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David Benjamin Keldani
David Benjamin Keldani (1867 – c.1940), later known as Abd al-Ahad Dawud (Arabic: عبد الأحد داود, romanized: Abd al-Aḥad Dāwūd) was a Chaldean Catholic priest who converted to Islam. He is famous for his book Muhammad in Bible.
He was baptized as David (Dawid, Dawud), a name he retained after his conversion to Islam. His family name "Benjamin" or "Benyamin" (Syriac) was probably derived from his grandfather.
He was called "Keldani" (Chaldean in Arabic) following his conversion. His adopted name Abdul-Ahad (servant of the One) emphasizes his anti-trinitarian monotheism - a belief he reached prior to his conversion to Islam.
The main source about Benjamin is the autobiographical remarks in his books. No other references to his life and conversion to Islam are available.
A Catholic of the Chaldean rite, David Benjamin received his education in Urmia. He worked there from 1886 to 1889 as a teacher for schools established by the Anglican mission. During this time he was ordained deacon. He left Urmia in 1890 for England, and studied in Mill Hill at the College for Foreign Missions (or "St. Joseph's College" established by Herbert Vaughan (1832-1903)). In 1892 Benjamin wrote a series of articles for the English Catholic weekly magazine The Tablet and other periodicals. After completing his studies at the seminary in Mill Hill, he was sent to Rome in 1892 by Vaughan for further study. There he pursued philosophical and theological studies at the Propaganda Fide College, and in 1895 was ordained priest. In 1895 he was back in Persia, joined the French Lazarist Mission at Urmia and published the Mission's first Syriac periodical Qala-La-Shara (The Voice of Truth).
In 1898 Father Benjamin opened a school in his native village Digala (a mile from Urmiah). He was sent the following year to take charge of the diocese.
He retired to his small villa in the summer of 1900 where, for a month, he spent his time in prayer and reading the Scriptures in their original languages. He then resigned from his ecclesiastical position.
In 1903 he visited England again and joined the Unitarian community. A year later he was sent by the British and Foreign Unitarian Association for missionary work among his countrymen. On his way to Persia he passed through Constantinople, and following several discussions with Sheikhu 'I-Islam Jemalu 'd-Din Effendi and other 'ulama he converted to Islam (1904).
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David Benjamin Keldani
David Benjamin Keldani (1867 – c.1940), later known as Abd al-Ahad Dawud (Arabic: عبد الأحد داود, romanized: Abd al-Aḥad Dāwūd) was a Chaldean Catholic priest who converted to Islam. He is famous for his book Muhammad in Bible.
He was baptized as David (Dawid, Dawud), a name he retained after his conversion to Islam. His family name "Benjamin" or "Benyamin" (Syriac) was probably derived from his grandfather.
He was called "Keldani" (Chaldean in Arabic) following his conversion. His adopted name Abdul-Ahad (servant of the One) emphasizes his anti-trinitarian monotheism - a belief he reached prior to his conversion to Islam.
The main source about Benjamin is the autobiographical remarks in his books. No other references to his life and conversion to Islam are available.
A Catholic of the Chaldean rite, David Benjamin received his education in Urmia. He worked there from 1886 to 1889 as a teacher for schools established by the Anglican mission. During this time he was ordained deacon. He left Urmia in 1890 for England, and studied in Mill Hill at the College for Foreign Missions (or "St. Joseph's College" established by Herbert Vaughan (1832-1903)). In 1892 Benjamin wrote a series of articles for the English Catholic weekly magazine The Tablet and other periodicals. After completing his studies at the seminary in Mill Hill, he was sent to Rome in 1892 by Vaughan for further study. There he pursued philosophical and theological studies at the Propaganda Fide College, and in 1895 was ordained priest. In 1895 he was back in Persia, joined the French Lazarist Mission at Urmia and published the Mission's first Syriac periodical Qala-La-Shara (The Voice of Truth).
In 1898 Father Benjamin opened a school in his native village Digala (a mile from Urmiah). He was sent the following year to take charge of the diocese.
He retired to his small villa in the summer of 1900 where, for a month, he spent his time in prayer and reading the Scriptures in their original languages. He then resigned from his ecclesiastical position.
In 1903 he visited England again and joined the Unitarian community. A year later he was sent by the British and Foreign Unitarian Association for missionary work among his countrymen. On his way to Persia he passed through Constantinople, and following several discussions with Sheikhu 'I-Islam Jemalu 'd-Din Effendi and other 'ulama he converted to Islam (1904).