Brother Shazad, president of the Canadian Dawah Association, grew up in Toronto with Muslim parents who were not practicing, leaving him without religious direction. Like so many young people in the West, he was taught Darwinism in school, sought happiness in music and the fast life, and found it all empty. His story of how he reasoned his way back to faith and eventually embraced Islam is both relatable and deeply inspiring.
From the DJ Booth to the Prayer Mat
Shazad was deeply involved in the music and entertainment industry as a DJ, thinking that the fast life would bring him happiness. But meeting people who had wealth, fame, and everything the world admires showed him that none of it brought real fulfillment. The short pleasures of intoxicants and entertainment always faded, leaving the same emptiness behind. The persistent question, “Why am I here?” simply would not go away.
“After seeing so many people who have everything – wealth, fame, women – I realized they weren’t happy. If simple things like a car require a manufacturer, then more so a human being must also require a Creator.”
A Logical Journey to Islam
- Shazad started with a simple logical argument: if a car requires a manufacturer, a human being certainly requires a Creator
- He researched Christianity through the Bible, Buddhism, Hinduism, and visited churches and various religious gatherings
- A friend kept pointing him toward Islam, and when he finally studied the Quran, everything clicked into place
- Allah in Arabic simply means the one Creator of the heavens and the earth, the same God that Arab Christians and Arab Jews worship
What Islam Offered That Nothing Else Could
Islam provided answers to every question Shazad had been asking. The concept of one God, without partners, children, or any resemblance to creation, made perfect sense. The continuity of one message through every prophet from Adam to Muhammad (peace be upon them all) tied everything together. Most importantly, Islam gave him purpose, direction, and the inner peace that no amount of fame, music, or worldly pleasure could match.
“Islam is not a religion of terrorism. When Islam ruled the world, the world was in peace. When Islam doesn’t rule the world, the world is in pieces.”
The Simple Equation
- Believe in one God alone, without any partner, and believe that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His final messenger
- Accept and honor all the prophets: Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all)
- This is the same key to happiness found by Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and countless others
- Say the testimony of faith with sincere belief, and you become Muslim that very instant, beginning a new life of peace and purpose
