Alhamdulillah, he understand islam better than some of us.
--- Islahonline <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Cat Stevens > Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 7:40 AM > Subject:How I saw the light > > > > > > > How I saw the light, > > > > > > (By Cat Stevens) > > > > > > > > All I have to say is all what > you know already, to confirm what you already know, > the message of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa > sallam) as given by God - the Religion of Truth. As > human beings we are given a consciousness and a duty > that has placed us at the top of creation. Man is > created to be God's deputy on earth, and it is > important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves > of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation > for the next life. Anybody who misses this chance is > not likely to be given another, to be brought back > again and again, because it says in Qur'an Majeed > that when man is brought to account, he will say, "O > Lord, send us back and give us another chance." The > Lord will say, "If I send you back you will do the > same." > > > > > > > > MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING > > > > > > > > I was brought up in the modern > world of all the luxury and the high life of show > business. I was born in a Christian home, but we > know that every child is born in his original nature > - it is only his parents that turn him to this or > that religion. I was given this religion > (Christianity) and thought this way. I was taught > that God exists, but there was no direct contact > with God, so we had to make contact with Him through > Jesus - he was in fact the door to God. This was > more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow > it all. > > > > I looked at some of the statues of > Jesus; they were just stones with no life. And when > they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more > but could not argue. I more or less believed it, > because I had to have respect for the faith of my > parents. > > > > > > > > > > > > POP STAR > > > > > > > > > > > > Gradually I became alienated > from this religious upbringing. I started making > music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I > saw in the films and on the media took hold of me, > and perhaps I thought this was my God, the goal of > making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful > car. "Well," I said, "he has it made. He has a lot > of money." The people around me influenced me to > think that this was it; this world was their God. > > > > I decided then that this was the > life for me; to make a lot of money, have a 'great > life.' Now my examples were the pop stars. I started > making songs, but deep down I had a feeling for > humanity, a feeling that if I became rich I would > help the needy. (It says in the Qur'an, we make a > promise, but when we make something, we want to hold > onto it and become greedy.) > > > > So what happened was that I became > very famous. I was still a teenager, my name and > photo were splashed in all the media. They made me > larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than > life and the only way to do that was to be > intoxicated (with liquor and drugs). > > > > > > > > IN HOSPITAL > > > > > > > > > > After a year of financial > success and 'high' living, I became very ill, > contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was > then that I started to think: What was to happen to > me? Was I just a body, and my goal in life was > merely to satisfy this body? I realized now that > this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allah, a > chance to open my eyes - "Why am I here? Why am I in > bed?" - and I started looking for some of the > answers. At that time there was great interest in > the Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and the > first thing I began to become aware of was death, > and that the soul moves on; it does not stop. I felt > I was taking the road to bliss and high > accomplishment. I started meditating and even became > a vegetarian. I now believed in 'peace and flower > power,' and this was the general trend. But what I > did believe in particular was that I was not just a > body. This awareness came to me at the hospital. > > > > One day when I was walking and I > was caught in the rain, I began running to the > shelter and then I realized, 'Wait a minute, my body > is getting wet, my body is telling me I am getting > wet.' This made me think of a saying that the body > is like a donkey, and it has to be trained where it > has to go. Otherwise, the donkey will lead you where > it wants to go. > > > > Then I realized I had a will, a > God-given gift: follow the will of God. I was > fascinated by the new terminology I was learning in > the Eastern religion. By now I was fed up with > Christianity. I started making music again and this > time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I > remember the lyric of one of my songs. It goes like > this: "I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the > Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in > my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big > hotel?" and I knew I was on the Path. > > > > I also wrote another song, "The > Way to Find God Out." I became even more famous in > the world of music. I really had a difficult time > because I was getting rich and famous, and at the > same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. > Then I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism > is all right and noble, but I was not ready to leave > the world. I was too attached to the world and was > not prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself > from society. > === message truncated === Yesterday is history, Tommorow's a mystery, Today's a gift, That's why we call it the Present. 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