People Can Change

Salam

On Wednesday I ventured once again to the bookfair in Abu Dhabi’s modern looking exhibition centre, alhumdulilah it was relatively easier to reach the place compared to the trek to Sharjah’s bookfair.

The main highlight of the bookfair in Sharjah a few months ago was my bumping to my old Arabic teacher (Abdullah al-Abd) from the university of Jordan. We literally walked passed each other, paused and then rapidly processed the face with a name and location, I could almost hear the penny drop as I rapidly realised who this all so familiar face was.

After the jubilant celebrations we got talking, he remembered me from all those years earlier and told me to ring him him if I ever visited al-Ain (where he was now living).

Anyways getting to my point! I bumped into him once again at a bookfair (this time in Abu Dhabi), I mentioned that I had been to al-Ain to see Sheikh Nuh, but hadn’t rung him as from what I recalled he was salafi and would advise us when we would talk ‘Islam’ with him back at the University of Jordan to avoid sufi’s.

He then told me that he had changed his views, had visited Sheikh Nuh Keller a number of times and had studied with Sheikh Amjad. He was now studying with a Mauritanian sheikh, and grabbing my hand proclaimed: ‘Don’t you think people can change?’

I offered my apologies and excused myself by saying I didnt realise he had done such a theological ‘U-turn’.

And all praise is due to Allah.

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