my goal is to be patient upon hardship
and grateful upon blessings and that I
be in one State or the other until my
story is through because the pen has
been lifted and the ink has
dried the dean show peace be with you
welcome to the dean show I'm at your
host and I'm with my brother
how you doing my brother I'm doing great
how are you Edie how you been good to
see you again good to see you also
alhamdulillah how are you feeling good
alhamdulillah alhamdulillah tell us um
tell us uh you you've been involved in
uh the spoken word for some time right
yeah spoken word poetry the Arts
something that I enjoy so I kind of
started dabbling in it uh in my college
Years I didn't even know that I could
really write until College which was
really late for writers but or for some
writers and I kind of by that time I had
already developed an Islamic personality
I had you know interests in in learning
and studying Islam by then and so when I
started writing poetry it kind of just
meshed into being you know an Islamic
art form yeah what kind of a you know we
know when we think about music nowadays
people are you know seeing about bling
bling cars women all that yeah is that
is that kind of the Poetry that uh you
do mine is kind of like bling bling
bling bling oh okay women bling or women
of and cars of type of thing yeah that's
the difference what's the difference see
that I I just posted something one is
Everlasting I I just posted something on
the Twitter I said um don't get caught
up with chasing the the the after party
of this life which is temporary it's
going to end right you're going to have
a hangover but the real part is in Jenna
what do and that party don't stop it
doesn't stop that party doesn't stop
does it that part don't stop and it's
not even till 6:00 in the morning cuz
there's no day and night in Jen that's
now now what you know a lot of times is
odd for a lot of people but what had you
realize when at what age at what time in
your life did you make that conscious
decision that indeed Islam was a way of
life that that you wanted to live and
why probably the last year of high
school so I used to go to Sunday school
just like everybody else and you know
the last two years of high school I
never used to go to Sunday school
growing up and my parents uh they
decided like the last two years of high
school they're like no we have to give
it this you know we have to take our
kids to Sunday school and so I went and
I had to be dragged every week to go and
then uh just one day I remember the the
you know the brother who was teaching
us he um Allah reward him he just
started speaking about a topic that I
found fascinating which was
a and literally I just from that day on
I just consumed all of the material that
I could about the de and I became a
16-year-old expert on the de at that
particular time in my life and and that
just transcended from from there on to
studying other things what do you think
is the uh you engag with a lot of the
youth yeah what do you think is one of
the major challenges that that you you
see them having nowadays I think it's
just an uh one of them is you know just
the issue of identity like who am I
what's my role trying to navigate being
it's not easy you're talking about
people who are growing up post 911
they've never really experienced the
time when Islam was not Public Enemy
Number One or being Muslim wasn't Public
Enemy Number One and so you know trying
to navigate through that and you know
when you're a teenager when you're young
you you live and die off of acceptance
from your peers it's it's the most
important group that you're trying to
please is your your peer group and your
friends and um so really just figuring
out your place I think is something
that's very challenging and um have lots
of conversations with them with regards
to just you know where do your pillars
what do your where does your identity
come from whether I'm talking to youth
or whether I'm talking to parents
because parents also give uh their
children a sense of identity or they
don't give them a sense of identity and
they allow them to try to figure out
where they can get that from and
um we talk about the the different ways
or different sources of a person having
a strong Islamic identity what it is and
what it isn't because a lot of times
what parents end up doing when they're
trying to give their children identity
is they're trying to give them and the
identity of being from a different
country and that doesn't work so I'm
trying to give my child a sudane
Identity or I'm trying to give my child
a Pakistani Identity or an Egyptian
Identity or whatever it is and you can't
recreate that in a different country
it's not going to work and it's not
going to work in the US but you can give
them an Islamic identity because Islam
transcends all borders and it's it's
it's a way of life that you live it's
not it's not restricted to a GE
Geographic Place uh what are your
comments on many people who they end up
following the likes of cuz we're
creatures of imitation yeah that's why
the creater sent the best of people for
us to mimic the prophets and Messengers
and Muhammad peace be upon him being the
last Jesus Moses Abraham and all the
proceeding Messengers they were the best
of Role Models but nowadays if
somebody's taking DJ what's that khid
yep another one he's got a Muslim name
right uh maybe they're taking 50 cents
yeah as Role Models deriving their
identity from this what do you think so
I was uh I was uh I was in Jamaica
Queens when 50 Cent came out and he was
like everybody everybody was listening
to 50 Cent when he came out you're
talking about 2003 basically um and it's
it's very powerful it's a very powerful
current people are attracted to strength
and they're attracted to success that's
something that I think we have to
remember people aren't attracted to
losers no one wants to be no one's
attracted to cowardice and so the when
they have when young people have strong
role models to look up to when they have
have leaders in their community that are
courageous like why is Malcolm X still
so attractive 50 years later it's
because he exemplifies the personality
of strength whether or not you take the
the the beliefs that he had in the noi
or what have you he still was somebody
who spoke truth to power he was somebody
who was
unapologetically black he was absolutely
um he was absolutely someone who's
determined to follow the truth and he he
was absolutely courageous he was a hero
and so people until now they're so
attracted to his personality and so I
think part of it is just being strong
you know if we're if we're people who
are Muslim we believe in Islam that we
communicate that with strength with
courage
with and insh that will be something
that will inspire other people around us
now why you mentioned Islam why why
Islam why not there's so many different
religions what makes Islam the one that
you feel that people you're following
and and differentiates it from the
well Islam I believe Islam is the truth
and you know anyone who reads the Quran
I believe you know sincerely open heart
open mind that they will come to that
conclusion I've you know had
conversations with lots of people and
one of my favorite ones that I've heard
is a person he opened up the the Quran
he read the first chapter which is the
opening and then he read the next
chapter and within three or four verses
he's like this is absolutely unique why
because the first chapter the SEC of the
first verses of the second chapter um
it's called the count it begins
with this is the book about which
there's no doubt and so he said I've
never read a book in which the author
says there's nothing wrong with my book
at the beginning of every book what do
you find you find the author saying you
know if there's any shortcomings I do
apologize and you know I tried my best
and all of that he said I never ever
he's like this is either the most
audacious author ever or this is beyond
human and so reading the Quran I've come
to the conclusion that this is the word
of
God that's it man with no doubt no doubt
about it that it is uh what you and and
Islam other than all of the other
religions that I've come across Islam
comes with a with a principle of
falsification Islam says hey if you
don't think that Islam is the truth this
is the way for you to prove me wrong
Allah says
if you are in doubt with regards to what
we've revealed to our slave you don't
believe this is from God if you don't
believe that this is the truth then you
do something like it you create a book
that's like it you create a book that
has the effects that the Quran has you
create a book that matches the Quran and
no one's been able to do it it's been
1400 years so far that's the Quran the
power of the Quran look into the crown
we're going to take a break and we right
back here on the dean show don't go
anywhere 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 subscribe right
[Music]
now back here on the dean
show tell us uh what have been some of
the challenges now with all the the rise
of
islamophobia people have a great
misinformation about Muslims have you
come across anybody or not Muslim out
there that you've encountered that
they've had a change of heart or you've
had some experience some tough questions
donear at you yeah I mean I've I've um
I've met people whether it's in hotels
or or neighbors or what have you and
when they find out that I'm Muslim and
they're comfortable with me and when
they get comfortable with me then
they'll be like Hey listen man I have a
question for you what's going on with
Isis what's going on with with Muslims
and then you have that discuss the
number one question that's the number
one what's going on with Isis like
because it's so prevalent that's what
they see and so um I even had um yeah I
had a a family recently who who who
basically asked me that question and
then you discuss with them but even
beyond that is just the realization that
you know what as a Muslim I have uh an
obligation to communicate to people and
not just assume you know they said um
you the majority of Americans have never
met Muslim yet right they they haven't
met a Muslim or they've met a Muslim and
they don't know that they've met a
Muslim and so we as Muslims we have this
you know it's very easy for us to to
kind of fade in with with many of the
sisters may God bless them they're
they're wearing the hijab they're
wearing the uniform right but a lot of
guys they're you know they they fade in
through um through the cracks people
don't know that they're Muslim and so I
even remember recently I was on a a
plane and the woman that was sitting
next to me she was uh she was a
professor she was a much older lady and
she was just asking me what do you do
like what are you involved in and things
like that and I was going to an Islamic
event and I'm thinking to myself in that
moment I'm on the airplane I'm thinking
to myself is this something that I
really need to share do I really need to
devile like all the details of what I'm
doing or can I just say I'm going to a
conference and just leave it at that but
then I thought to myself well why would
I do that and I told her exactly where I
was going what I was doing and she said
to me she was like oh I just came back
from
Iran and then she had all of this to
share with me about her experience there
and you know the conversation just we we
talked the entire way there and you know
this is you know I was happy at the end
of the day that she just knew that she
had met a Muslim and that I would I had
the talents that I had and I had the the
challenges that I told her I was facing
and you know at the end of the day you
don't know um you know how that will
affect her I know how it affects me but
I think if more people just communicate
their Islam not not necessarily even in
a preaching F manner but just in a every
day I live amongst you manner that insh
it'll do something to counteract the
current of what they hear about Islam on
a day-to-day basis what did you tell the
individual who was asking you about
Isis I told them that it's not
representative of Islam at
all you know it's not representative of
Islam at all the the Islam that we
learned and the Islam that we experience
and the Islam that we all over the
Muslim world that we grew up in um is
one that reflects the the virtues of the
Quran being good to your neighbor taking
care of people the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wasallam he says in a in a very
authentic very clear Hadith he says that
whoever kills a person who is a person
who you have uh a a a an agreement
with that person will not smell the
fragrance of parad
and so when you hear about people
committing these atrocities in the
United States or in France or where have
you where they're killing their fellow
citizens that they have an agreement
with the bond of citizenship right
that's beyond um what Islam allows that
reminds me of a lady she was at the
airport and she saw a Muslim praying and
then she thought let me go ask him some
questions and they started talking it
was um a Somali brother and I think uh
he said something on along the lines and
she also asked him about Isis and she
said he said there is Isis and then
there's people like Donald Trump you
know and then there's Us in between the
millions in between yeah and um there
was a human connection that was made
yeah and we scratch our heads uh you
know when we we're hearing about Isis
just like I'm sure many Americans are
scratching their heads right now when
they watch the the GOP debates and
they're like what just happened what's
going on in this country of ours right
so uh it's it's these are political
issues as opposed to issues of of
theology tell us how important is it for
the human being who's out there
day-to-day working raising a family some
even just waiting to make enough money
so they can let loose on Fridays but
then they forget about the most
important question that people forget to
ask themselves what's the purpose of
life how how important it is is this for
a person to really reflect where did I
come from why am I here here where am I
going I mean there's a happiness or
there's a space in the heart that is not
filled except with the remembrance of
God and so no matter how much wealth a
person acquires or no matter how much
success they attain worldly success no
matter how much how many relationships
that they have there's one relationship
that the soul Longs for and that's the
relationship that they have with their
creator and so this question is a
question that you do get distracted from
you get distracted maybe a day half a
day a week a month what have you but is
not one that anyone can afford to be
distracted for from for an entire
lifetime you have to make sure that this
question I mean we spend a couple of
years at best on Earth and then we spend
thousands and thousands of years in the
grave and then beyond that is a day of
judgment and so we have to prepare for
that we have to ask you know what is the
purpose we have to seek out that purpose
even Beyond there are so many people who
who don't even think of these questions
anymore they're just numbed whether it's
numbed by alcohol or numbed by the
pursuit of happiness or numbed by
whatever it is and so you have to make
sure that you ask yourself the question
why am I here what's going to happen
after I die and then begin that Journey
searching for what that answer is do you
think that uh before we had a couple
more questions there was uh and there's
a lot of examples of this people who are
just so famous Robin Williams was
someone I think it was a year ago a lot
of people no there was a a woman
who just did a program about this Ronda
Rousey have you heard of her yeah she's
like probably the most F was was there's
always someone to knock you out and put
get get on that top level she was
probably the most famous most talked
about woman because she was a a MMA
fighter yeah and she suffered a loss and
then she was contemplating suicide I
didn't know that yeah she was
contemplating suici she's like on top of
the world even if she suffered a loss
she's still you know fame fortune and
all of that type of stuff stuff and um I
mean that's that's disheartening and it
comes from a person is balanced by
knowing god right and knowing their
place and and recognizing that when you
have something bigger that you're
playing for this world and everything
that's in it becomes much more bear
bearable and much more
insignificant I mean every Calamity that
affects a person in this life is a seed
that you plant that you hope to to to
harvest in the Hereafter if you're
patient and if you recognize the reward
with God and so this life is not
onedimensional if a person doesn't
believe in the afterlife then then this
life becomes very difficult to Bear to
some it becomes impossible to Bear but
if you recognize that you know what God
is just and so there will be a day of
judgment and if I've been harmed by
anyone there will be ramifications there
will be payment there will be Justice
and my goal in this life is to worship
God as as best as I can and until I meet
him and be rewarded for what I've done
kind of words of encouragement for those
who might have tuned in and you know
they're struggling with a lot of the
different things that people are
struggling but now the the soul
obviously that that heart is not content
with all the material things and we got
their intention what what advice would
you give for someone out there I think
that one of the the greatest things that
a person can do is to call upon God
frequently to call upon on him in the
mornings call upon him in the evenings
or call upon him whenever in whatever
language a person speaks there's never
meant for there to be any intermediary
between you and God there is no one who
can stand between you and God and so
that you reach out to him that you call
upon him and that you ask him for
guidance that you ask him for Success
you know as Muslims we pray for guidance
over 17 times a day every single one of
us the best of us the most righteous the
most knowledgeable the greatest Muslim
they call upon God 17 times a day and
the purp purp of that is to realize that
we're not in control not only are we not
in control but all of our goodness is
really comes to us from God and he's the
one who creates us and he's the one who
takes care of us for every minute and
every second of our day we are in need
of His blessings constantly and of His
blessings is the blessings of guidance
and of His blessings is the blessings of
happiness and of the blessings is the
blessings of Serenity and tranquility
and all of these beautiful meanings that
we look for and we seek in our
day-to-day lives and so calling upon God
and speaking to him but not just asking
him but in your heart making the
commitment and saying I am willing to
submit to whatever it is that you
decide and whatever you deem to be good
for me I'm going to be willing to submit
to that because when you recognize that
God is the one who wants the best for
you and God is the one who loves you and
God is the one who will not guide you to
anything that is bad ever when you
submit to to that and then you live
according to that you will live the most
beautiful life and you will live the
most happy life that any human being can
live and that is a life that is spent in
the service of God and thank you very
much for being with us you heard it here
on the dean show purpose of life why are
you here the one who loves you who
created you that's the one who you seek
out you got some great advice from the
brother here make sure you tune in every
week to the dean shows for more
inspiring episodes until thenum peace be
with you subscribe right now if you have
ready peace we got a special treat for
you he's going to our guest of this week
is going to perform some nice spoken
word are you ready the pen was commanded
to write everything until the day of
judgment it wrote and wrote it wrote
that Adam would be created and fashion
by the hand of God that he would inhabit
paradise and be expelled it wrote that
Noah would build a ship that would
deliver him and a few of those who
believed in him from a flood that would
drown the height of mountains it wrote
Of A Mother In Fear yet with
unbelievable courage placing her baby in
a basket in a river and that baby
growing under the watchful eye of his
maker to save his people from a
speakable hores it wrote that David
would be a king have a son named Solomon
that he would be carried by the wind
make minions of the Jin and that he
would have a kingdom the likes that the
pen would not write for anyone after his
Dominion it rode of a miraculous birth
under a date palm tree a baby speaking
to his mother's accusers his first words
were written I am the slave of God he he
gave me the book and made me a prophet
his name was written Jesus the son of
Mary and that he would be Marked for
Death and it was written everything that
they would say after him it wrote of an
orphan boy who became a Shepherd who
became a merchant who became a prophet
his name was Muhammad sallallah alaihi
wasallam he wrote the names of his
enemies he wrote the names of his
friends how blessed are they that their
names be written by his a wrote of the
um that would come after
him entering a land that would capture
it imag ation for a thousand years Salah
a stone throw away from Jerusalem IM
Ahmed emerging from prison the most
famous man in the world it wrote Of
Kings and criminals it wrote of tyrants
and Poets it wrote of sages it wrote of
Wis men it wrote of
Heroes it wrote incredible
lows the killing of Omar the accusation
OFA the sacking of Bagdad 12 million
dreams that would be Shackled In ships
traversing the Atlantic where they would
be decreed to die but some dreams don't
die they transform into Melodies that
are carried on the slaves of they
transform into Melodies that carry on
the lips of slaves who sing songs of
Kings from one generation to the next
until freedom rings it wrote of
colonization and the world that would
come to be it wrote of the lightest love
and the heaviest sadness it wrote of
greed it wrote of generosity and
everything in
between they wrote the names of my
parents who who they would be and what
they would be and all of their seeds and
it did the same for me so I neither fear
Days of Future loss nor cry for the
Glorious past because all that is
written shall come to pass instead my
goal is to be patient upon hardship and
grateful upon blessings and that I be in
one State or the other until my story is
through because the pen has been lifted
and the ink has dried