bah alhamdulillah I greet you with the
greeting of all the messengers of God
including one of the mightiest
Messengers that was ever sent of the
five Jesus peace be upon him he greeted
his followers with this greeting the
greeting of the Angels the greeting of
the prophets and that's the greeting
we're greeting you with here today peace
be unto you and if that's too much for
you hey what's up how you doing thank
you for tuning into the dean show and we
get to interview people who have
accepted this wonderful way of life the
called to acquire peace by submitting to
the owner of Peace the one God the
creator of the heavens and the Earth so
people from all walks of life are racing
to
Islam the rich the poor the
famous Bible scholars Christian Scholars
that are going up higher up I have had a
chance to interview people who have
finished with master's degrees finishing
seminary schools they're coming to Islam
what's going on this is a phenomenon
they're seeing that all the evidence is
pointing to Islam being the truth and it
provides all the proof that it's not a
man-made religion but indeed it is
organized by the one God who created
this whole universe and everything in it
who's not a man or a woman but he's a
creator of man and woman now when we
come back there are also some people who
are born with the title Muslim but it's
not because default now you're born with
parents who are Muslim that you now are
chosen by God and you're just going to
enter Paradise you have to come to a
conscious decision at one point in your
life just like the person who's born in
a Christian family this person is born
in a Jewish Family Hindu family whatever
kind of family you have to come to a
conscious decision that you know what I
want to submit not to my desires but to
the one who created me and my next guest
when we come back brother Omar is going
to talk about how he made that decision
coming from a family of Muslims who
weren't practicing and him being a young
man who decided to
practice this beautiful way of life
Islam and we come back here in the show
stay
[Music]
tuned only muhamad is his messenger
Allah
Allah there's only one God and Jesus was
his
M I don't know why did that maybe maybe
it's just to break the ice brother Omar
how are you doing I'm going to greet you
with those same greeting I greeted
everybody with a minute ago Salam alayum
alaykum Salam Ed peace be with you my
brother peace be with you as well now
this is a a unique show now because we
get a lot of converts people who were of
other faiths they were followers of the
Christian faith of the Hindu faith of
the Jewish faith whatever faith and then
they come to a conscious decision say
you know what things aren't making sense
here there's some contradictions here
you know what the proof's not adding up
and then they look into Islam and they
say you know what this is where it's at
there's a book has been unchanged
untampered with the verbatim word of God
the Quran some come to it with all with
of analytical approach scientific
approach and they see all these
beautiful and wonderful miracles in the
Quran and then they submit so those are
the stories of those people but now you
you have a father who's Muslim is that
right right and a mother who's Muslim
right but you weren't always practicing
it seems like just the year go so we
want to get a little bit of your history
how did you come to where you're at
today tell us a little bit about
yourself where you're from and what
you're doing who you are well my name is
Omar first of all um now I grew up in uh
Chicago so you know I have a very
similar history to anyone who's living
in Chicago you know I'm not into a super
rich family not a super poor family
middle class just just another guy yeah
middle class you know middle class and
with parents family who doesn't really
practice Islam it's you know it's always
been I always knew I was Muslim but I
never really knew why you know we have a
lot of people who are born into faiths
but they only because they call
themselves this because they're parents
are that you know they're a Christian
because their parents are a Christian
they're uh Hindu because their father is
a Hindu and in Islam we have the same
problem we have people who are Muslim
because they their fathers are Muslim
you know and that is a problem because
you get people who then represent the
true Muslims who don't really know much
you know they don't really know what
their religion preaches or the basic
Theology of their religion and so the
way I really for me you know a lot of
people when they come to a faith they
kind of have maybe it's in a tragedy
they lose a family member or some big
thing and then they have only God right
they they had nothing else to turn to
with me it was actually quite the
opposite because I in fact was very
happy with the life I had I had no
reason to I didn't need God you know I
had everything I had my own apartment I
had a car I had women I had everything
you know so at what age is this this is
when I first got into college so I'm 18
years old now College some people just
go for the experience now this is where
you know some people just go for the
experience people get away from the
family and now they just let loose yeah
yes and that's what was about to happen
to me uh because you know I had
roommates and roommates influence you
you know on a lot of things and one
thing they wanted me to do you know
let's go to the clubs let's go to the
bars let's go meet these women right
bringing women into my apartment all the
time and I was always kind of saying no
but it got to the point where I'm like
well wait a minute why why am I saying
no because I'm a Muslim why am I a
Muslim you know now you're starting to
question right right why why should I
keep following these rules when I could
be doing this you know and so but did
some some uh did your family instill
some of the good
Islamic yes because
morals because we my family doesn't
drink they don't smoke they don't eat
pork things like this you know basic I
mean I don't come from a bad family
don't get me wrong but they nothing was
ever pushed you know I wasn't really
given I was never given a reason not to
do things I was just told this is we
don't do it so don't do it you know and
I kind of went along with the flow but
when you get to be when you get to be 18
you go to college things change and you
kind of I mean for any person I think
you kind of question uh you question why
am I living the way my parents told me
to live why why am I not drinking why am
I not smoking why am I not chasing girls
right exactly and and these things were
all readily available to me you know I
didn't have to go and find them and so I
thought well let me just look into Islam
here but I didn't look into it trying to
find a reason to believe I looked into
it trying to find a reason for it to all
be nonsense so then you can go ahead
back door go with the friends to the
club now exactly so I'm trying to find a
reason why I can say look there it's all
fake now I can go with my friends right
yeah and but I think I mean I'm also I
like to think of myself as being a
sincere person you know an honest person
and when when I read about
I'm a man of science first of all I
don't believe in anything superstitious
I don't do I don't cross my fingers to
be lucky you know I don't do any of this
kind of stuff if I don't if I can't see
it I'm not going to believe it that's
just not how I work yes and so I thought
if there's going to be a real religion
you know if there's going to be a God
the proof of this God has to be
extremely obvious right I mean he's what
kind of I mean the very nature of God is
he's merciful he's loving what kind of
God is merciful and loving but then says
well maybe I exist maybe I don't you
know doesn't give any clear evidence
this is kind of a contradiction in and
of itself M
so I I'm not going to believe something
that's not obvious I'm not if it's not
clear and if it doesn't hit me over the
head with just sheer obviousness I'm not
going to believe it you know and I'm a
man of science so when I first was
looking into the Quran you know this
holy book that we Muslims seem to be
following I I'm asking people you know
what makes this book so uh amazing why
why is this book different than the
Bible you know or the Torah or anything
else and a lot of what I was hearing was
the linguistic Miracle right the way
it's written well I don't speak Arabic
so that's I didn't look into that very
much the other thing I kept hearing was
uh the scientific facts in the Quran
that no one could have known at the time
of the prophet and so I thought you know
okay what what are these facts you know
what you know what how what can be in
this book that was not known uh at the
time yes and I'm telling you Eddie when
you when you look at what's written
written in the Quran I mean you put all
the other Miracles Miracles aside the
prophecy that's come true the way it's
written that I've now come to understand
you just look at the scientific facts
when it describes in clear detail the
formation of the embryo Muhammad could
not have known these facts about human
development in the 7th Century because
most of them were not discovered until
the 20th century when it says the Earth
is the shape of an ostrich egg you know
I mean I read that and I thought you
know why did why that's how the Earth is
shaped you know and it's not just circle
there's a unique shape to the Earth that
matches an ostrich right right and you
know this is something at the time of
the Prophet you know peace be upon him
we have to remember everyone is thinking
the Earth is flat yeah all of a sudden
now this guy says no no it's actually
not flat not only does he say it's not
flat he says it's shaped like an ostrich
egg you know out of all the eggs to
choose he could have picked a a chicken
egg you know he could have picked a fish
egg why does he pick an ostrich egg you
know so this is that shape how it's
design the the look if you would compare
it to a tennis ball or to a football or
to an OST egg this is how it would
resemble more so and this is what you're
seeing now and this is what this is what
is in the Quran you know 400 years ago I
mean this and this is just one of the
you know who who could have known that
first of all who could have known that
some say okay the prophet he maybe he's
really smart maybe he was an astronomer
may maybe he figured it out or or maybe
he was just lucky right yeah okay fine
that's just one thing what about the
hundreds of others you know what about
the the formation of the embryo what
about the water cycle you know all these
things that are written and not you know
not
just they don't they're not just talked
about in Broad you know sense I mean
detailed I mean these are these are
things that most modern scientists who
when they see it they have no choice but
to believe as well Maurice bokai he's
the I know he was one of the one of the
most famous scientists in biology and he
he converted to Islam because of all
this he was that French scientist he's
the French scientist yeah and heed to
Islam WR a book the Quran the Bible and
Science and I mean these These are facts
that are bringing not just you know like
you say in your show sometimes car
mechanics they don't just bring those
kind of people to Islam but real
intellectual people who are sincere are
now coming toward Islam because they
realize there's not really a way this
could have been written by I mean no
matter how smart this man was prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him there's no
way he could have known that there's no
no way he could have known that you're
figuring this out you're using your mind
you're taking a scientific analytical
approach and we're going to come back to
hear more with our brother Omar we'll be
right
back coming to the truth requires two
things it requires deep thinking that
you've already done but it requires
another step and that's courage if you
have the truth but you don't have
courage you won't stand up for the truth
and that's as good as standing up for
falsehood I I would say this thing that
you just told me it's not in the
scripture and they would say a marginal
note added by a scribe yeah okay we know
that and I'd be thinking if you know
this is not the Bible why are you
preaching it as if it's gospel
[Music]
truth I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
a li by I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
Lies by I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
Li by I am not afraid of stand
[Music]
alone back here on the dean show with
our brother Omar who is coming up in a
Muslim family not practicing but you
have some of the moral teaching
teachings some of the things the basics
Don't drink don't fornicate you got to
get married don't smoke basic things but
now you're telling yourself why am I
going to follow these rules let me try
to look into Islam just because I can
find some contradictions there as I safe
to say I can find some inaccuracies I
can prove and put it in the same basket
as all the other man-made religions so
then I can let loose and my conscience
won't be eating away at me right but
you're finding something else different
exactly so you left off now that you are
intellectually
analytically coming at this and you're
finding out that this is not the case it
is coming more so to fruition that this
is something that could possibly be from
the crater are you there yet that it's
100% where you at now I'm there yet I
mean yes I'm there but I'm challenging
it still you know because I'm trying to
think there has to be an explanation
right and I'm trying to challenge it and
one of the things that brought me into
the religion even more is that this
challenge that I was posing to people
you know all sort of people of knowledge
people just the common folk anyone this
challenging always was actually welcomed
and it was encouraged a lot of other
faiths you know I don't mean to pick on
anyone in particular but I know a lot of
other Faith say well don't challenge it
just believe it blindly follow it you
know and don't question cuz if you
question it then you're stupid you know
just believe it and I think well if
there really is a religion from God you
have to be able
to question it and it has to be
undefeatable right so I'm I'm continuing
on I'm questioning these things I'm
trying to find explanations for how
these you know facts could have been uh
put in this book I'm trying to find
maybe this these these verses these
scientific facts they meant something
else I'm just trying to disprove it you
know but every single time I try to
disprove one of these facts I actually
get bombarded with more evidence that
it's it's the truth you know and so but
you mentioned something earlier that you
hoped and thought that you were sincere
that you you were you know you were
trying to do this but at the same time
were you being sincere about it you
weren't like even if if it was a truth
you weren't trying to cover it up no no
I no absolutely not I was never trying
to cover everything up or you know I
never just put the book away and said
I'm sure it's a fluke you know this
never happened I'm just trying to and
even to this day I still do that you
know you're challenging but is are you
sincere at the same time yeah absolutely
absolutely I'm you know our religion
teaches us to if we find something
better we go to it so if I find that the
Quran was actually written you know 20
years ago then I go away from Islam you
know that isn't the case and so even to
this day so you're not finding anything
better no I cannot find anything better
no and I and I look into I mean I've
looked into scientific facts of the
Bible I've looked into how the Bible
plays into you know modern day I look
into how I mean I lived in Japan for 3
years I've studed Buddhism intensively
and Buddhism it's nice and all that but
there's no there's no evidence and
that's the kind of person I am I need
evidence I need proof to to believe in
something you know you go and buy a car
right you don't buy it because a
Salesman tells you to buy it you buy it
because you've done the research and you
have the evidence that this is the best
car for you why should religion be
different so you looked into you looked
into Buddhism you looked into some of
the other religions also yeah
Christianity I mean I have a lot of
Christian friends you know I looked into
Judaism I looked into I mean religions
that you probably never even heard of
you know in in Japan because I was there
for three years and I'm just trying to
find and a lot of religions preach good
you know I'm not saying that Islam is
the only religion that's you know good I
mean Christianity is good you know do
one to your neighbor what you want done
to yourself you know it's these are all
good but you know you don't have to have
a religion to be good and so if I'm
going to follow a religion I don't want
to be a Muslim just because Islam is
good because every religion is good you
know what what makes Islam different
from everything else that's my question
and that's why I research everything did
you find that when you looked at these
other religions because they can teach
some good but if the foundation that is
built on it's not from the Creator then
hold on it could be teaching you to do
some some good but if you look at some
of these other religions for instance
they might call to be good to your
neighbor they might call to give in
charity but if the ultimate Evil is to
set up another God besides God make God
into a man or his creation then
ultimately this can't be from God
because the message has always been the
same worship the one God not his
creation so if these other religions for
instance are calling you to worship
Buddha or a man or a woman or an idol or
a saint then that's contradicting the
way of life of God did you how did you
well that's one thing I noticed too I
mean almost every religion seems to be
based off a I mean a lot of Muslims know
this and a lot of times we say this I'm
just going to say it again a lot of mus
religions seem to be based on a a uh
person or a place you know I mean
Christianity Christ right Buddhism
Buddha Hinduism The hindu's Valleys you
know yes yeah I mean I'm I'm trying to
think you know but Islam it isn't I mean
what does Islam mean I mean sin there
submission to the one who created you
sincere submission to the one who
created sub to the one and these are all
by definition this is how we can say
that Islam has been here since the very
beginning of time since the very
beginning the very before that even
before that I'll even say before that
even because everything the this cup is
in sincere submission to the one who
created it because it's following the
rules of gravity it's following the
rules of physics that's a nice Point
everything is and we the sun the sun
everything you know I met a guy who
worshiped the Sun the other day and did
yeah speaking of the sun different story
but but I just thought that was kind of
funny cuz you're going to worship the
Sun the sun's going to die one day then
how's it going to save you you so okay
so now tell us because we don't have too
much time we want to get all the great
highlights of of your life that now
you're coming to this realization that
this is from the crater right right
right so what happens now you're young
and now a lot of people who maybe they
might know this but they don't follow it
up with action start how how did you go
from here well change doesn't happen
overnight you know I mean even though I
was now starting to realize that there
is just not a way I could understand how
this book can be from a man has to be
from God I said fine uh but you know I
still want to do this other stuff so
I'll be religious when I come home but
then when I go out you know I'll do the
other stuff too so now I'm living The
Best of Both Worlds right and for a
while that's that's how that's how it uh
you know was but then I think what
really started to change was the
establishing of the prayer because this
is when you are in direct communication
with God you know no no intermediaries
you know no not going through a man to
God no detours just right I'm talking to
God directly you start this implement
this the prayer right implementing and
and it's not again this is not an
overnight thing I mean first it was just
one Prayer Day right and it wasn't you
know only in my apartment I'm not going
to pray outside of you know my apartment
the safety and the comfort and that's
fine for a beginner you know I don't
have any regrets about that cuz that's
how you Ease Into You know your real uh
calling but so it was just once you know
once a day and then during Ramadan okay
now it's time to be really religious
maybe I'll do it two times a day maybe
three if I'm you know in the mood and
eventually you just keep doing this and
you keep doing this and you memorize
what you have to say and you memorize
the movements and it just becomes so
easy it becomes so and it feels so
natural you know it's not it's not
embarrassing someone looks at you when
you're praying
it's easy to see this man is praying you
know we don't have any kind of we don't
shake our arms all around and you know
do some kind of no nothing weird
prostrating putting your head on the
ground the same way that Jesus did when
he fell on his face and prayed to God
Moses Abraham all that's how we as far
as we know the prophets prayed like this
so so you started to implement the
prayer and you started slowly little by
little and then you worked up to what
five times a day then five times well
remember the first day I prayed five
times a day it was a big deal you know
cuz now I felt hey now I'm a real Muslim
you know and so I prayed five times a
day for three days in a row and I'm like
okay now I need a break now I'll pray
three times today and you just kind of
you know you make these schedules for
yourself and everyone will ease into it
at their own pace but eventually the
more I began to pray the more I was
willing to pray outside of the comfort
of my own apartment you know and now I'm
praying not on the street but I'm
praying you know in my place of
employment I'm praying at school and
people start to see you and and you
become more conscious of it you know and
the more conscious of your Muslim self
you become the more you want to learn
about it you know the more you want to
understand yourself because you know
people are judging you whether maybe
it's good maybe it's bad you know
whatever and so this is where I became
more and more interested in the study of
my own faith and I'm telling you just
the more I studied it the more I just I
became committed you know sometimes
people they study their religion and
they learn more and more about it but it
starts making less and less sense and so
they say well I'm this religion but I
don't really believe it you know with me
it's everything was in sync the more I
understood the more I understood about
my body about the world about everything
you know everything just made sense the
more you learned the more you got
committed the more you started to
implement the second pillar of Islam the
Salah the prayer the more did that help
you to keep away from a lot of the bad
things of of of of that are out there
yes okay and that's what you know when I
meet some friends uh even my my family
when sometimes people they just see
Islam as nothing but a simple set of
rules you know you can't do this can't
do that and then when you look at it
this way you're really starting to lose
touch of what Islam really is you know
so before I tell anyone I mean new
Muslims I don't give them any rules I
just say establish the prayer yeah the
rest is going to come with time because
you're going to want to do it yourself
yeah you know so that's that is my first
advice to everyone I mean including
myself I remind by myself every day just
pray just establish the prayer because
everything else falls into place once
you build the foundation everything else
comes into place let's let's take
another break and we'll be right back
with our brother Omar here on the dean
[Music]
show say to me why have you become a
Muslim now I I give a very frivolous
answer I say I want to be on the side of
the
Angels is a guy he's a number one rap
artist in the world he sold over million
records worldwi 60 million he was a
young guy who had basically everything
that some of the youth would think that
life is all about he had everything you
can imagine the
dean you're watching the dean show and
we're here with our brother Omar Omar
you were talking when we left off about
establishing the prayer this is a direct
connection with the creator of the
heavens in the earth before that you got
the the correct knowledge you started to
see that you know what this cannot notot
be from a man this cannot be written by
a group of men this Quran the verbatim
word of God is from the Creator and you
started to implement what he told you to
do the connection not cuz he needs the
prayer he don't need it but as he says
in the Quran that establish the prayer
for my remembrance because indeed the
prayer keeps one Away From Evil Deeds
shamelessness things that you know what
will just lead a person to corruption so
now you don't want to go to the club no
more you don't want to do some of these
things that you know what no desire for
that no I mean some people may say that
and not be sincere about it but I'm too
busy you know basking in the love of
Allah do we really care about that so
much you said Allah now now someone
might think that's a moon God or
something when you say Allah who's Allah
the god the God you know in Arabic Ela
means god and then Al means the so
Scholars most Scholars speculate that
the word Allah came from you put Al with
El Allah and it means the god this is
the this is the you know most God we
don't know for sure but this is where we
are most certain this word came from
Allah so it just means the God doesn't
mean you know the Arab God doesn't mean
the god of the Muhammad you know it just
means the God no nothing nothing you
know strange about that word and Jews
and Christians who are arabic speaking
they only they also use the word Allah
to all my Christian friends who speak
Arabic I say Allah and they know what
I'm talking about they don't say hey I'm
not Muslim no they say oh yeah thank you
okay so so the person that you know what
he's never heard this term we're talking
about the creator of the sun of the Moon
the creator of Jesus Moses Abraham the
creator of all that exists now continue
on we got just a few more minutes what's
going on with your life now so uh I know
you can probably like many people write
a book but it's we just crunch on time
we just want people to really be able to
benefit from these short stories of
people so they can get a little more
motivated to do the good that Islam
calls a human being to do what Happ
what's going on now with you well uh one
of the biggest things you know when you
accept uh this way of life is you're
going to be tested and some tests are
much harder than others and so right now
I'm being tested you know just like
everyone there's many challenges in my
life and there are many uh glories in my
life too but everything is everything is
a test you know and so when I'm praying
at at work or you know in the mall or
whatever A lot of times it becomes very
hard to gain that motivation to let
people know I'm a Muslim you know and I
think everyone has that kind of problem
but when I one thing that really helps
me get through letting people know I'm a
Muslim is remembering the life of the
Prophet peace be upon him because you
know that the prophet I mean he was
threatened with his life his followers
often times died to protect the The
Message of Islam all just by practicing
you know this is I mean the Arabs at the
time of the Prophet many of them hated
them hated him because he was trying to
change everything and so I just remember
that if the prophet can do this and
people who like the Propet can do this
with their lives being threatened I
think I can do it with uh people giving
me a look you know so so any closing
comments suggestions for those out there
who also the prayer establish you like
that establish the prayer I think that
lead that is everything you know that
leads to everything else comes from
their prayer brother establish the
prayer thank you very much thank you
thank you very much may God Almighty
Allah reward you for being with us as
well do as well continue strong continue
forward and that was our brother Omar
who came to a point in his life and he
started to question and he questioned
the Quran he was sincere and he wanted
to see you know what can this be from a
human being if it is I'm going to do my
own thing then I'll make up my own way
of life but he saw that you know what no
no no this Quran the verbatim word of
God is from God is from the Creator so I
better do God's thing I better do what
the Creator wants me to do so he did the
most important thing after testifying
swearing to that there's no God but God
there's no deity worthy of worship
except Allah and Muhammad is his
messenger that includes all the
messengers that preceded him including
Jesus
Christ Moses Abraham Noah they were all
Messengers of God they were calling
people to worship one God and not his
creation and then he establish the
prayer and this is where many people are
lacking so we got to get motivated put
your face to the ground repent to the
Creator ask him to make it easy and
continue to strive towards goodness good
character develop yourself to be the
best human being that you can be and
you're only going to do
that with the Creator's help so ask him
beseech him to help you to help us so we
can be the best and then we can get
Paradise because life is short it can
end at any time and with that said
continue to come back here to the dean
show we also have the new radio show
it's all at theen show.com continue to
watch at same time same channel until
next time peace be unto you
[Music]
he created the
universe to him belong the heavens and
the
Earth the ever living He is the
first he's the owner of
[Music]
Mercy he sent his messenger
ERS to all his
creatures of the Grave
dangers a worship in other than
Allah there is none
greater than the Creator
[Music]
look