ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Converts To Islam Yusuf Abdullah [joseph Zammit] Since childhood I was gifted with the sincere love for God and I was very sensitive to spiritual/religious things. I used to re-tell the stories about the saints to my mother while she was doing the housework. I spent my time reading the life stories of saints and the prophets in the Old Testament, as well I was highly fascinated with Jesus (Peace be on him).

In my late teens, about 17 years old, this childhood fascination took a drastic turn when a priest gave me a copy of the Plain Truth magazine. Immediately curious, I embarked on a correspondence course in Bible study. Slowly but surely I was becoming aware of something beautiful in the Bible which was missing. I could not accept the teachings of the church anymore as they did not inspire me at all. I couldnt understand how and why our society is so anti-Christian in its values.

Religion was for inside the church only! On the other hand, I wanted to seek the inner, true teachings of the prophets and of Jesus (Peace on them all) in particular. I started using the Psalms as my daily prayers and for the first time I got satisfaction and power from prayers so much that tears would flow down my cheeks. As my thirst and hunger increased, I started studying various mystical paths, as well as psychology.

I started reading Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the Sufis who made a very good impression on me, but I brushed them aside as being Muslims. I studied the Hindu mystics, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, then on to the Theosophists, Buddhism, Zen and Tao yoga. During these years I used to correspond with initiates in these religions in the UK. Simultaneously, I started studying Gnosticism, and this reverted me back to the Bible studies.

I studied a lot of good books by Jewish scholars as well as international Bible scholars about many contradictions in the Bible. Next thing was that I contacted various Rosicrucian Orders and being a member in a couple of them. The Rosicrucians claim to be gnostic and freemasons and they promise the initiate to receive Cosmic Power etc. I was still going back, every now and then, to Sufi philosophy and mysticism and still was impressed and attracted by their simplicity and inner love for Allah.

The Sufis touched my heart as nothing else did. In 1986 I decided to cut off my name and membership in the Catholic Church. I did this officially through the legal methods available.