Initial Curiosity

Time and again, I am asked: Why did I embrace Islam? What particularly attracted me to it? Yes, Muslims have the right to know how a guided man came to embrace Islam and why he did so.

Early Travels

In 1922, I left my homeland, Austria, to travel through Africa and Asia as a correspondent for some of Europe's major newspapers. Since then, I have spent almost all my time in the Islamic East. Initially, my interest in the peoples I encountered was that of a curious outsider.

A Different Worldview

I observed a social system and a worldview fundamentally different from those in Europe. From the very beginning, I felt a yearning for a more tranquil and humane understanding of life compared to the mechanized, hurried existence in Europe. This inclination led me to ponder the reasons behind this difference.

Intrigue in Islamic Teachings

I became deeply interested in the religious teachings of Islam. However, this interest alone was not sufficient at the time to draw me into the fold of Islam; it merely offered me a new perspective on organizing human life with the least amount of internal strife and the greatest sense of genuine brotherhood.

Contrast Between Past and Present

In reality, the Islamic way of life today appears far removed from the optimal possibilities offered by its religious teachings. For instance, everything that represented progress and vitality in Islam has today manifested among Muslims as laxity and stagnation. What once embodied generosity and selflessness has now turned into narrow-mindedness, selfishness, and a love for easy living.

The Intellectual Exercise

This realization encouraged me, but what perplexed me was the stark contrast between the past and the present. Therefore, I tried to approach this apparent problem from a closer angle. I imagined myself as one of those who are embraced by Islam.

Though this was a purely intellectual exercise, it revealed the correct solution to me in a short time.

The Realization

I realized that the only reason for the social and cultural disintegration among Muslims is that they have gradually abandoned the spirit of Islamic teachings. As a result, Islam remained, but it became a body without a soul. Moreover, the very element that once created the strength of the Islamic world is now responsible for the weakness of Muslims. The Islamic community, which was built from the beginning on religious foundations, has seen the weakening of these foundations necessarily lead to the weakening of its cultural structure and perhaps even its complete decline.

Deeper Understanding

And every time I increased my understanding of the teachings of Islam in terms of its intrinsic nature and the greatness of its practical aspect, I became more eager to question what led Muslims to abandon its complete application in real life.

Conversations with Thinkers

I discussed this problem with many Muslim thinkers in various countries, from Tripoli in the West to the Pamir Plateau in India, and from the Bosporus to the Arabian Sea. Thus, it became almost a point of distress in my soul that culminated in my overall interest in the Islamic world from a cultural perspective.

Compassion for Islam

Then my desire in this regard intensified to the point that, as a non-Muslim, I began to speak with Muslims themselves, feeling compassion for Islam due to the negligence and laxity of Muslims.

The Turning Point

This development was not clear to me until a day in the autumn of 1925, when I was in the mountains of Afghanistan. A young administrative governor greeted me by saying: 'But you are a Muslim; you just don’t realize that about yourself.' These words affected me, although I remained silent. However, when I returned to Europe a second time in 1926, I found that the only logical result of this inclination was to embrace Islam.

The Question of Conversion

This account of the circumstances surrounding my conversion to Islam suffices in this context. Since then, this question has been posed to me time and again: Why did I convert to Islam? And what specifically attracted me to it?

Attraction to Islam's Structure

Here I must confess that I do not have a satisfactory answer. What attracted me was not any specific teaching, but rather the remarkable and cohesive structure that cannot be easily explained, consisting of those moral teachings in addition to the practical way of life.

Perfectly Crafted Structure

Today, I cannot say which aspects attracted me more than others, for Islam seems to me a perfectly crafted structure where all its parts are designed to complement and support one another.

The Cohesive Assembly

There is nothing superfluous, and nothing is lacking; the result is a balanced and cohesive assembly. Perhaps this feeling that everything in Islam—its teachings and obligations—'has been placed in its proper place' had the strongest impact on my soul.

A Matter of Love

Other influences may have also been present, but they are difficult for me to analyze now. In short, it was a matter of love, and love is composed of many things: our desires, our unity, our noble goals, our setbacks, and our strengths and weaknesses. My experience was no different; Islam descended upon me like a thief coming into a home in the dead of night, but it was not like a thief because it came to me to stay forever.

Source: The book "Islam at the Crossroads."