assalamu alaykum welcome to the dean
show I'm with hakee archeleta he went
from surfing to doing all sorts of
incredible things he's into the
prophetic tradition of medicine and
guess where he's at right next to me
Salam
alikum this is
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the
the this is the D this is the D
this is
the this is
the is
the Salam now you used to Surf I did
surf yeah it was actually in the 40s and
the 50s that I was surfing yeah what
when they had longboards long boards
they had different boards than they have
now back in those days Mia actually is a
a Brazilian Jitsu practitioner many
people many people they end up uh really
uh surfing for the B
and many other they derive good benefits
for in martial art yeah and and and and
I I think yeah I've always said and I
believe very much that it's a very
valuable practice it teaches you not
only these things of balance and
coordination but uh and sensory
awareness of what's happening but teach
you how to ride the waves and uh you
know everything in nature and everything
in life we could say if we look at it in
one way there's a wave you know
inclinations and and and ideas and
attitudes come things happen in waves
they they start somewhere and then they
grow into a bigger thing and then they
another wave comes and so when surfing
you learn you learn to read the waves so
one of the things the Surfers say if
they're together they say outside
meaning don't take this wave there's one
outside that's even better hang on and
then you make an effort you paddle it's
like shaking the tree you paddle just
enough to get to the right place in the
wave and then you can stand up and you
let the wave carry you so that's a deep
wisdom that we can apply to many many
things in life incl
healing can you share with us that time
in your life when you were seeking to
know the purpose of life you believed in
the Creator and then you asked Him to
guide you something very simple yet
profound and then you actually from
there you met you actually met a Muslim
and who told you about Islam can you
share with us this experience you had
when I heard what Isam was I realized
that I've been praying to God and saying
to God you know is God show me what I'm
looking for that's you know thank I'm
thankful to you and forgive me for
wanting more but I want more and
something I'm know what it is and so
when someone simply explained to me what
Islam was the Five Pillars and so forth
it was pretty clear to me that's what I
had been praying for this is unique I
mean so you didn't you were you were you
believed in a Creator yes higher power
God Almighty and you didn't go through
any intermediary you just prayed to God
I just I I would pray I was musician at
the time and I actually would sing my
prayers so you know oh God you know here
I am you know whatever I just make up
whatever and spontaneously play music
with this but I would would ask God for
whatever I wanted and at that time like
I say I was asking forgiveness for
wanting more but wanting more and then I
prayed that was doing the same prayer
for maybe five days weeks something like
that and then I went to uh to Berkeley
and met a man who's a Muslim and uh he
said this is what his wasn't like
immediately so his daa you could say
took about 20 minutes half hour with me
wow yeah it's amazing tell because I was
looking for it and I think this is
something to realize with people there
are many many people out there that are
looking for something like Islam but we
have to allow it to be something for
them other than just another world
religion something that's put them off
you know a lot of people are put off by
world religions they become atheists or
they become atics they just don't
practice anything and uh so but it's
it's helpful to to realize that inside
everyone is this longing and this desire
to find something that's fulfilling in
terms of uh we could say in terms of a
belief system you know an Iman you know
some kind of everybody in the Quran says
everybody worship something look to what
it is you worship and it helps to
recognize that people um do want that
from inside you know you have the wisdom
by which you allow them to discover is
kind of key and you know my my my shake
my teacher in Morocco he said don't
don't talk to people about Islam don't
argue for Islam and talk about it just
feed them and welcome them as casts and
I've seen that I when uh you know after
91 around 91 911 before 911 I had I came
back from Morocco and other travels in
the world and I I took up this practice
for myself personally of feeding people
and uh I would have a big meal for maybe
25 35 people my kids were you know at an
AG and they' bite their friends that
weren't Muslims to have these meals and
we cook really good food for them and
feed them and I would explain to people
I'd say you know you're I'm doing this
feeding you and we're coming together
just because as human beings we want
this and it's natural for us to just be
together with each other eat together be
appreciative and thankful for it we
wouldn't talk about Islam they knew we
were Muslims my family and we'd go off
and pray when you know but uh there was
no overt you know discussion about Islam
but when 911 happened following 911 I
started getting phone calls for people
from people who would come to those
dinners and they'd say to me IE you know
I want to come to dinner on Sunday but
could I come a little earlier because
I'd like to talk to you about something
some things nine people became Muslim
wow and all we did was we never talked
about all we did was feed them and all
they did was observe the way we were
together and uh it it was a very natural
organic kind of thing that took place do
you see a big difference from when you
were coming up in the University setting
to today with this whole movement the
new atheism as they call it was there
such a thing back then not not as much
there is now though but again you know
it's like uh one of the historians
famous historians said this this period
of time is unique in human in human
history that we really people have this
idea that they can live without a
religion without some sort of body of
teaching that they can call their
religion and their their their way in
which they worship God together
so it's a new thing and uh you know it's
a it's an example of the of the kind of
U the way in which we're kind of bereft
in the present World in present time and
how we do without so much that we
realize it's essential to our
nature so yeah and and you know you know
I I follow what Imam ma gazali said
which is you know the atheist somewhere
inside knows and believes in God because
they came from the spirit in which in
that common spirit in which God said to
them Allah said to them am I not your
lord and they answered affirmatively yes
you are my Lord and that enabled them to
be embodied in this world and based on
that when I you know I have I have no
arguments with the atheists I have no
discussion or evidence I don't have
nothing to prove I simply like to say
look believe me whether you believe me
or not you believe in God you know
whether you know it or not you tell them
head on huh I head on were you kidding
sometimes they get really angry that's
like saying who you kidding yeah exactly
like who you kidding and you believe in
God don't tell me I know you've got a
whole discussion you know I've heard it
many times I'm not interested believe me
you believe in God and I just leave it
as that and you last time I said that
the man his veins went out in his neck
and his face got red but uh yeah I you
know I don't see the point of getting
into a discussion about it because um
you know my discussion in my words you
know are near not nearly as strong as as
God's evidence you know someone said if
you don't you know not believing in God
is like is like or prove trying to prove
the existence of God is like trying to
prove the existence of the Sun in the
sky you know I mean duh kind of obvious
yeah so yeah yeah it's a different thing
now isn't there's a lot of the sort of
yeah sort of uh lot lot of new stuff
coming up huh lot of new stuff a lot of
kind of extremist uh atheists I guess
too proud really I'm an atheist and I
proud of it trying to convert US to
atheism no they push and I remember too
someone saying well you know if you're
atheist at least you have the beginning
of the whole principle of Islam which is
there is no God except Allah except the
absolute reality which is not a God and
and I used to when I became a convert I
love to the principle that I was not
coming becoming a part of a world
religion I was coming becoming a part
and joining something was much more
essential and true on a very basic you
know basic uh real level that it's it's
the path for us as human beings quite
simply nothing more yeah so not a not an
organization with all their sort of
details and you know that takes place
too in Islam but it was part of
something comes naturally forth from it
as part of our F our first nature we're
going to go ahead and take a break and
we'll be right back with more got some
more questions to ask our special guest
here don't go anywhere we'll be right
back subscribe right now
[Music]
Salam alikum welcome back to the dean
show now when you did accept Islam and I
usually you know like to explain to you
know not yet Muslims out there the
people our brothers and sisters of
humanity because you know when you think
Islam you think something foreign
something Arab something from Arabia but
Islam was something that Jesus did Moses
did Abraham did they all submitted their
will to the Creator you know alone pure
uh monotheism yes and and did you get a
lot of backlash now from your family
friends when you did accept Islam uh
friends at that time as I was in
Berkeley a lot of friends they was there
was there a ransom on your head no a lot
of my friends thought just thought I'd
lost it gone crazy people at that time
in Berkeley this is 60s in Berkeley so
they were examining all kinds of things
yoga and Buddhism and Eastern religions
etc etc etc and in that in that setup
which we were investigating all sorts of
things Islam came up but Islam kind of
you know like I said when I met the
Muslim explained what it was it was uh
you know it kind of stuck with few of us
and a lot of my friends that at that
time when when I became Muslim there
were two other friends of mine in
Berkeley that made became Muslims at the
same time and they all kind of thought
we were crazy they were artists and you
know poets and things like that and but
interesting thing is that a lot of those
people eventually Through The Years
there were six more people from our kind
of community of friends that ended up
becoming Muslims eventually Through The
Years so it was kind of interesting it
just took them a little longer to get to
that yeah but we were looking at all
sorts of things at that time in Berkeley
all sorts of options and possibilities
because basically a lot of what happened
at that time in the 60s was a really
healthy dissatisfaction with the status
quo like I say the spiritual wastelands
of Southern
California the 40s and 50s lifestyle
that was very very oppressive and closed
and not very not much life in it so um
you know we were looking at all these
things at that
time and and for a lot of people Islam
you know a lot of people became Muslim
eventually you know at time you know
just comparing it I remember going to
being part of some uh some radio
programs or I think radio or TV in which
you know that we discuss that we'd have
on the on the panel we'd have uh we'd
have Muslim myself representing Islam
and a Christian and a Jew and a Buddhist
and a new age person and that we
discussed I remember one program we were
discussing
angels and the it was a full you know
long half hour 45 minute program
something like that and they all had the
things to say about angels and then I
realized that at some point they had not
much more to say and I realized as a
Muslim I had a lot more to say I can go
on and on and on about it and that's one
of the things that I found really
remarkable when I did become Muslim is
the the vast knowledge of wisdom the
kind of sea of knowledge and kind of
in just information least but the
knowledge that backed up uh everything
in Islam was enormous yeah tell us uh
you shared yesterday uh story that uh
you had you know because I think this is
very important for anyone out there to
do you know in a state of confusion that
many people are in you know they might
have the biggest houses the biggest cars
they got money suicides on the rise even
amongst teens you know trauma and we've
been affected by it but something just
as simple as what you did you asked you
know God alone you know you didn't you
didn't go through anyone out there and
you mentioned that you passed this along
to a lady shortly while after you saw
her in
hijab well that yeah I could tell that
story I mean actually she was a patient
of mine and she had come to me with
emotional problems and some physical
problems and we did some work for a
period of time and she overcame her
physical problems and and emotional
problems she was a lot better and then
one day she came to me after she'd been
well for a while she came back and she
said you know I've come to this place in
my life and I I considered it
continuation of her being well and
getting healthy again and she said I
feel the need for worship in my life and
I could have said to her as a Muslim I
should have said I could have said well
you should look at Islam you know
because that's what I do and so you know
but I felt some level that wasn't quite
ethical I was I was in a little
confusion not certain whe I should say
that or not but I decided not to say it
rather I said well you know you could do
something that I know that some people
do which is you know get up before Dawn
and find a place where you can sit in
reflection and and and just be with
yourself and be with you know what ask
reality reality that you find yourself
in in this this period of time in life
itself ask that reality to show you
signs or guidance of some kind so it
comes you see what comes from deep
within you what comes to you in in your
world and and she said well I'll try
that thanks for the advice and I left
her and then two or three months later I
ran into on the street she was wearing
hijab mhm and she said yeah I did what
you said thank you so much because I did
that and I asked
reality what I should do for guidance
and worship and she said everywhere I
turn that day the message Islam Islam
Islam Islam was there she became Muslim
that's the beautiful thing because the
creator of the heavens and earth that's
the Ultimate Reality the one who created
everything and when you ask when you ask
God Almighty alone for guidance he will
facilitate a away but it's surprising
you don't uh see many people people
doing that basic step yeah seeking out
the purpose of life why we're here why
we've been created some people do some
people don't yeah some people are but
again like I said it's it's valuable to
know that somewhere inside people are
seeking that I mean people also give up
on it unfortunately yeah and they just
shut down and and turn it all off and
they stop that sicking but uh even those
people sometimes inside there's that
spark you know because they've come you
know Quran says we all come from Allah
and return to Allah yes and and what
happen in this life is you know this is
the zone of action this is the time we
have a chance to to declare that we're
Muslim or to do good actions bad actions
all these things of action take take
place and in the next life the meanings
of these actions will become
manifest so um you know deep inside even
and and the true nature our true nature
of people this is something that's
valuable that Fone does counseling I do
a lot of counseling so-called
psychological work depression and
anxiety and things like that and for
these people it's Val aable to know that
inside them or or or lack of confidence
in the world and they're beaten down by
society and you know poor people and and
socially kind of uh uh disenfranchised
and so forth and it's helpful for those
people to to to to connect with their
true nature to and help and and
recognize it inside these people I mean
even I worked seen people come out of
Prisons just the most outwardly the
most difficult kind of people and they
can access if they can access this true
nature inside there is compassion the
inclination for compassion in there for
love and goodness so that's something to
keep in mind with the with the most
difficult people sometimes even the most
annoying people that
you expect the best from them that's
likely to to or like to come forward
show you hear it here hearing it here on
the dean show right back with more don't
give up that's the don't give up spark
what's already inside of you we want to
bring it out we'll be right back with
more here the de show don't go anywhere
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[Music]
now back here on the dean show my
special guest and what advice now before
we
conclude um would you would you give
from your experience you also now deal
with the prophetic medicine helping
people with their help with their
nutrition we see that it's astonishing
you know statistics one is that 50% of
people living today will have cancer one
in four will die from it uh
95% of chronic diseases are by the food
choices that people are making you know
obesity on the eyes epidemic and kids
are not expected to outlive their their
parent this is a a matter that needs to
be taken seriously you know you you've
been uh around you you've been dealing
with these things give us some some uh
some tips well well the most important
thing I would suggest is that whatever's
going on in one's life whether it's
emotional difficulties physical
difficulties whatever it might that
seems to be obstacles like you said
don't give up you know I mean it's a the
the possibilities are enormous for
healing uh what we experience and what
we've experienced and the difficulties
that we've come uh that we find
ourselves with is not a sentence you
know by Allah's generosity you know I've
seen for example I I worked with cancer
people for a long time there's no known
cancer that was not sort of
a person overcame we could say healed
some a lot of people say well remission
whatever you know there's no there's no
cancer known that people did not have
victory
over and this is true for all sorts of
illnesses in terms of emotional things
and depression and so-called I mean one
of the things that just bothers me so
deeply is this thing when someone is
diagnosed as being schizophrenic they're
told by psychiatrists well this is
something you'll have for your life all
of your life and you'll have to take
medication and that's just not true you
know statistically if you National inal
World Health Organization and you look
at the statistics you know two-thirds of
those people recover two-third of people
come back to a normal functioning life
and this is so this is just the same
thing is true for all the obstacles and
difficulties the more obstacles in fact
the truth of the matter is this deep
wisdom here in this and listen carefully
anyone listening that all the
difficulties we have are gifts for us
when we can recognize them when we can
understand them when we can make use of
them and assimilate them and transmute
them from difficulties and obstacles
into resources of for wisdom and
compassion in ourselves we're designed
to do that by Allah's design in us and
that's what real healing is about that's
what real spiritual progress spiritual
paths about shaking all the difficult
all the slings and arrows of life and
turning those around and using those
those things as resources so that we can
be more compassion for others who have
similar problems and the ities they're
going through are similar to our own and
and and really nothing more valuable for
us in terms of healing in terms of being
in this world than serving other people
and helping them out of their
difficulties by Allah you know says in
come in in Quran he indicates these kind
of things sh thank you for spending time
with us you're welcome we started with
uh peace a very very powerful greeting
that we greet with and people are
searching for it and they turn into the
deore and they're listening to us over
they can find it like you know
uh we're saying it and don't give up
we'll see you next time tune in every
week to the dean show subscribe if you
haven't already until next time salum
peace be with you subscribe right now
[Music]