alhamdulillah alaykum peace be unto you
thank you for tuning in to another
episode of the dean show Wednesdays
midnights Thursdays at 2 p.m. if you're
in Chicago canant tv36 for people from
all around the globe tune in to the Deen
show.com where we're here trying to help
you understand Islam and Muslims and
when I come back we're going to be
talking to my good friend Abdul Raheem
green he has his own section there on
the dean show you can read a little bit
about him hear his story on how he came
to Islam to the submission and surrender
to the one God and other topics that we
have with him he's going to be helping
us cover how one can overcome their
desires you're chasing a lot of things
that are temporary but the Hereafter is
permanent so we're going to be be back
with him so he can help us and give us
some advice on this very important topic
we'll be right back on the dean
show
I don't know why I did that maybe maybe
it's just to break the
ice peace be unto you peace be unto you
Eddie how are you doing alhamdulillah
bro it's good look at my smile I got a
big smile because I'm happy that you're
here that I'm here with youah I'm very
excited to have you with us again good
to be back Allah the almighty the
Creator United us again alhamdulillah
and uh hopefully he'll keep uniting us
long as we're alive inshallah I want to
talk to you about many things there's
many beautiful things that there are to
talk about in Islam but one of the
things that many of us encounter are
people who agree with the idea that
there is only one God and that we should
worship him alone that we should not
worship the Sun the moon and you gave
some beautiful analogies and people can
see to show about how you came to Islam
and how you refuted the idea that God
can be a man that God can be a woman etc
etc it doesn't go with the nature so
when people understand that this call to
Islam is something natural worship God
surrender and submit to him it's
something that people are bobbing their
head they say yes this this makes sense
but now the action that is
necessary to follow this belief that's
where people many times they don't um
come to so there's a lot of desires we
feel that
people have and they're in pursuit of
the American dream they're in pursuit of
their American Home the White House with
the picket fence they want to be around
that Elite group of people people so do
you think a lot of times that this is
more important to people than the truth
and how can they overcome this desire
for wanting the money The Prestige and
you know what God's way of life is just
getting in the way talk to us that Eddie
that certainly the truth um I I don't
think that the main obstacle between
people and
Islam is their failure to understand
intellectually that Islam is the truth
yeah I mean I think once you examine
when you actually take time to read the
Quran when you actually take a bit of
time to read about the life of the
Prophet Muhammad you know an authentico
an authentic life history of the Prophet
written by you know people who believe
in Muhammad you know not people who are
what I'm saying is when you actually
find out what Islam is about for
yourself rather than relying upon your
preacher or the newspaper or some you
know trashy news station right who can't
even tell an accurate story about
anything right you know if you rely on
those sort of people about your
information for Islam that's not where
you get it from but if you really study
it I think you will know that it's the
truth so I don't think the issue as you
mentioned uh it's in our nature it's
natural it makes so much sense so what
is getting in the way what's getting in
the way is our desires Des that's what's
getting in the way it's our desires it's
like okay if I become a
Muslim then I have to stop this I have
to stop that I have to do this I have to
do that I have to change my life and
that's the real issue and you know part
of the problem is is that first of all
as Christians uh we were bought up to
think that salvation is a bit like
instant coffee or you know it's just day
just believe in Jesus he takes all your
sins you know well isn't that fantastic
right just you do anything you like
because Jesus has died for your sins and
I can live anywhere I like because the
the price has been paid you know
convenient it's easy it is convenient
and really if you're honest it just
doesn't make any sense you know nothing
works in life like that mhm and why
should it work with religion you know um
no it's desires Eddie you know and uh
and you see the thing is my bro is that
you know most desires you know in Islam
the word for Desires in Islam is naps
yeah it's interesting that the Naps the
NS is actually at it's very root it's
it's very basic the kns are actually
essential for our survival they are the
things that drive us to eat to drink to
procreate to protect ourselves so the
feeling of hunger that's from our NS the
feeling of thirst is from our kns you
know uh the the sexual desires is from
our kns even anger you know anger is
there it's essential to protect yourself
from dangerous things right that's the
you get the adrenaline and all of that
is natural uh in order to protect
yourself and either the kns are going to
do one of you know there's one of two
things either it drives you towards
something that is pleasurable right or
it takes you away from something that is
uh harmful so that's the two directions
you know like obviously in the case of
procreation sexual desire that's
something pleasurable that drives you in
a certain direction right but anger
drives you away from something you're
you know I mean anyway this is something
anyway modern psychologists acknowledge
that these things are going on in the
human being and this is what Islam
talked about 1,400 years ago about the
Naps so the problem is not really the
Naps itself the problem is when we go
beyond the
bounds when we go beyond the bounds when
that hunger turns into gluttony mhm
right when that love or that desire
turns into lust when that need to
collect something to see us through the
winter makes us misly and hoarding makes
us ho so basically our basic problems is
not The NPS itself but it's controlling
our desires so the real issue here is
being in control of yourself having
self-control having self- discipline
right having control of what's going on
inside you now the real problem Ed is
that we live at the Western society
today unlike almost any other
civilization if you look in the history
of civilization Chinese civilization the
Roman civilization ancient civilizations
the ancient Greeks all of them
considered the
controlling of your desires and your
passions and being in control of
yourself as a goal that is worthy of
being pursued right and it's something
that is almost the opposite in the
western world today in the west today it
is really almost the opposite it's all
just about just do it enjoy yourself go
for it go get it you know everything is
satisfy you know just just enjoy
yourself and satisfy your desires and a
person who has you know like
self-control and self- discipline
especially emotional control and
emotional self-discipline is almost
looked upon as someone like strange and
you know what's wrong with you you know
like just hang loose and be you know
chill out and this is really uh this is
not a good way to be right and Ian this
is not just Islam saying this is you
know uh this is actually something
fundamentally flawed about the way
Society is right now okay um and you
know what is really interesting uh what
is really interesting Eddie is that I've
been reading a book recently not an
Islamic book it's a book uh on
psychology um written by a guy if I'm
saying his name right by mahale chich
mahale and it's called flow and it's
it's about happiness they did the
psychological study uh on how to achieve
happiness and what makes human beings
happy now this is a scientific study
this is not anecdotal they did a
long-term scientific study with
different people from different sections
of society all over the world different
languages and they've discovered
something that is obvious but at the
same time remarkable what did they
discover they discovered that the things
that make you truly happy are not things
like you know having sex watching TV
having a beer with the friends you
getting drunk listening to music
watching movies no they found that when
people were in doing those things they
did not report high levels of happiness
people actually they found were most
happy when they were struggling
struggling and sometimes on the very
limit of their ability in fact the more
it was on the limit of their ability the
more happiness and satisfaction they
reported as long as they were struggling
and they could achieve something that
made them feel they were doing something
worthwhile and I put this to a girl the
other day who I was talking to about
Islam MH and she basically confessed to
me she said look the things that worry
me it's not that I don't know Islam as
the truth it's like I can't get drunk
with my friends and I I can't do this
and I can't and I just took that example
getting drunk I said let me ask you a
question right when you've had a you
know we call it England a piss up right
you know right you you had a piss up on
the town right and you you let me ask
you a question at the end of that night
do you feel I've really achieved
something now as a human being I've
contributed to the welfare of humanity I
mean she laughed right but I said no
seriously because at the end of the day
you don't feel that you've done
something worthwhile as a human being
you are not going to feel better about
yourself and how can you describe that
as happiness the ultimate end of it is
misery right and so this is the thing
right this is the thing about
controlling your desires when you
control yourself you control your
emotions you control your desires you
have control of yourself this you know
you are struggling and sometimes it is
hard and sometimes sometimes it is
difficult but what have you achieved you
know that you have achieved something
worthwhile you've achieved a noble and
important objective right yeah yeah and
I think that therefore in the context of
embracing Islam I'm not going to sit
here pretending that it's all going to
be easy right but I tell you something I
absolutely guarantee it will be the most
satisfying and happy thing that you ever
do in your life because it will bring
you true happiness true satisfaction now
people are sacrificing each and every
day even the model she's fasting to keep
that lean figure isn't she beautiful
example she's getting up at a certain
time getting bettered so she don't get
the wrinkles that's right so somebody's
dictating her life or person who wants
to achieve that degree right that person
is in the study circles right he's
sacrificing the weekend parties but
they're sacrificing for worldly things
yeah what do you think I mean the
ultimate sacrifice should be towards the
Creator shouldn't it I think this is you
know I mean it's a good point Eddie and
the point is that here is actually I'll
tell you what okay this gets a little
bit more complicated because someone
working for a degree is almost
definitely someone doing something
worthwhile and they may actually get a
strong feeling of satisfaction and
happiness from that and real genuine
psychological so these people do tend to
be had they have to have some control
over themselves and over their desires
and I guess that's why until today a
degree is worth something when you go
for a job because the guy knows this guy
set exams he had control of himself he
had some self-discipline you know so
that person has some sort of
self-control but you know the
interesting thing is what you said what
are you striving for mhm and this is the
other thing is that a lot of people do
get some genuine feeling of Happiness
from some of the things that they do so
they do strive I mean you know like I
mean you yourself you you you you're
involved in you know Jiu-Jitsu marial
arts and so on and so forth right so I'm
sure that before you a Muslim you can
relate to that experience lot of
sacrifice lot of discipline yes but and
there's a huge feeling of satisfaction
out of that right there is but still
there was something missing in your life
abolutely and what was missing in your
life is putting what you did into the
context of the bigger picture mhm right
the bigger picture and this is what they
call in psychological terms okay they
call it you know ontological anxiety
which basically means that it basically
is what am I here for what's the purpose
of my life right what does what I'm
doing fit into the bigger picture the
bigger questions of why and how and this
is the thing in the reality you can get
your nice house and you can have your
nice car and you can have your you know
2.5 kids and there you know all the
other things that you whatever right but
you everyone out there knows that
there's still something missing in their
life right and I just want to give you
one example you know because and I'm
going back to this book that it's really
interesting in this book this guy is
talking about that you know what you can
do is you can string together enough of
these experiences to give your life the
the semblance of happiness and what's
amazing is these are the things I was
thinking about 20 years ago when I first
became Muslim right I looked at my mom
and dad my dad is a person who I guess a
bit you know he's very sporty person lot
of sporting activity in his life you
know I remember when he was uh I think
he was 60 65 or 64 he learned to Wi surf
at 64 learned to Wi Surf and he was good
at it I mean that's some serious
athleticism yeah but you know he's 87
now right and you know may Allah guide
him you know he's lost he's losing the
use of his legs mhm now everything that
he took satisfaction from in his life MH
has gone yeah right he can't do these
physical activities anymore he can't
read cuz he's gone blind in one eye he
used to love reading right so you know
all the things that he used to get this
happiness from have left him and what
what has he got that all those things
that he invested his time even the
beautiful house he's got he can hardly
walk up and down the stairs right you
know so you find that even his marriage
that he's invested so much time you know
is not what it used to be so what has he
got at the end of the day it's so clear
that and it's so so clear to me that now
he's and he is now really you know quite
often depressed and this is the thing
that everyone needs to think about yeah
is that you know okay you've got your
dream home and you've got your dream car
but you're going to get old right and
things are going to happen to you in
your life and then what and then what
have you got so at the end of the day
it's all it's an empty dream it's an
empty dream that has no real Foundation
at the end of the day we are going to
die and we're going to meet our Lord and
we're going to meet our creator and he
is going to judge us right and what he's
going to judge us about is not did you
have a nice house or did you have a nice
car he's is going to ask us about what
we did in our life right what good
things did we do did we worship Him did
we believe in him did we follow his
guidance what did we sacrifice in order
to help others and I just want to say
there's another thing I want to say you
know it's something I always ask people
to think about think about the things
that have given you the most
satisfaction in your life and I will
almost
guarantee right that the things that
have given you most satisfaction are the
selfless acts of sacrifice you did to
help another human being or help another
creature right yeah and those are the
things that will stay with you yeah
right even you know if you even if you
got a gold medal in you know Judo and
the Olympics right but believe me the
thing that you did to help another human
being some act of kindness that you did
some good deed that you did to help
others that is the thing that will stay
with you right because it it is
something that is really truly something
beneficial right and so this is what
Islam is telling Islam is telling us to
be good people Islam is telling us to
fill our life with good deeds because
that is what God is going to weigh up
for us on the day of judgment it's
simple that submission that obedience
sincerely to the one God that created
Jesus Moses the Sun the moon everything
in this universe that's the one who can
give us peace it's true and that's
summed up with one word Islam that's
beautiful isn't it tell us for the
thousands of people that are going to be
watching there is one practical
situation somebody out there many can
probably benefit from this man's story
that he is coming to the realization the
more he investigates that this is the
truth but we know that that devil we
know his tricks that he waits in the
path of one who's striving to become a
Muslim and he says are you going to
become a Muslim one who surrendered and
submits to God and forsake the way of
life of your forefathers now I've
personally spoken to one individual like
this that he's left off the friends that
take him out to the bars and to the
clubs he's leaving this life and he is
feeling good about that he's hanging
around some Muslims and he likes the way
they carry themselves he has a
girlfriend and he wants to know he says
she's all I know now and she might be
okay with this she might not but there's
this timidness now that if he becomes a
Muslim what about what the friends are
going to say this is a change now that
is happening he's at their border and
he's admitted that these doubts come
into his head these things about now the
religion of the parents and some of
these other distractions along with the
desires what advice do we have for this
sincere individual so we can give him
that enthusiasm and motivation to
continue on and do that simple step
submit to the one guy I mean Eddie
there's quite a few pieces of advice I
would like to give to this individual um
I mean first of all I would probably
relate to him my own personal experience
yeah because what he's going through is
almost exactly what I went through in my
journey to Islam and the same thing I
came across a stage when I knew Islam
was the truth I'd even actually embraced
Islam and started praying but when my
girlfriend found out she freaked out she
went crazy and I stopped following the
religion but God taught me an important
lesson and and I thank God that he did
because I wouldn't be sitting here today
if I hadn't learned that lesson so what
happened is that our relationship
disintegrated I mean I gave up the truth
that I discovered thinking that it was
going to make her happy but really okay
I mean we're talking about a man and a
woman situation is a woman really going
to respect you because you don't have
the courage to follow your convictions
right no wom's no women do not respect
men like that right I mean in the short
term right she might but what she wants
to see from you right is as a man
leadership commitment following what you
know to be true I mean what what have
you really shown about yourself that
you're weak-minded that you you know
that you're not confident about yourself
that you depend upon her like you know
no woman really respects a man who like
depends upon her so you know even you
think that you're doing something to
make that human being happy but even she
won't be happy with you because the
reality is and this is what the prophet
Muhammad said whoever does something to
please people but it displeases God God
who controls the hearts of everybody
will make those people displeased with
you right and whoever does something to
please God even if that thing is
displeasing to the people Allah would
who Allah who controls all the hearts
will make the hearts of those people
pleased with you yeah so this is the
reality you have to know that God is the
controller of all the hearts God is
controls your girlfriend's heart and
your family's heart and even the hearts
of all of your people right and people
respect sincerity people who look at
Muhammad Ali look at Muhammad Ali all
right here is a guy who was and this is
a living proof of what the prophet said
and what the prophet said about Allah
right here is a man who is reviled in
the newspapers right insulted he was
called a traitor why because he refused
to fight because it was against his
belief right but today he is loved he is
adored even by people who are not Muslim
those the people in America the people
throughout the world love him and
respect him because he stood up for his
belief the famous boxer the famous boxer
they could cast his clay because he
stood up for what he believed and they
mentioned this right they mentioned this
even Malcolm X right similarly a man
who's reviled and this but still today
people respect him because he stood up
for what he believed right and that's
something human beings ultimately admire
so when you find the truth you stick
with that truth and you stand up for
that truth because that's part of what
is going to make you a better human
being but more important than that you
know you will be someone who God loves
yeah you God loves you and you will love
God and the Believers will love you and
that's the best thing you can possibly
have now we just got a few more points
are telling us that we're almost out of
time this individual just aside not real
quick they can actually share Islam with
them also she might come to the same
conviction probably and then there's
nothing wrong that she accepts Islam
oras that they can come together and
marry and do it right way should he
should just say to her you know I've got
something to share with you this is
something I've discovered this I know it
sounds crazy but you know just look into
it read these things you know because
this is what I've understood right and
I'm a man of my convictions I want to
find something I have to follow it yeah
right be a man you know you're a man be
a man behave like a man act like a man
you know because what a lot of women in
the world today right they they they
they can't find these real men yeah
because you know what our societies have
emasculated right they've made you know
they've taken the maleness out of men so
be a man but being a man doesn't mean
beating people up and being tough and
matcho right actually a true man is a
person of compassion he's a compassion
of a person of firmness of understanding
right that's what it it's strength of
character this is what and this goes
back to what I was talking about right
strength of character it's about the
inner Dimension being control being in
control of yourself right being able to
control yourself right being able to you
being in control of your desires your
desires is like a horse right you ride
the horse you don't let the horse ride
you yes you tell the horse where to go
it doesn't tell you where to go that's
how you need to be be in charge of
yourself right now you've done some
incredible things in in the last few
minutes talk to us the importance now
because you went from being a Christian
and then you came to that way the way of
all the messengers of God submitting to
nothing in the creation but the creator
of the heavens and earth and now you're
out there and you're sharing this
message this rational logical message of
worshiping the one God and helping to
clear out the many
misconceptions that people have of Islam
and you're doing some wonderful work
let's talk about some of these things
that you're doing and um some of the
importance of people also doing the same
thing of inviting people well I mean my
advice to all Muslims and you know is to
take the task of giving da and calling
people to Islam really seriously in the
Quran Allah
said
which means Let There arise from amongst
you meaning the Muslims a group of
people a band of people that is inviting
to all that is good they enjoying what
is right they forbid what is wrong and
they are the successful people and you
know this shows that it's an obligation
that from amongst the Muslims there
needs to be people who are dedicated to
calling others to the goodness of Islam
right
um and one of the things that I have
realized although there are so many
people like you Eddie doing fantastic
things like you know our friend Yousef
Estes doing fantastic things right um
like zachik doing fantastic things but
is there really an organization that is
dedicated and focused almost entirely on
this task especially the task of
inviting people who are not yet Muslim
to Islam I don't think we don't think
that that organization exists certainly
not on a big International scale so my
ambition is to really not only create
because we're in the process of creating
but you know getting an organization
like that together so we can really give
people the resources and train them and
equip them so that they can learn how to
share this beautiful Message of Islam
with others so you know people could
check out you know our beginnings cuz
all it is is Beginnings right have
website we have a website it's i e r a
so it's I era as in you know era and age
I .co.uk
uh I mean we're starting off in the UK
uh so ww.
iuk uh.org uh and you can check out um
about the organization there inshallah
and you know if you need any help that's
what we're there for to help you call
others to Islam inshallah now
closing advice for that person who you
know what he's ready to step up he
realizes man you know what I can die
tomorrow Michael Jackson died that's
right Ed McMahon died Farah faucet died
and Bruce Lee died and his son died and
this person died and we will all die and
you want to die in a state of obedience
and submission to your creator yeah give
them the motivation that person to make
that crucial step right
now well
I think you've just said it Eddie I mean
no I mean seriously because they've
investigated they know that they have to
establish the prayer after that this is
another trick of Shan it is just another
trick of the devil he nothing to it but
to do it you know what he will just keep
dry if he can you know delay it one day
two days he is just going to hope that
that's the day that you die and you die
without those
words on your lips that's all he wants
what does that mean that I testify there
is nothing worthy of worship except the
one God and that Muhammad is the
messenger of God and I would I would say
to him if you know there's one God and
you know Muhammad is the messenger of
God say it testify and join this
beautiful nation of the believer and
that would include all the preceding
Messengers Jesus Moses Noah Abraham they
were all Messengers they were the way
the truth and the light that's in their
time to God in their time in their time
is the way in the truth and the light
today do this as the key to Paradise
it's the key to Paradise then you got to
live this life that's right you got to
in obedience to God
that's it thank you may God Almighty the
Creator Allah rewards you I look forward
to being with you again and me too Edie
it's always a pleasure it's always a
pleasure thank you very much and thank
you for tuning in to another episode of
the dean show to find out more about
Islam for those who want to become
Muslims who want to make a conscious
decision without no coercion to accept
the religion the way of life of all the
messengers of God call the number on the
screen 1 1800 662 Islam and learn more
and be brave
enough to follow up that belief that's
already inside of you all you got to do
is give birth to it let it come out
don't suppress it come back here every
week to the dean show and we'll see you
next time God willing until then assalam
alaykum peace be unto you the DVDs for
dawa as Allah has said in the Quran inah
16125 invite all to the way of your lord
with wisdom beautiful preaching and
reason with them in ways that are best
and this is a great opportunity for you
to take up the obligation take up the
call as Allah has told you to do and
share this beautiful message with the
world Islam submission to the one God
come and see what everyone's talking
about if you find one contradiction it
can't be from
God but the rational idea the rational
explanation is you do your best give up
worshiping God as one I will never give
up spading this message I hope that you
take that necessary step you don't know
if you're going to live till
tomorrow so you got to find that urgency
to do the right thing right
now if you say that you do not believe
in Jesus you have stepped outside of
Islam you cannot be a Muslim it a tended
our faith
to it's cold it's late
everybody
sleeping I
arise and ask a lot
of oh Allah you
see oh Allah you
know all the sins I
do I turn to you to forgive my sins in
my
[Music]
heart I'm your sinful slave
you're mying
Lord I'm the one who runs
away oh
guide