the
dean alhamdulillah peace be with you
welcome to another episode of the dean
show and my next guest coming out at the
young age of 20 accepted this Dean this
beautiful way of life that's practiced
by over 1.5 billion people all across
the globe and he started to ponder and
think and started asking those serious
questions purpose of life have you ever
wondered have you asked those questions
where did I come from where am I going
when I die
were replete with everything else money
cars jewelry bling bling but at the age
of 20 this young man started to think
about purpose and now he accepted the
dean and he's on the dean show all the
way from Serbia he was born in Serbia
raised in Hungary actually in Toronto
and you know what we're just going to
wait bring him out he's going to tell us
the rest cuz we got an exciting show
with our next guest Esau Greg here on
the dean show this is the dean the dean
show this is thean
show this is the is
[Music]
the this is
the this is the is
the is
the this is the
show this is the
the this is
the this is the dean show back here on
the dean show with isau how are you my
brother I'm good alhamdulillah how are
you alhamdulillah praise to the Creator
heavens and the Earth before I was
starting I was starting off and I was
going to like you know go into your
whole biography but I said let me just
not mess it up okay let's uh bring you
on and you can kind of go ahead and talk
to us a little bit about yourself I me
mentioned in an opening that you were
born in Serbia is that right that's in
Europe former Yugoslavia Hungarian
background live have lived almost your
whole life in Canada yeah exactly okay
tell us talk to us about this okay so um
I was born in uh Serbia and I was a year
old when my parents moved here to Canada
and um so I've lived pretty much my
entire life in uh Toronto Canada I
visited back home uh quite a few times
and on my recent trip back home I got a
chance to uh travel a little bit more
throughout the region uh you know to
such places as Bosnia which was really
nice and you've been to Bosnia huh yeah
yeah been to Bosnia and that was my last
trip in uh Europe that I went on with my
family and it was just after I had
accepted Islam now so your parents they
come from a Catholic background
Christian background y so I was uh
baptized uh confirmed and also also had
my first communion as well as a as a
Catholic yeah now you know the whole
purpose of the show is really promoting
purpose of life for people to really
think and Ponder to ask those serious
questions you know where didd I come
from we just popped up in this world
right as a moment in time we didn't
exist then we were in the womb and now
we're in this world and now and pretty
soon we'll be in the Tomb so really to
get people to reflect about the
importance of you know knowing your
purpose in life living your purpose in
life and you started to ask these these
important questions you started to
partner and think at a young age at
around 1920 yeah 20 years old what
stimulated that 20 years old well I must
say it was it was through uh meeting a
very nice brother and uh it was through
him that uh I actually got introduced to
Islam and from that point on I
definitely started to research and study
read the translation of the Quran and
also go to uh different mids in Toronto
I went to I had the honor of going to
the uh first Journey of Faith conference
where I was delighted to to run into you
and uh I had been watching some of your
shows this was right at the beginning of
when I uh actually was looking into
Islam and I had actually accepted Islam
without um without fully researching it
because I just simply knew through the
person who um told me about Islam that
Islam is Islam was the was was the truth
I was I was I was totally um I would say
convinced mhm so wait explain that again
someone says okay so you accepted it
because someone had provided you with
the evidences the proofs you were
convinced from everything they told you
what they tell you well see it was more
I would say more through his his actions
that I was convinced I saw that he had
very strong faith I thought you know I
just saw saw in him a lot of sincerity a
lot of genuine care care for other
people and he's somebody that you know
has helped a lot of people and um I was
I was uh definitely fortunate enough to
to have met him when when at a point in
my life I was ready to change now
someone says look Mother Teresa helped a
lot of people she fed a lot of poor you
know what I mean so it could have been
just the other way around you could have
met some some other person who was a
Hindu who was helping a lot of good PE
helping a lot of people good character
you know what if somebody came at you
and said you know look you want me to
really think about purpose of life and
you know what's so special about this
Dean this way you know besides that what
else was it that I mean I definitely had
my uh I I had doubts at the beginning I
would definitely say I had my uh doubts
you know those those questions coming is
Islam the truth is this really the way
you know so I could definitely say the
best um they say the best cure for
ignorance is is knowledge so I would
definitely say that's exactly what I did
I was doing my research I was talking to
people I was talking to imams in Toronto
I was I was meeting Brothers you know
converts to Islam hearing their their
stories that's actually what really
helped me a lot at the beginning was
listening to other people's stories how
and why they they came to Islam and that
uh really just uh you know solidified
solidified it for me you know all the
research I did all the people I talked
to and uh you know a after I did that
research that's when I was I was fully
convinced and about um five or 6 months
after is when I fully started practicing
it was my first Ramadan I started
praying I had a chance to go to a Middle
Eastern country Dubai for 3 weeks with
some very nice brothers and that
experience I definitely would say
changed my life completely now there's
somebody out there I'm sure they just
can't get past the beard so someone's
thinking like look this guy like you
know he's what what is uh why is he
growing a beard now what's with the
beard tell us MH well I mean uh quite
honestly I have you had a problem with
your family or somebody uh you know that
just was it gives you a hard time
because well my my mom gives me a little
a bit of a hard time my grandmother's as
well he said why why are you growing
that beer why don't you shave it off and
quite honestly um you know I'm not
growing it for my mom my grandmothers
other people you know I'm doing it
simply to to to follow that which uh the
prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi
wasallam you know told his uh his
followers to do so that's uh you know
simply the reason why why I'm doing it
now your name okay your name was Greg
okay now technically you don't have to
change your name right okay why did you
choose to change your name to Esa well
it it's quite an interesting story um I
had I met that Albanian brother who had
introduced me to Islam because formerly
I didn't really have much exposure to
Islam and Muslims you know I grew up in
that area where was mostly uh Catholics
and also um fairly big Jewish communi so
those are the you know people that I
grew up with in uh in Toronto and uh so
after I had met him um he he was saving
uh my my name well he forgot my name and
he happened to save my uh my name in his
phone as Issa and the next time that I
met with him he he told me so that he
had um saved my name as Issa and I just
said you know what that's that's a very
nice name it's the name of Jesus peace
be upon him so I just from that point on
decided that I I like that name and it's
uh you know stuck with me since so
that's actually the name of that Mighty
messenger that no muslim a Muslim Les he
believes in Jesus peace be upon him his
that's what your name is named after
absolutely Jesus absolutely and Jesus
had a beard yeah absolutely okay Moses
had a beard Abra Abraham had a beard all
these Mighty Messengers had a beard and
not only the last and final messenger of
proph muham all of them so it's amazing
that you know Muslims who are praying
like Jesus who are greeting each other
with peace like Jesus who are refraining
from you know keeping the Commandments
like Jesus did yeah we're continuing
that that that way of life so at what
point now you're a young man and you're
thinking you're contemplating did you
start asking yourself okay you know
those important questions what's the
purpose of life you know why am I here
where am I going when I die did you
start contemplating that around what
time was that in your life absolutely I
would say when I was 20 when I when I
one of the main uh first questions that
uh this brother whose name is ABD rman
actually told me sorry he he asked me he
says what do you think were to happen to
you if you were to just simply die you
know die like that just living a life of
just always having fun going out you
know having a girlfriend and just being
heedless of you know what our purpose
here in life is and what's what's
actually going to happen to us once we
die and I remember just putting my head
down and saying and thinking to myself
that I didn't want to I didn't want to
die like that I didn't want to die where
I was I was living a life that um you
know I was I was happy with and you know
I I definitely wanted to
change and um you know that's that's the
one question that really uh really made
me think and definitely my journey began
from there to to research and find out
what happens to us once we die and um
you know that we ought to we ought to
die in in a in a state where we're we're
in a state of Peace where we're we're
happy with ourselves we're happy with
the type of life that we're living we're
going to we're going to take a break and
we're come back with more and continue
on with your story and your experiences
here on the dean show we'll be right
back I started asking deeper questions
the question I want people to really ask
themselves is when you come back from a
night on the town you've been drinking
you've been boozing you've been dancing
you've been hanging out with girls guys
whatever number one did you improve
yourself as a human
being number two did you contribute
anything to the betterment of
humanity the amazing thing is is that
the most advanced studies in
Psychology about human happiness
show that these are the two key factors
in making people profoundly happy I take
5 minutes out of my day and pray to the
Creator and none of the creations and I
feel a deep internal peace and I still
have my normal
life back here on the dean show with
Greg
Isa and you were asked by a Muslim yeah
okay you were asked like and at that
point of your life you're not living a
good organic wholesome life obviously
right right right so now he's asking you
you know what happened what would happen
if you died right now M and and then you
what happened from there mhm well I
would definitely say um you know after
that point I uh the brothers were very
very kind and very nice they they gave
me an English translation of the Quran
the noble Quran they they brought me for
Juma they brought me to the Masjid and
from from that point on I just really
started to look into what Islam was cuz
at that point I didn't really know much
about Islam and that's when I started to
really research uh read the English
translation of the Quran again meet with
other people who are more knowledgeable
ask them questions and at the same time
you know look into other fa as well
because Islam doesn't you know encourage
us to be stay ignorant and encourage us
to learn to understand to you know feel
free to look into other faiths it's not
like Islam is the only faith that exists
and we're we shouldn't look into any
other other faiths so I definitely took
the time that
which I didn't before to look into
Christianity see what Christianity was
all about what it taught you know things
about the Bible what the Bible's
teaching and uh I definitely you know
looked into other other religions at the
same time which I hadn't done previously
so it actually encouraged me to learn
understand uh about Judaism more about
Christianity more and about other faiths
as well and at the same time I was
learning about what what Islam uh
teaches about for example Jesus and I
had no idea before I became Muslim that
Muslims believed in Jesus as a prophet
and a messenger and they believed in the
miracles of Jesus that he was born
miraculously without without a father
and that he performed Miracles the these
were all things that were definitely new
to me and looking back on that and
knowing now because I still have
obviously a lot of family members and
and old friends that still don't have
have uh you know still don't know things
about Islam such as the fact that we
believe we believe in Isa as as a
prophet and a messenger of God it's it's
really uh amazing that you know so many
people are still in a situation where
they don't have peace in life right
because they're not living purpose so
you see many of you know human beings
who are emulating someone you know we
want to emulate that's why we ask you
about the beard you know we want to
emulate the best of people imitate the
prophets of God because they were the
ones who were teaching us to get close
to God so do you feel like now you know
with full conviction that if anyone
investigates this Dean using the
faculties that the creator has given us
your brain your reasoning you know and
and all everything that God has given
you that you'll come that a person will
come to to know that this is definitely
away from the Creator no doubt about it
absolutely absolutely and and I look at
it in the way also is that people go to
university and spend four years of their
lives they pay for their educ ation they
wake up in the morning they study for
their exams and all simply for a diploma
so that they could get a better job I
would just encourage everybody to spend
even a l not not maybe not that much
time maybe not four years of their time
but at least put forward somewhat of an
effort somewhat of an effort into
researching about the Quran but what the
Quran says about the prophets look into
what Christianity says as well you know
and compare the two and I believe
anybody that's sincere has a has has a
sincere intention and is truly looking
for the truth that that they will find
it yeah it's it's I mean I'm I'm just
the more you know I look into it the
more I investigate it the more I'm
convinced about it because it really
stimulates the mind it's not something
where we're blindly following it it's
based on it's truth based on proof on
evidence right so you know and you see
like uh you know you follow if you
follow some of the news some of the you
know things that are going on uh I was
just reading like uh recently I don't
know uh you heard Randy Travis he's like
a big- Time country singer okay you I
want to just to bring this up because a
lot of people they emulate the
superstars the celebrities but if you
see their lives they're upside down he
was just caught you know driving drunk
combed with the police they found him
naked you know wow so this is a country
Superstar and you have people like my
Cyrus or who's like a big hit in in in
in Canada over there Drake Drake Toronto
oh he was just in a fight with the Chris
Guy what's his name Chris Brown Chris
Brown in a nightclub and he's busted up
did you read about that no I'm not
really following that you know you just
sometimes you read the Yahoo news and
you know you see all this you know all
this uh drama that's out there and
obviously you can see that these
celebrities who are in most of them in
Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew you heard
Dr Drew and their lives are upside down
they've have substance abuse you know
many of them are suicidal they're on
crack on meth on all sorts of coke and
all sorts of dope right and their lives
are upside down because they don't have
purpose they have money but they don't
have purpose right do you run into some
of your old friends and family people
who still aren't you know uh living
purpose living you know how the Creator
wants them to uh to live and how your
experience has been now with um the the
the have you had some hostility also
from people from back home from Hungaria
or family members now that you've
accepted this way this Dean this way of
life I I would say at the beginning I
did have some hostility when it came to
my sister and my dad uh not so much my
mom my mom's definitely been uh very
supportive of me throughout uh the last
four uh four and a half years but I do
see with my old f with my old friends uh
they're a few years older than me and
and I know I know for a fact that
they're getting sick and tired of that
lifestyle of always going out always you
know chasing girls and doing you know
they know that lifestyle has nothing
good to offer at the end it's it's
something that that people imagine in
their minds that is fun it's exciting
and and it's only when they follow
through with it that they realize that
it has it had there's no substance when
you live that that type of lifestyle and
you know we were we were mentioning uh
mentioning Drake before and uh
interestingly enough um I found out
recently through a friend that he
actually has a copy of the Quran in his
apartment in Toronto he does this is
friend yeah may God Almighty uh the
Creator guide him may Allah guide him
yeah yeah definitely so tell us now
you've have you have you as a as a new
Muslim you know now how how you said
your mom's supportive how about your
father and your sister they giving you a
hard time have you been able to share
and tell us for for I I know we all make
mistakes and sometimes you know we look
back and say man I wish I could have did
some things different so for some of the
new Muslims people who've accepted his
way of life now they can learn from your
experiences some of the the dos and
don'ts some things that you would
encourage them to do not to do right
yeah absolutely absolutely I mean I
would say at the beginning because my
sister and my father were a little bit
hostile you know I I was a little bit
impatient I was a little bit impatient
and got upset as certain things that
they did certain things that they said
and looking back on it truly now I mean
you know I I just wish that I could have
done a little bit more when it came to
still keeping those commun communication
like still still keeping with those
Communications when it comes to Islam
with my father with with my sister I
mean unfortunately now because there was
a bit of hostility I just kind of had
the attitude is you know what I'd rather
not even talk about it with them but
that's definitely not the right approach
I mean you know we should always as as
everyone knows we should always keep
good relationships with our families
with our fathers with our sisters with
with our mothers and and talk to them
about Islam to find creative ways of
bringing it up or finding other people
that could talk to them about Islam and
uh we should always stay steadfast in
trying to give da to our our family
members and um you know and just simply
uh simply do our do our best and and do
our part because that's all we could do
is in the nicest way convey the message
to them and and pray for them that Allah
puts puts puts that put puts IM puts
faith into their heart we're going to
take a break break and we'll be right
back with more with our brother Esau
here on the dean show you think these
things are going to bring you happiness
you know why you keep going back to the
club and you keep going back to these
desires cuz you never find
satisfaction it's going to end up
causing you if it hasn't already a lot
of
pain you think you're happy you're
kidding yourself you really
are what we are offering in Islam what
we have found in Islam for ourselves is
a means by which our hearts are at peace
they're at rest they're not discontent
we are pleased with what we
[Music]
have not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
Allah by I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone
if Li I am not afraid stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone Li
I am not afraid stand
[Music]
alone back here on the dean show and
we're talking with our brother Issa
talking to us about your experiences how
you came to this beautiful way of life
what what was what was it at at the end
okay you said that you met this this
brother and his character and really you
know had a profound impact on you and
you just you know he invited you to
Islam and you accepted Islam yeah I mean
for the most part A lot of people they
study Islam fully but I think you know
why why take a year or two years or
three years why wait you know once you
know once you uh you know you shouldn't
really think about what are what's going
to be the consequences of me accepting
Islam see I never thought of those
things I just simp simply you know had
had a lot of trust in this brother cuz I
just saw from his sincerity you know his
um his character and uh like how strong
his faith was and the things that he was
telling me like he was truly trying to
help me get out of the struggles that I
was going through in my life and and I
just knew that what what he believed him
was truly the way I just I just I just
truly knew at that point and I didn't
think of the consequences of oh what's
my what are my friends going to think
you know what's going to happen what are
other people going to think because I
truly believe a lot of people are
actually a slave to those types of those
things they're always worried about okay
you know how they look what what do what
are what are friends think what what are
people at work going to say what what
are or what are other people going to
think of me and when you're always
trying to impress uh when you're always
trying to impress you're other people
you're actually not being yourself you
know you're just you know you're just
always you know simply a slave to that
you know is is are other people around
you going to accept you definitely you
see a lot of people procrastinating M
and I've had this experience talking to
a lot of people and then they know it's
like you know they know that this is the
truth but because of the surrounding
factors friends you know what other
people going to say it's like
they step put it away put it away put it
to the side and they just keep on with
life yeah so you know this is uh good
advice don't procrastinate yeah exactly
it's the truth be upon the truth exactly
exactly so tell us more now you've
gotten also to what were what were
besides your family what were also some
some challenging because life is a test
obviously we're going to be tested so
what were some of the other challenges
being a new Muslim and these challenges
that you had and you overcame and how
did you overcome them right right I
would probably say the the biggest
challenge was I I decided I completely
wanted to change so I left off that
lifestyle of drinking and going out and
just you know being around friends that
I knew were going to negatively
influence me so I totally left off those
friends and uh you know at the beginning
it it was hard because there was a lot
of times it became fairly lonely I
didn't I didn't I didn't know anybody I
hadn't grown up around Muslims I didn't
know any you know I didn't have any
friends I would say that and that was
probably the biggest difficulty at the
beginning but uh alhamdulillah all
praise be to Allah that um Allah
replaced those old friends with much
much greater friends that I'm definitely
blessed to to have today and um what
what I could simply say is for the new
Muslims at the beginning it's going to
be it's going to be it's going to be a
little bit tough it's going to be a
little bit tough and uh you know it it
definitely gives you a time to to build
that relationship with Allah when when
when you're in those times of loneliness
and you know what I could say to to to
Muslims if you see a new Muslim or
somebody that you've never seen before
at the Masjid go up to him you know ask
him how he's doing what his name is you
know how long he's been Muslim you know
invite him out with uh you know some
brothers and just just show that genuine
Hospitality that that true Muslims that
true Muslims have and that was probably
my biggest challenge and that's what I
try to do today if I know someone just
became Muslim I'll I'll I'll get his
contact information I'll say hey I'll
come pick you up I'll bring you for Juma
for Friday prayers you know I'll
introduce him to some like brothers in
the Masjid and uh you know simply take
him out and uh you know just try to show
him a bit of uh any bit of hospitality
that I can uh now before we cut out and
the show is almost over you know
obviously we can understand you know a
lot of times you know people look at
this Dean this way of life as the other
so now you become a Muslim and let's say
your parents they think that maybe look
he's become a terrorist or something
obviously Islam has nothing to do with
that so you know but now when they get
to know what believe and they see that
Islam is actually beautiful it's calling
a person to have peace with their
creator with themselves and the rest of
their human you become a better son you
become a better and more honest human
being and you're more U moral in in in
your life and you have more compassion
and love and good character now you know
for for those people you know your your
father and who whoever else is out there
from your family you know that maybe
might get to watch the show you know and
and they were a little bit reluctant to
have you explain because they were so on
the defensive you know and other people
out in the world who might be from
Hungry watching it or from Serbia or
whoever and they just have no idea about
Islam what is it now so what is it about
Islam that really you know changed your
life and what are some of the beliefs
what do you believe now do you believe
in some you know Martian from out of
space or you know what do you believe
now what what is it about Islam and what
what do you believe mhm well I I would
say I would say Islam has really given
uh purpose purpose to my life and and
Islam is not a a way of life that's
boring by any means you know Islam is
such such a beautiful way of life that
there there's always something new and
interesting to do you know we have our
five daily prayers we have our Friday
prayers on Friday where where we go to
the Masjid we hear a nice lecture we
spend some times with Brothers
afterwards we just had a Ramadan that
just unfortunately passed us and this
this past Ramadan was one of the one of
the greatest Ramadan for sure the
greatest Ramadan that I ever had and it
was so nice on E to give all the
brothers you know big nice hugs like
after eat and uh inshallah I'll be also
going to uh going for Hajj as well and I
mean you know there's definitely nothing
you know that uh you should be bored
with there's always something to do you
know there's always something new to to
learn new to new to do and uh at at the
same time we should also be calling
people to Islam you know that's that
that's very important and but obviously
before that we have to know what Islam
is we have to seek that knowledge we
have to go to the right sources we have
to learn from our Scholars from our
imams at our masjids and truly
understand what Islam is Implement into
implement it into our lives and uh and
then also call of course call other
people to it and Islam is very simple it
is it is the only pure monotheistic
faith on the earth there's no there's no
other faith that is as that is pure
monotheistic we we simply believe that
there's only one God worthy of worship
and that we should follow his commands
and we should follow the examples of all
the prophets and Messengers that God has
sent us we we live according to the
books that he has revealed to his
Messengers and the last and final book
that he has revealed to all of mankind
till till the day of judgment is of
course the Quran and we should try to
really read it and internalize it and
um and uh just just simply live
according to the Quran to the best best
of our ability and a part of following
the Quran is of course following the
Sunnah which is the way of the Prophet
Muhammad s wasam and we we should study
about we should look into his biography
you know how he treated his his enemies
how he treated his friends his wives his
children and we should truly you know we
should truly always look at the best of
creation and the best of examples which
were the prophets and messengers of God
Almighty and we should do our best at
all times to just live according to
their way the way of life that they
lived and try to really um establish
that establish that relationship with
with our creator and um you know and
really put an emphasis on on
establishing the prayer that that is
that is very important we need to at the
beginning discipline ourselves and uh
it's funny I heard something recently
that you know somebody I was listening
to said you know they would always tell
their mother you know oh I I have to
pray and the mom would say why do you
have to pray and then and then from I
have to pray it became came to I need to
pray I want to pray and at the beginning
it does have its challenges establishing
the prayer but it definitely is um very
important and after our belief in one
God and after our belief in the last and
final messenger of God we definitely
need to put a lot of emphasis on the
prayer prayer prayer yes definitely and
we can't go wrong worshiping only God
praying to one God doing good being good
thank you very much for being with us on
the dean show it's always a pleasure to
talk to people like yourself and and get
to share your experiences with the
viewers of the dean show May God
Almighty the cre reward you for being
with us thank you thank you very much
and thank you again for sting through
another episode of the dean show another
human being Story another person story
on how they came to this beautiful Dean
and how they living purpose living
according to God's will not their
desires and that's what life is all
about you got one shot to get it right
and at the end we die at the end we die
and then it's either Paradise or the
Hellfire so we're going to
follow those individuals who are not
bringing us closer to the Creator Bad
Company bad friends that are just
bringing out the worst than you you
smoking dope drinking not Kool-Aid but
Jack and Coke and you're snop and dope
and you're lying deceiving cheating and
you're not living a good wholesome life
you're not happy you're gambling your
whole life away not only are you
gambling but you're Gathering the whole
life away and and and you're not living
your purpose and you're not happy you're
not content you'll never be content
until you live according to God's game
plan and you got one shot to get it
right one life and if you're watching
this episode and you like what our guess
had to say really contemplate and think
ask the Creator ask him alone to guide
you only God and if you can understand
that and you like that only praying to
God not having to go in a confession box
10 hail mares praying to a man to a
woman to a stick to a stone to a bone no
you only pray to God he's the only one
that can forgive you no one in creation
but to the one who created creation the
one Creator you pray to him and ask him
right now you could have done the worst
of things but right now it's your chance
ask the Creator to guide you ask the
Creator because if you ask then you
shall receive but if you keep going and
living your life a heedless life life of
debauchery just find your lust and
desires what's going to happen to them
when you die just like our guest when he
was asked that question what if you died
right now death Came Upon you it's over
it's done don't let it come to that ask
the Creator right now to guide you
repent for your sins and start living a
good wholesome organic life and you can
call us at any time 1800 662 Islam don't
forget to pick up the new dya to deine
and visit us here every week on The Dean
show we'll see you next time God willing
until then peace be unto
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greetings of peace to everybody how are
you you come to get some food for the
soul you've been replete with everything
else but it's not satisfying the soul
money can't buy that happiness it won't
bring you peace not even a sixpack of
Peace you can't buy
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