Changing faith led to ‘more peaceful life’: AR Rahman

The Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, originally named Dileep and born to a Hindu mother, has opened up about his transformative journey into Islam and revealed that he was drawn to Sufism in the 1980s during the early days of his musical career.

In an interview with The Glenn Gould Foundation, Rahman expressed that things began to fall into place as he accepted his new faith. He found it more tranquil and stated that "things kind of opened up" professionally for him. 

He recalled a significant incident when his father was struggling, and his family came across a Sufi spiritual healer who predicted that Rahman's family would return to him after a decade. 

Coincidentally, after a decade, AR Rahman was stopped at the Singapore airport due to an issue with studio equipment. "That's when one of his students noticed me and informed him. His student worked in customs and assisted with the clearance. We were so grateful that we returned to the spiritual healer," he said.

He went on to say that the healer blessed his studio, and Rahman discovered that his teachings made him more calm.

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"No one told us you had to come to this faith. I was simply more at ease. I felt like I was part of something extraordinary, that everything was falling into place. The jingles that were rejected would be accepted after prayers," he added.

When AR Rahman persuaded his mother to convert to the new faith, she immediately agreed with her son. 

He stated that his family then began attending Sufi shrines. "I was buying all the books, and it was just fascinating," stated AR Rahman.

When asked about the social changes following their conversion, he stated that Indians are highly accommodating of all faiths and that they faced no discrimination. 

"Indians are very open people, especially in the south; they are open, embracing, and happy," he said, adding, "They want everyone to live and let live, and that's exactly what happened."

However, AR Rahman conceded that the approach to secularism has shifted in recent years as a result of the country's political situation.