Why Islam is my choice — Page 53
53 attended one more year of the public school and then ended my education in the ninth grade. After school, I fell with bad company which kept me away from home for most of the time. My time was, unfortunately, mostly spent on the streets. My first recollection of Isl ā m was of hearing of the Nation of Isl ā m and of Malcolm X. Since I have always been a boxing fan, I was also fascinated by Cassius Clay, later to be known as Mu ḥ ammad ‘Al ī. I used to read their newspaper quite frequently. This newspaper, although interesting in many ways, never moved me in a spiritual way. I found a great deal of hatred in this newspaper directed towards the Whites and people belonging to other Faiths. I was raised in a home which had not known any prejudice. I had never heard my mother say anything against anyone on the basis of their color or religious beliefs. I used to hear such things outside of my house but such derogatory remarks only made me upset. I used to wonder why some people put themselves down to such a low level. It was either the late sixties or early seventies, when I met, John Douglas Scott, now known as Brother Ya ḥ y ā ‘Abdur Ra ḥ m ā n. I met him through another dear friend, Ron Bacon. Ron had told me that he also had a Muslim name, A ḥ mad Raf ī q A ḥ mad Lake