the nicki manaj they're performing in
Jeddah what do you what do you take
aways Attica popular youtuber and
streamer has been found dead after
missing for nearly a week body man
whether it whether it would have been or
Beyonce or Katy Perry do a lip you know
any of these you know people as kind of
an example of a YouTube star young and
had a huge following praying in public
is not
Smee loud hum did a lot of Salam
alaykoum well I'll eco sellouts a lot
Eddie it's good to be back with you man
it's good to have you back last time we
were talking about Habib and Conner and
giving them great advice
yeah you know much alum and I actually I
very seldomly actually look at anything
that anyone posts from me on YouTube but
I did look at that video and I looked at
the comments and I think some people in
the comments assumed me to have been a
little judgmental and I want to clarify
that I wasn't judging her B for jumping
out of the cage and what happened could
have happened to any of us in terms of
losing control and I mean I understand
that we are emotional especially in
battle especially in combat I was just
saying that it would have been more
prophetic it would have been more
becoming of a Muslim to keep control but
I wasn't saying you know bad happy bad
no no no you know how could I criticize
her be for making mistakes that I've
made in my own life when I saw you last
time we saw each other at the airport
were you in combat with yourself like
many people I mean hamdullah
you sat there you prayed fudger in the
airport you know many people you know
it's very difficult it's it's you have
to struggle you have to you know do you
find yourself or just you gotten to the
point where just easy now how did lemon
you know praying in public is not
difficult for me I mean well it depends
on I mean we were in Chicago yeah if we
were in Texas maybe I would have prayed
before I got to the airport or maybe I
would have looked for a more private
place yeah to pray but usually I'm not
I'm not very concerned about my safety
I went praying in public but you know it
can get you know once I was in Iowa and
I was driving to Denver and I pulled
over at a gas station and I was I
mentioned and I was praying maybe mother
the Benicia or something like that and a
man who was observing me from a distance
came really close to me and kind of like
got so close to me that I could
like smell his breath as I was praying
and I did not break my prayer I finished
my friend yeah and when I finished the
accent my said man can I help you with
something he said you know I've never
really seen a Muslim before and I said
well you're looking at one he said I
just want you to know just because I'm
white and I live in this rural area I
don't believe everything the Fox News
says not shawarma and then he walked
away uh-huh you know what I'm saying so
I have been in some I've had some close
encounters but usually praying in public
is not it's not something that you know
I'm too concerned about this is what I
usually tell people when they're and
when they asked me are you are you
Muslim I usually I like defining you
know what what do you mean by Muslim is
it but what definition but FoxNews gives
or someone else or do you mean someone
who they're not going to find I'll say
or do you mean someone who's trying to
live a good you know wholesome morally
upright life believing in only one God
and trying to do everything to please
that crater and you know the one God in
this and that's if you mean by that you
know and then I said yeah that's Who I
am right
good people have this miss notion they
have obviously they think Muslim other
you know and all these other things that
come along with it you know of
negativity you know I think some people
almost in a knee-jerk way just associate
Islam with everything negative yeah and
with everything foreign so maybe seeing
somebody like you know you are Bosnian
yeah but you know to somebody walking
down the street you probably just like
you know a Caucasian American man when
you say you're a Muslim maybe even the
visual creates like a paradigm shift for
the like you're Muslim because they're
accustomed to images that strike them as
foreign yes and for people that have a
limited perspective foreign equals
dangerous if it's foreign it's something
I don't understand
something kind of inscrutable something
I can't make sense of something you know
covered and shrouded in a kind of
mystery but when you see something that
outwardly is something you can
understand but is actually telling you I
am Muslim it forces you to confront you
know some of those biases and prejudices
do you think when people see us praying
when they see you praying it's a good
source of Dawa do you think the the
heart and soul connects to that I think
you know honestly I think most of us
whether we see somebody praying
meditating I think when you see somebody
in the midst of chaos trying to have a
private moment with self even but even
superior to that with God trying to have
a private moment I think people look at
that and they think I need a private
moment because a lot of us I mean our
lives are just medleys of meaningless
activity what's the one thing to the
next thing one thing to the next thing
and when you see somebody doing
something very intentional they think
about our prayer that I think strikes
people is how intentional it is you know
you have to find the direction of Mecca
you have to actually know that you're in
a state of ritual purity you have to
recite surah al-fatiha the first chapter
of the Quran the opening you have to
recite another surah you have to bow and
even when you bow depending on your how
you've learned to pray your back should
be at a certain angle either slightly
like this or slightly up or straight and
you have to come back to aren t dad you
have to come back to standing you know
straight up you have to go and you have
to prostrate and take the highest part
of your Anatomy press it against the
floor all of this is very very
intentional of course we all struggle
with Joshua or reverence and presence in
our prayer but the prayer itself to
somebody you know looking or observing
it appears very intentional and I think
people naturally admire that it's
powerful I mean it's a powerful side you
see people doing it in congregation
doing it in unison it's only week we get
people motivated not to be to fear to
actually you know it can kind of be
intimidating you can be scared but I
brought this up to motivate to get and
how do you what do you like to say to
people who are kind of timid now
now it's like time you have that window
of opportunity if it's about the pass
and a lhasa want all the creative the
hammers that are out of his mercy he's
allowed you to combine prayers he's
allowed you to you know there's some
leniency there but at the end you cannot
miss a prayer so sometimes people are so
much more scared about what other people
think and they're going to say and the
time is flown and now you have more fear
of the people instead of looking if I'm
a Seattle colic
there's no obedience to any any creature
in disobedience of the Creator and you
know I don't want to make light of
legitimate fear you know young people
yeah women even you know men that are
non-confrontational and fear being
physically assaulted accosted I don't
want to make light of that just because
that's not a fear that I have yeah you
might have a person that is legitimately
afraid legitimately scared and you know
there are concessions that can be made
for that you know we can speak freely on
your show rancher but of course you know
even in the ICAM of jihad india and the
rulings about legitimate marshal
struggle there are certain rulings that
apply that if a person is afraid they
can pray while mounted if they're afraid
that you know maybe getting off of my
mount and praying I could be attacked or
I could be assaulted they could pray
while mounted and even if they don't
face the direction of the Qibla even if
they're on their mount horse camel in
our time a car a truck an airplane but
the in the state of battle and they're
afraid for their life any direction that
they face while praying the prayer would
still be accepted so my point is that in
our religious law things can change
because of legitimate fear when a person
is afraid like I'm I'm afraid I'm afraid
that something will happen to me so I
don't want to make light of that but in
many instances there's nothing to be
afraid of that's all I'm saying
but you have to come to that realization
on your own you got to be a warrior you
got to be a warrior you got to come to
that realization on your own we can we
say that warrior yah yah hey the warrior
Mujahid is a warrior
I was listening I was very
there's a kid what's his name jackal
Jenkins what's the guy's name jackal
Jenkins yeah he's a former Special
Forces soldier and you heard him
no no and he has he has a good book it's
it's for kids and and it's teaching kids
to live by a certain code and he's
actually he was using these words and as
I was thinking about he was weren't
using words teaching kids to be warriors
and then synonymous with the warrior
what he was teaching them to be was to
be of noble character to you know get up
to be disciplined and all these good
traits that like we're scared you know
and this is a part of it's not I said
look at this guy he's teaching this kids
if we were writing this book a problem
and people who say that we were
encouraging our kids to be terrorists
yeah
and it's it's strange because it's not
just Muslims every human culture esteems
courage as a virtue yeah every human
culture esteems fortitude as a virtue
every human culture esteems bravery as a
virtue putting yourself in a position
where you're risking something for what
you believe in we all esteem that and
even even you know every time I'm
talking to a neighbor a colleague you
know you know I said what about Memorial
Day what about Veterans Day we're
celebrating our American warriors we're
celebrating American warriors now we
won't go into a political conversation
about what those Warriors have fought
for you know American imperialism
slavery etc but we're esteeming American
warriors because in every culture people
that are willing to sacrifice something
or risk something in order to stand for
what they believe in these are people
that we esteem and that we respect and
we see as embodying values that we hold
sacred mm-hmm and as Muslims we
shouldn't be ashamed about that you know
I don't know I you know forgive me for
giving you a mouthful but I think one of
the reasons why is that our tradition is
being fine defined in a context that is
dominated by Christianity
and when you look at Christian
understandings of Jesus peace be upon
them he was everything besides a noble
warrior everything besides that so
you'll find that it's very hard for them
to reconcile the idea of being God
conscious with being a warrior but in
other cultures they don't have that
issue so like in like a lot of you know
in Eastern the samurai is a discipline
God conscious warrior yes in a lot of
the Hindu creation myths
the people esteem for having virtue
they're warriors you know so our
tradition being a warrior is not
inconsistent with being humble or being
modest or being a guy conscious or even
being a peaceful person being a warrior
is actually very consonant and
consistent with all of those things
because we got such beautiful words
Muslim one who submits to the will of
the creator of the heavens and earth
just like Jesus and all the other
prophets people are scared now to
identify as being a Muslim jihad to
struggle and strive you know for it for
you know to to submit to your Creator to
do what's right to do it's morally right
to stay away from us evil as soon as you
said you had you know it's like people
people think holy war yeah an attempt to
establish a theocracy you know which it
doesn't I mean jihad doesn't mean holy
war doesn't there's only about war so
the so now you you have these terms that
others will use and you're like hold on
these are these are there literally
hijacking our hijacking it from our
terms and then the Quran from the Sunnah
they use it usually to spread fear and
panic yeah you know and this is what we
have to you know reassume control of our
narrative you know tell our own story
there has to be of you know paramount
importance or eaat there it's it's um
it's connected to some history of the
rise of the Ottoman Empire
it's a hit with not yet Muslim Islam's
and it's on Netflix right and you'll see
after ball yes right yes have you seen
that I saw what episode was I know I'm
completely outing myself as a lame right
now but that's why people love it you
know because you see a Muslim you see
people out there doing jihad they're you
know making justice prevail and your
boss and and and it's a hips there's
some things that I think as a as a
species and this is something I think
true of people in this kind of liberal
society and this kind of I mean
philosophically liberal we're in deep
denial of certain parts of our own
nature's yeah you know there's a reason
why combat sports are always popular hmm
there's a reason why movies that feature
violence are always popular even among
people who themselves maybe would never
strike anybody certainly so they maybe
never have even handled a firearm or
shot a firearm there's a reason why you
know when you hear like rap artists and
they are representing a certain kind of
masculinity you know talking you know
about guns and talking about wealth and
talking about their conquests with the
opposite sex and talking about there's a
reason why even though I agree that much
of that that we mentioned is corrupt
there's a reason why it does strike a
chord in both men and women because
there's a part of us that honors those
things but we've never seen them
represented in an honorable way and this
is what I see in the example of the
Prophet Mohammed our lives not what's
that but we try to deny that we try to
act as though oh that doesn't mean
anything to us no no when you see
someone who was capable when you see
someone who is successful when you see
someone who was powerful when you see
someone who was strong when you see
someone who was fearless
there's a part of you that I think on a
deep perhaps even primordial level you
admire that you admire it now maybe it's
difficult to kind of separate it from
the corrupt expression of it the corrupt
expression of it that you're seeing
because it's connected with sin and
Yehudi and evil and lavato and all kinds
of harm that's being caused to other
people but the core virtue being
expressed there we respect it yeah I
point to this because it's hard nowadays
to bring something to light that you can
point towards that now it strikes some
kind of example for instance that people
can take away and that just humanity has
become and I focus on it becoming a
number one hit with non with not yet
Muslims non-muslims out there it's not
just Muslims and they wouldn't have it
on Netflix if it was something that you
know wasn't something good I'm sorry as
far as Islamic Lee now that you can
point towards on people for instance the
D masculinization of men you watch this
and you see when men were men and women
at the same time showing respect towards
women how the Muslims treated women how
women treated also respecting the men
how just as a society they were
functioning and there was they were
striving for justice and peace and
things were very more harmonious as
opposed to things have just been yeah
you know being destroyed little by
little no yeah I think that when you
look at you know those older and perhaps
even a little romantic yeah you know
depictions of the past they just remind
you of a time when things were more
ordered yeah you know a man had a
certain role there was a certain ideal
that he was expected to live up to
or even in not living up to it he was
expected to you know pay homage or to
honor this ideal of being a man there
was a certain ideal that a woman was
expected to live up to yeah even if she
didn't conform to it she would either
see herself as something unique or but
and usually she still respected a
certain ideal of femininity a certain
ideal of maternity etc etc and I think
that yes maybe we feel that we've we've
broken free of these expectations of
conformity but we often don't see that
it's those expectations that give a
culture direction that you you know
whether you like it or not you can say
it's rigid and does not describe me in
the four
my reality sure but those things give a
culture direction yeah we know what we
honor we know what we esteem we know
about where we want to go so it's easy
for us to believe in ourselves right now
we have this kind of everybody is
defining themselves
everything is so self referential me
what I think and yes maybe it feels good
but it won't go anywhere
yeah a culture like that will never be
ascendant it will never be exemplary for
anybody else it'll just be chaotic
really and maybe we're all you know fati
home like the law says we're all
rejoicing about what we have but
collectively you can't move with no
ideals you just can't do that
yeah a couple things that are hot topics
you know I want to get your feedback on
one was the Nicki Minaj they're
performing in Jeddah what do you what do
you take aways you know I don't you know
you know what Nicki Minaj's yeah do you
know on the one hand this is a recording
artist
performing at a venue in a city in the
Muslim world somehow I think we have
greater expectations of Saudi Arabia
that they somehow police or they somehow
regulate you know the kinds of
entertainment the kinds of outlets that
you know their populace can enjoy for my
part her being there is not her being
there is just like her being in New York
Paris Chicago Cairo Dubai Abu Dhabi I
don't Jed is not it's not a it's not a
part of the Harlem Jed is not a
sanctuary you know for Muslims this was
in Jeddah
now somebody says she's gonna perform a
mecca mukarrama but you you can't think
like who would organize something like
because I just now think now that not
but my
but my point is this being esteemed as
kind of like we are we are arriving we
are progressive we are it's so
unfortunate to see people who now locate
their value and somebody else seeing
them as progressive to say that you know
Nicki Minaj is performing in a place and
people who want this performance can go
see this performance people who would
morally be outraged by the performance
will stay away from the performance and
the people who are morally outraged by
it they want to raise their voices and
encourage other people not to go all of
that is well within everybody's right
right all of that is well within
everybody's right but for people to
posit this as some kind of arrival in
you know we are now a thoroughly first
world country we are progressive mr.
fitton are liberal it's definitely to
fit in here you know it's in it's sad to
see because you think to yourself with a
society that has been given the material
riches that many of the countries in the
Gulf have been given yeah if you don't
have any self-esteem now where's there's
a if you don't have any reason now and
you have you know a commodity that the
world is in need of in terms of the
patrol yeah you know it's almost like
it's it's it's it's disheartening but I
do but I do but I also recognize they
must be given you know permission to own
their own historical experience well it
reminds me that can we see coming to
fruition the statement from is it no
matter the ohon where he talked about if
you try to see care is through any other
means other than the Deen of Allah along
with the base you
that's what say no I said can we connect
that to this of course you try to seek
your is that through any of you try to
seek honor or dignity through any other
means other than the Deen of Allah Allah
will debase you and it's almost like
that should be you
that warning should be issued not out of
condemnation and criticism but out of
love meaning this is not the wait like
right now you all could be establishing
and I get in terms of that that that
that that won't a fester or that that
competitiveness you know Muslims and let
me let me just kind of go into this a
little bit how we're a religion one of
the I'm not gonna call it it's not a bad
consequence but it's just a consequence
you know in the Christian understanding
of the ending of Jesus Christ of course
not our understanding right in our
understanding and the Jewish
understanding a messiah is always
victorious
that's very interesting in the Jewish
understanding and the Muslim
understanding a messiah is given victory
by God however in the Christian
understanding of the end of the life of
Christ he dies being crucified in their
understanding we know that he was not
crucified in the Muslim understanding of
the end of the life of the Prophet
Muhammad SAW Allah why they were
suddenly may God bless him and grant him
peace he dies as the sovereign leader of
all of Arabia that for us kind of
indicates that we are supposed to be a
success we you know associate a certain
amount of worldly ascendancy a certain
amount of worldly dominance with God
being pleased with us sometimes and I
think this is something we do that can
get us into some trouble so a lot of the
Muslims in the Emirates in sorrow D they
just want to compete with the west
meaning we don't want to be seen as not
being on par with them we don't want to
be seen as being less bad but we have to
remind them that you have to change the
terms of the game you will never be able
to win playing somebody else's game
they're creating the game they're
creating the terms you have to somehow
summon the confidence to play your own
game then you will be a winner and your
game can be culturally inspiring it can
be beautiful it can be dignified it can
be peace
it can be your own you know expression
of progressive it can be all of that but
you must define it for yourself you know
I remember being in Abu Dhabi and I went
to the Louvre
Abu Dhabi and I thought to myself even
if you wanted to get into you know
collecting and displaying fine art why
would you name your museum the Louvre a
museum that already exists in Paris
because it's a culture of imitation even
with the why would you even if you
wanted to do this on your own terms you
could have said you know what we're
going to create a fine art museum par
excellence on par with anything in the
world and it will feed your Islamic
calligraphy
it will feature we're gonna do this our
way yeah but you call it the Louvre Abu
Dhabi and then you pay a hundred million
dollars for a picture of Jesus you don't
have it you don't have it mm-hmm if you
don't have it you don't have it yeah
well well this is I mean I I look at
this for you know for the the youth and
just those god-conscious people in
general you know Muslims too to know
there was a famous statement that the
biggest trick that the devil of a plate
I mankind was to convince him that he
doesn't exist did you have you heard
this I have heard this so you see these
things and then you also look at the
prophetic you know statements authentic
statements from the Prophet SAW so nice
and you see a lot of these things now
this is more proof about proof that
these things are coming to fruition you
start to see you start to look and you
like wow these things are starting to
happen there's minor signs and yeah you
see that yeah I see it and then you see
that we're happiness truly is because
then you see people like lune what's his
name Napoleon many of these people who
came from that lifestyle and they come
out and they you know Allah exposes
what's in there I mean many of us have
experienced many of those things we know
people and you see there's nothing there
yeah these are these are these these are
the highlights you know people died like
you know are empty faith in a certain
world where a lot of people would like
to be and even if that world is empty
and fake
it's still intoxicating yeah you know in
the same way that you know cocaine and
being addicted to cocaine it's it's an
empty proposition you're not gonna win
but it's still intoxicating and for and
for a brief moment it can fill a person
with a you know a kind of excitement
that you know for many of us might be
unimaginable the kind of excitement but
it takes a special person that in the
midst of that can actually see through
to its core right you know there's so
many places in the Quran where Allah
addresses the order and Bab the people
of innermost core people that have been
given insight people that can can kind
of see into things for what they really
are so people like lone and brother
Napoleon and you know and not just them
I you know we can't just focus on
rappers other people that like they were
in the middle of you know a culture that
you know it was like six
enesta size of numbers you the feeling
anything of the spiritual and they still
reached and strove for the spiritual you
know these people like are heroic in
many ways yeah so this was all kind of
an introduction now let's get to the
main plate now what's that because all
of this all of this leads to what this
individual that we're gonna we're gonna
react to next using this as kind of an
example of a youtube star yeah young and
had a huge following so I want to just
go ahead and let this play and then get
your reaction because this is also a
growing trend people look up to people
like this and then you see like hold on
he had the followers he's got some Fame
but then at the end what happens
Atika popular youtuber and streamer has
been found dead after missing for nearly
a week
Atika whose real name is Desmond went
missing on June 19th after uploading an
eight minute long video titled I'm sorry
that appeared to be a goodbye shouldn't
push the many people
the video which has since been deleted
by YouTube contained a lengthy
description that read in part I'm sorry
I never sought help for myself my time
ends now but if there is a way for me to
I'll send you all as many blessings as I
can from the other side following the
video on June 20th the NYPD shared they
were looking for etiqa On June 22nd the
New York Post reported his personal
belongings were found along Manhattan
Bridge on the evening of June 24th
police discovered a body in Manhattan's
East River
the NYPD tweeted On June 25th we regret
to inform that desmond AKA Etica has
been found deceased his cause of death
is unknown at this time the online
community began sharing condolences
including his former girlfriend Alice
who tweeted I want his funeral to be as
big as his personality
his heart and his spirit I loved him he
is finally at peace
Atticus struggles became a major concern
for fans over the past year no go home I
don't want to open the door in April
police detained him over mental health
concerns which he streamed on Instagram
live in May he returned to YouTube with
a new channel do I have to explain
necessarily what happened I missed out
on so many things while I was gone in my
my little hiatus is - you know where
Erika began creating videos in 2012 and
was best known for his reaction and
gaming related videos what's going on
very popular have you ever heard of them
never heard I never heard of them but
people it was brought to my attention
and it just stands out because he's a
young guy you know a very sad situation
but this is what's happening what second
leading killer in the world is suicide
yeah they said that you know we're
seeing rates of anxiety and depression
that are just off the charts man and you
know many people suspect that you know
social media there's a direct
correlation to our exposure to social
media and these
these rising rates of anxiety and
depression mm-hmm
so when you see this many times and
there are I mean mental health issues
are something that's legitimate
you know people struggle with but never
is it mentioned you have spiritual
health issues yeah no I mean I think you
know how much does that play a role I
mean I mean they're all interconnected
yeah I think that you know when we talk
about them as though we're talking about
you know distinct and separate entities
you know your spiritual health your
mental health your physical health
they're all connected and you know when
I saw his when I saw this report by
Entertainment Tonight today you know
whatever the channel was you were
showing it just reminded me that you
know when you are performing for an
audience and I think this this is
something that every performer runs this
risk whether they are you know some
bloggers some kind of YouTube video
creator or a person that you know
performs on big stages and from the
auditorium so even a person that gives
religious talks like what I do there is
a tendency to conflate or put together
the applause of the audience with
actually being okay as long as the
audience is applauding me because they
clearly think that I'm okay because
they're clapping for me you know they
clearly esteem me because they're coming
up and greeting me after the performance
has has finished but what do I think
about myself have I checked in with
where I am how I'm feeling what I'm
doing how my heart is in the midst of
all of this sometimes this is not even
on the agenda and you can find a person
you know Kate Spade you know for
instance men beloved to people and
millions of dollars Anthony Bourdain
beloved to people living a life that
everybody would say I mean that's the
real life most interesting man in the
world traveling and living among you
know different cultures and trying
different foods and having all of this
filmed and who could ask for more
quote/unquote fulfilling life than what
Tony Bourdain had but Allah
I'll a be ticketed let he touched my
inimical hmm is it something other than
the remembrance of God that gives hearts
rest yes yes this is what actually makes
a person feel at peace is being in touch
with their source being in touch with
their Creator everything else could just
really be window dressing yeah but
there's actually nothing in the building
there's nothing in there
there's nothing in the building is empty
you mentioned the window dressing you
talking about famous captive chef
Anthony Bourdain Anthony Bourdain killed
himself yeah yeah yeah well that was
someone also it wasn't apparent from the
outside you would think he was actually
I know him personally because he would
come to the train with me and my family
when they take classes of jiu-jitsu he
started training so every time he was in
Chicago we were his go-to for no kid he
seemed completely yeah but but then he
goes back to I think of the last in
front of messenger sent to mankind
Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be
upon him he said that there's a morsel
of flesh in the body if it's sound that
the whole body is so because we know
there's different there's components for
health I mean you know lifestyle you
know what you're eating how you sleep
all these things but now the main thing
would you say this is the heart man it
the heart I mean and the other thing is
now we're not talking about the physical
heart what are you how would you when
you hear this hadith you know it was a
layman which we're talking about the
essence of the human being the essence
of the human being sense of the human
being that's the heart that we're
talking about you know sometimes
referred to as the spiritual heart yeah
the essence of the human being the seat
of your personhood I can't touch it or
feel it brother what do you it's there
it's there and the Prophet also said if
it's corrupt the entire person is
corrupt if it's corrupt everything is
corrupt yeah the essence of the human
being the seat of your personhood and
many of us we just haven't invested in
it and sometimes these performances and
I'm addressing myself and everyone else
that has a very public job sometimes
these performances can be the biggest
distraction to actually getting to that
mother ha getting to that lump of flesh
you know getting to that to that to that
most of the flesh and and checking to
see that it sound mm-hmm
III this is an example of many Anthony
Bourdain is for some of the older
generation you had Robin Williams you
have many people out it doesn't exclude
that you can be someone also who's
practicing the Deen Islam you're going
through challenge but at the end there's
always light at the end of the tunnel
like to compare it that there's that
hope that you know they did studies with
with mice where they had them in a box
one was fully closed and the other one
was slightly open so they can see the
light at the end and they were trying to
get out and they found that the ones
with the light they still had hope and
these ended up living a ended up living
out living the other ones by like 30
times more so yeah no no I mean I think
and the other thing too when you believe
in God
yeah you know that you're not ultimately
in control
yeah you see I think one of the when I
look at you know suicide and I'm not an
expert by any stretch you know there are
people that are much more qualified to
talk about this than I I'm speaking just
as a person has just my religious
background my training and that's kind
of the the tool kit that I work out of
but I think there's also this idea of a
person believing that they're ultimately
in control of this yeah that drive you
crazy that'll drive you crazy if you
believe you're ultimately in control of
this you know part of what we have in
believing in God is that a little
whistle wolf [\h__\h] that hand hold that
that that firm grasp that doesn't break
as Allah described God describes it so
that no matter what is going on no
matter what is happening we believe
Allah is the author of my reality
and Allah is with me Allah didn't bring
me this far to leave me yes
Allah brought me this far and Allah will
bring me through it and that's something
that people who actually have strong
faith they can rely upon that you know I
often teach about like you look at the
story of Yusuf Yousef went through a lot
Joseph went through a lot from being
betrayed by you know his brothers to
being sold into
to being sexually assaulted to being
imprisoned in spite of his known
innocence to being forgotten about
fellow inmates that he served he went
through a lot to getting out of prison
but still being estranged from his
family I mean he went through a lot to
reconnecting with his family in a highly
unusual way he went through a lot but
what gave him the ability to go through
it was that he knew that all of it was
connected to meaning mm-hmm they say the
difference between suffering and
sacrifice is meaning a person suffering
they don't see any meaning in what
they're experiencing they just see it as
completely haphazard man why is it
happening to me but Islam gives you the
meaning the meaning is it's sacrifice
it's just sacrificed in the manual for
sabio that you don't be hiding hey Sam
God says only the patient will reap
their reward with no reckoning meaning
only the patient I want to get their
reward on the day of judgment how will
God make you one of those patient people
yeah without giving you some hardships
yeah without giving you some trials
without giving you some afflictions so
you see all of it is having meaning and
entailing sacrifice that I have to go
through to get to where God wants me to
be and when you have that it boys you it
gives you a special kind of you know a
fortitude when you don't have that
you're really on your own and well who
little insanitary feh everything we need
is in the Koran yeah the human being has
been created weak so if you believe
you're on your own
that means you feel that you're left to
your own devices and God is telling you
you are weak any of us left to our own
devices we might falter we might succumb
might we might we might cave but if we
rely on God now your that's Gibraltar so
that something solid that there cuddler
when you when you are relying on their
color where you just you've done
everything in your power but the end
it's a relief you just it's it's out of
my control out of my control and this is
what gives you ease relieved it
it's whatever God wants yeah it's
whatever God was
it's whatever God wants yeah and and and
and and and the better your relationship
with God the better construction you're
able to put on whatever your reality is
you I read something where a person was
telling a person that was striving for
something but didn't realize what they
were striving for know that your your
Lord has not denied you anything out of
stingy nuts because your Lord is not
stingy yeah I get amazed when you go
into some of these self-help these gurus
out there motivational speakers and Tony
Robbins you know the many that are out
there that people pay thousands upon
thousands tens of thousands of dollars
to go and get advice from and many of
them use hearing repeating some of the
same things as if they stole it from the
crown it's enough yeah and I remember
one statement by one of them he's saying
to grow you have to suffer easy to grow
you have to suffer check this out man
check this out anything I was sitting
with a friend of mine and he's an
accomplished poet but he had recently
decided to write a screenplay before a
movie and I was asking him you know how
was it going you know what's up and he
said man it's one of the most spiritual
things I've ever done I said really he
said yeah I said Wow
he said well I have these characters and
I'm kind of like in control of their
destinies you know I've read their
stories and if I want to expose any
virtue in a character I have to give
them trials that they overcome that's
the only way that I can expose a virtue
in any of the characters to the viewing
audience is that I have to give them
hardships and I have to show them
overcoming those hardships that's how
you see their virtue I'm still stuck on
stupid I'm like he's like such as the
case of a loss offender what Tyler with
us if the law wants to make any of our
virtues known he gives us trials that we
have to overcome or he gives us blessing
that we have to be thankful for there's
no in-between you're either in a state
of nama for which you have to give
thanks sugar gratitude or you're in a
state of empty lab tests adversity in
which you have to be patient
and if you do either of those you know
in the corresponding circumstance you
know page I mean test or blessing you
have passed the tests if you don't
doesn't mean that you should give up
there's just more for you to learn it's
just more for you to learn and you know
some of what we're thankful for as we're
learning as we're making mistakes as
we're accumulating the cuts and the
bruises and scrapes is that God is
allowing me to stay alive long enough to
learn from my mistakes man I'm just
thankful to God for keeping me alive man
so that I can learn from some of my
mistakes in and try to get better and
I'm thankful to all of the people that
are loving me through my mistakes man
especially my wife you see you see that
the more you you take the time you get
to know your Deen you study it you see
that all of the the blessings that are
in it you deprive yourself of it if you
don't take the time to learn these tools
that are there to help get you through
the challenges of life there in the dean
there it's not all of them are men and
this is why the Prophet is a human being
you know Allah said you know exact for
man you know whenever I come and sit
with you man it's just so much pouring
out it's so much coming out you know I
like Eddie you know and there's so much
more in ours but you know it's a common
rebuttal a common reply to many prophets
you guys are just human beings like Bush
little myth Luna you did your human
being just like us but God intentionally
makes the message of human beings so we
can see how people of exemplary faith
deal with the ups and downs of life deal
with loss deal with blessing deal with
death deal with bereavement deal with
poverty deal with hardships deal with
sickness deal with affliction God wants
us to see this is how a man or a woman
of faith should deal with those things
if the messengers were angel
yeah we wouldn't be able to see that hmm
you know we wouldn't be able to see that
yeah so it's like that's part of why the
messengers of you are human examples
because they have to deal with human
beings man yeah the ups and downs of
life we go up and we go down that's just
the rhythm of life if you see someone
like Edeka or someone like Anthony
Bourdain or or the Robbins the actor if
they had these tools for instance the
one that comes to mind and you can go
ahead and elaborate it on it where the
Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be
upon him where he said all of the
affairs for the believe are good yeah
how are they good you know if some good
touches him he's thankful to Allah and
if some evil he's patient yeah and so
the whole house but someone says how is
how is that possible how are all the
affairs good I don't know you know Allah
and if he had that if he had that that
two of those tools those resources see a
lot of this you and this is why you know
love of the Prophet peace be upon him is
an important aspect of our faith a lot
of this stuff might be difficult to
digest if we're just thinking about this
like you know me trying to convince
somebody that patience is a good thing
no there has to be a person that you
esteem that you love that you see how
they ended that I can point to and say
look at how they dealt with this Ibrahim
died and the Prophet peace be upon him
his son how did the Prophet deal with
that yes there were some tears that were
you know with the Prophet wasn't robotic
it wasn't a person that put on this fake
face of like oh it's all good you know
my son just died but it's cool you know
he wasn't he wasn't it wasn't a robotic
person but you see in his character the
benefit of having patience and this is
what I would the way you do it is do you
know what's called my Maci so you do it
through wanting to emulate somebody that
you see as having triumphed in life that
you see is like they had hardship and
they overcame and look at them and if
they can do what I can
do it I might not be able to convince
you if a person is in the depth of
despair it might be difficult for me to
convince them that well let me give you
some logical theorem as to why you
should not feel despair or why you may
say man okay that didn't work but what I
can't say is look at this person look at
them look at how they overcame this look
at what look at how God blessed them
even in this life for the next life
don't you want to be like that don't you
want that well if you want that you have
to take the steps that they took to get
there yeah you have to put your foot you
have to put you have to place your feet
in their footsteps and you can get there
right look at the candle a comfy
rasul-allah he swore to hasanah
truly you have in the messenger of God a
beautiful example but you have to be
connected to him but to want to follow
that thats why I kept stressing now and
we're putting it all together now we
mentioned Nicki Minaj if you're sitting
there you know wasting your life wasting
your time listening to the likes of and
them taking them in examples because
we're creatures of imitation you're
gonna try to imitate you know that's
your role model end of the day instead
of immersing yourself in this Deen and
putting a you don't have to be a scholar
in the Deen but putting aside time to
learn it to understand it to be
convinced of it right to consciously
submit your will to Allah through Islam
then now it's a different it's tightened
a different ballgame a different
ballgame different ballgame you have
it's it's an experience that one has to
open themselves to you know again we are
creatures of imitation and we are
creatures of habit and if you spend your
time you know when you sit with anybody
could be Nicky could be chance the
rapper could be yo-yo ma could be
although you no longer item all I mean I
we got we got love for all of them to
come to the D you know yeah we're not
we're not we're not we're not we're not
demeaning you know these people even
don't even though one thing I someone
sent me even though when you look at
like someone like Nicki Minaj you look
at their lyrics they are clearly like
elevating themselves like there a deity
next to a lot the things that's things
that you know people who listen to them
when you read some of their live
it is you know these are agents for the
devil you know I I had a I think I said
this last time I was on the show but
there's actually a thin line between
boasting and showing gratitude yes yes
yes it did line you know the person
boasting at the very least they do
esteem the blessing they do think that
what I have or what I am or what I can
do is a big deal the mistake they're
making is what they're attributing that
to themselves it's because of me it's
like Carl Carl had all of this money and
they were saying thank thank God for the
money you've been in the ot2 who I let
anything in there indeed I mean I've
been giving this money because of a
certain knowledge that I have what do
you mean thank God but for a person to
esteem the blessing you know I think if
we were to give them some kid if I were
to sit with somebody like a Nicki Minaj
or Kanye or any any you know talented
person I you know I feel bad when we
just pick on people in the hip-hop
community you just pick a rock star but
yeah right you got those also those
truckers the ones who are you know and
if I would have sit with them you know
my approach probably would be to you
know offer constructive something
constructive I'm saying you know you're
halfway there in that you know you
believe you have something good yeah
Ryan you believe that you're talented
you believe you believe that you're
beautiful
you know what about that hadith of the
Prophet he looks in the mirror you know
it was only a couple of weeks ago I was
reflecting upon this and I thought to
myself man how deep how beautiful Allah
who my ass and the whole don't think of
my center kunti oh Allah make my
character beautiful like you've made my
form beautiful yeah the Prophet is not
denying the beauty of his outward form
but he's saying what number one the
beauty of that outward form was given to
me by God and then he say let's start
with the outward but let's go to
something more important hmm the inward
exactly right let's start with that but
he's not he's not he's not failing to
acknowledge the outward he said no I'm
God has made me beautiful I acknowledge
that but let's let's use gratitude for
that
to take us to what a request for
something even more important than that
yeah so I would say to any of those
people you know if you feel like you're
attractive or you feel like you're
talented you feel like you're creative
you know you're halfway there in terms
of you see a blessing it would be better
if you acknowledge the source of the
blessing even better if you use the
blessing in the way that that source
once you talk absolutely you know but
the fact that you acknowledged somebody
that's completely depressed might be
much further from Allah than that I
person that's nothing is good I'm
nothing I don't have anything I'm ugly I
don't have any talent I'm not creative
I'm poor I'm stupid I'm dumb a person
like that might be actually further from
Allah because even the blessings that
God has given they don't even esteem
yeah I think got nothing so if you don't
have anything how can you even
acknowledge the source of what you have
you think you don't have anything yeah
at least these people they think they
have something so let me tell you where
what you have comes from and you do have
something let's let's grant that you got
something let me tell you about where it
comes from once you know where it comes
from
you honor the one that gave it to you by
using it in a way that he's pleased with
yeah I had I had the opportunity to
interview uh another well-known legend
in the music industry not too long ago
Sinead O'Connor if you know her yeah
Sinead O'Connor she was actually the one
who came out to Conor Conor McGregor
actually had her come out as you know
the they had those songs the people who
will sing this rewarm live yeah for her
wing it was before she accepted Islam
but anyways she was given some advice
way back in the day because she had gone
through that industry scandalous
industry Rob cutthroat just using you
abusing you and she was trying to give
advice
our sister Sinead O'Connor was giving
advice to I believe Kate Perry or one of
these and you know got a lot of love for
her so this is someone that they could
take an example a woman who has has come
to Islam who has you know experienced
the other religions she has articulated
you know her position now that she's
finally found the purpose of life and
she's
good example that they yeah she took a
bold step you know yeah and and and
she's you know just look at look at look
at what life she chose someone who was
also in that industry because you take
it to the to the end result where is it
gonna get you at the end you know what
see you know they say that they say that
these artists are since we're talking
about just one point these artists are
actually seven times statistically
seventeen or eighteen times more likely
because they're more depressed
highlights from the outside you think
it's all hoots in glamour but there's
seventeen eighteen times more likely to
commit suicide so if you look deep down
your side you don't Nick him in that
she's not you know there's no happiness
really truly in the inner soul in the
heart you know it would be you know I
think I think it might be a little
forward for us to say what's in
anybody's home yeah I mean God knows but
but I would say but but it's but it's
but it's but it is telling that you know
people that are in the spotlight and
people that everybody is esteeming
everyone loves everybody wants to be
close to sometimes you know they feel
the most alienated man you know cuz you
know one thing about the music industry
I think but you know the sports industry
I think many casual fans they don't
separate the talent itself from the
industry there's a you know stuff like
we were talking about last time the idea
of being a martial artist
there's discipline there's nobility that
the idea of being a prizefighter or
fighting in the MMA your connection to
this art to this craft is being
commodified by people whose interest in
this it's business
people whose interest in this is money
and I think that even that probably
produces something when you feel like
you know I got into this because like
maybe I love song or I love art I love
folk music or but to be in the company
of so many people that like I am the
product that they're selling that must
be humanizing in some way and I think
that sometimes suicide or suicidal
ideation it
could be a desperate attempt to let the
people know there's a human being in
here mm-hmm you know you just see me as
a product something to be marketed
something to be so people see me as
something to be photographed alongside
of people you know some people see me as
something - right - some people see me
as an object of their lust some people I
mean there's actually a human being in
here maybe you'll see that when I take
my own life there's actually there's a
human being in here this I'm not a
product and I think that you know in our
time when you have people like regular
folks using the term build your brand
man that's scary to me you know now I
speak publicly maybe some people you
know invite me out I don't think I have
much of a following I'm not on social
media anything like that and I'm not
saying I'm a saint because I'm not on
social media I have my own way you know
I do some stunts if my wife said she
said no you got on social media but you
definitely do so you definitely do some
stunts but I am very wary about making
myself into a product
even the stunting that I do I hope I'm
seen as a human being trying to figure
this out I'm a human being trying to
worship Allah yes like anybody else
I need validation like anybody else I
have things that myself that I'd like to
express but I don't want to be made into
a product I don't want to be made into a
commodity I'm not into that I'm a human
being and when you see something from me
I want it to be viewed as something from
a human being that hopefully is sincere
hopefully is earnest and is trying to
figure out how the worship is Lord and
and and and and be in this world but I'm
not doing anything in the interest of
building my brand yeah I'm not into that
that's that's too impersonal automaton
and dehumanizing for me
and you have regular people now you know
this would be great for your brand it
just it makes me feel strange yeah so
separating Nicki Minaj as a person from
the acts that she's doing the immoral
acts and the things that obviously go
against what she was been actually truly
created to do
the life that the creator the potential
that she truly has when she would turn
herself to the creator of the heavens
and earth what what what do you have to
offer what what if if not right now and
in closing Nicki Minaj so we don't come
off someone's all you guys judging her
does die no but actually sending her
some love now because when you share you
care and now you're sharing with Nicki
Minaj was potentially tuning in that
what was she gain if she's leaving all
this right all of this what she has now
with all the start on the following
would it be more Beyonce or Katy Perry
do a lip you know any of these you know
people what or just the sister down the
street because I can say look cuz I and
I'll hand it over to you because at the
end of a and we say this with love okay
because at the end of the day we're
gonna die we're gonna leave this world
oh that's a sure and we're not just
gonna turn into dust and if a person
continues on if you disobey you're eight
you're your boss at work you're gonna
get fired right god almighty did like
Muhammad Ali he would be you know taking
the match and he would put in under his
hand and he was reminding himself he
said man if I can't bury Muhammad if you
can't bear this for her are you gonna
bear the Hellfire that so if a person we
know God Almighty is the most loving the
most merciful is Nicki Minaj she changed
her ways and she came and she's humbly
submitted to the one God the same God
Jesus worshipped and Moses and Abraham
and she's humbly submitted to their
crater those bad deeds can turn into
good deeds right yeah what would you
offer what can you offer her to ever sir
thinking appendixes to anybody - a man
whether it was Nicky whether it was
doing lyft or whether it was Katy Perry
whether it was you know the sister down
the street whether it was the stripper
in a nightclub stripping the nightclub
the executive the brother southern drugs
the the the corrupt politician you know
anybody anybody I would I would say man
that you know God intends that we have a
relationship with him
and wherever you are whatever you're
doing you are not excluded from that and
that you can turn to God and God will
turn towards you if you strive to to
build that relationship God promises you
that the 90 I know him so well enough we
will guide them to our ways God will
guide you and I would just start by
reminding them that God is close you
know faith outside like anybody I need
for in your clip if my servants ask
about me then tell them that I'm close I
think one of the mistakes that we often
make with you know people just in
different kinds of adverse circumstances
and we start talking about their
behavior right away you know why you're
wearing this why you're saying this why
are you selling this why are you doing
this and it's like even though I know we
mean well we could be shooting ourselves
in the foot we should probably just be
talking to them about God is there God
is merciful God is forgiving when you
when you have a relationship with God
you will find fulfillment you will find
contentment you will find peace you will
find beauty you will do what you you
will be given dignity through that you
will be given honor through that you
will be given elevation through that you
will be given purpose through that you
will be giving me you will be given
meaning through that just reminding them
about God God God God and telling them
that it's a feeling that you already
experience those feelings you know
sometimes it's like we're dedicated to
blocking God out you know that that
feeling that maybe you that feeling of
when you were being awarded that Grammy
Award when you were starting that new
car whatever that feeling that I'm not
worthy of this or why why is this
happening to me or that is what when we
feel that it's suggesting to us that we
know that somebody else is in control
man somebody else is doing this say me
let that feeling lead you to the one
that has given you all that you have
those moments of transcendence where
maybe you were in nature and you just
felt a harmony in the world that's God
those moments of like I say deep
appreciation feelings of harmony that's
God let that grow and then when it grows
I you know look to establish an
intentional relationship with God God
has not just left us - our feelings
about him that you know I have these
feelings and I don't know what to do
God has given us messengers giving us
prophets to show us how to bring these
these feelings to their most righteous
and fullest expressions and follow those
and I would exhort them to learn about
the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
learn about what he taught learn about
his life because I think for people like
that the example of the Prophet is
something that I think they could
respond to because this is somebody
living righteously and living fully see
I'm you know one thing I would say to
somebody living at that level I mean I'm
not telling you to - I'm not I'm not I'm
not going to even pretend like you're
not living a high life we're not gonna
pretend like you know you're not
experiencing things that are wondrous
that you're not experiencing things that
are captivating and inspiring and you're
going places in you you're doing things
there's a way that you can do that
righteously I'm not telling you to
become a monk and give away all your
possessions and you know take an oath to
poverty right you know I'm not I'm not
telling you to do that
I'm telling you experience those things
beautifully experience those things
righteously and if you do that there
will be something even better for you on
the other side if you do that all of
these blessings and everything that you
have this will just be a precursor to
bigger greater blessings that are with
God when we die and when we meet him or
we can do it our way and this will
really be the height of our experience
not sure this is it yeah I hope I hope
you had a blast yeah
that's it right and sometimes I mean you
know you have to experience the best of
this stuff to really you know not I'm
not gonna say it's empty because I think
that might be a over generalization but
it's definitely limited you know I don't
care how nice the car is it's gonna get
old man okay I don't know I don't care
how nice the home is after a while to
just be coming home I don't care how
nice I don't know how delicious the food
was the food that you're instagramming
and look at this it's still gonna end up
in the same place yeah it's limited but
if you allow those things to be a
preview to create a blessing then I
think they're serving you well so I'm
not I wouldn't turn toward them in any
judgment allottee I in fact I would even
admit that look man I'm just a little
guy from Chicago I might not even know
what it is to be that kind of draw for
people I don't know what that test is
like you know but no test is too great
to prevent you from submitting to your
Creator that's probably what I what I
was saying they got the men she got the
message nicki minaj katy perry and
anybody else always a pleasure continue
to support the deen show look out for us
you know I am with the American Learning
Institute for Muslims we can be reached
at Island program
Alim program org we're actually in the
midst of our summer program right now
you know a three-week study intensive
that we do it's being held at
Benedictine University so anybody who
wants to come out visit us will be there
until the 28th they can come out and
visit us
anybody who wants to you know see the
work we're doing can check us out online
and it's always a pleasure to be with
Eddie man always a pleasure there's nice
time here the game show in the Dean show
you know your consistency man you know
your program is always so consistent
your style has been consistent for years
and I think because it's so consistent
maybe it's something we take for granted
a little bit so I just won thank you
tell you keep up the good work come to
the line
keep working man keep
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peace be with you assalamualaikum