welcome dear viewers to Islam Today an
English language talk talk show coming
from charger in the United Arab Emirates
on charger TV we have on our show today
brother Abdul raheim mcarthy and brother
Abdul welcome
and thank you very much and thank you
for being on our program exactly we
wanted to talk to you today about many
things actually but one of the things we
want to talk to you about first is uh
how you became Muslim and um you know
the relationships that you formed as a
result of being Muslim and how your uh
the interaction was and reaction with
your family and your friends but first
tell us about your background uh I
understand of course we've had a chance
to talk that you're originally from
America so uh where in America did you
come from and give us a little
background
okay um I'm originally from America as
you mentioned before that however my
grandparents were from Ireland
uh they migrated to America my
grandfather and my father were both born
in America as as was I I was born there
as well and I was I'm from the metrop
Washington metropolitan area Washington
DC area the east coast East Coast yeah
like myself yes um we're about I think a
4-Hour drive from you yeah exactly it's
about uh so I'm from the DC area that's
where I was born and raised all my life
and that's where I became Muslim in
1994 uh how I became Muslim uh actually
I had an appointment with one of my
friends and I had started before Islam
on a path that was not pleasing to Allah
subhana wa tala and it was not pleasing
to my parents as well to my family my
family is a good family and a successful
family in America however I chose to
take a path other than what they had uh
chose for me so I I was down I was going
down a wrong path and a path that was
going to end with a a lot of troubles
for myself and for my family a lot of
Sorrow for my family anyways but uh that
all changed one day I had an appointment
with my friends with one of my friends
in DC and he didn't show up for the
appointment he was very forgetful yes
which was good for me it turned out when
you say DC you meaning Washington DC
Wasington DC Capital the capital yeah uh
so I actually lived on the outskirts in
Virginia but we still go all the way
into DC so that's all called the
Washington metropolitan area CU it's
spread out northern northern Virginia
Northern Virginia exactly yes so what
what happened on that day is when I went
to the appointment he wasn't there so
his father told me wait for him in the
basement and I went he said you can play
with his Sega I know his sega's still
around I'm getting old now it's still
there or not it's it's a video game
right yeah like the PlayStation now I
guess it's still around I don't know
anyways he told me go play with that so
he had taken it then my friend had taken
it to his mother's house so it wasn't
there so I had nothing to do so as I was
sitting there his father starts to read
the Quran he was he had he had tapes
cassette tapes reading the Quran uh in
Arabic and with English translation and
he's following along in his Quran in the
living room so so your friend was Muslim
no he was his father was Muslim his
father was but he wasn't a Muslim he
hadn't become Muslim his father became
Muslim 10 years before that okay but he
hadn't become Muslim yeah uh he was
actually my friend he was older than me
at that time he was maybe about 24 I was
only about 18 at that time so he hadn't
become Muslim but his father had become
Muslim so anyways what happened is that
you know I had nothing to do so I heard
this any strange recitation I didn't
know what it was and I was always
curious about Islam you know what is
Islam you know we hear of a lot of
things in America but most of it's
negative and most of it's not uh you
know proper information about Islam and
to today we hear you know about Islam
the terrorists and all this other stuff
which obviously we know as Muslims it's
not true uh and the people living in
this part of the world they know this is
not true as well during those days a lot
we would hear especially as as white
Americans yes they would use in the
media the Nation of Islam yes to say
that this is the religion of the black
man and the white people can't be
Muslims so we hear this you know that
the white people are devils and this so
this is the this is the information I
have in my head about Islam so I wanted
to know so I went and asked him about
Islam I said father your father friend's
father yeah so I went in to ask him
about Islam and I remember the first
thing I had stepped with my boots on his
was prayer rug he was upset about that
you know and then he said to me uh you
know sit down I said I have some
questions about Islam and I started to
ask him one of the first questions I
asked I said uh can I be a Muslim you
know as a white guy now he was he
African-American African he was
africanamerican okay good so he said
yeah of course he said no this stuff you
hear on the media has nothing to do with
Islam he said whether you're black brown
white he said even if you're purple and
pink you he went to exaggerate about it
that anybody Islam is the religion for
all of mankind so I was interested we
started talk a little bit about Islam
and then you know the time was up for me
to go so I requested from him some books
so he gave me some books about uh Islam
the Muslim were translated from the
Saudi Embassy uh so I took these books
and I um went home on the Metro going
home I read a little bit about the
Muslim belief in Jesus Alam yes and
peace be upon him and I was interested
in that it was the first time I heard
know we we had grown up you know the
three in1 theory of the Trinity and know
I had my my gold cross on all the time
on my neck now now let me ask you now
with the the name McCarthy can I and
from Ireland originally I mean in terms
of ancestral can I assume then that you
and your family were Catholics yeah
exactly exactly okay all right Roman
Catholics C okay so even I was in some
time in a Catholic School in elementary
school they again catechisms and things
of his nature so that was that's we were
into as when I was young obviously uh my
family my father side they used to go to
church a lot on my mother side they
didn't go to church a lot but uh I was
raised even for some time was in a
Catholic School in elementary school um
so what happened is that these books you
know that when I first heard about you
know the Trinity and then you know
that's not proper this was kind of you
know interesting to me sure but as I
said before I was 18 at that time so you
know you're 18 you know you're not
really interested in reading or religion
and these type of things so I left it
and I didn't even you know bother to
read it again I was doing what I was
doing you know with my friends and
hanging out and you know doing things we
shouldn't have been doing getting in
trouble and what have you so one night I
remember we were coming back from inside
DC and I still remember was in we went
to went this time to to southwest DC and
that time last time it was Northeast
where I went so I was coming back from
southwest DC and we got into a car
accident it wasn't my fault the guy came
across from four lane road and cut in
front and I didn't see him at this time
I didn't have a driver's license uhhuh
so I figured know I'm going to go to
jail you obviously you're going get in a
car I don't have a driver's license so I
decided I didn't want to go to jail so I
said I'm going to
run wow run where my friend's house was
on the other side of where he had the
car accident so it it was I was telling
you know some of my friends were
laughing because it was like a movie you
know I'm running through these Woods I I
know that my friend's house is on the
other side but where is it at you don't
know I don't know but I know it's on the
other side somewhere so I'm running
through these Woods for the first time
in my life I left the car I bought it
for $600 was important to me so I I I go
into the house where my my my friend's
house and I stayed there and then you
know for about a week I don't have a car
to go back out of the house so that's
what I'm telling the story about you
know leaving the car in the accident cuz
this is you know some strange things
happen your life you know for a lot of
good for certain reason we don't know
why it's happening at the time exactly
so I got in this accident and I leave my
car and I was just sitting there waiting
and then I decided just leave it run so
when I don't have the car now what can I
do I can't go out you have to get on the
bus and go I'm not really into that
so I remember one time and I was living
at that time my mother had moved
actually to North Carolina herself uh
from the DC area my grandparents were
still there so what happened is that uh
I remember I have these C I have these
books about Islam yes and these books
and they hadn't read they were sitting
on my shelf but I hadn't read them and
my grandparents they're from Virginia as
well originally but they're from the the
country in Virginia they're moving to
the city later but they're originally
from the country so they're really set
in their ways you know you know no cable
TV nothing modern you know really a
boring house for a 18-year-old teenager
so I had nothing to do in the house so I
remember these books you know and I said
okay let's go read why not I used to
like to read I used to know I'm not
saying I didn't read at all I I used to
like to read and that's what I say all
to my students now when I teach that I'm
surprised that the level of the reading
a lot of them are not good readers not
just here in in this part of the world
even if you go back to America now yes
the level of reading unfortunately it's
very bad with the youth now they're not
good readers and even though we used to
be involved in a lot of Mischief we were
actually you know good in reading and I
I would read so I went and I took a book
called uh Islam the religion of truth
yes you know yes I know this book yeah
yeah yeah and I started to read it and I
really like the book and really just you
know I got attached to it I read the
whole book this was on Thursday night I
read the whole book in an entire
sitting and I I decided immediately
after this book that I wanted to become
Muslim I said this is the way this is
what I've been looking for aldah and I
knew before even before this that I
wanted religion in my life yes like I
said I had you know I had the cross on
my neck yes uh before I was a Muslim I
was and then uh at that time uh also I
used to try to read the Bible even
though I found it boring I couldn't read
it but I knew I had it I had this
inclination this desire desire to to to
be religious you know and uh when I read
I said no this is the way this is what I
want obviously the first thing that
affected me was the issue of ofed of
Islamic monotheism and the one true God
and the issue of Trinity not being
possible and not being uh something that
is suitable for Allah subhana wa tala
not something suable for God to be three
in one and and when I read this it
affected me in a major way and I never
heard this before you know we grew up
you know three in one you know and all
of a sudden you know I realized what I'm
reading is actually this is the truth
and what I what I've been taught since a
young boy it's not it's natur true
simple as that simple as that yeah so
this is one thing affected me another
thing which you you you a lot of people
might find strange
it really really affected me is when he
was talking about the author he was
talking about the prayer and how the
Muslim prepares for the prayer his his
five daily prayers and the routine he
goes through the rituals he goes through
to prepare himself for prayer one of the
things that he mentioned was or first of
all is that a Muslim has to be in a
place where nobody else can see him he
has to conceal himself when he uses the
bathroom yes for me this really affected
me why because as you know you're com
from America you came tolam just like I
did and maybe a lot of the the viewers
as well they they know if they've been
to the west or in some Western
Restaurants or what have you here you'll
see that they when they relieve
themselves openly openly standing next
to each other yes exactly I always used
to hate this yes I couldn't say it
before as a non Muslim because they
think it's not a man they think you
exactly they think you something is
wrong with a Muslim we're proud of that
this is you know how we do so Subhan
Allah what happened is uh this affected
me the second thing is they said that
when a Muslim relieves himself he sits
down when he urinates he sits down and
this also is not a manly thing exactly
in the west even before Islam the
prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
Prophet Muhammad May the peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him the the
Arab used to make fun of him because he
used to sit down yes and say this is not
a manly thing just like in our customs
in America exactly so I used to love to
sit down which you're not supposed to to
do in America you know but so when I S I
found the Muslims did this it really
affected me because there something I've
been doing all my life obviously when
you're in the in the bathroom behind
closed doors of course so this and
affected me big time wow and this is
what Muslims don't realize is that you
know when you implement Islam the effect
it has on the non-muslims and I'll tell
you a quick story about an an older lady
who was in in the United Kingdom she
worked in a university and her job was
washing uh the clothes and then ironing
the clothes of the students M so she
noticed and that and this and we will
tell the viewers maybe some non-muslim
viewers don't understand why a Muslim
would sit down and yes go through all
this trouble because when we stand in
the prayer obviously that we don't want
to have impurities on our clothes when
we pray CU it's not allowed so we a
Muslim must sit down also he must
cleanse himself with water so thoroughly
so he's not doesn't have impurities on
his clothes when he prays so this there
was a Muslim student in this University
who implemented this he would sit down
he would clean himself with water
thoroughly so when his clothes would
come in there would be no stains on on
his undergarments
so all the other non-muslim students who
brought their clothes they have stains
on their on yes yes understand yes
naturally so yeah because they're not
you know cuz you're not making the
estender as we call it or the purifying
out or using the water proper yeah so
when she saw this Muslim student never
had stains on his his undergarments she
was you know as they say curiosity
killed the cat but this in this in this
situation actually it saved the cat yes
because what she did she said I have to
ask this this guy why he doesn't have
any stains like all the other students
so she asked him and she had been doing
this job she said I've been doing it for
25 years she told him she said you know
why are you different he said it's very
simple because he said the fact is is
I'm a Muslim and I'm ordered that if I
want to pray to do what this to clean
myself thoroughly so I don't have
impurities on my clothes so I can stand
in the best of states in front in front
of God so when she heard this she said a
religion like this it has to be the
religion of Truth so she she became
Muslim right after hearing uh this after
knowing this this fact and also this is
one of the things that affected me
majorly so I decided the next day I I
want to become Muslim so I called my
friend's
father uh that day very in early in the
morning actually I said I want to become
Muslim what do I do he said after MB you
come to me and uh oh no before MB and it
was like an hour before MB he said catch
the metro and come to DC and we'll go to
the Islamic Center in Washington DC I
don't know if you've been I've been to
it several times with all the flags yes
exactly near the uh near the
we exactly exactly so I went there m I
prayed M I wasn't a Muslim at the time I
prayed M with the Muslims I was just you
know imitating what they're doing you
just following them yes exactly so after
that he said know we have a brother who
wants to become Muslim so I got up in
front of the Masjid in front of the
brothers and I made my sh and I became
Muslim ald and that was in January the
beginning of January 1994 wow fantastic
Fant so okay so now well this is a
fantastic story actually and you and I
have talked before but I haven't never
asked this you know about how you came
to Islam and it's it's amazing because
it's it's amazing the kinds of stories
that people have in terms of what has
drawn them to Islam and it just shows
the way of Allah can use the simplest of
things you know or either the most
curious of things to attract one's
attention like the lady who's in the
laundry or or like yourself who has an
accident and is caught having to stay at
home and now forced to read a book or
you know about Islam alhamdulillah okay
so you accept Islam and um so talk to us
about now what happened next
particularly with the family
because a lot of new Muslims you know
have some varant kinds of reactions from
their family and their friends what was
the reaction of your family and friends
once you announced that you you're now
muslim okay so we have the family we
have the friends we'll start first of
all uh with the family uh what happened
Allah subh blessed me with some very
good Brothers during that time who were
you know serious about practicing Islam
and right after I became Muslim they
asked me where are you living I said I'm
living you know in this area and they
said you know mallah we have a mid right
there and actually the the the musjid
from my my grandparents house where I
was living in that time it was you know
we we did it with the car it was 2.7
miles from my house I used to walk there
for fuder and the other prayers and
after 2.7 miles 2.7 miles okay those
days before we got a little older you
you were you were healthy I was I was in
basketball I was playing basketball I
was in good shape during those days so
at that time 2.7 milesi was the closest
mjid so I went there that night to the
Masjid and I met the other brothers and
they said you know you want to come and
learn some things in the next few days
and another M another area we're going
to go there for a few days so I went and
we you know to learn some stuff about
Islam as I I was coming yes I had you
know my the gold cross the gold chain I
had another gold chain I had an earring
diamond earring really yeah yeah diamond
yeah yeah so uh after this um you know I
went to the mjid and I'm I'm praying you
know now and at this point your parents
still don't know yet don't know yet okay
now this is like the second day okay now
but where were you still stand at your
Grandmother's uh yeah yeah but there was
another area they said we're going to go
there you know like and you know just
have some lessons and teach you some
things you want to come so I went there
with them this other another area the
brothers took me and they were you know
they were learning about uh about Islam
how to pray and they were teaching the
basics and the good thing is they had
some you know youth with them these are
like older brothers but they had some
you know some of the youth who were in
my age teenagers yes so they they came
to the side and told me I was Muslim you
shouldn't have a gold necklace you
shouldn't have an earring you know as a
Muslim man so I was okay know I took
that out so that was the last of that
alhamdulillah and then after that didn't
bother you I mean no know in terms of
removing the gold I I wanted to learn
you know and then I don't want to be
like an outcast obviously you know sure
you know I I noticed that after they
said I'm like the only one with the gold
chain falling on the ground as I'm
making s you know yeah so there was some
peer pressure there yeah but it was good
peer pressure good so and know I took
that off and then after that we started
you know TR to learn more about Islam
the brothers would come pick me up take
me to Juma and one of the blessings that
happened to me another blessing that
happened to me is two weeks after I
became Muslim it was Ramadan
AHS we want to talk about that a little
later on in the show yeah so it was
Ramadan so I had to fast yes and I
started fasting alhamdulillah I didn't
have trouble fasting man this was a
blessing from
and but this took me the in this know in
the and doing this during Ramadan the
brothers are teaching me so I want to
learn I'm trying to learn more so I
started to go to the mjid more and more
and every day I'm in the in the in the
mosque there with the brothers yes and
then after this you know I really
started to you know get into Islam at an
early stage two three weeks after a
month alhamdulillah since I became
Muslim I never and he shaved my
beard because I know this is the sun of
the Prophet has ordered the Muslim to
have beards yes so this is something I
learned this you know I learned you know
a lot about Islam I started buying books
started reading books and I I guess I
have two books that really affected me
at the beginning of Islam maybe could
tell you a little later um and then we
had uh you know the the T we're going
there and praying and so all this really
affected me and then the brothers I was
with they were trying to follow the
Sunnah know long beards wearing turbin
and this and Islamic attire yes so I you
know I said I want to do like this too
so since after I became Muslim uh I've
always worn Islamic attire even in
America you I remember when I left
America to to go out to seek knowledge
yes I left and I had my know my wearing
my my and my my my turban that's how
that's how we used to do because you
know want to follow the Sunnah so you
know I have my highlight or anything I
find sunn in the book I'd highlight it
and try to implement it so I really
started you know to love the Sunnah and
to love Islam and this is what inspire
me to go uh overseas to study more about
Islam to learn more about Islam okay the
family the family and the friends okay I
haven't forgotten the family and the
friends my family actually you'd be
surprised they're actually very happy
I'm no well why what was uh what did
they say not really I'm not going to say
they're happy about Islam and but
they're happy because your life changed
for the better exactly now see if you
actually this is what was a response for
my mother my mother when she I told her
I says you know I'm now a Muslim My
Religion Islam etc etc and she says her
only question was do you all believe in
God mhm I said we believe in God
absolutely and there's only one of them
just one she says then that's good she
says because as long as it makes you a
better person she says I'm okay so
obviously your parents reacted in a
similar way yeah cuz they know that
Islam is one originally believes in God
they my my family has that much
knowledge they're not ignorant where
they think we you know worship something
else or other than God they know worship
God so that wasn't a big problem
obviously they would prefer me to be
like them and be you know a Christian
obviously I'm I'm sure of that but the
changes you know cuz they tried to you
know tell me change and do this and I
even told my father and my stepmother
who were very very strict on me when I
was when I was young after I became
Muslim I said I realized what you guys
were trying to teach me now was good yes
Islam taught me this I said I couldn't
see it before so I told them thank you
for what you tried to do alhamdulillah
alhamdulillah so they when they saw the
changes I remember one time my
grandfather was on the phone you know
the you know the old guys when they talk
to their old you know like Army buddies
on the phone or what have you so he's
talking to him he said I don't know what
it is he said he has this Islam now I
don't know what this or Islam is they
say yes yes he's a Muslim you know I
don't he said I don't know what it is he
said they have this thing called the
mosque he said he goes there he spends a
lot of time there he said he doesn't
come in the house late now he doesn't
talk to us in ill manner now
disrespectful way only only polite uh he
does all these kind of chores around the
house now he's left you know hanging out
with bad friends he's left doing all the
bad things he used to do so he said
whatever it is he said I like it cuz
it's really good for him alhamdulillah
so this is a positive effect they had
because of the change yes know even at a
young age I had stopped going to school
and I was in 11th grade and maybe I I
just stopped going I was always hanging
out you know so your parents and your
grandparents you know obviously saw a
change in you as a result of becoming
Muslim and they were quite happy about
that yeah what do you have brothers and
sisters are yes I do but I my my brother
uh my older sister um I don't really I
can't really say cuz she was living in a
different area at that time so I don't
know really how she felt about it she
didn't really say anything about it my
other my brother and my younger sister
my younger sister wasn't born at that
time I see but my my younger brother uh
he was you know young so he didn't
really have much to say about it but in
general most of the the like my
grandparents and my my mother and father
they were all you know pretty happy
about the changes anyways that was made
alhamdulillah well one of the big things
I know for me as as when I you know
became Muslim and of course that was in
the early 70s one of the things that
impacts a lot of new Muslims is the
relationship they have with their
friends particularly if they've had very
close relationships with friends or or
if they've had um you know behaviors and
activities that were very much against
Islam so for you how did becoming Muslim
you know impact the relationship with
your friends
um there was a lot of difficulty I'm not
going to lie this is one of the most
difficult things um even till today you
know know people when they say you know
Islam is difficult it's not difficult
Islam is not difficult we've just left
something for something greater yes and
we know we get that something greater in
the Hereafter that's what we're striving
for uh so it wasn't easy the change it
wasn't easy and I used to describe it to
some of my friends as you know I used to
literally get sick into my stomach
because I wanted to go out so bad to
hang out with my friends I would really
you know feel this sickness in my
stomach and I just you know cuz in
America you just open the door it's
right there so uh you know just it it
was really difficult uh my friends would
call me you know we didn't have the the
mobiles and that it was the pager days
in those days you know so the pager just
keeps going off and uh so what would you
say to them I mean what would you give
excuses or I'm going to tell you two two
two
stories uh that actually I guess you
know I'll give you three stories that
actually changed any my life the the
first reason why I started implementing
uh uh Islam more in like the first week
or or two weeks was one of my friends
were hanging out on the street where
used to hang out in front of the house
where we used to always hang out and you
know the the Corner era weed to always
be there so when we're there we're
hanging out you know people are partying
and you know how it is you know yes of
course so Subhan Allah this one of the
guys he said look at so and so he said
he claims he's a Muslim but he said he's
just like us he said he's no different
has there's no change I would only been
Muslim for like nine days in that time
yes but he said he he does what we do he
acts like we act he's no different so he
like Muslim what kind of Muslim is this
you know he's not a real Muslim so I and
I said this this statement was like a
lightning bow to my heart really really
affected me so I went back at home I
started to think why did you become
Muslim didn't you become Muslim to
become closer to God and to learn more
about his religion and you need to you
know make some sacrifices you know and
to change your life to change your life
yeah so it's one of the you know the
reasons so the main reasons so that's
why I have to make some sacrifices to do
that and that's when I started getting
this sickness in my stomach and and
feeling that I really wanted to go out
so and you know the funny thing was is
the street where that was said it was
actually the street where I was born wow
and it was a street where I got into a
lot of trouble and before I became
Muslim and then that that statement on
the same street is what changed my life
and I thought about that about a year
ago when I was talking to one of my
friends about you know the things before
Islam and I remember that that's that's
really it was really strange you know
it's all in that same street Subhan
Allah so what happened after this one of
the things that changed me as well with
the friends um when you know you have
obviously before Islam you have male
friends and female friends the female
friends you know they don't want to
believe in are Muslim and you can't have
relations with females you can't talk to
them on the phone now and stuff like
this so I was having a big big problem
with this yes and the the why can't you
talk to me right exactly and why can't
we go out I'm like no we can't so like I
said it was Ramadan time alhamdulillah
and you know I was with the brothers in
the Masjid and there was a brother I
still remember him Mah an older brother
from India M big beard you know he had
he had moved to the the states when he
was a little bit older and know
beautiful brother though he said I have
something an idea for you to stop all
these calls
H and what was it I'm going to tell you
now he said sell me your pager yes for
25
cents and I was like 25 cents I said I
just bought it for $120 you know about a
month before I became Muslim and he was
like uh just he said do you trust me
brother I said I trust you sell it to me
25 cents is like a Durham here in the
emods and I bought it for like almost
you know a little over 400 dams right so
uh I sold it to him and then he took all
the numbers of all the you know the the
the females who were calling and he had
a you know really heavy Indian accent
when he called you know so he's like you
know hello and then he's talking and
they're like you know who is he said I
bought this pager from him now it's now
my pager yes so they hear this man now
with his heavy- ended accent they're not
going to call back again of course and
they nowhere to call me and uh so he did
this and he got rid of all them for me
so that was one that was one set of the
friends they were gone with that
alhamdulillah alhamdulillah after this
it was a um in in the last 10 days and I
learned that the sun was make during the
last 10 days so I told my grandparents
my grandmother she was handicapped at
the time she couldn't you know move
around freely so I I talked to some of
the scholars I said I need to help my
grandmother so they said you can go out
you know in the morning for like an hour
or two help her and come back to the so
that's what I they would do every day so
what happened is they called me and they
had gotten to an altercation to a fight
and you know always your friends in
Islam you get in a fight you know have
to go back them up and help each other
so they called me to you know come to
help help them out and I said I I'm in a
religious thing we call I explain to
what was you know we're in isolation now
where we don't leave the mosque for for
the 10 days and they were like wow man
they said you're really serious about
this Islam aren't you and I said yes I
am they said if that's a situation they
said we're just going to leave you after
that you know I said you know best of
luck to you right and the thing was even
I used to go hang out with them and know
tell them about Islam and you know one
of them did come to Islam and other they
were interested in Islam uh but some
there were some things holding some of
them back they said you know we thought
you would either be dead or to be in
jail in a few years one of the two so
since since you're a Muslim they said
it's good for you they were happy for me
alhamd even though many of them could
not did not come themselves but they saw
the benefit in it big time Big Time
because like I said I was know even
though they weren't good I was the worst
of them I was the worst I was the wild
one so they were they were really you
know uh they said that's good for you
they say we we don't want to see you in
jail we don't want to see you dead you
know so this alah alhamdulillah those
are good friends actually and I actually
it's true yeah so we were very had a
very tight relationship there was about
six of us seven of us so they were all
you know happy about that so anyways any
they left me after that they let me be
after that so this was a big change um
after that so the friends and the family
that's the how it happened after made it
easy for me a lot of brothers is much
more difficult you know but he helped me
to make it you knowah and like you saw
the little things that happened it just
made it as a way I got my pager back by
the way oh did you really back to
me alhamdulillah but I would imagine
that becoming Muslim in or near the time
of Ramadan is a big help because it's
kind of like an immersion yeah because
you know if you're going to do it you
know I mean there's the fasting you know
there's of course the concentration on
you know praying in the Masid and and
the and the tari and and and the Muslims
are coming together in particular in
America this is a time when you really
see a lot of Muslims you in America so
that had to be be quite a good thing for
you you know even something that's
interesting a lot of Muslims in this
part of the world they don't know it and
I still feel it I only spent one Ramadan
after I became Muslim for I went out to
seek knowledge but I still remember that
Ramadan yes the Ramadan in in the west
especially in America they're much
different than they are in think they're
nicer I'm going to be I think they're
nicer as well and even you know some of
my all my friends from America you know
they really miss Ramadan in America I
miss it as well yeah yeah it just has it
has a different you know flavor I guess
you say different different style very
nice very it does indeed okay we might
inshallah Maybe get a chance to come
back to that now all right so you become
Muslim alhamdulillah so now you make a
move to learn more about Islam and you
go and end up into Saudi Arabia so what
made you dis but you you left
specifically to learn more about Islam
is that it exactly yeah so tell us about
that experience and obviously I I assume
you taught in I mean um you learned or
in school in uh Medina yes but what
before I got to Medina I was there was a
trip before I got there I went to Sudan
first of all oh okay and what happened
is that uh you know like I said I was 18
years old and like most
Americans we don't have a lot of
knowledge of what's going around the
world around the world this is true uh
and I'll tell you a funny story about
that my friend from Sudan he told me
that when he would uh meet people he
would tell them I'm from Sudan he say no
to the the west of Saudi Arabia to the
the south of Egypt of Egypt CU they
didn't know where Sudan was yes so he
told one and he said he in a library in
his university where we were studying
and he told the the clerk they working
in the library and she said no she said
I'm not from America I'm European she
said I know where Sudan is wow fantastic
Americans you know for us the world is
50 states that's it might even know the
50 states and we don't even know all of
them exactly but this is the world
that's the world for most americ we
don't know what's going on in Canada
going in South in Mexico this is quite
true yeah so I this is what I I became
Muslim and I don't know anything what's
going around the world but like I told
you I found love for the Sunnah and I
wanted to learn more but why Sudan okay
I'm coming to that so I wanted to go out
uh to seek knowledge my friends at that
time in the mosc were they mostly
originally from from Pakistan and from
India yes so they you know the only
advice they could give me was to go to
where they knew which is in Pakistan or
India but I sat back and thought about
it you know to learn Islam through a
language other than the language of the
Quran being Arabic you know it's not
something I want to do you know
particularly if you're going to leave
your home to do so you may as well go to
exactly an Arabic speaking country I
said no that's what I said that will
help me out greatly I'll go to an Arabic
speaking country and I'll learn you know
I said if I'm blessed to learn one
language is enough and only one I want
to learn to be blessed Lear is the
Arabic language obviously so I can
understand the Quran and the sunah so uh
I didn't know where to go I obviously I
heard of Saudi Arabia but you know maybe
it's difficult to get there different
reasons uh what have you I I was looking
for maybe another country it would be
easier to go to and what happened is I
was in Baltimore and the Imam there in
the m at that time he was later Imam in
Virginia as well uh he came to the
mosque and he was wearing his sud and
attire you know the big the jellia and
the the turbine and what have you
and I asked him I just saw him I said
okay I'll go to Sudan I don't know
anything about Sudan never even heard of
the place so I became Muslim you know so
I said I'll go to Sudan you know I'm
thinking it's like any other country in
the world regular you know yes I didn't
know you know it's you know it's much
more event now in these days but at that
time I went there before it wasn't so
what I said I was I want to go to Sudan
and he gave me some you know
recommendations you know I got on the
plane with these recommendations didn't
have any any there was no phones there
that time very any limited amount of
phones around the the the carum at that
time so I said I wouldn't no way I do it
today you know without you know being
sure somebody's going to be there at the
airport and you went alone I went alone
I had the had my my papers
recommendations he gave me some to the
university there what have you and the
funny thing was is I was giving the for
J in Sudan about maybe about six months
ago from from this time from now from
six months ago and after I prayed I saw
the same Imam he he's got a little older
now uh I guess in his you know
later late 60s maybe I'm assuming if not
in his early 70s so I saw him and I gave
him salams I said I'm so and so and I
said you the one actually who sent me
here to Sudan wow oh the the the same
man from America from America he was
there in Sudan but he was there in Sudan
and he actually prayed in the Masjid
where I used to be the before I came to
the Emirates here I was the of a the in
English so I gave the I see him there so
he didn't remember you know like I said
he he said honestly I'm sorry brother I
don't remember that I sent you I said
whatever it is alhamdulillah I said
everything I do now all the study I did
10 years in Medina and all the you know
the lectures I gave in the said you get
the
for so he was very happy about that alah
so this is you know what just for no
reason particular reason I saw this guy
and I decided I want to go to Sudan so I
went to Sudan and I stayed there for a
little over a year I end up getting
married there from sudes sister after
about 6 months uh so I guess you know in
your yes you know that what has been in
your destiny what Allah decided for you
you know that's why I was sent there so
I could get married inah still married
to today from there with our kids and
everything so that's why you know I end
up going there later on the brothers
there they they informed me that if you
want you know very good quality
knowledge and you want to be able to
have find better opportunities to learn
yes we advise you to go to Saudi Arabia
so that's when the path started towards
Saud to to to learn there good so how
long were you in uh so you in Sudan for
how many years I mean altogether I me
cuz I went back there after I graduated
for about four years Al together in the
beginning about a year only about a year
only okay and so you went to Saudi
Arabia obviously to Medina first I would
have I mean as far as the stud is
concerned or no actually it didn't it
wasn't that easy what happened is that
my uh some of my teachers there and my
friends there were some of them were
from the students
of so during that time when I went there
first I couldn't get to Riyad where
where he was cuz they wouldn't let you
travel during those days I mean now it's
easier but you couldn't during those
days so one time when the shik he came
to Mecca there his house in Mecca I
heard and I went there a second time to
to meet the Sheik with this
recommendation I had for him from his
students in Sudan so when he heard the
recommendation and it's actually a very
interesting story with how how it
happened is because when I went in and
the she who was very helpful used to
love to help people ald so so he used to
come and when when I was in the city
there's this guy sitting there with all
these papers about this you know stack
no no I'm not joking this this big and I
remember he was talking to a sister from
France she was giving on the phone
asking about different questions he was
answering so when he finished uh you
know the guy would talk was talking to
him he would read the letters to him so
what happened is I was hesitant I said
if I give him my paper he won't read it
for two weeks so I said I'm just not
going to go I started to go back and I
said just try maybe he'll read it you
know maybe not I said it's it can't hurt
you yeah exactly so I went in I gave the
paper and the he really loves it's his
name from Sudan he really really loves
him you know he used to be his his
driver one of his students what have you
so he has a very close relationship with
him the guy took the paper that I had
from Sudan he took it and he put it on
the bottom like this I said oh I mean
the stack is this big after she got off
the phone he took it from the bottom
Allah and he said to him you know shman
from the Sudan and he read the he read
the Tes the recommendation and I I
really believe that the maybe the
recommendation was little you know
embellished as we say little too I
didn't really deserve all I was in there
but the if you saw how his face lit up
yes and he started smiling I've never
seen him smile this big you know all my
life all times I've seen him you know
I've never seen him smile this big and
he said I know who I know who where is
he where is he so I said this is I'm
here and I came and I kissed him on his
forehead and he said you know also one
of the things he would do he would write
the recommendation for or help you but
you would have to come back may a week
or two later cuz there was a lot of
people in front of you so he wrote the
recommendation right there as everybody
else was waiting wow he told him he said
no write it now alhamdulillah and he
started to write it to in meca because
that's what the guy from Sudan thought
was a good idea and I said no actually I
said I want to go to the university of
Medina in Medina so uh so what he did
during that time is he um wrote
immediately to the the head of the
University that time was
Dr at the time he wrote to him a
recommendation and for me to get
accepted into the University of
Medina when he did this I took it there
the Sheik said something to me and I
said he said if you don't if it doesn't
work out for you there he said come back
to him in riy and I will make a Visa for
you resident Visa so you can seek
knowledge with me in riy and I said I
wish I had done that you know cu the and
that would have been aldah I found a lot
of later in Medina obviously I got
accepted with the T from from the of
from the blessing of Allah subhana tala
I get accepted the University of Medina
what program did you enter there okay
when I first went I was able to speak
Arabic and understand Arabic very good
alhamdulillah because my wife is is Arab
and for your experiences in Sudan Sudan
and I traveled a little bit around the
Arab world so my Arabic was not bad when
it came to understanding and it came to
reading uh excuse me when I came
understanding speaking I were reading
and writing I was very weak so I I
started from level one in the Arabic
program there and what I did uh I I some
of the the the staff said you should
start from level two cuz you're Arabic
is too good for level one I said also
one of my goals is not just you know my
reading and writing to become strong
perhaps in the future if I want to teach
this if I go back to America what have
you I if I learn from level one it's
much easier to teach obviously something
I've studied so I studied level one all
the way to the end and there was a way
to prolong even for a third year it's it
was a two-year program but we could
prolong for a third uh year to get a
fifth level in and that's what I did so
I took three years at the beginning and
I um studied Arabic there alh to my
Arabic got good enough and I was always
you know with the in the circles of the
the the the scholars and the
prophets and and other places in Medina
aldah so did you receive a certificate
or some they call a diploma we consider
an associate degree which is two years
in Arabic or Islam first of all learning
Arabic as a as a as a second language
that's the first thing I got and then I
went to the the College of Hadith after
that ba I was sick in the beginning for
like the first year and a half there so
when I went back to the new mu was dead
at that time so I went back to the new
mu I wanted to change because they said
you can't change after one week and I'm
I'm a year and a half yes so I went back
to
New I went back to him and I requested
from him that he helped me I want to
change the I explain to him the reasons
why I want to change so he wrote to me
also to the same the same head of the
university for me to change the the to
the college so then I me to change to
another college so I could start a fresh
start from uh the College of
so I graduated from the College of
Da uh with a ba Islamic Studies from
there alah and then that was nine years
it took me after the two colleges and
the Arabic program I was there for 9
years I want to stay for an extra year
so I could finish some of the classic or
classical text of of F and what have you
uh outside of the University so I stay
with some of the scholars there and I
finished different books there for so I
actually stayed with alah for 10 years
during this time very good alhamdulillah
so now since that time and since you're
you know alhamdulillah seeking of
knowledge in in Sudan and in Saudi
Arabia and in Medina what kinds of um
briefly because we're about to run out
of time um da activities have you've
been involved in okay um when I
graduated I was you know reluctant where
do I go uh back to America or to a sudan
and my whole family went to say in studi
Arabia yes but I want to go somewhere we
be closer to one of our families so we
decided you know that America might be
difficult because you know when it comes
to raising children there even though
dawise you know being between a place
where I'm from you know and helping the
Muslims there I'd be much more effective
obviously I know this yes but my
children they don't speak English by the
way they speak only Arabic because the
mother took the mother's language we're
trying with English now but their their
main tongue is Arabic uh you know it's
easier in this part of the world to
raise the children so we decided to go
to Sudan uh when I was in Sudan I I
started teaching there in a school
Islamic Studies in English and also
Islamic Studies in Arabic and some other
another school so I taught in two
schools there and I was giving a lot of
lectures in Arab okay in both Arabic and
both English right and also I was giv
the of J I have television shows there
on some T sudes TV stations very good
all right and then we're for sure about
out of time now our producer is telling
me but right now while you're in the
Emirates you're also teaching Islamic
Studies and and Arabic in one of the
schools here I take it okay School
decided to make a change I wanted it to
be easier for my family to come from the
US it's easier for them to come here to
the UAE so what I did I decided to take
a job here I had an offer to teach
Islamic Studies in English uh I'm also
teaching some classes in Arabic and at a
school here in Dubai uh so I've been
here now for about about four months
doing that Islamic Studies in in English
at the the school alhamdulillah brother
thank you very much it's been a
fantastic story and a very fascinating
story may Allah reward you and
strengthen you in uh in in your life and
in your future
um really will I hate we out of time
because I'd like to continue this more
but on behalf of charer TV and our
program Islam today uh we would like to
thank our guests brother Abdul Rahim and
uh and myself Muhammad nubi
Asam