From Buddha to Allah: A Chinese Buddhist's Journey to Islam
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I was born in a Buddhist family. Then when I found that in Christianity seems to be very open. You are so free to do almost anything. So I start to ask God, I don't know who is the real God now. I'm looking for you. Guide me then. When I was Buddhist, I stay in the temple. When I was a Christian, I served the church. So I choose to stay in the mosque for four years. Then I found that Islam seems to be very practical, well-balanced. I never experienced in any other religion. Assalamu alaikum Sheikh Hussain Yee. Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. So, I just want to start my questions by asking, who is Sheikh Hussain Yee? Can you tell us briefly about your life?
My name is known as Muhammad Hussain Yee when I became a Muslim. I'm a Chinese. My life started because I was born in a Buddhist family. So then normally, if you're born in that family, the upbringing will be just following your tradition, following your parents. And I love spiritual things, so I like to get involved in the temple, serve the temple. Then Alhamdulillah, with the will of Allah, then suddenly I moved to Christianity. After moving to Christianity, because some of my family members also, it's a very mixed family. You have a Christian, you have Buddhist, you have Taoist, you have free thinkers.
And then Alhamdulillah, with the will of Allah, I was searching for something that can make me feel good, and then I can believe in something that is solid, not just hearsay, you know, but something solid with all the evidence. Then Alhamdulillah, with the will of Allah, in 1968, I read the life history of Umar ibn Khattab. And then I became a Muslim. And that's how I start my life from 1968 as a Muslim. So, back to those years when you were growing as a Buddhist, how was your life in regards to faith? What were you believing in? As a Buddhist, of course, you believe in what the teaching of Gautama Buddha, about their values, the spiritual input.
Most of the important thing is he tried to make sure everybody understand that suffering is real. So did he, did he believe in hereafter? Did he teach hereafter? Or did he believe in one God? I personally believe after I became Muslim that he knows. That's why he make prayer. He also have sujud (prostration). His prayer, you can see the value. And when you see the sukha wa dukkha, then you understand what Allah said that, "Wa laqad ba'athna fi kulli ummatin Rasula." I believe Allah said, "Indeed we send to every nation a messenger." Name, sometimes you know in the Qur’an 25 names, but most of the names are not mentioned in the Qur’an.
I don't know, I personally feel that maybe he is one of, he never called anybody to worship him. He never said there's no God, but he himself is prostrating. He is one who always communicate with the unseen force. How other followers, you know, follow his teaching, Wallahu a'lam. It's just like Moses and Jesus. Jesus never said he's God or he's son of God. Now the followers say he is God. He is the father, the holy son and everything in one. It's not the mistake of Jesus, it's the mistake of the people after him, create a new religion and use his name.
So I personally feel after I became a Muslim, I understand better what Gautama Buddha was doing and how he trained everybody to tazkiyatun nafs, not to be a servant, a slave to your desire. This dunya (wrold) is nothing. You were like raised as a Buddhist from your family. And what made you question your beliefs? What was the thing that made you question? For me, because when I was young, I love all the spiritual things. If people talk about devil, ghost, angel, I like to experience, if possible. If people say, "Don't go to the graveyard, they got ghosts there." So I would like to go to stay in the graveyard. Yeah, for a few hours to sleep there one night if possible.
So we try, we try our best to always try to get more experience in life. Because this you don't get in books. So, now what happened is that then later on, I see that there are so many things that are forbidden by the teaching. Don't know if it's from him or not, I don't know, but according to what we are following, there is no, you cannot eat any meat, no killing, killing is forbidden. So you go for pure vegetarian. That means you detach yourself with dunya (world). So being a young person, I feel that there's something missing. There's not balance. It is not rational logic for me. But I do follow the good value about how to be humble, how to purify your tazkiyatun nafs.
Don't follow your desire, don't get too attached to dunya (world). Don't think of marriage, don't think of anything, just be a good person. So I personally feel that it is not well balanced. So that's why I start to have some doubts. Then I start to look for another way. So I personally experienced that I feel that something is missing in my life. I personally feel, is religion so difficult? Or this is just some kind of addition added by so-called the followers. So a lot of teaching is not pure anymore. I personally experienced that I feel that something is missing in my life. I feel that I think I have to move. That's how then I was exposed to my elder sister, they are Christian.
So they encouraged me to follow them to the church and so I do that. Then when I found out in Christianity seems to be very open. You know, you just, you are so free to do almost anything. Anything goes. Even of course the teaching, the real teaching, there's a lot of don'ts too, but the way that we are talking about Christianity today is everything is okay. As long as you love Jesus, you believe in Jesus, he is your salvation. Then you are safe. This seems to be very interesting. Because from there's a lot of don't before, now there's a lot of do now. Because I want to be a committed person. When I'm a Buddhist, I want to be a committed Buddhist.
When I'm a Christian, I want to be a committed Christian. Yeah, because why? If this is the true message of God. So it is not right for me to keep it to myself. I must share with my friend. And I have a lot of Muslim friends. So I want to share with them about the teaching of Jesus. So then later on, when I'm starting my mission to start to talk to them, they asked me a few questions, caught me by surprise. They also believe in Jesus. Muslim believe in Jesus. They have no problem to believe in Jesus, but the only thing, the way we believe in Jesus is different. We believe he's the father, the holy son, the concept of trinity and so on.
So suddenly I feel that it's time for me to make further research, to try to understand further about this so-called religion of truth. Al-Haqq. Important to know the truth. Not the half truth, but the whole truth. How did your journey towards Islam begin and what impressed you the most about Islam? Then when I start my mission to call my friend about Christianity, then they asked me a few things. I got caught. I went back to the father and asked him to enlighten me about the concept of trinity, the holy father, the holy son, the holy spirit or the holy ghost. They can't convince me. Because I like to think, I like to question.
They just cannot, they said, "So wait for the holy spirit to come to you. Let the holy spirit explain to you." So that's what they say, that's what I'm waiting. So I start to ask God, I don't know who is the real God now. I'm looking for you. So guide me, God. So the only thing I say, I must pray to God who know that I'm looking for him. I don't use name anymore. I say, "Oh God, you know I'm looking for you." Then suddenly my feeling to want to read the Qur’an getting very strong. I want to know what is this the Muslim believe. But nobody offer me a Qur’an. My instinct of searching the truth is very strong. Alhamdulillah, I read the book of Sayyidina Umar Khattab.
The second Khalif, who was once the enemy of Islam, enemy of the Prophet ﷺ, want to kill the Prophet ﷺ. But with the Qur’an, he was enlightened. And he became a Muslim. And not only just a traditional Muslim, Muslim by name, he become the companion of the Prophet ﷺ, and he become the second Khalif, and his time is the time Rome and Persian Empire all came under the Muslim Empire. Very historical thing happened. That opened my heart. This religion must be very powerful, can change this man. The man who anti-Islam, anti-Prophet ﷺ, they want to kill the Prophet ﷺ. Then with the Qur’an, with the guidance of the Qur’an, he totally changed. That is the beginning of my journey to Islam.
Then I found that Islam seems to be very practical, well-balanced. Of course, the do is there, the don't is there, but the don't is minimum. You pray, but in the same time you must work hard. You know, you can have a family, you can do mu'amalat (transactions), munakahat (marriage), everything is well balanced. And the beauty when I learn more and more is that Islam is so perfect. Explain to you from A to Z, the SOP, everything is ready. You don't have to create your own way anymore. You know, you just follow. And then how to eat, how to drink, how to dress, how to talk, how to work, everything is so detailed. Allahu Akbar wa lillahil hamd. That I never experienced in any other religion.
Other religion they can say this, say but no evidence, not detailed. But when Islam is not just hearsay, not what Allah said, the Prophet ﷺ was sent to show you everything. So what was the main thing that convinced you that Islam is 100% the truth? Because when I look into it and then I go back slowly, I starting to learn more. Then I went to Madinah, get more knowledge, and then we read the Qur’an almost. Alhamdulillah, I found that this is the only book of God that never experienced changes, not been polluted, not been altered. Yeah, not even one ayah can be changed. No defect. Masha'Allah. That is another miracle. I say I'm so proud I believe in the book that is 100% pure.
The day it was revealed until today, unchanged, unaltered. And then when I travel around the globe, I travel here and there, wherever I go, the Qur’an is the same. And when the Muslim, when they pray, one language. When they call of adhan, one language. When prayer is concerned, one language. Allahu Akbar wa lillahil hamd. Yeah, because when I come to understand, I believe that I'm praying to Allah. I don't pray to Allah, I'm praying to God, guide me. And when this thing is coming so strongly into my life, I said, I'm ready. And you see, when I want to be a Muslim, brother Ahmed, it's not that easy. I thought that is easy. It's me personally approach the Imam, say I want to be a Muslim.
Can you please help me? Sometimes I was surprised when I see my Muslim friend, I say-- I say I'm a Muslim. Say, "When? When? And why you choose Islam?" It's like they're not surprised that I become a Muslim. Maybe they are surprised, "Why you want to choose Islam?" It make me feel very sad. But I don't blame anybody through my experience moving from Buddhism, Christian, a lot of people are just follower, blind follower. They just follow without knowledge. They just claim I am Buddhist, I am a Christian, but they don't even read the book. How many Christian read the Bible? How many Buddhist who read the Dharma? Very limited. You can count. But all Muslim read the Qur’an.
Millions of Muslim memorize the Qur’an. Can you imagine? The miracle is amazing. This keep on making me stronger and stronger, my belief towards Allah, and Qur’an and Islam grow from time to time. It's not fading. Even I face a lot of challenges here and there, but it never reduced my faith towards Islam. So I went to the mosque, I met up with the Imam, tell him about my intention, and immediately after I made shahada, Alhamdulillah, then I'm a Muslim now. But I don't know where I'm going to stay now. Because I was very independent from very young. I'm a very independent person. I was seeking the permission, can I stay in the mosque? Because I don't like to burden anybody.
I prefer because when I was young, when I was Buddhist, I stay in the temple, Buddhist temple. When I was a Christian, I served the church. So I like this area, this kind of house of worship. Because you don't disturb anybody, and all the good people will come to this area. That's how I believe. Only the practicing Muslim will come to the mosque. Only the practicing Christian go to the church. Only the practicing Buddhist go to the temple. The non-practicing, they don't go. So I choose to stay in the mosque for four years. Yeah, but different mosque, I make hijrah. One week here, two weeks there, few months there.
Depend on the area and is very conducive, it give me more good feeling, then I will stay longer. For four years I stay in the mosque. Alhamdulillah. I made a right decision because that's the best place to be and that is the fastest way to learn because people come to mosque, they are practicing. So I can ask them, ask them and learn from them. How did your family react to your conversion to Islam? Your family, your mother, your father? Uh, yeah, my mother was a bit shocked because I'm the youngest boy in the family. So I was worried that they will be hurt and they were going to come after me and they will either beat me up or force me to do something. That is a worry I have.
But Allah is great. No, that's why when I became a Muslim, I never went home. I never informed my parents at all yet. My mother is still alive, my grandmother is there, but I just excused myself so that they don't know where am I, so they don't disturb me. So then my teacher, good teacher saying you must go back, see them, talk to them. When I reach home, of course my mother is a bit hurt. In the beginning he's (sic) worried that he's going, she's going to lose her son. So I, Alhamdulillah, I've learned a bit here and there, say, "Mom, I'm your son, I'm a Chinese." So she just went into her room, locked herself up, but I talked to my grandma, my sibling, they are all very open. Allahu Akbar.
They are happy, they ask me, how, when you become Muslim, what happened now? How is your situation? They are very open-minded. So that make me feel very secure. But then later on, I went home more often, and then make them feel good. Don't worry about where I live. I say to them, I stay in a good, in a big house. I don't tell them I stay in the mosque. And then later on, as they-- as we develop, we get closer and closer, and they see my changes, and they are proud. And then she felt more comfortable because I'm going back now. I don't stay with them and go home. I spend some time with them, I talk to them, I bring some fruit to them, I bring-- anything halal, I bring home.
So then they don't feel the difference. You know how we develop ourselves, and if we show the beautiful value of Islam, I believe everybody will love Islam. Hidayah is from Allah, of course. Did did anyone from your family or your close circle became Muslim after you? Alhamdulillah. My brother, elder brother, before he died, he became a Muslim. We performed the funeral prayer in our center. My mother, she became a Muslim. Alhamdulillah. Many people in the West and also in Turkey and in the world, they try to find comfort in meditating, in Buddhism. Can Buddhism really bring comfort to the human soul and what's the difference between meditating and Salah?
Generally people make this comparison. If you look at everything, you will look that in Islam it's more perfect, more balance. It's not for you to just sit and meditate and do nothing. We believe "kulli harakah barakah". Movement always bring more blessing. So you see the prayer in Islam is so beautiful. It's very perfect because even our prayer is not we create by ourselves. All the recitation that we recite in our prayer is not from you, from me, from anybody who like to. No, it was taught by Allah to the Prophet ﷺ and Prophet ﷺ to us. A very unique way of communication. You have ruku' (bowing), you have sujud (prostration).
Of course, if you go back to the Buddhist Dharma, you go back to the teaching of Moses, Jesus, also they have ruku' (bowing) and sujud (prostration). "War ka'u ma'ar raki'in" and so on. But then later on, people don't follow. People start to change. You know, the followers after generation, then they forget the whole teaching, they don't have something to refer to. The original book for them to refer is no more there. The same go to Dharma, the same go to-- everything has been translated and everything is out of control. The old Torah is no more there, is been replaced by Talmud, and the Injil also, everything have gone haywire.
Except Alhamdulillah, the miracle of the Qur’an stay unchanged, unaltered, original until today. Allahu Akbar. When meditating, do people try to not think about anything? And do you think it's possible and really helpful for the soul? Meditation is one of the way to teach you to overcome all these negative force. I consider meditation is tazkiyatun nafs. Reflect, recall all the negative thing that you have and try to purify it. Anything that is negative, you must try to overcome with positive. So you have to reflect, a lot of reflection. You don't think about the negative, then it don't help you. You must think that everything that happened must be a reason. That's why you have the karma.
We call qada and qadar. Every thing happened, "wara'a kulli mas'alah sa'adah" like what we know. Around, behind all the bad things that's happening around us, there is a lesson learned. Yeah, you must have positive thinking. Allah never make anything without a reason. For us now as a Muslim, because Islam is so perfect, so clear, crystal clear. So easy to connect, easy to explain. So meditation is one of their way at that time. But the best way if you look in Islam, Allahu Akbar. Can you imagine before you start to namaz and pray, what much you do? You have to clean your body. You must take wudu. You see how perfect Islam is.
And what do you learn by washing your hand, your mouth, your nose, your face? Because this is exposed, exposed to the dunya (world). And everything is so corrupted around us. That's why I always remind my student, everyone I met, please don't miss your prayer. You just stay connected to Allah, "fazkuruni azkurkum". Allah is always there for you. Even how bad situation you are, you know, how sad you are, please don't miss your prayer. What impressed you the most about Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Nothing that I can compare because he was sent as a mercy for all of us. He spent so much time to show us the way to Allah. And he is the way.
So don't ever ignore the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. I would like to call all the Muslim brother and sister wherever you are, don't put the Prophet ﷺ aside. You say you believe in Allah, Allah put one condition: "Qul in kuntum tuhibbun Allah fattabi'uni yuhbibkumullah". You must follow his messenger. So please be humble. What Allah said, what the Prophet ﷺ said, just follow. You will never go wrong. As a Chinese, you may feel sad that your nation, like over one billion people, majority of them are atheists now. How do you think we can reach their hearts? How do you think we can introduce them to Islam? What is the way do you think? That's why I am working very hard.
You know, I have been talking to them. That's why I engage, yeah, with them always. I'm very open and I feel that they are also very open, brother Ahmed. When I talk to the my people who are atheists, who don't believe in God, I said, "Fellow brothers, sisters, do you know?" Number one, when you say, "I don't believe in any God," you are halfway to Islam. Because when you want to be a Muslim, you must say "La ilaha." There's no other God. You just have to continue "illAllah." It's so easy. You have the "La ilaha" ready. If you just continue, Alhamdulillah. So I make them understand, and I make them feel that Islam is here, is beautiful, is simple, is easy.
Allah never make religion difficult. Until today, until today, wherever I travel, I meet my people, I always talk to them. And Alhamdulillah, some people become very positive, and they are learning now. I give them Qur’an. I say, "Read, read the meaning." And after two years, they they came to me and say, "Thank you, Sheikh. I read the whole Qur’an now." And it's very amazing, interesting. They are very positive. Of course, Hidayah is from Allah. We feel sad, but don't give up hope. Keep on praying and do our level best. And the best form of da'wah, brother Ahmed, is showing good example. Action speak louder than word.
If there was a chance to speak to all the non-Muslims in the world, what would you like to say to them if you had just few moments? So I always remind people, the big difference between Muslim and Islam. Islam is the teaching, Muslim is the people. I'm proud to be a Muslim because I follow Islam. Islam don't follow me. Please know the difference between Islam and Muslim. And Islam don't belong to a particular race. It belong to all of us. That's why I-S-L-A-M. I always translate in English: I Shall Love All Mankind. If you don't understand, please ask and learn. But learn from the right sources. And don't be unjust to the good people. We are ready. Don't worry.
Yeah, we are not here to judge anybody because everybody have the opportunity to find the truth, to be righteous, and to be a practicing Muslim. Because Islam belong to all of us. Jazakallahu khairan Sheikh Hussain Yee. Thank you so much for being with us. We were honored to have you with us and may Allah reward you and preserve you. Ameen, brother Ahmed.
My name is known as Muhammad Hussain Yee when I became a Muslim. I'm a Chinese. My life started because I was born in a Buddhist family. So then normally, if you're born in that family, the upbringing will be just following your tradition, following your parents. And I love spiritual things, so I like to get involved in the temple, serve the temple. Then Alhamdulillah, with the will of Allah, then suddenly I moved to Christianity. After moving to Christianity, because some of my family members also, it's a very mixed family. You have a Christian, you have Buddhist, you have Taoist, you have free thinkers.
And then Alhamdulillah, with the will of Allah, I was searching for something that can make me feel good, and then I can believe in something that is solid, not just hearsay, you know, but something solid with all the evidence. Then Alhamdulillah, with the will of Allah, in 1968, I read the life history of Umar ibn Khattab. And then I became a Muslim. And that's how I start my life from 1968 as a Muslim. So, back to those years when you were growing as a Buddhist, how was your life in regards to faith? What were you believing in? As a Buddhist, of course, you believe in what the teaching of Gautama Buddha, about their values, the spiritual input.
Most of the important thing is he tried to make sure everybody understand that suffering is real. So did he, did he believe in hereafter? Did he teach hereafter? Or did he believe in one God? I personally believe after I became Muslim that he knows. That's why he make prayer. He also have sujud (prostration). His prayer, you can see the value. And when you see the sukha wa dukkha, then you understand what Allah said that, "Wa laqad ba'athna fi kulli ummatin Rasula." I believe Allah said, "Indeed we send to every nation a messenger." Name, sometimes you know in the Qur’an 25 names, but most of the names are not mentioned in the Qur’an.
I don't know, I personally feel that maybe he is one of, he never called anybody to worship him. He never said there's no God, but he himself is prostrating. He is one who always communicate with the unseen force. How other followers, you know, follow his teaching, Wallahu a'lam. It's just like Moses and Jesus. Jesus never said he's God or he's son of God. Now the followers say he is God. He is the father, the holy son and everything in one. It's not the mistake of Jesus, it's the mistake of the people after him, create a new religion and use his name.
So I personally feel after I became a Muslim, I understand better what Gautama Buddha was doing and how he trained everybody to tazkiyatun nafs, not to be a servant, a slave to your desire. This dunya (wrold) is nothing. You were like raised as a Buddhist from your family. And what made you question your beliefs? What was the thing that made you question? For me, because when I was young, I love all the spiritual things. If people talk about devil, ghost, angel, I like to experience, if possible. If people say, "Don't go to the graveyard, they got ghosts there." So I would like to go to stay in the graveyard. Yeah, for a few hours to sleep there one night if possible.
So we try, we try our best to always try to get more experience in life. Because this you don't get in books. So, now what happened is that then later on, I see that there are so many things that are forbidden by the teaching. Don't know if it's from him or not, I don't know, but according to what we are following, there is no, you cannot eat any meat, no killing, killing is forbidden. So you go for pure vegetarian. That means you detach yourself with dunya (world). So being a young person, I feel that there's something missing. There's not balance. It is not rational logic for me. But I do follow the good value about how to be humble, how to purify your tazkiyatun nafs.
Don't follow your desire, don't get too attached to dunya (world). Don't think of marriage, don't think of anything, just be a good person. So I personally feel that it is not well balanced. So that's why I start to have some doubts. Then I start to look for another way. So I personally experienced that I feel that something is missing in my life. I personally feel, is religion so difficult? Or this is just some kind of addition added by so-called the followers. So a lot of teaching is not pure anymore. I personally experienced that I feel that something is missing in my life. I feel that I think I have to move. That's how then I was exposed to my elder sister, they are Christian.
So they encouraged me to follow them to the church and so I do that. Then when I found out in Christianity seems to be very open. You know, you just, you are so free to do almost anything. Anything goes. Even of course the teaching, the real teaching, there's a lot of don'ts too, but the way that we are talking about Christianity today is everything is okay. As long as you love Jesus, you believe in Jesus, he is your salvation. Then you are safe. This seems to be very interesting. Because from there's a lot of don't before, now there's a lot of do now. Because I want to be a committed person. When I'm a Buddhist, I want to be a committed Buddhist.
When I'm a Christian, I want to be a committed Christian. Yeah, because why? If this is the true message of God. So it is not right for me to keep it to myself. I must share with my friend. And I have a lot of Muslim friends. So I want to share with them about the teaching of Jesus. So then later on, when I'm starting my mission to start to talk to them, they asked me a few questions, caught me by surprise. They also believe in Jesus. Muslim believe in Jesus. They have no problem to believe in Jesus, but the only thing, the way we believe in Jesus is different. We believe he's the father, the holy son, the concept of trinity and so on.
So suddenly I feel that it's time for me to make further research, to try to understand further about this so-called religion of truth. Al-Haqq. Important to know the truth. Not the half truth, but the whole truth. How did your journey towards Islam begin and what impressed you the most about Islam? Then when I start my mission to call my friend about Christianity, then they asked me a few things. I got caught. I went back to the father and asked him to enlighten me about the concept of trinity, the holy father, the holy son, the holy spirit or the holy ghost. They can't convince me. Because I like to think, I like to question.
They just cannot, they said, "So wait for the holy spirit to come to you. Let the holy spirit explain to you." So that's what they say, that's what I'm waiting. So I start to ask God, I don't know who is the real God now. I'm looking for you. So guide me, God. So the only thing I say, I must pray to God who know that I'm looking for him. I don't use name anymore. I say, "Oh God, you know I'm looking for you." Then suddenly my feeling to want to read the Qur’an getting very strong. I want to know what is this the Muslim believe. But nobody offer me a Qur’an. My instinct of searching the truth is very strong. Alhamdulillah, I read the book of Sayyidina Umar Khattab.
The second Khalif, who was once the enemy of Islam, enemy of the Prophet ﷺ, want to kill the Prophet ﷺ. But with the Qur’an, he was enlightened. And he became a Muslim. And not only just a traditional Muslim, Muslim by name, he become the companion of the Prophet ﷺ, and he become the second Khalif, and his time is the time Rome and Persian Empire all came under the Muslim Empire. Very historical thing happened. That opened my heart. This religion must be very powerful, can change this man. The man who anti-Islam, anti-Prophet ﷺ, they want to kill the Prophet ﷺ. Then with the Qur’an, with the guidance of the Qur’an, he totally changed. That is the beginning of my journey to Islam.
Then I found that Islam seems to be very practical, well-balanced. Of course, the do is there, the don't is there, but the don't is minimum. You pray, but in the same time you must work hard. You know, you can have a family, you can do mu'amalat (transactions), munakahat (marriage), everything is well balanced. And the beauty when I learn more and more is that Islam is so perfect. Explain to you from A to Z, the SOP, everything is ready. You don't have to create your own way anymore. You know, you just follow. And then how to eat, how to drink, how to dress, how to talk, how to work, everything is so detailed. Allahu Akbar wa lillahil hamd. That I never experienced in any other religion.
Other religion they can say this, say but no evidence, not detailed. But when Islam is not just hearsay, not what Allah said, the Prophet ﷺ was sent to show you everything. So what was the main thing that convinced you that Islam is 100% the truth? Because when I look into it and then I go back slowly, I starting to learn more. Then I went to Madinah, get more knowledge, and then we read the Qur’an almost. Alhamdulillah, I found that this is the only book of God that never experienced changes, not been polluted, not been altered. Yeah, not even one ayah can be changed. No defect. Masha'Allah. That is another miracle. I say I'm so proud I believe in the book that is 100% pure.
The day it was revealed until today, unchanged, unaltered. And then when I travel around the globe, I travel here and there, wherever I go, the Qur’an is the same. And when the Muslim, when they pray, one language. When they call of adhan, one language. When prayer is concerned, one language. Allahu Akbar wa lillahil hamd. Yeah, because when I come to understand, I believe that I'm praying to Allah. I don't pray to Allah, I'm praying to God, guide me. And when this thing is coming so strongly into my life, I said, I'm ready. And you see, when I want to be a Muslim, brother Ahmed, it's not that easy. I thought that is easy. It's me personally approach the Imam, say I want to be a Muslim.
Can you please help me? Sometimes I was surprised when I see my Muslim friend, I say-- I say I'm a Muslim. Say, "When? When? And why you choose Islam?" It's like they're not surprised that I become a Muslim. Maybe they are surprised, "Why you want to choose Islam?" It make me feel very sad. But I don't blame anybody through my experience moving from Buddhism, Christian, a lot of people are just follower, blind follower. They just follow without knowledge. They just claim I am Buddhist, I am a Christian, but they don't even read the book. How many Christian read the Bible? How many Buddhist who read the Dharma? Very limited. You can count. But all Muslim read the Qur’an.
Millions of Muslim memorize the Qur’an. Can you imagine? The miracle is amazing. This keep on making me stronger and stronger, my belief towards Allah, and Qur’an and Islam grow from time to time. It's not fading. Even I face a lot of challenges here and there, but it never reduced my faith towards Islam. So I went to the mosque, I met up with the Imam, tell him about my intention, and immediately after I made shahada, Alhamdulillah, then I'm a Muslim now. But I don't know where I'm going to stay now. Because I was very independent from very young. I'm a very independent person. I was seeking the permission, can I stay in the mosque? Because I don't like to burden anybody.
I prefer because when I was young, when I was Buddhist, I stay in the temple, Buddhist temple. When I was a Christian, I served the church. So I like this area, this kind of house of worship. Because you don't disturb anybody, and all the good people will come to this area. That's how I believe. Only the practicing Muslim will come to the mosque. Only the practicing Christian go to the church. Only the practicing Buddhist go to the temple. The non-practicing, they don't go. So I choose to stay in the mosque for four years. Yeah, but different mosque, I make hijrah. One week here, two weeks there, few months there.
Depend on the area and is very conducive, it give me more good feeling, then I will stay longer. For four years I stay in the mosque. Alhamdulillah. I made a right decision because that's the best place to be and that is the fastest way to learn because people come to mosque, they are practicing. So I can ask them, ask them and learn from them. How did your family react to your conversion to Islam? Your family, your mother, your father? Uh, yeah, my mother was a bit shocked because I'm the youngest boy in the family. So I was worried that they will be hurt and they were going to come after me and they will either beat me up or force me to do something. That is a worry I have.
But Allah is great. No, that's why when I became a Muslim, I never went home. I never informed my parents at all yet. My mother is still alive, my grandmother is there, but I just excused myself so that they don't know where am I, so they don't disturb me. So then my teacher, good teacher saying you must go back, see them, talk to them. When I reach home, of course my mother is a bit hurt. In the beginning he's (sic) worried that he's going, she's going to lose her son. So I, Alhamdulillah, I've learned a bit here and there, say, "Mom, I'm your son, I'm a Chinese." So she just went into her room, locked herself up, but I talked to my grandma, my sibling, they are all very open. Allahu Akbar.
They are happy, they ask me, how, when you become Muslim, what happened now? How is your situation? They are very open-minded. So that make me feel very secure. But then later on, I went home more often, and then make them feel good. Don't worry about where I live. I say to them, I stay in a good, in a big house. I don't tell them I stay in the mosque. And then later on, as they-- as we develop, we get closer and closer, and they see my changes, and they are proud. And then she felt more comfortable because I'm going back now. I don't stay with them and go home. I spend some time with them, I talk to them, I bring some fruit to them, I bring-- anything halal, I bring home.
So then they don't feel the difference. You know how we develop ourselves, and if we show the beautiful value of Islam, I believe everybody will love Islam. Hidayah is from Allah, of course. Did did anyone from your family or your close circle became Muslim after you? Alhamdulillah. My brother, elder brother, before he died, he became a Muslim. We performed the funeral prayer in our center. My mother, she became a Muslim. Alhamdulillah. Many people in the West and also in Turkey and in the world, they try to find comfort in meditating, in Buddhism. Can Buddhism really bring comfort to the human soul and what's the difference between meditating and Salah?
Generally people make this comparison. If you look at everything, you will look that in Islam it's more perfect, more balance. It's not for you to just sit and meditate and do nothing. We believe "kulli harakah barakah". Movement always bring more blessing. So you see the prayer in Islam is so beautiful. It's very perfect because even our prayer is not we create by ourselves. All the recitation that we recite in our prayer is not from you, from me, from anybody who like to. No, it was taught by Allah to the Prophet ﷺ and Prophet ﷺ to us. A very unique way of communication. You have ruku' (bowing), you have sujud (prostration).
Of course, if you go back to the Buddhist Dharma, you go back to the teaching of Moses, Jesus, also they have ruku' (bowing) and sujud (prostration). "War ka'u ma'ar raki'in" and so on. But then later on, people don't follow. People start to change. You know, the followers after generation, then they forget the whole teaching, they don't have something to refer to. The original book for them to refer is no more there. The same go to Dharma, the same go to-- everything has been translated and everything is out of control. The old Torah is no more there, is been replaced by Talmud, and the Injil also, everything have gone haywire.
Except Alhamdulillah, the miracle of the Qur’an stay unchanged, unaltered, original until today. Allahu Akbar. When meditating, do people try to not think about anything? And do you think it's possible and really helpful for the soul? Meditation is one of the way to teach you to overcome all these negative force. I consider meditation is tazkiyatun nafs. Reflect, recall all the negative thing that you have and try to purify it. Anything that is negative, you must try to overcome with positive. So you have to reflect, a lot of reflection. You don't think about the negative, then it don't help you. You must think that everything that happened must be a reason. That's why you have the karma.
We call qada and qadar. Every thing happened, "wara'a kulli mas'alah sa'adah" like what we know. Around, behind all the bad things that's happening around us, there is a lesson learned. Yeah, you must have positive thinking. Allah never make anything without a reason. For us now as a Muslim, because Islam is so perfect, so clear, crystal clear. So easy to connect, easy to explain. So meditation is one of their way at that time. But the best way if you look in Islam, Allahu Akbar. Can you imagine before you start to namaz and pray, what much you do? You have to clean your body. You must take wudu. You see how perfect Islam is.
And what do you learn by washing your hand, your mouth, your nose, your face? Because this is exposed, exposed to the dunya (world). And everything is so corrupted around us. That's why I always remind my student, everyone I met, please don't miss your prayer. You just stay connected to Allah, "fazkuruni azkurkum". Allah is always there for you. Even how bad situation you are, you know, how sad you are, please don't miss your prayer. What impressed you the most about Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Nothing that I can compare because he was sent as a mercy for all of us. He spent so much time to show us the way to Allah. And he is the way.
So don't ever ignore the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. I would like to call all the Muslim brother and sister wherever you are, don't put the Prophet ﷺ aside. You say you believe in Allah, Allah put one condition: "Qul in kuntum tuhibbun Allah fattabi'uni yuhbibkumullah". You must follow his messenger. So please be humble. What Allah said, what the Prophet ﷺ said, just follow. You will never go wrong. As a Chinese, you may feel sad that your nation, like over one billion people, majority of them are atheists now. How do you think we can reach their hearts? How do you think we can introduce them to Islam? What is the way do you think? That's why I am working very hard.
You know, I have been talking to them. That's why I engage, yeah, with them always. I'm very open and I feel that they are also very open, brother Ahmed. When I talk to the my people who are atheists, who don't believe in God, I said, "Fellow brothers, sisters, do you know?" Number one, when you say, "I don't believe in any God," you are halfway to Islam. Because when you want to be a Muslim, you must say "La ilaha." There's no other God. You just have to continue "illAllah." It's so easy. You have the "La ilaha" ready. If you just continue, Alhamdulillah. So I make them understand, and I make them feel that Islam is here, is beautiful, is simple, is easy.
Allah never make religion difficult. Until today, until today, wherever I travel, I meet my people, I always talk to them. And Alhamdulillah, some people become very positive, and they are learning now. I give them Qur’an. I say, "Read, read the meaning." And after two years, they they came to me and say, "Thank you, Sheikh. I read the whole Qur’an now." And it's very amazing, interesting. They are very positive. Of course, Hidayah is from Allah. We feel sad, but don't give up hope. Keep on praying and do our level best. And the best form of da'wah, brother Ahmed, is showing good example. Action speak louder than word.
If there was a chance to speak to all the non-Muslims in the world, what would you like to say to them if you had just few moments? So I always remind people, the big difference between Muslim and Islam. Islam is the teaching, Muslim is the people. I'm proud to be a Muslim because I follow Islam. Islam don't follow me. Please know the difference between Islam and Muslim. And Islam don't belong to a particular race. It belong to all of us. That's why I-S-L-A-M. I always translate in English: I Shall Love All Mankind. If you don't understand, please ask and learn. But learn from the right sources. And don't be unjust to the good people. We are ready. Don't worry.
Yeah, we are not here to judge anybody because everybody have the opportunity to find the truth, to be righteous, and to be a practicing Muslim. Because Islam belong to all of us. Jazakallahu khairan Sheikh Hussain Yee. Thank you so much for being with us. We were honored to have you with us and may Allah reward you and preserve you. Ameen, brother Ahmed.