[ابو رائد]

From: Ayedh al-Qarni

To: President Nelson Mandela

Kindest greetings, Great President,



I am one of millions on this globe who have read your autobiography,
realized your struggle, admired your bravery and wondered about your
sacrifices and devotion for the cause of your principles, your freedom and
the freedom of your people. As a result, we believe, you became a star on
the horizon of freedom, an international leader in the school of human
struggle and a genius theoretician in the realm of human rights and
constitutional law.

People were able to learn from your story of struggle. They also learned
from you the legend of glory, the song of persistence and challenge. Thus,
you became the father to so many overpowered people who were stripped of
their rights, dignity, abused in their own homeland and were deprived a
decent living, due to tyranny and oppression. They had seen in you a living
example and an excellent model in terms of patience, perseverance,
persistence, rejecter to oppression. The model of constancy for more
dedication and sacrifices until rights were gained and goals realized.

Great President,

Islam, a religion of truth, is a great religion, which loves and respects
great people, honors intelligent people and greets sincere people. Truly,
you are all of these.

Islam is the religion of equality; it saw equality between ‘Omarm the Arab,
and Bilal, the Abyssinian, Salman, the Persian, and Sohaib, the Roman. Islam
is a religion that rejects oppression, bans tyranny and abolishes all the
differences of color, race and language. Allah the Almighty states in the
Glorious Quran, 49:13,

‘O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and
made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye
may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of
Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full Knowledge
and is well-acquainted (with all things).’

Virtuous President,

Islam receives with honors great people like you as it is a religion that
appreciates the true virtue, honors patience, urges the practice of justice,
seeks peace, spreads mercy and kindness, and calls for a true sense of
fraternity and brotherhood.

Glorious President,

You have truly achieved the best of worldly glory. You have obtained the
highest rank of international honor and respect. You have acquired the
highest medal of sacrifice. You have been entitled to wear the crown of
freedom. I would request you to add to all of the above, the obedience of
Allah the Almighty, to acquire full faith into Him and to follow His last
and final Messenger Mohammed (May Peace Be upon Him). This will be achieved
only through accepting Islam as a way of life. Accept Islam as a way of life
to gain full and the utmost security and peace. Becoming Muslim entitles you
to dignity and honor in both worlds, this one and the next. It would also
entitle you to salvation from Almighty’s retribution.

Great President, I call upon you to embrace Islam in order to receive the
salute of both; the earth and the heavens in order to be welcomed by over a
billion and two hundred million Muslims and to open Jannah, the very gates
of Paradise for you.

Beautiful President,

You would be a true gain for Islam and a real benefit for Muslims. How
beautiful would it be to hear the word of Truth, Justice, Peace and Freedom
coming out of your mouth; that is,

‘La ilaha illa Allah, Mohammed Rasool-ullah’, [There is no deity worthy of
worship but Allah alone, and Mohammed is Allah’s Messenger.]

Indeed, this is the most truthful statement ever revealed by Allah to
mankind. It is the core secret to man’s happiness, salvation, pleasure and
final victory.

Heroic President,

Whenever I met a group of scholars and learned men, leaders, men of letters
and wisdom in the Islamic world, they expressed their wishes and desires
that, ‘How we wish Nelson Mandela were a Muslim!’ For you exemplify and
embody the real qualities of nobility and honor that Islam enjoins on its
followers.

Therefore, I request you, I beseech you, and I do sincerely hope to hear
your declaration of Islam loud and clear, the eternal statement, ‘La ilaha
illa Allah, Mohammed Rasool-ullah’, [There is no deity worthy of worship but
Allah alone, and Mohammed is Allah’s Messenger.] At that time, all
slave-servants of Allah, the Almighty, in all the six continents will
applaud you, the holy city of Makkah will salute you, the Door of the holy
shrine of Ka’bah will be opened for you, and the pulpits of the Islamic
world will salute your name in great tumultuous praise.

You have demonstrated patience in prison for twenty-seven long years until
you finally broke the shackles, overcame oppression and tyranny and crushed
the tyrant. [Great President], Record an epic of faith with your story by
your embracing Islam, a journey of courage and bravery with a wonderful
final victory of personal heroism.

Honorable President,

By Allah, we Muslims have recognized, in Islam, the true value of man and
his honor. We have tasted the beauty and sweetness of faith and felt the joy
of being enslaved only to Allah the Almighty alone, which also means our
eternal freedom. We have realized the honor of prostration solely to Allah
the Almighty. We have recognized the glory of following Allah’s Messenger
(PBUH). As you are dear and near to our hearts, we Muslims, due to your
bright and honorable history, would love you to share with us this in this
happy life shaded beneath the tree of Peace and take advantage of this great
and eternal religion of Islam.

Just President,

We are sure that you will find all the supreme values you call and struggle
for, are themselves embodied under the shade of Islam. You will find, in
Islam, the true mercy, which your heart seeks. You will enjoy, in Islam, the
true and ultimate justice that you have ever called for.

Islam loves and cherishes those who are patient and perseverant, and you are
truly one of them. Islam respects and honors intelligent and intellectual
people, and you are truly one of them. Islam respects and values straight
and wise people, and truly you are a straight and wise man. Islam celebrates
the courageous and brave people, and you are truly a brave and courageous
man.

Brave President,

I have enjoyed some beautiful days reading and contemplating your
autobiography, ‘My Long Journey for Freedom’. I found in it a striking
example of your greatness, patience and astonishing bravery. I thought to
myself, ‘I wish this noble, highly intellect and virtuous man was a Muslim.
By Allah, there is no religion, on the face of earth, that deserves more to
have a man like you. Moreover, there is no man like you, a man of your
caliber, who deserves other than Islam. Islam is the religion of the pure
natural creation. I, truly, know no other ideology that honors and respects
both the heart and mind, addresses the soul and intellect, purifies the
heart and psyche, vindicates morality, honors man and constructs the
universe.



Guided President,

I am calling upon you from Makkah, just beside the holy shrine of Ka’bah,
where the Glorious Quran was revealed, and Mohammed (PBUH), was commissioned
as a Prophet and Messenger of Allah, the Almighty, to the whole of mankind.
Makkah is the place where the Light of the Message had first pierced the
darkness. It is the place where the pagan idols were destroyed, tyrants were
deposed, human rights were declared, oppression was removed and Peace and
Justice were finally restored.

Our Lord, Allah the Almighty, states in the Glorious Quran in chapter of

Baqara (Cattle) 6:125,

‘Those whom Allah (in His plan) willeth to guide, He openeth their breast to
Islam; those whom He willeth to leave straying,’

Sincere President,

Life is far too short and much too arduous. What about the life of such a
great man like you? You have spent almost half of your life oppressed and
imprisoned, while innocent. Truly, there is an eternal life; a life of
happiness and prosperity for those who believe in Allah and follow all His
Messengers.

I do sincerely hope that you will not miss such success and happiness! As
Descartes; the popular French philosopher, puts it,

‘Life is but a play which we had only seen the first scene thereof, the
scene of the oppressor and the oppressed, the conqueror and the conquered,
the strong and the weak. Where is the second scene in which justice is
prevailing?’

Muslim scholars replied to his question as follows,

‘The second scene is the Day of Accountability, in the Hereafter. On that
Day, Supreme Court of Justice would be set up, as there would be no other
judge but Allah the Almighty in order that every soul would be paid what it
earned, and none shall be dealt with unjustly. Allah, on that Day, will
judge between His slave-servants in their quarrel.’

At the end, it gives me pleasure to present to you my book entitled, ‘Don’t
Be Sad’. I wish you would conclude, as a result, the consensus of scholars
and great wise men that the true happiness is truly found in Islam, for
there is no doubt.

Great President, I ask Allah the Almighty, the Lord of the Mighty Throne,
that He [in His own mystical ways], opens your breast and heart to [accept]
Islam, and protects you in this life and the hereafter.

Great President, I wish to convey to you the kindest greetings and regards
of all Muslims, men, women, elder men and youth all over the corners of the
earth.

Please, accept my [most sincere] regards and utmost respect,





‘Ayedh al-Qarni, PhD

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