you see somebody praying in an airport
and prostrate at an airport praying
don't call police security you know but
the one thing that I did understand was
I wasn't gonna be a Muslim
I wasn't that was clear that was clear
that was not an option for me she says
mister Altobelli says well I have a good
friend that converted to Islam and from
what I understand it's very close to you
know Christian believes there's things
there's very teachers telling her this
no teacher told her the Quran is there's
another miracle and it's a miracle that
is unchanged over 1,400 years you know
she said you you you can do whatever you
want dad just don't try to convert me
you know and it's funny she has a
teacher she really respects in school
and there must be a lot of people like
me that had what they felt they they
knew what Islam was and they're wrong we
both ended up in tears I mean we just
both ended up in tears I was so happy
guys I told her I said Jim I don't have
to go through what dr. Lawrence Brown
went through when I was baptized when I
was young or had these experiences in
church and in Christianity had never
felt in my heart what I what I feel
never I never and I think a lot of
people don't understand how closely you
know the Christianity is to to the
Muslim faith when it comes to I had no
idea you know Noah Moses Jesus peace be
upon him you know I just I didn't I did
not understand this and was Bob is here
because he was sincere and he's ready to
say a shadow in there you know hey Lala
or eyeshadow any Muhammad and I'm the
sort of witch
[Music]
assalamualaikum greetings of peace
welcome to the Deen show and I have our
friend Bob walks from Boston
how are you mr. Bob walks I'm fantastic
thank you very much are you doing peace
be with you
peace be with you how's your doing
Salaam alaikum Salaam alaikum
you know what's interesting I have a
talk coming up I'm supposed to be in New
Jersey in New York and they want me to
talk about why Americans are choosing
Islam
I got a American here and maybe you can
help me with this because you're one of
those Americans who are choosing to
become a Muslim accepting Islam is that
correct that's absolutely correct and
you didn't want to be in the closet
about it I don't want to be in the
closet that you know I was actually
that's the exact phrase that I I used
that I was committed to not being a
closeted Muslim I got that from you yeah
yeah yes absolutely I think that's very
important so tell us what was it about
Islam that had you now wanting to accept
it you have an official I mean you're
you're supposed to be taking your
Shahada you're ready to take your
Shahada
but what was it about Islam that had you
come to work you're on the D show now
all right and I can't tell you how
excited I am to be on the Deen show a
lot of my education I think came from
you know the input that I got from your
YouTube videos and the podcasts and I've
really been chewing up a lot of
information very good friend of mine has
helped educate me not not through just
not through a ton of conversation but
feeding me information and that was
really what I felt I needed because I
had a lot of questions and I I grew up
Christian Baptist I was baptized I I
went to Baptist Church with my sister my
family was was you know we attended a
Baptist Church alone just the two of us
you know you and your sister my sister
and I and my sister has a strong
Christian faith to this to this day but
I've gone through just a lot of things
that didn't understand I questioned and
wasn't really practicing Christian and
even though Christian Christianity I
believe is it's quite easy to practice
but I I rebelled in a way that bit just
because I didn't understand but the one
thing that I did understand was I wasn't
gonna be a Muslim
I wasn't that was clear that was clear
that was not an option for me I was not
gonna be a Muslim not a chance even if I
said even if I got and let's put this in
context and please don't lose your place
where you're at this is I was just
thinking if someone said it's like
you're saying I'm not gonna submit my
will to God there's no way because
that's what a Muslim means I know so I
didn't understand would you ever say
that though as it got very God loving
person I'm never gonna submit my will to
God would you you were saying that I was
saying but not knowing what a Muslim
actually means Muslim is one who submits
to the will of God that's by definition
what a Muslim means absolutely so what
happened from there well getting
educated I I did sort of recommit to
exploring further learning more getting
involved in a church and I think it's a
beautiful church
it had a great outreach men's group I
was involved in you know involved in
Saturday men's group you know sessions
and and I started to realize that I
this wasn't a path I could just take on
my own
which was a lot of my indoctrination as
a young as a young person with my
grandfather that you know beware of man
and beware of church beware of organized
religion beware beware beware this is
coming from your my grandfather was a
big influence yeah in my life and but he
would pick things out of the Bible that
justified you know whatever message he
was trying to give me the same way that
people pick things out of the Quran and
and to justify things that are that are
that are not accurate but the point is
that when I really started to learn and
when I started to study what what it
meant what would it what it was about
all the questions that I had were
answered and answered very quickly for
me it was it was
an amazing path and for the first time
in my life
you know I never when I was baptized
when I was young or had these
experiences in church and in
Christianity
I had never felt in my heart what I what
I feel now I don't know that I could
fully explain the difference but I feel
like maybe my heart was hardened in a
way and it was certainly consumed with
life and career making money or whatever
to you know to the detriment of my
family my faith everything we're now
through the five pillars of you know of
the Muslim faith
it really has grounded me towards what's
important you know you've actually
started doing some of these rites I've
been studying it and I have been praying
I don't I I think it's important I have
I have recited the Shahada and yeah but
but to myself and I also think that's
important to do that in front of yes
your brother yes so now you welcome to
your family of over 1.5 billion so
people know now that you're there you
know they're there for you you make that
connection with your family I mean if
you have some family out there you want
to know who they are right right right
the shocking thing to me was I never I
never and I think a lot of people don't
understand how closely you know the
Christianity is to the Muslim faith when
it comes to I had no idea you know Noah
Moses Jesus peace be upon him you know I
just I didn't I did not understand this
and most people don't and unfortunately
especially in the last maybe 15 years or
so there have been the extreme you know
you know terrorist actions that have
just tainted and and media has done a
serious to service to to the faith but
my eyes have really been open to that
yes and I was watching something
recently where you know if you picked
out the verses where it talks about you
know peace and love versus war and the
Quran it's like a hundred and forty
something to seventeen don't quote me on
those numbers but it's you know yeah the
Quran is about love peace forgiveness or
yeah you can easily do the same thing
they had a man who was going out there
and taking verses from the Bible and
verses from the Quran and he said okay
did you see that video and then he said
what book do you think this is they
thought it was the Quran and then he was
showing those verses you know and then
they said no no at the end it was
actually the Bible did you see that they
did a social experiment test I did you
know and you can easily play that game
that's easy it is and I don't know
that's that the part is very frustrating
for me the more I learn the more
frustrated I get with with it's it's
just doing such a disservice to the
faith there's a friend academic out
there tuning in and they just you know
want to look more I often quote Robert
Pape he's a terrorist expert this man
has put more time into this area of and
as an expert in terrorism and he says
Robert Pape that Islam he's saying that
this these terrorist attacks that happen
these are politically motivated this has
the adjusted geopolitical this this is
not because of the religion of Islam no
it's not and you know those acts of
terrorism have killed more Muslims than
anybody else that's profound yeah so you
know if it was of the faith would that
happen no it's it's not so the
difference between you and someone
behind the keyboard right and just
reading headlines is you actually you
went deeper and with the sincere heart
open mind and you really started to
research because you wouldn't be here if
you weren't sincere and you were really
doing your homework well that's a good
point I wouldn't I wouldn't be here
without the opportunity to learn and
you're not gonna learn by reading the
headlines you're definitely gonna go in
a different direction if you read most
most headlines what I was given the
opportunity to learn the truth and
sources that I trust and and and still
questioned you know I still questioned
everything but whenever I do question
the answer comes and that's never
happened to me in my life and in my
faith yeah tell us you were sharing the
experience you had actually with your
with your wife and your daughter yes
so I
see I was scared and I listen to YouTube
video from dr. Lawrence Brown and the
the the trials that he went through with
his family and he lost everything you
know a beautiful home a guest home that
was probably the size of my my home
living in a really shabby apartment and
he really lost it all and it scared me
it scared me I didn't know how my family
would react but you know I'm ordering
they see that I'm ordering through
Amazon a Quran I'm ordering a prayer rug
you know I'm doing these things and my
wife I I'm so thankful that she's been
very supportive she's not saying I'm
with you but she said again listening
she's not like what was the former
president you know with us no not at all
so supportive but not saying I'm with
you yeah but the more she's learning and
everything else she has questions and
there's those answers are coming to her
as well but but that's that's important
you don't expect someone just to blindly
follow her husband was there sincerity
there right but she's at least she's now
because one of the greatest forms of
ignorance is the great thinker said is
to reject something you know a thing
about right so at least she's open to
learn right and you know the beautiful
thing about the Quran the first thing is
obviously read read read three times
read and read read you know and and and
and so in coercion I've learned a lot
about coercion and you know and that's
that's that's not the right approach and
especially from somebody that I feel I'm
still very ignorant in the in the faith
you know it's not gonna come from me but
read learn you know learn on your own
and she's done that I have to share a
shara shara story we were we were
watching a video the other morning and
it was fast and it was fascinating and
it was from a Christian or excuse me a
religious scholar who is Christian but
the way he was presenting the Islamic
faith you you thought he was Muslim
right and she pulled out her like
journal or
you know her her task manager and she
started to you know look at it and write
in and I says but don't you think this
is fascinating are you know watching
this she goes no I'm making notes she's
even taking note she's dick so that was
you know that was just we both ended up
in tears I mean we just both ended up in
tears I was so happy guys I told her I
said Jim I don't have to go through what
dr. Lawrence Brown went through you know
at least you know I but I had struggles
with my daughter my old my oldest
daughter you know she said you you you
can do whatever you want dad just don't
try to convert me you know and it's
funny she has a teacher she really
respects in school and she she we we
didn't have a great conversation in the
morning I didn't feel like handle that
well when I dropped her off at school
she had a half-day I went to pick her up
and she says well I went to mr.
Altobelli my teacher and I told him you
converted to Islam and I almost had a
heart attack I'm like oh wait a minute
you know and she says Mr Altobelli says
well I have a good friend that converted
to Islam and from what I understand it's
very close to you know Christian
believes there's things there's very
teachers telling her this no teacher
told her this which I never would have
dreamed of you know and I just think
every every time that I've had a
struggle and there have been many of
them's I know there are more to come I
just have faith that they're gonna you
know they're gonna be able to be worked
through
so meeting God Almighty allows the best
of planners so it's just to see these
things how they're just coming out
perfectly planned it's amazing
absolutely so what would you say what
can I go back to tell people what would
you say now with your experience you
can't speak for all Americans but what I
just say the top three things you would
say about Islam and as to why Americans
are choosing Islam well I believe that
the truth is being spread it has to be
because I feel like there's God that
there there must be a lot of people like
me that had what they felt they they
knew what Islam was and they're wrong
and so so ignorance is a big part of
this so being educate
it is number one is to read you know the
the quran is a miracle one of the one of
the most amazing miracles and and jesus
peace be upon him you've performed
miracles the quran is another miracle
and it's a miracle that is unchanged
over 1400 years and all of there's no
way that you can dispute if you really
dig into it there's no way that you can
dispute science you you you know the
expanding of the universe embryology
you know all of this is described very
clearly these were all questions that i
had my family is you know science
engineering background very that's what
you do for a living your I'm in business
but my my father was a mathematics
professor who then ended up in business
and most of my family are engineers and
you know that sort of thing they're
educated people very educated and and
there are agnostics and and my father is
Christian not your believer and you know
what I'm also thankful that no matter
what I feel you know I'm gonna be in
paradise with my father I feel I feel
that in my heart but I also have an
opportunity to help educate you know and
I feel like this is a part of being you
know closeted are you gonna be a
closeted Muslim and you're in your faith
or are you gonna put out what you really
believe and maybe it can have an effect
on somebody yeah but that's not up to me
but all you can do is share the truth
yeah this is I just get so excited and
to hear people like yourself who who
have given it a shot who've had an open
mind and who are sick of being lied to
and there was really good Americans out
there I'm an American Bosnian background
but you know and that's one of the
reasons I do the program because I know
if people give I was I was I was doing
an interview with a with a scholar from
Florida Miami and when we were done he
said and they just got to give us a shot
give Islam a shot
sit because we're not getting you know
if you really this will help to make
society make the communities better
places I mean but there's so much effort
money being spent to tarnish the image
of Islam and you're actually by doing
that you're just causing more havoc in
the world and I would also say you know
despite that it's the fastest growing
religion despite that's another thing
you know right all that sort of a
prophecy that was prophesized by Prophet
Muhammad and it's coming to be right
right you know so I mean in spite of all
of that you know I was at work and in in
that's fastest-growing religion and
another thing that you know if you
really put the extremists you know in
into their category the appropriate
category if you look at the the religion
of Islam as a whole and it's how many
billion almost like almost two billion
almost points eight billion its point
zero zero zero two five percent there's
something like that ten thousand one one
group there's 70,000 another group I
mean it's just such small numbers that
unfortunately they just get a lot of
attention but but you have I mean
functioning extremists I mean like the
KKK who have over like two hundred
functioning branches in the world today
if they're functioning they're operating
you can go sign up you can fill out an
application and you also have to go to
you have to attend Sunday is it
Protestant or or I don't know what the
what the Christian faith is but they're
Christians yeah but we don't judge
obviously Christianity by the KKK right
exactly exactly so we got to grow our
pastors I mean people who are academic
who are sincere who are open-minded I
mean even just a layman who just wants
to connect with one God he's confused
with all the confusion out there about
God but now Islam comes to them and says
submit to the creator not the creation
one God worship Him alone that makes
sense
how when you heard that I mean when you
because over and over the theme of the
Quran is that pew or monotheism worship
God just alone now setting up partners
or equals Jesus is a Messenger of God
just like Moses Abraham they all came
with the same message simple
warning the glad tidings paradise if you
do good you become a good human being
all under the pretense of
god-consciousness what what what's going
through your mind your it was so easy
that part was very easy for me because
of you know when I say in one sense that
it was a negative that my grandfather
said beware you know that part was easy
for me to accept there is one God and my
grandfather believed there was one God
yeah but I also believe that there's a
community of faith there's there's a
responsibility to you know to share to
to share the knowledge of you know the
truth and not be a closet
you know Muslim but so that part was
very easy for me to accept and you know
I'll tell you a comment that my wife
made we were watching we were watching a
video and they it was talking about
Jesus and we were talking about the
Trinity and in Jesus being God and she
she said she grew up Lutheran and she
says well I never really viewed Jesus as
God and I said well did you practice you
know these certain things she says well
I I did but I guess I never really in my
heart felt so service I think a lot of
people and a lot of Christians and a lot
of it's not going to be that hard to
accept I do believe in it you know and
my readings and from what I've read in
the Quran that we are the they're our
brothers and sisters and in faith you
know certainly the we have are those
differences but there's so many
similarities yeah you know so for me it
was very easy yeah I often make that
statement that we have brothers and
sisters in humanity we are the same
father Adam right and then you have
brothers and sisters siblings now from
the bloodline and then now you make that
transition from worshiping a human being
worshipping Jesus worshiping the
creation you come to worshiping only the
Creator you become now the brothers in
faith and sisters in faith you know what
I mean but still if you choose Islam
gives you that's between you and your
Creator we do not condemn people write
them a one-way visa you
say hey you John you Joe you're going to
hell that's between them and God
but associating partners with God there
are grave consequences it's clear in the
Koran right Hellfires dare paradise for
a reason so like you said getting the
truth out but at the end now we still
deal with people justly humanely kindly
exactly exactly you know and when I I'll
share with you is one of the problems
that I had in my and my family with this
and I have you know beautiful wife and
two amazing girls that I'm trying to
raise as independent young young women
and the misconception that they had
about how or than I had about how women
were viewed in Islam and you know the
first thing I learned was the
fastest-growing segments of the Muslim
faith of women why would that happen why
would that happen if they were
mistreated and and you you know you know
restricted in so many ways and when you
learn that the reality of it and it's
the complete opposite of that
I mean 1400 years ago they were given
the right to vote and to you know have
inheritance and if you you have to place
yourself back in those times where that
would have to be absolutely unheard of
yeah that was totally like we would say
that like our friend Dean Mohammed were
saying this was totally like the liberal
yes exactly exactly so so now they're I
mean that's what I often tell people go
speak to the Muslim woman go and talk to
her the one that's observing Islam and
who's living it and she's chosen to
dress like Mary the mother of Jesus like
the nuns that are out there she's living
a God conscious life ask her yeah and
most people now they why do you think it
is people get stuck you have a fabulous
amazing people like your wife who's open
minded she's open heart you know her
mind is open she's willing to learn but
have you come across other people now
that you've talked to about this and you
can just see that they're not even
giving like I said it a shot they're not
even willing to to listen
where you could say look just hear me
out if you like what I have to say take
it if you don't reject it that's it yeah
I have good friends that you know I've
shared shared with and for the most part
I've gotten support you know I'll give
you one instance where it was it was at
dinner with my wife and I were at dinner
with a couple and we weren't even
talking about me and my faith but
somehow Islam or Muslims came up and
this was the wait wait hold on hold on
so you didn't bring it up I don't recall
exactly how it came up you know maybe I
did okay because it seems like it's
coming up at at just your random
conversation it was in random
conversation and it wasn't oh you know
my wife's saying no it Bob's converted
to Islam and you know you know the
person is doing what he literally did
and I I was shocked
yeah you know I was shocked and at the
same time you know I understand because
we are we are fed so much information
that is you know untrue and unfair it's
it's frustrating and at the same time
that's why I'm sitting here and and you
know and I'm very very new to this I'm
but just you sitting here and just
sharing just a few gems that you've
learned that goes a long way look at
that and now imagine if you you weren't
exposed to these gems and now you're
just hearing this from imagine that same
person or someone else does that's just
that same you know body language like
this and associates that with LOM
someone has no idea so then they carry
that picture with them to the next part
and then you see how these these these
are lies just keep on you know these
misconceptions just keep growing right
we were talking earlier about this
series of three videos of the the
religious professor and he was
presenting from the perspective of how
Muslims see themselves and it appears he
did a very good job of it and he made a
comment in that video he said please
when you see somebody praying in an
Airport and prostrated an airport
praying don't call police security well
you know my wife and I had to laugh but
you know think about it that's how
people see it yeah you know and it's
it's that's how Jesus prayed exactly who
was he praying - he's trying to the
greater to the one throw a lot so what
about that now so we covered the one
thing when I asked you about why
Americans you feel like choosing Islam
and you'd particularly as an American
you were born in Boston or no Michigan I
was born in Michigan Michigan raised in
Boston or how long it was I was raised
in Michigan I've been in Boston I've
moved out there for work about 17 years
ago 17 years ago beautiful place I heard
Boston's gorgeous yeah
so what other thing would you go ahead
and say that attracted you to Islam so
we talked about a few things here and
there but what about what else would you
say many people get turned on to the the
worship and we covered that of just one
God that's easy and I think that people
nowadays because they attribute
important things with complication I'll
give an example like the tax system
right it's just so complicated right the
language of attorneys are you from
complicated right the medical language
and lingo that only doctors complicated
but these are important matters right
but then when you come down to God
people think it's gotta be confusing
complicated so just it's blind faith
close your eyes and just believe say
hallelu it but you don't have that with
Islam it's so easy that it's kind of
like confusing like hold on well those
yeah that was the biggest thing that was
the biggest thing you know like blind
faith I had a hard time accepting that
and I think a lot of people do
especially you know if you if you have a
scientific mind physics you know a
physicist type type mind analytical type
mind it's very hard to grasp that you
know you want to see proof you want to
see proof and faith a lot of times you
know especially in Christianity is you
just have to trust that you know though
certain things happened and and have
faith and and I always said I believe I
always believed it but I always
questioned I was afraid to say that I
questioned but
questioned and what really attracted me
was it was easy to say I believe there's
you know monotheism there I believe
there's one one one God but the the the
biggest I think the thing was that I
could see proof we have a miracle in
front of us if you took if you if you
really read the Quran in its full
context you know in and if you listen to
good sources out there you're a
fantastic source if you listen to other
sources out there that you know the
truth is there and it's very clear it's
very clear and it's in it it's it's a
miracle that is one of the most
magnificent miracles that you can
imagine when there's no way fourteen
over fourteen hundred years ago an
illiterate could have you know Prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him could have
could have known you know we didn't know
a lot of these things till fifty hundred
years ago or less so that you can't
dispute in my mind that you cannot
dispute that's so important because
there are just really a few
possibilities either Prophet Muhammad
peace and blessings be upon him who was
known by his community that he was
unlettered he couldn't read he could
write that was known but he was known as
the truthful so the people who claim
that now they are prophets from God
either they're the worst of people on
humanity cuz they're lying against God
or they're the most righteous the most
pious and we look at his life and that's
what he was so either he's making it up
or you got a group of people coming
together to conspire to make the Quran
and then the third is neither the devil
made it and you know that every time you
recite the Quran you're saying you're
seeking refuge with God from the devil
and then you look at there's a challenge
in the Quran to produce something like
it come come on examine it find a
contradiction and you see that there's
no way that it can come for any of these
three and on every page of the Quran God
Almighty's name is mentioned calling it
appear to upright and honest and just
and righteous human being opposite to
what the devil wants you to be so when
you knock all these out systematically
and then what you talked about the signs
the prophecies all these things compiled
the authenticity of the crime and
we can go on and on and on we come to
where you hear where Bob is here because
he was sincere and he's ready to say a
shadow and la la la la or eye shadow
Anna Muhammadan I'm to hold a Sulha
which I often say if you were living
during the time of Jesus there's a
there's a really profound statement in
the Bible I believe it's John 17:3 where
it says this is life eternal where Jesus
is allegedly saying that this is life
eternal that they may know you the only
true God alike the law there's nothing
worthy of worship except the one true
God and Aramaic the language of Jesus
Aloha and Arabic Allah there's no God
worthy of worship except Allah and at
Jesus's time you would say Issa Rasool
Allah and Jesus is the Messenger of God
and you often have heard the statement
that Jesus they say is like he is the
way the truth and the light no one rises
to the Father God except through him of
course to his teachings but now we
extend that the extension of that is
Prophet Muhammad so now for all of
humanity he's a mercy sent for all of
mankind and he is Muhammad Rasul Allah
The Messenger of God and there you have
that Shahada said today exactly exactly
yeah it's quite it's quite it's amazing
it's amazing so more people I'm just I'm
really I enjoy having these discussions
I said if people would give us a shot
you know to go ahead and deliver this
truth I see a lot of times when people
when people first accept Islam sometimes
it can be a hard reality because I know
from my experience I'm reading all of
these signs I'm reading all these things
that just requires some logic this is
not some whoo do stuff in the back that
someone's doing and Dizzy's these fake
healers and weird stuff that you know
the guys like doing some like crazy
stuff and ten people are falling off the
bleachers and stuff you see all these
like now I got the Holi in me and
whatnot so none of that this is just
calling you to think to be sincere
design indicates a designer someone
created this turn to the one who created
this ask them what's your purpose in
life let him be your guide the Creator
and then start to do the research you
did that you found it in Islam more
people would do that I'm sure if they
were sincere at God we'd without a doubt
God will guide anyone who is sincere and
looking for the truth
now the challenges because you have so
many distractions
it's a nightmare of distractions out
there how did you get past all of the
strut distractions money a position you
have to go against all odds now because
you're where things are thank God
working out with your family but then
what's my co-workers what are my friends
I might you know not have these this
door closed I mean how did you get
through that and then at the same time
you know just the distractions of Lewis
a dunya the material the world yeah I
don't think I am through it I think I'm
just beginning my journey and and I and
I expect you know you know I expect
troubles or hardships along the way yeah
and you know that's okay yeah I mean
because I think that's just that just
you know goes along with it and it's not
going to shake my faith because again my
heart was hardened and there's there's a
difference in how I view everything
right now and you know the praying five
times a day and grounding yourself and
in making getting getting connected to
you know our Creator five times a day is
a beautiful practice of not being
distracted by and you know and when
you're living in a fast pace you know
business environment you know talk about
distractions you know you can go in in a
million different directions and at the
end of the day all you feel is you know
high blood pressure and you know
sometimes panic attacks so I don't feel
that I feel I feel a lot of peace and I
feel I can handle hardships whether they
be business and and hardships with
accepting this money my faith that that
you know you're able to handle those
yeah you said something that was really
profound also because you have some of
the top entrepreneurs billionaires multi
millionaires preaching the importance of
rest time as far as meditation you
started doing meditation but now the
difference between actually meditating
and now and we would call like vicar
like remembrance of God like as opposed
to you have salade the connection with
God the prayer you were started doing
the meditation
what's the difference here between
salah/prayer connection we've got and
then the meditation yes well you know I
think meditation was amazing
and yeah you know and I was really
surprised at how many times I saw
meditation you know in in in the in the
Quran and but meditation was was in many
ways life-changing for me because rather
than using drugs xanax or something to
to calm myself I could use my and for me
it was mindfulness meditation which was
just focusing on my breathing and
calming myself down and I would do that
as a morning practice and then I would
started to do it any time I was felting
I was having a you know meltdown during
the day I would close my door and do it
do it in my office now I have the
opportunity five times a day to do
really the same thing except I'm leaving
glory to you know to Allah to God my you
know and practice my faith but it's it's
different to I still meditate but the
prayer and prostrating yourself and
completely releasing you know meditation
mindfulness meditation is a breathing
exercise yeah the only way to completely
evacuate the air from your system so
deep breathing this is really important
and so you know the feeling you get this
calmness that comes over you I feel like
I it's a similar effect but more
powerful that I can go back and not only
does my body feel better and calmer but
my mind is in a space that I can go
handle whatever needs to be and yeah how
would you get people to really because
this is the the crucial question that we
try to motivate people to ask like why
are you here in this world right at what
points like why are you here and where
are you going you think you're just
gonna as amass money you're gonna live
life but you're gonna die you know
what's it all about you made the money
you had the big house and you had all
the all the fun sad times good times but
then you die what's the purpose what's
it all about that's a difficult
statement you know because I'll share
with you I didn't have any purpose yeah
and you know I had many many goals in my
life mostly financial related and career
related and you know I met those and you
know I was CEO for 16 years which i
think is a pretty long run is this ul
CEO of the company I was CEO of a
company you know a small midsize company
but a global company yeah so I was
traveling the world and I started a
manufacturing plant and but that was a
whole focus of my life and there was a
lot of dysfunction in it there was a lot
of dysfunction and I honestly hated who
I was I felt my family would honestly be
better off without me and in my heart I
felt this and now and I I can't believe
that I would feel something like that
with what what I have and you know what
I can you know share and and be there
for my family and what me being around
means to my family that didn't exist you
know and I walked away from that that
position making a lot of money I
resigned and went through a lot of
financial troubles too you know a lot of
a lot of struggles but I got to the
point where there was something missing
in my life when you get to the point
where you feel that you you your family
the people you love the most are much
better off without you there's something
wrong that's yes and and anybody that I
would talk to any of my friends or any
of my family would say to me you have a
real problem because you have what
anybody else would want I mean you
people would people would do anything
for your position and I had the freedom
I could do really whatever I want and I
got to see beautiful places around the
world and all over the world and no
contentment none none
was there a void a huge void yeah
and shame
you know how I was doing business I
didn't believe in the dysfunction of you
know the environment you know alcohol
you you know just many things that were
not what I was proud of what I was
shameful of uh-huh wow this is I mean I
can go on and on just a couple more
things I mean so now let's Jesus how is
your relationship with Jesus now because
this is a key figure in Christianity so
now we take it to Islam and many people
think okay you've lost salvation he came
to die for your sins what do you say
that absolutely not
I have a better understanding but
absolutely not I mean Jesus is one of
the greatest prophets you know along
with many other prophets that are that
are in the Bible and this is one one of
the biggest misconceptions that I had
you know I I honestly would say there's
no way I'm going to worship Allah
because I never understood Allah was God
mm-hmm you know that never yeah as
ignorant as that sounds that's what I
believed and I think there are many
other people out there that believe the
same thing but and know the love I have
for Jesus and in in the message that he
brought you you know no is stronger than
stronger than it ever was when you hear
the word like Trinity what is that you
know how are you yeah for me now I just
that it's one thing I had I had an issue
with I don't believe I don't believe
that Jesus or excuse me that God would
put could put his son through come in
the form of a man and put it through
what he was put through and be
considered God in incarnate and
you know that the the Trinity just does
not make sense to me and never never did
it was one of the things I had a big
complication with and idolatry you know
to put put the face to - to these things
and put an image - these things into
worship these things I didn't understand
in it and I I always did have that
central my my relationship is my
relationship with God so those things
never made sense they do make they are
very clear for me now so we got Bob here
on the Dean show Bob walks and you see
that as a Muslim he doesn't have to I
mean you know even though we see Jesus
with the thobe and the beard and you
know he looks like present-day Muslims
today but Islam is not about changing
your DNA he's not turning into an air of
he's an American hey he's what's love
he's likes nice suits like I do right so
we don't have to start dressing it's not
Muslims not someone who has to turn
Pakistani or Indian or whatnot I mean
those are all our brothers but at the
end of the day you are you're you're a
Muslim you're American and you're
following the way of Jesus and the last
fundamental problem Hamid which all I
mean simple as that that that that
testimony that is for those out there as
simple as as we talked about it is that
pure monotheism and at the end of the
day when someone wants to testify what's
in their very nature right you testify
that this person took your wallet -
front of the police can you fill out the
description yeah you do testify in the
courtroom you promise to swear to tell
the whole truth nothing but the truth so
help you God yes but now will you
testify that the Creator Allah this is
my crater and I'm not going to put up
anyone between me and my Creator this is
just one why would someone be ashamed of
that I mean you see you unconsciously do
some things but that's it and this is
something that you've been la ilaha
illaallah muhammaden-rasul allah that's
it yeah you've been saying you know how
to say it by now I bear witness that
nothing is worthy of worship except
Allah the Creator God and Muhammad is
the messenger yes would you like to say
that we say it I I can't say in Arabic
but I would say a with you
yes do it so I testify I testify that
there's nothing worthy of worship but
there's nothing worthy of worship except
God Almighty alone but god almighty
allah and i testify and I testify that
Muhammad that Muhammad is His Messenger
his messenger la ilaha illa Allah la la
la la la I'm sorry shadow I saw her and
la ilaha illa Allah illa llah what a
shadow maja shadow and and Muhammad
Muhammad Rasulullah Rasulullah that's
simple and and and if you were speaking
the language of Jesus and Aramaic you
would have been saying something very
similar because the English language
didn't exist I have to visit you God
woman in Boston absolutely this was a
pleasure thank you so much it was so
nice meeting you a pleasant surprise we
think our brother doesn't looking us up
guys thank you for tuning in and if
you're out there and you want to connect
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interact we'll see you next time until
then peace be with you
Salam alaykoum
you