- 1944
Born in Texas
Born Joseph Estes and raised in a devout Christian family in Texas.
Source: Wikipedia - 1962 – 1990
Thirty years in music and business
Worked in the music industry as an instructor, entertainer and company owner, building businesses across Texas, Oklahoma and Florida — piano and organ stores, and entertainment ventures — while serving as an ordained minister.
Source: Huda TV - 1991
Enters Islam
After months of conversation with an Egyptian business associate — questions about Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the Bible that he had set out to answer as a preacher — Estes takes the shahadah. His wife, father and children follow.
Source: Wikipedia - 1990s
National Muslim Chaplain, U.S. Bureau of Prisons
Appointed Muslim chaplain for the United States Bureau of Prisons, working with inmates across the federal system.
Source: Wikipedia - 1990s
Study in Egypt, Morocco and Turkey
Pursued formal Arabic and Quranic study abroad.
Source: Huda TV - September 2000
Delegate to the United Nations
Served as a delegate to the UN World Peace Conference for Religious Leaders.
Source: Wikipedia - 2004 onward
Satellite television
Begins appearing regularly on Islam Channel in the UK, and on Peace TV and Huda TV — 24-hour Islamic channels broadcasting by satellite worldwide.
Source: Huda TV - —
Bridge to Faith
A dialogue series with Jim Grant, host of Forum For Better Understanding on KNXT Catholic TV, Channel 49 in Fresno, California — a Muslim imam and a Catholic broadcaster in sustained conversation.
Source: Bridge to Faith (Catholic TV) - —
Qasas Ul Anbiya — Stories of the Prophets
A television series made for English-speaking children of Muslim parents.
Source: Huda TV - 2010
Among the 500 most influential Muslims
Listed in The Muslim 500, the annual index of the world’s most influential Muslims.
Source: Wikipedia - 2012
Islamic Personality of the Year
Named Islamic Personality of the Year at the Dubai International Holy Quran Award in August 2012.
Source: Wikipedia - 2013 onward
Founds GuideUS TV
Founder and president of GuideUS TV, a free-to-air internet and satellite television platform, with an accompanying YouTube channel running since 2013.
Source: Wikipedia
Channels and series
GuideUS TV
Founded by Estes. Free-to-air internet and satellite television, plus a YouTube channel running since 2013.
Huda TV
A 24-hour English-language Islamic satellite channel, where Estes has presented since 2004.
Peace TV & Islam Channel
Regular appearances since 2004 on Peace TV and on Islam Channel in the United Kingdom.
A note on sourcing
Every entry above is drawn from a published source and cited beside it. Dates given as “—” are series whose broadcast years are not stated by the sources consulted, and are left blank rather than estimated. If you have programme records, air dates or photographs from the Foundation’s own archive, they can be added and will be better than anything reconstructed from the public record.