Franck Bilal Ribéry (born April 1, 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer) is a French footballer. He is a champion in the realm of the French football and one of the most prominent stars of Germany- based Mondial in 2006. once obscure, Ribéry, all of a sudden, has stolen the limelight, becoming France' top star. He outstripped other French bright starts like Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and even Zidane Zidan when he presented an earth shaking performance in Germany Mondial, acted the role of savior who led the team to qualify for the semi final league before it lost the league to Italy the then title bearer.
Ribéry's talent is indisputable either in the eyes of football fans of coaches, but few who know that this sea change in his career from an obscure player into being such a bright sight in the sky of the French football that none of the football starts have failed to keep pace with him either in the playground or his sportsmanship which he has gained through the teachings and doctrines of Islam.
The newly Muslim convert with the golden leg in the French football has more than once stressed that Islam is the basic source of his vigor either inside or outside the field. He has also stressed that he is now leading a life of unstopping search for knowledge related to the teachings and doctrines of the religion of Islam which he believes helps him live in a peace of mind. Ribéry considers his and his wife's compliance with the teachings of Islam has helped him in all aspects of his life especially football. His embracing of Islam, he says, has instilled such a strong will that he has come to seek to achieve more progress in the area of abidance by Islam as well as stardom in the field. Ribéry's Islam is a source of pride to him and also to the Muslim community in France especially after he has risen to fame in the inaugural match played by the French national team against Switzerland in the World Cup. In this match, Ribéry raised his hands as a sign of thanking to Allah, a gesture which rejoiced Muslims in France who then considered it as a sign of pride and glory for them, given most of them come down from Muslim origins.
Ribéry did not imagine that his embracing Islam would earn him such interest in the French and international media outlets which traced his performance in Mondial, especially that he considers this event as a personal affair and thus he shies away from speaking of it in public.
More than once, Ribéry has asserted that his wife Wahiba and her abidance by the teaching of her religion attracted him to convert to Islam, stressing he has not regretted taking this step now that he feels peace of mind and comfort which he has not tasted in any of life domains before.
A magazine earlier last year leaked the news of Ribéry converting Islam but it didn’t mention his name explicitly, although many in France embrace Islam every year. The magazine only said that one of the France's prominent football national team has embraced Islam and that he frequents one of Marcella mosques regularly.
Some news reports have said that Ribéry did not make it public until he had got married to Algerian Waheeba Belaamy in the year 2004. The reports also had it that he named himself Bilal after the name of the honorable Sahabi and Mu'azzen of the Messenger of Allah, SAWS, Bilal Ibn Rabah, RA.
Critics expect Franco Ribéry to succeed either Michel Blatini or Zidane to lead the French national team especially after Zidane retired following the World Cup 2006 in Germany.
Ribéry recognized his wife Wahiba when he joined a training match in Leil town in France and the couple got married and last year they had a baby girl named Hizya.
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