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This is a list of notable people, mainly from the United States or Europe who have converted to Islam sometime during their lives. Note that the Nation of Islam is seen as a cult by mainstream Islam.
Converts to Mainstream Islam
 | This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. |
Politicians
- Idi Amin, former president of Uganda (born as Catholic)
- Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Central African Emperor (later returned to Catholicism)
- Omar Bongo, President of Gabon
- Apisai Tora - Fijian politician
- Malcolm X/Malik Shabazz (Malcolm Little) - African-American civil rights leader (from Christianity to NOI to Islam)
- Mathieu Kérékou, President of Benin
Sportsmen
- Mohammed Jaafar - Australian professional wrestler
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) - basketball player
- Karim Abdul-Jabbar (Sharmon Shah) - football player
- Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Chris Jackson) - Retired basketball player
- Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) American retired boxer (Christianity to Nation of Islam to mainstream Islam)
- Robin van Persie
- Danny Williams (boxer)
- Muhammad Ali - from Christianity to NOI; later joined Islam
- George Weah - ex-convert (from Christianity back to Islam back to Christianity)
- Danny Williams, British boxer
- Mohammad Yousuf - from Christianity; Pakistani cricket player
Artists
- Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) - from Greek Orthodox and Catholic Christianity
- Dave Chappelle - American Comedian from Unitarianism (Christian roots)
- Jermaine Jackson - from Jehovah's Witnesses
- Peter Murphy - from Catholicism; lead singer of the post-punk band, Bauhaus.
- Everlast (rapper) - from Catholicism
- Napoleon (rapper) - from a Christian/Muslim household
- John Coltrane - from Christianity (also adhered to other religions)
- Kamala Suraiya - Indian writer
- A. R. Rahman - Indian music composer
- Abdullah Ibrahim, South African musician
- Maurice Béjart, French choreographer
- Richard Francis Burton
- Prince Buster
- Omar Sharif
- Malcolm X - from Christianity to NOI; later joined Islam
- Q-Tip (rapper)
- Mos Def
- Roger Garaudy, French writer
- Ice T
- MC Ren
- Wesley Snipes
Religious figures
- Abdul-Ahad Omar (Gary Miller) - Former Christian priest and missionary
- Yusuf Estes
Scholars
- Sheikh 'Abd al-Wahid Yahya(Sufi name for philosopher better known as Réné Guénon) - from Catholic Christianity; also supported Buddhism and other religions
- Timothy Winter - Lecturer in Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge
- Hamza Yusuf
- Nuh Ha Mim Keller - from agnosticism, which he came to from Catholic Christianity , to Isam/Sufism
- Martin Lings From protestent to Sufi Muslim
Philosophers
Writers
- Brandon Toropov - from Christianity
- Sharmila Tagore
- Michael Wolfe
Mystics
- Samuel L. Lewis Also known as Ahmed Murad Chisti or Sufi Sam
Not yet classified
- Amir Azazil
- Zaid Shakir
- Margaret Marcus - from Reform Judaism
- James Yee
- Knud Holmboe
- Abdullah Hakim Quick
- Steve Rockwell
- Dawud WharnsbyAli
- Daniel Moore
- Jemima Goldsmith - from Judaism
- Tariq Abdul-Wahad
- Ali Ibrahim Kalyanaraman from Hinduism and Zoroastrianism
- Alexander Russell Webb - from Presbyterian Christianity
- Amir Butler
- Isabelle Eberhardt - from Lutheran Christianity
- Chris Eubank
- Pamela Taylor
- Adam Yahiye Gadahn - from Christianity
- David Hicks - presumably from Christianity
- Murad Wilfred Hofmann - from Catholic Christianity
- Bernard Hopkins
- Khadijah bint Khuwaylid - from a sort of paganism prevalent in Arabia before Islam; was first female convert to Islam
- Jeffrey Lang
- Ruqayyah Waris Maqsood - from Protestant Christianity
- Ingrid Mattson
- Muhammad Pickthall (Marmaduke Pickthall) - from Christianity
- David Musa Pidcock - from Catholic Christianity
- Harry St. John Philby
- Dwight Muhammad Qawi
- William Abdullah Quilliam - from Christianity
- Yvonne Ridley
- Jack Roche
- Stephen Schwartz (journalist) - from Judaism, to Sufism
- Shabbetai Tzvi - from Judaism
- Umar Faruq Abd-Allah - from Protestant Christianity
- Matthew Saad Muhammad - from Catholic Christianity
- Dwight Muhammad Qawi
- Eddie Mustapha Muhammad
- Mustafa Hamsho
- Akbar Muhammad
- Art Blakey
- Ibrahim Hooper (Douglas Hooper) - Islamic civil rights leader
- Haschem Wilde
- Muhammed al-Ahari American essayist - from Christianity
- Nicolas Anelka
- Ali Bey al-Abbasi
- Joshua V, Emperor of Ethiopia
- Susanne Osthoff, German archaelogist and hostage in Iraq
- Lev Nussimbaum (from Judaism)
- Muhammad Asad (from Judaism)
- Ian Dallas
- Bob Denard, French mercenary
- Spencer Haywood
- Yusef Lateef
- Ahmad Jamal
Converts to Nation of Islam
Trivia
According to Richard Hakluyt's The voyage made to Tripolis, John Nelson was the first English convert to Islam.
See also
- List of people by belief
- List of Muslims
- List of Western Muslims
- List of American Muslims
- List of Islamic and Muslim related topics
- List of Islamic terms in Arabic