28 July 2023 , 09:53
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Sinead O'Connor's decision to convert to Islam and adopt the new name, Shuhada' Sadaqat, was made after a tumultuous journey with spirituality and religion.
The death of the beloved Irish musician at the age of 56 was announced on Wednesday evening, several hours after she had been found unresponsive in her London flat.
Tributes to Sinead have since flooded the Internet, with countless people across the world taking to social media to express their grief and offer their condolences. The tragic news of the Nothing Compares 2 U singer's passing has also sparked renewed interest into her religious beliefs, which had been the source of much controversy throughout her career.
Sinead famously tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1990 as a protest to the Catholic Church's cover-up of sex abuse cases, much to dismay of followers of the institution. In 1999, she was ordained as a priest in Lourdes by the Latin Tridentine Church, a sect that is not recognised by the mainstream Catholic Church, and adopted the name 'Mother Bernadette Mary.'
Sinead ripped up a picture of the pope on live television (NBC/youtube)In 2013, she described her experience of being sent to a Magdalene Laundry as a teenager for being a 'problem child.' Speaking about the facility, which was run by a Catholic order, Sinead said: "It was a prison. We didn’t see our families, we were locked in, cut off from life, deprived of a normal childhood."
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Her religious journey took a dramatic redirection in October 2018 when she confirmed that she had converted to Islam.
Sinead announced the personal news on Twitter, revealing that her decision to become Muslim at the age of 52 was the "natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian's journey." After changing her name to Shuhada, she said that "all other scriptures" aside from the Quran were "redundant." Her conversion was officiated in Ireland by Umar Al-Qadri, a Sunni Islamic scholar who shared Sinead/Shuhada's beliefs on social issues.
Sinead O'Connor converted to Islam in 2018The Pakistani-born Imam took to Twitter shortly after the the ceremony to post a video of himself with the Irish vocalist wearing a headscarf and proclaiming the Shahada, which is a declaration of the belief in the oneness of God and the acceptance of Muhammad as God's messenger.
Sinead also shared details of her journey to finding Islam on The Late Late Show in 2019, telling host Ryan Tubridy that she was a 'revert' to the monotheistic religion.
"I'm 52, I grew up in a very different Ireland to the one that exists now. It was a very repressed country, religiously speaking. Everybody was miserable. Nobody was getting any joy in God," the renowned musician explained.
She then revealed that she had left the Quran as the last scripture to explore, having harboured "so much prejudice" towards Islam throughout her life. By the time she had read "Chapter 2" of the ancient text, she came to the realization that she had "been a Muslim all my life."
Sinead also discussed her hi relationship with the hijab, which is the headscarf worn by many Muslim women around the world.
"I wear it when I feel like it," she said. "There's no rules, as such. I'm not at my age, required to wear a hijab. To me the hijab is the same as when I used to wear a crucifix...it's a way of identifying yourself with your family in the streets."
When asked by Tubridy if she'd faced discrimination from the public for wearing the religious headscarf, Sinead responded, "No, it's actually quite cool, they don't recognize me."
Sinead O'Connor spoke about her Muslim beliefs on GMB in 2019 (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Sinead O'Connor revealed she got recognized less after converting (FilmMagic)Sinead elaborated on her conversion on Good Morning Britain in 2019, telling hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid that she had been warmly embraced by the Islamic community.
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"Muslims are lovely people, Muslims are very tender and very loving people, despite what anyone may think. You’re a sister," she explained.
Sinead's beliefs would also spark controversy when, in 2018, she condemned non-Muslims as "disgusting" on Twitter. “But truly I never wanna spend time with white people again (if that's what non-Muslims are called). Not for one moment, for any reason. They are disgusting," she wrote. She quickly recanted her statement and apologised, telling her fans she had been "triggered" by the Islamophobia aimed at her.
In response to the news of Sinead/Shuhada's death, Umar Al-Qadri took to Twitter to write: "In memory of Sister Shuhada Sinead O'Connor, there are no words that can capture the depth of your impact. You were truly incomparable or in your own words; Nothing compares 2 U!"
He also expressed his wish for his late friend to find 'peace in paradise', after noting that the loss of Sinead's son, Shane Lunny, to suicide last year had 'forever altered' her being.
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