[Music]
we live we die what's the purpose of
life brother Edie going to show you on
the aldah Alum peace be unto you we have
another exciting show for you every week
we have an exciting show with you with
exciting people who join us this week on
The Dean show my next guest who was with
the likes singing with working with Run
DMC sheno Conor Alexander O'Neal and
many many other famous songwriters and
singers but today he's on the dean show
Abdul Ro to tell us his story and his
journey to Islam we'll be right back on
the dean
[Music]
show there's only one God and muhamad is
his messenger
Allah Allah
there's only one God and Jesus his
messenger I don't know why I did that
maybe maybe it's just to break the iceam
alaykum peace be with you to you brother
how are you how are you alhamdulillah
I'm not too bad thank you thank you for
being with us here on the dean show it's
a pleasure to be here now the time is
short and we love to give people that
nice taste so they can continue coming
back and they can and continue to look
into Islam and we clear a lot of the
misconceptions we have a lot of Scholars
who come on and we also give the people
a treat people who come from other
faiths they used to be Christian like
you were and people who have had many
different experiences and you used to be
with the likes of working with Run DMC
these are like the founders or like the
icons or The Originators of hipop mhm
let's start from there tell us of your
days when you were back with uh some of
the likes of Run DMC sheno Conor who was
it Al well what it was um I was working
for a record company back in the day and
um what we did was we actually bought
the rights of um Alexander O'Neil's
tracks um was it fake and criticize yeah
and um we met him in the studio we done
the remixes it was a very nice uh it
very nice man you know had some um some
issues but we're not going to go into
any of that but it was nice working with
him uh Run DMC was was a remix yes and
his wife Justin Simmons yeah who
um I don't know how to describe her
vocals but I think um I don't think she
did any more work after that particular
track yeah and uh that was very
shortlived that little um experience
there and the same with uh sheno kind
that was a remix that I did so I didn't
actually get to to actually physically
work with her it was just doing a remix
of a a track it was called a thousand
mirrors yeah which was a beautiful well
written track and alhamdulillah uh uh
the remix that I did was well received
you know so um now now you said
something in Arabic and I always say
that just for the not yet Muslims who
tune in they think we're saying some
code words what did you say
alhamdulillah what does that
alhamdulillah that's all the thanks and
Praises are to Allah the Creator and
then right there there's a roller
coaster effect you said Allah and
somebody is going to think this is some
Arab God a moon God who's Allah Allah is
the one God the one true God the one God
God yeah the god of Abraham the god of
Abraham of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ of
Moses all the prophets that's that's
right creator of the son in the moon all
right creator of everything that exists
that's Allah that's Allah yes and it
just one extra note on that that it's
it's a sister language to Arabic Aramaic
and many people they don't reflect and
they don't think that Jesus he never
spoke English he spoke Aramaic and he
would say allaha uhhuh Allah Allah the
same guy Jesus Calling upon that's the
one who you're praising and thanking
thank you H for clearing that up and now
you're with some of the celebrities you
were performing at concerts your dream
is to be a star oh yeah you could call
it a dream back then yeah back then and
these are days that we call jalah so we
want to give the people kind of just a
taste of what you were living and how
you came to the sweetest of sweetest of
things Islam so what what give us a how
was things going what were you inspiring
to be were you trying to be on MTV were
you on MTV what were you wanting and
striving to accomplish I was uh striving
to be a
so-called you know R&B Superstar if
there's such a thing MH um you know I
was working out of
Toronto New York and Los Angeles I
worked with many different producers and
songwriters and um did a few albums as
well Russell Simmons well I didn't get
to to work with him he's like a famous
producer right did you did you know him
no not personally no but um you know I
had some you know some some very good
interest from one of the prominent
writers and producers from Los Angeles
uh he goes by the name of uh baby face
he's produced all of the top artists in
I've heard of him baby face yeah you
know it's been a long time ago I can't
even remember his his name it's been a
long time ago too but these names these
are these are popular figures they still
are today yeah they still are yeah um
you know I was just striving to to get
to the top of of that so-called ladder
and um why for money for fame for money
for fame you know but this is what I'm
saying for me whilst I was taking that
journey I I never ever felt as though I
was doing something that I was totally
satisfied with um there was always uh
how can I put this um I always felt as
though I was acting a certain part of of
me was always acting never being totally
uh real real to your yeah real to myself
and and to others in in that field a
facade yeah you were putting on a show
yeah Mr show man yeah Mr show man but
you know um like I said when I was on
stage I never really felt like I'm you
know I was being myself yeah now when
did at what age did you start to sing
and did you start to get involved in the
music business um when I was about maybe
17 18 I started to you know sing I used
to my brother was um classically trained
on the piano so I sort of like used to
watch him so I kind of learn a few
scales and a few chords on the piano but
I wasn't really singing until maybe I
got to about 17 18 uh so people told me
that I had a good voice and it started
to developed from there uhhuh so H you
were also I mean from a Christian family
did you sing also in the choir uh no I
didn't actually but I used to be old boy
an alter boy all right every Sunday yeah
so were you practicing Christianity was
your family uh Christians are you going
to the church yes this is what I was
doing every Sunday at the same time uh
singing U no I wasn't singing at that
time yeah but you sing on Saturday hang
out at the church on Sunday I used to go
to church on Sunday I actually do my
little thing I play the piano every
Saturday morning yeah and um that was
more or less how that okay so how are
you mixing the two in what is you know
are you Godly are you looking you know
to like are you religious are you not
religious you know you got the music
thing going you're inspiring you know
you're at the club I'm sure we not going
to get into details there's drinking
there's all sorts of things going on
there but then there's the church so
where you at now well I
was going to
church doing my thing and then slowly
came away from the church but always
had the Creator in mind because my
mother taught me about God she didn't
teach me about him having any Partners
or nothing like that she just taught me
about God okay so that's what how I
yeah okay so you were just like most
people they're born in a family they
don't question anything and you're just
feeling like this is the right thing yep
now at what point did you start to
question at what point did you decide
okay you know what I got to get a little
more serious and at what points did you
start to ask the more crucial questions
like what's the purpose of life well you
know I went through quite a
bit um in my life time where I didn't
ask any of those questions yeah you know
because I was too busy doing things that
you know I wanted to do for myself
and didn't you know I always had you
know got in mind but I still went on
about doing my business and just left
all that religious stuff behind yeah um
but along the way a couple of uh Muslim
Brothers stopped me in the street and
asked me if um you know I knew anything
about uh the prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him which at that time I didn't so
was this just a random now going on the
street they they had like a do table no
it wasn't a do table it was just a
brother who just came up to I don't know
why but he just came up to me in the
street and asked so Muslim approaches
you just approached me in the street and
asked me you know just me brother you
know can I have your time can I speak to
you for a couple minutes I was like okay
so so let's take a break now and we're
going to find out what this Muslim said
to you we'll be right
back there'll always be someone that
will be there to say something negative
but at the same time there'll be someone
there to say something positive also
just hold on to the r of Allah
everything in this universe rely and
need Allah the Quran says don't kill
women don't kill children don't kill old
people don't attack the civilians this
is what the prophet Muhammad told
us said that the prophet never ever
start a war against
anybody back here on a de show with
Abdullah
Ro and you're talking to us about your
journey to Islam which is Islam simply
means to acquire peace by submitting
surrendering your entire self to the one
God cuz he owns peace you can't get it
unless you get it from the one God so
that's Islam and a Muslim is the one who
does Islam so this Muslim approaches you
out of the blue and he's like what well
at first I was prepared to stand and
talk with him where were you going I
can't remember I just know I was um I I
was going to a rehearsal okay I was
going to rehearsal so I was kind of like
in a hurry um then he asked me uh he
asked me a few questions and then he
went towards do I know anything about
the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
yeah and um I'm sure I told him my
background was from the Christian faith
so he made reference to the Bible and
asked me have I not read about Muhammad
in the Bible Muhammad in the Bible yeah
okay I said to him no and then I thought
you know I really don't have any time
for this like most people we don't got
time for this yeah so he you know spoke
a little bit more and then I said look
I've got to go cuz I'm late and that was
the end of so he just dropped a seed or
something yeah that's exactly what he
did because the thing is I've never
forgotten it yeah you know even though
it was it did not have an effect on me
at that time it's something that stayed
with me because I've never forgotten it
it's just like one of those spontaneous
things that happen in your life and one
out of million chance that someone just
comes up to you and starts talking about
Islam mhm so okay so you you leave that
off now you go you I got to go I got to
go I got to get this Grammy I got to
work for that okay what happens
next um well it's quite a bit of time
has uh you know elapsed since then and
uh I find myself listening to a lot of
uh conspiracy theories documentaries and
so on and so forth interesting
informative but they wasn't feeding my
soul at all so I remember um I moved to
East London it was an Islamic book shop
and me and my son were standing outside
that Bookshop and I said to my son I
said son you know I really need
something to feed my soul I've got so
much information at home but it do do
nothing for me I just need something
that's going to feed me so at what point
where were you in your music career now
was did you have like many other things
that that you know women money good
times what you what people perceive as
good times you were having that I passed
through that you passed through that
yeah it didn't taste the same it get it
got played out yeah okay so now
something's the soul is calling for
something yeah okay then what happened
um my son you know alhamdulillah he
turned around and said to me dad look at
this poster uhhuh and the poster said
the purpose of life and it had a a
picture of a a baby on the front of it
yeah so I thought that looks really
interesting so I walked into the shop oh
by the way it was part one so I walked
into the shop and I spoke to the brother
and he said to me um you know showed me
the the Shelf with this with the DVDs it
was part two part three and I was just
like you know I want all of this cuz it
looks really interesting he said to me
no brother just take the first one which
is what I did I took it home I put it in
it was a lecture by um a brother called
Khaled Yassin Khaled Yassin purpose of
life yeah okay yeah um when he started
to speak I paused it yeah I said you
know what I need to have something to
eat have a wash sit down and watch this
because this sounds like it's going to
be very serious well you just happen
again to be somewhere again where some
that's right some Muslims are and you
see a DVD you're in front of this Muslim
shop cuz he had the way he had the the
the window it was like there was books
and DVDs and it looked very attractive
so I just stopped and looked at it and
um like I said it was my son who pointed
it out to me yeah okay so now you you
take this you're yearning for something
more than just the material things just
seeking the pleasures of the body your
soul is yearning you get this purpose of
life you get home and what
happens I just knew it was going to
touch me that's why I stopped it I
thought I you know cuz it's about 2 3
hours long I thought you know I really
need to be sitting down relax to take
all of this in and um sat back down
start to listen to it it and the words
that you know I was hearing it was like
I was being reborn and also at the same
time it was though everything I was
hearing I already knew it it was just
laying dormant and waiting to be woken
up again and and I knew you know I
thought to myself yeah this is
definitely for me until he said you have
to pray five times a day this was shaan
knocking on the door cuz I was like no I
don't have time for that you know cuz
I'm still on you know my music thing and
you know I don't have time for that yeah
so um continued to listen to it and uh
you know I felt yeah there was it
definitely made had an impact on me but
the one thing that stood in my way was
the fact that you'd have to pray five
times a day and I didn't understand the
timings but I knew it was in the morning
afternoon late afternoon and evening and
night I thought no that's that's I'm
can't do that but everything else about
what he explained the purpose of life
was it something where you felt like
okay something came upon you over you
was something mystical or was it
something that you used your brain and
just just open your heart so your heart
was ready to take in the truth and was
it something that it was intellectual it
stimulated you mentally that's exactly
how it was you know it came my mind was
listening to these words and whilst it
was it was trickling down here I could I
could you know I just knew that what I
was hearing it just it was to me it was
just it was just true it was the truth I
knew it was from you know it was from
Allah was it rational logical it was
rational scientific logical it was
scientific he used as many examples as
he could to try and you know to to shed
light on on on you know what people have
a lot of misconceptions about today as
far as Islam goes yeah many people can
watch this actually this actually had a
great impact I mean purpose of life I
think you can go on the internet just
put KH y purpose of life and I think
it's out there people can see it for
free yeah so now you see this and now
there is some okay uh he explains the
purpose of life he the concept of God
it's real simple you know one God just
God all the rights are given to the
Creator and not to Demi God semi gods
and all these other uh uh weird things
so what happens now you you need to
start did you take the the testimony of
Faith No no no what I did was I kind of
um delayed it for a few weeks uhhuh um I
asked my wife to did you see like in the
video where they have like you know uh
so many uh non-muslims who become Muslim
they line up there's like 20 of them
[Applause]
they all bear witness that there's no
God but God and Muhammad is the
messenger they all accept Islam I saw
that and but you see the thing was you
know Shan was still you know whispering
in my ears like that's not for you man
You' got more important things to do you
know that remind me there is a Hadith an
authentic saying from the last and final
messenger said the man Prophet mamm said
he said when when a person is about to
accept Islam the way of submitting and
surrending to the one God Shan comes he
said are you going to accept Islam and
leave the religion of your forefathers
you know are you going to become a
Muslim so was this something like he was
coming and some you know put pressure on
you you know fear or what not doubts I
have to be honest the doubts didn't come
from that side because I already you
know um knew in my heart that
Christianity was not for me in what I
understood and what I was taught what I
heard as far as Islam goes I knew it was
truthful and knew it was the truth but I
was still battling yeah because I knew I
would have to change my life and I would
have to stop certain things that I was
doing and just you know become
submissive to to the religion of Allah
yeah so um I delayed it but my wife I
asked her look I'm so busy working in
the studio can you please go back and
get me uh maybe part two or part three
yeah uh she went back there was none
purpose of life part two and then part
three yeah but when she went back there
was all gone yeah and she got me a
different a different lecture uh it was
called the signs of the hour signs of
the hour
okay oh but when I listen to this that's
from that French scientist that became
Muslim no that was from from um uh Shake
FaZe from Australia all right at the
time that's where he was um I sat down
and watched this this was for about 2
hours long and oh okay in between that
two we period I had gone to some
lectures as well where i' listen to the
speakers live so you're you're enticed
by what is what's being presented about
Islam it's making sense so because the
time is short what finally has you come
to the decision like you know what I
need to become one who is is in
compliance with the Creator wants me to
do I need to become a Muslim this is uh
when I listened to this lecture where
the brother spoke
about the Beast coming up from the
earth you know having believer in your
head printed in your head or
non-believer Judgment Day and so on
these are the things that just finally
made me realized there is no time to
delay anymore cuz I delayed like I said
for about two weeks had you really
focusing on death death yes and also um
you know day of judgment the day of
judgment the mercy of Allah you know
whether he decides whether he's going to
you know have mercy on us on that day or
not and there was no way in this world
that I could delay it for another second
I remember it was 12:00 at night I
wanted to take my shahada right then I
wanted to give the you know just I
wanted to do it right there on that spot
yeah and did you I couldn't because it
was 12:00 12:00 at night so what I did
was I called the brothers first week in
the morning and I said to them I have to
do I have to do this now so what they
did was they invited me run to the house
uh in the in the evening and
alhamdulillah you know I gave the
testimony faith and uh took my shahada
and uh I've never looked back since
we're going to be right back for more
here on the dean show don't go nowhere I
am not afraid stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
Li by I am not afraid to stand alone
I am not afraid to stand alone if Li by
I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone Li
I am not afraid to stand
[Music]
alone the everything the this cup is in
sincere submission to the one who
created it because it's following the
rules of gravity I definition this is
how we can say that Islam has been here
since the very beginning of time
anywhere the Muslims went to people
Embrace Islam in masses countries
Nations and this is something that is
amazing never happened on the face of
earth when people saw a practical way of
life of being truthful being honest
making sense of everything that they do
they worship and they buy and
sell now you became a Muslim and we're
almost out of time again did you have to
go through any crazy weird rituals did
you have to go get dipped in a pool what
did you have to do um to become be one
that has totally consciously submitted
to the one God what' you do um I just uh
started to to to read no what did you
have to say oh oh sorry oh okay I'm
sorry my apology I'm sorry the the Shah
cuz before we went to break you said the
right I had to um first it was said in
Arabic yeah but when the brother
translated it I had to say that I
testify that there is one God and His
messenger is Muhammad his final
messenger is muham so that there's no
God worthy of worship except the one God
you said that and then Muhammad is the
messenger now many people don't know
when you say that that includes all the
preceding Messengers Jesus Christ Moses
Abraham at their time you would say the
same shahada the same testimony there's
no God but God Allah and Jesus is the
messenger at that time but today the
last final mess of prophet Muhammed
peace be upon him we don't worship him
we don't uh Elevate him to God or the
right hand of God but he's just the
teacher instructor a messenger that we
follow on how to get close to God so now
you agree to that most certainly what
about the prayer now well this you ready
for that five times a day yeah well you
know the most that was one of the
biggest battles and challenges for me
which was to actually learn the prayer
so that I could offer it and perform it
it took some time now implementing Islam
the prayer second pillar of Islam it
it's like a medicine it starts to change
your life starts to keep you away from
Evil now just to um fast forward did you
eventually start to implement it and how
did by implementing Islam did it develop
your character did you start to leave
off many of the evil vices well the
thing that um for me was I obviously
learned it in English first yeah and
those were the most inspiring words that
I heard for a very long time and I
couldn't wait to learn
Arabic to be able to
offer my Salah in the language that has
been prescribed by Allah for us to to
offer our Salah which took time but I
was in it straight away yeah you know
cuz that's something I had to do so how
do you feel now I feel like you know
alhamdulillah I could never stop I feel
I've been blessed I feel that all
Muslims who've been guided like if
you've been guided to Islam you it's a
blessing from Allah it's a mercy from
him and you know I couldn't you know one
day they will not inah one day will not
pass where you know I'd feel feel naked
if I if I didn't say my prayers I feel
like something is completely missing oh
if I didn't you got the internal clock
now time time it's time to prayer come
to prayer come to success drop it all
make five minutes Take 5 minutes and
just pause from chasing the world we'll
get back to it what a beautiful feeling
though isn't it to know that you know
and sometimes you know believe it or not
I'm in the studio working today and you
know the closer the prayer comes is the
more interesting The Works getting the
more intense the more focused I'm
getting but when I leave it and I stop
it and I say to myself right time to go
make with ablution and get ready for
prayer that is a beautiful feeling Allah
the creator has certainly blessed you
because he gives the world the riches to
anybody but when he loves someone he
gives them the proper understanding of
the truth and this is a proof and a
testimony to the love that Allah he's
loving us but your heart was open it was
open and you let it in some people just
closed they just you know they're not
ready you got to alleviate and get rid
of and eradicate all the hatred and the
enity and this racism and then open your
heart and you did that this is amazing
tell us now now uh you also you left off
the music business but you you're now
singing Just vocal yeah just vocals no
musical instruments and like I said
before when I used to do you know that
music performances I always felt like I
was acting and what I said it whether it
had substance or not it wasn't enough
yeah and then you know I had a recording
studio I was going to sell it which I
did you had you had your own recording
studio yeah you you you what did you do
with I just got to the I sold my musical
instruments I got rid of quite a bit of
equipment I was left to the Bay
Essentials before I was going to get I
was going to get rid of that I thought
let me just do one last song in in in
this studio for Old Time sake yeah and
um I ended up doing my first Nasheed
yeah which was called none greater than
the Creator none greater than the
Creator that was my first n no no no you
got to give us a taste now you got to
give us a taste the people who are
viewing you mention it and many people
already in the Muslim World know who you
are can you sing it for us I'll give you
a little rendition yes please go ahead
please take it away he created the
universe to him belong the heavens and
the Earth the ever living He is the
first he's the owner of Mercy
he sent his
Messengers to warn his
creatures of the Grave
danger in
worshiping of the than
Allah there is none
greater than the
Creator Allah
Allah there is none
greater than the
Creator
Allah
Allah mashah Allah Wilder thank you very
very much if somebody wants to pick up
one of your CDs where can they get it
well they can go to uh www
abdull roll.com
and on that song you just heard is on
the patience album patience yeah you can
go and buy that online if you want to or
my second album which is called The
Journey the journey yeah these some
beautiful Neds on here heartwarming and
um you know go out and support the calls
you'll see the work that I'm doing
inshallah and this is just your voice on
these just my voice no musical
instruments wow that's amazing that's
amazing it's the mercy from
yeah believe me thank you very much
thank you very much I'd like to thank
you and and for sharing your story with
us and may Allah continue to bless you
and keep you striding forward all the
way to Jenna Paradise you too brother I
mean thank you these are for you brother
these are for me those are for you oh M
Mah thank you very much you're welcome
and you've heard it here several times
before that there is none great to
than the
Creator it's very simple to understand
there are so many people coming to Islam
because Islam gives you peace peace with
your creator peace within your very self
and then you can have peace with the
society and everyone around you Islam is
calling you to peace God Almighty is
calling you to that which will bring you
life to be successful in this life and
not only in this life to be the best in
this life the best character the Best
Manners away from all sorts of evil and
Corruption but then you'll be successful
in this life and in the next and we're
all striving for Paradise because death
is a reality and the day of judgment is
near so let's be ready let's do the Good
Deeds but the foundation needs to be
built on something strong and that
Foundation is that you worship none but
the Creator and not his creation and you
strive to follow and emulate the last
and final messenger that was sent to
mankind the prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him thank you and we'll see you
next time here on the dean show until
then peace to
you 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
Messengers to all his
creatures of the great
danger of worshiping
other than
Allah there is none
greater than the
Creator
Allah Allah
there is none
greater than the
Creator Allah
[Music]