Cat Stevens

'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions. There is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again.

If you want to be free, be free, because there's a million things to be.

I always knew looking back on my tears would bring me laughter, but I never knew looking back on my laughter would make me cry.

Music can be healing, and with my history and my knowledge of both sides of what looks like a gigantic divide in the world, I feel I can point a way forward to our common humanity again.

I let my music take me where my heart wants to go.

Music satisfies and nourishes the hunger within ourselves for connection and harmony.

I've been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one. And I believe it could be someday it's going to come.

Music is a lady that I still love because she gives me the air that I breathe. We need all sorts of nourishment. And music satisfies and nourishes the hunger within ourselves for connection and harmony.

I used to be followed by a moon shadow. Now I'm followed by all these misconceptions, and they're like a ball and chain. I just want to write music from my heart and give people a message of hope and the search for a better place.

A lot of people would have loved me to keep singing... You come to a point where you have sung, more or less... your whole repertoire and you want to get down to the job of living.

Because I don't play guitar any more, African harmonies and rhythms have been an inspiration to me. I love the raw origin of the sound. It complements my voice and words naturally.

I've returned to being an amateur without any ties or strings attached, which gives me a freedom I never had before.

In a World where people are surrounded by darkness, ignorance and fear, it is a sign of hope to be celebrating Islam's message of peace and light, and the last great Messenger, born and chosen to deliver them to all mankind.

Everything I do is for the pleasure of Allah.

I'm being followed by a moon shadow_x000D_ _x000D_ Leaping and hopping on a moon shadow..._x000D_ _x000D_ Did it take long to find me, I asked the faithful light_x000D_ _x000D_ ...and are you going to stay the night?

But when it comes to being loved, she's first/That's how I know_x000D_ _x000D_ The first cut is the deepest.

Being more mature now, I've managed to make peace with my past, as it's making peace with me. Certainly there's a mutual gain for reflecting on both phases of my life, and although I consider the here and now perhaps to be more important, there are still many people who appreciate my past ephemeral stages and the lessons they represent.

Man is created to be God's deputy on earth and it is important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life.

Positive thoughts and prayer have been the best means available, since the beginning of time, to transform darkness to light.

Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason....When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt the o­nly answer for me was the Qur'an and God had sent it to me.

I listen to the wind, _x000D_ to the wind of my soul _x000D_ Where I end up, well, I think _x000D_ only God really knows.