talking about that you got the uh cross
on your forearm and this is uh from the
Psalms chapter 14 to 29 yes yes but I
didn't stick with the Quran that's the
whole thing like I was still because I
was more familiar with the Bible you
know I thought that was kind of strange
that I had to confess my sins when I was
eight years old confess
to another human he had a he had the
Quran and he showed me and he's like you
ever heard the Quran I say I've heard of
it but you know so I read part of it
when I was in there but it was just like
a passing
[Applause]
alive
and his final messages
Mark how are you doing I'm doing great
how are you looking forward to sharing
your story you can't take it with you
when you go or you can't take this with
you when you go and you can't take this
with you when you go brothers and
sisters we're all going to depart from
this life and all of our material
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foreign
[Music]
and I wanted to
um have other people experience the joy
that I was experienced listening to some
of the things you were sharing with me
you weren't always Muslim no no and you
got tattoos actually to prove it yes yes
we were talking about that you got the
uh cross on your forearm and this is uh
from the Psalms chapter 14 to 29 yes yes
Psalms 14 29 slow to wrath I'm slow to
get angry
um I actually got this when I was in
Pompano Beach incarcerated
um
when I was you know I that's when I
really got
you know in touch with a higher power of
God you know and it was always God to me
it was always one one God
um I was raised Catholic and Catholicism
when I was young uh and I went to
Catholic School
and it was always kind of a strange
atmosphere honestly it was very militant
and strict
and uh
alhamdulillah
um you know my parents moved to Tampa I
was in Ohio
[Applause]
when I was raised Catholic
my parents came to Tampa my dad moved
through his job and that was a good
thing for me because I got away from the
Catholic school and the nuns and you
know but uh I had gotten to a public
school system where I had interacted
with a lot of kids of different races of
different nationalities and it was
refreshing to me to get away from that
you know and I always thought it was
weird to
um
to pray or to confess sins in a
confessional you know I always thought
that was kind of strange that I had to
confess my sins when I was eight years
old which you know I don't think too
many eight-year-olds do too many
horrible things to confess sins but I
always thought it was kind of strange
you know so was that the red light it
was at the beginning stages of
questioning when now you're a young boy
eight years old and you're saying to
yourself like what did I do now as far
as sins I got to go profess my sins as
an eight-year-old that was the first red
flag yes yeah I always thought that was
strange and then to confess
to another human another mortal you know
which you go inside the confessional box
and he asks you what you've done you
know when's the last time you had your
confession when this and that and being
eight years old I'm thinking man I
haven't really even done anything really
that that wrong that I you know as an
eight-year-old boy and then they tell
you do this do that you know and do 10
Hail Marys whatever and um that's like
you said that was like the first red
flag for me yeah you know did you go
back to your parents to anybody else and
kind of talk about this
share some concerns
not really because it just stuck with
you it was something that was yeah it
was kind of and my parents weren't like
really hardcore about it yeah you know
but they felt like I'm sure they had
good intentions you know and thought
that you know I should go to this school
because it's better education maybe you
know but yeah no I just kind of went
with it you know and uh when I moved to
Florida uh
in 1983
I was introduced to a public school
system and it was much easier for me you
know that
that weight was off my shoulders you
know and um you know we when we came
here we were still going to you know
Catholic uh Church you know and but it
wasn't anything like hardcore like how
it was being in a Catholic school and
such I know so yeah so then life goes on
I mean what's your day-to-day life like
I mean are you still thinking about
church as you're growing older are you
more committed or are you going away
from religion or yeah pretty much going
away from religion but I always believed
in God you know I always believed in God
there were points in my life when things
would happen to me and go man why is
this happening to me you know like a lot
of people do why is this happening to me
why is this happening to me well God
works in mysterious ways as we all know
you know and as we all know but as
people with faith know you know God
works in mysterious ways and um you know
it really hit me
when you know not too long ago honestly
about about six years ago
um you know I got into some uh I got
divorced from my first wife
um I was away from my from my daughter
um
and you know I try to have a
relationship with her but after I got
divorced I was looking for another
relationship and I you know I wasn't
following it at the correct path I made
some bad decisions
you know I got in a relationship with a
woman that you know I probably shouldn't
have been in a relationship with and got
into some things that were bad I ended
up getting uh you know incarcerated
in South Florida and uh you know and
that's when I really when I was
incarcerated that's when I really you
know got
a reality check you know God put me in
that place for a reason you know to
reflect on you know my faults the things
that I've done bad you know I took it as
a blessing you know and I was reading
the Bible a lot when I was in when I was
in there and the ironic thing about it
was I met a I met a gentleman down there
that was a Muslim I don't know how how
uh
you know how serious of a Muslim he was
he had he had the Quran and he showed me
and he's like ever heard of the Quran I
said yeah I've heard of it but you know
so I read part of it when I was in there
but it was just like a passing you know
it was just like a passing thing but I
found it very interesting and he he
didn't explain a lot whole lot to me
he's just like yeah you can read it you
know he was my soulmate he's like you
could read it
yeah yeah but it wasn't for very long it
was just like a it was just like maybe a
two-week period that he was my soul mate
and and I read the uh I read part of the
Quran and I thought it was I thought it
was very interesting did you see him
observing Islam like praying I didn't I
didn't that's why I was saying I don't
believe he was because he wasn't doing
Salon or anything like that not that I
saw you know but uh he was you know he
was he introduced me to it yeah yeah I'm
doing a lot so what happened from there
you're reading the Quran now you're in
the uh is this in the county jail or is
in this yeah this is in the this is in
the county jail yeah and um but I didn't
stick with the Quran that's the whole
thing like I was still because I was
more familiar with the Bible you know
and I was reading I was reading the
Bible and um you know I actually met a
gentleman later on that that was uh he
was taken like uh because they would
have certain you know face they would
have certain times where you could go
like they had you know for Muslims they
had certain time than they had and I was
trying to get into any class just to get
you know they call them my classes or
whatever yeah timeouts so you can get
out of your get out of your pod and I I
was taken up in every opportunity I got
but I never got to go
to uh you know to Islam I never got to
never got to go to that you know the
class that they called it in Islam yeah
of Islam yeah yeah and um so uh you know
fast forward uh you know what like a
couple years well about 11 months I
served like 11 months and then I got out
and um you know I did some traveling
um I did some traveling to find work and
to get away from people I needed to get
away from uh you know inshallah and I uh
I eventually got into a
non-denominational church yeah and then
um
from there you know I met
um
I met a woman in my apartment building
and I met her in the hallway and I I
introduced her to my I said hey do you
want to go to uh do you want to go to my
church you know it's not a nominational
church and she's like yeah would you
like to go to my Masjid and I was like
Masjid you know and she's like yeah you
know I'm a Muslim I said oh wow that's
interesting you know I instantly thought
of you know the gentleman that I was
incarcerated with and I said yeah I'm a
little familiar with the Quran and this
and that and so she went to my church I
went to her Masjid and um
you know from there I went there and I
was just like wow like I had I had gone
to the um I forgot what they had called
it they had like a Sunday like a Sunday
uh like a bible school for lack of a
better term but it was it was on the
Quran yeah and uh they
um
they explained the Quran they we read
the Quran that we like eight or so of us
ten or so of us and the Imam would go
over you know what what each ayat met
and you know it was very interesting and
I thought wow this is this all makes
sense it started to make sense it
started to make sense to me that you
know monotheism is one that really stuck
out there yes it really stuck the
monotheism yes yes yeah the monotheism
is where it really hit me because I
always thought it was strange you know
the Son of God and why would God need a
son you know why would God need a son he
doesn't depend on anybody he doesn't
depend on us you know we depend on
you know and it all kind of came
down to me like wow this this really
makes sense and this is really where I
belong it didn't take long after that
after that yeah it's a convert it really
didn't
um you know I was probably
you know I converted it was uh two uh
two years ago January 1st so it was
January 1st uh 2021. what was uh what
was it finally that did it for you
um
was there something that now finally
just because you got so much stigma
attached to Islam and you know so many
obstacles and yeah I mean uh it had a
lot to do with the fellowship the
fellowship that meant a lot to me uh but
for more for me you know people had told
me a lot of fellow Muslim Brothers told
me and like I was told yesterday at the
lecture too you know I'd heard that um
you know I was chosen like I was chosen
by Allah I was chosen by God
you know
to be you know with Muslim faith to be a
Muslim yeah and um you know that meant
that meant a lot to me like I like wow I
never looked at it that way before yeah
and I never looked at it that way like I
was actually chosen
and I'm not to say I'm not saying I'm
not boasting or anything like that but
it's you know it's wow it's got to be
the highest
the highest honor of all honors to be
chosen by Allah to you know because
you know
um
not so many people are that fortunate
let's just say you know I mean but I
think the lifestyle that I was living
needed a drastic turn you know and a lot
of works in mysterious ways and it was
very you know it was like wow this is
only got a lot could do this only God
could do this you know
so then right after this first visit
then you you visited
were you continuing to go to the Masjid
or how how will you what did you
in that time how much time
after you went to your initial visit the
mosque did it take for you finally and
what did it what was it was it we talked
about the monotheism anything else since
some people it's monotheism some people
it's the you know all of the the
different evidence there's so many
different ways for different people you
know people are fascinated you know with
all of the things that the Quran talks
about you know the scientific Miracles
the signs the prophecies yes how could a
man live in a desert know all these
things that the Quran mentioned yeah its
authenticity is the preservation there's
so many which ways you can go yeah I
mean there I have so many like reading
the Quran it was there was never a dot
in my mind that you know as people I've
I've interacted with people on you know
like social media and things like that
and they're like oh that's the devil's
book this and that and you know people
try to turn you away especially if they
know you're converted yes you know and
what amazed me was is that the so many
similarities between
the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran like
there are so many similarities like the
Old Testament anyway like the Old
Testament and it was just like wow this
is like
this is a lot this is this could only be
God like there's no way you know a human
being
just made this up and you know made it
appear you know and they're like you
know and people doubt it just like
people you know doubt a lot of things in
life but
I mean there were many things that did
make me convert
um but the number one thing was the
monotheism that was that was the big
thing for me yeah you talked about how
you would go to church and then you can
share that with us you'd be in church
and you always had this in your head
like why is this attention being given
more to Jesus than God yes yes like in
like in my uh in the church I was going
to yeah the um
the uh the church the non-denominational
church I'm sorry uh when I would go
there yeah you know I was I was a Music
musician there and that's you know I'm
not saying how that's how they got me in
there but it gained interest I mean more
interest you know playing bass and going
up there and I would write these lyrics
that you know I believe came from God
you know they did and I was and it was
always uplifting and about my previous
experiences and how I went down the
wrong path and things like that but you
know I would always be like praise God
you know and then most of the people
non-denomational Church we're always
like Praise Jesus Praise Jesus Praise
Jesus I'm just like praise God like
they're you know like
I never understood it because even if
Jesus was the son of God which he is not
he's a prophet
like Muhammad peace be upon him
um
even if he was why would you give more
attention to the son of God
than God that doesn't make didn't make
didn't make any sense to me at all and
furthermore when I was reading the Quran
it you know it's you know why would God
need a son
he doesn't need anybody he doesn't
depend depend on anyone he doesn't he
doesn't need us he doesn't need our
prayers
you know that's for that's for me that's
for you personally with God you know
with Allah and um
I just always thought it was strange you
know
a strange might be
you know a word that some people are
like why is he using the word strange
but to me that's what I describe as
seeing the gore hanging in the Catholic
church and you know that's what I call
it's the gore that
people would be like oh well that's for
you to remember him for what he did
for you you know
but I just that never clicked with me
that just never clicked with me it never
made sense and then like I said what the
monotheism where it's just one God one
God only not three you know not the
Trinity
um you know and made more sense it made
more what about the crucifixion
the crucifixion
um
well
the whole idea of someone dying for your
sins yeah how did you take to that and
now Islam talks about personal
accountability nobody's dying for your
sins right you gotta go directly to the
one God that's right and seek
forgiveness and he's not loving the most
merciful and he's the only one that
could give your sins not that's right
man in the confession box not a prophet
a messenger but only the one God that's
right and I totally agree with that and
that was another reason why yeah I it's
like he died for your sins but why would
why would he need to
bring
another being
a Son of God down here when he could do
everything
he doesn't need
an intercessor you know he doesn't need
that intercessor but yes I believe
exactly what you said I believe that you
know we come directly to Allah and we
submit you know we submit to him during
Salah and we ask for forgiveness you
know and that's that's the beautiful
thing about it when we pray you know we
submit to him
you know he's the most gracious most
merciful yes how have you dealt have
there been many challenges like when you
hear certain things certain certain
people trying to uh persuade you that
now you've made decision that you
the devil is called
how do you deal with that
I have you had many challenges like this
I have had some challenges like that
yeah I have had some challenges like
that you know shaytan will work in your
head too he'll be like you know trying
to distract you or try to keep you from
being on the straight path you know
he'll want you to go backwards that's
happened but you know I always have to
just remember and sometimes it's hard
you know that you always have to submit
yourself to a lot only you know and it's
you know it's it's a day-to-day it's a
day-to-day thing like people at work
have you know have tried me you know
where I've heard certain things and you
know in the past
um I've heard you know people oh
terrorists and this and that and you
know like we were talking yesterday
about you know people
yeah so you're you're not hiding like
you know some people are a little timid
shy to you people know your co-workers I
mean I don't I don't just come up to
people but if I feel comfortable with
someone and I talk to them I let them
know yeah yeah I let them know yeah yeah
inshallah because you know there's
certain people that you you know in
everyday life you know some people are
going to be people yeah they're going to
be people and you know I've had some
people like kind of like you know like
in hospitals or things that I've been in
or you know and I I get it because if
they're professionals they don't you
know
but you know it's not something that
I you know I try not to worry about yeah
I try not to worry about it you know
because God knows our intentions you
know yeah so
so uh before we conclude uh how's the
journey been thus far how is Islam been
able to improve your life uh by
implementing it have you have you seen
some changes occurring you know there's
a prescription occurring five times a
day prescription of you know developing
yourself to a higher status of
well soon you know there's that whole
blueprint for life in Islam the more we
do it the more we start to see our
character get better we start to leave
off a lot of devices and other things
have you started have you started to see
improvement with yourself and others by
implementing Islam yes yes I have I have
seen Improvement in myself inshallah and
I don't really lie for that
um you know it's I'm
by no means perfect you know there's
only one yeah perfect being and that you
know that's a law and um but you know
one thing I could say is what really
was really exciting for me was Ramadan
Ramadan like Ramadan is like so it's you
know and it's
it's uplifting you know when you fast
it's there's nothing like it like you
feel energized yeah um you really
enjoyed Ramadan yeah yeah I mean it was
hard believe me it was hard it was hard
the first Ramadan was actually
for some reason I think that was the
easiest route that I've had this is the
third Ramadan that just passed for me
the second one was you know
I was in the new Muslim now
that went through already how many three
three ramadans yes yes we started right
away huh yes yeah yeah because I started
in January how in the world am I gonna
do it you're approved you can do it I I
would literally freaked out when I found
out I couldn't drink water like no I was
just like wow like really because I work
in a kitchen and it's hot it's 100 and
some degrees Yeah you know and you're
constantly drinking water because you're
dehydrated and you know but yeah
inshallah you know
um
you know I'm not gonna say I was perfect
but you know God knows our intentions
and she's driving your best yeah yeah
and I and I you know one thing I learned
about Ramadan that was really awesome
was that uh you
you get this you know you get this
mindset of people
in countries or even in the United
States that people don't have the luxury
of water people don't have luxury
especially in other countries you know
they don't they might have to walk
yeah they might have to walk a half a
day to get water to get food to get
drinking water that's actually drinkable
um they don't have food you know people
in the United States are so spoiled they
they can go to Chick-fil-A they can go
to
get all types of food anywhere at any
time there's food there's food pantries
everywhere really if you want it if
you're homeless you can you can survive
you know you could easily survive
um but that's the thing like that's the
big that was the big thing for me like
whenever I'd get weak or tired while I
was fasting you know you just I try to
keep that mindset that man there's
people that that go sometimes two days
without eating or three days or who
knows or without water or you know
people here are so spoiled it's it's
really sad but
you know it is what it is we just you
know and then I try to uh you know I try
to help uh people that that are in that
situation as much as I can you know I
was gifted with with cooking that's what
I do that's what I do for for a living
and I'm blessed by that because I know
during Ramadan I've been told that if
you feed people you know even if you
like break your fast if you feed someone
that could be
you know tremendous rewarding yeah or a
remedy for right or maybe is that true
like if you're if you're breaking fast
the reward of effect yes yeah
and you feed someone and then you get
rewarded you know by that way but yeah
it's
so I was blessed to have that skill that
I do have that skill and even though I
complain about it sometimes you know
that is not but hey I shouldn't be
complaining you know so I have to be
humble and you know trust me before we
conclude what advice do you have for
others who are in a similar situation
they might have been brought up
a certain religion it could be
Catholicism Christian Buddhists Hindu
whatever the case but they're seeing
that just things don't make sense yeah
yeah they're questioning and now they've
watched some of our programs they're
maybe had some exposure to Islam and
they're seeing that Islam really been
Islam connects with the natural
disposition of the human being like this
belief in one and only one God yes and
but they're timid they're scared
of all the pressures societal and family
right what advice would you give them
my advice would be to
just take it upon yourself and find your
local Masjid you know maybe or go online
and you know there's plenty of there's
plenty of information I'm sure you have
a lot of information on on the dean the
dean yeah the dean show I'm sure you
have plenty of information on there too
and if if there's something they can't
find on your website then they just need
to look it up you know how to do Salat
there's plenty of YouTube videos out
there you just got to be you know just
like anything else you got to
investigate and see what's you know but
I my advice would be to go to your
Masjid connect with some Muslims yeah
connect with somebody
exactly make a human connection that way
you're getting the real you're getting
the real deal and you know you you know
and then you know Juma is is an awesome
experience every Friday it's I'm just
blessed every Friday to go you know
inshallah because you were telling me
you made that a priority now yes yeah
yes every Friday yes inshallah yeah I do
I look forward to it and it keeps me on
the straight path you know and the
fellowship with the with Muslim Brothers
is awesome you know it's cool they got
your back man we're all connected we all
got something in common you know and uh
you know they I got plenty of phone
numbers where I can call them of
somebody and you know and someone's
always you know looking to help out you
know beautiful and for people hearing
this term the first time Muslim I just
want to make that note that you're just
doing what Jesus did you're doing what
Moses did you're doing what all the
prophets of the law did of God did
you're submitting your will not to a
human being but to the creator of human
beings God Almighty Allah that's what a
Muslim is yes amen yes yes well thank
you for sharing some highlights thank
you thank you it was a pleasure meeting
you and it's yeah it's just it's a
blessing it's a blessing a lot the
Creator continue to bless you and make
your way easy
cannot leave without giving you a gift
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until then peace be with you
brothers and sisters this is your
brother and I'm so excited so grateful
to Allah to be standing right here at
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we're so excited to have this
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want to encourage you all do what you
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beauty of the dean with all Humanity
[Music]
yeah
I know