[Fr. Hilarion Heagy, now Said Abdul Latif, in a video posted on YouTube.]
California: Father Hilarion Heagy, a prominent Eastern Christian Priest based in California, United States has renounced Christianity and became a Muslim.
Fr. Hilarion Heagy, the American Priest who was earlier Russian Orthodox Monk, is highly respected among his followers who found him exceptionally patient, kind, and holy.
“Fr. Hilarion Heagy converted to the Antiochian Orthodox Church around 2003. Left there to join the Eastern Catholic Church in 2017. He became a Byzantine Catholic priest-monk at Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazianz, WI. Now he has become a Muslim”, a social media post said.
Fr. Hilarion Heagy said the flames of Islam had ignited his soul twenty years ago. But he announced his conversion to Islam only recently as he said:
“One simply can’t be a priest and monk publicly, and a Muslim privately.”
After making the announcement, the former Christian Priest, who was till recently planning to establish an Eastern Christian Monastery in California, said his conversion to Islam is actually “reversion to Islam” and “like home coming”.
“It truly is like “coming home”. My primordial faith. For the Qur’an states that we worshipped God alone and submitted to him since before we were even born”, Fr. Hilarion Heagy, who has changed his name to Said Abdul Latif, wrote in a blog post.
He also quoted from the Holy Quran to justify this. He writes:
“And ˹remember˺ when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the children of Adam their descendants and had them testify regarding themselves. ˹Allah asked,˺ “Am I not your Lord?” They replied, “Yes, You are! We testify.” ˹He cautioned,˺ “Now you have no right to say on Judgment Day, ‘We were not aware of this.’ “ — Qur’an (7:172)
“It is for this reason that converts to Islam often do not speak so much of ‘conversion’ as they speak of a ‘reversion’ to Islam — our primordial faith. A long process of Returning”, he wrote.
Fr. Hilarion Heagy, now Said Abdul Latif, has been received warmly by the Muslims.
“The warmth and hospitality that I’ve witnessed and received from the Muslim community is simply phenomenal. Never have I experienced such hospitality”, he wrote.
“The future, for me, is uncertain. A leap into the dark is always wrought with some anxieties. “And yet, I feel such a peace. A joy. A relief. My pull towards Islam over twenty years has finally led me home. Now begins the work of entering deeper into the faith. A deeper learning. A love for the Deen. A love for the Ummah. A love for the Prophet ﷺ”, he wrote in the blog post.
The former Christian priest is receiving calls and messages from all across the world, majority of them being the people who are asking him the reason behind his decision to renounce Christ and embrace Islam.
“Since news of my embrace of Islam has now officially gone public, my message inbox has been jammed full and my phone has been ringing off the hook", he said in another blog post where he has also listed some of the resources that according to him, were very helpful for him and brought him to the current embrace of Islam.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
