In 1976, Cat Stevens nearly drowned off the coast of Malibu, California,

and he shouted, “Oh God! If you save me, I will work for you.”

 

Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light
Did it take long to find me? And are you gonna stay the night

 

On November 22, 1979, the last cords of Moonshadow fluttered from Wembley Stadium,

and Cat Stevens’s life as a musician, singer, and songwriter ended.

 

We soon discovered the meaning behind his famous song, Moonshadow, for

The Quran, 27:62, states, “Who is it that answers the one in need when he calls out?”

 

As his life flashed before his eyes, Cat Stevens called, and the Lord answered.

Cat Stevens knew he must keep his promise he made that fateful day.

 

Following his conversion to Islam, he abandoned his musical career.

For nearly two decades, Cat Stevens, now known as Yusef Islam, remained faithful to God.

 

Islam gradually resumed his musical career in the 1990s. His initial recordings had not included

any musical instruments other than percussion, and they featured lyrics about Islamic themes.

 

After I embraced Islam, many people told me to carry on composing and recording, but at the time I was hesitant, for fear that it might be for the wrong reasons. I felt unsure what was right.

 

I guess it is only now, after all these years, that I’ve come to fully understand and appreciate what everyone has been asking of me. It’s as if I’ve come full circle.

 

In March 2006, Islam finished recording his first all-new pop album since 1978.

The album, An Other Cup, was released internationally on his own label, Ya Records.

 

On 15 September 2017, he released his fifteenth studio album, The Laughing Apple. The album

is credited to “Cat Stevens / Yusuf” – his first record under the Cat Stevens name since 1978.