come and see what everyone's talking
about
alhamdulillah peace be unto you welcome
to another episode of the dean show
which is a way of life we try to put out
there for everyone to see helping you
understand Islam and Muslims and today I
have a very special guest Abdul raheim
green so you don't want to go nowhere
we're going to be right back to cover a
very hot topic so sit right there we'll
be right back on the dean
show peace peace
peaceful
peum how are you yeah I'm good man how
you doing alhamdulillah thank you for
being with us today on the dean show
it's a pleasure bro we're going to get
straight down to the topic let's go you
used to be a former Christian that's
right yeah now you actually help educate
Muslims on Islam yeah that that I try
along with non-muslims of course yeah
that of course yeah yeah now today it
seems like it's a taboo to talk about
God but you know what it's the hot thing
to talk about sex drugs rock and roll
music all these things are things that
are talked about in social social
Gatherings but when you want to bring up
the why we're created the true existence
of the human being why he's been created
why he's here it seems like you know
what I don't got time for that help us
figure out why is this I think people
are scared you know um some people are
scared it scares them because they they
sort of know that they're living a lie I
think people know they all know that sex
drugs and rock and roll does not make
you happy they know deep in their hearts
that wealth does not equal
happiness um and the moment you you
bring up the topic of God you bring up
the to topic of religion and the truth
is whether you're a Christian or whether
you're a Jew or a Muslim or whatever you
know you you're reminding people of the
very thing that they're trying to run
away from
so that's why they feel uncomfortable
about it you know it's like you know
when someone's doing something bad um or
maybe you know you if you're that sort
of person and you're doing a bad thing
and someone comes to you and and tells
you you know you shouldn't do that well
some people you know they take it well
and they take that advice and they take
it on board and they even appreciate
that you've advised them but most people
start making excuses you know and they
get uncomfortable and and they're sort
of like oh don't talk to me you know
leave me alone let me just get on with
my bad life you know and stop disturbing
me and I think that's what it is you
know when you bring up these topics
people feel uncomfortable because um
they have to start looking at themselves
and looking at their lives and they
don't want to do that so what's the best
way to approach someone and get their
attention and to explain to them to talk
to them because in one way or another
somebody is mimicking somebody and
usually they're mimicking the Stars I
want to be a star I want to be like this
person that's on TV yeah well I I I
think the best way to deal with it is to
um is to be persistent and to be
friendly I mean if you approach people
in a friendly way and you approach them
in a manner that you know they believe
that you know that you really are
concerned about them and you're talking
about these things because these things
are
important uh and that you don't want
them to
see you know their lives being messed up
so I think it's more to do with the tone
and the attitude and the way that you
talk you know I think what people find a
bit stressful is if you just sort of
come in sort of to like some Evangelical
you know um in that sort of way I don't
think people like that yeah um but I I I
still think
that you know at the end of the day I
think the truth is at the end of the day
when you when you read the Quran you
will see that at the end of the day the
fact is that all the prophets were
confronted with the fact that by and
large their people didn't listen to them
and didn't like what they were saying
and didn't want to hear what they had to
say especially the rich amongst them you
know always the prophets met with
resistance from the rich and the
powerful people in society because they
were the ones who felt most threatened
by that
message um and so you know it I'm not
saying that we shouldn't try to talk to
people cuz we should you know it's up to
Allah he's going to guide who he wants
to guide
but you know history has told us and it
repeats itself that you know people
living in that type of society tend to
think that they're self-sufficient they
tend to think that I don't need God I
mean I I've I've met Muslims mhm
Muslims um who they don't even really
think of themselves as Muslims anymore
you know they're so confused they're so
messed up by this society and by the
materialism they don't even know whether
is a God or Not Right But when you get
down to it
when you really get down to it it's not
that they don't know there's a God it's
not that they don't know that Islam is
the truth when you really get down to it
they just say what do I need religion
for I have everything in my life I've
got a good job I've got a nice you know
uh I've got nice everything what do I
need God for what do I need religion for
you know that's for people who don't
have anything in their lives and this is
the problem wealth can easily make you
arrogant it can you know there's a
saying in in that Jesus is supposed to
have said mhm he said it's harder for
for a it's it's easier for a camel to
pass through the eye of a needle than it
is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom
of Heaven I think some of these
preachers they missed the uh this verse
when they H the Rolex yeah you're right
man and I tell you the thing is that
protestantism yeah especially the type
of protestantism that is prevailing in
the United States of
America um has a completely different
Viewpoint they they look at wealth as
being a sign of God's
favor um and poverty as a sort of sign
of God's disfavor MH and you know that
couldn't be something that's further
from you know the message of of Jesus uh
that's very obvious in the Bible I mean
you know uh and that has been the belief
of Christians for you
know more than a thousand years uh that
that that wealth was never really was
always looked really upon as something
not really that good um you know so the
the idea of materialism of course the
Islamic idea is that wealth is neither
good nor bad um that it's what you use
it for that is the issue you wealth is
good if you use it for good things and
it's bad if you use it for bad things
but the prophet sallallah alaihi
wasallam you know the messenger of God
may God's peace and blessings be upon
him the final messenger
Muhammad he uh he you know he warned us
about the dangers of the world and the
things of the world and in fact he said
he was more afraid for his his umah or
his his Nation the he was more afraid
for them that you know the world would
be open to them and The Temptations of
the world will come to them that this
was even more uh dangerous for them than
even the Antichrist and with all his
trials and tribulations that the world
is a real temptation to take one away
from from the religion um but on the
other hand Islam is not a monastic
religion it's not a religion that
teaches to you know abandon the world
and leave the things of the world I mean
you know you can enjoy the things of the
world as long as they you know you use
them in a way that is halal that is
lawful that's within the you know
teachings of the Islamic law and and uh
and as long as you're grateful you know
as long as you're grateful and you're
thankful to God and so if something you
know if you have a nice car and you
thank God and you praise God and and you
use it for something that is good that's
that's not a problem you know if you
have nice clothes and and you're
grateful to God because of that that's
fine it's when they make you arrogant
it's when you think because you're
driving a nice car and you have nice
clothes and you have a nice house that
you're better than other people and that
somehow makes you Superior then that's
what that's that what that's what
destroys you uh and so ultimately what
is important here is the character that
you have the condition of your heart of
your soul that you are humble uh and
that you are grateful to God and that
you you recognize your sins as a human
being and and that you ask God for
forgiveness this is the type of
character that a Believer should have
that a Muslim should have and and wealth
it seems you know does it has tendency
anyway to corrupt that it has a tendency
you know to make people feel that they
don't need God you know I've got
everything so it has that implicit
danger in it you know it's just
something we have to be be careful about
how about someone who's gotten in a a
routine like you said earlier
self-sufficient and now you know what
they say I'm a good person I believe in
God but I have to do my thing I have
to party on the weekends I have to have
a certain amount of girls during the
week and this is their primary focus in
life well I mean you know then you know
one thing contradicts the other you know
because good for us good is not defined
by what you decide is good or what you
know Joe blogs decide decides is good or
even what the houses of Parliament or
the white house or Congress or whoever
decides what is good good is defined by
God God is the one who decides what is
good and what is evil what is wrong
right and what is wrong you know
otherwise we just make our own morality
up for ourselves we can just make up for
ourselves you know we do anything we
like and say I'm a good person you see
this is I mean that's a very this is a
very interesting topic alog together
because you find that you know most
people if you think about it you know
there is a sort of you could imagine
graphically there's a sort of circle
right if this circle represents the
normal mode of behavior of people in
society so anything inside the circle is
you know everything inside that circle
is just that's how people normally
behave so as long as you do things with
inside the circle then people would say
they don't think of you as a bad person
because you're just doing what everybody
else does right but the moment you move
outside of that Circle all right then
you could either be described as being a
religious person all right because
you've moved outside of the ccle you're
not normal anymore you're religious
right or you could be described as an
evil person from The Other Extreme right
because you know again you've moved
outside the circle but if you think
about this circle it's totally random
and it depends completely upon which
society you live so the circle in Nazi
Germany right if you took Nazi Germany
what's the circle in Nazi Germany right
well if you're inside the circle in Nazi
Germany you're a Nazi you hate Jews you
think it's a good idea to put them in
concentration camps and you know burn
them to death or if you were a Serbian
you know in the the breakup of
Yugoslavia raping killing and murdering
Muslims if you're inside that Circle
that's considered to be good so I think
most human beings would recognize that
that's not acceptable that those can't
be considered things to be good and like
I often say to people I say okay you say
you know there's nothing wrong with with
me I'm okay I'm a good person I'm and
I'm not religious right but I mean you
know so in 20 years time if you think
it's a good idea to startop locking
locking up Muslims and putting them in
concentration camps and maybe
Exterminating them and uh you'd be
inside that Circle you'd be doing
that so what is that does that make you
good still because society says that's
good no we don't hold by that type of
random shifting morality where you know
your idea of what is good changes from
day to day and hour to hour minute to
minute so having girlfriends is evil
it's destructive it destroys you it
destroys the woman it destroys Society
it harms the family it belittles the the
intimate act the intimate sexual act
right which is you know which is not a
bad thing sex is not a bad thing in
Islam you know sex is a good thing but
it's good within the context of the
husband and the wife and they enjoy that
relationship and the act the sexual act
the intimate act you know is something
that is is given by God obviously for
reproduction that's one reason but not
only that it is something that brings
the man and woman close together it is
an extremely intimate thing and through
that they bond and through that they
they become close together now if this
act of SE is just treated like you know
um I don't know like you know I have sex
like I eat food you know whenever a
restaurant I I like whoever I like
whatever I like right then when it comes
to marriage what is there really to
keep those two people together what is
there to reinforce to make that Bond
okay what we read the same books we
watch the same movies you know I mean
these are not things to keep a marriage
going and this is one of the dangers
when you know when promiscuity becomes
abundant when people think that you know
you can just have sex with anyone and
whoever you like then that that we
believe that act that intimate act has
been created by God to be enjoyable and
to be enjoyed but within the intimacy of
marriage and that reinforces the
marriage and it builds the marriage and
it builds the relationship between the
husband and the wife so by forbidding
that outside of that context then you
reinforce the family and you reinforce
the relationship between the husband and
the wife this is the beautiful wisdom of
Islam this is the beautiful wisdom of
God's guidance and you could see that
you know if if people in society only
followed that we would have stable
families we would have stable societies
but no we live in a highly sexualized
Society mhm you know uh where this
intimate Act is is you know allowed in
all sorts of directions that has not
been approved of by God uh not in the
Quran nor in the T nor in the injil OR
in any previous Revelation that God had
sent to any prophets okay so what we see
in society is a is a moving away from
this and and I don't think it's right
for a person to claim that I'm a good
person when you're doing things that are
evil things you know that that's just we
can't accept that will winning the
lottery or achieving a certain Position
will that bring a person peace will that
bring a person contentment in life
nothing is ever going to bring a person
peace and contentment in
life except that they submit and
surrender themselves to the will of God
human beings have been created by God to
follow his
guidance to to
implement and to live their life
according to his perfect wisdom that is
actually how God has created us it is
therefore impossible to find true peace
and happiness in anything except that
because it goes anything except that
goes against your nature it goes against
the way you've been
created so uh no one will ever find true
happiness in willing the lottery anyway
even you know we could find lots of
evidence from this in recent
psychological for example surveys on
psychology and what makes a person happy
is something now that actually
scientists are beginning to study and
the interesting thing is that what
they've discovered is that actually the
most the happiest people and the most
satisfied people and the things that
bring happiness and satisfaction are not
the things that are most easy they're
the things that we have to work hard for
and it's actually even though the
working hard and even though the trying
to achieve it can be unpleasant the
ultimate end of it is a feeling of peace
and satisfaction and happiness that is
longlasting
um and and so this is the reality and I
think most people if you actually think
about it if you really for example
thought about your life and you thought
about the things that really stay with
you and that give you a feeling of
Happiness until
now you'll find there the acts of
kindness that you did and the things
that you had to make an effort in order
to do them that you really
sacrificed in order to be able to do
that act of kindness and that act of
goodness you had to sacrifice something
from your time from your money or
whatever it may be yet you if you think
back in your life that brings you that
thing is what brings you the most
lasting feeling of peace and contentment
and this is of course what Islam is
teaching Islam is a religion that
teaches us to do good to be good and to
do good it's not merely a belief it's
not merely I believe in Allah and I
believe Muhammad and I'm going to
Paradise no if you really believe in God
and you really believe in the prophet
Muhammad and you really believe in the
day of judgment then you will do the
Deeds of a person
who has that belief and so this is the
reality with belief comes action with
true belief comes action and so what is
that action it must be good deeds and
those good deeds are the things that
brings lasting happiness and peace and
Tranquility how does a person go about
deciphering because you have so many
religions claiming that they're the way
they're the the truth and some people
even get going to a level saying that
you know what all these religions were
created just to to form some order with
Society all this stuff is made up now
how do we deal with this well I mean you
could you know people can make all sorts
of claims anyone can make a claim you
can claim this about religion and anyone
can come along and claim yeah I you know
I've got a religion that's from God but
you know we say the proof is in England
we say the proof is in the pudding proof
is in the pudding yeah the proof is in
the pudding right you know it it's like
let's really see what's the reality okay
um so what we have to do is we have to
examine it we have to study it we have
to see there has to be some Criterion
there has to be some means of testing
whether something is from God or not we
don't shy away in Islam from rational
discourse in fact quite the opposite
that's what we want to encourage we
don't believe in Blind
Faith um but we believe that Faith must
be established upon some
Foundation um and though the topic of
how can we know that Islam is from God
how can we know the Quran is the word of
God how do we know Muhammad is a prophet
it is a very big topic it's a large
topic but for example the Quran gives us
just as one example the Quran gives us a
very interesting Criterion it says that
if this book was from anyone else other
than God you would have found within it
many
discrepancies because if God knows
everything and sees everything and is
completely
wise then surely a book that is from God
would reflect those attributes of God so
you wouldn't find that it has
contradictions you wouldn't find that it
is historically and scientifically for
example inaccurate you would find you
would expect rather that when God talks
about the universe or when God talks
about something in the natural world it
agrees with what
is observable reality now we know that
the state of knowledge concerning the
natural world has changed dramatically
especially in the last 100 years you
know things that you you and me take for
granted the development of the human
embryo uh through various
stages um we all know about that it's
common knowledge today but interestingly
enough it wasn't common knowledge 150
years ago because some of those things
were only known through powerful
scientific instruments that are able to
observe these things so it's interesting
if we go back to the time of the Greeks
that there was a lot of speculation
about maybe it was this and maybe it was
that and most of it was wrong yet the
Quran is a book 1,400 years old yet it
describes exactly the stages of human
embryonic development that's exactly the
sort of thing we would expect from a
book that is from God we would expect
that even if this book is 1,400 years
old when it talks about things that we
know today to be scientific facts we
would expect it to be in accordance with
those facts and that's one of the things
we find about the Quran that
historically it's accurate
scientifically it's accurate it's
consistent within itself so it it gives
us a sign a clue this is from God we got
one person out there or maybe several
who now they've been tuning on to the
dean show and finally they like what you
had to say and the other things that
we've mentioned on the show and you know
what they've had all the women they've
had the money they've had the status
they've had all these After parties and
the material things and you know what
theyve realized that Islam is not about
terrorism or terrorizing people they're
not about worshiping a man a monkey a
cow they know that Islam is about
worshiping one God him alone without any
partners you know what they want to come
to Islam can you give them the
invitation we'll be right
back welcome to the dino I'm your host J
we have a question from a questioner who
basically says that he's been
researching the various religions uh
that he's read quite a lot about Islam
and it's really appealing to him and
he's asking how then should I go about
accept accepting Islam what what are the
necessary steps that I have to do in
order to become a Muslim well we' like
to start off by saying that
alhamdulillah indeed Allah guides Those
whom he wills and Those whom he is
pleased with and we as Muslims believe
that each and every human being who is
Sincere and who is curious and who wants
to learn the truth we believe that that
person will eventually be guided to the
truth in other words because Allah
subhah wa tala because God is so loving
and caring because Allah is so just and
merciful and any human being who wants
to receive guidance will receive it any
human being who wants to accept the
truth will find the truth and so this is
one indication that we find from this
brother that he's been reading about the
religions and he's come across Islam
he's read about it now he wants to
accept it so how does one go about
accepting Islam the response is that we
are not a superstitious religion there
is no ceremonial acceptance there is no
ritualistic mumbo jumbo that people
don't understand no the actual
acceptance of Isam is an act between you
and the one who created you it's an act
that is between you and Allah subhanahu
wa taala now of course if you were to
publicize this in a mosque in a
gathering that's very good but it is not
a necessary condition it is not
something that is essentially required
rather it is just a simple s Act of
common sense that when you have embraced
the faith you wish to join that
Community you wish to announce your your
Islam in that Community but the actual
Act of conversion is simply the
utterance of the testimony of faith and
the testimony of faith in Arabic as you
are I'm sure very well aware because
you've researched Islam the testimony of
faith
is which translates as I
testify I am fully convinced I have no
doubt I am absolutely certain that there
is no deity that is worthy of my
veneration and worship other than Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala and I testify I bear
witness that Muhammad sallallahu alaihi
wasam is the messenger of Allah this is
the testimony by which you accept Islam
now if you want to perfect this
testimony if you want to do the best
things possible you should purify
yourself take a bath you know wear good
clothes go to the mosque go to your
local community of Muslims tell them you
want to embrace Islam and and do a
public testimony of Faith but all of
these are embellishments that are nice
to have but there are not requirements
you may Embrace Islam in the privacy of
your home you may do it in
in a room where nobody else can hear you
except for the one who created you so
this is the requirement and if you want
to perfect it then as we said uh you
should take a ritual bath to symbolize
your purification to symbolize that you
have now entered a new facet a new phase
of your life or you will be a pure
person obeying the Commandments of Allah
obeying the Commandments of God now
after you have accepted the testimony of
Faith you should try to find your local
mosque your local community so that you
are aware of the events going on try to
uh attend various Gatherings obviously
you should attend the mosque on Fridays
you need to start praying regularly the
five times prayer you need to fast the
month of Ramadan you need to pay the
charity to the poor all of these pillars
of Islam you are very well aware because
you have researched Islam but the point
is that with that conviction with that
testimony the entire religion of Islam
becomes obligatory upon you to act upon
therefore make sure that you are ready
and prepared to accept this religion
make sure you intellectually yes I know
this is the truth and I want to go ahead
and accept it if you are still unsure if
you're still doubtful research ask
around pray pray to the God who created
you don't even give him a name say oh
you who created me guide me to the truth
and if you are sincere then we as
Muslims believe that you will indeed be
guided to the truth now a brief
explanation of what this testimony is
the first part of the
testimony is the conviction that there
is no deity that is worthy of worship
except for the one who created you
the one who created you is the one who
is all knowledgeable all powerful he
hears you wherever you are no being
loves you as much as the one who created
you not even your mother and father no
being cares about you no being has the
power to help you benefit you to prevent
harm from you other than Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala when you know these facts how
then can you turn to others in worship
we do not turn to any other being even
the prophets of God even the angels even
the Saints we believe in Saints We
Believe in holy men we call them holy
people we believe in them and only God
knows who they are but they are there of
course they're there but even if they're
holy that doesn't mean they're Gods even
if they're Pious doesn't mean that they
control the creation so we don't turn to
them we turn to the one whom they turn
to if they're truly holy and Pious then
they also turn to God therefore if they
turn to God they become an example for
us we to turn to God so the first part
of the testimony is that I bear witness
and I testify that there is no deity
worthy of My Worship other than Allah
all of my love and hope all of my fear
all of my expectations will be singled
out to this one God and the second part
of the testimony Muhammad means that I
bear witness and testify that this
particular human being the prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam the
Arabian Prophet I testify that this
human being was sent by God to be an
example for me not to be taken as
worship not to be ascribed Divinity but
to become a role model for us he is a
human like we are he was born a normal
birth he ate and drank like we eat and
drink he married he had children and
then eventually he passed away he was
not a God but he was the messenger of
God he came to teach us the message he
came to show us the way he came to set
an example and that example is a human
example that we have to emulate we have
to copy we have to take as our role
model so by saying I bear witness and
testify that Muhammad is a messenger of
Allah what you're saying is that no
human being is a better example for me
no human being is a better role model
for me as a father as a leader as a
spiritual advisor as a worshipper of God
as a husband as a role model citizen no
human being is a better example than
this human being that is what you're
saying you are not making him into a God
you are making him into the best
worshipper of God the best Serv of God
and so what this testimony simp
symbolizes is that you need to study the
messenger you need to study his life and
times you need to study his actions and
teachings and when you study them you
then put them into practice in your
daily life these are the two fundamental
testimonies of Faith only God is to be
worshiped only Allah is to be worshiped
and he is worshiped based upon the
methodology and the customs of the
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him this
was the answer to your very beautiful
question I pray that Allah subhana wa
tala guides you and me and all of us to
the truth I pray that he forgives Us in
this world and the next and I pray that
he showers us with his blessings and his
Mercy in this world and the one to come
and we'll see you next time and until
then
[Music]
Asam can you give them the
invitation yeah definitely I would
invite you to testify and to to Bear
witness that there is nothing worthy of
worship except the one God Allah the
creator of the heavens and the Earth and
that
Muhammad may God's peace and blessings
be upon Him is certainly the messenger
of God that's it simple as that it's
that simple you know when you know it
when you know there's one God and when
you know Muhammad is the prophet of God
well say it you know it so just say it
you don't to jump in a pool get dipped
any you don't you don't have to get
baptized you don't have to put on some
special clothes you know uh you don't
have to do some funky stuff you know you
just have to say those words because
that's what it is you are testifying and
bearing witness to something that you
know within yourself I mean that's the
beginning of course you know as a Muslim
you should do your best to try and live
the the way of life the clean and the
Beautiful and the pure way of life uh of
a Muslim but you know we're we're human
beings we sin by night and sin by day
and uh the best of the Sinners of those
who repent so you know God didn't create
us perfect like he's perfect he knows
that we're going to make mistakes and uh
it what is important is that we are
humble and we ask God's forgiveness and
you know we keep trying that's what's
important you know as long as we do that
we we'll reach God's good pleasure in
this life and the next and he's the most
forgiving he is the most forgiving he
forgives all sins if you came to God
with sins as big as the heavens and
earth and you asked him to forgive you
and you didn't make any partners with
him and you you were calling upon him
alone then not only will will he forgive
you but he will replace your evil Deeds
with good deeds nearly as great as the
evil that you did that's how merciful
god is thank you very much for being
with us on the dean show inshallah we
look forward to having you again next
time pleasure thank you I'd like to
thank everybody for tuning in to another
episode of the dean show if you missed
us on the TV in Chicago on the local
cable station all of our shows are on
the Deans show.com that's T HDE nsh
show.com thank you again for coming to
the source and we'll see you again next
time assalam alaykum peace be unto you