I Wanted to Be a Pastor — Then I Found Islam

About this lecture

In this wide-ranging conversation, Sheikh Mikhael Ahmed Smith — faculty member at Qalam Seminary and author of *With the Heart in Mind* — shares his remarkable conversion story, from wanting to be a pastor at age eight to memorizing the entire Quran just months after taking his shahadah. He and his hosts explore finding your God-given vocation, the role of the Muslim creative, mental health in the Muslim community (including OCD, anxiety, and addiction), Shaytan's seven-step plan to derail the believer, and the timeless lessons of the Seerah. A key theme throughout: your past mistakes do not have to define you — even the greatest companions stumbled, and the Prophet's compassion for them is one of the most overlooked and needed lessons from the Seerah today.