Lectures by Ahmad Didat. Ahmed didat - a life dedicated to the Islamic call. Founding of the International Center for Islamic Call

A lecture by one of the most famous Islamic preachers, Ahmad Deedat, in which he talks about the role of the prophet Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, in Islam.
On August 9, 2002, at his home in Verulam, KwaZulu Natal, the famous South African Muslim preacher, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, whose life path is an unrivaled example for today's Muslims, died at the age of 87. According to his son Yusuf, the cause of his father's death was a heart attack.

“He was listening to verses from Surah Yasin on local Islamic radio when he began to go into agony. By the will of the Almighty, he died. We grieve, but our sadness is light, for we know that death is by predestination,” Yusuf added.

After evening prayers (Maghrib), Sheikh Deedat was buried in the Verulam city cemetery. Hundreds of people from all over the world arrived in South Africa to attend the funeral of the outstanding Muslim scientist. They paid their last respects to a man who inspired members of the Asian community in South Africa during a difficult time for them, and also raised the voice of Muslims in a country where Islam is by no means the most popular of religions.

The coffin with the sheikh's body, covered with a green cloth, was in the living room of his house until 17:00 on the day of his death. Then the funeral procession began, led by a Muslim scholar, the Mufti of Zambia, Ismail Menk.

Ms. Hawa Deedat, the 84-year-old widow of the deceased, dressed in a white burqa (an Indo-Pakistani model of the niqab) and jilbab, spent the entire day near his coffin, receiving the condolences of women. She spent the last 9 years of her husband’s life at his bedside, doing the work of a nurse and caregiver. According to their son, she did not allow herself to relax for a minute and fall into despair.

Representatives of other religious denominations and political organizations expressed their condolences to the wife of the deceased. In particular, the leader of the Hindus of South Africa, Mr. Ashwin Trikamji, emphasized that “the Islamic community of the country has suffered a serious and irreparable loss,” and also noted the activity of Sheikh Deedat in the process of dialogue between various religious denominations of the country. According to Trikamjee, A. Deedat's name has become synonymous with bringing together South Africans of different religions.

And here is what his neighbor Rehana Badat says about A. Deedat: “Many people knew him, but he was a very modest person. Having the opportunity to live in luxury, he preferred to live modestly, denying himself many things.”

The family of the deceased continues to receive hundreds of letters of condolences.

Vivid biography

During the apartheid period, Ahmed Deedat, founder of the International Center for Islamic Call and the As-Salam Institute in Durban (South Africa), opposed the dominance of Christian missionary work and the traditional dominance of Western culture. By publicly discussing religious issues with some high-ranking representatives of Christian churches, he helped Muslims, tired of feeling like “second-class citizens,” regain their self-confidence. Over the 60 years of teaching, public and mentoring activities of A. Deedat, many people converted to Islam.

A. Deedat was born in July 1918. In August 1927, he moved with his family to South Africa. From the age of 9 he began to help his father. Having studied the English alphabet at the Anjuman madrasah, he mastered the English language and entered school, becoming the top student in his class within six months, and then graduated with honors.

However, due to financial difficulties, Deedat was soon forced to interrupt his studies in order to earn his own living. He got his first job in a shop near Adam's Mission, an institute on the outskirts of Durban that promoted and taught Christianity.

Mission students often approached Ahmed's superior, who was a Muslim, urging him to convert to Christianity. This angered young Ahmed, and he decided to find out everything about Islam and Christianity.

Successful activity

It should be noted that his life was radically changed by the book “Izhar ul-haq” that he studied (along with the Bible), written in the form of a religious dialogue between a Christian priest and an imam. The first lecture he gave in 1940 was entitled “Prophet Muhammad - Messenger of Peace.” It took place in a village cinema and attracted an audience of 15 people.

Subsequently, thousands of people began to attend his lectures. He based his extremely popular analyzes of Islam and biblical contradictions on comparative religion. Dozens of dissatisfied and dissenters often tried to challenge his arguments, but his lectures brought many to Islam.

In Cape Town he gave lectures at the Good Hope Centre. Many of the city's Muslim inhabitants were brought here from Indonesia and Malaysia as slaves or captives. They felt violated in their rights and were tired of being “second-class citizens.” Therefore, the attitude towards his lectures in Cape Town was extremely favorable.

By the 50s last century, the number of those who wanted to listen to Ahmed Deedat approached 40 thousand. Therefore, in 1957, the Center for Islamic Call was created, which published books and raised funds for giving lectures. Soon, one of Ahmed Deedat's friends donated 70 acres of land on the southern coast of South Africa to the center.

Subsequently, the As-Salam center arose on this basis, where Ahmed Deedat taught young Muslims until 1973, i.e. until he returned to Durban with the intention of concentrating on lecturing.

Another milestone in his life was the conference of the World Association of Muslim Youth in Riyadh, held in 1976, which brought him international recognition.

And in 1981, in front of an audience of 20,000, he successfully debated the Durban Bishop Jose McDowell on the topic: “Was Jesus crucified?” In July 1985, A. Didat agreed to participate in a debate with the American missionary, prof. Floyd Clark, at London's Alberthall on the theme of the crucifixion of Jesus (peace be upon him). After that, he made a number of trips to Denmark, Morocco, Sweden, Kenya and Australia, and also participated in a debate with Jimmy Swiggart in the USA on the topic “Is the Bible the word of God”? In 1989, in the USA, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, in the presence of an audience of 8,000, held a successful discussion with the Bishop of the Anglican Church, Jamie Stewart, on the topic: “Is the Gospel a Holy Book?”

With each trip he made new friends and new opponents. Soon the Center founded by Ahmed Didad, now called the International Center for Islamic Dawah, moved to larger premises. There, Sheikh Ahmed began to teach numerous representatives of various religions, who came (including) to point out his mistakes. But as a result, many of them converted to Islam.

Among them was one man who began to debate with Sheikh Ahmed when he was over forty. Years passed, he asked the sheikh more and more questions and, eventually, at the age of 63, he converted to Islam. But when he came to the sheikh with this good news, he found out that he was seriously ill.

In May 1996, a stroke left Sheikh Ahmed Deedat bedridden. The paralysis left him unable to speak or swallow. He communicated with his loved ones by movements of his eyes and eyelids. The trustees of the International Center for Islamic Call were able to find a replacement for him only three years later - by appointing a new president.

listen)) - Islamic preacher and writer, theologian. He was known for his works on the relationship between Christianity and Islam, the creator of the International Center for Islamic Call.

Biography

Ahmad Deedat was born in Tadkeshwar, Gujarat, India in 1918. Soon after his birth, his father emigrated to South Africa, where A. Deedat later moved. Here he will show his diligence in his studies for the first time, but due to financial difficulties at the age of 16 he will be forced to leave his studies and start working.

In 1936, Ahmad Deedat worked as a salesman in a furniture store, where he met a group of Christian missionaries who claimed that the Prophet Muhammad spread Islam exclusively by force - “with the help of the sword” he brought Islam to people. The work of Rahmatullah Kairanvi “Izhar al-Haq” (Arabic: إظهار الحق ‎) also influenced the activities of A. Deedat. These events greatly influenced the future theologian and forced him to engage in comparative analysis of religions.

Ahmad Deedat will give his first lecture in 1942 in Durban to an audience of only 15 people; it is noteworthy that the lecture was called “Muhammad - Messenger of Peace”.

Deedat carried out the call to Islam without access to modern technologies, telecommunications, the Internet and satellite television. But despite this, with his speeches and debates with Christian theologians, Ahmad Deedat revolutionized the minds of many people, and his works have been translated into all the major languages ​​of the world.

Ahmed Deedat is a man who challenged the missionaries of Christianity, the founder of an Islamic call center of international importance, who questioned the dominance of Western culture. He publicly discussed religious issues with high-ranking representatives of Christian churches, and he helped many who were tired of feeling like "second-class citizens" by giving them the opportunity to gain self-confidence. During his more than sixty years of teaching, he converted many people to Islam through his teaching and numerous debates.

Ahmed Deedat was born in July 1918, in India. Ahmed assisted his father, Hussein, who moved to South Africa with his family in August 1927, when he had just turned 9 years old. After studying at the Anjuman madrasah and becoming familiar with the English alphabet there, they completely learned English and entered school. And at school he became the best student in six months.

However, his family had financial difficulties and he had to interrupt his studies. And he began to earn his own living.

His first job was in a shop near Adam's Mission, an institute promoting Christianity on the outskirts of Durban. There students learned the basics of this religion. And the students of the Mission very often came to the boss of Ahmed Deedat, and he was a Muslim, and called on the boss to convert to Christianity.

All this caused real indignation on Ahmed's part. At the same time, he decided to obtain all the necessary information about Christianity and Islam. The book “Izhar ul-haq”, which is written in the form of a dialogue between an imam and a Christian priest, changed his life very dramatically. This book became the first that Ahmed Deedat studied very carefully.

Ahmed Deedat entered the big stage in 1940. He began to talk about his research in comparative religion and the contradictions contained in the Bible. And Ahmed Deedat’s conversations were extremely popular; soon he was giving lectures to thousands of listeners. It often happened that he was challenged during his speeches - there were those who were dissatisfied with his words, but besides this there were also those who accepted Islam along with them.

He performed in Cape Town at the Good Hope Centre. The Muslims who lived in this city came here from Malaysia and Indonesia, they were prisoners or slaves. They were simply tired of their position as “second-class citizens” and felt extremely downtrodden. And in connection with all this, Ahmed Deedat’s lectures were treated very favorably in Cape Town.

By the year 50, those wishing to listen to Ahmed Deedat had already grown to 40 thousand people. And it was so much that it was simply impossible to provide such a number of people with everything necessary for Ahmed Deedat to give a lecture to them. Therefore, in 1957, the Center for Islamic Call was founded, which specialized in raising funds for lecturing and publishing books. And soon a friend of Ahmed Deedat found him and donated 70 acres of land to the center. The land was located on the southern coast of South Africa. And subsequently, on the basis of this center, the As-Salam center grew, where Ahmed Deedat trained young Muslims, until he himself returned to Durban in 1973, where he wanted to pay more attention to lectures.

At the same time, Ahmed Deedat gained international recognition, and another major event took place in his life, which became another turning point in his entire life, this event was the conference of the World Association of Islamic Youth, held in 1976 in Riyadh.

In July 1985, Ahmed Deedat took part in a debate with Professor Floyd Clark, an American missionary. The debate took place in London, at King Albert's Hall. The topic of debate was the crucifixion of Jesus (peace be upon him). Further, he made many trips to Morocco, Denmark, Kenya, Sweden and Australia. Ahmed Deedat also debated Jimmy Swagort, this time the topic of debate was: “Is the Bible the word of God?”

And with each new trip he made new friends, but also new enemies.

Some time has passed. The center, which was founded by Ahmed Deedat, changed its location and moved. There, Sheikh Ahmad began to teach all sorts of numerous representatives of different religions, some of them only came to point out to Ahmed Deedat his alleged mistakes. And he converted them to Islam.

Among such people was the one who approached Ahmed Deedat for the first time when he was 40 years old. During subsequent meetings, he asked and asked more and more questions. And having reached the age of 63, this man finally became ready to accept Islam. But when he came to visit Ahmed Deedat to tell him this, he learned about the illness that befell the sheikh in May 1996. The trustees of the Center for Islamic Propaganda managed to find a replacement for Ahmed Deedat only three years later.

Currently, Ahmed Deedat is practically unable to move. His devoted wife, Chava, takes care of him. The sheikh's entire body, from the neck down, is paralyzed, but he remains in full and clear consciousness, without losing his sense of humor and wit. Ahmed Deedat is speechless, but still communicates with others using eye movements...

During the apartheid period Ahmed Deedat, founder of the International Center for Islamic Dawah and the As-Salam Institute in Durban, challenged Christian missionaries and questioned the traditional dominance of Western culture. By publicly discussing religious issues with some of the senior representatives of the Christian churches, he helped Muslims, tired of feeling like second-class citizens, regain a sense of self-confidence. During A. Deedat's six decades of teaching, debating and mentoring, many people converted to Islam.

Born in July 1918 in India, Ahmed Deedat began helping his father Hussein, who moved with his family to South Africa, in August 1927, when he was barely 9 years old. Having become acquainted with the English alphabet at the Anjuman madrasah, he learned English and entered school. Within six months, Ahmed became the top student in his class. However, due to financial difficulties, he was soon forced to interrupt his studies. He had to earn his own living. He got his first job in a store near Adam's Mission, an institute on the outskirts of Durban that promoted Christianity and taught the basic tenets of this religion. Mission students often approached Ahmed's superior, who was a Muslim, urging him to convert to Christianity. This caused the indignation of young Ahmed. At that time, he decided to obtain the necessary information about Islam and Christianity. The book “Izhar ul-haq”, written in the form of a religious dialogue between a Christian priest and an imam, radically changed his life. It became the first of those works that A. Deedat, along with the Bible, studied very carefully.

In 1940 Didat took to the big stage to talk about Islam and the contradictions contained in the Bible as part of a study in comparative religion. His conversations became extremely popular. Soon Ahmed began lecturing to thousands of listeners. During his speeches, he was often challenged by dozens of dissatisfied people, but at the same time, many accepted Islam.

In Cape Town he gave lectures at the Good Hope Centre. Many Muslims who lived in this city were brought from Indonesia and Malaysia as slaves or captives. They felt downtrodden and tired of being second-class citizens. In this regard, the attitude towards his lectures in Cape Town was extremely favorable.

By the 50s, the number of those who wanted to listen Ahmed Deedat reached about 40 thousand people. It was too much. Therefore, in 1957, the Center for Islamic Call was created, specializing in publishing books and raising funds for giving lectures. Soon, one of Ahmed Deedat's friends donated 70 acres of land on the South Coast of South Africa to the center. Subsequently, the Al-Salam Center arose from this base, where Ahmed Deedat taught young Muslims until he returned to Durban in 1973 to devote more attention to his lectures. It was during this time that he gained international recognition. The World Association of Muslim Youth Conference in Riyadh in 1976 was another turning point in his life.

In July 1985, A. Deedat agreed to take part in a debate with the American missionary, Professor Floyd Clark, at King Albert Hall in London, regarding the topic of the crucifixion of Jesus (peace be upon him). After this, he made a number of trips to Denmark, Morocco, Sweden, Kenya and Australia. Sheikh Ahmed also took part in a debate with Jimmy Swaggart in the US on the topic "Is the Bible the Word of God"? With each trip he made new friends, but also new enemies.

After some time, the center founded by Ahmed Deedad, currently called the International Center for Islamic Dawah, moved to larger premises, where Sheikh Ahmed began to teach numerous representatives of various religions, some of whom initially came to point out to A. Deedad the mistakes he was making. Cases of these people converting to Islam became increasingly common. Among these people was the one who first approached Sheikh Ahmed at the age of over forty years. He asked the sheikh more and more questions. Having reached the age of 63, this man was ready to accept Islam. However, when he appeared to convey this good news to Sheikh Ahmed, he learned that he had suffered a serious illness in May 1996. Only after three years did the trustees of the International Center for Islamic Propaganda find his replacement, appointing a new president of the center.

Today, Sheikh Ahmed is virtually unable to move. He is looked after by his devoted wife. Despite the fact that the sheikh's entire body, from the neck down, is paralyzed, he is fully conscious and has not lost his wit and sense of humor. Speechless, the sheikh communicates with others through eye movements.

Ahmad Hussain Deedat was born in India on July 1, 1918. His family lived in Surat. Soon after Ahmad was born, his father Hussein Deedat learned of new financial opportunities that were opening up in South Africa's booming economy. He soon found work there as a tailor. Hussein Deedat had to make a risky but courageous choice and leave his young son in India under the care of his mother. And only 9 years later, young Ahmad saw his father. When Hussein's situation became more favorable and stable, he decided to move his son to South Africa. And it was then that Ahmad received his first passport, issued by the British colonial administration.

Ahmad's journey across the continent was marked by a series of curious incidents and became an unforgettable experience for the nine-year-old boy. He went to South Africa alone, on a long sea voyage. By the grace of Allah, young Ahmad arrived safely in August 1927. Just days before his arrival, the African government set strict rules for migrants entering the country and set a deadline after which no child could enter the country unaccompanied by its mother. Ahmad arrived at the port just 24 hours after the ban was imposed. The new law has come into full force. This meant that Ahmad Deedat and the other children stranded on the ship had to be returned to India. However, his father made every effort to prevent this from happening. Ahmad was the only child allowed into the country that day. His father’s decisive character, his strength and confidence were passed on to Ahmad, who later became a great personality.

Education

Ahmad Deedat entered school. And despite the fact that he had never attended school before, it was soon discovered that he was ahead of all his classmates in terms of knowledge. In just 6 months of study, he became the best student in his class. However, his bright future and academic prospects were overshadowed by the severe pain of loss - his mother died. She lived only a few months after her son left for South Africa.

Ahmad's emotional distress increased even more when he faced financial problems. He discovered that his father had nothing to pay for his studies. His sadness and concern were noticed by a local businessman. He promised Ahmad to pay all the expenses for his studies. However, this promise turned out to be a cruel joke. The father had to pick the boy up from school. Like millions of his peers, young Ahmad was forced to take up trade. He found work 30 km from Durban in an old local store opposite a Christian missionary parish. Young Africans were recruited here to spread Christianity in South Africa. These young people often visited the store where Ahmad worked and read sermons to him, and sometimes organized entire debates. Ahmad Deedat tried in every possible way to defend his faith.

Ahmad Deedat and religion

This work was carried out continuously day after day. And for young Ahmad, this became so unbearable that despite the difficulties in finding a job, he began to seriously think about quitting and devoting himself to religion. Knowing only the testimonies of faith and the basic principles of Islam, Ahmad found that he was unable to defend his own religion. However, he felt an irresistible desire, an inner impulse that pushed him to seek knowledge that would help him strengthen his faith and bring clarity to his spiritual life. But it turned out that all the answers he was looking for were on the surface.

The moment of enlightenment came when Ahmad decided to explore the store's warehouse. There he discovered an old book that changed his life forever. Ahmad realized that she was able to answer all the questions that tormented his mind. The book was an account of many encounters between Muslims and Christian missionaries who came to India to preach the gospel. The book also contained articles about the most interesting debates that took place between Muslim theologians and missionaries. For young Deedat it was a whole religious story. Ahmad Deedat began to study it.

Ahmad's self-education

Seized with good enthusiasm, young Deedat greedily read page after page. He was amazed at the depth of the arguments and the logical answers given by Muslim scholars. In addition to providing Ahmad with invaluable information, the book also inspired the young reader to embark on a journey of seeking knowledge and facts about various religious traditions from an Islamic perspective. But most importantly, the book reunited him with Islam. He began reading the Qur'an and memorizing verses, while at the same time conducting his own studies of the Bible and the New Testament. Over time, Ahmad Deedat began to hold meetings with missionaries.

Bible Study

Becoming more confident in his knowledge, Ahmad began attending local Bible classes given by an Englishman who had converted to Islam. Ahmad attended lectures with great enthusiasm. He learned a lot about comparative religion and the provisions of the Bible. After a few months, the Englishman stopped teaching, and Deedat decided to take his place. His charisma and presentation style were so convincing that over the next three years he did not stop giving lessons.

Preacher of Islam

Long gone are the days when Ahmad was bombarded with questions and provocative statements by young missionaries, and long gone are the days of timid answers and half-hearted attempts to defend his faith. He now began to challenge the missionaries regarding the authenticity of their own scripture.

Ahmad Deedat began looking for a new platform for his lectures. He became the pioneer of previously unknown approaches to traditional methods of calling to Islam. He was one of the first to suggest advertising in local newspapers in support of Islam. Soon Ahmad acquired an English translation of the Koran and began to memorize it. The Islamic call became the main work of Deedat’s life, its dominant factor. Soon he was invited to Cape Town, where he gave lectures in huge halls to an audience of more than 40 thousand spectators. Ahmad Deedat's books were a success and were very popular among visitors to the lectures.

Having received financial support from one of the businessmen, Ahmad and his family went to the southern coast of Natal, where he became the founder of the As-Salam organization. The purpose of this organization was to teach comparative religion. Akhmad served as director for 17 years. Soon he began to develop a more ambitious project - the International Center for the Propagation of Islam. And he succeeded in this.