greetings and peace asalam alaikum how
you guys doing I'm with the old
friend someone who I'm getting a chance
to catch up with
SH guess
who how are youum Alum I'm good I'm good
how are you long time no see it's good
to finally catch up with you again it's
always a pleasure to run into Old
Friends new friends and continuing the
work you know you're doing some
wonderful work out there and we wanted
to kind of go over some because you
actually we talked about your journey
the last program I think it was and I
actually had your brother on the show
too so you're somebody who can relate to
the climate the current climate the old
climate all this all the things that are
going on you you came from if you
haven't saw the show that I did with him
it was from punk rock to Islam summary
of that real quick and you can see I
will put it down in the description to
actually watch that show but in in
summarizing what what was uh the
uniqueness of your story punk rock to
Islam I know it's gotten a lot of
attention but really it's just about you
know the purpose of my life and finding
purpose in my life and um music was a
big part of my life so it kind of is a
it was a transition from uh music being
everything uh to really uh looking for
spirituality and and meaning Beyond just
the day-to-day or just you know trying
to have just trying to increase more fun
right A lot of people live their life in
in that way where their purpose of life
and I know it sounds shallow and people
won't really admit that but a lot of
times our life just becomes about um
trying to maximize fun you know and
that's it and then what happens when you
reach the end of your life like what has
that life been about so that was really
uh my journey which I think I'm still on
this journey and I think all Muslims
were were on this continuous Journey uh
to get closer to Allah to our creator uh
and to really live for that higher
purpose I had a a brother who reached
out not too long ago and that's going to
lead into my next question he was
someone who accepted Islam an Hispanic
brother and he said Eddie he said when I
was hanging out with the brothers with
you guys I was on a different level I
kind of drifted off he turned towards
drugs he went away from the dean and how
what kind of advice I mean one thing is
getting burnt out you can say and then
you can see the ramifications of what
happens on one end you're practicing the
dean and you're on a different level you
we all got ups and downs it happens
that's life but then we see what happens
things don't get better when you start
going away from the Creator from Allah
things as in this example things just
get far worse so how can you prevent
something like that happening from a
getting burned out and at the same time
when you start getting tempted Shan's
like come over here it's like the grass
is green around the other side and then
you go and sometimes you don't come back
yeah look I mean that's a that's a
common issue right I'm glad you brought
it up because people don't really talk
about this you know the whole burnout
effect where you know when when a person
first accepts Islam or they first start
practicing Islam what happens is there's
a rush of Iman right or somebody's been
living their life away from their f f is
our natural inclination
towards goodness and towards
spirituality towards Allah and then you
know you live a whole life like that and
then finally you take your shahada you
you you know you you submit to Allah and
it feels amazing because now your soul
is finally Clicks in and we're flooded
with Iman which is great and then those
those beginning days and months you know
we need that Rush of Iman uh to deal
with all the changes that we're going
through but the problem is when you know
we're doing everything 110
10% and uh we look at you know sometimes
there's this notion of uh you know we
look at different issues and we always
we just automatically feel that maybe
the the most difficult opinion has to be
the most correct and when we do that and
we do that for a while and we just
that's that's it and our our life just
becomes you know that one track and we
don't find B and we don't lead a
balanced life uh it can become too much
for us and then as you said you know
thean doesn't take take you from there
to hey let's find some balance thean
takes you from there to oh you know what
it maybe this whole thing is wrong maybe
this whole religion thing is not for you
uh maybe this whole Islam thing is not
for you and actually interestingly
enough actually talked about this
phenomenon he talked about how thean
he's happy in two scenarios when Allah
commands something the Shan will take
one of two stances either
excessiveness going to too far doing too
much because he knows that he's going to
burn out it's going to be too much but
when that burnout happens thean other
thing he will pull towards if not
excessiveness it's
negligence right and shortcoming so
that's why that's that's the pull so
initially there's a pull of you know
what just go out just do just do
everything you know as much as you can
this and that that's all our life is
about and then the next pull is oh you
know what you're not finding that
satisfaction you're not finding that
peace and then we go to the other end
which is leaving it all together and the
problem is this Allah has created us
with needs our biggest and most
important need is our spiritual need
right the need to worship Allah the need
to be Spiritual Beings but it doesn't
mean that we don't have other needs for
example we have the need to be social
beings we have the need and a lot of you
know religious people don't like this to
hear this but we have the need to have
fun and to relax to rest to have a good
time right but within obviously the
parameters of Islam but if we completely
cut out that need and we don't make time
for that then we're not fulfilling that
need and anytime you don't fulfill a
need eventually the NS begins to feel it
just like you know our spiritual needs
if we never fulfill them we're just
living that's it then eventually our
Soul's going to be like something's
wrong we need to fulfill that need
likewise if our life becomes only about
hey I just got to worship worship and
this that like that's it and there's no
room for the then our nus feels that as
well and that's why the prophet in his
Sunnah we find examples of this we know
those three people who came came to his
house came to ask about his worship and
you know they
asked who the companion who would you
know serve he knew life inside out so
they asked him about PR's worship and
these three guys they anest is like you
know they weren't really impressed but
the subh Allah so one of them he says
you know okay well you know he's had his
past and future sins forgiven we're not
at that level so we need to do more
right this is what they're trying to say
so one of them he says I am going to
fast every single day another one he
says I am going to pray the whole night
another person he says I'm never going
to get married right and then the person
I'm hears about this and he calls them
back and he says did you make these
statements they said yes he says
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he says I swear by Allah I have the most
piety amongst all of you and I'm your
example yet I fast and I don't fast I
don't fast every single day and I pray
and I sleep and I get married right so
here and then he
said the one who goes outside of my
seeks something Beyond mynah then
they're not from me I mean you could
take a look at all these issues and be
like hey what's wrong and we hear people
say hey what's wrong with fasting what's
wrong with praying right but the issue
is when it goes into an extreme that
goes outside of
the it it goes into that that takes us
beyond what Allah knows is best for us
and that's why our
spirituality begins and ends with what
the prophet has taught us you know
sometimes people seek spirituality
outside of the sun of the Prophet they
want to do things the didn't do and then
they're like you know it's it's good
though right I know didn't do it like
this or he didn't do this but I'm not
doing something which is bad well the
problem is one of the dangers is that
when we go outside of the Sunnah we can
get to a place where we go into an
extreme we can overwhelm ourselves and
like I said from that point the Shan's
not like hey calm down calm down a
little bit he's like a just leave it all
together right and that's that's really
so I'm really glad you brought this up
that's that's the danger so it is
important that we balance our lives and
we find that balance and that balance
you said how can we deal with that well
one of the most important things is
knowledge educating ourselves when we
understand the Sunnah of the Prophet we
understand how he led his life we begin
to see what a balanced life looks like
did the prophet have fun and joke and
laugh yes did he uh how was he with his
family did he have rest and relaxation
time with his family and how all of that
is part of the Sunnah his behavior how
his character was with people you know
how did he deal with people who are
overtly or overly sinful was he on their
case and like it's har no we have
beautiful examples we have that one one
guy young person comes in he says oh
messenger of Allah make it Halal for me
to commit Zena to have sex outside of
marriage right if it was one of us we
would have seen that and be like get out
of my face you're asking me to to say
that it's okay to commit Zena to have
sex outside of a marriage what do he
spoke to him with the best of character
and he said would you like that would
you like that somebody commit Zen with
one of your female
relatives and this young man he says no
I wouldn't like that I don't want would
want somebody to commit Zena with my one
of my female relatives he said said
likewise when you commit Z you'll be
committing Z with someone's relative
that's a human being right that's a
that's a that that woman is is you know
related to somebody and so now he
understands right so spoke to him on his
level with this beautiful character
that's where we find this balance we
find that balance in the life of and
that comes with educating ourselves and
keeping the balance as he was talking
about so important and we see what
happens when you go away from the
submission to the Creator not the
creation Islam start to drift off hold
on hold tight don't get burnt out keep a
healthy balance tell us and by the
way if you didn't know your first time
listening to our brother he went from
punk rock to Islam to
Medina and he started studying learning
this Dean and now he's out there helping
to share this message this message of
peace peace acquired by submission to
the will of God living purpose sharing
purpose but then there's out there look
there's people you know when you're not
getting empowered by this Dean you're
get empowered by everything else you
think
superficial materialistic and then
you're Muslim by name right you get
emotional like when the balloon is
filled up with hot air you just you
don't know how to intellectually tackle
many of these things and you're on the
social media and then you see someone
that you really admired for
example famous game show host there's
people like this you ignore a lot of the
Trolls but then someone who has a big
following for instance says something
like what I'm going to repeat maybe has
really or has never walked into a MOS
sat with a Muslim so we have a great
opportunity now for you to go ahead and
communicate a message to this person but
also how should you deal with this
because you see a lot of Muslims now
cursing swearing acting opposite to the
to the Sunnah and the the way of good
character and manners so when you see
game show ho Chuck
warry Wheel of Fortune and now here's
your host chy thank you
Charlie and then someone like this
offending over 1.6 billion Muslims in a
statement if you don't by saying if you
don't know Islam is evil then you don't
know history and you refuse to reason
I'm not saying every Muslim is evil
different how would you what message
would you have to him and what advice
would you have for Muslims who are
really hurt by hearing something like
this aldah I'm really glad you brought
this up look I I completely understand
when we hear these types of things from
famous people or well-known people Islam
is evil Islam is bad and we hear for for
example somebody on Fox News ranting
about how Islam is uh the road of
terrorism and all this kind of stuff
it's easy to start to feel overwhelmed
it's easy to feel like you know what I
just can't make a difference you know no
matter what I say you know this is how
people are going to view Islam and you
know what voice do I have you know when
somebody on TV is saying this or
somebody famous comes out and shows like
this this either hatred for Islam or or
shows this incorrect repres a of Islam
it's easy to want to lose hope and by
the way losing hope is one of the goals
of the Shan for us he wants us to lose
hope he wants us to be like you know
what we can't do anything you know what
it's just we cannot there's nothing we
can do but remember Subhan Allah that in
the end of the day Allah is the one who
protects this de Allah is the one who
preserves this de no matter what people
say in the end of the day Allah is in
charge Allah is in control no matter
what people say that's number one number
two look the most powerful thing out
there more powerful than someone famous
saying something something being said on
Fox News even you know president-elect
Donald Trump saying something more
powerful than
that is you and your connection with the
real human
being so when we sit and talk to someone
they can have and I've been in
situations like this speaking to someone
who has all of the misconceptions all of
the stereotypes about Islam you know
they think Islam is evil and this and
that and terrorism and all the long list
of things but when you sit down with
this person and you communicate with
them and they see what a Muslim looks
like and they hear what a Muslim
believes from the mouth of a Muslim that
is more powerful than anything that
happens on TV or in social media and and
all of that and that's why that's our
job these days that's what we focus on
is speaking to our our our neighbors our
co-workers our people in school I'm not
saying hey you got to preach to
everybody that's not what I'm saying
what I'm saying is talk to them let them
see what a what a what a Muslim looks
like and what our what our beliefs are
what we really believe and I believe I
honestly believe that once we once a
once someone like that actually meets a
real Muslim and they start spending time
with Muslims all this other Stu won't
matter and we need to have that
confidence number one in Islam and
number two in our own selves as
representatives of Islam now is if
famous game show host Chuck wery he was
like man let me let me sit with these
guys I want to sit he he uh he was like
I I want to meet some of these these
Muslims who've been talking to me from
the dean show would you be willing and
what message would you have directly to
Chuck okay first of all if you said what
message do I have for Chuck
um if he's hearing this I would say go
speak to a real Muslim and ask them and
speak to them about what their beliefs
are and that would be my message to him
if I'm speaking to everybody else I
would
say once again it is important to
connect with him on a real level as a
human being it's easy to get emotional
it's easy to be
uh to get aggressive with somebody who's
aggressive with you Allah
says repel evil with that which is
better right someone curses us out it's
easy to curse them out someone says
isam's evil it's easy to turn around and
say no you're a bigot you're this you're
that you're a racist you don't know
anything you're just a you know to have
this view that that they are evil we as
Muslims we don't look at
the we don't look at life in this black
and white way you're either evil or good
and that's it and everyone's defined in
their role and that's it no one can
change how many people hey how many
people do you know who went from hating
Islam to not only liking Islam to
becoming
Muslim if that's not proof then I don't
know what it is right we don't we don't
look at anyone and say ah this person is
that's it they are enemy we look at this
person and we say this person needs to
be educated they need to hear about the
beauty of Islam how Amah we're coming to
a close I got one more thing I want to
touch upon you've been talking a lot
about this also we touched upon it
behind the scenes we can bring it to
fruition now tell me you know that
there's there's you know the prophet
peace and blessing be upon last and
final messenger sent to mankind who I
always say he's a brother to Jesus Moses
Abraham they all brought that same
message of Islam submission to the
Creator not the creation he said I have
not been sent except to to perfect good
manners
character sometimes we'll see you know
there's the uniform of Islam modesty
mimicking the best of women Jesus's
mother
Mary and sometimes you'll see people who
are not in accordance with the dress
code or some people that are but then
their character is not in line with with
it or some people that are but then you
know you have someone who will wear the
the the veil but everything else you
know uh is is is the jeans showing and
whatnot so how do you strike a balance
there you actually touch upon this many
people they just don't know if and and
people have that sincere of heart
they're open they want to CH it's all
about changing making progress climbing
the spiritual ladder so I I believe
these are the kind of things that you
touch upon in your classes what advice
do you have for new Muslims they they
you know maybe she went from really
toddy dress maybe he's always wearing
the Baby Gap shirt Everything is showing
on him too right but it's a complete
package with Islam but then there's some
people stuck they've been like 10 15
years they're like it's all in my heart
right alhamdulillah uh great question
and I'd say this is a great question
because I'm actually going to I'm
teaching a class on this whole topic and
the topic of clothing and culture and
once again you know we were talking
about extremism going um all out or
nothing and unfortunately when it comes
to our clothing and our dress sometimes
we take that approach as well uh there's
those people people who say it doesn't
matter what you wear right uh whatever
the culture says you wear you wear you
know that's one extreme The Other
Extreme is no you got to wear this exact
clothing you got to wear a thob for
example right and they look at your
brother Eddie they be like hm he's
wearing a a tie he's wearing a suit
that's not Muslim clothing right and
that's the Other Extreme Islam gives us
General guidelines protecting our
modesty covering our dressing in a
dignified way but the exact thing of
what you have to wear Islam does say go
back to your culture as long as it
fulfills those conditions so it's
important and once again it's about
education it's about learning about what
Islam tells us about our dress and
clothing what does it mean to to dress
in a dignified way what does that mean
so once again it's easy to get caught up
in one or the other like you said
there's people who are like oh all that
matters is what's in the heart you know
said that in the body there's a morsel
of Flesh if it is sound the rest of the
body will be sound as well and he said
most certainly that is the heart he said
if it's ruined the rest of the body will
be ruined as well so in the end of the
day our exterior is a reflection of our
interior so if the heart is trying to
purify itself we should try to purify
our exterior as well we should try and
dress in the way as we said which is
islamically the most dignified right and
it's not one or the other it's not just
the heart or just the outside we are in
a constant struggle as Muslims to purify
our hearts and purify our exterior as
well that's why look even our worship
our worship isn't perfect does that mean
we leave it all together no we try our
best and we continue to try we continue
to struggle we continue to try to be
better and closer to Allah in our hearts
and our exterior whether it's our dress
whether it's our Behavior whether it's
our worship Allah didn't make us perfect
beings we're
all struggling the point is that we keep
struggling the point is that we keep
submitting submitting is not a onetime
deal Eddie you know this submitting is a
daily action it's a hourly action it's a
momentto moment action that we submit
right and the Shan will come to you and
tell you hey what's the point you're not
perfect what's the point you don't fit
this category or that correct category
and it's easy to want to give up to lose
hope but what matters is that that we
keep striving and keep struggling keep
educating ourselves and keep acting upon
that knowledge and ask Allah to give us
all the strength to persevere and to
continue and to live this life of
submission to Allah bringing us peace in
our hearts and our and on in our
lifestyle as well Jesus did it Moses did
it Abraham did it the last and final
messenger did it live this beautiful way
of life direct connection with the
creator of the heavens and earth Islam
tell us how can people hook up with
you get in touch with you you got a
website you got a Twitter what do you
got so people can connect with you and
maybe Chuck Chuck and also con hey look
uh I'll make it easy for you any social
media site you can think of I'm on it I
believe most media so I'm on Facebook
I'm on Twitter I'm on Instagram I'm on
Snapchat um just look for sad s a a d t
a SLE eem um on Facebook Twitter
Instagram Snapchat you can connect with
me on there in and I look forward to
hearing from you actually so if you're
online tweet at me um and you know if
you're Instagram whatever forward to
hearing from you thank you very much
it's always an honor always a pleasure
pleasure all thank you for being with us
here on the de show responsibly use it
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week Fridays we release a new show God
willing inshallah connect with us
subscribe if you haven't already Chuck
get with us the message is coming to you
it's out of love Chuck we got love for
you and all of mankind Islam look look
look Islam says love all of mankind
that's why we're delivering this message
this message of peace peace acquired by
submission to the world of God I'll see
you next time inshallah until then peace
be with
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youum