Last year, Chinese businessman Dawood was accused of transport ing illegal goods to the UAE and ended up behind bars. Despite lawyers arguing for his release, it took eight months before he was acquitted and freed.
But something special happened in the confines of the prison cell in which Dawood languished he converted to Islam. And now, Dawood is celebrating his first Ramadan as a Muslim.
Today, ?dressed in a spotless white kandoora, Dawood whose real name is Huai Ye Cheng is a picture of tranquillity, exuding a calm aura. Ask him how he feels, and he will reply: "Al humdulillah", Arabic for "Thanks be to God".
"[In Islam] I have found all the answers to the questions I had about life," says Dawood, with a beaming smile. "I have found the meaning of life." The 42 year old says Ramadan is an opportunity for him and other fresh converts to confirm their faith.
"I am excited," says Dawood, about his first holy month as a convert. "But since I became a Muslim, I have always fasted twice a week. So it is not new to me." Last week, Dawood and other Muslim converts looked on as 10 more people embraced Islam at an auditorium in the Dubai Government's Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities.
Prompted by a religious leader and with fingers pointing towards the sky, those converting repeated the shehadha, the declaration of faith in Arabic.
"There is no God but God, and Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is the messenger," they testified.
"Allahu Akbar," the bearded imam replied, while a translator told the mostly non-Arabic speaking converts: "Congratulations. Welcome to Islam." Handshakes and hugs followed as chants of "Allahu Akbar" reverberated through the auditorium. As some shed tears of joy, there was excitement in the air.
"It feels good to be a Muslim," said Rajeshwari, an Indian maid who was previously a Hindu. "I feel happy."
Rasjeshwari has not chosen a Muslim name, but says she plans to.
Wu Shengbin, Dawood's friend, now calls himself Salem. The 26 year old, who specialises in traditional Chinese medicine, converted to Islam three months ago.
"There were so many things about life for which I was seeking answers," says the Chinese national, who has lived in Dubai for around a year. "Growing up in a communist country, I did not know where to look." But it was his friendship with Dawood that proved a focal point and "changed the meaning of life" for him.
"We used to meet regularly and discuss philosophy and life in general," he recalls.
"But when Dawood started to talk more and more about Islam, my curiosity grew. I had many misconceptions about Muslim people. Through discussions and the books that he gave me, I changed my mind." Last June, Wu took his religious oath and said the shehadha in front of 200 people at a mosque in Jumeirah. From then on, he became known as Salem.
"I was not scared at all," says the medical practitioner, who hails from Shenyang City in the Liaoning Province of northeast China. "I felt very peaceful." Dawood was drawn to Islam at a time when he needed to find peace, during the chaotic events that led to his arrest. Today, he has helped introduce more than 20 Chinese citizens living in Dubai the faith. The group now meets occasionally for religious deliberations.
"It's a small number, considering [that] more than a billion people [are] living in China," he says with a smile.
According to Islam.com, a website that calls itself a "site worthy of its name", there are currently 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, and they form the majority in more than 50 countries. Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world, it claims.
The Dubai Government's Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities recorded more than 700 converts last year, compared to around 150 in 1996.
"These are just the numbers recorded by our organisation," says Wafa Kasimieh, a convert and worker at the department. "We get hundreds of calls daily from people enquiring about Islam." "All we do is convey the message about the true essence of Islam," she adds.
"In addition, we are regularly invited to offices, religious centres and houses." It has been almost a year since Dawood was slouched over brochures on Islam, given to him by a fellow inmate in the prison cell.
"Something happened inside me," recalls the dad of-two, from the Hainan Island of south China. "I found a new curiosity." Dawood says his wife, who lives in China, has accepted his new faith and is happy for him.
"My wife loves the teachings of Islam. Hopefully, she will become a Muslim too," he says.
Non Muslim?
Non-Muslims can share in the Ramadan experience by:
Fasting, to understand the feelings of the poor Becoming more patient, especially on the roads Stopping and helping someone Picking up extra food and offering it to labourers after sunset Doing something special for those who make your life easier, such as a maid, car washer or security guard Attending a mosque tour or visiting an Islamic bookshop to increase your knowledge of Islam Wishing Muslims a "Ramadan Kareem", and, later, "Eid Mubarak".
By David Tusing
© Emirates Today 2006
