[Music]
assalamualaikum greetings of peace how
are you guys doing we got one of the
top-ranking UFC fighters in the world
with us here on the Deen show mid Saad
beccaj when we come back there was a
component that is so neglected nowadays
especially since this component was an
integral part in the past to making a
complete martial artist he was lacking
in this area but he has picked up the
pace now and it's helping to him to
become a more complete martial artist
and God willing he'll have more success
in life now we're going to be talking to
UFC fighter mossad beccaj about this
missing component that he's gained now
here on the D show don't go anywhere
[Music]
so all right cool how you doing very
good let's start off with you know this
greeting that we gave each other you
know many people when they hear this
greeting you know this is because the
Dean shows dedicated to spent dispelling
many of the myths but many people don't
know that we just wished each other
peace it's a greeting of peace and we're
people of peace wish you wish wishing
each other peace so I'm like how you
been man but things are getting better
I'm here with you guys learning more
about Islam more and more about yeah
just everything in general of just
lifestyle yeah and how good things can
be yeah if you just take the
responsibility of doing your own
research and applying it yeah I mean
being diligent about it yes not just
about Islam but how Islam can make a
diligence and so many others ago in
other ways mm-hmm I by tree people of my
life and how you go about your life hmm
tell me so you're you're a UFC fighter
that's ranked in the top 10 15 and what
motivated you to and and how did you end
up getting into the UFC well I mean I
end up getting UFC I was seven - no I
moved to Florida when I was 20 about 20
years old
training there I went professional in
2011 and I I got a text
hey do you want to fight this guy he's
11 - no trains with Johny Hendricks at
the time and I said man it's like a
dream come true
it was kind of at that moment I was I
was almost starting going a different
mindset of life and I got that and six
weeks later I was making my your CD
debut yeah so how long you've been
fighting in the UFC how long I've been
in the UFC specifically since 2014 2014
I think in when's your next fight
I hope it's December 30th so that my
current management is working on yeah
getting that done right now so you're in
the same weight class is it
true as with Conor McGregor yes he was
at 145 he's at 55 currently yeah
but technically he's I think he's still
a champion at 45 but it's Aldo is Aldo
was a chap at 140 yeah well that he has
that's the 145 Bell well he had the
interim bail yeah and then
so you've seen made Conor vacate 145
bills because you have to you know a
certain period of time you have to
defend it
so then although max Holloway for the
actual UFC belt and max Holloway beat he
beat a beat although okay so max
Holloway is the champion yeah okay Matt
max Holloway is the champion so what
belt does bring us up to speed what belt
now again does Conor he's that 155 155
bill that's the one that he beat Eddie
Alvarez Alvarez okay I see so he had
okay now I understand he vacated that
one because he was waiting too long yeah
well you see just like hey because he
should have been defending the belt
right yeah I think it's over if you
don't defend it within a year okay I got
so you would call it four that's his
original weight so you would actually
qualified you're in the same weight
class yeah so maybe that's a future
matchup potentially it could be harming
I mean I'm in it to be the best thing ya
know that's you know I've made one dream
come true I'm in the UFC yeah now it's
about finishing it uh-huh
and do my best to do it and yeah I'm
sure if I get there and when I do get
there I mean if he's around yeah we were
saying she'll ah God willing I got and
that was one of the things that I did I
did a show not too long ago when Habib
was supposed to fight I think you have
you ever met abeam yes I actually made
my UFC debut yeah with him in 2014
yeah and we had a I've always been kind
of a nonchalant chill you know your
cousin is always telling me like hey man
you take pictures with these guys take
pictures with your boss but I've always
been like
okay just like yeah normal me it's not
thing like crazy fanatics for me but I
do realize how important it is to be
more like appreciative of those things
yeah but yeah I met him and 2014 and we
were actually supposed to fight together
March of this year March 4th on the same
corner he was supposed to fight Ferguson
yeah and I was on there and then after
the fight his manager was facetiming me
and I spoke to Kobe even who's his
manager Halle Halle yeah so I was I was
facetiming with those guys he was
talking about my fight and yeah I did a
video we did a program talking about
some of the things that people would
perceive as being odd like for instance
some of the things that you know he has
said for instance after he'll finish a
fight
[Applause]
thank you God everything God gave me
he'll say and it's kind of the bridge to
cap where people are like what is he
saying what is he doing for instance
after he'll finish the fight he doesn't
point to himself just like like you
after you finish your fight you point up
a bow by submission Kimura
[Music]
so he's directing that attention to the
one who gave him the ability to throw
the punch right to be there is the
crater that happens in earth so he's
saying not me up and he's saying it hum
did it last like what does that mean
he's saying thank God thank God right
and then he'll fall another thing talk
about Hill prostrate like was he kissing
the ground
no he's thanking again the creator and
many people don't know that Jesus peace
be upon him he also fell on his face
when he prayed and hey it's in the
Gospel of Matthew 26:39 he says and he
went a little further and he fell on his
face and prayed to who himself know he
prayed to the cradle so this is the same
thing that he was doing and we trying to
bridge that gap and then I actually
invited him I said look you've been on
this show that show the area wanna we
what's the guys go on and honey you need
to come out of these so like I brother
here so God will inshallah we'll have a
khabib with us tell me you also you had
a in one of your fights you had a
t-shirt on this one and it said don't
never never forget 70 so your background
is from Bosnia well set up in itza can
you tell us why you wore that shirt what
was the the motivation behind that
Destin's behind ya the essence behind it
was I am from 7 itza the reason I am in
America is because I serve a nice
Bosnian Serbian war and the essence of
it was to show people that I'm from
there and I love my people and I love my
town and I haven't forgot about them and
nobody else should either and it's not
so much an A
in a negative way where which I think a
lot of people do like hey look never
forget this remember us look what you
did to us but it's like smaller concept
of this is where I'm from this did
happen for people look into it more and
to like oh wow man they went through a
lot and that shouldn't happen again and
it's it's almost like a in a loving way
it's not so much yeah point fingers at
somebody absolutely I gotta even think
about Serbian army guys or whoever was
involved in the massacre mmm genocide I
didn't think about them is just more
about you know losing my family that I
liked lost and my grandmother you lost a
lot of your family members there many
people don't know that that was the
greatest genocide after World War Two in
Europe people don't know about that you
had just in subrin itza that it was what
was it like almost 8/8 thought innocent
little men women I mean innocent
civilians were killed they were just it
was an ethnic cleansing that was
happening and people don't know about
and this and you're actually from that I
just came back from from Bosnia and I
was trying to I was uh that was on my my
places to visit I didn't actually get a
chance to go but I wanted to visit there
but this is where but I got the next
best thing someone who's actually from
70 so that's where you were born
yes yeah Connor he's always like you
know representing Ireland so there's
nothing wrong obviously know your roots
and as I get older I mean now 26 but
when you're younger you know we came to
the United States eight years old nine
years old and speak no English and you
were raised in a different culture so
you don't really unless you kind of
forget or not you don't forget but you
don't really take acknowledgement of
what actually happened you don't do a
research and you got really see what
happened and to know yourself and where
you came from and why you believe or
your why your town or people believe
what they believe in so just kind of
really knowing the essence of everything
and taking pride in it yeah and I I'm
still learning
I'm still learning about that I'm still
learning about my people's religion and
in my town and my country and just going
with that yeah yeah this is something
that also I mean we have that also in
common that my family you were born
there my family's first generation they
actually were they came over about 40
years ago and that was something that I
thought hey there are so many other
tragic events you know any any any event
where you have innocent people who are
being massacred killed there should be
awareness created about it right so it
doesn't happen again and this is one of
those events that it's sad to say that
many people even even Bosnians have kind
of forgotten about it so I thought and I
did a particular program people can
watch it on our Channel it's called the
the the Bosnian Muslim genocide and it
talks about we don't because nowadays
many people and you being also a Muslim
practicing you know Islam many people
right away you know they link you soon
you say Muslim the cinnamon right away
terrorist right ridiculous how do you
get away from us yeah so now I did this
show and I said look we don't blame
Christianity for what Milosevic and
Qatar judge did and they were Christian
right but we don't go ahead and now
exploit this and say look this is
radical Christianity that doesn't work
like that because they might have did
whatever they did you know what I mean
and they were practicing Christians but
we know that Christianity doesn't preach
that the same way Islam doesn't a lot of
violence acts that people make it out to
be but what how do you feel when you see
things like for instance there's too
many to list but one major event just
happen it was the deadliest mass
shooting in US history this is this
lunatic he went in Vegas he ended up
wasn't killing almost 60 people injuring
almost 500 something like that he didn't
say a lot hug but so it's he's not a
terrorist right along but it means many
people if you don't know it means that
was another thing that we we talk about
habib says allah husband amis god is the
greatest
yes praising God God is the greatest so
it's not a war cry now
he didn't he didn't Pat we usually say
if you passed by a Muslim he had lunch
with a Muslim somehow you're connected
to a Muslim he's it it's terrorism he's
converted to it and it was just amazing
they have these they sneak in these
headlines I don't know if you saw it
like Isis claims responsibility he
converted to Islam six months ago people
don't and and and people don't read the
rest to see that this is just a bogus
you know this is like fake news but they
see that they exactly see that headline
anything okay he's a Muslim who did
crazy
what do you how do you feel when you see
your religion my mind like this in the
media uh I mean I think people just
gotta do their own research you know
just because it's it's not I mean III
don't even pay attention to it because
it's bogus
yeah it's like man anybody with common
sense knows that you were thinking but
with common sense with no that the
religion has nothing to do with it and
the fact that this certain event had the
it was even directed towards Islam it's
just funny to me it's like a joke like
my life yeah really
it's come on it's stupid it really makes
you even when I'm not even watch that
channel that news is on because you have
so many other KK Ches all these groups
that are like you said Christian people
they practice Christianity mm-hmm but we
don't we know we know that Christianity
has nothing to do with the KKK that just
because somebody says they are one thing
and they act in a certain way doesn't
make everybody that way yeah and it's a
it's a joke and now we don't really
maybe I guess what happened maybe two
weeks ago a week ago it's already out
the news you don't hear much matter yeah
is it because it wasn't part of Islam
maybe you don't wanna
there's no ratings on it yeah it seems
like it's LOM has that I can't point a
finger at somebody
that's what made him do it yeah a book
and that's the double standards that
yeah those double standards is kind of
the hypocrisy there but you people like
yourself now people like kabhi people
who who are out there in the spotlight
now I do have a big responsibility now
even though some might shy away from it
but I'm gonna take you to this clip and
I'm gonna show you someone who didn't
shy away from it he's a great example
for every celebrity Muslim every human
being as a matter of fact but especially
those nowadays who are being targeted
because now many people who are Muslim
unfortunately they're they're being
dehumanized
and many are you know hiding on the
rocks you know scared to say they're
Muslim alright but nowadays you know
especially we need to stand up and show
really what Islam is to live Islam to
show that we're human beings like the
rest you follow and we're proud of that
and I'm gonna take you to this clip and
then we'll take it from there another
bath another shower will clean my mouth
pray and at 5:00 in the morning
this goes on if when I'm right now I
didn't do that for the first phrase to
fight neither side first norton fight
really no sir
our head got big and I started thinking
it was my training camp and my boxing
ability that kept me where I was that
and God punished me and he gave me a
good whoopin he broke my jaw in the
sacrum fight and he got me whooped and
knocked down in the Frazier fight and I
realized I wasn't that great after all
so I had to get not only together
physically but spiritually for this
fight I've prayed every day for five
days five times a day for the past four
months and everything is perfect and if
I lost with me it ain't no way no man
can win no way that's deeper and he went
from being the most despised man to the
most loved man he's a Muhammad Ali
Muslim American hero everybody knows
Muhammad Ali they loved him and he was
unapologetically Muslim you found me he
was a humanitarian he was a peacemaker
he was a person who was bridging that
gap of misunderstanding between the
people
and he filled that role that now it's
left to many people like yourself people
like could be other Muslims who are out
there who are in the spotlight what do
you think when you hear someone like him
speak went from this little clip ah man
I feel like that somebody can definitely
relate to you know in a lot of ways you
know I was I was undefeated I remember I
was on the future also and before that
fight when I told my CL I came back I
was praying I didn't I did every prayer
every day went to mosques at night and
then I remember before my last fight - I
kind of got away from me
and I kind of questioned it sometimes
but it is I know it's not good and just
just hearing him say that now it's like
I'm God maybe just woke me up a little
bit
I do think differently now about a lot
of things you know priority wise and
life wise spirituality wise so I
definitely relate to him in a lot of
ways besides be Muslim just is mentally
yeah and just how proud he is and in it
is gives you hope you see the confidence
when God is with you there's no man that
can stop you right and he was missing
that he talks about how he got his jaw
broke he thought it was my training camp
is me ma and you see many of these many
fighters you see for many of them though
the beat they'll pump the chest and it's
like it's all and that spiritual
component for many people is it's huge
in life and in life in general can you
talk about that yeah definitely I mean
novel has been spiritual because in life
I guess when I was growing up but I
really didn't have that discipline so
once I started getting more into reading
and just looking for that guidance and I
found that through spirituality I was
kind of like my father and now that's
what disciplines me you know when I do
certain way when I do certain things I
have these verses and these things I
read in the Quran or that Prophet
Muhammad SAW these
you know that kind of check me like well
well you read this and he did it this
way so it's just a it's a book of
discipline of guidance and that's what
it gives me and I'm very spiritual and
it's I don't know why I can't be like
sir a certain athlete and I've come to a
point where is where I'm I'm not
comparing what they're doing and doing
it a certain way as they are I am
different and this is what's gonna be
good for me and I just come to accept
that yeah and that you know what work
for that might work for them might not
work for me so I just gotta keep doing
that how I'm doing it
yeah and this is I believe this is a
part of that yeah many people and this
is what motivated me you know and this
is again just because there's obviously
a lot of misconceptions about Islam and
Muslims and that's what motivated me to
start the Deen show going on almost 11
years 600 plus episode is showing that
there's so many commonalities and if
people would just sit listen and learn
with an open mind you know ii mean
because there's a great statement that
goes something like this that for the
mind to work it has to function like a
parachute has to be open and the
greatest form of ignorance is to reject
something you know nothing about and
sincere people who sit and they make the
first a human connection right they meet
mossad right he's a muslim practicing
muslim he's trying his best you know we
all make mistakes and whatnot welcome
yeah we're learning we're we're doing
our best
but now when they learn some of the
basic things for instance just by the
name muslim muslim is simply like jesus
was one who submits to the will of god
that's what a muslim is right and if to
qualify the statement if a person has if
someone asks are you a Muslim and and
I'll say to qualify that do you mean
someone who has submitted to the will of
God who's kind merciful just and fair
someone who won't hit on your wife or or
a rip you try to rip you off you say hey
that's a Muslim hey if you got some
twisted idea in your head like what
you've been seeing you know in Hollywood
that's probably not that doesn't fit the
description so when these commonalities
you know are shown many people that
of breaks down the walls the barriers
you know this deep love we have for
Jesus for instance is a mighty messenger
his Blessed Mother there's a chapter in
the Quran named after her you know what
I mean yeah growing up I didn't even
know that oh yeah right when I was some
judges in my Muslim just cuz that's what
you grew up yeah
but then you get older and you learn
these things and Wow yeah so these are
the things that many Muslims also like
you you come from a background of a son
they don't know these things so that's
what we're dedicated to to get this
information out because sharing is
caring you know what I mean and then the
people can judge for themselves but
because ignorance is is something that
is affected so many people that they're
ignorant on these basic things of Islam
and then they're bombarded by the media
yeah you know the media is hitting them
with you know this terrorist attack they
take some nut job and he prompt him up
like he's an exemplary Muslim they label
they and then really shy away from
anything I've done before - you mean
somebody asked her and most unless you
claim your confidence that goes between
the unapologetically Muslim and you know
yeah apologizing I am not really yeah
I'm going into it yeah I'm learning
about it yeah it's kind of like getting
on the match if you know more jujitsu
you're confident in your jujitsu or your
your your wrestling or you know your
fighting
yeah let's go you know the main you can
do but if you're not confident you're
not living it you don't know how to
express it then you yeah because once
you you are you have a responsibility
yes yeah and I'm always practicing so
it's a I request you know my myself
sometimes like oh well this is how you
know don't you know how to treat your
mother how to treat your brothers I
don't know treat people in general and
it checks you off yeah that that that's
deep you know when you just mentioned
how to you know these these qualities
that many people have had I've had
interviews with people who when they've
accepted you know Islam the parents of
these young kids they would say I can
sleep better at night now my child
respects me better you know he's a
better all-around human being you follow
me
yeah so this is one of the qualities
that islam teaches to be a better
neighbor and right to be to be the best
at whatever you do and not to harm even
an animal there's a there's a beautiful
statement by the problem hamid he's been
blessing be upon him he said there's you
know if faith has 60 some-odd branches
the highest of which is to testify that
there's nothing worthy of worship except
the creator of the heavens and earth and
muhammed is the last final messenger and
the least of witches is to remove
something harmful from the road yeah I
mean so you know a must we started with
peace we talking about removing an
obstacle from the road that's you know
so someone doesn't puncture your tire
slip fall hurt themselves so you know
these are the these are the fundamental
fundamental beliefs of Islam being of
good noble character and whatnot so this
is just amazing and what point in your
life did you start taking life more
serious in this aspect what did you
started to contemplate anythink you know
what's my purpose in life why am I here
I would say that probably around eight
seventeen eighteen yeah I probably early
seventeen you know I I was kind of tired
of I was looking for something like
direction and I wasn't happy about the
way I was living my life there were my
friends around me were living their
lives and everybody was going where
everybody's kind of going in the
direction that they were going so I was
very motivated to do better in school
and outside of school and then once I
found martial arts that kind of gave me
that first set of guidance and purpose
and we're just moving down a few years
later in Florida and I just kind of
something was missing and I just feel it
I just want to hear something like man I
remember hearing this long time ago I
just pulled up some Sudha's passages
from Oakland American and just played it
just just hearing it was just kind of
soothing to me yes and no then going out
to the local no driving having a car
being a little drive to the look mosque
and and looking to mow getting the book
and then reading the book and father's
English translations yeah and then you
know I met another miss that I was in
was a professor also and learning from
him
and it's been yeah ever since then it's
been a learning process sometimes you
know you fall back on your like you said
you some prayers and but you kind of get
back up and you have these reminders of
you know why why it makes sense
I don't and why it's so good for you
yeah for your life and for those around
you and for everybody yeah so that's
when around 23 is when it when it
started for me and again it's been it's
been an uphill it's been a learning
process yeah that's the key I mean
learning like and gaining that
confidence from what you learn you know
to and and and and I've seen for myself
personally it's it's it's helped me
definitely to be a better human being
you know I mean to grow spiritually and
to grow you know to beat a better
version of myself and and many people
are when I hear their stories it does
the same thing you know what I mean yeah
it's a sense respect right off the bat
you can connect somebody right away yeah
and something for them because yeah you
know they're Muslim and and you kind of
know what that stands for if you're you
really know that truth behind it and you
want to go out of your way for somebody
mm-hmm strangers yeah absolutely so tell
us before we cut out
you are planning on visiting Bosnia any
time soon
yeah yeah yeah definitely I plan to I
have so many different places here
some things got messed up but I
definitely hundred percent plan on going
as soon as I fight this next fight which
I'm sure it's gonna be December 30th I
plan on going Bosnia right after that in
January and then we'll see how long I'll
stay there I have my father there my
grandmother
lots of family there so it's been a way
too long and not almighty no you
reunite you with your your for you
haven't seen your father and then you
see a FaceTime web-based yeah it's not
impersonal yeah so God willing you read
night with your family I want to thank
you very much for being with us here on
the D show no I think and that was my
brother and your brother mid-side
backtick UFC fighter very later to see
and find that missing component that
spiritual component to make a complete
and balanced human being many people are
missing it
and we invite people to explore in and
look into it to see what has brought
that peace and contentment into his
lives the Muslim American hero who was
unapologetically Muslim let me qualify
that statement Jesus Moses Abraham all
the messengers at the crater sent out of
out of his love they were all Muslims
and a Muslim is simply one who has
submitted to the will of God Muhammad
Ali Muslim American hero was
unapologetically Muslim and you see he's
loved till this day because a Muslim is
someone who is morally upright you don't
have to worry about him trying to hit on
your wife ripping you off in a business
deal this is a kind of neighbor that you
want to deal with that you want to have
a Muslim neighbor you following me who's
good with Christians Jews everybody but
he worships the crater not the creation
and he stands on certain values and
principles that are good for all of
humanity and if you're apologetically
Muslim how are people gonna learn about
Islam how they gonna see the ambassadors
of Islam how you going to convey the
message share the message especially in
this growing hate epidemic
it's a it's
so much manufactured hate and fear the
Islamophobia industry is a growing
industry quarter of a million dollars is
spent bashing Islam attacking Islam
there's fire bombs there are bombs being
thrown into mosques vandalize mustards
and women being attacked
why because people's ignorance because
of the hate so if you're apologetically
Muslim how are they how are you going to
dispel many of these myths and
misconceptions so it's nice to see
someone who is unapologetically Muslim
who's helping to use that platform that
they have and not shying away from the
responsibility of someone who should be
a great example as Muhammad Ali was
someone who people loved to this day all
the athletes want to imitate and
hopefully with that responsibility in
that role we live up to that because God
don't care about the UFC belts God don't
care about what kind of cars you drive
you follow me he doesn't care the color
of your skin he doesn't care about the
wealth that you have he cares about
what's in your heart
and your deeds the good that you're
gonna accomplish while you're on this
earth
I mean God Almighty Allah continued to
bless you Mossad and everyone watching
if you have any questions call us