Abdullah Hakim Quick – Quick Answers – Documentary about Dr.

			As I walk at the southern tip of Africa, I am humbled by the great beauty and bounty that the
Almighty Creator has blessed me with. I give thanks for all that I see around me. And for everything
that is beautiful. As the day turns into night, and the night into day, I welcome every waking
moment with great joy and optimism. Each day is an opportunity for me to spread the light of the All
Merciful Creator, with whom ever I touch. I'm often reminded of the dark days of my life, when I
made an impassioned promise to the divine after leaving America, and taking refuge in Canada, at a
young age. My name is Abdullah Hakim quick. And I have devoted my entire life to fulfilling the
		

			promise I made to my Creator.
		

			When I was turning 20 years old, and in Canada was one of the most difficult times of my life, I
reached rock bottom, I reached the point where I even contemplated suicide. And at that point,
having challenged the great powers of the world, and feeling lost, I turned to the Creator. And I
said in my own way, I said, Oh, God, help me. If you don't help me, this life is finished. If you
give me direction, if you show me the way, I will work for you. I will work for the rest of my life.
If you only give me a chance to make a difference in this world, and give me a chance to enter
Paradise in the next, I will work for you for the rest of my life. Lo and behold, shortly after
		

			that, only a few days, I accepted Islam and became a Muslim.
		

			now living in Cape Town, South Africa for the past nine years, where he currently runs the Discover
Islam center, Dr. Quakers traveled to over 54 countries on lecture research and educational tours.
		

			He obtained his master's degree and completed his PhD on the history of Islam in West Africa, at the
University of Toronto, Canada.
		

			He is presently a senior lecturer at the Tru dawn Institute in Cape Town and a member of the Muslim
Judicial Council also based in Cape Town, Dr. quicks passion for living Islam through the welfare
and upliftment of his fellow man is the key driver behind his purpose in life. Everyday for him is
an opportunity to serve the community in which he lives and to discover and uncover the true beauty
and rich history of Africa and its people.
		

			I have been on a search for my roots. And that is that the majority of my parents, African people
who were enslaved and brought to the Americas, and I was raised as an African American, I recognize
the fact that there are other types of bloods flowing through my veins. But yet I celebrate the fact
that I identify with the African continent, and coming to South Africa isn't a sense returning to
roots, you returning to the continent, that actually gave birth, you know, to the majority of your
family. And I've always focused on this continent, because there's so much in its history. There are
so many untold stories, so much oppression happened on this continent and is still happening up
		

			until today, that I really looked upon this as part of my mission, to to enlighten people, and also
to assist in any way that I possibly can in the liberation of the people, and also upgrading the
status of the poor and oppressed within the society, so that people of all different colors, all
different religions can live together in a state of peace and justice.
		

			According to a report issued by the International Center for population studies, and the affiliate
of Al Azhar University of Cairo, Egypt, Muslims at the turn of the millennium, were over 23% of the
population of the earth.
		

			After 20 years in the field of Dawa, or outreach and Islamic guidance, Dr. Abdullah Hakim quick has
come to the conclusion that the success in Islam in these confusing times is based on purifying
one's relationship with God. Almighty Allah has revealed in the Holy Quran at the end of
		

			All harsher. Oh you who believe have the consciousness of Allah and let every soul look to what it
has put forward for tomorrow, and Thea Allah. This God consciousness was inspired by the many
questions that life presented to a young Abdullah.
		

			As a young person, I was questioning things around me. And in the spirit of the 60s, were the gentle
younger generation was challenging the system. I challenged everything around me, I challenge
religion, I challenged the basis of the society, I was interested to try to find out, you know, what
is the basis of my color? What is an African American. And so therefore, through these challenges, I
found myself in opposition to the Great War structure in America, and then I actually had to leave
the country. So by resisting the Vietnam War, I found myself in Toronto, Canada, and Canada at that
time, was probably the largest refuge for people who were resisting wars, and migrating from their
		

			countries. And so it wasn't Toronto, that I was able to meet people of different nationalities,
different races, and different religions. I also had a chance to have quiet time where I picked up
the Quran itself. And I read the life of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. And in my travels,
I actually ran into people from Pakistan. I was in need of a house, I was walking in the street in
Toronto, and I had $37 in my pocket. And I looked and I saw the sign it said for rent. And,
surprisingly enough, it was $37. And I rented the place and they were people from Pakistan. They had
a spice shop. And so they gave me information on Islam, they could see that I was searching. And so
		

			with that information, I was led to an Islamic center. And there I met a very famous person named
Dr. Hamad Sokka. He is from Lebanon. He's a scientist at one of the famous scholars to Islam. And
so, he actually gave me solid information, and convinced me so to speak, that I should take the step
and enter into Islam.
		

			In 1973, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offered two scholarships to study in Medina. He was fortunate
to be chosen by the Islamic Society of Canada, and was awarded one of the scholarships. After
settling down in the holy city of Medina, the second capital of Islam. He later brought his wife and
family to stay with him. At a young age, the scholarship was indeed a blessing for Abdullah and made
it easy for him to pursue his Islamic Studies without any financial restrictions.
		

			They had a course in teaching Arabic, so I spent two years learning Arabic. And at the same time, I
was living in the city of Medina. And this is a great blessing because Medina has a type of peace
about it. And although it was a very simple lifestyle, we lived in Bedouin quarters, the water was
across the street, and we would pump the water, the community had one pump. And so we would take our
hose, put it onto the pump, and then fill up our tank. And this was living at 5060 degree
temperature. And although it seemed harsh, the people were so kind and warm, and the city was so
loving and peaceful, that we were able to overcome the harshness of the environment, and to really
		

			expand as young people living an Islamic lifestyle. And so therefore, the peace, the Sakina, the the
security of the city became part of our lives. And I wouldn't trade this for anything if I had the
opportunity to go to not go I would go again. I should.
		

			Dr. Quick lived in Medina for four years, and during the pilgrimage season, he would accommodate
pilgrims in his home, which is the tradition of the people of this holy city. He also performed
Umrah, the minor pilgrimage and the Hajj pilgrimage many times. According to him, the peaceful and
loving personality of Medina becomes part of one's own personality. And that, of course, is the
personality of the Prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him, which is a balanced type of personality
where you're spiritual, but at the same time, you're practical. At the same time, you know, your
spirituality is not something artificial. It's a real spirituality. Because the environment is so
		

			harsh, that you're forced to be connected with the Creator. And so it is a real spirituality that
doesn't make the person want to give up the world. But it actually separates you from the world. So
you live inside of the world, but you're not controlled by the world. And that is the real
spirituality
		

			where a person could go to any society can have wealth or not have wealth, but at the same time,
they are connected to the Creator of the heavens of the earth. And that really was the greatest
lesson that I learned in Medina.
		

			Of course, in addition to this, I was part of a group of students who were taught by scholars from
Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Pakistan, many parts of the world. And we were learning Islamic Studies,
from the pure source of the Arabic language that enabled me to get a strong basis in Arabic, and
also, you know, to learn Islam, not from any particular culture, but for the principles of Islam for
the very essence and basis of the religion itself.
		

			Even though he was blessed with a scholarship to the kingdom, the challenges of Arabian lifestyle
for a young student was difficult. Arabic speaking citizens had a totally different worldview, and
cultural identity, which he had to understand and assimilate that there was a bigger challenge when
it came to the academic demands. The second great mountain was actually the studies themselves. We
had 13 subjects, all of the Arabic language. Also, we had to memorize two and a half sections of the
Quran per year. And this is with knowledge of the interpretation, the knowledge of the grammar. We
had to study the great books of flip, where you study jurisprudence, the great books of Hadith,
		

			Arabic language, and it's detailed with imagery and all the different grammar rules. And so this was
a great challenge. But with that desire and the blessing of Allah subhanaw taala, the creator, I was
able to overcome this. After graduating in Medina, he decided to further his studies in Arabic, and
went to the capital Riyadh for a year. Little did he know that this decision would present an
opportunity that would catapult his spiritual life into serving his creator.
		

			In 1979, after four intense academic years of Hakeem quake became the first American to graduate in
Islamic Studies in Medina, in 1980, he decided to go to Riyadh for a further year to learn how to
teach Arabic to non Arabs. And while I was in the capital arm, I had the pleasure of sitting with
the Grand Mufti of Arabia, Chateau Abdulaziz de Bez, where he will lobby a lot of mercy on him. He
was a very famous person, a very open minded person. And
		

			I expressed the desire to research Islam in the Americas. And also to take this message, not just to
the Middle East or to Africa, but to return it to the to America itself, because that was my
responsibility to go back to my home, and also to research Islam in that area. And so he took me in
and he gave me a private test, seeing whether I had solid belief in the creator and I understood the
Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. And he gave me an open ticket to travel and do
research in the Americas, and to set up a base for Islam within that region. And so this was a great
blessing from the Creator of the heavens of the earth, to be able to go back to America and to
		

			spread Islam.
		

			Dr. Quik went to Los Angeles in 1980, and spent a year there teaching Islam. Hollywood presented a
cultural shock to him and his family compared to life in Arabia, with his wife being Jamaican. They
then returned to Jamaica in 1981, and spent four years there. During this time, he traveled through
the Caribbean and Central America teaching Islam. He was even the private teacher of musician Jimmy
cliff, and also worked closely with the rest of community towards a common purpose of serving the
people. These were beautiful four years that I spent in the Caribbean region. And it really prepared
me to come back to Africa, because what you find in the townships in Belize and in Jamaica, is very
		

			similar to the townships in Southern African countries. So this prepared me even more to return to
the continent. And that desire that the Rastafarian movement has the nationalist movements in
Jamaica, to return to Africa, and to go back to roots. That desire was rekindled inside of me, but
this time, with a Slavic flavor. In 1984, he was invited to return to Saudi Arabia to assist Hajj
pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca. One night after the Isha prayer, which is the fifth and last
evening prayer of the day, a rare opportunity at the Grand Mosque became one
		

			One of the most emotional and spiritually rewarding times of his life.
		

			after Isha
		

			the chair of the hobbit Becky check the hobbit Becky, a very famous person now from Pakistan who was
part of Mecca, who lived in Mecca, great scholar. his chair actually was empty. And this is down by
the Kaaba by the House of of Ismail Ismail, Al Hatim. And so I went to the chef and he said, Sure,
take my chair. And you could do whatever you like. So I had the great honor and privilege of sitting
in the chair of Sheikh Mohammed Becky, by Al Hatim, which is right on the Kaaba itself. And the
English speaking hood judge gathered together with me, and I gave them lessons in English looking at
the Cobra itself. And it's hard to describe the spiritual feeling of being there and imparting
		

			knowledge and just being part of that tawaf and part of that spirituality at the copper itself. In
1985, Dr. Craig returned to Canada and served as a member of the Jamia mosque for five years. During
this time, he was exposed to many cultures, and was instrumental in bridging the gap between
refugees and the Canadian government Following this, I was invited to do academic papers. Now the
academic paper this is another level, of course, the presentation, and being a PhD, graduate and
African history that I made presentations in academic circles, major conferences in African history.
Also, the Organization of Islamic conference, invited me to make a presentation in Brazil,
		

			concerning the presence of Muslims in America before Columbus, this subject was a very important one
to me, because I questioned Christopher Columbus, how can you discover a place when the people are
living there already. So I questioned this as a young person. And then I set the research. And I
found that African people and Muslims, along with other people had reached the Americas long before
Columbus. And I wrote a book called deeper roots. So it's not just roots like Alex Haley. It's
deeper roots. And that is to show the Islamic connection. So this really is my passion. It's
searching for history, and also to bring out the untold stories of Muslims and African people to
		

			raise the self esteem of the oppressed, especially African people who have been oppressed, and
Muslims who have been misunderstood.
		

			In 1998, after serving in a leadership position in Toronto for 17 years, South Africa, and the rest
of Africa was about to be graced by the passion and enigmatic presence of Dr. Quik. He accepted an
invitation by the Islamic Medical Association to address HIV and AIDS in South Africa. And once he
had touched African soil, he decided to plot his roots on this continent.
		

			I realized that there's so much potential in South Africa. And when I reached Cape Town, people were
very receptive to the message that I was giving. And, and speaking with African Muslims, from the
township areas, I made an agreement with them, that there's a desert necessity now to focus on the
township areas, and also to bridge the gap. And that was so important on bridging the gap between
the African community, the colored community, and the white community, and also bridging the gap
between Muslims and the non Muslim society. This is a very important area, that I could make
contributions to the Muslim community and the greater South African society, in the same way that we
		

			expressed ourselves as African Americans. Here in South Africa, there are Africans of the blood,
there are Africans who can trace their ancestry back 1000s of years. But there are also what Dr. Ali
mazrui would call Africans of the soil. And these are people who have been raised in South Africa,
the Africa is their country. And so how do we bring together Africans of the blood and Africans of
the soil, we need to go back to history to our very ideology. And so it is in this area, that I've
been making contributions, bringing out stories of African history, and trying to show that Muslims
also, regardless of their color, regardless of their background, Muslims have played an important
		

			part of African history, even in southern Africa, and right through the struggle against apartheid.
They have played a very important role, and they will continue to play this role into the future.
		

			Here in Google a two, we find people with great potential. So many young people bubbling with
energy, we find elders who are sitting on their porches, with a lot of wisdom, but at the same time,
because of our depravity, because of hunger, and because of exploitation, people are not actually
finding their potential. And so through education, and unity and consistency, we can find a way out
of this problem, we can empower the people with the knowledge of the Creator, first, the knowledge
of an advanced way of life, and then the knowledge of the technology of the 21st century, the
knowledge of hygiene, the knowledge of diseases, the knowledge of the great challenges of the 21st
		

			century. So I believe that if we bring this holistic approach, together, spirituality and material
world, we can find a way out through education, and through empowerment, the idea is empowerment
through knowledge and knowledge, when it is given the right emphasis can actually lead a person from
darkness into light. And it can take a person, you know, to the level where they can participate in
society, as well as anybody else. So with all these crises facing the continent, Islam is a great
role to play in that it brings the unity, the education, the consistency, and the connection with
God. And that is what is needed today. And so it is a duty of Muslims, as well as people of
		

			conscience, regardless of the religion, to focus on the famine, on the poverty on the hunger, as
well as giving the teachings of God and the teachings of civilization. All of it comes together. It
is a crisis, and we need to face it.
		

			To understand the conditions of the people in the township, Dr. Quick, maintains respectful and
admirable relationships with individuals on the ground. One such community activist, his brother is
mile, who has been working closely with over the years
		

			before he came, we were doing things in quite a small scale.
		

			But I think when he came in realize, for example, we could do workshops, that would have people from
all walks of life, as a morphic, we started also including the rest of Africa, as opposed to just
concentrating on South Africans only, you know, so he actually exposed our worldview, to Islam,
larger than just Islam in South Africa. And so you could then be part of the Islam in Africa, would
also be part of Islam in the world, terms of his style, and how he works with people, I find it
quite interesting, quite amazing. And that is, Dr. Allah guides, and gives you guidance as to what
the suitable way is. But he had in terms of his decision to do that, it totally relies on you. And
		

			so he's a person who's a mentor, he does not force you to think and look at things his way of doing,
but rather advises you and gives you all the angles for you to look at. And so at the end of the
day, when you do make the decision, you have made it out of full information of what what the
possibilities are out there. And so, for us, I have to say that it led us into positions that we
wouldn't have
		

			reached, had it not been for two weeks, I think experience.
		

			People on the African continent, have gone through great changes throughout the centuries. And their
resistance, the spirit of resistance, the spirit of unity, and that stubborn willingness to continue
to go forward, no matter what are the odds. This is part of the strong and dominant supple spirit of
the people of Africa, even though millions of people were taken out to the Americas and other parts
of the world, that spirit of resistance, wanting to continue to find a way out, no matter what are
the odds, that spirit has allowed African people to remain resilient. And even though disease has
struck a famine has struck, poverty has struck still there is a liveliness amongst the younger
		

			generation, and with the right education and the right direction. There is great hope for the
continent, great hope for the younger people. And this is where Islam has a great role to play in
that the emphasis is on education, on purity, on the unity of the family, on doing righteousness for
society. That type of feeling and emphasis if it comes within South African society, I believe can
play a great role in bringing about an African Renaissance.
		

			Dr Abdullah came quick as a man of honor and virtue, this according to the many people whose lives
he touches globally, his upbringing and thinking always went beyond race and apartheid. As an
African American, he's on a quest to discover his roots identity. His life as a scholar in
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Reed College in Portland, also shaped him as an anti war activist
and black rights campaigner. His ideology has been influenced by Malcolm X and the personalities of
the great Salah who did and the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. He believes firmly that to serve
your fellow man is to serve God.
		

			For the last nine years, I've been working in the township areas in different parts of the cape and
in South Africa. in Cape Town, we worked initially in the Langa area, and in Khayelitsha, and then
we move to Google a two. And then in the past few years, we've worked here in Delft, and emfuleni.
And this is all part of the process of the teaching of Islam, and the the upliftment of African
people through the message of Islam. And this has given me a great opportunity to be involved in
another aspect of Dawa not just preaching in the mosque, or teaching but actually helping people to
improve their lives. And so this is a very important area for us. We have focused on this area, and
		

			it is a very essential part of our, because calling to Islam, being involved in Islam is not just
making press, it's not just fasting, but what do we do with humanity? What are we actually
accomplishing in trying to help the people who are in needs. And so it is this call, which has
brought me here, and has helped us to establish this very thriving little center.
		

			Dr. Craig supports this madrasa.
		

			I know him for about eight years, when he arrived in South Africa, I was in mudflat, China is
recording, I used to come up to him to call to get advice about tower, sometimes you can think that
he's a doctor about medicine. He is very sympathetic him and his wife and his family. Also, they are
kids, they all they all have his quite cold and hot. He cares too much about people. He does not
like a petting doctor pick like like straight thing. You must be happy, you must be straight. When
you work with him, he must be honest, he must be reliable. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him,
said none of you will truly believe until he wants for his brother or sister what he wants for
		

			himself. And so the essence of amen is that the individual is not satisfied with a blessing from
Allah subhanaw taala. But they look to other human beings to see whether they have those blessings
as well. And so the true Eman is that you want it for other people. And wanting is not just a
theoretical thing. It has to be based upon actions with the individual then reaches out to other
people and tries to share what he has tried to help other people to upgrade their lives and to
improve themselves as well. So this is an essential part of Islam. Because Islam is a way of life.
It's a living system, and not just a theoretical form of rituals.
		

			This is my second eat. I feel very happy especially when we had this this program. That is a very
special day to me to have my brothers and sisters here also as well as our parents, as well as Dr.
quiggle. So I'm very glad today and the way we had it, it was to call our families and especially
the children that are attending the madressa to give them gifts just for our eat. So today we were
celebrating eat by giving the children some surprises.
		

			Dr. Cook is a wonderful person we need people like him. We really need them and we have got him. We
he is here is a wonderful person. He's a helpful person to all of us.
		

			The message I would like to impart is that message of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, who
was described as when gold came into Medina, he would not sleep until he gave it out to the other
people. And so he gave an example of selflessness, and reaching out to the greatest society. And so
this is part of the duty of Islam. Our neighbors have Huck, they have rights over us, the
impoverished have rights over us, the oppressed have rights over us. Everybody who is in need, has
rights over Muslims and other people who have the ability to help. And so this is an essential part
of Islam. And it is something which is crucial for the Muslim community here in South Africa, to be
		

			able to show itself not as a parasitic community, but as a community, which has always played a very
important role in development. And I want to congratulate the Muslims, especially on the day of EAD
because Muslims were have been reaching out with is a capital fitta reaching out to the communities
and this is a great movement that the Muslim community has done, but the test is what will happen
after Ramadan. What will happen after the eat? Will this movement continue? And will the sharing
continue through the rest of the year?
		

			under the banner of the Discover Islam center, Dr. Abdullah Hakim quick has been involved in a
number of Dawa, or outreach projects. From humble offices situated in Lansdowne Cape Town. Dr. Click
welcomes individuals from all walks of life and faith backgrounds to benefit from his knowledge and
experience. empowerment of women through skills transfer and knowledge building remains the
cornerstone of the work and efforts of Dr. Craig and his team. Women are taught Islamic fundamentals
which they then practice in their homes and communities. Much of Dr. quicks time is taken up with
counseling and information sharing sessions, which gives him an ideal opportunity to connect on a
		

			one to one basis with individuals who are in search for information direction and answers.
		

			After office hours, Dr. Quit continues to serve his community by holding my dresser or youth Islamic
classes at his home, which is also overseen by his daughter. His passion for education and knowledge
in Richmond makes up every aspect of his being.
		

			his commitment to education and outreach extends into the evenings where he held night classes at a
nearby mosque for adult learners or individuals who have recently embraced Islam.
		

			Dr. quake is passionate about the development of individuals and give special support and training
to Muslims of the African townships where the key focus is on youth projects, education, social
welfare, recreation, media and life skills. He also organizes outreach caravans throughout South
Africa and the neighboring states. So it is that passion, which connects me to the what we would
call diaspora, the African diaspora. That passion
		

			drives me along with of course, the overriding sense of being a Muslim, which gives me an identity
that connects me to not only African people, but it connects me to all the races on the planet. And
ultimately, it connects me to the Creator of the heavens and the earth. So it's a number of levels
of drive that pushes me in different areas of my life. We took a film crew into Timbuktu, which for
many people, was a place of mystery. And if you say I'm going to Timbuktu, it means you're lost,
you're going out in space. But we realized that Timbuktu was a great center of learning that by the
15th 16th century, the cincotta University had over 25,000 black African students who were studying
		

			not only Islamic theology, they were studying astronomy, medicine, geography, mathematics. And so
that story we've been able to bring out also the story of Ethiopia.
		

			The fact that the first haven for Islam was not in Palestine, it was not an Iraq or Yemen. It was an
Africa and, but really, you know, the love for Africa, the passion to see different parts of this
continent, and to tell the stories that have not been told. This is my hobby. This is what drives
me. When I have my free time when I'm thinking you know, I'm trying to figure out ways to tell this
story to raise
		

			The self esteem of African people to realize that this is a great continent that people actually
have given much toward the onward flow of civilization. Actually, I would take it a step further and
say, the original civilizations that gave birth to the rest of the world came out of this continent.
And that story needs to be told and put in its proper context, not to make people arrogant or proud,
or overly nationalistic. But to put things in the proper perspective, that African people would be
respected, and realize that their connection to the Creator, their connection to the civilization is
as strong as anybody else on the planet.
		

			Welcome back to voice of the Cape of drivetime FM. In studio live We have with us Dr. Abdullah
Harkin, Quakers, Director of a very important interactive sessions with a very interesting man
that's going to be occurring soon. We'll be chatting about that in the course of the interview. But
first of all, Dr. Quick, a Salaam Alaikum. And welcome to west of the cape. If when it comes to my
doctor quick, first of all, discovered Islam center, I see it's a line of information for
transformation. But you having around I think, traveled and studied and lived in a number of
countries. Dr. Abdullah Hakim quick has made Cape Town his home for the past nine years, where he
		

			shares a deep sense of dedication and passion for the country, the continent and its people. As part
of his outreach work and many interfaith initiatives. he conducts special lectures at educational
institutes and local businesses and corporations, at a times playing host to a number of leading
international speakers.
		

			Muslims believe that everything submits to God, every creature, even nonliving objects are submitted
to
		

			that
		

			wrong place when God says everything around you knows how to worship, and how to pray, except that
you don't know how. And this makes us feel that we are in harmony with the universe, the topics
concerning Islam and Africa. And cooperation and peace are very important, crucial topics today in
the world. And especially when we look at Islam and Christianity, and their dual roles in the
history of this continent. Well, basically, the publications and documentaries and lectures that I
give I have been giving over the years are twofold. In one sense, I'm focusing on the untold stories
of African people on the continent, and also in the African diaspora. So the stories of African
		

			people in South America, in the Caribbean, in the United States, Canada, in different parts of the
world, bringing this story to light, you know, has enabled me to write the book, deeper roots, to do
a number of academic works. The other area is the revival of Islam, within the hearts of the Muslim
people to realize that Islam is a balanced way of life, and that Muslims have an important role to
play in the future of this planet. And so I've written a number of books, the 40 Hadith, of Islamic
revival, also African sunrise, a number of works, you know, to, to to raise the self esteem of
Muslims, and to show them the balance of Islam, and that they need to be able to present Islamic
		

			solutions to real problems. And so that is the thrust. What can Islam offer to South African society
to African society, so the world the the the beautiful stories, the Islamic lifestyle, you know, the
purity of thinking, purity of the body, the connection with the Creator, the fasting, that the
giving you know, of yourself, there's so many themes within Islam, which can help to revive African
society and to bring about this African Renaissance, that so many people are talking about today,
Dr. quicks passion for life rests in the knowledge that he is living his life purpose and making his
contribution. But what is the key driver behind this passion?
		

			The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was the best example for the Muslims and I personally have
tried over the years to use his life as an example. And his spirituality was a real spirituality. It
wasn't something out official where a person for instance, goes into a mosque and does special
prayers and then leaves to another life but his spirituality
		

			Was pervading everything that he did. And so on. Over the years, I've tried to be spiritual in the
sense that you live in the world, but you're not controlled by the world. And so the connection with
the Creator of the heavens and the earth is something really that should be with the person at all
times. So whether you're at a job or at school or walking down the street, you're constantly
thinking about Allah thinking about God. And that is a real type of spirituality. The Prophet
himself peace be upon him one time he came to a mosque, and he found a man who was staying inside
the mosque. So he said, What are you doing? And the man said, I fast every day, and I pray, and I
		

			stay here. And the Prophet asked the man, Are you married? And the man said, Yes. So the Prophet
then asked him, who takes care of your family. And the man said, my brother, so the Prophet peace be
upon him said Your brother is better than you. So the moral is that the person who is taking care of
his responsibilities in this world, in the name of God, is actually on a higher level than a person
who hides away from the world, to try to gain a type of false spirituality. So that's really what
I've tried to seek a type of balance in my life.
		

			Even though Dr. Quik spends much of his time serving his creator, by serving his fellow man, he
places great emphasis and importance on family life and his role as a husband and father.
		

			Well, I have been blessed with nine children, it's a very large family. And in traveling around the
world, my family has been with me. And so we've literally expanded in different continents. And
really, when you have belief in God, you know, when you connect your family, with the Creator, and
you don't base your life upon bank accounts and physical possessions, then having another person in
the family is not really a problem, and so on, it's been a blessing to us to have nine healthy
children, who are now living in different parts of the world, in different professions. And that has
helped us to grow and expand over the years. And so the concept of Islam is really that you put God
		

			in your life and everything that you do, morality becomes something that is real and, and tangible,
within human relations. And so in that sense, raising children in a positive way, trying to give
them a good example, in life, praying together, eating together, traveling together, spending quiet
time, and also going through hardships together, in the name of God helps a family to come together
and be more cohesive. Of course, nothing is 100%. And with teenagers, there's always a lot of
problems and turmoil that we are facing. But ultimately, when we do it in the Name of Allah, the
name of the Creator, then we're able to overcome some of these difficulties, really, to raise to a
		

			higher level. And so that really is more of a holistic approach to the family in the sense that the
family is not a separate item in your life. But the family is part of a circle like it's you're
moving together, through your life with your family. And so I've tried to do that we moved from
Arabia, to California, we drove across the United States together in a Volkswagen bus. We stayed in
Canada, then we moved to Jamaica. From there, we moved back to Canada, and then from Canada to South
Africa. So we've been moving together for a long time traveling together. And it's really helped us
to grow. There's ups and downs. But that holistic approach helps one to continue in the work,
		

			especially if you have the type of outfront work that I've been involved in to date after traveling
to over 54 countries, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight for continuing his relentless work to
serve in the path of God. What is it about South Africa and the rest of Africa that has this
creative thinker and visionary mesmerised? Well, really, for me, South Africa, is sort of a climax,
in the sense that the experiment happening here since 1994, to try to find a way to blend races for
people of different colors, languages, economic classes, to speak to each other, to dialogue, and
then to agree to disagree, to live together in a civil way within society, to bridge barriers. That
		

			really is a climax for me of the years that I've spent in different parts of the world with
different races and nationalities, but the color concepts and the the the
		

			judging people based upon their complexion, or their language is still very much alive here in South
Africa. And it needs to be a lot of work on the younger generation, a lot of soul searching and
coming together. Also, racism in the institutionalized sense, needs to be defeated. And so really,
it's that racism, it's that segregation is that mentality, which has been one of the great struggles
for me and my family here in South Africa. But to add to that is also Islamophobia. And that is
where a person will judge a Muslim, if you appear to be a Muslim, they will judge you based upon the
fact that you have a beard, or you have a cap on or a woman is wearing a hijab. So that is number
		

			phobia, that, you know, defines a Muslim as a terrorist. That has been a challenge also to us,
living in the in the society. But you know, with the belief in garden, you know, with the positive,
optimistic outlook, we've been able to overcome this, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. When
he sent out his followers, he used to say to them, but she will lead to not fatal. Yes, it will lead
to acido. He told them give glad tidings, don't drive people away, make make things easy, don't make
it difficult. So this really has been the spirit in back of what I've been doing, to be optimistic,
to make it easy to listen to other people and not just talk and to try to learn as I go on, I
		

			consider myself to be a student, a student of life. And as long as I can live and breathe and
travel, and move amongst people,
		

			I believe that there is hope. There is hope for me to try to do something in my life. And there's
also hope for society, I believe, to be a better place.
		

			As I sit at the southern tip of Africa, I remind myself of the beautiful bounties that Allah the
Almighty has blessed me with throughout my life. I give thanks to this merciful and forgiving
creator. I spend every waking moment remembering the promise I made to him when I needed his divine
light and guidance. That is to serve him forever. My name is Dr. Abdullah Hakim quick and I will
continue to serve my Creator in sha Allah until the day I die.