We were staying in a haunted house. It
was very haunted for almost 2 years and
he changed. He had his personality.
Cabinets would open.
>> Mhm.
>> Um the surround sound would turn by
itself would open and close and then all
of a sudden it's like it followed us or
something. It started to happen again.
your husband at the time, he was
dwelling into some kind of a
>> I went to a priest. I didn't want to be
in this kind of a relationship and the
priest told me I went in the bedroom and
I saw him in the closet and he he was
looking at it and that's when your show
kept popping up. Let me watch this. What
What is this teen show? You know
>> this is the the
assalamikum. Greetings a peace. Welcome
to the dean show. We got another
exciting episode. We have Mary with us
here at the Dean Center in the studio.
>> Salam.
>> How are you?
I was very uh touched. You brought me a
a gift here.
>> Yes.
>> Yes. Thank you very much. I'll go ahead
and open it. Beautiful. Thank you. Okay.
This first time I'm seeing it. You guys
seen it too. Thank you. Alhamdulillah.
Thank you, brother Eddie, for helping
save my life.
Alhamdulillah. Then you have a
paragraph. Um
it says, "Sister Miam the Italian, all
praises to Allah. Thank you for his
infinite mercy and God. It is though his
divine power and I led to discover the
the light of Islam and and a significant
part of that journey was encourag
um encountering brother Eddie. His
dedication and his message he shares on
the dean show truly became a beacon for
me during a time when I was searching
for the truth. I am eternally grateful
to Allah
uh tala for his persistence with me for
guiding me to brother Eddie's efforts
and for allowing me to finally say the
shahada may Allah the almighty bless
brother the immenscy amen for his
unwavering commitment to spreading the
beautiful message of Islam he is truly a
light in the world alhamdulillah
alhamdulillah alhamdulillah praises to
the creator of the heavens and earth wow
this means this is amazing this is
amazing we're going to have find a spot
up here. That's a really heart touching
gift. Thank you so much.
>> So, it says Mary the uh Italian.
>> Yeah, they know me at TMC as Miam the
Italian.
>> Yeah.
>> And you named yourself um was it before
it was always Mary and then now people
are seeing you wearing the hijab and
that's uh Jesus's mother is also named
Mary. So, let's go back. Tell us a
little about yourself. Tell me, tell us
um um you know how this all started
where now I'm getting this gift and
there was a before all of that and how
we came to here but let's let's uh start
with the early beginnings a little bit.
You're where you're born where you're
from your parents a little bit and we
can kind of go from there.
>> Well, I was born in Hollywood, Florida.
>> Mhm.
>> I'm the first one on my mother's side.
She's from Italy.
My father is uh American.
>> Mhm. Um and this really my journey to
Islam really started at the age of three
or four.
>> I started having uh dreams, Islamic
dreams which I I never even seen a a
Muslim before at that age and I wasn't
understanding what I was seeing. Mhm.
>> Then later in life, I finally realized
the meaning behind those dreams.
>> And and what were what were those dreams
early on about that?
>> Um I dreamt that uh I was in a cave
where there was water and there were
sisters in a hijab.
Um and this little girl fell into the
water
and she was drowning and nobody came to
save her. So I dived in and I saved her
and then all the sisters came to the
little girl.
>> Yeah.
>> So that's like saying
I believe that I was the little girl.
>> Mhm. Did you share these dreams with
anybody?
>> No.
>> No. Nobody. Okay. So life goes on. Were
these dreams coming consistently or that
was just at that time when you were
around four? What? Four or five years
old?
>> It was three or four.
>> Three or four. Yeah.
>> So around that time. Was there a lot of
them or just was just
>> I had another one that was really
>> so was
>> really powerful. Um I
>> I mean it must have been powerful that
left that imprint on you that you still
remembered it at that young age and then
later
>> Yeah.
>> as you got older. I was um I was in the
bathroom and this girl came running in
and she handed me this something in my
hand and she said to protect it.
>> Mhm.
>> So I go to look down and it was a a
necklace, an eight-ointed star necklace
with a black stone that was floating in
the middle.
>> Mhm.
>> And when I looked up to see her, she was
gone.
>> Mhm. And I believe that that black stone
in the center was the stone of the
Cabba.
>> Mhm.
>> And I remember looking in all the
jewelry stores and everything trying to
find what this meant. And there was no
Google back then. And
>> uh looking in encyclopedias, but I never
got any answers.
>> I mean, you never guessed anything. I
would I would assume that at that point
you didn't know anything about Islam?
>> No, nothing. Um,
except maybe some things on the media.
What usually?
>> Never. No.
>> No. Never even seen a Muslim before.
Ever.
>> How about what was the religion? I mean,
Italians are predominantly Catholic.
>> Yes. Catholic.
>> Were Were your both your parents
Catholic? Were they practicing?
>> My mom was a pra Well, she wasn't really
practicing. My mom I um I had a hard
childhood. My parents were divorced.
So I always I never turned to anything
bad like drugs or alcohol or anything
like that. I always prayed to God to
help me
>> and um I even went and got my sacraments
myself from the Catholic Church.
>> What are for people that don't know
sacraments? What does that mean?
>> That's like your first communion and
your confirmation that you get in the
Catholic church. What does that look
like for someone that's never seen that
or has no clue?
>> Uh confirmation. You take classes and
you learn prayers and you memorize the
prayers and certain prayers
and you get uh your first communion is
when they take the bread
uh like they do every Sunday.
And
>> is that supposed to symbolize like I've
the flesh of Christ? the blood and Okay.
>> So, I I got all my sacraments, but I
always felt like there was there was
something missing.
>> Something wasn't complete.
>> Mhm. Something wasn't complete.
>> Right. There's something more.
>> Around how old were you at that age?
>> I was about 16.
>> 16.
>> Yeah.
>> So, what happens uh from there? At that
at that point, you said you would always
pray to God. Now some people
they understand that it's just the
creator God but some people will mix up
Jesus in there. What was it at your
time? Were you praying to God
or Jesus or Trinity or how was it at
that time?
>> I was always praying to God.
>> That's a key point. Just to the one God,
the not to Jesus.
>> No.
>> Yeah.
>> I never asked Jesus for anything.
H that's a key point. That's really
really uh something to for those hearing
this for the first time. That's very
important. Yeah. Just praying to the God
of Jesus. Yeah. So then what happens
then? So you're 16 and from there life
goes on and still not you still haven't
met a Muslim or
>> no
>> nothing about Islam.
So I um at the age of 18 I got a job at
a yogurt shop
>> and these two brothers had boughten the
shop and they were from Pakistan.
>> Mhm.
>> And that's when I kind of got you know a
little little introduction to Islam. I
would ask a few questions, you know,
here and there and they would answer and
but I was always still afraid because my
mother, she was an overbearing Italian.
So
>> your mother was a what?
>> An overbearing Italian.
>> Overbearing Italian. Italiano.
>> Italiano.
>> Yeah. So, uh, she would talk like this.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. So, I got a little, you know, you
get a little scared.
>> Uhhuh. you know, but
>> so traditional Italians. I have some
interesting facts here. I don't know if
uh you probably knew this if for people
that don't know that, you know, Muslim
Sicily, that's one of the biggest
islands there, Italy. Muslims actually
ruled Sicily for over 250 years.
>> Yeah. And uh Polmo became a major center
at that time for learning, commerce,
architecture
and you can see so many um good things
that came from because many people are
like okay what good did ever Muslims
produce but from that time that Muslims
ruled uh for 250 years. Sicily I that
was a major city there in Italy. Most
people don't know this fact but I
thought that was interesting when we're
talking about Italy. So continue on with
your story. So then you have uh your
job has you encounter a couple Muslims
and then they tell they they share
something about Islam. You ask them
questions.
>> Mhm. I questioned them, you know, like a
lot of people like you hear about
polygamy and stuff like that. So I would
be asking them, you know, just your
typical
someone who wouldn't know about Islam
questions. Yeah.
>> So,
>> and then um from there, what happens
next?
>> Actually, I wasn't Muslim at the time
and I didn't know
uh that you're not supposed to date.
>> Mhm.
>> But I did date a Muslim man
>> before.
>> Did he know that or he just really
wasn't practicing?
>> He wasn't practicing.
>> Yeah. That's unfortunate.
>> That's unfortunate. Um there's a
statement that thank God I got to know
Islam before I met some Muslims. Have
you ever heard that statement?
>> Because a lot of sometimes Muslims are
not practicing Islam properly. So then
they give the the wrong image.
>> Right.
>> Yeah. So then what happens at that
point? Was the were the dreams did you
kind of forget about that already?
>> Yeah. I've totally forgotten.
>> You forgot about the dreams at this
time. So around 16 17 now.
>> Uh yes.
>> Yeah. So the dreams are forgotten.
>> Mhm.
>> Okay. But later something's going to
trigger it. I'm assuming. Okay. So then
Okay. So you go on and now now you're
you're dating a Muslim.
>> Mhm.
>> He's uh he's obviously he's not
practicing.
>> No.
>> Okay. So then what happens from there?
Well, um towards the end of the
relationship, because it didn't work
out, um his sister-in-law, and I'm still
friends with her today,
>> she uh I was starting to
get more curious about Islam, so she
handed me a few books to read. And then
I had moved to uh Georgia
from Florida.
>> Mhm.
But I still I wasn't,
you know,
I was curious. I was kind of reading,
but I wasn't quite there yet.
>> You're still going to church. You're
still Catholic.
>> Yes, I'm still going to church. I'm
still Catholic.
>> But why aren't you satisfied there? Or
why aren't you Okay, you're going to
church. You got a religion,
>> right?
>> Why don't you just stay with it?
>> It's something inside that's kind of
it's like a void. I don't I can't
explain it. It's like there it's it's
missing. Something is missing.
>> Something your your heart is not
contempt,
>> right?
>> Okay.
>> So,
well, moving forward, I met um
which I had been married before, but at
this point, I met my second husband.
>> Mhm. Um,
and we were married for about
four years
>> at this time and we decided to move to a
different part in Georgia.
>> Mhm.
>> Oh. So
there
we didn't know but we were staying in a
haunted house.
>> It was very haunted for almost two
years. And he changed. He had his
personality, everything had totally
changed. It's like a total different
person.
>> How did you determine it was a haunted
house? That's very interesting. How How
do you
>> Nobody's going to move into a haunted
house. So,
>> well, we didn't know at the time.
>> You didn't know at the time. Were there
any graveyards nearby? Was there
anything?
>> I don't think so.
>> Anything that would signal kind of red
flag like
>> No.
>> No. So, no clue. It's a haunted house.
How do you determine now it's a haunted
house?
>> Well, cabinets would open.
>> Mhm.
>> Um the surround sound would turn by
itself real slowly. The doors would open
and close. You would hear a baby cry all
the time.
>> Um I was in the shower one time. My son
was out. And some I thought it was him
walked in. I told him to get out. I'm
taking a shower. And then I went out
there and he said, "Why? Why did you
come in there? I was taking a shower.
Said, "What are you talking about, Mom?
I've been here the whole time."
>> You know, stuff like,
>> uh, but by the before we moved Oh, it
would also play with my kids' toys.
>> Mh.
>> So before we moved,
we were in all all our rooms, our
bedrooms, but by the time we moved, we
were all in one bedroom.
>> Yeah.
for because everybody was so
>> And how long did you said this last
couple years?
>> Almost two years. Yeah.
>> Was it something frequent or was it
occasional sporadic
>> that things would happen that were
abnormal?
>> No, it was sporadic. Uh we would go on
vacation and we would even switch locks
and the for some reason all the doors
would be opened when we got home.
>> Yeah.
>> I mean it was really I don't even think
I would
want to drive by that house again.
>> So then So then how
did you guys decide? Okay. You stuff you
you stuck it out two years.
>> Yeah. Well, one time my daughter was
born, my youngest one, and she was in
her bassinet.
>> Yeah.
>> And she was laying on top of her
blanket.
>> Yeah. I went to answer the phone and
when I came back she was turned over and
the the covers were on in such a way
that there's no way that she turned over
and the covers were like that.
>> So I said, "Okay, it's one thing to open
cabinet doors and all this, but when you
start messing with kids, that's a whole
different thing. So we need to get out
of here."
>> Yeah.
>> So,
uh, we packed up and I called my father
and we we left.
>> Yeah.
Did you Did you later Was there anything
later that you found out about this
house?
>> Yeah.
>> What?
>> Nobody lived in that house no more than
two years.
>> Uhhuh.
>> Ever. I looked back at the records to
see and no one's been in that house for
a full two years.
>> Yeah.
So then it just from there
nobody's But did when you go back, was
there any kind of event that happened in
that house? something that that you guys
uncovered? Anything else besides no one
living in that house? Anything the
history of it?
>> The I um
it was
>> like if there was some kind of um
tragedy that happened there or any
anything else like that?
>> I never found anything like that, but I
know we were near cotton fields.
>> Mhm.
>> I guess where a lot of slaves might have
used been.
>> Okay, that's what I'm trying to figure
out. Okay, that that's what I'm trying
to figure out. So
>> tell us. So there was cotton fields and
they used to have slaves running those
cotton fields next to the house.
>> It wasn't next to the house, but that
that place is known. It has cotton
fields all still to this day all over.
>> Mhm. And and those are just empty now.
>> No, they still do grow the cotton.
>> Yeah.
>> You know, but um where the house was
there was
I don't know if they might have grown it
before.
>> Yeah. So at that point your your husband
he's not Muslim.
>> No.
>> Uh you're not Muslim. No nothing about
Islam because obviously we would connect
right now. You know what we would you
pro you probably know what it is by now.
What would have been in that house,
right?
>> Jin.
>> Jin, right?
>> So
>> yeah, that's why I mentioned graveyard
or um abandoned places. They like to
inhabit the and we have that whole
topic. It's very interesting for people
when you look into it. The world of the
jin. So haunted house we say.
>> We had a dog too and she would bark in
the closet. Hit the closet and bark all
the time.
>> Yeah.
>> So and at that time you had a dog in the
house.
So what So you guys are out of there
now?
>> You left.
>> Okay. So what happens next? Next we
after my father we stayed there for a
few weeks and then we moved near my
mother in a different part of Florida
and for a while everything was okay. No
surround sound going up anymore.
Everything was perfect. And then all of
a sudden it's like it followed us or
something. It started to happen again.
>> Mhm.
>> The surround sound started to go.
Um,
>> so so now you're in your new place.
>> Yeah, a new place.
>> Yeah.
>> Uh, it started to happen again and I'm
like, "Oh goodness, this is Here we go
again." Um, my daughter was potty being
potty trained at that time and she she
told me, "Mom, I I can't go to the
bathroom." I said, "Why not?" She said,
"Cuz this boy is sitting on my my
potty." You know, those little training
potties.
>> Yes.
So, I had to act like I said, "Okay,
little boy, get up. Let her go to the
bathroom."
>> I mean, you couldn't see anything.
>> I didn't see anything.
>> She's saying she's seeing something.
>> Yeah.
>> So,
um
so then
we decided after that
I I found out later
that my ex was using a Ouija board.
>> Oh, okay. Now, that's a key component.
Now, so your your husband at the time,
he was dwelling into some kind of a
Ouija board, messing around with the
unseen world, devils, and whatever he's
assuming he's going to get done with
that Ouija board,
>> right?
>> Is he doing any black magic? Anything?
Because you open up the door like that,
you just don't know what else to expect.
>> I didn't see him do it, but I found the
Ouija board and he said it was
>> You found the Ouija board?
>> Mhm.
>> Okay. He didn't He wasn't open with you
before about it. This something he was
doing in secret.
>> Yeah. So tell him. So you find the Ouija
board.
>> Do you confront him then?
>> Yeah. He's like, "Oh, it's a game. It's
a game."
>> Oh, yeah. What a game. Okay. You what'
you invite over here? I mean, this ain't
fun anymore, right?
>> Yeah.
>> Wow.
>> Yeah. So
>> So that's Wow. So that makes sense now.
>> Yeah. So you got a Ouija board and how
how did he get into how he's because
that Ouija board from what I know is
you're calling on these spirit you're
calling on these jin at the time you
don't call them jin you don't know what
they are but he's calling on something
from the unseen
>> right
>> yeah so um
>> you see this is uh
>> and his that's when
>> very dangerous
>> yeah and that's when he starts he's
changing even more as a human being it's
like it's a total different person I
don't know who this person is who? Your
husband at the time?
>> Yeah.
>> He started to become a little abusive.
>> Yeah.
>> No. So, uh then uh after that we ended
up going back to Georgia.
>> Yeah.
>> And uh one time I was um
my daughter needed to take a nap. So I I
said I'm going to go upstairs, lay with
her, let her, you know, fall asleep and
I'll get up. Mhm.
>> I was so tired I fell asleep and he you
know he came in and he kicked me in the
stomach.
>> And I and my the other my other daughter
was right there seeing the whole thing.
>> Why did he do that?
>> He didn't want me to sleep.
>> Mhm.
>> I was like exhausted. I accidentally
fell asleep when uh you know
>> Yeah.
>> when she fell asleep.
So, you know, it got kind of turned into
this different person.
>> Yeah.
>> And then he decided he wanted to go live
near his family. So, we went to his
family back to Daytona, Florida.
>> Yeah.
>> And that's when
I went to a priest because I couldn't I
didn't want to be in this kind of a
relationship.
>> Mhm.
And the priest told me
that I couldn't get a divorce because
that would be considered a sin.
>> Mhm.
>> And I thought to myself, why
why would God want you to stay with
somebody
who's like that, who treats you like
that? That doesn't make any sense,
>> you know. So I went on
we finally technology
um went on to my laptop and I kept I was
trying to get some help
>> to get out.
>> Yeah.
>> And that's when your show kept popping
up.
>> Mhm.
>> It's like it had nothing really to do
with the being help for abuse. But your
show every single time it kept popping
up. So So I said, "Huh, let me watch
this. What what is this Dean show?" You
know?
>> Yeah. So I started to watch it and it's
that's when everything started to make
more sense spiritually.
>> Mhm.
>> And um I even looked at the you had
sections like in the library. Yeah. The
library section. I started looking
>> uh going through that and looking it up.
And
um
so then it made me stronger to be able
to leave, you know,
and I called my mom up and I said, "Mom,
please can you come get us?"
And she said, "Okay, I'll be there
tomorrow."
>> Mhm.
>> And she was coming from
uh Northport, Florida to Daytona. So,
she came the day before she came to get
me.
I seen my ex. He was looking
I went in the bedroom and I saw him in
the closet and he he was looking at his
gun.
>> Mhm.
>> And something inside told me, "Act like
you don't see it."
>> Mhm.
>> You don't see it. So, I act I listened.
But sometimes I don't listen and that
gets you in trouble. Mhm.
>> You don't listen to that little
>> So, uh, the next day before my mom got
there, he told me, "You know, I was
looking at that gun. I was really
thinking about using that gun."
So, alhamdulillah, my mom came and she
she picked us up.
>> Mhm.
>> And I continued
to look uh look at the Dean Show. And I
would do it at night with my headphones
on, nobody, you know,
>> because I'm afraid of my, you know,
>> um,
and then I started I said, you know,
this makes a lot of sense. I want to
know more. And, and I did write your
show, but I never I never got a
response.
>> So, something told me, write, you know,
write the uh, guests that are on the
show. So that's a good idea. So I
started writing but nobody ever uh
replied except when I wrote uh Dr. Wid I
think that's his name. I can't remember.
Wii
>> and a couple of months later I imam
Ibrahim
uh wrote me.
>> You mean you mean you said W Bassoon?
>> Yeah.
>> So W Shik Wal Bosni you wrote to him and
he got back to you. No, it was a
different uh imam to my surprise. But he
was from the same uh
>> Ibraim.
>> Yeah, Ibrahim.
>> Ibrahim. Yeah, there he has an assistant
imam.
>> I don't know if he's still there, but
yeah, he I think it was Ibrahim. Yeah.
>> So, um he started to write me and I
wrote him and then he uh introduced me
to his wife, Sister Katherine.
>> Mhm. and uh she started to talk to me
and everything and and then I had an had
a dream, another dream, right,
>> that made me say, "Okay, I'm going to go
to my local masid."
>> Mhm.
>> Uh so I went to I looked it up and I
asked them, you know, how should I
dress? How should I, you know, because,
you know, this is my first time ever
going to a masid.
So they helped me out with that. And um
I went and the imam was really nice.
Uh it was on a Friday. It was on my
birthday.
And
um he gave me some pamphlets and had me
sit with the in the sister section and
said the sisters would be coming and
they would help me. So they came, but it
didn't feel very welcoming. They were
like I can see them staring at me and
you know and so I felt a little
uncomfortable.
>> So when it was all over I just took my
hijab off and I I uh walked to the car
and then there was this brother there
and he's like hello sister. And I was
like I just want to leave you know.
Yeah. I just want to leave. So, I went
home and I told uh Imam Ibrahim and
Sister Catherine what happened and they
were they apologized, you know, they
said they're not, you know, you're
supposed to be welcoming and
>> Yeah.
>> and things.
>> Absolutely. Y
>> and um so I uh that's when Sister
Katherine told me that he knew you and
you wanted to talk to me.
>> Mhm.
So I we had to set up a time because I
couldn't talk in front of my mom.
>> Yeah.
>> And uh so
I talked to you and brother uh Dr.
Sabil.
>> Dr. Sabil. Yes.
>> We were on the phone and we talked for I
think about two hours.
>> Yeah. So
>> it was about two hours.
>> Me uh Dr. Sabil and you.
>> Uhhuh.
>> Okay.
>> And then uh that's when
>> you had a lot of questions, huh?
>> Yeah, I had a lot of questions then. So,
so then um I decided you said you I
should take my shahada, you know. So,
>> I took my sha right when we were going
to you were going to do the shahada,
your phone died.
>> Mhm.
>> And Dr. Sabil's like, "Don't hang up.
Don't hang up. He'll be back on." I
said, "Okay."
So, we waited and he came back on and
then I said, "My shahada."
Alhamdulillah.
>> Alhamdulillah.
And that brings us to uh our meeting
here today, sharing this amazing story
with um the viewers so more people can
benefit from your story. And how did
your mom take that?
>> When did you tell her? How long after
did your father and mother find out?
>> Well, the first person I told was my
brother.
>> Mhm.
>> And he told me
>> older, younger.
>> Younger.
>> Younger brother.
>> And he told me, "Good luck with dad."
>> Good luck with dad.
>> Yeah. He didn't care. He was like,
"Okay, so you're Muslim. Okay. But good
luck with dad.
>> And later he did pass away in a cave. He
was scuba diving in a cave.
>> Yeah.
>> And he passed away at 35 years old with
my nephew.
>> Mhm.
>> But um
>> your father.
>> My brother.
>> Your brother? Your brother. Okay.
>> My brother and my nephew. Yeah. But um
when
I wanted some more books and stuff, so
we made a PO box and I got stuff sent to
my PO box so my mom wouldn't find out.
>> And I had pamphlets and I kept them in
my dresser. But one day I came home
and my mom came to me
and she said,
"I was doing some cleaning."
>> Wow. And behind the couch, I see this.
And she pulls out.
>> We see what's coming out. Yeah.
>> She's like, "Are you one of those
Islams?" I was like, "What?" You know,
I've heard a lot of things, but that was
>> Are you one of those Islams?
>> Yeah.
>> I was I didn't say anything, you know. I
just
>> She meant to say, "Are you one of those
Muslims?"
>> Right. But she said, "Are you one of
those Islams? If you're one of those
Islams, I'm going to take your kids
away."
>> Wow.
>> Yeah.
So I knew at that point I had to be on
my own in order to practice Islam, learn
more about Islam and
>> and so I moved and my journey really
started, you know.
>> Yeah.
>> After I
>> Has anything changed since with your
father and mother?
>> My mother passed away last year.
>> Um I took care of her helped take care
of her the last four years. is even she
never
she never approved of me being a Muslim.
But I know Allah subhana wa ta'ala wants
you to take care of your parents. So
regardless of how she felt towards me, I
still took care of my mother in her last
days.
>> That's really a takeaway from here for
those who are non-Muslims are watching
this. You can see a mother who rejected
you because of her misunderstanding. She
I'm sure if she really knew about Islam,
not from the propaganda media because
she was pumped up probably with all of
this these negative stereotypes, but you
still she rejected you, but you didn't
reject her. You came to actually take
care of her for years before she passed
away.
>> Right.
>> That's And that's only because of uh
that's the teachings of Islam. Yeah. To
still honor your parents.
>> Yes.
>> That's amazing. And then your father?
My father's still alive, but he doesn't
he doesn't accept it.
>> He's
>> Has anyone other than you tried talking
with him?
>> They My parents never want to hear it.
And you know, and I've done things like
when my was taking care of my mom, I
tried to like leave the Quran on the
table. So maybe maybe she'd take a peek.
>> Did you ever share one of the shows, the
Dean show with them? Maybe he see cuz
they're thinking, "Okay, these uh guys
are Arabs, you know, they're thinking,
you know, all these different, but they
see maybe another Italian Muslim,
American, Bosnian, someone kind of looks
like them and they'll be like, "Okay,
maybe more." The guard will come down.
>> No, they're pretty headstrong.
>> Yeah. If let's say I've called your
father, say, "How what's his what's his
name?"
>> Chester.
>> Chester, how you doing, Chester? Would
you mind if I gave you a call, Mr.
Chester? We'll give him this. We'll
short with a clip. Mr. Chester, dear,
uh, father of Mary, I'd like to talk
with you. Would you uh uh accept my
invitation for for a phone call? Let's
see what happens. Huh?
>> You never know. You never know.
>> Yeah. Inshallah. So, maybe we can share
this with him. And if he'd like to talk,
I'd like to talk with him. Yeah. I'll
make time.
>> So then, okay. So now, um, how how's the
how's the journey? How's the journey
been so far? How's, uh, since you took
your shahada till now? Well, after I
took after I moved to uh Spring Hill,
>> yeah,
>> I had some sisters um show me to pray. I
I used to work the night shift and then
I would take five classes during the
week
>> on Islam.
>> Uh and
I just wanted I was just wanting to know
more and more and more. So
>> now now you there comparing earlier in
your story you're at the the church and
I say why don't you stay with it
something was missing is that you said
it's a void is that void filled now
>> it is what's the difference in the
feeling
>> it's the way of life the way you live
>> and I know I lost a lot of family
>> I lost a lot of friends but
alhamdulillah I gained the umah
Wow.
>> So, so you have a a new family of
sisterhood of
of the um the community. Yeah. So,
that's filled. The the void is filled
now. You know your purpose in life.
>> Yes.
>> Why you've been created? The evidence
has been clear. Everything's laid out.
Tell us about the dream now. When did
it's come up again?
>> I was watching your show.
>> Uhhuh. And in the background, I saw the
eight-ointed star.
>> And that reminded me of that dream
again.
>> Which eight-ointed star?
>> Uh the one with the um the necklace
>> with the metal stone was floating.
>> Yeah. That was somewhere in one of the
episodes.
>> Yeah. You had a a eight-ointed star like
by your name. Must have been an old one.
>> Oh, one of maybe one of the logo. Yeah.
I'm trying to think.
So, you saw something that connected
with your dream through one of our
shows, something that we had a design or
something that and that and that kicked
back triggered the memory from when you
were four and had that dream.
>> Mhm.
>> Okay. Wow.
>> So, I looked it up. I I don't know if I
don't know if it's what the actual I've
seen two things and I don't know if
they're correct. I really should see a
imam or you know someone with more
knowledge
>> but um the eight-ointed star I know it's
in the Quran like when the juice
>> um and I read somewhere but I don't
can't remember like it's a seal a seal
of the prophet
>> so
I'm not exactly
>> yeah there's not too much symbolism with
something with like people associate
cross with Christianity even the the the
moon and the star. this is not really
something that's um uh labeled to that
came up later but there's nothing that's
really okay you have to be connected to
this like people are connected to a star
where the crescent with you know that
came later but uh we don't have much of
that symbolism
>> but it's interesting that there was I'm
sure it was some kind of design
something yeah and then it connected you
saw wow
>> and then I looking back I see all the
different times it could have been.
Allah was persistent.
>> Yeah.
Subhan Allah. And then um no more jin.
>> Oh, no more jin. After I I we filed
after I left him, I never had a problem.
And when he would come to pick up the
kids, I would play Albak.
>> Surah Albak. That's second chapter of
the Quran to chase away any of the the
shiatin, the devils, the the jin. Yeah.
Wow. What what advice do you have for
people who are kind of in a similar
situation? They go to um their religious
institutions. They're not happy. There's
a void. It doesn't add up. God being a
man, three in one or or many of these
man-made religions, it's it just doesn't
fill. But you see, there's a big push, a
lot of money is being spent to push
people away from Islam by demonizing,
stigmatizing, and misinformation
campaign about Islam. But they're tuned
in just like you. They tuned in. What
What advice would you give them?
>> I would say to really do your research.
Go to your local masid and talk to a
imam that you're the media. They they're
there just for entertainment purposes.
Mhm.
>> They're not there to educate anybody.
>> Mhm.
>> So I would go to an imam, even watch
your show, look at those things that I
saw in the libraries that you had all
kinds of subjects.
>> Yeah.
>> That they can learn about.
>> Now we have a chat box. We have actually
live people there. We give out free
Qurans. People could go there, ask
questions. Yeah. And I even on took a
test when I was uh before I became
Muslim on I researched the three
Abrahamic faith.
>> Mh.
>> And every time I took the test, it
always came back. I was Islam. Islam.
Islam.
>> Yeah. For those that um have never heard
this or have heard the word, but they so
many different things pop up in their
head. Islam I mean like uh you know now
it just means submission to the will of
the creator. Worshiping God alone. the
creator not his creation and if you can
understand and dig that I say pure
absolute monotheism everything else will
fall in place that's the main message to
have a direct connection with the one
who created you the one that Jesus
worshiped Moses Abraham they all came
with the same message submit your will
not to a human being but to the creator
of the creation and everything else the
one that all the prophets and messengers
worshiped and Muhammad is the last and
final messenger and we have the Quran a
living miracle proof and evidence
till the end of time, purpose of life,
everything you need is in there. And
then also the glad tidings of paradise,
descriptions of hellfire to avoid it,
how to avoid it, and it's your blueprint
for life. Now you're living it. Void is
filled. And
>> yeah, I'm trying to do as many good
deeds as I possibly can.
>> And for the people that know, um,
because a lot of times people I just
want to address this. Oh, you think
because you're going to get your way to
paradise because of good deeds. That's
the manifestation of your faith. That's
action. And at the end, it's God's mercy
and grace. That's how we end up getting
his paradise and his forgiveness. But
you got to act on what you believe. It
can't just be lip service.
>> Yep. So, doing the good deeds. Thank you
very much for for the gift. It was a
amazing surprise. I really appreciate
that. May Allah almighty reward you and
continue to bless you on your journey.
And uh I hope uh maybe I can speak to
your father someday
inshallah. Thank you sister.
>> Thank you.