AR Rahman on why he accepted Islam and does not impose it on others

AR Rahman was born as Dileep Kumar, but he joined Islam, along with his family. This was after the death of his father, music composer RK Shekhar, and some time before the release of his first major studio project, Roja.

His friend Trilok Nair had told Krishna Trilok in his authoritative biography, Notes of a Dream, that Rahman’s mother, Kareema Begum, had insisted in the last minute on changing his name in the credits of the film. He said, “It was a pretty big request to make so late in the day, but she was particular about it. She said it really, really mattered to her personally. In fact, she would’ve rather not had his name appear at all, than not have his new name appear on the credits.”

Rahman is one of the many artists who has a tragic tale of hardship and has ascended the ladder of achievement, one step at a time. The Oscar-winner is one of the very few who actually put India on a global music map. However, in addition to his lyrics, AR Rahman converting to Islam remains a matter of debate even today.

Rahman does not believe in forcing his religious beliefs on others. In an interview, he once told the Hindustan Times Brunch, “You can’t impose anything. You can’t ask your son or daughter to not take history ‘coz it’s boring, and to take economics instead, or science. It’s a personal choice.”

AR Rahman on being successful because of Islam?

Rahman had said that a lot of people keep asking him if they would succeed if converted to Islam, but he chooses to stay silent.

“It’s not about converting to Islam, it’s about finding the spot and seeing whether it presses the button in you. The spiritual teachers, the Sufi teachers, taught me and my mom things that are very, very special. There are special things in every faith, and this is the one we chose. And we stand by it” , he says.

In addition to it he said, “Prayer has been extremely beneficial. It has saved me from many falls. In between prayers, I think, ‘Oh, I have to pray, so I can’t do this mischief’. People from other faiths do the same thing and are peaceful too. For me, this works!”

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