the student ID de so here's how we're
going now so Jesus is God I would like
you to show me one verse only one
statement anyway in your Bible any
version of the Bible where Jesus says I
am God or where he says worship me
because when I was studying at the age
of 17 I met a Madeira personal America
that the woman must cover her head that
the woman who doesn't current shave off
her head your Bible says there this
modesty the nerve men the men's you know
the men's room in Catholic Church nobody
gives them a second look these Mary the
mother of Jesus came along you won't
give it a second look but my dear
sisters those woman on your book who
says a spare barrel and all that with
bikinis and kangas and g-strings
it's attracting an old man like me
[Applause]
my father used to run a bomb into a
Christian school to be really a British
white school where I became very
Christian so I used to least have a
picture of Jesus home I've actually
prayed to Jesus
yes went to Christian school got a
scholarship to be a pastor and a priest
oh yes yes I go to church every Sunday
you said your family was Muslim I grew
very much anti Islam because of the
culture I saw I didn't make sense to me
I was seeker we love Jesus so much that
we pray to the God Jesus prays I feel I
feel very happy to let people know that
we love Jesus one of the mightiest
messengers of God never sent he was like
Moses Abraham and all the preceding
messengers yes but then I'll let them
know let's get the elephant out the room
yeah and when people get cultural Islam
they're turned away the relationship
that you built with the Christian is
right next door to the mosque yes yes
losing the kids in the nightclubs drugs
and that's in the schools now the
message of a devil in schools ever and
it's called is the Church of Satan he
established an organization called
Hitsville fool yes what was that all
about it was an organization with only
non Muslims not only non Muslims go far
[Music]
assalamualaikum greetings apiece guess
where I'm at in Hollywood not Hollywood
California but Hollywood Florida WIC
[\h__\h]
Scheffer how are you I'm did I learn my
cell how are you doing I'm the left fine
it's a pleasure to be with you for you
to be with us I'm in the alley water
Florida Hollywood of Florida so tell me
you know what unique you just gave me a
beautiful tour of the mustard here and
also the you have a TV studio very
beautiful Marshall I think every Masjid
every community to have one of these set
up because I need it's so important
shall live but also what really what all
of the hype manufactured fear the push
you know Islamophobia you know trying to
separate polarize us but you actually
have a Christian Church right next to
your mustard so some people think like
that's the impossible to happen but you
guys tell us about that the relationship
that you built with the Christian is
right next door to the mosque yes yes so
we are technically not under one roof
what we are connected different
buildings different buildings but the
same roof yes
that is interesting and we have a good
bond on Fridays we share their parking
lot and Sundays they share our parking
lot we don't have to invite Christians
to have an interfaith program we live
into faith every day when we come to
pray and when they have their services
we all meet we talk when we have
programs and activities together we
share the events together so we are not
just interfaith dialog people we live
interfaith yeah so we can get some
experience you've been doing downward
our is as we know is sharing because if
you care you share yes miss a mandate on
every one who has submitted to the will
of the creator
a Muslim to share its art we're supposed
to be a matte ambassadors to this Deen
no more prophecy to come of course yes
so you've been sharing for over 30 30
years well 40 plus 40 per year for in
three years so inshallah we can gain
some some definitely some benefits from
from your wisdom
tell us what has been some of the
challenges here in Florida some of the
mains
deceptions that people have and how do
you go about addressing them well you
know alhamdulillah maybe I need to share
this with you I grew up very Christian
yes I grew up very Christian I don't
like to accept that and I do not say
that I ever denounced Islam and all
those would be law I don't want to get
in that jurisprudence technicality
because we love all the sheiks getting
on enough so my parents for Muslims yeah
forefathers 200 years ago with the
British coming from India etc to the
Caribbean because I'm Caribbean so I
grew up very multicultural multi-faith I
went to a Christian school to be really
British white school where I became very
Christian so I used to least have a
picture of Jesus home I've actually
prayed to Jesus yes went to Christian
school got a scholarship to be a pastor
and a priest
oh yes yes I go to church every Sunday
you said your family was Muslim but the
sad thing they were not practicing was
like most today many many people they'll
fall into the trap of just being
culturally most yes and well they were
little beyond cultural Muslim my father
never entered a mosque my father used to
run a bar um same so it was not about
understanding or knowing Islam so hence
I got involved in the Christian
community and I'm sorry enough you know
because of the cultural Islam that used
to be practice around and in some places
still today I grew very much anti Islam
because of the culture I saw I didn't
make sense to me I was seeker and I love
the question you asked Darwin that is
what motivated me to do Dawa today
because I saw in those days the walls
that were around me from Islam and I
will I wanted to know so when Allah
guided me guided me and gave me the
hidayah to get into the fold of Islam
and when to study Islam etc my dream and
vision was not to have people like me
anymore that did not know Islam that
turned away from Islam by not getting
the true Islam and when people get
cultural Islam they are turned away yeah
so that's what opened up my vision
through the mercy and guidance of Allah
to do Dawa in such a way that what I
were hungry for and people like me I
thought that this is the message we need
to bring to the world we are in for an
exciting show yes so you are technically
ok so you come from a Muslim family then
you were about to be a pastor or priest
yes got a scholarship for it ok so
technically went to church this is not
new to me I just interviewed another
Muslim who technically he left Islam
came back to Islam so because you get
many situations like this so you
actually now you you know the Bible very
well then hamdullah yeah not
supernatural but so you're because I
went to church and I read the Bible
another you're another you know our
teacher one of our one of the people
that many people's benefit Ahmed Deedat
well not only I know how MIDI dad but
let's be very real he was one of the
motivating factor in my life because
when I was studying at the age of 17 I
met a medida personal
I met him in India where he came to the
University in Bangalore
personally I met him and I was totally
motivated by his message in his style as
a young boy a teenager then I became his
guest in South Africa in 1994 we had a
student so here's how we're going now so
yeah the Muslims was some family then
he's went to study to be a pastor priest
and then comes back hooks up with yes
yes and that's why the very same verse
of a MIDI that uses audrey la semilla
Rebecca Bell hikmah invited way of thy
Lord with wisdom I used that as al
hikmah
verse hmm you know because of Medina and
then when I became his guest at Islamic
propagation centre in South Africa you
know it concreted everything in 1994 yes
yeah I've been to his home of being this
grave um you know I've had that personal
connection so he has been very great in
motivating me in this field of Dom yeah
he really helped to solidify and to help
give that confidence to Muslims out
there and I also tremendously benefited
from much of his work of course
as many have millions all over the world
milligram John Nami so what do you
remember some highlights from from his
lights from your time spent with him
that stood out that really had a great
impact on you to share with us here
today well the the mere fact that Sheikh
Ahmed Deedat would look at the Quran and
look at those areas that humanity needs
to better understand those areas of
misunderstandings that our Muslims would
only concentrate YES on their pillars
prayer zakat even though they don't give
all is a cart the cart fasting and Hajj
so he went into the other eras of surah
al-imran the life of Maryam Allah Allah
to Salaam Prophet Jesus be and all other
prophets and that linked with the Bible
Christianity Judaism you know the
message of humanity and how our Muslims
by understanding that we will be able to
relate better with non-muslims from
their scriptures and that message which
is the universal message of God and I
try to concentrate on that area like
when I go to synagogues and churches you
know al hamdulillah we would we would
refer to the Bible and the Torah and
sometimes we would talk about stories
from the Bible on tour I remember I went
to a synagogue and spoke about the life
of Joseph peace be upon him but I will
finish a Jewish guy came and said you
know that story is very similar to the
Torah but you guys went a little more in
details I say yeah that's it we are the
same scriptures from God because that's
the kind of thing that I believe that
the non-muslims do not hear from us they
think that we're a bunch of aliens we
are different people our lifestyle is
different we learn we practice with each
different but if only they will
understand the commonalities that exists
between us and Allah says that order
alas sabili Robby Coble invited we have
dialogue with them then he says in the
Quran in surah al-imran chapter 3 verse
64 Allah will Akali Mateen so I'm bein
and Albania come invite people to the
message that one word and of
commonalities between us and them and
what I learned from data based on what
you ask me
that's an area that a lot of our people
do not really study or try to comprehend
Hanks when we come across non-muslims we
are lost and we look like we different
and they already at lost they already
don't know us and we now don't know
about them but our Quran teaches us
about Judaism and Christianity and
Prophet Abraham peace be upon him and if
only we would learn that and that is
what Sheikh Mohammed II that was a an
expert at and I really admire that and
I'd mad and I think if more for Muslims
will understand that we're not just
telling people that we are there for you
we will let them know that we all want
people yeah we just have some
misunderstanding here and they're
obviously representing our Deen in the
best of manners and the best of
character as the last and final
messenger problem how many peace be upon
him sent I have not been sent except to
perfect good manners so that foundation
is there we're trying to be great
ambassadors how do you sometimes we'll
have groups to come in and won't
interact with our Christian neighbors
and friends and I tried never to because
it's never our intention to insult to
belittle you know to put anybody's faith
down but how do you address sometimes as
a sensitive issue but I feel I feel very
happy to let people know that we love
Jesus is one of the mightiest messengers
that God ever sent he was like Moses
Abraham and all the preceding messengers
yes but then I'll let them know let's
get the elephant out the room yes
because come on look people respect when
now I respect you you tell me look if I
don't believe Jesus as your Lord and
Savior the tenant is I'll go to the
Hellfire and I respect you for telling
me that I don't have to hate you now but
now I like to let you know that we don't
believe him ins a God or little son of
God but we say peace be upon him that he
was one of the mightiest messengers of
God and he preached that same messages
all the messengers that pure monotheism
and called it so heed so now we get that
out of the room that we can go on many
of the other coming now how do you
address this without compromising what
without compromising you know we agreed
to disagree agree to disagree elect
listen we keep our identity and this is
very important we should keep our
identity and that's why we are we are
and we try to understand the
commonalities of which we have more in
common we got to understand that and
better understand it because if we don't
understand the commonalities we will
never
get over the differences and when we
understand the commonalities then we see
well okay here is where we differ you
know it's like a husband and wife
listen husband and wife simply see
Hannah who we love to have the same kind
of children same achievement in life but
listen get honest then you're a man and
I'm a woman and we have different
responsibilities and the wife tells the
husband you kind of take the pain up of
how becoming pregnant and having a baby
you know what I'm saying yeah and the
husband probably say you kind of take
the financial stress that I got you but
let's understand that we have
differences agree to agree to disagree
and respect each other's differences and
there will be differences and there are
differences and I think people are
intelligent enough to understand that
very intelligent and we gotta let them
know why we differ and I love to explain
to them why we differ so and they're so
mean is they're like wow and do you know
sometimes when we talk of the
differences when my little experienced
brother Eddie you were able to see where
from a philosophical point of view other
religions also have those beliefs that
we differ in when I mean they think like
us among the teachings of Jewish
philosophers and Christian philosophers
etc they also think like us in many
areas but it's just a thought and those
that are thinkers so they don't disagree
they agree that this is your difference
and you pray to the God that Jesus
prayed to and I'm like do you know we
have very much in common like what do
you mean
I said well you love Jesus and the God
that Jesus prayed to we pray to the God
that jesus prayed too so we have very
much say much say that one more time I
say tell them we are so common that you
love Jesus and we love Jesus the only
difference is that we love Jesus so much
that we pray to the same God he prays we
love Jesus so much that we pray to the
God Jesus pretty nice you like these
guys wow they're amazed that you love
Jesus so much did you pray to the God
that he prayed to so how could they
disagree to me okay but now he says look
look but I believe that he died he came
and he sacrificed himself for my sins
you don't have that how do you deal with
that know what I did know some of them
tell us we don't have that and I'm like
yes we do now because they believe that
Jesus died peace be upon him for their
sins and that's just salvation and
they're big about salvation this big
blessed salvation thing I said well we
don't have it because we don't believe
Jesus died on the cross we believe that
he was raised and you know we go around
and he will come back and you believe
that he will come back and they're like
yes we believe he'll come back I said
the only difference is you believe he
died and he will come back we believe he
never died and he will come back a game
commonality we're in one and we believe
that God grants us paradise by His mercy
so just as you believe that you will get
paradise and salvation by Jesus dying
for your sins we believe that without
Jesus dying for our sins that the god of
Jesus will grant us paradise by His
mercy and that is what he's all about
mercy and we believe that in Islam it's
not your prayer and your hygiene
pilgrimage would give you paradise
that's your effort but God forgives
whomsoever he wishes and he cranks you
by His mercy His grace averse and you're
like wow you guys got that merciful
thing we never thought that Islam has
and I said yes we are granted by by the
mercy of God and that's what we live by
so you got the same thing but in a
different line you see what I'm saying
and and these are some of the ways you
better explain to them and they people
understand and then if you even want to
go back into the Bible and you see the
prodigal as the story of the prodigal
sons right and then the one who went off
and he went and he's you know burned all
his mother his father's money and
whatnot and just party play kicked out
the other was obedient but then he
turned and came back to God I mean he
turned could turn back to God turn back
came back home and just like you know
God Almighty when you turn back he
opened his arms he took him in I believe
we had that if you turn back to the
crater you know it often reminds me of
that authentic hadith from the last
offended manner said to mankind Prophet
Muhammad who said that
that if the son of Adam was to come to
me which sends all up into the heavens
yes describing any partners to me I will
forgive mm-hmm you got this story there
it's very similar then yes you see it
over and over and you know what what is
very interesting sometimes I tell my I
mean I still got my my father sisters a
Hindus yes I got my cousins of
Christians my family is very much
interfaith yeah so I do have a lot of
Dawa to do you know um but I also tell
them I said you know when Jesus says the
way to my father is through me I'm like
a whole Prophet peace be upon him said
the same thing there's a hadith of the
Prophet peace be upon him in which he
says the way to allah subhanho wa taala
it's true his Sunnah to his way yes his
way and even a line the Quran says that
if you love Allah then obey the Prophet
peace be upon him so I tell my Christian
friend I said we have the same principle
the weight of God is true the Prophet
peace be upon him and that's what Jesus
meant the way to God that he wished it
is through him but we don't interpret
that as worshiping Prophet Muhammad
peace be upon him or as worshipping
Jesus peace be upon him but the weight
of God of Jesus God of Muhammad peace be
upon him is to follow Jesus peace be
upon him and follow Muhammad peace
follow their teachings yeah so they
understand I mean I'm an intelligent
person can definitely understand it is
same words it's just a matter of
differences of opinion in interpretation
it's nice now to go we can go a little
bit and into the Bible as someone who
was starting to be a pastor or priest
and I there's well I didn't get into the
meat of it I like on your way yes
God Almighty guided gave me that he died
and came back to the way of Jesus
because Jesus submitted his will to God
and that's what Islam means submission
to the will of the creator not the
creation there's a there's a passage in
the Gospel of John and it's amazing
because it hits home where Jesus is
reported to have said this is like
eternal but they may know you the only
true God and Jesus I hope you who Jesus
who has been
and this is like so similar now to the
Shahadah cause yeah there's nothing
worthy of worship except the one true
God and Mohammed is the final master so
that's it he was saying the Shahada
there it's right there this is it
and in the line of forgiveness when
according to the Christian teachings
when they were on that crucifixion
mission Jesus said Father forgive them
for they know not they don't know not
what they do
so he's always been speaking about his
father and forgiveness and mercy and
kindness you see so even in his last
according to the Christian teachings he
was praying to his father and in the end
father in this sense meant God the God
that he prayed to yeah but father is
just a language of speech yes you know
it's a it's a it's amazing that you you
have many of the the people who haven't
connected to Muslims having connected
with Muslim heaven visit a mosque you
know they just been brainwashed you know
a lot of the hype the manufactured fear
that's out there and now they don't have
the proper understanding but when you
just look at and we're not going deep
into some other issues but just if you
start with this pure monotheism this
just connects we say with the closer it
connects with the innate nature of man
that you just worship the One God
yeah we've been just been talking about
and that was Jesus whole mission calling
people just to worship the One God and
II know brother Eddie that's one other
thing I tell some of our students
because you know we have a class where
we only train students to be Imams and
to do interfaith work so I always tell
them that I said Dawa and as you were
mentioning earlier in the kind of Dawa
their work at different levels people
like Dow I said yes Darwin got different
levels one level is only to invite
people to God you got a level to only
invite people to God and if we look at
that that's not my opinion the prophet
peace be upon him that's what he was
doing for 13 years in his early mission
only inviting people to God then when
you have people come to God then you get
them to understand invite them to
understand the teachings of God because
a man may not believe in God but he does
nothing that God says now you got to
give him Dawa and invite him to do what
God says you might have a guy who's is a
Muslim
and he's doing what God says he's
praying he's giving charity but he's not
living Islam otherwise you gotta give
him the hour to live Islam you see so
Darwin got many different categories and
people could fall into any category yeah
so now you guys okay we get that out of
the room we talk about the pure
monotheism not ascribing partners to God
were laying this message is what we
believe and that the door of mercy is
always open that you turn to your
Creator alone and you and you come to
him with a sincere heart he's the most
gracious the most loving the most
forgiving we get that out of the way but
now you're the pastor comes over and now
some common things you can work on for
instance this this whole movement now
growing the kids go to the to the
University and the professor
you know brights on the board no God
here so now they start giving Dowa so
now you can tag-team right together come
together say eight with the Christian
neighbor say look they're trying to take
our kids away from God look at that
saying there's no God you know how do
you do have you had these situations
come up all the time yeah we had we had
recently the people who start preaching
the message of the devil are you
familiar that's in the schools now the
message of a devil ever and it's called
is the Church of Satan the Church of
Satan is literally called the Church of
Satan so now we work together like I
mean I do have a lot of Muslims I do
criticize me and said why are you
involved with all these people what are
they about Islam I said man listen we
have so many things to do in Dawa as we
said earlier on invite the God invite
the righteousness and join good and
forbid evil it got so many things we got
to do that the Prophet peace be upon him
taught us to do so when you have these
people see in the Church of Satan so we
work together with our Jewish friends
and Christians and everybody even the
Hindus everybody doesn't matter to get
people to believe in God I'm not the
devil not the devil and these they're
people who just want you and they're a
big a big fight about that you know
where they were saying that if you can
teach religion in the schools then you
need to start teaching about the Church
of Satan so we work together with a lot
of other churches and religions and
faiths to stop that because that's not
right
that what feed is that follows it and
that's opposite to the faith there is no
faith you know what I mean
so that's areas of commonalities and
working together for the pleasure of God
you got another example I mean any
Christian any religious God conscious
person wants their children to come out
and to have a wholesome relationship
between man and woman to come together
in a family to have children to bring
them up to be morally upright mm-hmm in
society you know now they're coming and
you know the kid they're losing the kids
in the nightclubs drugs and fornication
and adultery another common good that
you can work together with us we are
commanded to enjoin good and forbid evil
and call people to righteousness so we
can work together and I think that's the
area we need to work together you know I
I really do admire a lot of our Muslims
in the United States of America now
working very hard to get involved in
politics
congratulations wish them all the best
but I do think that there are so much
more to do as you rightly said on
righteousness humanity saving our
children from their own paths uniting
people and believing in God in doing
righteousness we need to get more people
involved in doing this kind of activity
because it doesn't become you can be the
president of America it doesn't mean
you're gonna stop this evil you may be
able to make policies in Congress what
not necessarily policies that can save
humanity from Al and from the wrong path
and that's another area that we need to
work with our neighbors and our people
of different cultures and faiths people
you know you're in this part of the
woods as they say that the neck of the
woods that many people you have you know
people go to extremes and comas and
terrorists and you know they're here to
take over Sharia all right
have you dealt with people like that who
have been hostile and had these kind of
twisted thoughts and how have you dealt
with them well I have had people come to
me and said well what is this Sharia
why are you Muslims want to take over
because you know when we have these
interfaith programs you have atheists
you've got Scientologists you've got all
kind of people there people again from
the Satanic church
we have been into interviews and and
events and programs like that and we
have all these questions from them so
based on what you just said we tell
people that you know you need to work
together and what was the question you
just asked me
now people work where people come out
and they they associate Islam with
terrorism and you Muslims are doing
takea your line - yes and the Sharia
so get to the right point Cheri I want
to get to that point because that's why
I want to know what you specifically
asked but it was terrorists or the
Sharia
so people come and said why you guys
want to make America Sharia country I'm
like listen I think this is a greatly
misunderstood Islam and Sharia is a
misunderstood misunderstood thing to be
if you go to Saudi Arabia they got their
own Sharia they got certain laws that
are not practicing in India you go to
India they gots it and Sharia laws that
are not practiced in Saudi Arabia you go
to Africa
they got certain laws they called Sharia
that are not practiced in India so
bottom line is Sharia our laws put
together by scholars who deduced laws
from the Quran and the Sunnah but it
does not mean that anyone is gonna bring
saudi arabia laws in america pakistani
laws in america African laws in American
call it Sharia Islamic laws there is
nothing like that that's my verdict of
Sharia to me Sharia and that's what
Allah says is the Quran
Sharia is the Tor Sharia is the Bible
because really Sharia is the law of God
and the real Sharia that we supposed to
follow is the law of the quran so the
fear that americans have brother Eddie
is not the law of Quran and I tell you
why because they believe in the Quran
they know the Quran exists they were
allowed to swear by the Quran you
allowed to live by your Quran the
Constitution of the United States of
America gives you freedom of religion to
live by your Quran which is your Sharia
I think the fear
America that some of our Muslims have
misinterpreted is by letting Americans
thing that we're gonna bring the Saudi
Sharia law here the pakistani Sharia law
here there you know but that is a little
misunderstanding and people mix them up
both there's a fine line within that
there are laws I mean let's take the
niqab let's say someone is wondering
what am i speaking about well in some
Muslim countries in India and Pakistan
and Arabia in some areas some villages
not the whole country some villages the
Sharia laws women must cover their face
in most of the Muslim countries it's not
so how we bring in that law no no one is
bringing that along those are laws that
are Sharia based on the the deduction of
laws and Quran and Sunnah in certain
states and countries and that's what
Americans are freedom's I tell em click
cut this surely is a misunderstood thing
we gonna live by the Quran and no one is
applying the Quranic law to America and
Americans a man who believes in Islam he
lives by the Quran it's nothing like
applying this man-made Sharia law to
everybody you know people get often
confused but when you when you bring it
back home and since you we talked a
little bit about the Bible I mean you
have Sharia I mentioned over 200 plus
times in the Bible I mean prayer is
Sharia of course you know it's Garrity
you know the Ten Commandments right
that's the Sharia being dutiful to your
parents you know how many of the people
now nowadays have their kids cursing
them out right you know if you followed
the way of the crater right then with
the kids in the home you this is
addressing all of that yes all those
things but many people they get they get
they get caught up with with the 2.1
percent or two percent with the the
penal code and we often give this
example of imagine if aliens came from
outer space and then they wanted to know
about you know America and the US
Constitution and all we talked about was
the electric chair right the Penal Code
yeah yeah we do justice no not at all so
people get lied to they create this
lawmen like this boogeyman coming to get
you and they misunderstand and yeah
they're totally misunderstand many just
deliberately get lied to because you
have the truth they get told is not the
full truth yes so you
you know so much negative you know Time
magazine did it did an article in over a
span I'm Addie Dodd actually I believe
coast is that over I believe 70,000
publications or more were printed
talking negatively negative propaganda
about Islam so now imagine today with
all the Facebook and the YouTube yes all
of the you know the misinformation is a
lot of ignorance all their breath yeah
it's really a lot of ignorance you know
sometimes I speak to some of my
colleagues and Friends of interfaith
background and they admit that there are
a lot of ignorance people really don't
know they say what they just saw online
on social media and that's why we as
Muslims need clarify these misunderstood
areas and missile members miss concept
from a very intellectual point of view
not from an ignorant point and create
more well confusion to the situation
before we wrap up just because many
people here and people respect when you
tell the truth and obviously coming from
genuine love and concern right I mean
you get upset if I come on your name
neighbor told you you know look you're
about to get a ticket and you knew that
and you let them get a ticket so why
don't you tell me man right so that's
something minor what about these major
things when we talk about salvation and
we talked about you know Hellfire
paradise and all these things that are
important we get that out of the room
gonna tell if another room and we move
on to the commonalities but not a lot of
people they have misconception now this
term when you hear interfaith mmm-hmm so
clarify for us because now someone
thinks like okay are you talking about
that we all come together from all
different religions that we hold hands
and we sing Kumbaya so and your
everything is good you know we can do
whatever we want mishmash is a buffet
and mix it all up together or what do we
mean when we say interface well you know
again if we look at the Quran and and
basically I try to not be a person you
know if you if you if you check me out I
try to not be a person of stories and
fairytales and fake news put it like
that so I like to get evidence and
backup from the Quran and Sunnah and as
we mentioned a little while ago
a lot of behind with Allah says in surah
al-imran chapter 3 verse 64 kaalia a
lovely table to Allah Allah Karim
attends away in vain and Albania and I
still in us in the Quran to call the
people of the book and discuss eras of
commonalities coming out is if unlocked
answers kolima the same area the same
talk the same word see if Allah tells us
that we need to do that then it's a
command number one to call people of
different faiths to discuss areas of
understanding and then yes you explain
to them your belief your belief in God
how they believe how they don't
mashallah you believe that's what you
believe for you is your belief for me is
my belief but at least we educate them
and that's a Dawa now if we go into the
Sun or the Prophet peace be upon him the
Prophet peace be upon him then in his
days when he used to get frustrated in
the message and the people not getting
the message allah subhanaw taala told
him your mission is to give the message
a large mission is to give Hidayah
so prophet of allah you cannot give
Hidayah allah gives guidance your job is
to give the message so in dower and with
interfaith people in the line of
interface let's stick to that yes
there's matter what fits people have we
need to bring them together and as you
rightly said talk of righteousness the
problems facing our children women
humanity society things are affecting
people we could work together without I
haven't to believe and the way you
believe and you believe in the way I
believe but we can do the areas of
commonalities that will benefit all of
us and if you look at the time of the
Prophet peace be upon him now for those
people who say don't work together and
we do have that problem out there a lot
of our Muslims were getting very
extremists nowadays they're like don't
work with it but the other people when
we look at the history of the Prophet
peace be upon him and this is where
again it's not my opinion it's what we
read in the life of the Prophet peace be
upon him when he started preaching Islam
and growing up in society and the
community as what we have today and
Allah caused it to happen like that okay
he established an organization called
Hitsville fool yes what was that all
about it was an organization with only
non Muslims
not only non Muslims go far people
hardcore disbelievers who never even
believed in God and for the
righteousness and the betterment of
society he worked to the people together
and the worked in areas to help people
from being robbed being killed being
mobbed be murdered all these different
things
he worked together in a society to help
the people to help the people and people
of all different walks of life all kind
of people good bad and ugly as we would
say and he loved it he loved it working
with them to help other people so why
can't we do that yeah we looking at the
Sun that are we in a time like that
actually we in a very serious time and
we should work at people and they were
not it's not like they were all people
of one faith definitely it was not me
yeah this was known as repeaters again
so difficult food yeah that organization
that worked for the the virtues and the
the benefits of helping the society
against crime criminal Stephen Robin
you know harms two different people and
then later on in life the prophet
sallallaahu mentioned again how much he
loved that organization so we see it in
his lifestyle where he did it for the
societies if that he did why can't we
get faith leaders to work together he
worked people who did not even have a
faith yeah that's my evidence and I
worked based on Quran and Sunnah last
question before we cut out is that so
from a Muslim family to almost becoming
a Christian pastor and to coming back to
Islam what was it that brought you back
to Islam you're familiar with the
Tablighi Jamaat right yes you must be
yeah so because my name was Muhammad I
still had the name Muhammad Shafaat
Muhammad my mother name was Kanan Jana
my father name was Sheriff my brother's
name was Ricky Cece we were very much
very Christian is kind of thing
but because we had elastance the surname
muhammad so there was a group of South
Africans who came to the Caribbean
around a year 1994-95 something like
that and they would go to homes of
Muslim homes there's some one directed
him to her home and that's how they ran
into me and they're like oh but you're
Muslim for a Muslim family and they got
me to go with them and sit and eat
nothing about mosque nothing about nama
pray Allah eat some mangoes I still
remember that eat some mangoes had a
nice conversation with about five or
seven South Africans so I thought it was
a little retreat it was a little camp
and I started hanging out with them
hanging out with them and as I teenager
that was kind of exciting it was
interesting and that was also strategy I
learned in how you can win the hearts of
people and they really want my hearts
how they were so loving and so kind you
know there were people different people
I seem to bleak nowadays nowadays the
people I see in EE isn't some of them
some of them if you're not in tableegh
you're not one of them these people know
that I were not even in Masjid I want to
practice in Islam and they kind of loved
it showed to me and the caring and the
love it was phenomenal you know they did
sponsored me to go with them and in my
mind it's account it's a retreat so I
went around and hang out with them and
they were the people really who told me
whenever you decide to think about Islam
will sponsor you to go and study Islam
and they did I got sponsored from South
Africa when I finished college Allah
gave me that he died and guidance that
they would write me every month every
month are you ready are you ready are
you ready
so Allah use this group of South
Africans to write me on a regular basis
to keep me going that whenever I write
in later on Allah gave me and I like
that that that that theme that you have
purpose of life and that's why I mean I
must say it's a pleasure to be with you
on your Deen show brother honey it's
really nice to be with you on the
purpose of life and I gave me the he
died I started realizing what is the
purpose of life and I was I will get in
this call
they're ready to sponsor me everything
for Islam to go to cut the university in
India study Islam and everything and
then one day I just started getting
frustrated bottom line the the the
worldly life here I will be totally
frustrated everyone was just frustrated
me in how I believe because I started
practicing Islam why you practicing how
you becoming a Swami you becoming a
black magic guy what are you doing why
your life has changed so from this
Christian lifestyle to this move from
this modern or lifestyle to this sort of
Islamic lifestyle and that's that it
frustrated me and on the other hand I
will get in this call from those Muslim
brothers in South Africa who were just
willing and willingly see whenever
you're ready we sponsor everything for
you to go and study and boom one day I
said let's let it happen oh it's a whole
long story I had a whole nine yards my
parents didn't want it my relatives
didn't want it they were like you wasted
your whole college life you wasted time
what are you getting into because
remember they were not practicing Islam
but I'll come to Allah made it happen
and I got that scholarship from South
Africa to go and study Islam came back
to the true purpose of life the Creator
not the creation - the way of Jesus
Moses Abraham and all the messengers
including Mohammed just being the last
and final messenger peace be upon him
and inshallah maybe aren't our next
hookup can be you guys got me thinking
since you're from Trinidad yes from the
island of Trinidad and maybe inshallah
we'll hook up again maybe there sometime
in the future of course on my radar
Yul's people haven't mentioned it to me
before and now I'm meeting some people
from Trinidad long as you made the
intention we're gonna let it happen but
it must yeah for my cuz you know
Trinidad is like the leading island of
Islam in the Caribbean what I mean in
activities you got a lot of big Islamic
centers in the Caribbean when it comes
to population and activities and
dynamism Trinidad is it you'll feel at
home in Trinidad you'll feel like you in
the West but in an Islamic atmosphere
beautiful thank you thank you guys for
tuning in go ahead and leave all the
gems of wisdom you picked up from here
and your experience with this interview
thank you so much for tuning in hope in
shell law has been a benefit continue to
tune and subscribe if you haven't
already we'll see you next time peace be
with you as long lake
like I must alone with the land thank
you very much brother a pleasure to be
with you on the Dean show hum did laughs
thank you