In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Brother
Amir Junaid Muhadith, born 20 June, 1975 in Harlem, New York as Chauncey Lamont
Hawkins, was formerly a hip-hop and rap performer who worked under the stage
name of ‘Loon.’ He earned his fame as a part of Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Records,
where he not only released a self-titled debut album, Loon, but also performed
with many of the industry’s notable R&B and hip-hop celebrities.
In
2004, Loon left Bad Boy to start his own label, Boss Up Entertainment. Having
started his music career as a member of Mase’s rap collective Harlem World,
Loon branched out into acting and was featured in two movies directed by Damon
Dash, State Property 2 and Death of a Dynasty.
Born
to a Christian family, Chauncey Lamont Hawkins changed his name to Amir Junaid
Muhadith after Allah guided him to Al-Islam in 2008. Following a life-changing
visit to the city of Abu Dhabi along with prolonged exposure to the Muslim
lifestyle, Amir explained his attraction to Islam in an interview:
“I
visited Abu Dhabi, Emirate’s capital, and there I found the real happiness and
tranquility which my wealth and fame failed to give me all over my life as a
singer. I was affected with the Muslim’s
culture; and I admired their refined morals, their kind treatment with people,
and especially their regular going to pray in the mosque five times every day.
Consequently, I began to ask about the reality of this religion, and whether it
was only exclusive for Arabs, and I realized that Islam includes all human
beings without any consideration to their nationalities. Then, I announced my
conversion to Islam after a profound thinking, and I prayed for the first time
after my return to my home in Harlem, New York.”
Shortly
after having become Muslim, Allah blessed brother Amir by guiding his family to
Islam: ‘My relief increased a lot when my wife and my son accepted Islam.’
Allah continued to shower His bounty upon Amir by facilitating the ability for
him to perform Umrah, an incredibly moving experience for him:
“…When
I was performing Umrah, a few days ago, I lived a very poignant moment when I
saw the holy Kaaba for the first time in my life. I could not bear this
affecting situation, so I could not stand on my feet, and I began to cry
thanking Allah who allowed me to perform this magnificent ritual, and to visit the
Prophet’s honorable mosque.”
May
Allah accept him, his family and their deeds, and may He keep them all
steadfast, Ameen. Amir has since ended his rap career, and has instead chosen
to spend his wealth, time and life seeking knowledge and giving Da’wah;
educating Muslims and non-Muslims alike about Islam, and calling people of all
faiths and backgrounds to the Religion of Truth. Having found peace in Islam
which his previous wealth and lifestyle could not provide, Amir embraced his
new life and mission with a renewed enthusiasm:
“Islam
turned my life upside down since I renounced the profession which I practiced
from seventeen years old; however, now I feel the serenity and peace of mind
which I longed for all my life. …I became very enthusiastic to know more about
Islam when I joined a Canadian Organization calling for Islam, and now I work
on attracting the popular singers and artists to understand Islam’s tolerant
principles.”
Allah
swt says in the Noble Quran, Truely, the Religion with Allah is Islam. ان الدین
عند الله الاسلام
[Translation
of the Holy Quran 3:19]
No comments:
Post a Comment