Not a Pop-Star Leading My Way

By : Abdul- Lateef Abdullah

Abdul - Lateef Abdullah, an American convert to Islam, obtained his Bachelor's degree in Political Science & Economic at the University of Delaware, his Master's degree in Social Work from Columbia University, and recently completed his ph.D. from Institute for Community & Peace Studies, University Putra Malaysia, in the field of Youth Studies. He has worked as a Program Assistant for the Academy for Educational Development (Washington, D.C.)He has also worked with the Taqwa Gayong Academy ( New Jersy, U.S.A./Penang, Malaysia) for trouble youth, both Muslim and Non-Muslim.As a recent (1999) convert to Islam, he spends much time writing about his experiences as a Muslim-American convert.


As a Christian boy growing up in the suburbs of New York City, like so many, I used to plaster pictures of my favorite sports and pop satrs all over my bedroom walls. For years, I woke up everyday to the smiling, air-brushed faces of Michael Jordan, Van Halen, Andre Agassi and many others.

At the stage in my life, these superstars who adorned my walls were special to me. For through their God-given talents, I was drawn to my personal notion of human excellence.

For the nearly one and a half billion Muslims in the world, however, Muhammad (peace be upon him ), who is believe to be a final member of the fraternity of Divine Messengers preceding him ( i.e. Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Noah, Isaac,Jacob, ect.), is still revered as the greatest representation of human excellence of all times and all places.

clipped from www.readingislam.com Defining idols differ from one culture to another according to its own set of values. Picture © Micrososft. Mahatma Gandhi once said: I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind.... I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission…” (A statement published in Young India, 1924) For Muslims, Muhammad is our benchmark, our criterion for understanding how much we have learned in the classroom of life and how much more work is required. Moreover, this kind of achievement cannot be measured with dollars and cents. "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." Prophet Muhammad