‘A powerful prayer changed my life’
British expat Olu Thomas, 29, is now a successful entrepreneur in the UAE. But the tech enthusiast was once a homeless teenager in the UK, living a directionless life and hanging out with the wrong crowd. It would have gone on like this, he says, if not for a “powerful” prayer that got him to Islam and changed his life forever.
“I had left my home and was living it rough on the streets in the UK. After some time I got tired as I could see myself going nowhere, I didn’t know what to do with my life. One day, I just prayed my heart out to God, asking for help. I said to God, ‘I give up..please show me the right path.’ That’s when Thomas, who is now called Muhammad Khalid, found Islam.
After that heartfelt prayer, Khalid said things began to change. “Suddenly, things started turning for the better. My mother called me and reconnected with me, asking me to return. I went back home and then began researching on life, purpose of life and related topics. When I heard about the concept of Islam and the stories of the Prophets — that too from a convert narrating his experience on a online show — I decided to research more. Luckily, my uncle had recently married a Muslim woman, so I went to her and asked her for an English copy of the Quran.”
Khalid, who was born and raised a Christian, then began his journey to understanding Islam and took the Shahada (declaring that one has become a Muslim) while in the UK.
He said he found direction after embracing Islam a few years before coming to the UAE. “Islam has given me happiness, purpose, direction, brought peace in my life. I didn’t know my purpose in life until I read the Quran.”
In the UAE, Khalid founded the Shisheo Group, which helps F&B outlets connect with the right audience through an online restaurant directory that is also a social media food blogging platform. He also has a dessert parlour and co-owns a boxing gym in Dubai.
saman@khaleejtimes.com
I left my home and was living it rough on the streets in the UK. After some time, I got tired as I could see myself going nowhere, One day, I just prayed my heart out to God and asked for help.” Muhammad Khalid, British expat