Impressed by Saudi students’ friendship bond, Briton embraces Islam

A simple act of kindness can do wonders. A Briton embraced Islam after he witnessed a fellow Saudi patient being bombarded with moral and financial support from two Saudi scholarship students, who had regularly visited their compatriot at a hospital in Brighton.
Abdullah Omar Khayat, a Saudi columnist, said he had received a letter from the Saudi student about the heartwarming incident.
Khayat dedicated his latest article to the story and said such simple acts would not only enhance the Kingdom’s reputation, but also inspire more people to accept Islam as their way of life.
The Saudi student, whose name was not mentioned in the article, said he was hospitalized following a road accident. “We were three in the hospital room. The other two were David, the convert, and Allen. I spent 17 days in the hospital. David was discharged five days before me.”
The Saudi had received many calls from his friends while in hospital. Many friends had also visited him. Some had brought bouquets, while others lent him financial support. “David and Allen watched as their fellow patient was spoilt with affection, while they hadn’t received a single visitor or call,” he said.
David had taken the Saudi patient’s address when he left the hospital. A few days later, the Saudi received a letter in his postbox from David.
“In the letter, David had written that he was highly impressed by the way my compatriots treated me when I was in the hospital, showing overwhelming readiness to assist me in any way possible.”
David wrote: “You told me that they were inspired by Islam to act in such a way. That one word has encouraged me to learn more about this great religion and embrace it.”
Saudis and expats have commended the development, saying it reflects the true spirit of Islamic culture.
“We feel relieved that such stories exist amid heinous crimes being committed by so-called Islamic State terrorists, who tarnish the image of Islam. We can win the hearts of people by such little acts of kindness,” said one Saudi blogger. “They are real ambassadors of the Kingdom,” said another.
The number of Britons converting to Islam has nearly doubled in the past decade. A new study by the inter-faith think tank, Faith Matters, suggests the real figure could be as high as 100,000, with as many as 5,000 new converts nationwide each year.
“This report is the best intellectual ‘guestimate’ using census numbers, local authority data and polling from mosques,” said Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters.
“People are interested in finding out what Islam is all about and when they do that, they go in different directions. Most shrug their shoulders and return to their daily lives, but some will inevitably end up liking what they discover and will convert,” he said.