[VIDEO] One Of The Men Who Survived The Masjid India Sinkhole Converts To Islam
He said the sinkhole incident was a "wake-up call" for him.
A man who narrowly escaped falling into a 26ft deep sinkhole on the sidewalk along Jalan Masjid India last Friday, 23 August, has converted to Islam
The 48-year-old, who was seen on video pulling himself up after the ground beneath him caved in, sought out the Islamic Youth Group of Malaysia's (ABIM) outreach centre at Masjid Negara to express his desire to embrace Islam, citing the near-death experience as a turning point in his life, according to ABIM.
In a statement, ABIM confirmed that the man, who has since taken on the name Haridath after his conversion, voluntarily approached their officers at Masjid Negara on Monday, 26 August.
The organisation's president, Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin, shared that Haridath, deeply moved by his close brush with death, felt the incident was a divine sign that prompted him to take the final step towards converting.
Watch a video of the man escaping the sinkhole below:
Calling the case "unique", the organisation said the formerly Hindu man, previously known as Kalidass, had been contemplating converting to Islam for a long time, remembering the advice of an imam he met as a child
"The sinkhole incident served as a 'wake-up call' that solidified his decision," said ABIM in their statement, adding that the man recited two Islamic oaths and creeds at its Masjid Negara centre.
According to Ahmad Fahmi, the new convert mentioned that he knew the Indian tourist, Vijaya Lakshmi, who fell into the sinkhole, as she often travelled to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, it has been seven days since Vijaya Lakshmi disappeared in the sinkhole, with search and rescue missions still ongoing:
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