got the LGBT curriculum some of the
challenges that are posed through there
right trying to undermine the
foundations that we have as Muslims even
many Christians were impressed at the
Muslims there in Detroit
[Music]
[Applause]
this poster of two young Muslim women
that were kissing each other which was
clearly you know just meant to be
provocative towards the Muslim
communities like we're getting hit from
all sides media the news they were
showing what they were showing they were
blurring it out did you see that
documentary what is a woman someone
shared it with me so he's from a Jewish
background if you're super religious and
um like bro I'm Jewish and the Quran is
like there's a lot of Truth to the Quran
bro like a lot of stuff that I really
like like stand by like the Quran is
beautiful
alive
[Applause]
and his final message is Muhammad peace
be upon him this is our religion Islam
Islam this is the beach
when I was ready to talk about it I
would only talk to you guys and I was
explaining how much respect I have for
the faith of Islam
welcome to the beach
and I have
one of the earlier guests here has been
a while
Suleiman how you doing how are you doing
man how you been
feels like we just jumped back into 2010
man yeah right
subhanallah how are things here in Texas
as you can see man the weather is nice
and warm
everything is wonderful him that I've
been I've been out for a while so I got
to come back my first Juma back
masha'allah uh I got to do it and have
you there uh with me alhamdul Alabama at
vric so alhamdulillah everything is well
it's beautiful here yes yes it is I'm
like more beautiful because you're here
man
I wanted to um I wanted to uh you know
ask you were you um I I don't know why I
have this uh picture in my head way back
you know you know shake um
of course I don't know how long ago when
he made this turn and I'm thinking like
were these brothers I don't I don't
remember exactly but he was much heavier
before right yeah and you lost a lot of
weight also yourself didn't you yeah
yeah made a dramatic a much more
dramatic change yeah he's amazing man
yeah he's he's one of the closest
Brothers in the world I was a lot
heavier before so I started taking
nutrition serious and I was like and I
was really pushing I was like do these
brothers watch some of my programs
because I was I was talking about we
need to get Coca-Cola we need to get all
this sugar
I had gotten taken exercise and a lot of
stuff seriously about a decade ago yeah
so if you watch my old stuff from like
2008 2009 yeah it was around the time I
mean it was it was a difficult time in
my life that's when my mom had passed
away Allah so I kind of lost myself for
a few years and then came back to
getting back into fitness and staying a
little bit disciplined how's that going
how's your discipline with that I mean
because I mean Islam is a complete way
of life you know absolutely you got to
also take care of the amount of the
trust that Allah give us the body yeah
that's right alhamdulillah you know I
try to exercise but then you know oh
yeah yeah man he just makes me feel bad
every time I see him that because
masha'allah he could he could pick pick
me up in my old pick up five of me in my
old State yeah and throw me around but
not alhamdulillah man we we got a good
group of brothers here in masha'allah
that constantly you know work out
together play sports together uh stay at
it together we're not all like Sheikh
Abdullah or like you ma'am always
working on the gym at the MMA MMA spots
and stuff like that so we're
alhamdulillah doing the best that we can
but you're right your body's in an honor
and the more you take care of yourself
the more doubt what you can do as well
the more good work you can try to do as
well
you can't take it with you when you go
or you can't take this with you when you
go and you can't take this with you when
you go brothers and sisters we're all
going to depart from this life and all
of our material possessions to our money
will stay behind but your reoccurring
investment in the dean Center will
continue to grow even when you leave
this light so go ahead and make that
reoccurring investment in a Masjid Mega
dollar Center that will benefit you in
this life and in the next click the link
below donate right now may God Almighty
Allah reward all of you yeah I just
recently I have because we're like
hanging by a thread you just never know
like I just had someone here approach me
at the Masjid a brother who was living
in Milwaukee and he's here now with you
guys and I interviewed someone from
Milwaukee a brother by the name of Jacob
and I was just told that young brother
he's got to be in his late 20s early 30s
and that he would just put on hospice
three to six months to live had some
heart condition or something so I give
him full she found I mean give them four
and a half yeah and that just reminds me
of you know how how temporal and how
sacred this life is that we have it's so
short at any time and people are just
all over being slaves to this slaves to
that you know and you talked about you
know being a slave to your creator to
Allah can you go ahead and elaborate on
that yeah so the concept of the concept
of being a slave to Allah you know Allah
ultimately speaks about people as being
enslaved to multiple things many people
are enslaved to their desires
people that take their desires as Gods
some people are enslaved to their
difficulties they can't see beyond their
difficulties and in fact anything that
they've done worship or that they
include in the arena of worship and
servitude is with one sole intention of
escaping a difficulty so Allah mentions
there are some people that worship Allah
on an edge like on a cliff so their
worship of Allah is insincere because if
good is you know coming to them then
they stay on but if hardship comes to
them they jump off of the cliff right
they leave their creator and so their
worship of Allah was either insincere or
inconsequential it wasn't true servitude
it wasn't true slavery to Allah there
are people that are enslaved to their
friends the opinions of people and how
other people view them and perceive them
and they completely shape and mold their
entire lives to fit other people's
perception some people are enslaved by
their fears and you know the fear of
others or fear of events or fear of
incidents right and Islam kind of comes
with this full package of Liberation
true liberation of the self there's a
very famous statement from uh
when he walked in front of one of the
rulers of Persia and he said in Allah
so that Allah has sent us to liberate
people from being slaves to other slaves
to being slaves of the Lord of all
slaves
so you're no longer enslaved to men and
from the Injustice of other ways to the
way of Islam and from the uh the
constriction of this life to the expanse
of this life and the Hereafter so Allah
liberates us
and we feel that true Liberation only
when we and Trust ourselves to Allah
when we when we enslave ourselves and
serve Allah with everything that we have
I want you to paint that picture for
people who don't know this scenario this
man is coming in in front of a king
right a ruler yeah and just I want
people to really like picture this paint
this how is he coming in he's like
walking with what is he walking with you
know on this fancy rug or whatnot and
he's coming in front of the the ruler
over here and they they invited him to
see who these Muslims are can you
elaborate on that this is really deep it
is absolutely deep because there was a
pretentiousness to that right there are
all sorts of
objects and illusions of superiority
that are you know put forth to give
people a rank that they don't have and
so the Thrones and the uh the garments
and the uh Allure to status and
Authority all of that all of those
appeals are false appeals and
essentially people elevating themselves
beyond what Allah allowed them to
elevate themselves with and when you
have a person that sees through all of
that all right that doesn't shrink in
the presence of those people like Musa
Islam like Moses peace be upon him and
the Pharaoh Moses didn't shrink because
he saw right through the pretentiousness
he saw right through all of the false uh
you know appeals of pharaoh to power and
to Authority and so
is a Bedouin man right and he's a very
simple man and the red carpet doesn't
impress him the throne doesn't
intimidate him the spear does not cause
him any fear he is liberated because he
only considers the sight of Allah
throughout that entire process and so
when you talk about the hierarchy of
needs of a person right Maslow's
hierarchy of needs a self-actualization
in Islam
They Don't Fear the blame of the blamer
that a person ascends to a point to
spiritually to where Allah becomes their
only goal Allah becomes their only
Pursuit God becomes their only goal God
becomes their Pursuit God becomes Their
audience you know a lot of times people
talk to me about
um you know just from a spiritual
perspective like the sight of other
people
which is to show off right that some
people do good only to be seen by others
well the prophet saws about a hidden
you're you're turning the partner
it's a hidden foreign polytheism because
you're turning that person into a
partner of God because you're starting
to worship for him even if you're not
worshiping him you only worship for him
and some people say but what do we do
because we struggle with this right you
know we we do good things and sometimes
we don't know if the intention is for
Allah if it's for that other person
that's watching and the believer settles
that by becoming so aware of the sight
of God upon them that whether they are
in private or in public they're only
really considering his sight so when
they're in private in their worship of
Allah they're generating enough of a
connection to the sight of Allah upon
them to where when 20 other people enter
into the room they're only considering
the sight of Allah and so think of it
this way if you're addressing an
audience
and a prime minister walks in or a
really prominent celebrity if there are
300 other people in there you're
thinking about that guy in the front row
right for us we're thinking about the
lord of the heavens and the Earth
wherever we are and so these companions
were so liberated in that sense because
they were only considering the sight of
Allah
so you could put forth your throne you
could put forth your cloak you could put
forth all of your appeals to power and
Prestige and prominence but it does not
appeal to me
because I'm focused on that and that's
what test Kia does what spirituality
does for the believer it puts them in
the servitude of Allah alone and a
person liberates themselves from being a
slave to their desires from being a
slave to uh you know the the approval of
others from being a slave to power from
being a slave to the pursuit of anything
that is worldly by committing themselves
entirely to the lord of the heavens and
the Earth well you have Muslims who are
doing that Muslims once who have
submitted their will to create the
heavens and earth
and they're trying to live their lives
peacefully in accordance what God
Almighty Allah has ordained for them to
do and now you see you know we struggle
like anybody everybody has their
struggles and you know you go through
life and you deal with different
challenges and whatnot every generation
has their own set of challenges but
we're seeing something that's very
saddening we're seeing something in
today's times it's something like we
haven't seen in no other generation it's
hitting us here and
how how would you the sexualization
that's happening with the children in
the schools you'll see like when now you
as you're in Texas here I don't know if
it's the same you know you have a big
Christian Community even Jewish
Community people who want to live you
know by certain values and they would
send their children to learn math
reading science and now you know you see
what they're doing you know they're just
recently I just did something where they
had the health department person coming
for a particular group of people and now
they're passing around these uh these
toys you know and talking about uh you
know it's you it's you you feel shy even
talk discussing it but this is a big
challenge you know how I mean is that
same thing happening here
as I don't think as much as like plays
like Chicago and uh California yeah look
you know subhanallah we Face different
challenges and different phases of our
lives and where we are in different
states as well right different
communities and so but not Texas here
this is where they have the Cowboys and
the you know we have our own set of
towns is here yeah everyone's out of
towns is right but you know to kind of
walk that back a bit right so I grew up
um in Louisiana I was the only Muslim in
my school I went to public school my
whole life I didn't really have to
identify as Muslim or not really being a
Muslim because it was it was not really
consequential but I think the pressures
of Muslims growing up in public school
for example
um prior to some of the madness that
we're seeing with sexual curriculum
right now or sexualized curriculum right
now A lot of it was just being the
Muslim that's kind of out of place uh
being looked at differently
having to struggle with being a stranger
you know school dances yeah pork in the
cafeteria yeah the racialization maybe
if you were if you were from another
country or whatever it may be right
those were kind of the pressures then
you got the post-9 11 world right and so
that's right after us you know and Post
9 11 people going to school subhanallah
being looked at as terrorists and being
looked at us as violent and having to
deal with the baggage of the hysteria
after 9 11. and that's another unique
Challenge and so a lot of people wanted
to change their names and wanted to kind
of move away from being Muslim and then
now you have the curriculum challenges
the sexual education that comes in and
just makes things so much more
complicated the these elements these
things that are put forth that are
entirely opposed to our value system as
Muslims and that's another challenge to
them now it depends where you go right
so in Texas for example you still got
like the first introduction to Islam is
going to be 9 11 here and Al-Qaeda and
Isis that's still going on that's that's
unfortunately here in Texas in the
curriculum that's a huge thing but then
what do you mean in curriculum it's
still there's still yeah yeah so like
for example my kids were in they are in
Islamic school yeah that's a that's one
of the appeals to Dallas right is that
we have a lot of Islamic schools but
um you know when uh
the pandemic 2020 right you have the
shutdown that happens and then now the
schools are shut down uh and I remember
we put our kids into we thought it was
going to be okay like an online public
school yeah right they're online what's
the worst that could happen and within
the first week it was like who attacked
us on 9 11 and it was Muslims you know
it was crazy right this was considered
one of the better Public Schools right
so the public school curriculum is very
islamophobic and that sounds very
anti-muslim driven by that that sort of
really raw Post 9 11 hysteria Isis has
put you know they'll actually watch
videos of Isis and stuff like that we'll
be told that this is Islam so that's a
challenge for them right then you go to
places like Chicago I think some of the
the more liberal states the Bluer States
right and you've got the LGBT curriculum
some of the challenges that are posed
through there right trying to undermine
um you know many of the the the
foundations that we have as Muslims and
that a lot of people of Faith have and
it's just it's really challenging that
sense right Michigan uh what happened
over there I think what we have to do
first and foremost and they're this is
multifaceted right but we teach our
children this idea of lorba this idea of
being strange
in a way that's empowering
that you have the truth that you have a
purpose in life and people are going to
chip away and challenge that purpose
in different ways but anchor yourself in
the Quran and the Sunnah and then take
inspiration
you know from the prophet saws and from
The Companions and some of these stories
these stories are not just there for us
to Marvel at of these great people of
the past right you asked us to paint the
picture I do a class on the sahaba every
Tuesday night called the first right I
talk about the companions we anchor
ourselves in in those stories in the
Quran
and those stories and we keep ourselves
grounded through that just like Allah
the prophet saws stories of the prophets
that came before
we have the stories of the prophets in
the Quran we have the story of the
Prophet saws and we have the story of or
the stories of the multiple companions
around the prophet saws and those that
came after so it gives us something to
Anchor ourselves in so to really help
our children develop this uh this strong
sense of being
anchored in in the way of Allah being
slaves of Allah Servants of Allah and
that not only should you not Buckle
Under Pressure but you should challenge
the pressure whether it's political or
whether it's social cultural and don't
be afraid to challenge it don't be
afraid to express who you are and
articulate who you are as a Muslim of
course with wisdom and with the
methodology of the prophet's life son
but don't be afraid to articulate who
you are and to challenge it and some
people are going to get aggressive and
abrasive with you as a result of that
but don't be afraid to challenge it and
I think that you know Muslims face this
you know in different ways uh this this
type of pressure in different ways you
know and I think that it's important for
us inshallah to challenge the pressure
in different ways ideologically some
people are going to need to deconstruct
uh some of the uh underlying
philosophies that drive these types of
things some people are going to need to
construct an Islamic framework that's
you know very much so part of the dean
uh not packaging anyone else's way but
actually talking about the way of the
Quran and the Sunnah and building those
constructs inshallah for us to offer to
ourselves and to society around us
because we want good for everyone around
us some of us are going to need to
challenge the Texas curriculum and some
of us are going to need to challenge the
Chicago curriculum and ultimately we
have Allah with us inshallah when we do
that and we should articulate this as a
way of like that look
we are committing ourselves to something
greater and there is no way that you're
ever going to take our Dean away from us
that whether you want whether you want
to attack us with pressure political
pressure and the fear-mongering that
often comes from the right Wingers right
or whether you want to attack us with
the social and cultural pressure and you
know much of what comes through the left
wing right we're often caught between
Annihilation and assimilation you know
it's like one side wants to kill us one
side wants to change us and it's like no
no we're going to be Muslims we're going
to live ourselves committed to the way
of our Lord and the way of our prophet
sallallahu alaihi wasallam
and we're going to live our lives with
dignity and we're going to challenge
those pressures in charlatan however
they come because we're slaves of Allah
and we are in that process inshallah
going to teach our children to be the
same to be confident in their Islam to
be willing to challenge that wherever it
comes and I'm very proud honestly of
many young Muslims and parents even that
will challenge it right that will take a
stand and that will say that no this
isn't my religion in Canada I was in
Canada uh where you had
um some of the I think there was a a
poster of two Muslim women that were
kissing each other young Muslims that
challenge that right and that actually
made a difference in that and I went
there subhanallah and it was in London
Canada
where you had a car you know just think
about the different pressures like I
think this captures it well a man who
ran over a Muslim family killed them
they Allah accept them and in the same
place you had like uh you know this
poster of two young Muslim women that
were kissing each other which was
clearly you know just meant to be
provocative towards the Muslim
communities like we're getting hit from
all sides but the youth over there
really are some of the most impressive
Youth and they've been forced to be that
way because of the pressure that's been
hitting them from multiple sides I mean
a lot bless them they I mean held
themselves with a lot of dignity with a
lot of beauty
and I was very proud of them and I told
them when I went and I saw them I said
you know Allah has made you a very
special uh you know group a very special
community that you literally had to
fight you know pressure from all sides
just for being Muslim for just trying to
be yourselves and alhamdulillah has
blessed them with with much success and
so much confidence in the process of all
that what do you think what was your
reaction when you saw like many even
many Christians were impressed at the
Muslims there in Detroit
foreign
they stepped up you know if you don't
you know they were putting these books
in the curriculum in the schools and the
libraries and the Muslims you know saw
this and these were books that now with
pictures that it's really strange that
the media the news they were showing
what they were showing they were
blurring it out because it was so yeah
it was so vulgar but then the kids they
were giving these things to the kids and
you could see the Muslims took a stand
the only thing I saw that was missing
and many people a leader to step up and
Lead
well I think I think many of the local
imams alhamdulillah did a good job there
in Detroit you know and uh were you in
contact with anyone there or did you
um I was like what did you think what
did you think of the whole situation how
this and it goes back to what you're
saying to
um to challenge yeah yeah no look I
think that
when parents come together
and challenge a school board yeah
that's one of the most effective ways of
organizing in your community yeah
so I think at the end of the day I mean
you have to look at that situation of
Muslims parents that came together
don't be scared to challenge don't don't
be scared to especially look man these
people at the end of the day are elected
officials right your local school boards
your uh local Representatives don't be
afraid to challenge them absolutely not
and so I think that those parents you
know alhamdulillah they they came
together and they said this is
outrageous you know what's happening
with our children and I think that we
should take that as a lesson inshallah
around the country you know here in
Irving Texas uh we uh we had a similar
situation with our public library and
actually Muslim parents here got
together alhamdulillah I mean and with
people that were concerned
from other Faith communities even so
this is ridiculous we don't want our
children being sexualized in a public
school library right this is this is not
something that we uh want to see
happening so I think that alhamdulillah
bless them and reward them uh you know
when parents come together and say
articulately that this is not what we
want and they work with the local imams
they work with sort of the local
community leaders you know I think that
it's something that's very powerful and
profound inshallah can be done around
and I and I think just to connect it to
the initial discussion here right when
you talk about right this idea of
servitude to Allah
this this at the core of this right
this idea of you know transcending
not just some of the basic Notions of
who we are you know in the sense of
gender right but transhumanism right
this idea of transcending our Humanity
right you know and I think that we have
to think about this going forward right
with the a sense of AI uh you know
artificial intelligence and so many
other things that people are trying to
transcend their very humanity and our
children are
being told that the only way that you
can liberate yourself is through you
know injecting yourself with all sorts
of hormones and expensive surgeries and
um
transcending the very essence of who you
are and this is opposed to your filter
this is opposed to your natural
inclination that's such a that that's
such a horrible message to be giving to
children
when they go to school right and that's
such an injustice to the parents that
send their children to children to these
different schools where they're going to
be you know fed some of these Notions of
happiness in these Notions of
transcending your Humanity right instead
we inshallah can ground our children in
something that's better and something
that's closer to the closer to their
natural being their natural way their
natural disposition
and help them grow in confidence and
being able to articulate that as well
and I think that parents need to do that
parents need to play a role I think that
frankly this has to become a more
wholesome discussion about you know a
lot of parents put their kids in public
schools because Islamic school tuition
is prohibitive
so we got to think about the tuition of
Islamic schools and making Islamic
schools more accessible to parents in
some of these communities now we need to
make sure that we're teaching the right
curriculum in these Islamic schools
inshallah to construct a better world
view to construct something that's more
wholesome and that's more in tune with
the fitwa and inshallah we can continue
to challenge you know the various
pressures that are around us again with
with wisdom Insha'Allah and together and
everyone playing their role as we go
forward do you think we should take as a
community a more proactive instead of
reactive role in this where now it's
coming to your door as many are seeing
you know you just uh we could be talking
about so many other things that I'm kind
of forced to talk about it also because
I'm I fear for not just my children for
others children's for you know just
Humanity in general you see what's
what's going on they're trying to
convince you that I mean it's clear you
know God Almighty Allah is telling us
the man is not like the woman you have
the only one who doesn't have a gender
the creator of the heavens and the Earth
so now young young impressionable kids
at the age of four five six are being
led to believe that they can go ahead
and be you know a wolf tomorrow or they
can go ahead and be a woman can be a man
a man can be a woman we're living I
cannot believe that we're living at a
time like this you know so what do you
think for people who are kind of within
the law you know not calling to any
bullying or violence any of these things
but just practicing our freedom of
speech within the law and as a community
who lives by certain values ordained by
the Crater the heavens and earth as
Muslims we believe that's from the we're
made of God Almighty the Quran and the
Sunnah so how can we and what do you
what do you suggest instead of it comes
knocking your door you're not your
Masjid and then you're reacting to it
instead of being proactive
look I think that the the pace at which
things have been unfolding are a major
cause of concern right and it's it's
crazy right it's a big Pace right yeah
six seven years like how much of the
world has changed yeah huge seven eight
years right and it's like things that we
would have never thought we'd see in our
lifetime happen within a decade
uh and so the pace of this is very
aggressive right and very penetration
through popular art through movies right
you got to scan every cartoon every
movie that you're exposing your uh
family to in advance right it's it's it
is really concerning so even if they're
not getting it in the curriculum at
school they're certainly getting it in
the curriculum of you just mentioned
some Netflix movies they have the Muslim
girl Fatima we put pressure on Netflix
right we had the boycott Netflix
campaign you heard about that what's the
yeah there was a I got Shadow bend on
social media for posting the boycott
Netflix campaign and that revolves
around this what we're talking about
yeah like like who would think like what
what natural
just
Common Sense would allow you to think
that a show sexualizing young Muslim
girls in that way would be okay you know
but it seems like targeting Muslim the
Muslim the Muslim yeah I think the
community here through this look I think
that it's targeting communities that are
naturally sort of resistant towards some
of these ideologies and some of these
ways of thinking right and so the pace
is very aggressive and so what does that
mean for us that means that everyone has
a role to play we need to create
Alternatives and media that are
different than what's being fed to our
children we need good quality media we
need to have people that deconstruct at
the philosophical level
some of what is Behind These ideologies
we need to have Muslims that can
construct the alternative ways inshallah
that are closer to the fatron that
resonate with people we need to
articulate our Frameworks inshallah
better and we need to work together
inshallah to have a plan strategic so
you mentioned you mentioned uh turning
up the pigs I started thinking like you
know when Habib turns it up you know you
don't slow down you got to turn it up
yeah absolutely but like look you know
you think about you know protecting
religious institutions the right to
function as our religious institutions
right our massage with our Islamic
schools so you need to bring in your
lawyers you need to bring in okay so now
we got an action plan we're putting
getting the lawyers keep going you need
lawyers you need people in media you
need religious Scholars you need people
that are academics that can deconstruct
this philosophically you know uh you
need to bring people medical
professionals now medical professionals
the point is is that this is a
multi-pronged uh is it being done at all
I think that I think we can have a
breakthrough with this with this program
we're doing now that we can start
because this is how it happens you know
what I mean they're going to get the uh
when we did the push I had you don't
understand how many people contacted me
when I did I'm just striking an example
with the get the Coca-Cola's out of my
it's not starting but it acted I
was like and this is out of my concern
you know for the health of the Muslim
for the health of people Humanity in
general and I had people telling me man
that really helped and we start to clean
up and we start to you know be more
eating healthy so inshallah this can be
something that we can kick off and
people can really go ahead and put these
action plans into effect yeah listen the
the discourse the discourse itself is
one thing and you know I was at the math
convention in Chicago
you know like he gave this example of
how someone came up to him afterwards
and said you know this sounds like hate
speech and you're talking about being a
mercy to the worlds
the prophet saws being Mercy to the
world and it sounds like hate speech and
he said no I I don't think it's merciful
to children to teach them that the only
way they can be happy is to undergo all
of these dramatic Transformations and to
be fed all of this I think that's
cruelty to them actually I think that's
the opposite of
and he articulated it beautifully and
and you saw the way it resonated uh with
people as he was saying was this a
Muslim who approached him who said that
I believe so yeah I can't remember the
story as he told me he's a good friend
of mine so yeah
but I think that's one form of it right
like the idea of the discourse changing
and
um for us to be able to challenge it
inshallah effectively but what I'd also
say
before you go to your next point because
it has me thinking you see how quickly
even Muslim you get desensitized little
by little and you start thinking it's
normal and not now Fatima or Muhammad
thinks like hey you know I can fly he
jumps off the roof he wouldn't do that
but now he starts thinking hey I'm a
girl and you see how the confusion hits
home penetrates and next thing you know
look we have to have these are clear
boundaries you know you can't cross them
so so it's multifaceted yeah you know
there's also mashallah like for example
what brother Wahid Johnson
and them are doing the um it's called
Beyond The Way Beyond the rainbow
broadcast
um you know and we recently had a
webinar
um at your clean Institute about LGBT
and some of the issues and addressing it
from multiple multiple angles and I
thought it was very well is that the the
the brother who who was going down a
path and like we opened up earlier being
a slave to your creators
and he's helping people to get overcome
and they're trying to pass Palmer talks
about this and they're trying to pass
laws I guess again that's that uh they
also trying to stop things like this
aren't they you know to be to be honest
with you I think that there's a lot of
uh
but this is a good initiative now he's
showing that people could you know yeah
I think that there's a lot of room for
debate about what constitutes the legal
and illegal but obviously the laws are
definitely becoming more aggressive it's
like you know but I think the point is
that you need an approach for Muslims
that have desires I think I think the
point is is that like look you have to
have a way for Muslims that want to be
sincere slaves of Allah
and want to enslave themselves only to
Allah and want to be you know faithful
Muslims and not succumb to the Haram
right and actually find ways to deal
with the crisis that they have then
you've got to have the political
discourse then you've got to have the
social discourse then you've got to have
the media discourse in the legal
discourse so uh to answer the very first
question something being done actually
alhamdulillah there are a few a few
efforts right now a few Muslim Scholars
that are working with different folks
inshallah there should be something
within the next few months but in the
night out of something that's
comprehensive of inshallah about sort of
a strategy for us as Muslims what was
your thought have you did you see that
documentary what is a woman I didn't
watch it first I'll be honest with you
yeah yeah I think you should watch it I
mean it'd be nice if we can work with
people like this but then on the other
end you worry about the people like this
also who have such a a wrong image of
Islam but at the same time you know if
these are the worst places that we can I
can't come again I don't I didn't watch
the documentary yeah and that's probably
my fault and I probably should watch the
documentary to be able to give an
informed depending on but I know enough
from how people have discussed it but I
think to the broader point that you just
mentioned
if Muslims start to have their own
authentic discourse and their own
strategy and their own platform then
they can then engage on the basis of
those ideas rather than having to engage
on the basis of other people's ideas and
then take on their baggage and I think
that that's something that frankly we
can take as a as a lesson for us
inshallah I speak to myself first like
we have to inshaallah
articulate things from the Quran of the
Sunnah that are authentic to our
discourse inshallah and then engage the
rest of society on the basis of that
discourse and not always have to react
to someone else's ideas and then take on
their baggage because at the end of the
day
even if at the output level we're going
to agree with certain people on the
right and certain people on the left on
certain issues
you know foundationally we're different
we're operating from a different place
we're operating from divine revelation
we're operating from an entirely
different world view of Islam and so
that means that we have to be able to
articulate that properly you know and
I'd recommend you know we recently in
Hampton that released the paper uh from
Dr Carl Sharif atulgi uh and he talks
about sort of the narratives right Islam
and LGBT and the narratives right
building a world view from an Islamic
perspective so we have to have our own
World Views that we engage with others
on the basis of rather than constantly
reacting to others and then we we work
towards that which is good inshallah and
the most effectively together as a
community in a way that demonstrates
what we learn from our prophet
sallallahu alaihi wasallam and we
constantly
try to not just help our own Community
navigate some of the turmoil that exists
out there but Islam was not just that
for the Muslims right it's for the world
right try to put forth the way that is
better for the world inshallah that can
actually benefit people we're not here
to beat people into their Darkness
and save ourselves on the ship right
we're here to help us all inshallah with
so much of what is happening to us in
different ways help us all not drown in
the darkness and lose ourselves lose our
our sense of a fitra lose our sense of
who we are as human beings connect
ourselves back to Allah and work with
people for that which is good inshallah
work with people for that which is
better and to engage thoughtfully
inshallah with our own Frameworks
inshallah with our own Foundation of
Islam and may Allah allow us to
constantly come back to that inshallah
and to build from that place insha Allah
that is pleasing to him and may He
forgive us as we become desensitized to
so much that's around us you know you
think about alcohol man like
it's just one way riba right
adultery so many things that we've
become desensitized to as Muslims we
can't become desensitized to any of
these things right so it's a be grounded
in that which is pleasing to Allah to
channel that in every effective way that
we can inshallah in closing I like what
you said Islam is a mercy for all of
mankind you know this is for everybody
and without mentioning any names you had
a very very
um
famous individual who's out there now
and agree with him or not people are
hearing the word Islam they're going and
looking it up and they're fascinated you
know I was watching a clip from a very
famous individual I think his name Aiden
or something and he's talking about man
you know and I think he comes from a
Jewish background and he's looking like
man the Quran you know there's things in
there make sense I'm looking into it
just like you know amazing so you know
what would you say just in closing up
for the people who are tuning in they
really respect they like that you know
they're seeing in their churches they're
allowing the stuff to go down they're
seeing things you know being compromised
you know but they're seeing the Muslims
are holding the ground you know they
really really respect that but then
they're just like hold on they're stuck
on when we open up they're stuck on 9
11. you know they're stuck on these you
know stereotypes how would you break
down for someone who's like you know
maybe this is the first time they're
gonna really have exposure to Islam they
agree with everything okay they could be
the atheists who left Christianity or
the Christian who's not talking about
Trinity or whoever it is you know the
Aiden who's snake whoever it is out
there and they're just like okay we got
them now how would you summarize Islam
what would you say you know to have them
continue that journey to really look
into Islam submission to the Creator not
to Creation
I would say you know first and foremost
from a Muslim perspective look
you know when you deal with us as
Muslims deal with us from a place of
respect not from seeing us as a tool to
be used in any type of political chess
game and I think that's one of the
problems is that when one side beats us
down we run uncritically to the Embrace
of the other side that's not who we have
to be as Muslims we have to be
consistent we have to be dignified we
have to hold ourselves and we have to
deal with Society in ways inshallah we
represent our faith accurately and
beautifully no matter who we're talking
to right that's for us as Muslims right
I I I'm not your Muslim I am Allah's
Muslim right it's not I'm not going to
be your Muslim because it's convenient
to you right now I'm I want to be a
servant of Allah
a person who submits themselves to Allah
and you know talk to me understand me
understand where I come from and you
might be surprised right but you have to
leave your suspicions at the door you've
got to leave all of those things at the
door and interact with us as Muslims as
people right and try to understand where
we come from I don't expect you to agree
with me on everything but if you hear me
out and listen to what I have to say and
know me as a human being know me as a
person then we'll meet at a place that's
better than the one we're at right now
and that's true for people wherever
they're coming from whatever your
entryway is whatever your vantage point
is we have our religion we have it very
beautifully and we can articulate
inshallah
we can deal with people in a beautiful
way and you'd be surprised you know if
you actually got to know a Muslim talk
to a Muslim and not see us as a tool but
CS has a means or not as a means that's
actually the opposite but Sia says a way
in which you can enrich yourself your
own understanding so talk to us whoever
you are right and understand this and
try to understand this away from sort of
the online world and social media and
you're right look people are going to
get introduced to Islam in many
different ways sometimes they're going
to get introduced to Islam through
personalities and those personalities
might not be proper representatives of
Islam but you know what like how many
people were introduced to Islam through
you know the Nation of Islam right so
people will find out about about Islam
through their different ways they might
find out about it through the mouth of a
person who's calling this the most
violent religion on Earth they might
find out about it through the mouth of
someone that's calling it the uh the
most regressive religion on Earth they
might find out about it from person who
has qualities that are severely
undesirable and Views maybe that don't
align with Islam but they're saying you
know things that are positive about
Islam look learn Islam for what it truly
is
talk to us and learn Islam for what it
truly is and we have a right as Muslims
in this Society to be fully Muslim and
to articulate our Islam inshallah fully
and to practice our Islam fully and what
that's going to mean inshallah is you're
going to hopefully have a consistent
faith community and a faith community
that brings about good wherever it is
ideally wherever Muslims are inshallah
there shouldn't just be more parking
issues but there should be more goodness
to that entire Society in that entire
Community around to where people will
learn to love our religion because of
the way that we carry ourselves
inshallah and it reminds me you know the
because people know Jesus and many don't
know that we love Jesus peace be upon
him you can't be a Muslim unless you
believe and love Jesus but then it
reminds me of a statement from the last
the final mission to mankind where he's
going around this house it's like a
beautiful Brick House beautiful mansion
how would you describe it you can
elaborate on this and there was one
brick missing and people are just
adoring this they're like wow this is so
beautiful but there's like there's one
brick missing he says I am that brick
I'm the Seal of the prophets can you
elaborate that I just have this
individual's name Aiden in my head it's
very very well-known person someone
shared it with me so he's from a Jewish
background if you're super religious and
um
like bro I'm Jewish and the Quran is
like there's a lot of Truth to the Quran
bro like a lot of stuff that I really
like like stand by like the Quran is
beautiful and I haven't really studied
the Holy Bible like that but the Quran
itself is just I don't know it's just do
you do you think
so I don't I don't know nothing about
the Quran so educate me it's a Quran
like okay can I be honest a lot of a lot
of the stuff the Quran has
applies to today like a lot a lot bro
that's I watch videos on it and um I
read up on stuff and people discuss and
break it down because I don't really
understand you know now you know someone
like this out there he thinks oh man you
know how am I going to go against my
family my this that and the other Islam
transcends all that if you're like we
started if you really are a slave to
your creator you love your creator
you're going to transcend all those
things for someone like Aiden whoever
else is out there just gives his name
because now he's fortunate enough
there's gonna be a sign you know from
the Creator that we're discussing his
name and we were mentioning this but
what would you say to that to that
person where's a good place to start you
know where is a good place to start for
that individual you know to go ahead and
start that Journey you know how
important it is for a person I've asked
so many people have you ever thought
about the purpose of life people will be
sometimes in their 80s I I do this
experience and they'll be looking at me
like I asked them some you know
mathematical equation that you know it'd
be obvious they never thought about that
but a simple question like purpose of
life have you thought about it someone
can be in their 80s and they're like no
I haven't has anyone ever asked you that
and then the other thing is I I asked
people I was like have you ever asked
the Creator for guidance have you ever
so basic simple have you ever asked the
one who created you to guide you how
important are these two fundamental
questions well you can't know Islam
without knowing the prophet Muhammad
peace of blessings be upon it and so you
need to know his person you need to know
his character you need to know his
mission to learn about him the problem
behind the peace be upon him he has the
final brick and that he brings together
the call of all of The Messengers and
Prophets of one God
and then leaves behind not just a
revelation that's intact but an example
that's intact of how to practice that
Revelation from that one true God and so
learn the Quran learn about the
biography of the Prophet Muhammad peace
and blessings be upon him
um you know I I wrote a book about a
series that I did called meeting
Muhammad
and just his person who he was learn his
biography learn about who he was learn
about his proofs
wrote a book called the proofs of
prophet Muhammad peace be upon him a lot
of good powerful points there yes I read
this yeah an article format real
powerful
ebook I can't believe someone to go
through that sincerely and look at it
and be like there's no way this this can
be an imposterous no way proofs of
prophethood proofs of prophethood
e-l-s-h I actually interviewed him and
we went through some of these points
exactly on this yeah so the proofs are
profited go through it consider the test
of his prophethood and considered a test
of his profit yeah go ahead and ask God
sincerely for guidance in the process
ask when you say God which God people
are like you know I pray Jesus God of
the lord of the heavens and the Earth
okay oh God my Creator Lord did they put
a picture in front of them do they do
something like had to get some candles
they have to get romantic How does it go
just sincerely from the depths of your
heart in the privacy of your home ask
God for guidance no one has to be to
have to make a call nothing just no man
they don't have to call me but if they
want to it's 1-800 and it's 50 cents a
minute right that's no no that's all
this just privately they they don't have
to go to a clergy man none of this you
know nothing esoteric like some strange
stuff just that's it that's simple
that's it
and finally you'll find the purpose when
you find the proof so look for the proof
you'll find the purpose you will find to
submit yourself to the truth be ready to
and willing to submit yourself to the
truth let's end with that beautiful
exactly what happens
foreign
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
the amount of Muslims around here it's
it's pretty huge and uh like this the
place the location that you opened and
basically it's far further south from
the other other big massages and
everyone I know a lot of people that I
used to I come my cousin lives nine
minutes from here another uh Uncle of
mine lives about five to ten minutes
from here this area and the Masjid
opened up in an area that it's much
needed and this size yeah I mean this
the center this Center is much needed
for this area and the idea of this
Center is needed for the whole stick
because we don't have anything like that
in the whole state that was sensor where
it's gonna basically nurture and
basically educate and it's gonna
basically spread Islam
foreign