Yusuf Estes

Yusuf Estes
Born	Skip Estes (1944-01-01) January 1, 1944 Ohio, United States
Website	YusufEstes.com GuideUS TV Share Islam

Yusuf Estes (born in 1944) is an American Muslim preacher and teacher who converted from Christianity to Islam in 1991. He was a Muslim Chaplain for the United States Bureau of Prisons through the 1990s. He was a Muslim Delegate to the United Nations World Peace Conference for Religious Leaders held at the U.N. in September 2000.

Active in Islamic missionary work in the United States, Estes is often featured as guest presenter and keynote speaker at various Islamic events as well as frequently appearing on various Islamic satellite TV channels. Estes was named as the #1 Islamic Personality of the Year at the Dubai International Holy Quran Award ceremony on August 8, 2012.

Deviations From Basic Muslim Creed

-What is in the mus-haf is not considered Quran. -The Quran is only Quran when it is recited. -The Mus-haf Represents the Real Quran in al-Lowh al-Mahfooth, like how paper money represents stored wealth. -The written Quran is similar to sheet music for Christian hymns. -We can not see or touch the Quran, we can only hear it. -Allah has not preserved the Quran written in the mus-hafs. refer to http://yusufestesquran.wordpress.com/ for more information

Personal life

Yusuf Estes was born in Ohio, and was raised in Houston, Texas in a Anglo-Saxon Protestant family. From 1962 to 1990, his career was in the music, entertainment and marketing fields. He also taught music and served as a music minister. He owned several musical instrument companies including the Estes Piano and Organ Company. He produced and directed live entertainment programs in the United States from the mid 1960s until his last endeavor for cable TV in Florida, entitled 'Estes Music Jamboree'.

Yusuf Estes became a Muslim in 1991 after meeting an Egyptian named Mohamed. Following his conversion, Estes entered the field of Dawah, or evangelizing the Islamic faith. Estes denies the theory of Darwinian evolution and instead professes creationism as described by Islamic scriptures.

Islamic activities

After embracing Islam, Estes pursued Arabic language and Quranic studies in Egypt, Morocco and Turkey. From 2004, Estes regularly appeared on the Islam Channel, as well as Peace TV and on Huda TV which are 24/7 Islamic channels broadcasting in many countries around the globe, via satellite and via the website WatchIslam.

Estes has started a free-to-air Internet and satellite TV channel called GuideUS TV which currently broadcasts commercial-free programming on Islam 24/7. He has also set up various websites directed toward English speaking Muslims which include TubeIslam (a Muslim video sharing site), ChatIslam (a Muslim chat room), and WorldPreschool (a defunct preschool learning site for young children).

Estes produced a video presentation series called Arabic in English, designed to help English speakers learn the Arabic language easily using his proprietary teaching method. He sells the series online, and also provides a set of free chatroom-based courses with volunteer teachers. He also produced a television series entitled Qisas Al Anbiyah (Stories of the Prophets), aimed toward English speaking children of Muslim parents.

Estes takes a dim view of today's public school system in the United States for any children, and highly recommends schools where they might receive a religious education combined with more advanced scholastic education.

Criticism

Estes holds a number of beliefs which, according to critics, are contrary to those of Sunni Islam; these include the following:

1. What is in the mus-haf is not considered Quran.
2. The Quran is only Quran when it is recited.
3. The Mus-haf Represents the Real Quran in al-Lowh al-Mahfooth, like how paper money represents stored wealth.
4. The written Quran is similar to sheet music for Christian hymns.
5. We can not see or touch the Quran, we can only hear it.
6. Allah has not preserved the Quran written in the mus-hafs.

See also

• Islamic Missionary Activity
• List of American Muslims

Further reading

• Blade, David Yonke Toledo. (July 14, 2001) Journal Gazette Proselytizing preacher finds faith in Islam: Sheik Yusuf Estes. Page 1.
• Tilove, Jonathan. (October 23, 2001) The Star-Ledger To be a white U.S. Muslim: Converts embrace the oddity. Section: News; Page 10.
• Pinsky, Mark I. (January 6, 2003) Orlando Sentinel Muslims' radio message: we are regular people. Section: Life & Times; Page C1.
• The Hamilton Spectator (February 14, 2003) A Christian attends a mosque; A visitor finds a warm welcome and wonders if he'd be as liberal.
• Columbia State (SC). (April 7, 2003) Chaplain to speak at USC about Islam. Section: Metro/Region; Page B5.
• UWIRE (March 1, 2004) U. New Mexico speaker asks religions to unite.
• UWIRE (April 18, 2005) Muslim speaker educates U. Northern Colorado students about faith.
• US State News. (April 12, 2006) National Muslim chaplain Yusuf Estes to speak at senior center on April 14.
• The Modesto Bee (April 22, 2006) Converted preacher to speak about 'pure Islam.' Section: Lifestyles; Page G1.
• Nomani, Asra Q. (October 22, 2006) Washington Post Wife-Beating, Chapter and Verse.
• Wen, Sarah. (January 23, 2007 ) University Wire UCLA Muslim student group to promote Islam, religious unity.

External links

• Personal website of Yusuf Estes
• IslamAlways
• IslamTomorrow
• ShareIslam
• Yusuf Estes audio and video lectures from Halal Tube

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