The well-known Eastern Christian priest Father Hilarion Heagy, who was born and raised in California and now resides in the United States, reverted to Islam.Among his followers, Fr. Hilarion Heagy, an American priest who was formerly a Russian Orthodox monk, enjoys a high regard for his patience, goodness, and holiness.
The former Christian Priest, who had recently announced plans to found an Eastern Christian Monastery in California, claimed that his conversion to Islam was actually a “reversion to Islam” and felt “like homecoming” after making the announcement.
Around 2003, Fr. Hilarion Heagy made the switch to the Antiochian Orthodox Church. In 2017, departed to join the Eastern Catholic Church. He graduated from Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, to become a Byzantine Catholic priest-monk.
It really does feel like “coming home,” my first-born belief. Since before we were even born, we worshipped God alone and submitted to him, according to the Qur’ān, wrote Fr. Hilarion Heagy, now known as Said Abdul Latif, in a blog post. He supported this with a verse from the Holy Qur’ān (7:172).
“This is the reason why Muslims who convert frequently refer to a’reversion’ to Islam, our original faith, rather than a ‘conversion’. A protracted Returning process,” he wrote.
The Muslims have welcomed Fr. Hilarion Heagy, now Said Abdul Latif, with open arms.
“The Muslim community has shown me incredible warmth and hospitality, both in person and online. Such hospitality is something I have never encountered,” he wrote.
“The future is uncertain for me. There are always some fears involved when taking a leap into the dark. And yet, I experience such calm. A joy. The relief twenty years of being drawn to Islam has finally brought me back. The process of growing in one’s faith now starts. Deeper education. A devotion to the Deen. A devotion to the Ummah. A devotion to the Prophet, the author of the blog post said.
The former Christian priest is getting calls and messages from people all over the world, most of whom want to know why he chose to turn away from Christianity and turn towards Islam.
In another blog post, he stated, “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 also listed some of the resources that, in his opinion, were extremely helpful for him and led him to the current embrace of Islam.