m
as my brother
here Abu better known to the community
Ibrahim D yesterday and today he was in
a conference in St Catherine's and I was
there yesterday this whole time slot
belongs to my brother but he likes to
share the football because it's a team
game he asked me to come and make a
presentation with him so i' like to
thank my brother for that inal we
begin with the Ayah from the book of
Allah in as Allah goes on to say
Allah the glorified the magnified he
went on to say and this is how we
explain the
signs so that the path of the criminals
becomes clear so this is the Ayah
today and
as who he asked the prophet a bunch of
questions and he wanted to
say
that thisi is Inari and it's in sah
Muslim and the wording is a little bit
slightly different he went on to say
that the people used to ask the
messenger of Allah S.I wasallam about
good but I used to ask him about about
evil for fear that I would fall into it
so we
see me and the brother we don't have our
ba in kufur and Sh we don't have our ba
and master's degree in sh and kufur but
we have we had a PhD in kufur and Sh
which is permanent head damage and Allah
he guided us from that kufur tol and
this is why we find
that he went on to say and there's
different meanings and there's different
loves which means that you will never
truly understand
aah until you understand Islam or you
will never truly understand Islam until
you understand its
opposite and as the poet goes on to
say you will never understand something
until you understand its opposite so me
and the brother were in all kinds of
Darkness that you guys never seen in
your lifetime and I was explaining to
the brothers upstairs earlier today
where I was reading an article about
Jay-Z the rapper and he was saying you
young kids you now respect the person
who get shot like 50 Cent he was shot
eight times he lived therefore he called
himself bulletproof so his record sales
go up in the sky where we lived in a
time that we respect the shooter those
are the times that we used to live in
all that stuff it's Madness So today
we're going to talk
about which is betterly known or as
we're going to say this so that the
Pakistani Brothers they know that the
word for Gangster is
gundar then gar the name for gangster in
Somalian is and I hope my pronunciation
is Right forgive me cuz I'm not Somalian
Moran or is that right or gir or D but
you see I don't think they translate it
as good as the Jamaicans translate it we
call them
man or the new
school the new school in Jamaica they
call the man the top shut
up or they call a man like my old man
here him the original
ganger you see so all this stuff yeah
the highway robbers the hold up in the
stickup man or the person who's stealing
the money from the people this has
become something that is new to the kids
and as we
know there's nothing new Under the Sun
me and the brother we can't say we've
seen everything in the East and the west
but most of the stuff that you guys are
involved with we already seen it already
it's just a rerun to us with some other
actors in it
also that history it repeats itself so
many of us we know of the story of malol
X and we love him and he had influence
on our life but let us now go to to the
people who live before us and we're
taken from the
book by and we're going to read a little
bit of the story of one of my favorite
people from the past his name
was and the S goes on to say
which basically means
that that he was The Mastermind he was
the crafty experienced sophisticated
Highway Robin jacking stealing killing
murdering
man that's what he was gifted at but we
find here that it goes on to
say which says that the reason that he
embarked upon his Toba or he made his
Toba was that he went to go chop one of
his
Honeys one of the beautiful Honeys and
as he was climbing up the ladder or
going over the roof he heard somebody
from the Muslims recite this
Ayah has not the time arrived for the
Believers that their heart should be
affected and humble by the remembrance
of Allah
subhanahu and we say for all you young
kids that think that you're hardcore and
you think that you seen something in the
street my brother mashallah may Allah
forgive him for his sins and me for my
sins we've seen so much stuff stuff that
we can write volumes about kufur and Sh
and that's why we have the experience to
come and talk to you guys so if you see
my brother here or you see me most of
the time we've done done we've been
through all of that stuff before so come
and ask us Hey brother what about that
what about that and my brother he's a
lot older than me he's seen more stuff
than me and you see his beard Mah is a
little bit more gray he's much more
wiser than me he has more tack more
understanding more more far sight than I
have more patience and more patience but
we work together well alhamdulillah so
we find that we find that the great poet
he went on to say and inal I'm still
working on my Arabic I never got a
degree from Medina University insh but I
hope Allah allows me to do that one day
inshah he
said learn evil learn evil not for the
sake of it but rather to avoid
it for he who does not know evil then
he'll fall into it so many of the youth
they're getting involved in all kinds of
things my brother is a little bit
different than me people call his phone
late in the night he answers the phone
and he helps them out I shut my phone
off at 11:00 at night and I'm like salum
that's it I try to help the people when
I can the brother he's more helpful than
me m may Allah bless us all inshah so we
find and insh I'm going to conclude very
soon because it is my brother's
Workshop Au the messenger of Allah
sallallahu alaihi wasallam he said that
the best of you in the days of ignorance
will become the best of you in Islam if
Allah tal if he gives you understanding
of the religion so we find that some of
our young Youth and the brother can tell
you so many stories they're carrying
weapons they're trying to carry BB guns
and knives and swords the messenger of
he
said he said the one who carries a
weapon or points a weapon against us is
not from us so we
find and I have two more Hadith to rate
and then that's it inal that we find for
all the brothers and all the sisters
that are caught up in this stuff or they
want to involve them St in this stuff
remember this Hadith under Authority and
this Hadith is
in also is collected in and also
in and with the messenger of Allah
wasallam he
said that Islam erases away
everything that came before it so all
the things that you've done before if
you start to practice religion you make
Toba to Allah it'll be your race and we
leave you Brothers with the last
story where we find in bukari the story
of Muslim the story of the man think
about this now the story of the man that
killed more than 99 people do we know
anybody on the earth that's walking
that's killed 99 people and you're still
walking no is there anybody here who can
qualify just just wondering sorry oh
this brother got his hand up no no
you're two young brother not
yet oh you know somebody maybe okay
don't worry about it so we know that
this man he made Toba to Allah tal for
the evil that he did after a long story
you could find this story in you could
find it Inari and you could find it in
Muslim if he can make Toba to Allah and
Allah forgave him and let him go into
the paradise then it's hopeful that all
of
us and I'd like to introduce my brother
aana Abu Musa ibraim I Charles
down Carl car car oh Carl I'm sorry okay
may may Allah allow us all in to enjoy
from the brother's Workshop in and again
i' like to thank the of the brothers for
allowing us to partake in this
presentation and i' like to thank my
brother for giving me a portion of his
time Mic I got mic on
here
ald
I'm happy to be here and I ask Allah tal
to cause us to take this time to be a
benefit uh I came here I came here right
from the Masjid in St Catherine's where
we had over there 3 days with the Muslim
youth unbelievable the group over there
is unbelievable the brothers and sisters
they're doing some amazing things to be
able to organize themselves and really
we we were so pleased with the effort
that they put in that we didn't want to
leave but I have to say I have to come
here to you and I have to tell them that
I have to separate myself just to come
here to you just so I can share some
information with you and as you know and
many of you understand very well that
we're working with the Muslim inmates
from 1992 it's not yesterday or last
week or something we started we started
a long time ago and it's been very busy
for us very very busy now let me give
you an idea about a few things but
actually I'm going to ask you to bear
with me because when we were in uh when
we were in St Catherine Mah the brothers
they were very pleased with what we
presented to them because we presented
workshops every day three or four
workshops talking with the youth many of
you have been to the workshops you've
attended the programs we have and
whatever have you and our brother Abu
shahada Abu Abdullah he came now to uh
to come now yesterday to the Masjid and
he gave a very fine presentation and
alhamdulillah he talked about The
Replacements he talked about how Allah
tala when the people the Muslims the
Believers they're not coming now to
actually practice and do what Allah
require us to do Allah replace us he
take the dean from you and he give to
somebody else he make somebody else come
in the spot to be that person who's
going to believe and do some good
anybody want to join for that one I
don't think so so we have to be careful
for that very important point but the
brothers and the sisters there they were
very pleased and they asked me on their
behalf to give uh some recognition to
our brother Abu Shahar for that so
therefore I have this uh token of their
appreciation and esteem this is uh I
don't know I got to pull it out of my
pocket
here this is from the uh the third uh
third Youth Camp 2007 and appreciation
for sharing your knowledge and wisdom
with the Youth of M St Catherine they
asked me to give him this and we want
you to recognize that and to give our
brother respect behind this because he
works very hard and Mah we invite him to
make sure that we share
SOB now I want to get to my program and
I don't want to waste your time as you
know we don't like to waste your time
and we don't allow you to waste ours for
being here today and we're very happy do
you know why I'm happy here do you know
why I'm happy to see you here anybody do
anybody could tell me go ahead brother
why are we happy to see you here you can
tell me who can say something okay go
ahead cuz you're good okay this is a
good place to meet right is it is there
any better place we have there's no
better place we have we we can agree on
that there's no confusion about that
okay now here's the thing I'm very happy
to meet you here because again we're
going to the different jails we're going
to the different shelters we're going to
the homeless shelters we're going to the
drug rehab we're going to the different
places and guess what we're finding in
all of these places we're finding the
Muslims some of you you're going to
these places some of you you carrying
your families and you have to go to
these places some of you are coming out
to getting serious problems and creating
all kinds of difficulty is that true or
false true right but it's not only here
and I don't want you to feel bad I I
mean I don't want you to feel good that
you're doing some bad things or
something but I don't want you to feel
bad because last week in last Juma I
spent the Juma in Montreal I was there
for one week guess what happened I'm in
monreal guess what the problems they
have there too the Muslims are involved
with guns the Muslims are involved with
drugs the Muslims are involved with
crime the Muslims are doing crazy things
guess what happened the many other
people we have eight guys from the
Muslim Community there they went to jail
last week no two weeks ago and the
people still don't know what to do and
they're asking me brother you can come
and live with us I said no I have to
come here to I have my family here we
have our community here but I'll teach
you if you want I give you a little time
and teach so we teach when we go there
so guess what happened we go down last
week to uh uh um we go last week to uh
to uh Quebec and we find this condition
we come back over here guess what
happened over now in St Catherine about
one month ago they have a similar
situation a whole group of guys Muslims
what happened they get caught up in a
whole thing with the gangs they get
caught up in the whole thing with the
drugs they get caught up with the whole
thing with the violence guess what
they're all in jail
now so guess what happened last week
this week I'm sorry this week they just
passed guess what happened in Scaro if
you know this place over in Scaro
there's people who are going in Scaro
and guess what happened to them they're
also going what to get caught up and
caught in the jail we have five guys so
it's from Quebec we see eight guys we go
to St Catherine they have eight guys we
go to Scaro we see Five Guys and those
are the only guys we know
about those are the guys we know about
so there's a big problem it's not a
small thing anymore we have more Muslims
going to jail than ever before so for us
to meet you here for us to come now to
take time with you and to be able to
share with you some information that can
help you think we cannot tell you what
to think we can't we've been trying for
many years to try to get people to think
we can't tell you what to think it's not
going to work we know it but what we can
do is we can help you to think are you
willing to work with us for that because
if you're willing to work with us we're
going to start now and we have a very
short program and we're going to try to
make it very impactful but we want it to
benefit you so give me one second to go
to the board and we'll have to share
with some now I hope you don't mind for
me I'm a person who I'm very visual
person and if you want to know why I'm
visual because they say that a a picture
speaks a th
words now some of you have seen this
before and if you have then please bear
with us and if you haven't seen it good
for you to be here
now everything that we do and all of our
training it starts with this anybody
know what this is line a line simple
line isn't it it doesn't seem like such
a big deal it's huge but if you just
look at it it just seems like a simple
thing let me explain to you what
happened there's two groups of people
you're going to run into and two groups
of people we have consistently run into
the one group is below the line and
there's a next group above the line you
with me so far here's what the people do
below the
line they do what blame they blame who
did they blame they blame anyone they
blame everyone okay now is this a good
thing or a bad thing bad how bad is it
very bad yes okay so let us look at the
blaming because you can hear it from
their you can hear it from their mouth
and you can see it from their action
everybody can do this right and point
your finger and blame it on somebody
else is that right everybody you do that
okay don't answer all right okay so now
when you have one finger pointing out
what happened you have three fingers
pointing back where are those fingers
pointing you at you they're asking to
you you have to take responsibility for
you if you take responsibility you're in
a better position let me show you what
what happen if you take responsibility
you can live over here and you can do
this you can do what you can learn you
can decide to learn so we're in St
Catherine and the people are asking me
the young people that asking me say
brother what do you do how can you get
over a condition where you did a sin and
you and you you don't feel like you're
getting forgiveness how can you do that
we tell you if you did a sin you did
something you know is wrong you have to
ask Allah subhana t for forgiveness to G
you have to
ask to get you have to ask is that right
don't think that you're just going to
sit there you don't have to do anything
but is only to ask is enough no we say
what you have to come now to put some
effort behind it if you did a bad deed
you have to cover your bad deed with a
good
deed this is more activity for you to be
able to make have something in your
heart that make you feel like you did
something good so let's talk about this
now you see those people who continue to
blame what happened to them they become
very weak why because they're
transferring their responsibility to
somebody or something else and as long
as they do that guess what happens to
them they become very weak and when they
become very weak guess what happened
they
become what's that lame lame what does
it mean to be lame to be lame that mean
you can't help yourself and you won't
help anyone else is that a good thing or
a bad thing it's absolutely terrible
thing okay but those people who decide
they want to learn guess what happened
they get to earn Okay who wants to earn
anybody anybody with me on this all
right so here's the deal right we have
to discuss how things are getting so
messed up our topic today is what
gangsters before Islam when we're seeing
the brothers going to the jail there's a
jail right down the road here right
there's another jail in St Catherine's
there's another one down in Hamilton
we're going to the jails in different
places all around and guess what we're
finding we're finding many of the people
they love to do this and they don't like
to do this guess what they're keeping
theirself in a bad condition okay so
here's the thing we need to be would to
help you understand how things get so
messed up now I have two things I need
to show you and share with you for that
okay can you be patient with me for this
okay let me start
here I need to show you by showing you
what's called an event around the event
we're going to put the
Asians we'll put the
Africans uh we'll put the uh Hispanic
Hispanics Spanish people okay uh we're
going to put the
Europeans okay uh we're going to put the
um Native
people and we're going to put the
Arabs okay so this what we have so now
what we have is we have an event
okay I just need to set the foundation
with you I just need you to understand
what we're talking about and we need to
have some clear understanding everybody
understand what we have here we have
different groups of different nations
all around the world we have these
groups over here what we have in this
event from that event we want to take
something of
understanding okay now the event by
itself is just the event it's just event
it's not good or bad except that you
look at it from different perspective if
you look at it say event let's take the
second world war we want to give you
historic reference so you don't
misunderstand let's take the second
world war what happened in the second
world war the Americans were bombed by
the Japanese is that true right they
bombed Pearl Harbor when they did that
the Americans attacked them back and
what did they do they bombed Nagasaki
and Hiroshima it's fact history okay so
here's the thing if you look at it from
the Asian which is the Japanese you hear
one story if you look at it from the um
from the Europeans you hear another
story you see same thing same story two
different things when we look at another
issue we can look at the Africans coming
out and being taken into slavery the
story from that is a clear issue but
when you come in out to listen to the
Europeans it's a different story than
when you hear with the Africans the
Africans they almost got destroyed
people in West Africa many pieces in
Africa they almost got destroyed they
lost their culture they lost their
religion they lost their identity
everything gone and they're brought over
here and they put into slavery of the
worst kind so they don't even have a
chance to be able to find themselves and
they get lost even my people they're
like this his people they're like that
you see so your people you're not you
didn't have to go through that
alhamdulillah but here's the reality
when you go through this you have one
story over here they tell another story
they say no we had to civilize this
Savage black man in Africa we had to do
that and that's what they're doing you
see so this is the creation that they're
doing everybody with me so far you
understand how things get get messed up
let's take one more example so it's
clear if you take the native people and
the native people when the Europeans
came over from Europe they came over
from England and Scotland and places
when they came over there they went to
America when they came over to America
what happened to the native
people they slaughtered them they killed
the Buffalo they brought them disease
and they did all kinds of things even
until today the native people are still
on reservations even if you look at
what's going on even in Australia it's
the same thing it's the same thing now
these native people they have one story
the Europeans they have another story
you understand me very important let's
look at how things get messed up for
us we find three things is this is
this okay I I know I'm not a very good
dver so don't don't get upset with me
okay this this is a person okay this is
a person let's say that this this is the
person's head and in the head is the
brain fair enough here's what we have
we're going to divide this in three h
now on this part here this is where the
person has what they call
animalistic this is where the person
acts like an animal this is instinctual
this is where they come now to to do
their aggressive thing to be able to go
out there and fight and to be able to
survive and do all of that you
understand do you ever get to a point
where you feel very aggressive and you
know you have to fight back do you ever
get like that some you get like that
right so this is what happened over here
you have over here what's called the
intelligence this is the intelligent
area over here this is where you're
thinking this is where you start to
reason and start to focus over here this
is where you have the
spiritual okay this is where you have
your Spiritual Development and your
spiritual connection I just want to
break it down to you to help you
understand something so here's what
happened the guys who are coming now to
get theirself in a situation where they
get into the animalistic Behavior where
they get into that instinctual behavior
that aggressive mode where they have to
go out there and they have to be really
aggressive to survive in the society
what happens now they go out and they
get caught in a situation where they
have to do that it's supposed to only be
temporary you're supposed to be able to
shut it off but what happened you don't
shut it off now you go home you get
aggressive with your wife now you go
home you get aggressive with your
parents if you know how much we're
talking in the last little while about
the children be becoming aggressive with
their parents and disobeying their
parents many of the young people the
young Muslims who are coming now to
disobey their parents guess what
happened to them they end up in
jail they end up in jail because they
get here they get to this aggressive
level where they just only thinking
about being aggressive I don't have to
listen to you you don't tell me what to
do I'm my own person I'm My Own man I
can do whatever I want you see when you
start to come like this now you start to
really get in trouble but you don't know
it you don't know it you think
everything is okay but what you're doing
is you're planting the seed of
Destruction for your yourself let me
tell you why I say that you see what
happens is and this is our experience
what we know for certain is this is that
when you disrespect your parents when
you disrespect your mother and your
father your uncles and the other people
of your family here's what happened you
are now coming out to disrespect
yourself and you disrespect yourself
because you forgot about Allah and if
you forget about Allah guess what happen
to you Allah make you forget yourself
and you destroy yourself with your own
hand you don't have to worry about the
guys in the neighborhood you don't have
to worry about the guys down the street
you can point your finger all day at the
cfers and guess what they're you're
below the line and they're above the
line cuz they're learning what it takes
to move on you're still stuck blaming
somebody else so it's a big F it's a big
it's not a small thing it's widespread
for our community so there's many young
Brothers here we seen them turn it
around I I I looking at some of their
faces right now and they did a good job
they really did they turned things
around they made a better effort to do
better things and to get better results
from themselves and from the effort
right so we say mallah may Allah bless
you in that but it's not over why
because we still have a lot of work to
do there's many guys who don't
understand so when you get to the
animalistic point it's supposed to be
temporary if you don't turn it off if
you don't control it if you need it just
is there Allah created it for you to use
it but if you don't turn it off now
you're in a problem because now you have
to control that thing you can't go to
school and do that because they'll put
you in a problem you can't go home and
do it you can't take it with your wife
and your family your mom and your dad
you're supposed to turn it off and
control it so you're supposed to use
your intelligence to do that and if you
have the problem using your intelligence
to do that you're supposed to rely on
your Spiritual Development you're
supposed to seek from allaha that
circumstance of control and benefit
yourself through the fasting and those
things that will help you get yourself
under control so you don't go too far
because we have too many young people
going too far anybody have any questions
for this because I have something else
but I want to make sure we understand
what's going on here is there any
questions
no okay mashallah let me finish with
some one other thing okay actually you
know what I have one question before we
go
um I have three words here I have bad
good best can everybody see
that bad good and best okay I'm going to
ask you a question who is the enemy of
good I'm sorry bad bad is that clear the
enemy of bad of of good is bad okay
we're good right okay so if the enemy of
good is bad who is the enemy of
best huh wait oh wait now so wait now so
wait oh oh oh we're confused oh you're
confused oh wait now hold on good bad
that good oh okay hold on hold on hold
on hold on hold on okay you got to
answer who's got to answer hold on hold
on go good Bo good what is the enemy of
best good if if bad is the enemy of good
then best is the the the good is the
enemy of bad so as Muslims as Muslims
I'm asking you I'm asking you are you
guys behaving bad in a bad way some of
you some you know when you're behaving
bad right you know the difference
between good and bad and you're behaving
like that and you know it right so when
you're behaving bad what is it that
causes you to come to
good
how how
hey you're supposed to do what you're
supposed to do what your best you're
supposed to do your best you see we as
Muslims we're supposed to be striving to
do our best we're not supposed to be
just trying to do okay we're just
striving to do good if you're going to
school we want you to do your best if
you're coming to give a lecture in the
Masid if you're coming out to contribute
to the community do your best we don't
want anybody just coming along thinking
they could just carry on a little ways
and just take it easy no everybody
should be pushing theel to the maximum
effort they can do to be their best you
see this is how we're going to change
things when we understand that over here
this is where we want to be now I want
you to relate this to
this you understand if we want to be bad
this is where we can be bad this is
where the people are bad this is where
they come now to be animalistic they
become aggressive they become violent
right here right here why because this
is the thing that comes now to be a good
thing but then they turn it into a bad
thing when they want to change it they
have to recognize and intelligently
understand that this is wrong this not
going to get them a good result and when
they do that now they can also relate to
the good that they have and the best
thing that they could do is come now to
bring in their spirit let their
Spiritual Development come to have an
impact let them remember Allah subhana
tala let them remember the
responsibility they have as Muslims and
be able to go forward from there are you
with me so far let me finish with one
other thing for you because
again Islam is about Solutions Brothers
we need to know and we need to remember
that Islam is about Solutions and as
Muslims in this society and anywhere
we're going this is about Solutions this
is our responsibility to bring these
people solutions to be able to invite
the creation back to the worship of the
creator let me show you something I
think is really important for all of
us this is what we call the muslim
personal success triangle what's it
called Muslim personal sucess Muslim
personal success triangle it's very
important for we can understand this now
on the outside it's got three
elements it's got three elements what do
we have we have IC which is for internal
communic unation we have EC which stands
for external communication we have TK
which stands for technical knoow not
technical knowledge we have enough
technical knowledge we got tons of it
but if we don't apply the technical
knowledge it doesn't benefit us we have
to have a way to apply it so we want to
talk about this now when we start
talking about internal communication who
we talking who you talking to you
talking to anybody else you're just
talking to yourself do you ever do this
when you get it you know you put on a
new jelia maybe you're getting ready for
eat or something you got on a new kofy
you know you feeling you stretched out
you took a shower you know you're
feeling a little you know you're feeling
a little bit nice and whatever you put
on that thing man you look in the mirror
man you say man you're looking good you
do that you guys did that I know some of
the brothers huh yeah I know anyway
here's the thing right when you're doing
that what are you doing this is internal
communication is there anybody else
there no it's you you're talking to
yourself do you ever do something and
you come now to think you know that was
really dumb maybe you made a mistake you
forgot the little details on a test or
something and you knew it but guess what
you didn't read it down you didn't write
it down you didn't think about it and
that little detail could have got you
past but you made one mistake and you
you that was real stupid I knew that one
you ever do that of course you did you
see who you talking to you're talking to
yourself This is not you talking to
anyone else it's not about anybody else
this is about you so now when you have
this condition of talking to yourself
now your internal communication is going
to automatically affect something very
important something we need to talk a
lot about you know what that is
self-esteem you know self-esteem yes
anybody could give me a definition of
self-esteem quickly anyone could offer
us something
Brothers huh highest level self-esteem
what is self-esteem building your
confidence building your confidence
self-esteem how many people here feel
very confident about themselves as
Muslims how many people here feel that
the effort they're making right now is
going to help them to get to Jenna
anybody what do you want you guys over
here you guys are sleeping you don't
want to go to Jenna you don't want to go
brother brother's looking at me like I'm
here brother here Mah yeah you yeah you
want to go to Jenna or no oh no brother
put the chicken wing down sorry I'm
joking listen here if you want to go to
Jenna you have to want to do it and
Allah will help you but the thing is you
have to get busy so let's talk about
some of the other things that affect
your internal communication which
affects your self-esteem how you feel
about yourself we have to talk about
external communication external
communication comes where somebody
telling you you're a very handsome guy
somebody's telling you you're a very
stupid kid somebody's telling you you're
not going to amount to anything
somebody's telling you you're always
getting in trouble and so like this okay
guys you got to you got to chill with
all of that okay but the r boy done D is
will come and get you you know what I'm
saying all right so you have to come now
to understand that external
communication can have a big impact and
how we deal with things and how it comes
to us and how it actually how we deal
with how we play it out okay it's going
to be up to us so the external
communication is crucial so when
somebody's talking to you good you get
good result you feel good when they're
talking to you bad it impacts you in a
bad way let's talk about how if a person
has low self-esteem does it is it
possible for them to have low
self-esteem they don't have a good
opinion of them themselves can they talk
to somebody in a good way no it's not
going to happen most time they're going
to have a bad opinion and they're going
to do this so this is why we see many of
the young people they're coming out to
talk back to their parents why because
inside of them they don't feel very high
inside of them themselves they don't
feel their worth they don't understand
their value and this is why they can
talk so easily back to the mother and
father and disrespect them because they
think that is something coming from the
Society of the people thinking oh this
is make me big this makes me strong I
punked my mom I punked my dad I'm in
charge no you're not in charge actually
you've done yourself a great harm but
maybe you just don't know so let's talk
about technical knowhow because
technical Kno how is how you talk to
yourself and how you talk to others and
how you let them talk to you it's a
technical thing and it's all about
communication now I really need you guys
to pay attention to this next point
because this is a crucial Point
understand this is that inside of here
we have some issues we know we know and
again if you understand we're working
with people in various difficult
situations social difficulties is
massive so here's the thing we know that
when somebody has
this when somebody has this has what can
you guys see that yes when somebody has
TAA we can help them and if they don't
have it and they want to build it we can
help them but if they don't have it and
they don't want to build it guess what
they're disqualified we don't spend any
time with them we leave the door open
for them they can come later when
they're ready but really it's a waste of
time because TAA is the key to all of
these issues if you have tawa you can't
talk back to your mother and your father
you can't impossible you know I'll tell
you a story briefly my mom she took
shahada on May the sorry on February the
8th the same day I came back from Haj
many of you know that right from the
time I was Muslim until now I didn't
talk back to my mom okay I didn't talk
back to her at all right my dad about 5
months ago he took
shahada right that's after 24 years of
Da we're giving him da 24 years not
couple days couple weeks no years and
years and years we're giving him dawa
and guess what he finally come to Islam
was it because we're giving him the daah
no he's looking at our Behavior
he's looking at the respect we're
showing him continuously he's looking at
the effort we're making to come now to
please him and to be able to stay close
to him even though he's kafer even
though he's eating pork even though he's
drinking alcohol even though he's doing
things we absolutely want nothing to do
with we continue to stay close to him
and try to bring him to Islam so now he
become Muslim so alhamdulillah so we
don't tell
you we don't tell you to come now and
just rely on your relationship with your
parents but we tell you to come now to
serve them to honor them to respect them
what they give you you can't give them
back they give you life you can't give
them life they give you honor you can't
give them honor they give you respect
you can't give it back it's you can't
give it back it's impossible no matter
what you can do you can't pay them back
for the the kindness they gave you
because they took care of you when you
were sick and if they didn't take care
of you maybe you're going to
die they honored you and respected you
and protected you you owe them you can't
come now to disrespect that very
important thing so how do we tell you
all of that and tell you that this is
connected you see if you have certain
things within your tawa if you
understand the elements of the TAA if
you have it then you'll go now before
Allah t with a good heart knowing that
you tried your best let's look at one of
the things you need you need to have
what's called fear call Allah you need
to have fear of Allah crucial you need
to fear Allah you need to fear Allah
more than you fear your mom and dad
being upset Allah has put it like this
between you and your parents that you
should honor them and you should give
them uh service so that you enter Jenna
by giving them service you enter Jenna
by helping them Subhan Allah and you
will talk back to them you're not
supposed to say o to them but you come
now tell them hey be quiet you don't
tell me what to do how can you say that
how can you think about this no you see
we have to come now to have exercise our
tawa and the fear of Allah and if you
really really want to know something
really important let me share this with
you you should have this in abundance
for Allah you should have what you
should have love for Allah in abundance
because Every Breath You Take is a gift
from Allah tala if you blink a gift from
Allah tala if you sneeze a gift from
Allah tala if you wake up in the morning
give from Allah tala if you go to sleep
at night give from Allah if you drink if
you eat if you travel if you whatever
you do anytime you do it it's a gift
from Allah because you can snatch it
like that from you and it's all over and
then you go to be held accountable now
yesterday we're in the Masid in St CIS
and the sisters the women the mothers
they're asking me a question they said
brother what can we do when our kids
they don't want to listen what can we do
when our kids are continually disobeying
us even after we have somebody talk to
them my advice you know what I told them
I said sister the next time you're going
out they say take the kids you take them
for Drive say let's go get some chicken
you know let's go get some chicken get
them in the car you're driving down the
road you know where the graveyard is get
to the graveyard stop right in front of
the graveyard tell them get
out right in front of the graveyard
doesn't matter day or night get out get
out and go to the graveyard now we need
to talk because when you get to the
graveyard is anybody here think that
they're going to live
forever does everyone know that you're
going to die and you're going to be held
accountable for what you do everybody is
anybody here disagree with that nobody
oh brother you got your oh sorry I'm
just checking man cuz some people think
they got this idea that they can live
forever but usually we don't see that so
anyway since we all know we're going to
die is it possible for anyone to avoid
the grave it's impossible yes okay so
now the question is this do you want to
go to the grave in a good condition or a
bad one good I'm sorry good I'm
saying ah good is that true right so now
here's the question now here's a real
test for you are the Deeds that you're
doing the Deeds that you're doing with
your parents with your brothers with
your sisters with your are the Deeds
you're doing going to get you to the
Jenna or is going to get you to another
place
maybe ah yeah okay you see so are your
Deeds Good Deeds or bad Deeds most of
most of the time good okay so that's why
we're happy to talk to you that's why
we're glad to give you opportunity to
understand something you see because now
if you have the love of Allah tala you
will make sure that you put in the
strongest effort to be able to give all
the love you can to your parents and to
those people who you care for and that's
care for you we are giving you we're
giving you there's brothers who built
this Masjid they're not here some of
them passed away you know
that but guess
what they passed away but guess what the
Mas is not finished it's not finished
you look I'm asking you look around is
it finished is it finished no where's
our community center do we have one yet
no the Mas is going to build us a
community center they're going to help
us do that so are we finished working no
but some of the responsibilties going to
transfer to you and you have to love
Allah enough to be able to come and do
it the guys who are before you you're
sitting in their place why because they
were standing on their shoulders taking
advantage of what they contributed your
contribution is coming up now your
contribution is here you have to do
something so you have to have Allah tala
based on your tawa to love him but
here's the thing here's the thing if you
understand one of the most important
things we want to make sure you walk out
of here with today is this
what is that hope we want you to have
hope that Allah tal is going to give you
success in this life and give you
success in the Hereafter and he's going
to cause us all to be among those people
who are ambassadors of Islam we're going
to be people going out and telling the
people about what's going on in life and
how they can improve their life and come
closer to Allah how much time I have
left brother minut 50 minutes minutes
okay all right
s okay um I need to go do one last thing
with you okay and I left this for last
because I think it's really the most
important any you guys understand this
yes what's the key element in all of
this TAA okay what is TAA going to be
based on that's going to give you the
best
result
fear you got that cool we're good to go
okay guys one last thing let's talk
about how things get messed up we need
to really focus on this okay here's the
thing University of Michigan United
States of America in 19 1958 they did a
study to be able to see and determine
what were the charact what were the
things in society building the character
of the young people they want to know
what it is that causes the young people
to build their character let me show you
what they listed 1958 they listed family
as number one they listed school as
number two they listed um church as
number three they didn't say religion we
don't say religion right they listed
peers as number four meaning friends and
number five was TV television you
understand these yes okay now since we
don't have much time we're not going to
be able to go into detail in each one
but can you understand how each one of
these can have an impact on who you
become and on who you are right okay
let's look at something
1980 to 1985 University of Michigan
United States of America continued their
study now in their study they were
looking for the same thing they were
looking to see how these things came out
22 years later who thinks that it's the
same thing no okay you don't think so
okay what's number
one huh what' you say Family School
what's the number one influence in 1980
1985 TV no not yet okay let me give it
to you hold on hold on hold on guys hold
on
okay peers made the number one family Dr
down to number
two um um School dropped down to number
three at TV moved up to number
four chch hold on what happened to
church good question you see okay so
what happened to church we want you to
understand something this is a very
important point the brother brought a
very good point what happened to church
this time it's been indicated that from
1964 to 1968 there was a petition to
remove from the schoolst system The
Lord's Prayer they want to remove God
from the circumstance of Education they
don't want you learn to gr God even up
until today it's like that so now what
happened is when they remov god what
happened now they didn't replace it with
anything they didn't replace it with
anything at all so there's this big void
so there's all this confusion there's
all this misguidance there's all this
behavior that just doesn't fit with good
character so what happened is they
remove God they remove the circumstance
of saying that church or the connection
with church to God is coming now to help
the people build their character it's
not happening you see and this is the
danger for us because we're living in a
society where they've removed it this is
their circumstance we're living amongst
them and because we're living amongst
them this is going to have an influence
with us we have to be careful for this
but let's look at something
else we're looking at
1995 1995 we get a different set of
values what do we have we have peers
going into number
one we have uh TV moved up to number two
we have family moved down to number
three now school is
gone school is gone from the list now I
want you I want you to ask you recognize
something here this is really important
hold on this is really important okay
guys I need you to settle down no
fighting fellas okay hold on this is
really important what do we start with
over here family okay what do we have
down here where's family now you see so
the people are not coming out to look at
their family as something to be able to
build their character is this good or
bad how bad is
it very bad you see so they're not
listening to the teachers now they're
not listening to their families now they
who they're going to listen to they're
going to listen to their friends they're
going to listen to the TV these are the
influences so let's skip forward right
now and let's go over to
2007 where are we now we got tears still
number one TV is is right up here but
now we have a latecomer we have a thing
called
computers computers are coming in now
computers are coming in to be an issue
you see right so now let me ask you okay
I'm going to finish with this if you'll
be patient with me I just want to finish
with this okay are these the values that
we have as Muslims no are these the
values we have as Muslims no okay let us
talk now about what it is we value
if we're talking about character
development we're talking about
2007 and
Beyond okay what are we talking about
now what is the first thing what is oh
guys hold on tell us please this is
really important I'm going to finish
here in just a few minutes I'm done you
guys can go and play and hang out and do
all your stuff really important guys
what is the most important thing what is
the most important thing for us to
develop our character we're choosing now
we're not going by what these people
said is their standard this this is
their standard this is what they say we
don't have to say this we don't have to
accept this we just have to know that
that's what their influences are what's
our main influence in building our
character huh religion is anybody
disagree go ahead brother the mosque is
religion Quran Quran
religion family okay we're going to get
to that prayer religion anybody else go
huh Deeds yes TAA okay hold on okay guys
here's the thing let me finish hold on
here's the thing okay can we all agree
now I want us to agree on this this is
important we agree can we all agree that
Islam is the most important thing for us
to develop our character yes or no
everybody who agree please raise your
hand okay just as an indication that is
true okay thank you okay so Islam is
number one okay what's number
two what what's number two
huh family how family can we agree that
family should be number two family
should be number two so we're going to
put
family okay hold on we're going to get
to that okay what should be number
three sorry School everybody agrees
School number three school
okay okay what's number
four huh te te friends number four okay
yes brotherly all right so hold on guys
settle down settle down okay let's work
together we're almost finished go here
should we have good
friends should we have good friends
should our friends be people who are
reminding us about Allah reminding us
about the dean for me I love AB Shahar
why he always remind me about the dean I
have my days up I have my days down he
remind me he has his days up he has his
days down I remind him we're going back
and forth like this how many of us we do
that with each other you see these are
the people that are supposed to be your
friends this is what we're supposed to
do so number four we're going to put as
friends okays tears exactly Pierce okay
now what do we have as number five if
we're going to take five things TV come
on guys come on come
on
community Med media it should be an
influence for us yes no hold on hold on
hold on yo okay calm down calm down I
have a question I have a question hold
on take time take time I have a question
I have a question hold on hold on take
time I have a question guys please
answer this question for me answer this
question for us okay if if if Allah
subala sent us here to give guidance to
the people if he sent us here to give
guidance to the people if we're doing
that job we're going to get good result
right what happens if we don't do that
job we get bad result so if we're not
giving da to those people they're giving
da to us and we're moving away from
those things that are going to give us
the good success okay so we can we agree
that da da da to Islam should be on the
list of things we need to make a
priority to build our character we need
to be talking to people about Islam
inviting the people towards Islam making
it something that's important making it
something we're committed
to the PO people give the poor people
money sure that's part of the
da
okay so okay let's just recap we're
going to recap right now we're just
going to regroup okay guys just be with
me 2 minutes that's it 2 minutes okay
let's go we're talking about the
influences that we're choosing guys yes
your
above and no nobody here should test
this OG
gangster guys let's let's talk about
this okay let's just reason with this
about a minute you see we're living in a
society where there's influences coming
to us things are happening around us
that are making us move this way and
move that way if we don't choose our own
path hey guys stop that now come on guys
if we don't choose our own path if we
don't choose our own development if we
don't choose our own character
development and who's going to do it for
us the people here we have a big problem
if we're allowing other people to decide
for us who we are and what we're going
to do it's going to be a big issue
so let us take time to review what it is
we've decided is a better thing than
what they had let's look at what they
had and then we want to compare it to
what we have okay let's look what they
have the best that they ever had was in
1958 many years ago many almost 50 years
ago they're saying what family School
Church peers and TV that's the best they
had they're saying that those were the
primary influences after that it starts
dropping off we come now and we can can
determine for ourself that these are
going to be our influences now and into
the Future these are our influences what
are our influence number one Islam Islam
doing things the right way with TAA is
that right yes then we have what
respecting your family means you're
respecting yourself is that right yes
right now we have school school we need
education so that we can go and live and
be able to be successful in what we're
doing have scholar right and have
scholarship and be able to teach others
we have we can teach others and then we
want to talk about friends we want to
pick the best friends the friends that
are going to remind us about Allah and
remind us about our practice of Islam
those are the friends you want around
you if you have friends who are not
around you like that you have a problem
you have a big difficulty don't make it
difficult for yourself find friends that
are going to remind you about Allah and
his messenger and about practicing
religion you'll be in a better situation
and guarantee you I want to give you
three pieces of advice from the brothers
who are in jail three and I told this
many times and I'm probably going to
tell it many times more it's not
finished because I don't think it can
ever get done the guys in jail back in
1994 they tell us three things we should
tell you 94 here's the three things
please pay attention very important
right here's the thing number one thing
they say you should have fear of Allah
they tell
you fear Allah to the best of your
ability don't look at the next man and
judge him he may have his difficulties
and challenges judge your own
circumstance of how you're fearing Allah
number one number two listen to your
mother and your father listen to your
family and listen to what they're saying
that's going to help you improve
yourself improve your condition as a
Muslim do that it's it's crucial you
have to do that and you have to listen
to the people we have shakes in this
Masid we have imams in this Masjid we
have people who is of Quran we have
people who are sincere good people
Muslims and they will help you solve
your problem with Islam why you looking
somewhere else look at Islam and you
find a solution Islam is a solution to
any problem you just have to apply it
number
three and I repeat to
you do not I repeat do not take the
cfers to be your close friends don't do
it the majority of guys who are getting
into trouble who are going to jail and
getting theirself in a big problem this
is what they've done they've come now to
take the cfers and let the cfers be
close to them and let the cfers come now
to do what to make them have an
influence over them so when it came time
I'll give you an example I'll give you
an example 4 days ago 4 days ago sister
calls me up she's out by scarbo and her
son her son was sitting close by his
house and one of his friends his
longtime friend they grew up together
from young kids his friend come to him
and give him a bike give him a bike said
listen hang on to this for me I got to
go make a run and go do something so the
kid has got his friend right so what he
say yeah no problem man give me the bike
he held on to the bik 5 minutes later
the SWAT team come in and guess what
they do they arrest
everybody guess what was in the
bag a loaded gun and some cocaine the
guy's in the jail right over the street
over
here right over the street over here
right there he's in the jail right there
now why he have a loaded gun and he have
a bunch of cocaine did it belong to him
no no did they set him up yeah maybe
maybe not but he set himself up by doing
what by picking the wrong
friend this guy who give it to him was a
CER and he knew that this guy was into
drugs he know that this guy was into
guns he know that this guy was not a
good person and he took from him and he
put himself in that position so guess
what we're now back to the line you
remember the line we started with what
do we start so what's he doing he's over
there blaming oh it's this guy's fault
is this guy's fault who told him to take
the package no whose responsibility is
it for now his condition it's his so
what should he doarn he should learn
right so he might have to pay a heavy
price now he may have to go to jail for
many years we don't know what's going to
happen he doesn't know what's going to
happen but here's a lesson for you don't
take bags from people who you know where
we're doing dirt let's just be real if
you know something is not right don't go
ahead and go and put yourself in that
situation you see so we have to talk to
you like that number one have TAA have
fear of Allah number two listen to your
mother your father and the people who
love you want to care for you I'd rather
talk to you here in the Masid than to go
talk to you in the jail or go talk to
you in your homes when your parents are
saying look we're going to kick them out
we took some guys to the homeless
shelter we took some guys to the
homeless shelter downtown at at the um
at the um what's called George Street
it's that Jarvis and dandas it's called
the place called Sean house and we have
a thing we have What's called the social
awareness tour we have one young brother
and guess what he's 14 years old and he
pushes that down we're not advertising
his sin but we're advising you that this
thing happen he pushes D down and his
father called and said listen that's it
we got to kick him off he's 14 he
doesn't want him to stay in the house
anymore big problem so we take him
around and we go now to five places how
many places five five we went to the
first place you know we stop the first
place graveyard get out his knees were
shaking like this he said brother what
are we doing here brother what are you
going to do over here brother he's going
to I said no no don't worry man I'm not
going to do anything I'm not some kind
of sadistic guy I'm going to goow crazy
no I said listen to understand something
today you walk with me to the graveyard
and you get to walk back we just want to
have a discussion but someday the people
are going to walk with you in here and
they're going to leave you here you're
not coming out you're not leaving so you
want to have good de bad Deeds good good
deeds that's what he said too we said
okay then we need to talk and we talked
for half an hour outside freezing cold
half an hour we talking so he's ready
now okay so now we going to the second
place where we going second place we go
right to the jail why because if he
continued this behavior of violence and
destruction like this where does he end
up jail he ends up in jail everybody
knows that he even knows that but he
wasn't thinking about that he just get
emotional he just get violent he's just
thinking with that instinctual
animalistic thing he's not thinking at
all he's just acting okay so we take him
to the jail the guard comes out and the
guard tells him listen if you go to jail
a young boy like you they go to abuse
you you know what I mean you understand
what I'm talking they will abuse you
they will take you and they will turn
you into a
woman I know we joke like that we laugh
and think it's funny but it's not funny
for him it's not funny and the guard is
telling him don't think it's funny it's
not any kind of joke okay so here's the
thing the guard is telling him not me
I'm not telling him I could tell him the
same thing he doesn't have to listen
this guy is working there for 20 years
and telling him we've seen it happen too
many times we can't stop it it happen H
so we go now third place where we go to
the homeless shelter in the homeless
shelter we take him on a tour we go now
into the homeless shelter and there's a
downstairs Lounge where they have the
washroom in the washroom they have four
sinks they have four toilets and they
have four urals where you can stand up
and go to the washroom in those place
you know how many people are using it
600 600 people many of them who have
disease tuberculosis menitis all kinds
of AIDS all kinds of different disease
syphus goria all kinds of unbelievable
diseases going on and you have to use
the same sink and toilet as those people
and many of them they don't even
wash it's horrible when we opened up the
door in the washroom the stink that came
out was enough to knock your knee shake
it was so bad we could hardly stand it
we have to move back you see so we say
to the people you want to come here no
so so now the fourth place we take him
where do we take him the mental
institution when you put too much
pressure on yourself when you continue
to do the bad Deeds what happened is you
can snap just like that you can snap
mentally you go snap and they put you in
this place you know what they give you
drugs in this place that never allow you
to come back to yourself ever whoever
you are right now you forget that person
it's gone you finished what do you have
1 minute finish B over okay z um so we
take him okay I give you four place
where did I take you to the uh to the
graveyard to the jail homeless shelter
to the mental institution where's the
fifth place we take him to the Masid we
brought him to the Masid and we tell
them this is where you get yourself
straight this is where you make all the
things right and alhamdulillah the
brother told me before he went home he
said brother you don't have to worry
about me anymore I understand his family
called me 3 days later he said brother
whatever you did it worked because he's
now changed he's a better guy he's more
manners he has more Behavior he's a good
condition so we tell you that so we
don't have to take you on this trip and
we thank you for your time
today