Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens

Perusing the Yusuf Islam website the one thing that really caught my eye was his self imposed transformation from Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam.  Not being a religious person myself, I find it intriguing when a person undergoes such a radical transformation such as he did.  Granted he did say that his music was a sort of catalyst for his conversion that it had been preparing him throughout the years for what he eventually did, but I still find such a change interesting.  Being a person who stands firmly on the scientific basis of the world, it makes me wonder what it would take for me to make such a transformation myself.  It seems that in instances like that of Yusuf, there is almost always a near death experience that triggers this type of change.

Another thing that I found interesting is that with this transformation, he also gave up music completely.  He went from making a living as a musician, to not picking up a guitar for over 20 years.  He himself says that the Muslim religion doesn't frown upon music and that it was the negative things that he saw within the music business as the reason that he stopped playing.  For me, this is another thing that I have trouble comprehending.  As a former professional cyclist, the thought of permanatly hanging up my bike is frightening to me.  It is an outlet, and I could see music being the same type of outlet.

Honestly, looking through this website is something that I would have never done on my own.  I find religion a topic that I tend to avoid, and I am not a huge music buff.  But I was able to find some very interesting questions within the site that make me thing of what kind of impact certain things would have on my own life.  It makes me wonder if there could be an instance in my own life that would compel me to hang up my wheels and pursue a life dedicated to a higher being.