist President François Mitterrand assumed power in 1981, France asked Egypt, late in the 80’s, for the mummy of Egypt’s pharaoh so that it would conduct a string of monumental and processing experiments. 

Actually the body of Egypt’s most notorious tyrant was transferred to France, and, strangely, the French president and his ministers as well as senior officials in the country lined up near the plane carrying the pharaoh’s body and bowed down to him as if he were still alive ! 

After the ceremonies of the royal-like reception to Egypt’s pharaoh were over, the tyrant’s mummy was carried nearly in the same red carpet reception way he received. Then the mummy was transferred to a special wing at the French Monuments Center, and renowned archeologists, surgeons and anatomists started to conduct a study on this mummy in an attempt to delve into its mysteries. 

The senior surgeon and the scientist in charge of the study on this mummy of the Pharaoh was Professor Maurice Bucaille. While the processors were busy making restoration to the mummy, their head (Maurice Bucaille) was thinking otherwise. 

He was trying to discover how this Pharaoh died when, 

late at night, he concluded his final analyses. 

The remains of the salt stuck in his body was a shining evidence that he had drowned and that his body was retrieved from the sea swiftly after he drowned; 

it was also obvious that they rushed to mummify his body so that his body would remain intact !

 But Maurice Bucaille puzzled over a question:

 How did this body — to the exclusion of other mummified bodies of other ancient Egyptians — remain that intact although it was recovered from the sea?” 

Maurice was busy conducting a final report while thinking as to whether the pharaoh’s body was recovered from the sea and mummified immediately after he drowned. But one of his company whispered in his ear, saying 

“There is no need to rush about this issue, since the Muslims say that this Pharaoh did drown.” 

At first, he vehemently rejected this and did not believe it, citing that such a discovery would be reached only through sophisticated, modern and accurate computers. 

Another one accompanying him surprised him more when he told him that the Muslims’ Qur’an in which they believe narrates the story that says he drowned and that his body remained intact even after he drowned. 

He got more surprised and kept on asking” Where did the Muslims’ Qur’an quote these data from while the mummy was not discovered until 1898, i.e. about 200 years only, given that the Qur’an has been recited by Muslims for over 1400 years, and given also that until a few decades ago the entire mankind including Muslims did not know that the ancient Egyptians had mummified their pharaohs ?

Maurice Bucaille stayed up all this night gazing at Pharaoh’s body, thinking deeply of what his fellow researcher told him about the Muslims’ Qur’an explicitly establishing that this body was recovered after drowning, while the Christians’ Gospel (Matthew and Luca) narrated only the story of Pharaoh when he was chasing Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) without mentioning the fate of his body at all.

“Is it believable that Muhammad (peace be upon him) knew about this over 1,000 years ago while I have only just known it?” he thought.

Maurice spent a sleepless night, and asked for a version of the Torah. But it only furthered Bucaille’s astonishment; since even Torah did not narrate that the body was recovered and remained intact due to the processing and restoration, which it did undergo.

France sent back the mummy to Egypt in a splendid glass coffin. But, since he knew about the story circulated by Muslims on the intactness of this body, he decided to pack his baggage and travel to Saudi Arabia where a medical conference happened to be held with a galaxy of Muslim anatomists attending.

There, told them about his discovery, i.e. that Pharaoh’s body was kept intact even after he drowned. One of the conferees opened the Qur’an and read out the 

Ayah in which ...

Allah Almighty said, “So today We will (safely) deliver you with your body that you may be a sign to the ones succeeding you; and surely many among mankind are indeed heedless of Our signs.” (Yunus: 92)

In his excitement, he stood before the attendants and loudly said... 

“I have converted to Islam and believed in this Qur’an.”

Back to France, Maurice Bucaille spent 10 years conducting a study as to how far the recently scientific facts match that mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, trying to reassure himself that the Qur’an has never contradicted with any single scientific fact, so that he eventually came up with the conclusion that Allah Almighty said of the Qur’an, “Untruth does not come up to it before (Literally: between its two hands) it nor from behind it; a successive sending down from (One) Ever-Wise, Ever-Praiseworthy.”

He came up with a earth shaking book on the Holy Qur’an which jolted the entire Western states, with the title of the book reading, “The Bible, The Qur’an and Science, The Holy Scriptures Examined In The Light Of Modern Knowledge.”

The book sold out and even hundreds of thousands of it were translated from French to Arabic, English, Indonesian, Persian, Turkish and German, extending to include nearly all East and West bookstores; one has come to see it with any Egyptian, Moroccan or Gulf person in the US.

In the preface of his book, Maurice Bucaille said, 

“These scientific areas which Qur’an established to the exclusion of other Scriptures filled me with deep surprise early on, since it never struck my mind to see such a large amount of scientific issues in such a variable and accurate way that they are a mirror image of what has recently been discovered in a book which has existed for more than 13 centuries...!!!

The Bible, The Qur’an and Science, The Holy Scriptures Examined In The Light Of Modern Knowledge was such a marvelous piece of writing that, in the year 1988, the French Academy awarded him its prize in history.

Source : https://www.quranandscience.com/ 

Very good video on the evil of Dowry please open the given link :


https://www.facebook.com/aleemfalki/videos/10158959430848712/

6 male American rappers who are devoted Muslims
Mona Haydar got hate for rapping ... but what about these men?

By Rayana Khalaf

When Muslim poet and activist Mona Haydar released her first single and rap music video"Hijabi", she stirred a social media storm of epic proportions.

The sight of hijab-wearing women dancing and singing sent a Code Red alert to the self-proclaimed halal police, who came out in full force to label the video clip as "haram" based on their own fundamentalist and patriarchal interpretation of Islam.

Now, imagine if it were a devoted Muslim man who made a rap music video tackling Islamophobia ... No one would bat an eye. The halal police would probably applaud him and appreciate the much-needed message he is delivering.

Actually, many male rappers who identify as practicing Muslims have been making names for themselves in the American hip-hop music industry. They are often vocal about their faith and incorporate it in their music.

These rappers have played a major role in reshaping mainstream hip-hop by adding more depth to their lyrics and discussing pressing issues, ranging from Islam to politics and social justice.

1.   Rakim Allah

The rapper is hailed as one of the most influential and skilled rappers of all time. He was actually among the first rappers to include references to Islam in their lyrics.

Rakim was born William Griffin, before converting to Islam at the age of sixteen and adopting the name Rakim Allah.

Often ranked among the best lyricists of all time, Rakim is known for his powerful lyrics that are packed with clever word choices and metaphors.

Rakim often mentions his Muslim faith in his songs. For instance, in his song R.A.K.I.M, he says, "Rugged and rough that's how I do it, Allah who I praise to the fullest."

"I love what I live and I live Islam, so I applied it to everything I do," the rapper told Final Call. "I applied it to my rhymes and I felt that I wanted the people to know what I knew. I felt that I was put here for that purpose and I just want to fulfil my legacy as far as being a conscious rapper and putting the word that I felt the streets needed to hear out there."

2. Lupe Fiasco (Wasalu Muhammad Jaco)

American rapper Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, was raised a Muslim and says that Islam "plays a part in my life and everything I do, to a certain extent."

He also gives credit to the faith for helping him lead a better life. "We have faults. We make mistakes. That’s what religion is for, to help you correct your mistakes," he said.

Jaco does not shy away from mentioning Islam in his music.

In Muhammad Walks, he starts with the Islamic phrases, "A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytaan ar-rajeem (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan). Bismillah-i'r Rahman-i'r Raheem (In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate). Allahu Akbar (God is most great)." He also speaks of the pillars of Islam, debunks stereotypes depicting Muslims as violent radicals, and calls for tolerance.

3. A Tribe Called Quest members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad

A Tribe Called Quest, an American hip-hop group, includes two devout Muslims: Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (known by his stage name, Q-Tip) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

Muhammad was born a Muslim, while Fareed converted to Islam in the mid-1990s before changing his name.

"I read the Quran and it appealed to me. At the time I was agnostic and it really breathed spiritually back into me. For me it's really a cushion, it's cool, I'm cool with it," Feared told The Guardian.

The duo have spoken up about their Muslim faith, and Fareed has even talked about them performing the Islamic prayer in the studio.

4. Brother Ali (Ali Douglas Newman)

Ali Douglas Newman, known by his stage name Brother Ali, began rapping at eight years old and converted to Islam at fifteen.

He is considered one of the most outspoken hip-hop artists in the world. Apart from social justice and politics, Islam is a recurrent theme in his music.

"Best believe the Qur'an influenced all of my songs," he says in his song Good Lord, which begins with "Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem".

“Islam made me believe that all human beings are created with an intrinsic goodness and desire to connect with greater world," he told The Islamic Daily.

But, his faith has not stopped him from using expletive language in his work. How does he justify it?

"Everything in Islam is an act of worship — everything good and pure and genuine you do is an act of worship," he told NPR. "I believe being the best artist I can be translates to being the most honest artist I can be. Were I not to show the crass side of myself, I'd be holding something back from my artistry."

5. Mos Def (Yasiin Bey)

Commonly known by his stage name Mos Def, Yasiin Bey was first exposed to Islam at the age of thirteen by his Muslim father. Bey took the shahada - the Muslim declaration of faith - when he was nineteen years old.

He decided to adopt Islam as a religion after reading about it and meeting other Muslim rappers, like Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip.

Many of his albums and live performances begin with the Islamic prayer "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem".

The hip-hop singer, actor and activist has been vocal about several social and political causes, including racism and police brutality.

"You're not gonna get through life without being worshipful or devoted to something," he says. "You're either devoted to your job, or to your desires. So the best way to spend your life is to try to be devoted to prayer, to Allah."

6. Freeway (Leslie Edward Pridgen)

Leslie Edward Pridgen, also known as Freeway, took the Islamic shahada when he was fourteen years old.

Despite starting his career as a rapper whose songs revolved around drugs and other aspects of ghetto life, Pridgen grew to become a serious hip-hop artist. Islam played a huge role in his transformation.

"The fans can get more out of my music now because I have more of a message," he told CNN. "I’m more conscious about what I say now because in Islam, we believe that you’re going to be held accountable for everything that comes out your mouth."

As a practicing Muslim who prays and has performed the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, he has struggled while trying to balance his devotion to Islam with his work in the music industry.

Speaking to The Fader, he revealed that he has even considered giving up his music career, but later decided that he can pursue his passion and still be a good Muslim. "It's a difference of opinion if music is haram or not", he said.

Images: Wikipedia