AR Rahman¡¯s Birthday: Why 23-year-old Dileep Kumar converted to Islam? A look at musician¡¯s religious transition
AR Rahman is celebrating his 57th birthday and we thought why not talk about his spiritual transition which according to the musician changed his outlook on life. Know why the maestro converted to Islam.
AR Rahman¡¯s Birthday: The music of this maestro has touched the hearts of millions, making the world groove to his beats while soothing troubled souls with his melodies. But behind the globally acclaimed name of Allah Rakha Rahman, there was once a young man named A. S. Dileep Kumar. In 1989, Rahman made the life-changing decision to convert to Islam. But what exactly led to this decision?
AR Rahman¡¯s conversion story
It all began in the most heart-wrenching situation¡ªwhen Rahman¡¯s father was suffering from terminal cancer. In his final days, a Sufi saint began treating Rahman¡¯s father where he used to offer both medical care and spiritual guidance. For Rahman, this encounter left a deep impact and drew him closer to the spiritual world while setting the stage for his own eventual conversion.
In a conversation with Karan Thapar in 2000, Rahman opened up about this crucial period in his life. He recalled the experience: ¡°There was a Sufi who was treating him towards the end, just before he passed away.¡± Rahman and his family eventually reconnected with the saint years later, a meeting that led them down a new spiritual path giving them peace.
In Nasreen Munni Kabir¡¯s AR Rahman: The Spirit of Music, Rahman further explained the spiritual atmosphere of his childhood. "My mother was a practising Hindu. She had always been spiritually inclined,¡± Rahman shared. Their home in Habibullah Road featured religious images from multiple faiths, including Hindu deities, Mother Mary holding Jesus, and photographs of Mecca and Medina.
Thus, Rahman¡¯s upbringing was one of deep spiritual diversity that later heavily influenced his understanding of religion and faith. But Rahman¡¯s spiritual evolution was tied to his sense of self. He revealed in the same conversation that he never felt at home with his original name, Dileep Kumar.
¡°The truth is, I never liked my name. No disrespect to the great actor Dilip Kumar! However, somehow, my name didn¡¯t match the image I had of myself,¡± Rahman admitted. Interestingly, it was a Hindu astrologer who played a crucial role in Rahman¡¯s name change. During a visit to an astrologer for his sister¡¯s wedding, Rahman asked if he should change his name.
The astrologer suggested two names¡ªAbdul Rahman and Abdul Rahim¡ªboth of which he believed would suit Rahman¡¯s future. It was at that moment that the musician felt an immediate connection to the name ¡°Rahman.¡± He embraced it wholeheartedly. Later, it was his mother who chose the initials ¡°Allah Rakha¡± (AR) inspired by a dream that she once saw.
The transition wasn¡¯t met with resistance from those around him. Rahman himself mentioned that his change in faith did not affect his relationships with family or friends. ¡°No one around us really cared. We were musicians, and that allowed us greater social freedom,¡± he explained.
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Aditya Sagar is a journalist at Indiatimes, blending his love for entertainment with sprinkles of lifestyle and whatever's catching fire at the moment. With a pulse on Bollywood and an ear to the ground for the latest trends, he steers the world of cinema, style, and viral stories with finesse. Your go-to guide for the glitz, gossip, and everything in between, find him @theadityasagar across all social platforms.
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