It is a blessing from Allah, SWT..
That we are held accountable for..the end result of our deeds..for the last thing we do.
Not for what we start with.
‘Guided through the Qur’an’
‘Living it is the sweetness of life’
‘Longing to the Lord, coming to Him’
‘To Him I submit my soul’
‘It showed me the most beautiful and precious path’
‘And it’s the intercessor, it is the companion’
‘O, heedless, won’t you wake up’
‘And see the way for happiness and salvation’
‘It showed me the most beautiful and precious path’
‘And it’s the intercessor, it is the companion’
‘O, heedless, won’t you wake up’
‘And see the way for happiness and salvation’
My name is Arnaud Van Dorn
I became Muslim two years ago..
I am 49 years old..
I am A member of the municipal council
in the city of The Hague..
And chairman of the Unity Party
This party is built on Islamic principles
I am from a Catholic family..
I was born and raised at the city of The Hague..
I have 5 siblings, I am the eldest.
I was a member of the Liberty party..It was against Islam
That was before I become Muslim..
because I didn’t know much about Islam,
The Dutchman, Arnaud Van Dorn
The producer of the film, called ’Fitnah’ … which insulted the prophet Muhammad SAW.
He was an active member of the Liberty party..
It was opposing Islam..
How could he change from the Right-wing extremism..
To the modest religion..
Before I become Muslim..
I had different view about Islam and Islamic society..
before I used to see Islam in a negative way..
I was busy with politics ..I didn’t care about Islam..
I was teaching Youth support..at High education
I also worked to help families.. and to rehabilitate youth
Those who are lost and astray
This is my background..
I came from a Catholic family.. my family was warm..
And I still keep good memories with them
I thank my parentsfor..
for the disciplines which they have taught me..
My parents also played a part of my being a Muslim.
’Fitnah’, The film which insulted the prophet Muhammad SAW.
was given an Arabic name..
To allegate that Arabs are..
People of seduction..
We wanted to warn people from Islam..
That’s why we produced the film “Fitnah’
Actually, It wasn’t a film,
It was short..not more than 10-15 minutes..
Of course, there were political
reasons to produce the film..
We were planning to have more voices..for the party
People who see us as protectors..
of our liberty and of our legal state..
That’s why we produced the film..
Before I join the party that produced the film..
But I participated in advertising the film..
This film..’Fitnah’..
we can say that it was.. like an Advertisement..
which was good for Islam..
So many people..
entered Islam after the …
after the propaganda ,
we can call it this way…. they knew it was a lie..
They knew it..
Praise to Allah, so many of them entered Islam..
We didn’t expect to have this huge response
Because the film was not professional..
The reactions were astonishing..
For that reason..
I had to think ..I saw so many responses ..
so many people were angry.. hurt in their hearts..
and sad..
That made me feel that there is something wrong..
we did harm so many people..
It is impossible that 1.2 Billion Muslims are wrong..
Maybe we did something wrong!
I started to feel doubts..
due to the reactions which I am seeing..
After having these responses from all over the world..to the film ‘Fitnah’
Van Dorn felt that there is something wrong..
So, he went to Masjid to learn more about Islam..
He took a translated Mos’haf..
And a book about the biography of prophet Muhammad SAW
He came to me..long time ago..
And as you know.. he was with a political party which is against Islam
in a very fanatic way, Subhan Allah
He told me that he was reading Qur’an..
The chairman of the political party which is against Islam, used to give them the Qur’an to read it..
So, he read it to find a way to slander Islam ..
And to insult the prophet of Islam..
Subhan Allah, that made him start thinking about..these words he is reading..
He came to me and we had a talk..
He asked me some questions..and I answered him..
Then I gave him the Book..
and he left..
You asked him to give you Mus’haf.. the Qur’an..You wanted to know about Islam..
What did you find?
The Qur’an is the Guide..The most important thing..
My opinion about Qur’an before Islam..
was completely different about my opinion now..
The image about Islam, which people have is..
given to them from the media and the politicians
Everyone must know by himself..
because this excuse is not acceptable..
Everyone has to learn about this religion..by himself..
Reading Qur’an
have changed my perception of Islam..100%
I feel marvelous warmth ..when I read it
The more I read from it ..the more I want to read..
‘The first time my eyes saw it..’
‘I was reciting it..’
‘ It touched me..’
‘As if it’s lines were of dawn ..or of a fragrance..’
‘ And life was there..between the pages..’
You read Qur’an..
I want to know the verse which influenced you most..
All the Qur’an is beautiful and great ..
It is hard for me to choose one verse..
All the verses are full of wisdom
But, I can say that the verse which impressed me is at..
Surat An-Nisa, verse 36-40
These verses make me feel love.
.and it summarises my feelings now..
It tells us that the person..
must have goodness inside him..
And we must love to every one around you
to your neighbor, your parents and the traveler,
And also to give others from your money..
which is given to you from Allah SWT..
And not to be greedy and to avoid deception of others
The verse is..
“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him,”
“and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy..”
This verse tells us how humans must treat each others
Yes, the verses describes the core of human beings..
Which is full of goodness…
It summarises what is Islam and Qur’an about!!
It is to be a good example for others..
That was my feeling when I read Qur’an
‘Did you feel the presence of clouds on its sky?’
‘When you recited its Noble verses’
‘It is a sky..it is a cure..it is guidance..’
‘Why can’t you get this grace..’
There is a message for us all in the verse..
That worshipping Allah SWT is not only by Salat and by fasting..
But it is is also by all these Good deeds which are mentioned
“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, ”
” and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy,”
” the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler,”
” and those whom your right hands possess.”
Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.
The thing which convinced me about Islam..
Is something which I always has..
Because I was raised in a Christian family
So, I knew about the disciplines of Islam..
But, still I wasn’t comfortable..
Now, I know why..
And it is what covinced me..There is only one God only..
And we must worship him alone..
Not to worship people..or prophets or others
Tawheen is the thing which I like most in Islam..
After a while.. I think after three months..
After Jummah speech
I came in..and I saw him getting out of this room..
So, I aske the brother who was with him..
I said: what is going on..
He said: he became a Muslim..
he took all of these books.. he read them all during that period..
Allah SWT opened his heart for Islam..
and came.. I was astonished about what happened..I would say it was a miracle..
A person who was at one time..
And, of course, I ask Allah, Almighty to strengthen him..
At one time..he was a member of a party ..fighting against Islam..
And today he defends Islam..
I want you to tell me about the moment when you said Shahada..
When did you say it?
And what happened so that you came to this Masjid and say Shahada..
‘Guided through the Qur’an’
‘Living it is the sweetness of life’
‘Longing to the Lord, coming to Him’
‘The path seemed filled with thorns’
‘Until it was quenched with the morning dew’
‘So was the heart…till it pleased You ’
‘..O, Allah, when it absorbed Your guidance’
When did you say Shahada..? what happened so that you came to this Masjid and say Shahada..?
So ,many people said Shahada in front of big gatherings
Or at Jummah day..
I said Shahada..
with a brother who is knowledgeable
and here in this masjid
inside one of its rooms.. at the second floor
We were only the two of us..
I had a feeling that..that moment was..
due to my previous study..
I was Muslim in my feelings..
I read about Islam for a year.. I was looking to learn..
Yet I was amazed when I said Shahada..
The moment was very emotional..
I was moved.. very much.
I also cried.. I felt as if I was under a warm cover..
As if a hand was on my shoulder
saying to me.. Now you became Muslim..it is real..
‘O, You, Who descended the Qur’an’
‘As brightness upon Ahmad’
‘I felt peacefulness when the clarity began’
It is very difficult for me to describe that feeling..
in one word
It moved me too much.. It was something warm..
As if someone was with me..
Took my hand and gave me comfort and strength..
Like a parent..
putting his arm around his child..
I felt.. strong, warm and emotional..
It was an amazing moment..
From now on..I must apply Islam on my life..
And be a goog.. real example for this religion..
Every time I remember that moment.
I have all the feelings back again..
‘With the Book of Allah, I was guided to light’
‘I had a past which I regret..I left it behind me’
‘With the Book of Allah, I was guided to light’
‘I had a past which I regret..I left it behind me’
‘I prostrated in front the door of Allah..with humbleness.’
‘Hoping that He would forgive the big sin’
That is how Van Dorn embraced Islam
He kept working on politics..but..
With a heart full of Eman..
And a new ideology looking forward to serve Islam
and Muslims
It is not easy.. he was in a racist party..
He was agaist having masjids.. like this masjid..
Lastly he said: I was fighting against this masjid..
And now, I am inside it..
His face was flushed ..
I don’t know why..
Probably he felt regretting what he did..
Yesterday, he was against …
And today he is peaceful..
strange..
After you became Muslm..brother Arnaud
Did you go on doing politics and elections?
Did you have any success?
After I became Muslim..
Me and a friend of mine called Abdu Al-Khulani..
we established a party
we named it The Unity Party, at The Hague,
it has Islamic principles..
half of the citizens here are Immigrants..
70% of them are Muslims
They have no party which take care of them in ths city..
Now, we have colsed this gap..
And for a year now..we are doing our best ..
To take care of the rights of Muslims of this city
‘My Qur’an..I step up with it.. I find with it my comfort’
‘It woke me up from my inattention… from my mistakes..and guide me’
You participated on the production of the film which insulted the prophet Muhammad SAW. The film calle ‘Fitnah’
Which cause all that noise..
After that you looked for a book about the biography of the prophet Muhammad SAW..
what was the result of reading that book?
I have a big admiration for that man
He suffered so many tests and tribulations..
Humiliation and hostility..
from his family and from his people..
After all of these tribulations and hostility..
He was still kind ..just ..and having mercy and affection
For me that was very classy and motivating..
So, I take him as a role model and a respected example
Something I can never reach its level..
But, I try to follow his steps…although it is not the same..
because the tribulations which I had ..
are not the same as those he had..
At Al-Hudaibiyah..Muslims were about one thousand
But at the 8th year..
i.e. after 2 years..
When he entered Makkah..
Muslims were more than 10 thousands..
Why?
because Islam spreads at the times of peace..
more than at the times of wars..
This religion doesn’t need swords or wars..
or bloodshed..
Absolutely no..
Because it has a strong argument.. and evidence
What we want is to live in peace in these countries
The biography of the prophet Muhammad SAW
Was one of the reasons that Van Dorn entered Islam
So, I suggested that he would prepare series of lectures..
About the biography of the prophet Muhammad SAW
On Dutch
To focus on the biography of the prophet Muhammad SAW..
To give an idea about him, his morals..SAW
Do you agree..?
Absolutely..
This is the basic thing that our youth need to know
It will hit so many goals..
If our youth learned something from this biography
and tried to follow him..
They will be on the straight path..
And they will be embassedords for Islam..
So, By the will of Allah, me ..and you..and your brothers at the website noon..
Which is specialized at Quira’at
We will support this project..
To edit the biography of prophet Muhammad SAW
Qur’an is my guide..It tells em about myself…my life..
How to treat myself..and others..and my society
Qur’an is the reference of wisdom, love and knowledge..
‘I was far from it.. But when I came close..’
‘I was guided by it.. right away..’
‘You had known it.. for a long time.. from childhood..’
‘Why some people have dead hearts?’
‘My criticism, ummah of Qur’an.. is full of love’
‘because it is a sin to desert Qur’an’
‘Tomorrow, the prophet will blame us.. is that acceptable?’
‘Tomorrow, what are we going to say? what’s our excuse?’
‘My criticism, ummah of Qur’an.. is full of love’
‘because it is a sin to desert Qur’an’
‘Tomorrow, the prophet will blame us.. is that acceptable?’
‘Tomorrow, what are we going to say? what’s our excuse?’