Daniel Brinstiel

Daniel is a Ph.D. student in Cambridge, England who has been taking Qibla classes since shortly after his conversion. He is currently enrolled in Qibla’s Foundations Degree program.

Tell us about how you converted
Born to Christian parents in Germany, I grew up in Bavaria. Having been raised as a devout Catholic, I abandoned Christianity in my late teens, mainly because I could no longer accept the Christian concept that emphasizes the spirit alone and denies the need for Sacred Law. I then proceeded to study the Old Testament more carefully and travelled to the Holy Land after completing High School where I converted to Judaism. Despite the fact that Orthodox Judaism places a strong emphasis on Sacred Law, I did not really feel at peace in this new religion. Something seemed to be lacking, while the environment I found myself in was in addition very nationalistically inclined.

Shortly after I enrolled for university studies in Jerusalem (B.A. in Linguistics and Ancient Near Eastern languages, later M.A. in Linguistics), I become non-observant and thereafter abandoned Judaism. However, I became interested in Islam, al-hamdu li-Llah, given that not only Masjid al-Aqsa was visible from my university, but also due to the daily encounters with Muslim students. Yet despite the fact that I learned how to pray, I was not yet ready to accept Islam.

Only after I had returned to Germany for personal reasons and worked several years, did I consider a conversion more seriously. Around that time I also discovered Qibla as well as other beneficial websites devoted to traditional Sacred Knowledge. During that time I was also applying for a PhD studentship in Qur’anic Arabic at Cambridge, UK, where after my acceptance at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, I met Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad and took Shahada with him within a year, al-hamdu li-Llah.

Ever since my Shahadatayn in September 2007 I have been attending Qibla classes and gained much benefit and knowledge out of them. I am currently engaged in finishing research for my thesis and writing it up (requesting your du’as for a successful completion of my dissertation).

How did you first find out about Qibla?
I found it when googling about some subject and found an article in the Qibla library or the answers archive. This must have been at least some 18 months before I actually became Muslim.

When did you start taking courses?
Approximately how many courses have you taken since then? In Fall 07, approximately 6-8 weeks after my conversion. Since then, I have taken altogether 19 courses, although I was unable to actively participate in all of them.

Do you remember your first course and what your experience was like?
In my first semester I took several courses: Essentials of Islam (Shafi’i), Introduction to Islamic Belief, Introduction to Hadith Methodology, Introduction to the Qur’an, the Peak of Eloquence, Foundations of Islamic Law. My experience was very positive. I learned many new and beneficial things. I became quickly “hooked on”.

Why did you continue taking courses?
I found that the course were not only of high quality, but also that all I learned was really applicable in my daily actions and daily state of mind and my approach to things. I realized, however, that one semester is never enough and that once on the way, constant repetition as well as continued studied is needed, to meet one’s only true goal in life, namely the pleasure of Allah and being admitted by Him to the Garden.

What was your favorite course (or courses) and why?
Hard to say: Given that I am a linguist, and that my way to Islam is also somewhat connected with my linguistic work, I am tempted to say “The Peak of Eloquence”. But there are the spirituality courses with al-Habib Ali and Shaykh Abdul Karim Yahya and I “simply” just love studying with them, as I do with Shaykh Hamza Karamali, although this is not a rational answer.

Who is/are your favorite instructor(s) and why?
Hard to say, it actually includes all the instructors I studied with. This is also due to the fact that I perceive each of them as teaching as subject that is especially close to their heart and which they are especially well qualified to teach. And they all manage as far as I am concerned to convey their enthusiasm and their love for their specific subject to the students as well as necessity of each subject and its place within the Islamic sciences. If I had to pick specific instructors, I would say Shaykh Hamza Karamali and Shaykh Abdul Karim Yahya as well as Ustadha Noura Shamma. This is due to the fact that the courses I studied with them are mainly Law and Spirituality courses, which have a bigger immediate impact on our daily life, as well as general courses that help us to locate and coordinate the different aspects of Islam and Sacred Knowledge.

What is your best memory at Qibla?
My best memories are actually the free events held between the semesters and the mawlid, because it is at such occasions that you suddenly just see so many people – many of whom you haven’t yet met or haven’t met for a few courses – all united for the sake of Allah and out of love for His Messenger, salla llahu alayhi wa-sallam.

Describe a typical day or week in your life and how Qibla fits into your schedule
Hard to say, as I am always working on a better work schedule. Mainly these days I try to shut down my PC at 8 pm sharp or shortly afterwards, prepare myself for Maghrib, after which I try to read some dhikr. After Isha, I try to go to bed as early as possible, getting up at 4 and remaining up after Fajr. From approximately 6:30 onwards, I start working in intervals of about 90 minutes, either on my dissertation, or on Qibla material, taking short break for prayer, eating or napping usually after each two work sessions.

What’s one way Qibla has personally affected your life?
It has helped me in developing a more comprehensive view of Islam and how it touches upon and includes everything

Why would you recommend Qibla?
I would recommend Qibla because its teachers are all qualified and connected to the line of transmission of traditional Islam. Also I feel their range of courses offered is very wide, offering every student at least something from the personal fields of interest, while at the same time the course levels are such that they do not demand to much prior knowledge, but slowly but surely let the student progress from level to level.