Pastor Hilarion Heagy, a well-known Eastern Catholic priest based in the United States, has announced his conversion to Islam. Heagy's decision to embrace Islam has drawn public attention, as he described it as a journey "like coming home."
Heagy, who lives in California, was previously a Russian Orthodox monk before joining the Antiochian Orthodox Church in 2003 and then the Eastern Catholic Church in 2007. According to Middle East Monitor, Heagy graduated from the Holy Resurrection Monastery in St Nazianz, Wisconsin, to become a Byzantine Catholic priest.
Heagy recently announced plans to establish an Eastern Christian monastery in California. Heagy, who now goes by the name Said Abdul Latif, said he has been interested in Islam for decades, and he made his latest decision to convert to Islam public in a blog post.
Abdul Latif expressed his excitement about his decision and how he felt that he had found his true calling. He described the journey to Islam as a long and winding one, but one that he was happy to have taken. Abdul Latif's decision to convert to Islam has caused quite a stir among his former colleagues and members of his former church, who are both supportive and surprised by his decision.
Abdul Latif stated that he found many of the teachings of Islam appealing, particularly its emphasis on prayer, charity, and social justice. He also said that he felt a strong connection to the Islamic community and was excited about the new opportunities that his conversion would bring. Abdul Latif has expressed interest in becoming involved in interfaith work and promoting greater understanding between Muslims and Christians.
Abdul Latif's Conversion to Islam: A Pastor's Journey Home
Abdul Latif confirmed his status as a convert to Islam through a lengthy post on his personal blog. He stated that "To make this happen, however, physical and orderly steps are required, as I live in a Catholic monastery. One cannot be an openly declared priest and monk and a Muslim privately," he said.
Abdul Latif talked about his decision to embrace Islam as a step towards returning to his primordial identity. He also quoted Quran Surah Al-A'raf (7) verse 172, which says:
"And when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware.""
For this reason, Abdul Latif said that converts to Islam often refer to 'returning' to Islam, rather than converting to a new religion, which is a long process of coming back.
Due to his previous status as a Catholic priest, Abdul Latif explained that the decision to convert was a physical and orderly process. Living in a Catholic monastery, he could not be an openly declared priest and monk, while also being a Muslim in private. This made the process of conversion more challenging, but ultimately, he decided to embrace Islam as a way of returning to his primordial identity.
He further explained that his journey towards Islam had been a long one, spanning several decades. He had been interested in the religion for many years, and after careful consideration, he finally decided to take the step and embrace it fully. By quoting Quranic verses, he emphasized the importance of embracing Islam and returning to one's true identity as a human being.
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