Abdullah Hakim Quick — a former Christian raised in Boston who became the first American to graduate from the Islamic University of Medina — shares his remarkable journey from Christianity to Islam and clarifies one of the most important theological questions: Jesus (peace be upon him) never asked anyone to worship him. He called people to worship the One God alone, exactly as Islam teaches.
From Boston Streets to the University of Medina
Growing up in a housing project between two major universities, Abdullah Hakim Quick had access to both street life and intellectual life. He questioned the practices he found in the church during the turbulent 1960s, left Christianity, and began studying world religions. It was in Toronto, Canada, that he accepted Islam at the hands of Dr. Ahmed Sakr. From there, he received one of only two scholarships offered to Canadian Muslims by the Saudi government and went to study in Medina in 1973 — living with Bedouins, learning classical Arabic, and becoming the first American graduate of the university.
“Islam gave me a worldview, a lifestyle, how to raise my family, how to deal with my children, a dietary plan, and connected me with people of every race and nationality.” — Abdullah Hakim Quick on what Islam provided that Christianity could not.
Jesus Called People to God, Not to Himself
The core message of Jesus (peace be upon him), as recorded even in the Bible, was to worship God alone. He fell on his face and prayed to the One God. He never established a church, never taught the Trinity, and never asked anyone to worship him. Islam honors Jesus as one of the mightiest prophets while maintaining the pure monotheism that he actually preached. The distortion of his message into a doctrine of divine worship is something Jesus himself would reject.
“We do not say ‘bomb be upon you’ — we say ‘peace be upon you.’ Assalamu Alaikum means peace. This is what Muslims say all the time, and people need to realize this.” — Addressing misconceptions about Islam head-on.
A Message for Truth Seekers
- Islam is the continuation of the message of all prophets — from Adam to Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them all)
- We are living in turbulent times with unprecedented natural disasters — it is time to drop superficial divisions and come together as a human family
- Muslims have a great role to play in the future of this planet through justice, compassion, and stewardship of the earth
- Do not judge Islam by headlines — meet Muslims, read the Quran, and experience the peace that this way of life offers
The message is simple and it has been the same since the beginning of time: worship the One God who created everything, live righteously, and prepare for the Day you will meet Him. This is what Jesus taught, what Moses taught, what Abraham taught, and what the final Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) confirmed. Come to common terms and let the truth guide your heart.
