Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@alfie_best
Topics: UK News
Gregory Robinson
The son of the UK’s richest gypsy converted to Islam after experiencing a life-changing moment.
Alfie Best Jnr, 25, is no stranger to wealth as his dad, Alfie Snr, 53, has a net worth of £740 million, a fleet of extravagant cars, a helicopter and a yacht.
However the young Romany gypsy millionaire – who has a £10 million fortune - reportedly felt like something was missing from his life until he found Islam which has given him inner peace.
Alfie Jnr believes he is the first traveller to convert to Islam, which happened following a lunch trip to Cornwall.
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Speaking to The Sun, Alfie Jnr said: “I'm unique - I'm the only gypsy who has converted to Islam.
“It’s not something I want to hide. Being a traveller I’ve had stigma since being in school and I still get it to this day.
“I’ve dealt with it my whole life and it doesn’t really bother me. If anything it has made me a stronger person.”
The professional boxer’s life changed last September when he and four friends flew in his dad’s £4.5million helicopter to Cornwall for lunch.
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One of his mates, who is white and English, had to leave early because his mum was preparing for The Shahada – declaring her faith in one God, Allah – at a mosque in Lewisham, southeast London.
Alfie Jnr and his friend were planning to grab food afterwards and instead of waiting outside, he decided to go inside which is when he felt his ‘whole body tingle’ and felt something he had never experienced before.
“We were going for food afterwards so it was either sit outside in the car or take my shoes off and go into the mosque. My friend cried as his watched his mum take her Shahada.
"And I felt something I haven’t experienced before in any religious place. As a gypsy, I’ve been in a lot of churches and I believe in God.
“It made my whole body tingle, like this is right for me.
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“Something was trying to either contact me or something was trying to reach me.
“It was very, very strange but in a good way. I felt I belonged there.”
Now Alfie Jnr spends more time at the mosque than the gym and he studies the Quran and says prayers in Arabic five times a day, as well as attending a mosque at least once a week.
He has since had his own Shahada at Regent’s Park mosque with his mum Emily in attendance and he no longer drinks nor does he promote alcohol.
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The young millionaire told his mum Emily about converting to Islam first because ‘she’s a lot more understanding than my dad’. His dad was stunned when he heard the news but he now believes it has ‘enhanced’ his son.
“I thought my dad would look at me like I’d gone doolally. I let time be the judge and later I asked him ‘do you think it has made me a better person Dad?’
“He said, ‘no, because you weren’t a bad person anyway but it has enhanced you as a person’, which I think was a beautiful and brilliant way to explain it.”
Dad Alfie Snr, who starred in the reality show Absolutely Ascot, said: "I am sure in becoming a Muslim he will face further challenges but due to his background I know he has the strength to deal with the haters."
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He is fully supportive of his son and called out the 'haters' who showed their 'true thoughts and colours' after Alfie Jnr shared a picture of himself at London Central Mosque on Instagram in September.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported Alfie Jnr on his journey and thank you to the few haters who have shown your true thoughts and colours, it’s hard being successful, but also hard being a father, but not hard to love my family who only make me proud," he commented.