[Music]
alhamdulillah alaykum welcome to another
episode of the dean show on location and
we've interviewed uh all sorts of
Muslims all over the world I told you if
there's a Muslim on the moon we'd be
interviewing him but I found a Muslim
from Romania a Romanian Muslim loving
Islam jabriel assalam alayum
how are you brother alhamdulillah good
to have good to be here alhamdulillah
want to ask you a few questions
inshallah all right so in a
predominantly Christian Orthodox
Catholic uh Romania how did you find
Islam
um actually um it's a long story I'll
try to make as short as possible yes
Romania is predominantly Orthodox and
some Catholic that's my background most
of my family was you know raising me
that that way um Christianity is part
part of the culture there it's it's not
something that you just choose you know
you're raised into it uh we were having
Bible class you know starting grade one
and I'm not talking about here just your
normal average Bible study like you
actually go in depth and you you know
you you and I developed actually a love
for for Faith you know for for
Christianity and uh I used to be uh one
of the only ones in my family used to go
to church actually believe you're not
you know grade one I would go myself uh
to church and even pick some of the kids
in the neighborhood and take him to
church you know and even the parents
were like what is this guy doing so uh
yeah it was uh you know I developed a
love for God and interest and and and in
faith uh to the point where I used to
cross the road I used to cross myself
you know what I mean I was very very
into it and
um I was in introduced to Islam uh very
early actually you know part of our
history classes in in Romania we you
know we have a long history with the
with the Turks with the Muslim Turks and
we were always taught that they're
disbelievers you know they believe in
this God Allah who was a different God
it was just you know someone out there
who was totally you know different right
so you know we were kind of taught not
to like them I wouldn't put it hate him
but not to like them and the romanes
were always praised and you know they
defeated Turks and you know but
obviously history knows that Muslims
were called Turks yeah the Muslims were
called Turks and we are memorizing you
like even now I know some some poetry in
Romania you know kind of against you
know uh the the the Muslim Turks and
praising the Romanians and the Christian
armies and how they defeated you know in
certain battles the Turks so you know it
was very nationalistic type
nationalistic very so that's part of the
culture it was part of the culture yeah
and uh you know so I I had that uh
preconceived idea um you know when push
push comes to shove different things
happen in my life and um you know I kind
of when I came to Canada uh which was uh
1998 I was introduced to Muslims I
actually finally got to meet a Muslim
and I was like was it a Turkish Muslim
it was not a Turkish Muslim it was
actually a bosnan Muslim bosan Muslim
bosnan Muslim and you know and I real
and I met other Muslims Arab Muslims and
I I've seen these you know variety of
people from different backgrounds all
being Muslim you know all talking about
the same this Allah this God Allah you
know I was like who is this you know
Allah so finally slowly I realized first
of all that some of the things that they
were saying about Muslims you know being
Pagan and you know bad people that they
were not they were actually very nice
people and good people and they're
actually praying a lot you know and they
prayed in a manner which you know I
really really became to love from the
beginning when I when I would you know
see my friend praying I was I felt like
I was missing something myself in my
prayers you know so actually at at one
point in my life when I was still
Christian I used to get down and make
sujud you know because I felt like
that's like closer to to God than you
know just my normal prayers while
kneeling or I just you know crossing my
hands right meaning they would like fall
on their face and pray to God come up
all the way down right they would uh you
know make uh what's called a full
prostration which is weird because it's
it's also described of Jesus peace be
upon him doing it in the gospels right
so uh you know he did that so you know I
I I really became to love you know that
way of praying I started you know being
very interested in in Islam you know
trying to understand a little bit about
Islam trying to you know see and a lot
of the things that I you know knew
before about Islam were just you know
you know misconceptions and um there
came to a point where you know I was
really
um I I would say was it was the guidance
of God that really made me question my
own faith you know I was I was really
you know into different things happened
in my life basically um you know I mean
I wouldn't like to flun it on on you
were like uh just everybody else just
chasing the material world satisfying
the Flesh and you know okay if if you
want to put yeah I was you know drinking
and even though I didn't like drinking
but I was you know trying to uh you know
be in Conformity with my friends and
every that's the past you know but but
it's reality that's what people are
caught up into just having a good time
get all you can can that's what it was
with Canada coming here uh my parents
kind of divorced and you know basically
certain things happened that really
opened my mind right something missing
now you were missing something there was
there was there was lot missing from the
beginning actually and and now I realize
that and that's that void was very deep
right now when you know my life was you
know even more empty because my family
was broken apart and you know I was
culturally confused coming to Canada
right like the culture was different
right so I was like I was having
identity you know issues I was like I
mean who who am I really you know what
what is you know that same you know
question that everyone asked am I the
nightclubs and the drinking wasn't and
the all that stuff wasn't satisfying
answering your questions right uh um I
turned to the to the female you know
side for some time and that supposedly
gave some some you know took my mind off
it for some time but um no it didn't you
know the the night the night life and
the drinking which I didn't like um the
drugs I never did because I I couldn't I
was just a sports guy all the time so I
couldn't do but uh the the night life
never did I used to go back in my bed at
night I remember you know being drunk
and just laying on the back and just
sitting almost you know nightly you know
every night I would say then like okay
what did I just do you know like I went
I laughed I had fun yes I got drunk and
you know I dance but I just feel like so
empty what's what's what did I do I mean
I don't feel happy yeah everyone's
laughing like the you know it's so fake
because you're there and you're you know
you pretend you're having a good time
but I would go home and I would
literally be like like what I don't know
like can I see myself like this in 5
years 10 years what am I really doing so
I was very very empty and uh you know I
was I was definitely looking uh for
something and then it came to the point
where I was you know involved with a
certain girl and we had some issues in
AR I remember that one night very very
quite very well actually that I asked
God to you know I I fell my I doing that
you know suud that prostration to way
the Muslims prayed you you copied that
you fell on your Fai you humbled
yourself I humbled myself you know and I
remember I was crying because I just I
was so depressed I was just like man
like I I'm not happy you know I mean I
came from a third world country where
everyone support everyone's dreaming to
come to Canada everyone's dreaming to
come to United States that's like the
Utopia you know you want to go there but
when you reach there it's like okay a
year you was like wow nice buildings
nice cars nice clothes but then after
some time you're just like okay is that
it you know like uh where is all that
hype that everyone's talking about so I
humbled myself and I put my head down to
the ground I was just depressed I was
like man I don't know who I am
and I said uh you know oh God I'm just
I'm not happy with you know girlfriend
this that money whatever you know you're
trying to get I'm not happy you know
like I mean I I need I need to find the
way what is this way you know that you
want me to I was I was I was confused
you know I was just like you know and I
even before I turned to the Bible to
look for answers right but I was
confused and I asked you know the
almighty in that position and I was
honestly you know I mean I don't like to
to you know to to short but like I I was
crying you know I was really in a
depressed state and I remember even
after some time I went to the doctor
because I felt I was depressed you know
and I mean all you see throughout the TV
you know doctors and Prozac and you know
anti-depressants right so the first
thing that clicked let me go to doctor I
there's something wrong with me let me
not so you don't feel too bad because
I'll guarantee you there's millions of
people that are in that state right now
but they're not doing what you did you
humbled yourself and you're asking God
to guide you continue please yes so I
went to the doctor and I was like listen
uh I wake up in the morning and I have
anxiety attacks like my heart's about to
jump out of my chest I can't go to
school anymore I don't feel like I would
go to school I would look at the school
door and I would turn around sometimes
you know I just my marks went down I was
like I don't I don't know what's going
on so the doctor said You know here I'll
prescribe you some medicine right so I
look at them I'm like I don't want to
take pills man I ZX was it ZX I don't
remember what it was I just don't want
to take pills you know I need to I need
there's there's a greater purpose for me
you know I can't just stuff myself with
pills and you hope it's going to go away
so I remember I I I went um you know
home and and you know from this time
till the time I found Islam it was
actually a great period of time I would
say about you know a year and a half or
so where you know it still emptiness you
know I I try to look for different
places I try to forget about these
things I try to push myself to be
someone I wasn't just so I you know I
appear match and strong uh you know and
it worked for some time you know right I
mean I was doing very well in school I
was becoming very popular on the soccer
team
but it's still you know it it was it was
catching up with me once in a while
right and just you know bringing back
those same feelings and I knew that I'm
just covering up you know sooner or
later it's going to that reality is
going to uh come back to to hunt me and
I remember uh exactly the the time when
I actually gave up uh Christianity um
because of course I turned to it for
answers and I was I moved I got kind of
kicked out from one of the schools you
know told not to come back and I went to
a Catholic school and I remember the
priest would come in and you know tell
us about God and I would I would just be
like I would have questions for him
right and unfortunately I was you know
my methodology was not the best you know
I was a bit rude and uh you know I would
just keep cutting them off and
questioning I was like it makes no sense
it makes no sense can you please explain
this can you please explain that and he
would just say you have to
believe um and I remember that I went
one day home and it was I think it was
Saturday morning I was sitting in front
of the computer and I was looking
through some Bible verses right on the
internet and I I just researched the Ten
Commandments which we all learned before
memorized in school but in NE you know
when I read the first commandment you
know right I am your lord thy God thou
shal not have any Gods except me on
Heaven Earth in between right I mean we
all know that you know all the
Christians know that and at that time it
just it was it was different it it
sounded different and I just realized I
was like but we don't really do that as
Christians and I remember the next week
I went to school and I was talking to
one of my teachers she was explaining
something about Christianity and I said
but miss
uh we don't really you know I mean the
Trinity and the whole issue of you know
worshiping Jesus it kind of goes against
uh you know the principles of of you
know what the you know the Bible
supposedly teaches and she
says yeah you know what you're right but
you know this is just something we
believe and I remember in myself I said
you know I can't believe this I just
can't and I went home after some time I
took my cross and it just went against
your very nature yeah it went against
exactly that feeling in your heart you
know you you know I mean you you have it
in yourself as to what you know you you
would see a contradiction you know right
there's a contradiction there so I went
home you know obviously I wouldn't do
that right now break a cross anything
but I broke my crosses I broke all you
know like icons that we have usually
it's Catholics or Orthodox they have
icons I took those away and uh I just
said you know what I I believe in God
all religions are equally evil or
whatever they just cause Wars and I just
believe in God and and you know I'll
just live my life like that I'll have my
own religion where I you know I'm okay
with everyone as long as they call upon
God and I can have no problem with
praying with all and I remember even one
of my friends I was telling to bosing
guy was like we're going on Toronto trip
and I said you know I'll pray with you
guys I don't mind you know cuz you guys
pray to God he says yeah he's like yeah
I actually I like your prayer teach me
how to pray right and that's what
started that he actually said okay let
me teach you how to pray so you know he
um he uh he gave you know I gave up
Christianity uh fully I was you know
openly saying I'm not Christian you know
I I I believe in God I'm on the religion
of God I would say you know right and uh
you know I he taught me how to pray he
gave me you know Surah fa and I remember
I was uh you know my car broke down at
that time for some time and I was going
on the bus and every time I be on the
bus I was reading through it I was like
I would never remember these words you
know like what is alhamdulillah you know
I'm not going to remember this you know
what is Arabic I mean why does it have
to be Arabic I would put in my pocket
and
amazingly it would start going in my
mind you know alhamdulillah you know I
was like whoa I mean it's it's amazing
how you know and after some time easily
I memorize it and he actually I told him
that and he told me well actually this
is one of the uh the uh the quran's the
F first chapter in the in the verbatim
word of God the Quran and he said that's
also one of the Miracles because I I
said I memorize it so easily he said you
know what that's one of the things that
Allah tells in the Quran that you know
he made it easy for people to remember
right and and I was like Wow interesting
and slowly slowly very uh very you know
uh with much wisdom he started telling
me about Islam I started taking
different books I was hiding in mind you
U you know under my pillow usually so my
family doesn't really know I didn't want
him to you know I was a bit embarrassed
you know that I'm looking into you know
what they perceive to be this Turkish
religion which you know it's a pagan God
and whatnot so I was kind of like hiding
it and uh I was looking through it but
um you know again the worldly uh things
caught up with me and I was pushing it
was a right I was pushing the knowledge
trying to get into the world I wasn't
happy with the world trying to back go
back to the knowledge and I was you know
uh struggling with the two I actually it
was interesting one of the times that I
actually you know I went to the I was
going to the mosque with with my friend
you know and we were sitting down one
time and uh one guy comes to to us where
he was actually he knows me and you know
he saw me before in the mosque and he
didn't see me for a long time and he
comes looks at he's like wow how are you
you know did you become Muslim and slip
of a tongue I say yeah I said no and he
started screaming oh Brothers this guy
became Muslim and I was like no no no
and both me and my friend were like
trying to explain to him no no he didn't
didn't become a just you know I made a
mistake but that mistake was an innate
mistake that was what in my heart I was
wanting you know like a slip of a tongue
in Psychology something that you really
think about it's inside of you and you
can't control it anymore you know right
and you just you you let it go right
so I that's what actually my my heart
was uh was wanting but I was fighting it
what what uh no go ahead and I was
fighting it very well uh because I
pushed it again away and uh what
happened is my friend actually and me we
went to different schools and for some
time we didn't see each other right so
that connection you know kind of stopped
right and I got caught up again with you
know the worldly things on the other
side but um there was one incident and I
mean I don't base the proof on dreams
and stuff like that but there was one
incident that I can't I can't just swipe
over I mean it just catches up with me
all the time time that I was sleeping
one night after you know doing my thing
and coming home I was sleeping One Night
in my bed and I dreamt that I was
partying and I was in the house and it
was dark and you know um you know you
know the scenario right and um certain
person approaches me and stabs me in the
stomach and it was so real it was what
you call like a lucid dream you know
it's fair you can't really tell the
difference between reality and and dream
and I was hurting and I was bleeding and
I was holding my stomach and I was you
know getting dizzy and I walked outside
it was very dark and I heard the the uh
the ambulance coming and when I walked
outside it was very dark and I looked in
the sky and I saw a light in the sky
right and my soul left you know my body
and it was so real that I actually felt
it and as my soul left my body and it
was going towards the light I woke up
and when I woke up I was just crying I
was just wet sweat it you know like I
could just came out of the pool like I
was just sweating I didn't know what
happened you know my reaction was like
okay you know it's in our culture if you
dream you know these kind of dreams
nightmares maybe something bad happened
right so I went checked up on my mom see
if she's okay see if my brother's okay
everyone was okay and I couldn't I was
just sitting in my bed and I went back
and I was like I don't know like how do
I interpret this and I realized you know
just in in my in my um U you know in my
arrogance that there is a way out there
and it's not my way I can't just pick my
own way and say you know what forget
with this forget with that I have my own
way there is a way out there and God
wants me to find it till it's too late
that's how I I mean that was just my own
interpretation of dream not that you
know I stayed and ponder over it but I
felt it as well you know I need to find
something I know there is I'm just
fighting myself you know I'm just you
know fooling myself that there isn't
something out there I just need to find
and you know what so what what was that
the The Logical rational thing the the
overwhelming thing about Islam that
overtook you and had you take that step
onto becoming a Muslim I would say it
was what you know what we call in Islam
toed right the Oneness of of of of Allah
of God the perfect Oneness cuz a lot of
people claim that they have you know the
Oneness of God but that perfect Oneness
of God and also another thing what we
call the F that it fits your your Humane
your natural disposition you know you
just it fits that and before knowing all
these you know I mean of course he added
later on to my to my firm belief but
before I knew you know concepts of
knowledge of of Science and the Quran
and all these you know
beautiful things the Quran that are used
today for proofs you know I had I would
say what you know I could really
understand how the sahabas felt you know
because they didn't know about all these
Sciences in the Quran right but they
they had theed and the F you know and
that matched right so that's where um
you know slowly I I came you know to to
uh you know to to link that prayer that
I made that one night that desperate
prayer and the dream and you know all
the everything that happened that's what
it was pushing me that was the answer
for me to that to that prayer pray that
I made for God to show me you know the
one true path and and very interesting
that you know as humans right insan
you're always forgetting it was very
interesting because I was even again
trying to fight it and I remember the
day when I was I gave up it was the day
that again I I saw that I mean you know
God sends people to guide you I saw that
you know Bosnian brother again and he
was in the computer center he was
watching a very famous n everyone
watches probably you know the last
breath you know right and you know it's
about the body the soul leaving the body
you know says you know and it is true
but it's too late you know and it really
when I watched it it just it connected
everything you know and I to you know
kind of like the next day I told him uh
you know I really felt that this is the
day I woke up that day it was just
perfect walking on my way to the
university I was just I felt that you
know what this is I can't I mean I can't
fool myself you know anymore this is too
much I'm just kidding myself and uh I
saw him actually on the way from one of
the class and I said you know what can
you please help me with something can
you come over to my house I need some
help and he came at night and you know I
I went down downstairs we went like you
know in front of the house and um I told
him I want to be Muslim and he's like no
way he's like I knew it all along he's
like you know he was so happy and you
know very simply he told me know you
know I'm like obviously you know what I
do he said you just repeat after me and
he
said such a beautiful you know statement
very simple for for a person you know to
to you know to to become a Muslim and
since that day alhamdulillah you know
I've been a Muslim you know I thought
that that's going to be you know the the
the the how would I say the the thresold
you know when you reach your your Maxima
uh in your life you know I always
believed that God had a purpose uh for
me but uh it wasn't it was just the
beginning of life so now you became a
Muslim you took the Declaration of Faith
which
was which is basically bearing witness
that there's only there is only one God
there's no deity worthy of worship
except this one God Allah the creator of
the heavens and the Earth and that
Muhammad is his slave servant and the
finality of the Prophet just like Jesus
Moses Noah were all Messengers of God
now you're a Muslim on who surrenders
and submits to the Creator none of his
creation you pray to him you worship him
alone tell us for someone else who's
hearing your story what advice do you
have for doesn't matter if he's Romanian
Italian Irish
uh white black Chinese Islam is for the
whole world For All Mankind what advice
do you have someone who might be uh
caught up in that grip of cultural
barriers I'm born into this and I can't
get out but he's feeling inside he feels
that that his his natural instinct or
his natural what we call fitra that that
it doesn't make sense that God is three
and one and all pray and and all these
other things that they believe but you
know what he's having a hard time coming
over that barrier he can relate to you
what advice do you give that person uh
my advice is you know just be sincere I
mean U God you know Allah he hears
everyone's prayer you know just be
sincere and and be open to the truth
there's lots of baggage that you have to
push on the side know and that's what I
was trying to tell you you know there
was a a fight between myself what I you
my desire wanted and you know what the
truth was and that's what Islam is
really is once you reach the truth is
you're submitting to it you know right
what you you know you might not you know
want to wake up for example at 5: in the
morning to pray right right and a a
person was seeking the truth and he
might hear that might not be used to it
be like oh man 5:00 or 4:30 sometimes or
you know 4:00 that's your body you not
necessarily you want to sleep right but
that's the whole issue of Islam you go
against that desire of the body cuz you
submit that will to the will of the
Creator and that's the beautiful thing
about it you know as you explain that's
you know the concept of of faith in
Islam and and worshiping what you you
know if you're sincere and you ask for
it get down there on on your knees put
your head on the ground if you're
Christian you're not going to have a
problem with it because you know Jesus
did it Abraham did it and other prophets
did put your head on the ground and ask
you know don't ask in anyone else's name
okay this will not be something that
will go against uh you know your belief
either just ask the one true creator
just say oh my oh my Lord creator of the
heavens and the Earth right use you know
all the most gracious the most merciful
the Creator show me the truth I'm
looking for you I want to submit my will
to your will just show me the light and
without any doubt without without any
doubt he will guide you without any
doubt thank you once again for for being
with us on the dean show like to thank
everybody for tuning in I told you Islam
is for everybody we have interviewed
many people from all over uh the world
different countries and we just got to
interview somebody from Romania so
inshallah God willing you got to benefit
tune in every week at the Deans show.com
T HDE nsh show.com for more great topics
great lectures and more of Islam and
Muslims Straight From the Source till
next time salam alaikum peace be unto
you