Jakarta –
Cat Stevens is known for his popular works in the world of pop-rock to folk music since his debut in 1967. Matthew and Son to Tea for the Tillerman is a popular album from this British musician. 10 years following debut, Cat Stevens changed his name to Yusuf Islam following converting to Islam.
Cat Stevens’ interest in Islam began when she heard the call to prayer while on vacation in Marrakesh. It was explained to him at the time that the call to prayer was ‘music for God’. The concept intrigued Cat Stevens because previously she had only known music for one’s money, fame, and personal power. However, this did not immediately change his religion.
His religious journey continued when he nearly drowned in Malibu, California. Where he prays to God, if he is saved then he will serve. Miracle came upon her and was saved by the waves that carried her ashore. From there, he had a thirst for spiritual knowledge and studied everything from Buddhism to astrology. Until finally he was given a gift by his older brother a Qur’an and started studying Islam.
In an interview with a BBC program, Cat Stevens admitted that he was not directly interested in the Koran. Especially because he grew up with ancient beliefs held by his father. However, because at that moment he was carrying out a spiritual search, it didn’t take long for him to become immersed in the contents of the Qur’an and decided to change religions in 1977.
Since then he has changed his name to Yusuf Islam, before finally using the name Yusuf Cat Stevens. The name Yusuf he chose because he really likes the story of the Prophet Yusuf in the Qur’an. However, the journey of converts to Cat Stevens was marked by rejection from fans, especially in western countries.
“They called me a bad person and a traitor,” he said.
Thanks to his popularity at the beginning of his career and the famous music series he released, it was inevitable for Yusuf Cat Stevens to become the ‘face’ for Islam in the world of music and western countries. So when he decided to stop playing music for quite a long time, more than two decades, he returned to the stage and started his career in the path of Islamic religious songs.
“At first I thought people would understand why I quit, but it wasn’t like that. They wanted me to keep making music,” said the singer of Father and Son.
Now, through royalties from his music, Yusuf Cat Stevens carries out charitable activities for the Muslim community in London and around the world. He also continued to play music and became a representative of a white Muslim musician.
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