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PAS : KE ARAH PEMERINTAHAN ISLAM YANG ADIL
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Ibrahim Khalil - Former Egyptian Coptic priest
Al-Haj Ibrahim Khalil Ahmad, formerly Ibrahim Khalil
Philobus, was an Egyptian Coptic priest who studied
theology and got a high degree from Princeton
University. He studied Islam to find gaps to attack
it; instead he embraced Islam with his four children,
one of whom is now a brilliant professor in Sorbonne
University, Paris France. In an interesting way, he
reveals himself saying: "I was born in Alexandria on
the 13th of January 1919 and was sent to the American
Mission schools until I got my secondary education
certificate there. In 1942 I got my diploma from Asiut
University and then I specialized in religious studies
as a prelude to join the Faculty of Theology. It was
no easy task to join the faculty, as no candidate
could join it unless he got a special recommendation
from the church, and also, after he should pass a
number of difficult exams. I got a recommendation from
Al-Attareen Church in Alexandria and another from the
Church Assembly of Lower Egypt after passing many
tests to know my qualifications to become a man of
religion. Then I got a third recommendation from
Snodus Church Assembly which included priests from
Sudan and Egypt.
The Snodus sanctioned my entrance into the Faculty of
Theology in 1944 as a boarding student. There I
studied at the hands of American and Egyptian teachers
until my graduation in 1948.
I was supposed, he continued, to be appointed in
Jerusalem had it not been for the war that broke out
in Palestine that same year, so I was sent to Asna in
Upper Egypt. That same year I registered for a thesis
at the American University in Cairo. It was about the
missionary activities among Muslims. My acquaintance
with Islam started in the Faculty of Theology where I
studied Islam and all the methods through which we
could shake the faith of Muslims and raise
misconceptions in their understanding of their own
religion.
In 1952 I got my M.A. from Princeton University in
U.S.A. and was appointed as a teacher in the Faculty
of Theology in Asiut. I used to teach Islam in the
faculty as well as the faulty misconceptions spread by
its enemies and the missionaries against it. During
that period I decided to enlarge my study of Islam, so
that I should not read the missionaries books on it
only. I had so much faith in myself that I was
confirmed to read the other point of view. Thus I
began to read books written by Muslim authors. I also
decided to read the Quran and understand its meanings.
This was implied by my love of knowledge and moved by
my desire to add more proofs against Islam. The result
was, however, exactly the reverse. My position began
to shake and I started to feel an internal strong
struggle and I discovered the falsehood of everything
I had studied and preached to the people. But I could
not face myself bravely and tried instead to overcome
this internal crisis and continue my work.
In 1954, Mr. Khalil added, I was sent to Aswan as
secretary general of the German Swiss Mission. That
was only my apparent position for my real mission was
to preach against Islam in Upper Egypt especially
among Muslims. A missionary conference was held at
that time at Cataract Hotel in Aswan and I was given
the floor to speak. That day I spoke too much,
reiterating all the repeated misconceptions against
Islam; and at the end of my speech, the internal
crisis came to me again and I started to revise my
position.
Continuing his talk about the said crisis, Mr. Khalil
said, <<I began to ask myself: Why should I say and do
all these things which I know for sure I am a liar, as
this is not the truth? I took my leave before the end
of the conference and went out alone to my house. I
was completely shaken. As I walked through Firyal
public garden, I heard a verse of the Quran on the
radio. It said: <<Say: It has been revealed to me that
a company of Jinns listened (to the Quran). They said:
We have really heard a wonderful recital! It gives
guidance to the Right, and we have believed therein:
We shall not join (in worship) any gods with our
Lord.>> (Quran S72v1-2) <<And as for us, since we have
listened to the Guidance, we have accepted it: and any
one who believes in His Lord, has no fear of either a
short (account) or of any injustice.>>(Quran S.72
V.13)
I felt a deep comfort that night and when I returned
home I spent the whole night all by myself in my
library reading the Quran. My wife inquired from me
about the reason of my sitting up all night and I
pleaded from her to leave me alone. I stopped for a
long time thinking and meditating on the verse; <<Had
We sent down this Quran on a mountain, verily thou
wouldst have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder
for fear of Allah.>> (S.59 V.21) And the verse:
<<Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt
thou find the Jews and the Pagans, and nearest among
them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who
say, "We are Christians": Because amongst these are
men devoted to learning. And men who have renounced
the world, and they are not arrogant. And when they
listen to the revelation received by the Messenger,
thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for
they recognize the truth: They pray: "Our Lord! We
believe, write us down among the witnesses. What cause
can we have not to believe in Allah and the truth
which has come to us, seeing that we long for our Lord
to admit us to the company of the righteous?>> (Quran
S.5 V.82-84)
Mr. Khalil then quoted a third quotation from the Holy
Quran which says: <<Those who follow the Messenger,
the unlettered prophet, whom they find mentioned in
their own (Scriptures), in the Taurat and in the
Gospel; for he commands them what is just and forbids
them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is
good (and pure) and prohibits them what is bad (and
impure): He releases them from their heavy burdens and
from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who
believe in him, honor him, help him and follow the
light which is sent down with him, it is they who will
prosper." Say: "O men! I am sent unto you all, as the
Messenger of Allah, to Whom belongs the dominion of
the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: It
is He that giveth both life and death. So believe in
Allah and His Messenger. The unlettered Prophet, who
believeth in Allah and His Words: follow Him that (so)
you may be guided.>> (Quran S.7 V.157- 158)
Now that same night, Mr. Khalil dramatically
concluded: I took my final decision. In the morning I
spoke with my wife from whom I have three sons and one
daughter. But no sooner than she felt that I was
inclined to embrace Islam than she cried and asked for
help from the head of the mission. His name was
Monsieur Shavits from Switzerland. He was a very
cunning man. When he asked me about my true attitude,
I told him frankly what I really wanted and then he
said: Regard yourself out of job until we discover
what has befallen you. Then I said: This is my
resignation from my job. He tried to convince me to
postpone it, but I insisted. So he made a rumor among
the people that I became mad. Thus I suffered a very
severe test and oppression until I left Aswan for good
and returned to Cairo.
When he was asked about the circumstances to his
conversion he replied: <<In Cairo I was introduced to
a respectable professor who helped me overcome my
severe trial and this he did without knowing anything
about my story. He treated me as a Muslim for I
introduced myself to him as such although until then I
did not embrace Islam officially. That was Dr.
Muhammad Abdul Moneim Al Jamal the then undersecretary
of treasury. He was highly interested in Islamic
studies and wanted to make a translation of the Holy
Quran to be published in America. He asked me to help
him because I was fluent in English since I had got my
M.A. from an� American University. He also knew that I
was preparing a comparative study of the Quran, the
Torah and the Bible. We cooperated in this comparative
study and in the translation of the Quran.
When Dr. Jamal knew that I had resigned from my job in
Aswan and that I was then unemployed, he helped me
with a job in Standard Stationery Company in Cairo. So
I was well established after a short while. I did not
tell my wife about my intention to embrace Islam thus
she thought that I had forgotten the whole affair and
that it was nothing but a transitory crisis that no
more existed. But I knew quite well that my official
conversion to Islam needs long complicated measures
and it was in fact a battle which I preferred to
postpone for some time until I became well off and
after I completed my comparative study.
Then Mr. Khalil continued, <<In 1955 I did complete my
study and my material and living affairs became well
established. I resigned from the company and set up a
training office for importing stationery and school
articles. It was a successful business from which I
gained much more money than I needed. Thus I decided
to declare my official conversion to Islam. On the
25th of December 1959, I sent a telegram to Dr.
Thompson, head of the American Mission in Egypt
informing him that I had embraced Islam. When I told
my true story to Dr. Jamal he was completely
astonished. When I declared my conversion to Islam,
new troubles began. Seven of my former colleagues in
the mission had tried their best to persuade me to
cancel my declaration, but I refused. They threatened
to separate me from my wife and I said: She is free to
do as she wishes. They threatened to kill me. But when
they found me to be stubborn they left me alone and
sent to me an old friend of mine who was also a
colleague of mine in the mission. He wept very much in
front of me. So I recited before him the following
verses from the Quran: <<And when they listen to the
revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt � see
their eyes overflowing with tears, for they� recognize
the truth: They pray: "Our Lord! We believe, write us
down among the witnesses. What cause can we have not
to believe in Allah and the truth which has come to
us, seeing that we long for our Lord to admit us to
the company of the righteous?>>. (Quran S.5 V.84) I
said to him, "You should have wept in humiliation to
God on hearing the Quran and believe in the truth
which you know but you refuse. He stood up and left me
as he saw no use. My official conversion to Islam was
in January 1960.
Mr. Khalil was then asked about the attitude of his
wife and children and he answered: My wife left me at
that time and took with her all the furniture of our
house. But all my children joined me and embraced
Islam. The most enthusiastic among them was my eldest
son Isaac who changed his name to Osman, then my
second son Joseph and my son Samuel whose name is
Jamal and daughter Majida who is now called Najwa.
Osman is now a doctor of philosophy working as a
professor in Sorbonne University in Paris teaching
oriental studies and psychology. He also writes in
<<Le Monde>> magazine. As in regards to my wife, she
left the house for six years and agreed to come back
in 1966 provided that she keeps her religion. I
accepted this because in Islam there is no compulsion
in religion. I said to her: I do not want you to
became a Muslim for my sake but only after you are
convinced. She feels now that she believes in Islam
but she cannot declare this for fear of her family but
we treat her as a Muslim woman and she fasts in
Ramadan because all my children pray and fast. My
daughter Najwa is a student in the Faculty of
Commerce, Joseph is a doctor pharmeologist and Jamal
is an engineer.
During this period, that is since 1961 until the
present time I have been able to publish a number of
books on Islam and the methods of the missionaries and
the orientalist against it. I am now preparing a
comparative study about women in the three Divine
religions with the object of highlighting the status
of women in Islam. In 1973 I performed Hajj
(pilgrimage to Mecca) and I am doing activities
preaching Islam. I hold seminars in the universities
and charitable societies. I received an invitation
from Sudan in 1974 where I held many seminars. My time
is fully used in the service of Islam.
Finally Mr. Khalil was asked about the salient
features of Islam which have attracted his attention
most. And he answered: My faith in Islam has been
brought about through reading the Holy Quran and the
biography of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of
God be upon him. I no longer believed in the
misconceptions against Islam and I am especially
attracted by the concept of unity of God, which is the
most important feature of Islam. God is only One.
Nothing is like Him. This belief makes me the servant
of God only and of no one else. Oneness of God
liberates man from servitude to any human being and
that is true freedom.
I also like very much the rule of forgiveness in Islam
and the direct relationship between God and His
servants.
<<Say: "O my servants who have transgressed against
their souls!, despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for
Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-forgiving, Most
Merciful. Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and
submit to Him before the Chastisement comes on you:
After that ye shall not be helped.>> (Quran S.39
V.53-54)
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