True Sufism and Islam: US Priest Hilarion Heagy and His Conversion to Islam
By Dr.
Ghulam Zarqani
11 March 2023
Translated into
English by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
Ultimately, US Priest Hilarion Heagy Discovered Peace
Of Mind In Islam
Key Points
1.
A
well-known priest from California left Christianity and embraced Islam.
2.
According
to the sources, Hilarion Heagy, now known as Saeed Abdul Latif, continued by
drawing comparisons between Sufism in Islam and monasticism in Christianity.
3.
Everyone
who tries to understand the Islamic faith objectively in the sincere attitude
of seeking the truth will surely become a prisoner of it since it is so
alluring, approachable, and supported by strong evidence.
-------
Hilarion Heagy
-----
The last two
weeks have been turbulent for Christendom. A well-known priest from California
converted to Islam after abandoning his Christian faith. It should be noted
that Hilarion Heagy has a history of affiliation with several churches. Prior
to joining the Eastern Catholic Church, he was a member of the Russian Orthodox
Church. After acquiring the necessary training from the renowned St. Nazianz,
Wisconsin, he was ordained as a Byzantine Catholic priest and has lately
announced the establishment of the Eastern Christian Church. Hence, it might be
said that Hilarion Heagy intermittently knocked on many doors in search of
peace of mind, but his thirst remained unquenched everywhere, until at last he
drank deeply from the fountain of Islam.
It took Hilarion
Heagy about two decades to convert from being a Christian priest to Islam. In
his confessional declaration, he stated, "I had resolved to accept Islam
in 2003." I saw the beauty of Islam, became completely involved in it, and
was amazed by its truthfulness. I even got information about converting to
Islam from an Imam of the mosque. I communicated with the local Islamic centre
and grew close to Muslims. Despite having several great experiences, I
refrained from converting to Islam at the time out of worry for how the general
public would react.
The reports
regarding the beginning of the conversion to Islam suggest that Hilarion Heagy,
now known as Saeed Abdul Latif, then went on to compare monasticism in
Christianity and Sufism in Islam. As a result, he started to be influenced by
Sufi masters Maulana Rumi and Shaykh Ibn Arabi, whose thoughts and beliefs
ultimately led to his conversion to Islam. Both of these Sufi masters were
well-known and celebrated in the West for their Sufism.
The way Islam is
portrayed in the media also had a detrimental effect on Saeed Abdul Latif's
decision to embrace it. Due to the horrific executions and other terrible deeds
carried out in the Islamic world, he worried for a while that the community
could view him as a terrorist if he converted to Islam.
Yet, he asserts
in his statement that despite numerous attempts, he lacked the courage. For a
very long time, I carried a great deal of responsibility, but I could not
express the truth because of my social anxiety, the fear of family resistance,
and finally my awareness that thousands of others would refuse to show me their
love and sympathy. However, I finally came to the conclusion that the preaching
of Christianity outside the home and the love of Islam inside the home cannot coexist
for very long, so I am expressing my Islam.
It would not
have been shocking if a contemporary educated individual or an ordinary citizen
had accepted Islam, but in this case the issue included a certified and
well-experienced priest who had attained Christian perfection. The news spread
like wildfire all over the world, and even the largest Christian institutions
began making efforts to clean up. Pastors even prophesied that the person would
soon return to Christianity. By doing this, they seek to lessen the emotional
toll that the aforementioned event has had on their community, especially the
younger generation.
In conclusion, I
would like to make the point that the Islamic faith is so alluring, accessible,
and supported by substantial evidence that anyone who attempts to comprehend it
objectively in the honest spirit of seeking the truth, he will inevitably
become a prisoner of it.
By the way, I've
had a lot of similar experiences. The most recent example occurred six months
ago when a father got in touch with me and expressed anxiety that his son
wanted to wed a non-Muslim lady. He asked me to lead them both. In a lengthy
conversation with both of them, I told the girl that we should embrace truth as
it exists in the world and steer clear of untruth. Thus, it is best that you
make an effort to follow the correct path for a few days while keeping an open
mind, and I will support you in this endeavour.
She agreed with
me. I gave her several books and I advised her to constantly pray to the sacred
court of the One who gave her life. When we next spoke two or three weeks
later, I asked if she had any questions or concerns about what she had read.
She gave a negative nod. After a lengthy discussion regarding the truthfulness
of Islam, I offered her a couple more books to read on the way. The third
meeting most likely took place after I had returned from a trip to India, where
she had accepted Islam and become one of its adherents.
In essence,
people discover the realities of Islam via books and the words of intellectuals,
professors, and imams. We would not have required invitations, sermons,
dialogues, articles, or compilations, in my opinion, if people had only seen
the results of Islam in Muslim society. Only then would people submit to Islam
and see its actual nature in its doctrines, practises, behaviours, and
conducts.
Urdu Article:
True Sufism and Islam حقیقی تصوف اور اسلام
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/sufism-priest-hilarion-heagy-conversion/d/129295
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in
America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and
Feminism