AR Rahman has described his conversion to Sufi Islam as a decision he and his mother reached through their own spiritual conviction—not a choice prompted by pressure from the Sufi teacher they met. His account, published as an edited excerpt from Nasreen Munni Kabir’s book AR Rahman: The Spirit of Music, also connects the change of faith with the adoption of the name A. R. Rahman.
What Rahman said about his family’s spiritual life
In the Scroll.in excerpt, Rahman recalls that spiritual interests were already part of his family’s life before he and his mother embraced Sufi Islam. He describes his mother as spiritually inclined and remembers a home with Hindu religious images, an image of Mary with Jesus, and photographs of Mecca and Medina. The account presents this as his recollection, rather than an independently verified biography.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Masters of Indian Classical Music | $16.87 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Vision Of Peace - The Art Of Ravi Shankar (2 CD) | $16.82 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Vol. 2-Masters of Indian Classical Music | $14.76 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Indian Classical Interactions | $18.80 | Buy on Amazon |
Scroll.in’s introduction also frames his father’s early death and the family’s financial pressures as part of the background. Those details are the article’s contextual framing; Rahman’s explanation of conversion in the excerpt centers on the spiritual path he and his mother felt drawn to.
When did Rahman say he encountered the Sufi path?
Rahman says that he and his mother met Karimullah Shah Qadri again in 1986, when Rahman was nineteen. He recalls working as a session musician and composing jingles at the time. The published excerpt does not establish a precise legal or ceremonial date for his conversion.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors#1 Best Overall
Asked whether Qadri had asked him to embrace Islam, Rahman’s answer was: “No, he didn’t.” He says that after the family moved house in 1987, he reflected on choosing a spiritual path. In his words, “The Sufi path spiritually lifted both my mother and me, and we felt it was the best path for us, so we embraced Sufi Islam.”
How did Dilip Kumar become A. R. Rahman?
Rahman links the new name to a change in identity. He says he never liked his birth name, Dilip Kumar. According to his recollection, an astrologer suggested the names “Abdul Rahman” and “Abdul Rahim.” Rahman says he liked “Rahman,” and that his mother suggested adding “Allahrakha.”
Rank #2
He summarized the unexpected source of the suggestion this way: “It was a Hindu astrologer who gave me my Muslim name.” The naming story, like the conversion account, is Rahman’s recollection in the edited interview excerpt; it should not be mistaken for independent verification of every detail.
What Rahman said Sufism taught him
Rahman described Sufism as shaping how he thinks about people beyond religious boundaries. “It has taught me that just as the rain and the sun do not differentiate between people, neither should we,” he said in the excerpt.
Where this account comes from
These details come from Nasreen Munni Kabir’s interview with Rahman, published by Scroll.in on 16 January 2015 as edited excerpts from her book AR Rahman: The Spirit of Music. It is a source for Rahman’s stated account of his transformation, not a comprehensive or independently corroborated biography. Read the Scroll.in excerpt.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
