In this fascinating episode of The Deen Show, Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick shares the first part of his remarkable journey from Christianity to Islam. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in an Episcopalian household near Harvard and MIT, Shaykh Quick grew up with strong moral values and a sincere belief in God. But even as a young man, he could not ignore the troubling contradictions he encountered in the church, from the image of Christ to the rituals of communion that disturbed his conscience.
The Questions That Led Him Away from the Church
Growing up in the turbulent 1960s, Shaykh Quick was a keen student of history and geography. He knew that the people of the Middle East did not look like the European depiction of Jesus. More disturbing to him was the communion ritual, where the wafer and wine were presented as the literal body and blood of Christ. He describes the unsettling sensation of what felt like “eating human flesh” and could not reconcile this with the pure teachings of the prophets.
“I read about vampires and this type of culture, and I couldn’t associate that with the law of Moses, with what Jewish people were doing. Within the Jewish tradition, there’s nothing like this.”
Discovering Islam: The Universal Way of Life
- After leaving the church at age 17, Shaykh Quick explored multiple world religions and philosophies before finding Islam
- Islam’s unified practices across the globe deeply impressed him — the same prayers, the same direction of worship, the same Quran recited in Arabic everywhere
- Converting to Islam refined his character, taking him from a rough street life to a path of nobility and high moral standards
- He went on to become a respected Islamic scholar, demonstrating the transformative power of sincere faith
“Being Muslim is really like what we would call noble. It’s high character. It’s worshipping the One God and developing your character to be the best human being that you can be.”
Shaykh Quick’s story illustrates that Islam is not a religion confined to one ethnicity or culture. It is a universal way of life that transcends borders, languages, and backgrounds. From the streets of Boston to becoming a world-renowned Islamic scholar, his transformation is a testament to what happens when a sincere heart finds the truth. His journey continues in the next episode, and we invite everyone to tune in and discover why so many people from all walks of life are drawn to the worship of the One God, Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
