The smiling man in this picture went through suffering that would be difficult for anyone to endure, and his story could easily become a dramatic series because of everything he experienced.


His name is Ali Kreisa from Kenya.





When he was a young child, he accepted Islam despite his family’s rejection. When his father discovered that he had become Muslim and saw him leaving the mosque, he decided to punish him. He tied him to a tree and tortured him severely, leaving marks on his body that remained with him into adulthood.





He used to say that the most painful part was that, while he was being tortured, they forced him to eat forbidden things, such as dog liver, to humiliate him and make him leave Islam.





Amid mockery and laughter from people in his village, he eventually fled and moved to another place after the suffering. There, he began studying in Islamic schools, then enrolled in an Islamic university and studied Sharia.





One day he heard that an Arab preacher was visiting the country he was in, Uganda, and that preacher was Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait (may Allah have mercy on him). He asked Ali a question that changed his life:


“Who will bear the sin if these people die while still in paganism?”





That question transformed everything. From that moment, Ali decided he would not just live as a Muslim, he would become a reason for others to be guided to Islam.





He began traveling with his companions through forests despite dangers, gangs, wild animals, and extremely limited resources to spread Islam. His motto was: “Speak good and do good.” He said they were often attacked by lions and snakes.


Some tribes initially attacked them, but later protected them after accepting Islam through him.


Over time, he began training new preachers and students to spread Islam across Africa.





One day, his father, the same man who had tortured him as a child, came to the Islamic center where Ali was working. Ali honored him and said:


“Do you remember the child you used to torture? That was me.”





His father was deeply moved and said:


“The roles have reversed. You have become the father and I the son. If you want me to accept Islam now, I will.”





His father accepted Islam, and later his mother and the entire tribe embraced Islam as well. They passed away only months after becoming Muslim. It was as if God allowed him to go through all that suffering so he could become the reason for his tribe’s guidance.





Ali Kreisa became one of the most well-known preachers working in forests and remote regions of Africa, where some tribes are known for violence and are very difficult to reach—let alone convince to accept Islam. Around 40,000 people embraced Islam through his efforts.





May Allah have mercy on him and make all his suffering part of his good deeds.