Neil Armstrong (Conversion to Islam)

Neil Alden Armstrong (born August 5, 1930) is an American aviator and a former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, and United States Naval Aviator. He was the first person ever to set foot on the Moon.

Muslim Claim

Neil Armstrong is said to have converted to Islam upon hearing the Adhan (call to prayer) on the moon. A typical version of the story follows:

When Neil Armstrong and co. walked on the moon, they heard sounds in a strange language they did not understand. ‘When Neil Armstrong went to Egypt, he heard the adhan, and said, “it was spacey something similar I heard while I was on the moon". Egyptian Friend told him that, it was the sound of Azaan (call for Muslim prayer). And Neil Armstrong immediately became Muslim because of this experience.

Analysis

Early Evidence

In 1983, Vivian White, the administrative aide of Armstrong refuted the allegations in a letter to Phil Parshall, Director Asian Research Center International Christian Fellowship. A letter from the US State Department that also rejected the claim was attached.

Letter from Armstrong's Administrative Aide

NEIL A. ARMSTRONG

LEBANON, OHIO 45036

July 14,1983

Mr. Phil Parshall Director Asian Research Center International Christian Fellowship 29524 Bobrich Livonia, Michigan 48152

Dear Mr. Parshall:

Mr. Armstrong has asked me to reply to your letter and to thank you for the courtesy of your inquiry.

The reports of his conversion to Islam and of hearing the voice of Adzan on the moon and elsewhere are all untrue.Several publications in Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries have published these reports without verifi- cation. We apologize for any inconvenience that this incompetent journalism may have caused you.

Subsequently, Mr. Armstrong agreed to participate in a telephone interview, reiterating his reaction to these stories. I am enclosing copies of the United States State Department's communications prior to and after that interview.

Sincerely

Vivian White

Administrative Aide

Letter by Vivian White, Administrative Aide for Neil Armstrong; July 14,1983

Letter from State Department

P 04085 0Z MAR 83 ZEX

FM SECSTATE WASHD C TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS PRIORITY BI UNCLAS STATE 056309

FOLLOWING REPEAT SENT ACTION ALL EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC DIPLOMATIC POSTS DTD MAR 02.

QUOTE: UNCLAS STATE 056309 E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PREL, PGOV, US, ID SUBJECT: ALLEGED CONVERSION OF NEIL ARMSTRONG TO ISLAM

---

REF: JAKARTA 3281 AND 2374 (NOT ..)

1. FORMER ASTRONAUT NEIL ARMSTRONG, NOW IN PRIVATE BUSINESS, HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF PRESS REPORTS IN EGYPT, MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA (AND PERHAPS ELSEWHERE) ALLEGING HIS CONVERSION TO ISLAM DURING HIS LANDING ON THE MOON IN 1969. AS A RESULT OF SUCH REPORTS, ARMSTRONG HAS RECEIVED COMMUNICATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, AND A FEELER FROM AT LEAST ONE GOVERNMENT, ABOUT HIS POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN ISLAMIC ACTIVITIES.

2. WHILE STRESSING HIS STRONG DESIRE NOT TO OFFEND ANYONE OR SHOW DISRESPECT FOR ANY RELIGION, ARMSTRONG HAS ADVISED DEPARTMENT THAT REPORTS OF HIS CONVERSION TO ISLAM ARE INACCURATE.

3. IF POST RECEIVE QUERIES ON THIS MATTER, ARMSTRONG REQUESTS THAT THEY POLITELY BUT FIRMLY INFORM QUERYING PARTY THAT HE HAS NOT CONVERTED TO ISLAM AND HAS NO CURRENT PLANS OR DESIRE TO TRAVEL OVERSEAS TO PARTICIPATE IN ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES.

Image of letter

Later Evidence

In Armstrong’s official 2005 biography, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, he states in his own words that the conversion rumors are false, and a later fatwa from Shaykh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid's Islam Q&A also rules it as a lie.

Armstrong’s Own Words

I have found that many organizations claim me as a member, for which I am not a member, and a lot of different families — Armstrong families and others — make connections, many of which don’t exist. So many people identify with the success of Apollo. The claim about my becoming a Muslim is just an extreme version of people inevitably telling me they know somebody whom I might know.

Fatwa Ruling the Conversion as Fabricated

The story about Neil Armstrong, who they say was the first man to step onto the surface of the moon, becoming a Muslim is one of the stories that are passed around among people. We have researched this story and we did not find any reliable source for it.

We have got used to hearing stories like that which then turn out to false, and it seems that this is a deliberate attempt to shake the faith of the ordinary Muslims, especially since they fabricated this story with some exciting details, that seem to affirm the superiority of this religion over all other religions. So they spread the news that famous people, such as artists, sportsmen and others have become Muslim, and they quote something with the story that affirms the truth of the Messenger and his message, then after a while they hasten to disprove these stories. Perhaps the story about Armstrong becoming a Muslim is of this type, because he is one of the most famous people in the world. Moreover the reason why he supposedly became Muslim – as they say – is that he heard the adhaan (call to prayer) on the Moon then he heard it again in Egypt.

If the story of such a famous person becoming Muslim was really true, you would see him calling people to Islam and you would see the scholars and daa’iyahs and the Islamic media meeting him and talking to him, none of which happened in this case. If you compare the story of Armstrong supposedly becoming Muslim with the story of Yusuf Islam (the former Cat Stevens, the famous British singer), you will see the difference between lies and truth, imagination and reality.

Is the story that the astronaut Neil Armstrong became Muslim true?
Islam Q&A, Fatwa No. 20880

See Also

• Converts to Islam
• Notable Former Muslims
• Lying - A hub page that leads to other articles related to lying
• Fake Conversions - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Fake Conversions