Peace be with you. Welcome to the Dean
Show. Subscribe if you have not
subscribed already. I'm excited and I'm
sure you will be too because I have an
exciting guest here. You know, we made
the Filipino connection. You know, Manny
Pacquiao from the Filipinos. That's
right. But this guy, this brother, he
actually accepted this dean, this way of
life long time ago. And he's got an
incredible story. Went from hanging out
at the White House, now he's hanging out
here at the Dean Show. Don't go
anywhere. We'll be right back with this
fascinating story.
[Music]
Peace be with you. Assalam alaikum.
How are you my brother? I'm feeling
good. Now, now you heard me mention I
was talking about Manny Pacquiao with
the Filipino connection. Have you ever
met Manny? I have not. But he's from the
same place where you originally from.
Your parents are from. My parents are
from. Yes. Yeah. Filipino. I know. So we
got How's the uh community out there?
community
um predominantly is in the south um and
this just a long story of oppression uh
by the government. It's a predominantly
Christian country, predominantly
Catholic and the Muslims in the south
live in Mindanao and are actually called
Moros which has a connection to the
Moors of North Africa. So yeah, it's uh
there's about 5%. It was much more
before but because of politics,
oppression and other things, it's been
very challenging for the the Filipino
Muslims um in the south. But there's a
big resurgence and a big uh movement uh
where a lot of people are converting to
Islam there in the Philippines. So yeah,
it's the natural way called you to do
something that's in your nature to
worship the creator, not the creation.
It's simple to understand. It's logical.
Makes sense. And that's what really
captivated you that you actually went
you went and studied in the desert.
Yeah. You were out there how for several
years wanting to get close to the
creator. You you accepted Islam. I met
one Filipino Muslim. Uh cuz I didn't
know. I mean I it's it's very scarce to
to find a Filipino Muslim. Was it p
primarily it's a predominant uh
Christian Christian country and
Catholic? So you had some influence also
over Moses Musa. Musa. Musa. He went
over to be an imam also in uh what city?
South Africa. He's now currently in
Cleveland. Alhamdulillah. So what
happened? How did all this start? So
yeah, it's interesting you you bring up
Musa and like there's other people that
are tied to Southern California
community or to the Filipino community
and a lot of those converts actually,
you know, and Allah Allah is the one
that guides and Allah is the one that
makes people become Muslim, not the
people, right? And yeah, with Musa, Ron,
all the other people that we've
mentioned, the fact everyone pretty much
converted after me. So when I converted,
I got kicked out of my home, went
through some trials and tribulations,
and then mashallah, like everyone around
me converted. Now, you might get we got,
you know, some not yet Muslims,
Filipino, they're going to be excited,
you know. Oh, that's our countrymen.
They're tuning in. You said some Arabic
words. You actually speak Arabic also,
right? I I speak fluent Arabic. So, uh,
you didn't you didn't become an Arab,
did you? No, no, no. But someone heard
Muslim. Yeah. They heard Allah. Can Can
you tell us for the Filipinos? Oh, yeah.
He he went somewhere else. Yeah. So, no.
Islam is, you know, it it stands for
peace, the religion of peace. And Muslim
is someone who practices the religion of
Islam. So, it's like, you know, uh
you're you Judaism. If you practice
Judaism, you're Jewish. Uh if you
practice religion of Islam, you're a
Muslim. Allah is the same as eldios.
It's the definitive article. Allah is
like eldios the god. So Allah elios the
god it's all the same. So we all believe
in the one true creator. People get
amazed when I tell people that look mo
uh Moses, Abraham, Jesus, they were all
Muslims. They submitted to the will of
God to the creator and that's what we're
doing. That's it. So tell us now what
took you on this journey? You came from
a hip-hop culture, music this, music
that, you know, and and your whole life
was probably around like most people,
just materialism and uh you forgot about
the soul, the heart, mind. It was just
uh you know, fulfilling what people want
to fulfill, those temporary enjoyments.
What had you come to a point where you
got real serious in life? Um there were
some things that occurred you know with
uh very troubling times in my life
before Islam whether it was
through particular deaths through
violence um it was me always having a
contemplative soul in mind u being
influenced by hiphop that was conscious
that made you think about politics the
effects of you know politics on finance
people's living standards s the
disparity of poverty and wealth and
these kinds of things made me think
about my own soul and about my place in
this world. So yes, I lived a very
worldly life, a very colorful experience
before Islam, but always in the back of
my mind, I always used to always think
like I was created for something grander
than this, something bigger than this.
Uh on on your way here, you mentioned
that you said something to the to the
the c the Uber driver. Yeah. What did
you tell him? I told him that what has
Islam has done for you. Yeah. I It was
funny because it's affected my whole
entire life. Like it the businesses I
run u emotionally, financially,
spiritually, mentally. And I didn't know
everything that I've done in my life
would lead to this. And right before I
was going to say anything and he goes,
"It was the best decision you've made in
your life." And I said, "It actually
was." you know, uh, tell us some some
people looking out there, they say,
"Look, um, why didn't you just stick
with worshiping Jesus as the son of God,
dying for your sins, staying a
Christian?" What happened here? For me,
it was God put me in a position where I
was able, I don't know why, but I was
able to take a step back from religion
and just look at them all. So I studied,
you know, Jud, you know, Judaism, Islam,
Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism,
see, you know, Janism and all of the
different faiths. And it was to to put
it
succinctly, Islam was the
most it intellectually like satiated me
and it the the idea of one true creator
was something that I could easily
swallow. Most people have a hard time
with creation worship, worshiping a man.
You know, most people don't know that we
love Jesus but as a mighty messenger,
not as a god or literal son of God. But
people love this direct connection, not
going through an intermediary. So this
also and it connects with the fra with
the innate nature of it. the nate nature
and that was probably Eddie was that the
radical departure and understanding of
one true God that Islam really really
drills down was probably the most
appealing thing to me was just like wow
you know that's what I always believed
um before in my life always in my life
that there was one true creator and
Islam's take on it was just
so like was just it made most sense to
me it made the most sense to me and it
was very easy to convert A lot more to
talk about. We mentioned the White
House. You've been all over the world
traveling, entrepreneur here on the Dean
Show with my special guest. Don't go
anywhere. We'll be right back. Okay,
you've got your dream home and you've
got your dream car, but you're going to
get old and things are going to happen
to you in your life. And then what have
you got? At the end of the day, it's an
empty dream that has no real foundation.
We are going to die and we're going to
meet our Lord and he is going to judge
us. Islam says, "Love all mankind."
That's why we're sharing this message
because we want the best for you and we
want the best for all mankind. Please
subscribe to the Dean Show. Follow us on
our official Facebook and Twitter pages
in the links below. Please also help
support the Dean Show by making a
donation in the link below.
Back here on the Dean Show, now I
mentioned the White House. Did you get a
chance to give President Obama some
dollar? Actually, it was funny. we we
started talking but if I could take a
step back when when people talk about
this you know people going to the white
house people meeting the president and
all the different a hadith and things
from our tradition that talk about these
kinds of interactions for me what was
the compelling force was my mother
um my mother when I became Muslim I got
kicked out of my home because they
despised my religion and they hated it
and I did some things to actually make
them really not like my faith. And
alhamdulillah I went overseas I studied
for 4 years came back home and when I
was overseas it was my mother who was
the first one to convert to Islam and
after that my father became Muslim. You
have to remember these are people who
kicked me out of my home because they
did not they hated my religion. Then my
sister became my family became my best
friend became Muslim his family became
Muslim our friends became Muslim their
friends became Muslim people we'd meet
become Muslim their families become
Muslim so when I got the invitation it
was my mother who got it and she was
beside herself she was elated and she
was just couldn't believe that it was
her son that did this and she remembers
the be you know the day before I was
leaving to go to Africa to study and you
know when I converted and all these
memories were playing into her mind and
when she was just like my baby's going
to the White House he's going to he's
going to be having dinner it for me was
something that to honor my mother
because of everything she's did to for
her to convert at such an old age to
have the resiliency to practice to have
it affect my father and the rest of my
family it was my mother who like was the
reason why I went and I went for my
mother I went for my father and I went
for everything I stood for because it
was just for my mom and dad. It was just
like one of the I'd never seen them so
proud and I've gotten degrees and I've
done things with my life but it was just
like wow this is our son and you did
something that people just don't do. So
yeah, I went there and was actually I
mean I have to admit I mean President
Obama's a really nice guy as a man, as a
human being, you know, aside from
everything else, he's just a good man
and we were able to talk about some
funny things and I'll just leave it at
that. But it was it was pretty
interesting. Now all these people
accepting Islam, uh God Almighty, Allah
is the one who guides. But you were able
to have a great influence. Did they
invite you down the White House to say
slow down the da? No, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no. Actually, um, from what I've
been told and you know it, the fact that
in our faith sometimes it's or even in
the in religion that the the pursuit of
acquiring, you know, a good life in the
world is exclusive or to the detriment
of your afterlife or if you chase after
your afterlife, your your dunya, you
know, your worldly life is going to be
affected. And I guess people, I don't
know, God knows best, they see someone
that has been able
to, I guess, go down both paths and be
balanced and not compromise one for the
other. I don't know, God knows best of
why people, you know, think of me that
way. But yeah, it's affected the way I
do business. Islam permeates a lot of
it, right? And a lot of the foundations
and the principles and the ethics that I
practice is because of it. Now, why was
your family so upset in the beginning?
So angered that they kicked you out.
When obviously if people look and they
see, okay, he's a Muslim. He's doing
what Jesus did. Moses, Abraham, he's
just submitting to God. He just wants to
be a better human being. And Islam helps
you if you practice it right to develop
yourself to be the best human being,
better to your neighbor, to your
parents, in business and everything. So,
you know, why why did they have such a
um a difficulty accepting this in the
beginning? A lot of it has to do with
media. Um, my parents are just, you
know, they're the common American where
they watch TV after they get home from
work and whatever the media tells them,
whatever the news is, they'll be like,
"Son, we were watching the news and in
Nigeria, this is what's happening. And
why is this occurring in Saudi Arabia?
And why did they do that to women in
Pakistan? And why is this going on in
Egypt?" And like, why is your religion
so violent? And I can't blame them,
right? As people who are concerned with
paying their bills, keeping the lights
on, raising good children, they don't
have the time to to to dig deep, to do
research, to investigate. People do,
right? People do have the time. If if
Allah was to take everything from your
life, you still have time.
But I understand from the human
perspective that people have some
difficulties getting to those because
they're so concerned with the affairs
that bog them down daily. So it was the
media that did that for my mother and
father. So when they would see me going
actually deeper into my newfound faith,
they found it very troublesome. And also
the way I was, I was super super hard on
them. And I was just telling them all
kinds of things that were just very up,
you know, like get rid of all the
alcohol in this house. and this and
they're like, "Who are you?" Like, "We
used, you know, we raised you, so who
are you to tell us what to do?" So, I
had a hand in that, too. But a lot of it
had to do with the media. Right now,
people are seeing a statistic. And
actually, this is just really way out
there. When the media uh purposely they
go ahead and twist the truth and blow
things out of proportion, people have
more of a chance of being killed by a
shark bite, dog bite, uh their furniture
than actually a Muslim terrorist. I
mean, we know this is the antithesis to
Islam. You know, it's um but imagine, we
give these examples, you know, if the
media just uh played to all the violence
that's happening. We love our country
here, but obviously there's a lot of
things that are going on. Yeah. Um in
America, and if people outside of the
world were just, you know, focusing on
all the violence here, it'd be a scary
thing, right? People like, why are you
going over there? That's a war zone.
Yeah. It it, you know, for me, I've come
to realize, Eddie, through my travels
and experiences in life
that every human being has an agenda.
Every group has an agenda. Every company
has an agenda. So for the powers that
be, I mean, I have an agenda, right?
Like I want to please my parents. I want
to be the best son I can be, the best
neighbor I can be, and I'm going to do
what I need to do to achieve that. So
for companies, they have different
goals, right? They have different people
that they need to please. You in your
life, you have different people you need
to please. So you do things. And when
you do things, it may not be liked by
other people, right? So what I've come
to realize is that I'm here to do my job
sincerely for the sake of my creator and
to the be to be the best at it and only
God can stop me. God willing, you know,
like I'm going to try to be the best
that I can be. Uh tell us what was the
turning board? How far down later after
you accepted submission to the will of
the creator Islam did your parents did
they end up accepting? My mom converted
probably
I want to say two, three, two or three
years after me. Not too long later. No,
not too long later. That's such a
blessing. Yeah. What was it for them
also? They they start they saw you
improving your character, becoming a
better human. I would say that was
probably it. Like for a lot of people it
you know all praise is due to God like
as a as a as a man as I've just been
blessed that when I really want
something and Allah know God knows like
in my heart what I want to do and it's
sincerely to be the best that I can be
to be the best person I can be I can
make that change and I think when people
saw me change from how I was to how I
you know was how I became as a Muslim
people really deeply be affected by
that. My mother, my father, my friends,
people in my community, people from my
neighborhood were just like, whoa, he
really changed. Ah, he'll change after 6
months. Then 6 months became a year and
a year became two years. So for a lot of
the people that started questioning, it
was what made him change and what is
this peace that he currently has now?
This stability and this outlook of life
and this positivity like how do I get
that? And I think that was, you know,
God knows best. People saw the change in
me
and wanted it for themselves. It was
like a a miracle seeing people now. Your
parents could sleep at night.
Definitely. Probably from all the ruckus
before you were start. We're going to
take Do you speak Filipino? No, I don't.
I understand Tagalog. Um, which is the
national language, but not you know how
to say hi, bye. We'll be right back. Any
uh actually I don't. Okay. All right.
We'll be right back here on the Dean
Show with more. Don't go anywhere. The
question is about whether Muslims are or
not good citizens. The constitution
defines what a good citizen is. And the
preamble says, "We the people of the
United States in order to form a more
perfect union to establish justice,
ensure domestic tranquility. To any
Muslim that can say that is a good
Muslim." And most Muslims can say that.
Most Muslims will embrace that. Most
Muslims are good Americans.
This is
[Music]
the Islam says, "Love all mankind." And
that's why we're sharing this message
because we want the best for you and we
want the best for all mankind. Please
subscribe to the Dean Show. Follow us on
our official Facebook and Twitter pages
in the links below. Please also help
support the Dean Show by making a
donation in the link below.
Back here on the Dean Show, we made the
Filipino connection. I'm talking about
Manny Pacquiao. Why I keep tell Manny I
keep thinking Filipino Manny Pacquiao.
He's a big star over there, isn't he? He
is. He is. Yeah. He's got heard he's you
mentioned some he's got a a lot of
Muslim friends or he had he has some
people in his corner that are Muslim but
yeah he's mainly known to be Catholic I
believe or I think probably born again
Christian. Yeah inshallah uh the creator
of the heavens earth guides him to the
way that Jesus was upon and all the
prophets because they were ones who
connected their heart back to their
maker to their creator direct dialup. We
talk about peace and that's how you get
it by living this way of life. Many
people they're on Prozac
anti-depressants. Every suicide epidemic
every 40 seconds somebody's taking their
life. So they want some of this peace,
but money can't buy a six-pack of peace.
So what advice do you give people who
are struggling now to get off all this
these drugs? People who are
struggling. Wow. I don't know, man.
as someone who as someone who came from
that lifestyle came from that lifestyle.
Now you got that peace. Yeah. And now
someone turned in late at night, you
know, maybe they came back from the
club, they tuned in and they're like, I
want some of
this just in the deepest, darkest hour
of the night,
just ask your
creator, just ask your
creator for the best. I mean that's all
I can say is just just pray to God when
I meet people who ask me for money you
know I tell them I give them give them
money my name is Muhammad you know pray
to God for yourself pray to God for me
because no one can give you happiness
and no one can like wealth is here man
wealth is here and wealth is that
connection and once you have wealth of
mind wealth of body wealth of soul it
doesn't matter matter what kind of
material you're surrounded with. If you
have that wealth, you're good, man.
You're
good. Subhan Allah. This is uh so
important because why do you think a lot
of people even when you bring up
religion, a lot of times it's not the
cool thing. A lot of ne negative things.
Oh, religion is the source of all war
and evil and you know, a lot of esoteric
mystical just doesn't make sense. But I
mean, how do you get even to into the
conversation now today?
it when I it because for me personally
especially like people know me a lot for
business and commerce and for my
commercial
endeavors it just it has to come out
because that's just what I do. Um for
other people may be different but for me
you know it just it's when I convert
it's affected my whole trajectory in
life. Every aspect of my life has been
affected by it. So when I do speak to
someone on the airplane or someone at
the airport or when I'm traveling or
when I'm here at a restaurant, you know,
from what I eat to why I'm doing this to
why I'm doing that, it just has to come
out in the way that for
me, you know, someone who wasn't Muslim,
I know what goes on in the minds of
individuals that are not Muslim. So I
know what their concerns are. And for a
lot of human beings, not even Muslims
and non-Muslim, it's just for a lot of
human beings, it's how do I keep the
lights on? How do I keep my kids from
not falling to the streets from going
into drugs and falling into this mayhem
where they I may lose them? And that's
where their concern is. So for me
wanting goodness for the human being
whether Muslim, non-Muslim, atheist,
devil worshipper that goodness that has
been I don't know been placed in my
heart I want that and I speak to that
person's concerns that person's needs
and you know Eddie it end up ends up
becoming like why are you like this or
how did you become like this and I go I
don't know man like
I you know and by that time my name has
been stated Muhammad like I do all these
things that you know connected to my
faith so they've already built the
association and they may walk away like
man that was a good man Muhammad is a
really nice guy you know so when I meet
people you know someone asked me I said
my name is Muhammad man please pray for
me and I'll pray for you and please pray
for yourself you know
and I don't know Eddie like I I they
want some of that Now they want they see
the the peace the light resonating and
they uh they want something then
hopefully that God Almighty if they're
sincere that's that's one of the best
advice you know um we should seek out
what the purpose of life is why we're
here you know and the best one to ask is
the one who created life the one who
created us uh tell us how do you feel
because we know when we're out there in
the real world you know the dunya
affects us we see things um affect the
heart and you went out how do you
compare being out there where He was
like 24/7 like I you were just and
that's how our life's supposed to be
with that right intention. But you went
out there, you were studying in the
desert and and and in different parts of
the world. H you just can't how it's
hard to compare at that point where
where you were just like spiritually
now. How do you balance that? How how
was the feeling then and now?
It's not about where you're from. It's
about where you're at. Where you're at.
And I can bring that back if I want to
because it's it's all here in the mind
and in the
heart. So living out there in the
desert, living in West Africa, studying
in the Middle East were some of the best
and
transformative days of my life, period
of my life. But I'm a person through the
grace of God and by the permission of
God that if I want to go through that
transformation and change again, I can
do that. Whether it's in Chicago,
whether it's in Mexico City, whether
it's in London, whether it's in Mecca,
because God is always with me. And if I
want it and I'm sincere and Allah knows
me better than I know myself, I'll have
it. And if I don't have it, it's
probably best that I don't have it.
That's a great example because many
people think, okay, to be religious, you
have to be somewhere in the desert. You
got to be just locked up in a mosque all
day. No, you're you're a great living
example that you're able to hold the
balance that you don't get too sucked up
into this material world while being
also in it. Yeah. While striving for the
pleasure of your career. We're known of
the religion of the middle of the middle
path. That's what we're known as. People
who, you know, are delicately delicately
balancing, you know, fear and hope. And
that's what it's always been. And every
human being seeks that balance. You
know, I was coming over here. Someone
was talking to me about work life
balance and people wanting that way. And
you know, you can have it anywhere and
it's all here. It's all here. And having
them
connect and and the divine connection to
that just makes it that much better.
Now, uh there are so many similarities
between Christianity and Islam. We have
uh the blessed mother of Jesus. A whole
chapter is named after her in the Quran.
Jesus, we love him as a mighty messer.
We believe he was sent by God but not
God. And many people they resonate, you
know, it connects with them. And people
in just in their nature believe in in in
a supreme being, the creator. But what
do you say before we leave to someone
now with this whole, you know, um new
atheism and you talk to someone and
said, "Man, get out of here with this
religion and god stuff." Yeah.
Are you happy? M
it you know Henry David Theo said that
people live in a quiet
desperation and people don't like to be
preached to a lot of us are suffering. A
lot of us are feeling our own
unique hurting feelings and we're going
through our own pains and anguishes that
are only unique to us and people may not
understand. So for me, someone who comes
from the way of Muhammad sallallahu
alaihi
wasallam, how can I help? How can I be
of service to you? How can I make your
life better? What can I do? Our prophet
on that
day will
say um um like my community, my people,
my people. It's not about himself. This
life is about being of service to the
people and being of service to your
neighbor, being of service to your
parents, and just being of service to
humanity. And when you do that, God
knows your intent, God knows your heart,
and God will give you what you deserve.
Mashallah, time is running out. Uh, we
got to go. Uh, for the Filipino
connection that we made out there,
they're tuning in. A lot of people
blindly following the cultures they're
upon, you know, stuck to tradition, you
know, but they like it resonates, you
know, what you're saying. What advice
would you have for for someone out there
from the background from the Filipino
background? Like it was the way of our
people in history when you look at it,
there was a period of time where they
they had a choice and according to
historians like they chose Islam. I
mean, and that's a fact like it's not
anything that I'm making up. They they
chose Islam. Amazing. Thank you so much
for being with us here in the show. We
started with peace. We end with peaceam.
And that was our special guest, the
Filipino Mia connection. Here we have
this way of life growing all over the
world. It's amazing. And people, it
resonates that that what's inside of us
to worship the creator, not the
creation. And many of our Christian
brethren out there, they also when they
see this deep love that we have for
Jesus who is a mighty messenger of Islam
and his blessed mother that just
resonates. And also we touched upon when
people accept this way of life to see
that we live a moderate way of life
balance between not to getting sucked up
into the materialism and the material
world and also not going off on the deep
end on the other side. It's the middle
way. So many of people who have accepted
this way, we also learn from this story
that coming off now many people have
been just brainwashed with the media.
Take it easy. Show them through your
good example what a Muslim is. Being the
best in society, developing yourself to
be better each and every day. And that's
the blueprint that you have that will
help you to achieve that peace that
money can't buy. Subscribe if you
haven't already. We also got a number
1800662 Islam. It doesn't have to stop
there. Let's start a healthy dialogue
and tune in every week to the Dean Show.
Until next time, peace be with you.
[Music]