Islam Rediscovered
23. Conversion: An Intellectual Transformation
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When the hypocrites come to you, they say:
‘We bear witness that you are God’s apostle.’
God knows that you are indeed His
Messenger, and God bears witness that the
hypocrites are lying. (63:1)
What is meant by true religious conversion is
illustrated by an incident in which some verses
from the Qur’an were read to a gathering of
Christians. About seventy of them were so deeply
moved that they abandoned their ancestral religion
and converted to Islam. As the Qur’an puts it: When
they listen to that which was revealed to the
Messenger, you will see their eyes filled with tears
as they recognize its truth. They say: ‘Lord, we
believe. Count us among Your witnesses. Why
should we not believe in God and in the truth that
has come down to us? Why should we not hope for
admission among the righteous?’ (5:83-84)
Similarly, the Qur’an speaks of true believers “as
those whose hearts are filled with awe at the
mention of God, and whose faith grows stronger as
they listen to His revelations. They are those who
put their trust in their Lord, pray steadfastly, and
