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AR Rahman on embracing Islam and becoming a Muslim: There was once a young boy in Chennai named Dileep Kumar who loved the sound of the harmonium more than the noise of the world. Years later, the world would know him as AR Rahman. The man made India dance to ‘Jai Ho’ and dream with ‘Roja’. But behind that transformation lay a deeply personal story.

In Naseer Munni Kabir’s 2015 book ‘AR Rahman: The Spirit of Music’, the Oscar-winning composer opened up about the emotional and spiritual journey that led him to embrace Sufi Islam and change his name from Dileep Kumar to Allahrakha Rahman.

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It began in grief. Rahman lost his father at a very young age, and his family went through a painful period of uncertainty. “My mother was a practising Hindu,” Rahman recalled. “We had images of Hindu gods on our walls, alongside a picture of Mother Mary with baby Jesus and photographs of Mecca and Medina.”

The turning point came when Rahman met a spiritual teacher, Qadri Saaheb. “Nobody is forced to convert to Sufism,” he said softly. “You follow it only if it comes from your heart.” For Rahman and his mother, that connection brought peace and direction. “The Sufi path spiritually lifted both my mother and me,” he said. “It felt right, so we embraced it.”

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When they moved from their old home on Habibullah Road to Kodambakkam in 1987, Rahman found himself reflecting on a verse from the Bible: ‘Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.’ The words struck him deeply. “It taught me that it’s better to choose one path,” he said.

Interestingly, Rahman revealed that his new name, one now known across the world, came from an unexpected place. “I never really liked my old name,” he admitted. “Once, when my mother went to a Hindu astrologer for my sister’s horoscope, I mentioned I wanted to change mine. The astrologer suggested ‘Abdul Rahman’ or ‘Abdul Rahim’. I immediately felt drawn to ‘Rahman’. It just felt right.”

And so, through a twist of fate and faith, Dileep Kumar became AR Rahman, “Allahrakha” Rahman, the one protected by God.

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