JOHANNESBURG: South African fast bowler Wayne Parnell has converted to Islam after a period of personal study and reflection and will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Friday as a Muslim.

Parnell confirmed in a statement on Thursday that he converted to Islamic faith in January this year and is considering to change his name to Waleed, which means ‘Newborn Son’.

“While I have not yet decided on an Islamic name I have considered the name Waleed which means Newborn Son, but for now my name remains Wayne Dillon Parnell. I will continue to respect the team’s endorsement of alcoholic beverages. I am playing cricket in Sussex and this is my immediate focus,” said Port Elizabeth-born Parnell.

“As I am approaching my first period of fasting, I ask that this special time is treated with respect. I am a young man, a professional cricketer by trade, and while I can appreciate and am grateful for the public interest in my personal life, my faith choice is a matter which I would like to keep private,” said the promising Warriors left-arm seam bowler.

Proteas team manager Mohamed Moosajee, himself a Muslim, said Parnell’s Muslim teammates Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir had not influenced his decision to convert from Christianity.

“Wayne already decided a few months ago to follow Islam,” Moosajee said of the cricketer, who excelled during the ICC World Cup on the subcontinent.

“The decision to convert was his own decision, but I know nothing of the name change,” added Moosajee.

Fellow players, preferring to remain anonymous, said they believed Parnell was very serious about his choice of religion and that he had not touched a drop of alcohol, forbidden to Muslims, since the recent Indian Premier League series.

Supporting Moosajee’s denial of influence by Amla, the players said he had never attempted to convert them to his religion, although they had all been very impressed by the discipline and strict adherence that Amla showed to his religion, by refusing to participate in celebrations with them that involved liquor, staying steadfast in his daily prayers even while on tour, and refusing to wear the kit sponsored by South African beer brand Castle Lager.

In his first two years after making his debut for the Proteas in 2009, Parnell developed a hard-living reputation.

In October 2009, he was kicked out of the provincial side Warriors following an incident in a night club in the city of Port Elizabeth in the early hours of the morning.

He came to limelight when he captained South African Under-19 team in the U-19 World Cup in 2008. He was the youngest player to get a central contract in 2009 at the age of 20 years.

He is the second Christian to have reverted to Islam after Pakistan’s Yousuf Yohana (now Mohammad Yousuf) in 2006.

As regards other sports many notable sportsmen have embraced Islam including:

- Renowned American basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Lew Alcindor)

- Abdul Karim al-Jabbar (famous US footballer)

- Brazilian football players Marcio Souza De Silva and Muhammad Danilo Fernando

- French football players Eric Abidal, Franck Ribery (now Tarek) and Nicolas Anelka

- Dutch footballer Robin van Persie

- Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand rugby union player and a heavyweight boxer)

- Most importantly American boxers Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali Clay.

QuranEnglishTranslation

About This Translation
This English version of the Holy Quran is the translation of Kanz-ul-Eeman the Urdu version of Imam Ahl-e-Sunnat
Maulana Shah Ahmed Raza Khan of Brielly.

This is an accepted fact that the revealed Arabic words of the Holy Quran cannot be actually transformed in any
other language of the world. Literal translation of Arabic Quran conveying the same meaning is not aonly difficult
but is impossible.

Therefore the translation of Arabic Quran in any other language is usually an explanatory translation. Imam Ahl-e-
Sunnat Shah Ahmed Raza Khan’s Urdu translation knowd as Kanz-ul-Eeman is an explanatory translation.

This explanatory translation of Urdu was completed in the beginning of 20th Century i.e. 1910.
It is the most famous and accepted urdu translation of muslims belonging to the school of jurisprudence and the
institution of the people of tradition and of the congregation in Indo-Pak sub-continent.
Imam Ahmed Raza Khan, a great jurist and a learned scholar of Islam was born in 1858 at Brielly (India) an died in
1921. He is considered to be the most learned and authentic authority on Quran, Sunnah and jurisprudence by
majority muslims of this sub-continent. He was a great writer and wrote about one thousand (1,000) small and big
books relating to various aspects of Islam.

He devoted his entire life to the propagation of real faith and traditions of the Holy Prophet (Salallaho Alaihi W’alihi
Wasallam). His main theme of the life was extreme and devoted love of ALLAH and his last Messenger Muhammad
(Salallaho Alaihi W’alihi Wasallam). He could bear any thing except utterances against Islam, ALLAH and His
Messengers. He was a traditionist and a true follower of the jurisprudence of Imam-e-Azam Abu Hanifi (Radi ALLAH
Unho). He was a great mystic too and was a staunch lover of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Radi ALLAH Unho) of
Baghdad.

Imam Ahmed Raza Khan’s religious works have no parallel in his time. His ability, far-sightedness and depth of
thought have been recognized by the Ulmas and Muftis of all the four scholars of jurisprudence not only of this subcontinent but of Harmain Sharifain and other Muslim world. He was awarded certificates of recognition by these
men of Islamic learning when he visited Harmain Sharifain for performing Hajj (Pilgrimage) in the begining of 20th
Centrue.

Though he has written numerously, but his two most famous works the translation of Holy Quran in Urdu and
Fatawa-e-Razavia in twelve huge volumes have proved his superiority, deep thinking, ability and extreme love of
ALLAH Almighty and the Prophet Mohammad (Salallaho Alaihi W’alihi Wasallam) over entire group of Ulmas of his
Al-Quran English Translation (Kanz-ul-Eeman)time.

Imam Ahl-e-Sunnat Shah Ahmed Raza Khan filled a new spirit and enthusiasm for Islam in the hearts of
muslims. He revived love and affection of the last prophet and his teachings. Seeing his works for the revival of
Islam, he deserves to be called a revivalist of 20th Century.