Sami HamdiS Path To Purpose – Iman Cave

I've never felt the OMA like I felt it in Vaughan in eastern Turkey in 2008 as an 18 year old sitting there and saying Allah humma at this moment, I mean it for the first time ash had to Allah Ilaha illa Allah will ash had to enter Muhammad Rasulullah Do you see how throughout that process he turned to Allah? We Okay, there was an interest, right? Obviously as he's, he's appealing to him, right? So he tried to to express it, it's always still like Yes. So Allah has told you somebody here is not to sit and do nothing. Somebody is that will mean Sheikh Abdullah and yourself are sitting here and we don't know the outcome. We don't know what's on the other side. Allah is saying show

somebody in the process and the opportunity will come show somebody in the mobilization and I will open the door even if you can't see it. I didn't know how it would manifest I thought it was Lord and I change your mind political risk. Then it was like oh, is it on the media? Is it on this is Allah makes you stumble through life positioning yourself within Allah's plan and acknowledging that Allah's plan would be the best plan for you.

As salam o Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh I'm Abdullah ojo and welcome to The Man Cave, where we discuss issues of male excellence while being grounded in faith. I'm your host, along with my co host will lead governor who is the VP of the M Club mashallah to vertical law. May Allah bless him and I'm here with our political analyst Sammy Hamdi, how are you doing? She's coming today. Okay, good, good, good. He's our nomadic noble he's been around the world along with we'd get on my show, these guys have traveled so many places, and have so many experiences if you would have been here before the actual gathering, I got so much information, so much knowledge. I remember when I was

hanging around, wasn't 19 years old.

That was the time that I became Muslim. I think that was the time that real clarity came into my life. And I'm saying the smoke, the smoke was clear, I understood my purpose of life, my existence, that it was something transcendent. But around the age of like, 3035, you know, a couple of years younger than I am now. So it was different. I mean, before it was like, Okay, what do I want to do with my life now that I'm doing with my life, my career, or whatever it is that I'm being involved in? It's much more comprehensive, because now there's kids in the picture, right? There's a lot of other things that are taking place in regards to me being a man now I'm a Muslim man. And I've been

Muslim man for over 20 years. So it's totally different. So it's really like yourself, how do you find it with you in particular? I mean, how old are you? Currently right now? I'm the law currently, right now,

one week before I turned 39, like one week before he turned 39. Inshallah, so what have you found with with this issue of purpose and like living your life as a Muslim? What that really means, right? Allah Hamdulillah I feel first, we're blessed. And honored and privileged to be in this in this opportunity of this world of being a Muslim. You know, we've always been a minority over the minorities, especially when I was growing up in a

pretty much a very Caucasian town, in the suburbs in an area called New Jersey growing up, And subhanAllah we had to find our faith early on. You mentioned being grounded in faith. I remember when I was 13. I, you know, at that time, tried to establish my salah. Oh, really, okay. Because and that's when I started establishing because I felt I had to separate myself in to show and present ourselves as being Muslim, playing varsity sports, being involved in all the school sports activities and the like. So we always have to make it known that we were

Muslim, but we were also part of the fabric of the American communities. Yeah, yeah. Large. Yes. I mean, now you're in your 30s. Now, so now you're looking at kids at that age now? How was it different? Everything has changed. Everything is changing every day. We're looking at new trends and try and keep up with them. I mean, I'm looking at my kids now I'm the father of five. Masha, Allah, Allah. Yes. All the credit goes to her. Yeah, I mean, so so we have to, we have to give the kudos and the credit to amazing wives and mothers, the horse actually helped raise and give us the, the, the leeway and the runway to go do what we need to do out and out and about. You know, now my kids

are coming to an age my eldest is a teenager. And now Subhanallah every day, I was just talking to her this morning. And I was like, I looked at so many of them, you know, what you got going on? It's like I now I'm at the time is that you know, the 777 this play with them, and then oh seven to teach them and then the next is befriend them, right? So now I'm in the cusp of that, you know, I'm trying to actually do it all at the same time. And, you know, we're learning from them actually more than anything. And just trying to take notes and remembering that I can read with my two year old and also play with my 12 year old machine and then every

But in between and have fun with them and try to figure out a way to find a good balance. Mashallah, Mashallah. So kids, Sammy Hamdi hailing from the UK, one week in Tunis next week in Australia. All right. Alhamdulillah is land down under landowner. Yeah. And hamdulillah is here with us in Dallas man. So, so were you born Muslim? I was born Muslim dilemna in a Muslim environment. And I always argue that there is a difference between the Muslim born in a Muslim environment and the reverse, okay. And I didn't understand the difference until I read the book rode the road to Makkah by Muhammad Asad who he describes Yes, when he went to Hajj, he's on the boat going towards Jeddah and

there are a group of Yemenis who look at him and he's clearly European because he's from Austria. He was a Jewish man who became Muslim afterwards and he's doing his Hajj. So the Yemenis are asking him his story because he speaks Arabic as well with them this way. Mashallah, you surprised me when you would you came at me straight with Arabic? I said, Yes. Where are you from?

But so the Yemenis they came to him and he tells his story, how he came to Islam, and the Yemenis go quiet, and they go into a corner and they all start, you know, whispering Ganesha and they come they bring him a small sum of money, whatever they have, and they say, please stay. He says, I don't need the money. He goes, No, no, he says you're better than us. Because we were brought up in a Muslim environment, everything was catered towards us. But you saw the hack for what it is and entered it and accepted it, knowing the price perhaps Yeah, to be in your own life. And that makes you therefore better than us. And the reason why that was significant for me is, is because when

eventually you get to that experience, where you will talk about the clarity as to your role in the Ummah, even the idea of being a man or the like, there is new Goethe. I think everybody goes through an experience where Islam goes from being an inherited religion to religion that you adopt wholeheartedly you choose it or you choose it and Allah is a beggar he himself writes in his book, inescapable questions. He says that during his teenage years, he flirted with atheism and communism, and these ideas at 15 1617. When he realized they couldn't produce a solution of life, he went back to the Quran. And he argues at that point, at 1819 years of age, he actually writes he said, at that

point, Islam became my own religion as and he said, I my faith was never shaken again. So when you're asked, you know what it's like growing up as a as a Muslim, in a Muslim environment, the reality is that, yes, you're praying. But in hindsight, did I really appreciate what I was doing in my salon, you know, when you read in a better manner, do appreciate all these things. So it was fascinating when you go to these experiences, and we'll talk about them as well. And that's what that's why I asked you Are you born Muslim? Because a lot of times when I'm with, with people that are born Muslim, I asked them, How many of you have converted to Islam? Subhanallah you know,

because they look at me and so on. Okay, it was Christian, but I converted theoretically or reverted, some would argue, but those that are born in Muslim countries or in a Muslim household, Islamic household, you still have to make that choice. Of course, when was it for you? Like how was for me me when I converted to Islam? And then you know, that's when I really understood what the purpose of life really was. It was about Allah everything goes back to Allah, you know, as Allah says, well, methodical, genuine, it's gonna I'm not created the genius spirits, except that they worship Me. That's the premise. That is the everything is couched in that. When did that verse come

to light for you? Like when you said, okay, my choices and everything that I do as a man now as a Muslim man has to be in light of that. How old were you what what happened? When people pose this question to me, there are two very distinct events that I remember almost every detail of them. And I always point to those points that redefined my relation with Allah subhanaw taala and also redefine how I viewed myself within Dhamma. The first was as a 16 year old coming back from Mecca, and I hope I have the chance in future to go see it again in this lifetime. But I remember coming back from Makkah, and in those days when I used to go for Amara and this is what I want to say to

every Muslim is that when you go to Mecca, Medina don't assume you'll always be able to go to Mecca, Medina because when you get to a position where you can't you start realizing that I should have taken more with regards to the opportunity should have taken more chances because when you're next to Mecca, I remember this 1516 year old Okay, I'll pray the harasser there, maybe I might pray a share there. But you know, for sure, you know, you pray in the hotel because you can't be bothered to get and you look back in hindsight and you think I was such a fool because you're Allah, if you gave me one more chance to go back, I would not do it again. I would take advantage. But going back

to the point I was 16 years old, flying back on Saturday, and I at that time, I didn't like flying. You know, you see the showerhead 1000 times. I couldn't understand why a true can fly that fast in the air and you're looking at the window looks like it's going slowly. So I was to surah Taha by showed him and as a 16 year old you're listening to it and when you're listening to it, you know, Allah Subhan Allah is telling Musa to go to Pharaoh. And Musa is as a 16 year old saying and answering back. Allah chose him to grant science doesn't go to Pharaoh Musa tells them I have a stutter. I'm not sure I'm the right person said hold on with me. Allah, I'm scared, and he repeats

again, I'm scared and I realized Allah keeps reassuring him so that I was a 16 year old thinking that Allah subhanaw taala punishes you if you even show a hint of disobedience. But here he is showing incredible mercy to Musa alayhis salam and the same flight I listen to

So let's Maryam. And Miriam says quality and Layton emit to a couple of high level containers him and see I wish I had died before and she knew she was the bearing of a miracle. So I landed back in London thinking maybe my relationship with Allah is wrong, but you only think about it for a day or two and you leave the defining moment for me it was I played and the Yaqeen goes worldwide hamdulillah so I played football, that the sport that's played with the feet.

Soccer, soccer.

So I played with with the football team, and we had an idea one day coming back from a match that we wanted to play in different countries against universities. So the first year we went to Turkey, before you went to Turkey, my mother comes to me, she says to me, yeah, Binney, I don't want you to go to this trip. I said, why your mama? She said to me, I saw a dream that somebody with a long chin, threw you in the bathroom and lock the door on you. Okay? Our captain had a luncheon. So I knew who she was referring to. It's not our mom, I don't run my life based on dreams.

When we went to Istanbul, I hadn't contribute to the fundraising because my father told me I couldn't go and change his mind last minute. So the agreement was pay your ticket to Istanbul and back and everything in Turkey is paid for. When we landed three days into the trip, somebody whispered in my ear and said, Sammy, check that they've booked your ticket. I said, What do you mean? He goes, just check. I said, what they're going to leave me stranded here for the rest of the trip, three weeks in Istanbul, and I'm broke. And I don't want to go to Bob and ask him for the money to whatever this interest check. I went I find they didn't book the ticket. So I said,

Captain, why haven't you booked the ticket? I was gonna he goes, what? Why should I ask the team? Like, let them vote on it? So would you mean vote to leave me stranded in Istanbul and what's going on here? So we entered the restaurant in Taksim Square, and they decided to vote somebody said no, I want to do secret ballot secret ballot for was to leave me stranded in Istanbul. So anyway, they voted. How old were you at this time? 18 years old at 16 people voted not to pay for the ticket, why people voted to pay for the tickets to the team decided, will you send me here? Okay. The Turkish brother translator comes down and he says to me, let's group a rally he says brother Mashallah. It's

the first time I see democracy are deciding.

And I said to him, What do you mean democracy, and he genuinely just voted for it. He goes, brother, my English is not very good. You know, like, so I said, they voted to leave me here in Istanbul because they don't want to pay for my ticket to one. He said,

Brother, we will look up, but the point of the story. So I got on the plane with them. And we went to one and they said, Yeah, fine. It all got sorted out for me when I landed. The Kurdish driver from Vaughn says something in in Turkish to the translator. And he says, Why is this boy not eating the food that we provide? He says because he's fasting, it was out of time. So tell him as far as in my house, and I didn't want to cause further friction with the team. I said, guys, they'll say he's getting special treatment. It's not working. So he tells him the story. What happened in Istanbul? So the guy turns around very aggressively says something and a Turkish guy says to me, semi he's

insisting Iftar and you stay the night at his house. Wow. So anyway, I said no. So then he took me to his house forcefully. And he said, I will never abandon my brother to such a situation. The next day, another family came, they said, we heard there's a Muslim in London, who is fasting who was screwed over in Istanbul. They stayed in dormitories, I was staying in like, like palaces like flats, that kind of thing. So in that moment, and I've given the story in brief, but I felt what an ummah meant they couldn't speak English, by the way to me through a translator Wow. When we're in the masjid people turned up in the masjid a good 200 People they said we just want to see this

Londoner who fast in London. And when I saw it, and they looked at me with a love like a long lost brother who had just arrived and I had read about the OMA like we all read about the homeless. I had said mashallah, but oh my god, also Masha, but I never felt the OMA. Like I felt it in Vaughan in eastern Turkey in 2008 as an 18 year old sitting there and saying Allah Houma at this moment, I mean it for the first time ash had to Allah Ilaha illa Allah will ash had to enter Muhammad Rasulullah and this was the turning point after that when I came in, I said I want to be part of this OMA, I want to be part of this ummah where I can go to a random place in eastern Turkey and it happened in

Ghana the following year afterwards as well. Where they start saying to law capital Muslim Yeah, honestly.

No man left behind. No Nobody left behind like no man left behind. Even when we went to Ghana the following year, like we had like a black activist with us who you know on the plane he said to me, Islam is racist and your own example you have is Bella Baba. And I'm very minor butterfly and I like flying nobody you know what I

was? Yeah, I was reminded so so so I'm sitting on the plane thinking it's eight hours you know, to Lagos and then Lagos transit to Accra. And I'm thinking Allah Allah Allah Allah Allah

Allah

when we landed in Lagos me by Eve Nigerian brother and Adnan Bosnian brother we hadn't prayed motivation. Okay, so when Lagos airport transit 12 hours and then we fly to Accra. So you've done your karma I've gone Allahu Akbar. What am I behind this we hit? Allah Akbar. Okay, I did to sleep. My turn on to find three rows of Nigerians praying the

highness, brothers, where are you coming from? Wow, we're coming from London. Mohammed bring the food. We have guests Lana, like activist is watching it and he goes guys, do you guys know each other? He said no, he goes so what's this thing Allah and the Nigerian Wallah he the Nigerian turns out to Mrs. Islam we have concept of ummah.

One brotherhood and I was a bit bratty back in days I said hey, you see that racism at your finest? Honestly but but imagine as a 19 year old seeing that and bracing, eating in Kuma in Kumasi, and we play the Polytechnic for 30 The match starts Maghrib 630 I'm fasting very unwise decision that humidity and heat to play a football match as well because Allah says went to sumo Hydrolat calm so I thought why not match finishes

implementing

and then yeah, and then the match finished and I'm exhausted. I played 90 minutes and I find it the finished all the water. So I say guys how long to the next place. They said one hour bus drive. And I'm sitting there thinking Allahumma like, now I understand what license means I should have taken and I'm sitting there and they're like, oh, yeah, Sammy, like we're sorry, we shouldn't have finished all the water and I'm gonna get thirsty. Ghanian brother who's not associated with the team. We haven't seen him before runs on the bus. One law isn't telling you. Hey, I heard there's somebody here who's fasting. That guy over there. He's over here. One law. They came they bought a

big bowl of Jollof rice with tilapia on top with a big bottle of water like this. They put it on my lap like that. The black actors sitting next to me, he says, Yeah, and what about us and wallah.

The Ghanaian guy says to him, he's my brother in faith, and he is fasting and there is big reward to feed fasting.

And we have to look after him as well. Smilla Allah Allah, and I turned around very cheeky to the gods, I said, I have to say in an area for you, and Allah is wherever we go Muslim. That's the point you were saying, well, is that clarity, that was a clarity, I feel that this is part of them. And that changed my perspective on marriage after because what happened is when I finally saw what the OMA looks like, and how beautiful it is, and now everybody said it's bleak and it's weak and it's this and that, but then you go out and you see how generous even in their weakness they show generosity and looking after you and how they work we have to protect him he will screwed up in

Istanbul we have to look after him he will stay in our houses in our fortresses and this kind of it transforms how you view the OMA so I say to myself I get it now marriage and profit center he says you're married for four years I said Are you married for for the wealth the beauty the status but the best of you Mary's for the dean? I said you know what, let me build my fortress that resembles the OMA let me marry for the dean. It's okay if I don't get along too well, like I'm easygoing guy, whatever. But let me build my fortress so when I go out for the sake of the OMA when I get too tight, I can retreat somewhere that is the fortress, build the fortress first and then go out don't

do it the other way around us. Interesting. I want to I want to interject on that part. Because upon like transitioning to the marriage, you got five kids, I'm gonna how when when you got married, I was engaged at 20 about 21 with the Kitab and then I wait for my wife to finish her medical school 23 Who did the weddings? Well, because that you know in the subject matter of purpose and and like the the reason behind our existence and living in in accordance to that is beautiful, because even this aspect of life of marriage, you automatically think attraction, you think how beautiful she may be, that's a that's a component of like, you mentioned a hadith, or the Postal Service has false or

be that deems it as beautiful because, you know, that's the diff that's the difference with demand is be that to do the religion, there's always a religious quote unquote, transcendent connection with marriage. I think we were talking earlier like when I got married, you know, in Medina, I had money before but when the time came when I had no money, welcome to The Club.

You know, I drove up to my, my, what's currently my in laws, I drove to the house and I parked the car around the block. Okay, why? Because it was worth $75.

And he barely made it to the house. Okay, it was a gift my brother gave me. I was a college boy, I was junior in college, not a nickel to my name. And I went in and as you say, a terminal bevel. Oh, damn right, go from the front door. Right. And I was 20 I had nothing, I had nothing to lose at the same time.

Everything to gain, you know, so I went and I told my father mashallah very successful physician and whatnot. And I my mother called and invited us over, you know, just a typical Hey, how you doing? We want to her we heard about you guys want to come visit. And so anyway, we went into the house and I sat down just like we are right now. And I had my father with me. And I said, we're here to ask for your daughter her daughter's hand in marriage. Okay, but you mentioned your father's Well, the family plays a big role in lending their support as well as the receiving formula. Same way. I got married at 28 years of age, but it's the family it's the parents who said Okay, it's done for a good

cause. The from the time that I met my wife and proposed was less than four weeks old, because I had because basically I saw her at University and she had violated somebody in a debate like

I need to know who this person is, you know, like and she's

And he said that she studied in my class. So I tried to talk to her. I remember she went into the university shop Okay, and she picked up her stuff so I went to pick up the Twix and Nick who's the plays on the football team with me and soccer team. He was he was the guy at the checkout you know, the guy the cashier, so I put my twigs and I said, Nick, all this is on me and she went, excuse me. Bismillah okay, I went. So anyway, for the next three weeks, I tried to make conversation, but she would never really give me too much of the time of day was called Hartman playing no really no But then one day I said you know what Allah subhanaw taala like because I was at the university so I

said it's not good for me to get too involved in these kinds of things. So I said yeah,

I'm going to plead with you. Like just sort this out. Either get the feelings out the way or give me an opportunity to go door open so I did this decided to rock off to Asia to Florida when I wake up middle of the night to rock me for fashion. And I used to you know, some people think do I have to be very sophisticated one like my dad was very simple Institute Allahumma No, I'm not Musa curry Allah Hema salah, Allah whom I know I'm not deserving. I just give me an A or likely give Musa feeling. Give me an idea. Not literally. And on the eighth or ninth ninth, and bear in mind, I'm not like a Sufi by any stretch of imagination. I saw a dream that failed, who I had asked about her,

brought me a Kobani and said to me, Sammy, it's a sacrifice visibility. And in the dream, I vividly remember Bismillah Allahu Akbar, Allah, I called him I said, Listen, go to Somalia. There's a guy called me he wants to marry. He said, bro, would you think this is 1500s? What do you mean?

I said Wallah. He, she's gonna say, yes. Well, and she said, Yes. And she said, Yeah, I just need to hear from him directly. And then two weeks later, I met her dad, very terrifying figure with a big beard. Yes, may Allah bless him. Yeah. And then two months later, did Danny Kehoe catchable Kitab, and then six months later did the wedding and you've never looked back? That's beautiful. You know, I know, there's a characteristic that you possess, and I think you still possess it. Now. That is very important for a man, particularly a Muslim man. Because you see how throughout that process, he turned to Allah. Okay, there was an interest, right? Obviously, as he's, he's appealing to him,

right? So he tried to to express it as

people say, marriage it dies, or it does 1100 11? No, no, no, sir. No, no. So you saw that, but you turn to Allah because you know, Allah is the ultimate one that's going to give it to you in the right way. And that's what's so important for the man is to always turn a turn back to Allah make sure that his purpose is is is that and it's not something that's tangible, that is of this world. It is something that goes beyond that as a transcendent. But that characteristic that I see and then I see with you a lot will lead mashallah you do a lot of humanitarian work, you involve a lot of people. Everybody knows what that's like, everybody knows what

Raymond?

Ray.

I think it's with that characteristic of being bold.

Right? It's very important for the man to have a level of humility, but not be afraid, but to be bold in what he does, right? And to not have that level of lack of confidence. Because when you're not confident in yourself, housing, we're going to trust you. Because if you're not confident, how are they going to be confident in you, but ultimately, again, back to that purpose of being confident in Allah, that Allah is gonna give it to you. Right? So transitioning over to politics, right, you political analyst,

amongst many other things, martial arts, vertical tourists, that's a good thing. But

many people think that politics and religion, they're like antagonists to each other, but for us as Muslims, politics is a part of our faith, meaning that we get involved in it. And that is a way that we worship Allah subhanaw taala. But as a man, it's important to be bold, in this chapter of life in this chapter of involvement are how I want to contribute. So what have you seen? When was it for you that you said, you know, I want to get involved in politics, I want to worship Allah via politics. I think that one of the things that that is worth noting first and foremost is

that politics is the science of human relations. First and foremost, the same way we feel happiness, sadness, despair, fear, confusion, and the like, is the same way that states feed it because states ultimately run by human beings, even the way we're interacting between each other. While you may not be thinking it's politics, the reality is it's the way we communicate the way we talk the setting. It all imposes a framework through which we communicate with each other and the way we navigate that is in its very essence its politics. And that's why when Allah subhanaw taala says in the Quran, and I'm Tara Kay for a lot of Allah who methylene Kalamata Anta Ebert and get Shujaat into you but Allah

who is trying to give you value to say that something you think is insignificant in the eyes of Allah is significant that the good word is like the tree as a fair bit of formula for someone in another area Allah says we'll call everybody your quality here Assam say to my believers to say that which is best but Allah tells you why in a shape Anna Ian's that will be in a home that shaytan will whisper so be careful how you speak to people in your mannerisms, how you communicate. Some people say I can say what I wish no even

Quran it says, Be wary, so you don't leave room for shaytan to play. And that's the very essence of politics, speculation suspicion, the media, they said this, they said that and that kind of thing. Then for me the fair the framework was firstly established by the book road to Mecca by Muhammad SNN. And later by Alia has a big image, inescapable questions, the field of politics itself, I fell into it by accident. My father has a long history of activism in Tunisia before he fled and went to Tunisia. But in terms of my job, I fell into the job of political risk. And, and I found that everybody was very interested in the Muslim world, in investment, sorta like they will say, we want

to know what's going to happen, who's going to be the next king who's going to everybody showed really keen interest. And you would find that, where we used to think that they knew everything, I suddenly discovered, wait a minute, they don't actually know everything, you would see these people come and sit in the office in the great suits, the heads of these big companies, which I'm not allowed to name because of NDA. But the big company is huge. So you know, New York listed companies, they'd come and they'd be like, we really concerned by an event that is happening in this country, because it might result in loss of profits, we want to know what's going to happen and you sit there

going, we've been brought up to believe that the West controls everything will that America, or that it's all seeing, and here they are sitting right in front of me, people from the State Department, I'm allowed to say that because they allowed me to, and some other like governments, and they don't actually know everything. And this is where I felt so humiliated. Because it's when I subconsciously realized that while I believed in Allah, I never believed him to be all powerful. While I believed in Allah, I never believed him to be overarching, because I believe that while Allah is strong, also America is strong. While Allah has strong also, these people are strong, and it was so such a

crushing feeling inside my heart. And the reason why I give the example of that is because even in marriage itself, you learn a lot as you go on. So for example, my wife when we first got married, often in the weekend, she'd go back to her family home. And I couldn't understand why every weekend, we don't spend time together, she goes to a family home until Subhanallah, my sister came and whispered in my ear and said, bro, you need to try to do some romantic stuff, you know, like, it's not like, you know, your marriage is also about my wedding Rama. It's about my wedding. It's about kindness as well. And I realized the more effort I put in, such as establishing for a friend of

mine, Nigerian for you believe compared where he set up his father's group where we used to sit together, he'd say, Guys, I've decided to adopt something every Friday morning, I go on a date with my wife for breakfast. I said, mashallah, I'm going to do it as well. And you see the impact that has made it and then that changes your opinion on what it means to be a man because I grew up in a soccer environment where

football is, once you cross the water and you change your language. So

I remember somebody in the changing room because me and you, we got married younger, I got my first and favorite fellas, I'll get married younger and we got married. And I remember some of the brothers who weren't married used to say things like when I get married, my wife gonna cook cuz my wife gonna clean and I remember like, one of the fav remarks him and said to him, Brother, let me just tell you something. A meal cooked out of love tastes much better than a meal cook because you asked for it. Allahu Akbar. You know, when a wife loves you, she goes above and beyond and we use the word Nicholas there was nificent and this is what

yeah, like, did you know that I did her spirit

to the fool. You know when he called Soul Food. Yeah. Okay, so then what are we talking to you?

And when you go through that experience, this is what I mean. Sometimes when you realize that subconsciously, while ostensibly you think you believe in Allah as attributes will understand it. Subconsciously, you have these locks on your brain. So when you go back to the seat of the Prophet, Muhammad salah, and you realize that he comes down from the cave of Hara, and he comes in every writer even though he Shem to Martin Lindstrom, they describe him as being frightened, shaking and throwing himself into the arms of Rhodesia.

If I was to say to process that him did that, would you say that made him less of a man Hashem? Would you say that undermining Hashem? What it was a demonstration of is what the marriage is supposed to be about in terms of his trusting each other and and how Khadija viewed him in the elevation and how she covers him to embrace them. And that changes the perspective what it means to be a man in marriage afterwards, in that you grew up being taught that kindness is weakness. Don't be weak in front of her Don't let her have her wait don't have anything to do what is this a marriage is not a prison Subhanallah

some other brothers may be thinking

but then they gotta gotta get out of the jail

because I was gonna say sometimes you realize as well because I have sisters and you realize afterwards that you know when the sisters fought for the men, you know we is that we have our flat so we have it's the sisters who come to live with us. You know, it's the woman who comes to the that act of the woman coming to live with you means that she's already taken the step where she's almost put herself at your mercy. Yes, yeah. She says she's agreed to be like guardianship was transferred in you. Just transferred man and she's worried what she wants more than anything else. Is to be valued. A woman will will support her husband provided the husband she feels that she is valued by

the husband. The reason women worry about marriage is because they

Like the husband is going to trample all over them, you know, cook fully woman's clean.

And in my mind you and you know, on to that point is that I feel sometimes I'm actually not doing enough to help my wife a panel around the house even though a simple reminder. Hey, don't forget, you know, when you get a chance I had to go. I wasn't feeling well yeah. Just don't forget the dishes or just you know helped me clean around the house because we forget the double and triple jobs that they're doing just to bring up our children our offsprings? Yeah, no, no. And then we pile everything on top. And the you mentioned the word earlier, you said that impact word. So we got to take that, you know, I look at marriages or ROI we look at as a return on investment, but we're

gonna call it return on impact.

There's also a point one of the things that changed my perspective on marriage that encouraged me to get married young as well was, there's a and the quote and what Allah says he puts more drama between husband and wife. And the reason that stopped me was because I read and I said, Wait a minute. So that means that I can be in a marriage and there'll be periods where I don't love my wife. Because Allah has put my word that Rama means he can take away more.

And then you see in another place where he says, even if you hate your wife don't oppress her. So implying that love will go and you're married man, you know, love goes up and it goes down. And that's why when we mentioned earlier about those who marry for the dean, because when that love has those periods where perhaps sometimes it vanishes, and somebody put it to me quite quietly, he said, If your wife loves you, she'll look after you but if she doesn't love you, she still look after you because she loves Hola, amigo.

And I give you just a classic example. Then she had done you know this and you will know, because you travel a lot as well. Let's be brutally honest. Like, I'll be honest, I told my wife last night, she said, how was it? I told her Samia to be honest. It's lonely in the hotel room by myself. I'm far away from home. I want to see Selma my daughter I want to see so a man, you assume I want to go to a crowd, the crowds, they come in droves, and each one is looking you're looking for an answer. And I'm just go from Wembley, who get So may Allah come a bit. When your wife tells you on the phone, send me a Dropbox to say hamdulillah Allah gave me this opportunity that Allah bless you

don't worry about things here. I've got all sorted. I've got that reassurance. You know, the feelings, that's reinvigoration that it gives me it doesn't make me less of a man. The reason that I'm a man for it is because I accept that my wife is not an addition in my life. She's a pillar in my life. And because she feels valued, she acts accordingly. Inspiration. Yeah. And I tell a lot of people I said the only reason why I'm able to do everything I'm doing is because I got the supporting cast. Yeah, inspiration. Well, I laid piccolo Oberlin.

Right, so that's all right. But But how in the world? Did we transition from politics to what's your marriage?

Because marriage is no no. The gentleman Okay. Give me give an example. So you know, as, as happens in marriages, semi has an answer for that one, too. Sometimes, sometimes you fight with your partner, somebody will fight with life and some people have different ways of expressing anger, my anger is keep quiet and just walk out the door because it's better than saying something you know, you go you've got to deal with something so stupid. You know something so silly. We argued about it. And this is where friends you know, an MA O Allah, Dini Khalili man is on the religion of his companions. I have a friend of mine who has been my friend since the university days you would mean

taking Sahaba Yeah, have Nigerian brother one day I sat with him in the car after argue with my wife. And I said to him, do you know what it is? Like? I feel like I'm going through those periods where the love has sort of vanished and that kind of stuff. You know, we're fighting over little things here and there, you know sometimes, and you listen to before I will be complaining. Then he said to me in his words, because he when you come home do you ever find like the meal is not cooked? I said no, never. He said your daughter Selma, her Quran? How much how much how much of it is what you taught? I said 99% is what so many are taught

when somebody goes to school how does she do she doing very well would you say she's well looked after as well of that. How is your wife's ratio with your mother? I said they talk and they always together and she shows you really well. And he said that when you have like an interview stuff for that kind of that what's her reaction? I said she rushes with the same passion and she gets she tells me wear this suit wear this color wear this style bro fill Allah He said Allah He was wrong with you. Like why why is he come blind? What and I went

I wanted to hear but I'll take what you're right. And you go back with a different face though. He said why do you know he's come back with a different face? A different face and you realize that the kindness sometimes don't even say sorry to your partner. You just said your journal movie. Yeah.

I accepted it. But that but but this is politics. It applies even between states. You know when the process Selim says extra selama been awesome. Switzerland. We will talk I was saying earlier in the call when Martin was bringing me and I said he said what's the difference sometimes between UK and US? I said when I was in LA people were like, Hey, how are you? Good morning. What a Whoa, English are quite cold. Yeah. But you realize because processes Salah misses when you look at somebody across the street, you're just eyeing each other. As he said when he comes salah. Oh, here's one of us. We're good. And you see it when you walk into a room you shake up the leg when you walk in when

I walk into yaki and Sam, you do what you do, Sammy, give Holly even the beginning of the intro. You know you did

it

You fuzzy inside, as any brother that why because it's politics, you've gone above and beyond to make me feel that way, which leads to a response in which I'm prepared to go above and beyond that's politic. That's why I brought it back to the marriage, in that if you invest in the marriage, even when it's hard, you will get and that's why now hamdulillah been married for 1314 years National, let alone robotic, even when times are tough. You sit there and I built my life with somebody and I built my life. This is what I meant earlier, when I tell people marry young, build your fortress first. Because when you go through the experiences, when you look back, she's part of every

experience, the hard times the tough times, such that you leave no room to imagine a life without her. So that even when you're moving forward, you think I can't move forward in life without this beloved wife of mine. So even when that period where you feel like you don't love her as much the respect leads to the love again. And now and and this is where I finish on this point. You realize that there was a love that you thought was the correct love. But there's it's you know, it is what it's a different type of way. You can't be without that person. Yeah, because they've been there through so much. And I think that's the mode that Allah talked about. And when you feel it, you say

hamdulillah No, no, definitely. No, that's that's that's Hanalei so beautiful, because that's what helps make you a man and modular man in a particular customized way with her in particular, right, that expression of love and that expression of, of wanting to serve, you know, and that's where it kind of transitioning over to, to when we look at politics, like how you will eat mashallah, how long have you been involved in the humanitarian work have gone on?

Almost a 17 years law, he'd been dealing with so many people. So what have you learned with like, Prince Prince is in politics? Yes. If we're looking on the general level, because when we think politics, we're think of nations dealing with nations and but mashallah, the general the generalization that you gave gave, it is so beautiful and important for you, when you're involved in politics and dealing with different people in organizations and networking, which I think a lot is really blessed. You and Michelle, are your connector in the book of the tipping point? You know, you're a connector, Michela? What have you seen? And how does that make you connect with your

purpose of the law subhanaw taala. As a man, you know, it's all about going back. And you know, the numbers I sent him was amazing. He used to speak to people at different levels, you speak with the higher ups in their higher up in very prestigious one stock to other individuals at their levels. And I think that's where you read the person. And you figure out what what approach which avenue you want. And I tell people sometimes just dropped me in the middle of the room, give me about an hour, irrespective of how many people are there, I'll try to figure out and talk to every single person in that room. Okay, but of course, have you made mistakes in that? Absolutely. Because that's where

you'll find sometimes with men, when they're trying to when they're growing up, you know, that they make the mistakes? And then they give up? Yeah, no, this is this is this is the, this the internal battle, right? You got to learn to see what you're good at, and what you're not good at. And I try to like, you know, they end up in leadership, right? They teach you just focus on the, you should focus on your strengths. Because if you keep trying to focus on your weaknesses, you're not really going to get far because you're gonna dump all your time in that, while you're focusing on your strengths. And you're, we're good, and especially in the philanthropy world. Yeah. And, and helping

people globally and irrespective, you know, when the time the tough times that we're in now, you know, we learn about different opportunities in different communities and with different people, you know, you never know who you ever spoke to, that you helped inspire for them to become the next beautiful leader of the I remember SubhanAllah. I'll give you an example of the sister that she was an MIT I was given a HIPAA Subhanallah, maybe, probably

12 years ago, then she was actually an undergrad there. 12 years later, she becomes a manager at Islamic Relief. And she said, if you if you never came to our school and spoke to us, in the college days, and you knew we were poor and broke, and you didn't inspire us, and you didn't speak to us on our level, and you didn't forget about us, and there was no I had no interest in serving Allah subhanaw taala in this capacity, wow. Subhan Allah and that's the thing. I mean, the we talked about earlier boldness, and having impact on people.

Supine last Saturday, I mean, seeing right now, when you're in the political sphere, I mean, the more general mainstream political sphere, it's upon Allah bless you to come on, come on the scene or come at a particular time I've done if it's a blessing, but

we got to hang out with you. Yeah.

I mean, it was funny, because when I first saw you was it was it coincided with a verse well, as I'm gonna call him, is Attila hmm, right? And I said, do not let their statements sat in you. For verily the grace gracious for us with the magnificence is for Allah all of it is for Allah. And I remember you said that more than one time when people would thank you, you introduce that you say that is the greatest for Allah Subhan Allah, Allah is for Allah, that impact has it plays a role in the lives of many people that are seeing you and that are watching you. Connecting that? What do you do as far as making sure that me being involved in politics, because let's be honest, you're going to say certain

things that are not going to police certain people. Yeah. So as a man, you have to have that level of integrity.

To be bold enough to go and say something that you know is right, and coincides with your purpose. But in the process of that you're going to displease certain people. Let's take us, give us a small journey through that, like when you started to get involved in the now what's happening with us and may Allah protect our brothers and sisters and and nourish them with Amen. I mean, I mean, when you started to speak out, and I don't want us to speak out when you start to speak that which is true about what's going on, and then analyze politically what you think may take place from what has happened in the past, what have you seen with the results in that in regards to human beings in

general, but the Muslims in specific, first of all, it's important to stress that, you know, everybody who goes through life will have this will say the same thing that life doesn't pan out the way you planned it when you were 16 Or when you were 17. Okay, and a lot of it you feel like you're stumbling through life and I think this is a messy because in itself, it's a recognition that you plan but Allah is the best of planners and Allah since situations that guides us if you told me two months ago that I'd be watching a guy watch on videos on Instagram and the like that I'd be sitting with him here in in Dallas, I'd have told you, You're a madman, I'm not going to Dallas, why would I

go all the way to the America and I've got football on a Sunday, you know, we got football on Sunday.

But honestly, like it shows you that even now like even as I'm going forward, Allah is still opening doors that I didn't think were going to be open. The reason why I start with that is, is because a lot of the times is when it comes to the political analysis in and of itself. There was a period where you know, the videos about what's happening in Saudi Arabia, what's happening these places, you know, some of them went viral or the like some Muslims didn't want to believe what's happening in Saudi Arabia. And you feel that isolation, you feel those those closing you feel like homeless people don't want to sit and have coffee with you, you know, because they want to do I'm gonna they

want to do hedge. They're a bit concerned. And I remember even when I was invited to mass LA, they said, Yeah, you've been invited, sent the invitation. And the night before I didn't even pack my bags, like we didn't, because I was certainly we're gonna withdraw the invitation. I said, they're not seeing the videos of Saudi Arabia. But Subhanallah not only did they invite me, but my wife said, You see, all this belongs to Allah Subhana. Allah, Allah opens the doors, you're sitting there, and I'm giving an example. There's just a few weeks back to show you that even now Allah has to show an example, in terms of dealing with saying things that might displease the people. I think

that one of the things that's worth noting is that everybody has a certain set of skills and talents in certain environments that when they deploy, they are effective. But the reason Allah has did has done that is to ensure that nobody has all the talents that a human has, which means we rely on each other. And I'll give you a classic example. One day, I sat depressed in my house for about three months. And my wife said to me, why you sitting down so depressed, I told her, I'm a man of fitna, she said, What do you mean? I said, all my stuff is politics. And politics has always fitna, and I see this and I get lambasted here. I see this I get lambasted here. I see this I get lambasted it I

get it. Okay, I feel I'm doing the hack. But it's hard. Like she said, You keep talking about people reconnecting memories with like, why don't we also do like travel guides like you know, like to take people and travel and explore the world. So anyway, it developed we have this hello travel guide, and we take people to different destinations. The reason why I mentioned that is Look how Allah alters your perspective from places that you never thought of. So my wife said, This is my version of jihad and I'm going to with the halal with tribal guy, and one day we're talking to this Ministry of Tourism in one of the countries and they are saying things like, we are introducing a halal week

in Korea. Why are you interested in Halal week? Is the government subsidizing Halal meats in Korean restaurants in Seoul? Why are they doing this because we calculated that November is when Muslims rushed to Korea. And I sit there going So wait a minute, Muslims are like the one Muslims go to countries in force, they can force these industrial changes or that so you start learning these things and you start seeing Wait a minute, there are possibilities everywhere. I don't need to go full on here. I can go softly here and bring this person and push on this avenue push this lever push this lever apply pressure here. Some people are like we should be doing more to speaker so you

don't have to fight every single battle. I fight this battle you fight that battle will complementing each other and the right flank to the left flank. We leave other people for that center flag. And the reason that applies back to the political analysis is is that when you go back to reading the seat of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you start realizing that one when he was in Mecca, 13 years giving dower Allah gives them no power over Quraysh even at the end of the 13 years, Allah doesn't give him power over Korea. She doesn't have to leave America and the process and it makes that heartbreaking statement. Wallah he you are a humble you are the

dearest land to me. And if your people have not driven me out of you, I would have never left you. You can feel the pain in the tears as he's leaving Mecca going to yesterday. Battle of better as he's marching out, he has to look back people forget they skip this and this here is just a sentence they read over. The Prophet looks back and says Ushiro Allah to answer advise me and said Mohammed says the other line who says as if you're talking to us here rasool Allah, the Prophet salallahu Salam is looking for reassurance. You know, the Imams who are leading from the front, the activist leading from the front. They are sometimes when they seek reassurance, the community says go first

and let's see what you do first. Here's the Prophet Muhammad said I'm seeking Ruch, I read it I said Subhan Allah, let me message almost Soloman and you

So coffee and these are it and tell them go go I'm with you you know maybe they need to hear it as well for you read it and that's how you interpret trends of the politics you go to the hood they ended up losing through Kyla didn't win either. But Allah says in the Quran well counter fervent rally they'll call be love for them and how like if you are tough and hard on them, they'll vanish so I'm thinking wait a minute, the Imam made a mistake the brother made a mistake I made a mistake analysis but here's Allah telling me don't be harsh and he says first one was tough Allah home will share with home Phil amor forgive them. And we sometimes say we forgive but I never forget like but

these are forgive forget and bring them back into consultation VEDA Assumpta photochem Allah and don't worry that if they do damage again, because put your trust in me are preventing you go to handwork process Selim has no plan to resist the hazard. You know, when we talk he said we don't know what to do admit to this pressure. That's honest, he has no plan to resist the hazard. So men and fairies he tells him dig the trench but when he's digging the trench, they have no plan as to how they're going to get rid of ZURB who've gathered against Medina and it's no iman who comes to Him randomly out of nowhere and says You were saying something popped out of nowhere I like I hope I

am environment where I come in and say guys, this is what you can do. You know for the sake of Godzilla kind of know Amen comes in which was an apple Sofia Anahata fan, and they end up retreating. I read that I think, okay, I don't need to know the process forward. I just need to keep going. I need to dig my trench. I need to make sure I'm mobilizing and I'm active and the opportunity will show itself tritium today we're talking leadership being a man right? Tricky for De Beer, honorable Hatha Rossano, openly protests against the signing of the treaty. Sahaba refused to do the sacrifice, because they're so angry that the Prophet Muhammad SAW Selim, and the process

Salem, and this is where you go into the marriage. He's in his tent, he has no idea how he's going to convince Sahaba to follow him. And it's his beloved wife, who says to him, go out and sacrifice first lead from the front, they will follow you. So you read all of that. And then you come to a situation like us with Philistine and Reza. And you start saying, okay, processing them didn't know about zip, but that didn't stop him digging the trench. Let me go and talk to some of these institutions, and have a strategy meeting and see what what what can we do Sahaba they refuse to sacrifice because they weren't happy with the treaty or they be? Let me go and tell them guys, you

may not like the situation as it is now. Or the candidates that are available to you or moving forward. You may not like it, but guys, I'm going to go for because I believe this is the way forward at least trust me and follow me in terms of moving for you start seeing how the Sierra becomes a political book. And even when the process finally enters Mecca, and here's the point I want to make him in that you know, sometimes Muslims we love to read air yet and we think we understand them but subconsciously we don't and I give an example. Allah says woman asked an Oklahoma Danielle Allah wa Mila, Salah, hypokalemia and Muslimeen. And we said, a very happy the

best speech is one who calls to Allah and does good deeds and says I am from the Muslims. A lot of humanitarian workers see this as well. I'm not saying anything is true.

I didn't realize and this is the point I'm saying where you always learn again, you're stumbling through life. When I was in mass la last month, they did the intro where they read this A and A afterwards and suddenly it clicked in my head because they afterwards says, well, it just they would have sent it to what I say, yeah, it fallibility here as an eternity beta carabiner or delta, I know what you mean. I said, Wait a minute. So that a comes straight after dower it's the good deeds and the bad deeds are not equal. So when you're talking to the other side, if they are bad to you, we don't be bad to them, we stay good to them. And Allah tells you when to apply that he says when

there is even if there is an enmity between you and the other side, tomorrow, they may become your warmest ally. So what I'm looking at first thing is listen, everybody's shouting us down, although Allah has said that the dour is not in nice, peaceful environments. It's also in environments where you're talking to someone that you enemy today, and Allah will make them your ally. But it's the last point I want to focus on. When are you La Casa La La Vina Cebu. So Allah has told you somebody here is not to sit and do nothing. Somebody is that will mean Sheikh Abdullah and yourself are sitting here. And we don't know the outcome. We don't know what's on the other side. Allah is

saying, show somebody in the process, and the opportunity will come show somebody in the mobilization and I will open the door, even if you can't see it. And then when you go back to political analysis afterwards, you start, like I said earlier, when you deal with the State Department, and the diplomats are asking you about what's happening in the Middle East, when you've been brought up to be taught that they know everything, you start saying wait a minute, the almost a week there but the almost just under a under this illusion under the radar. And if the OMA moves here and hear and the little bit here, they can actually make the difference. They have agency, and

we've only come to that realization she had really for me, it was like a eureka moment. It was like, Hey, by the law, we can do it and we'll labor the law. Kamala Harris did a video where she's announcing a counter Islamophobia initiative. So what semi She's scared of you. She's recognizing a power that you have that you can deploy. Biden is saying Trump is going to do the Muslim ban. Also what?

Why would he stop

I was pretty scared, you know, suddenly it clicks in your mind one by one. And that's and that's the point I wanted to make him. That's when when you go back, and this is where, you know, it breaks my heart because it makes me realize how horrible you are as a human being without realizing that you keep saying that Allah has Almighty and Allah is so great and Allah is always in control, but you never truly believed it. And the proof is that even at even in your 30s, you're still having these eureka moments where if you truly believe that Allah was always in control, it will didn't need to be a eureka moment, he will always believe the law was there and, and that's why I'm happy that

Allah is merciful. I'm happy that Allah's merciful, and he's teaching us these lessons in this way now. And that realisation is so important Subhanallah that you're talking about those eureka moments, and it kind of puts you in check and remind you of the greatness of him in the manifestation of all of his beautiful names and attributes. But when you're talking about these different situations in the Sierra, it just you're talking about, yeah, birds, Allah wake up, you gotta see this

man, and all of a sudden, he just says that, yeah, oh, man, move, move, move, like, do something, do something, get up an act. And that's what I was talking about being bold. And I think that's what was felt. And what is felt when people watch your presentation, and you're someone you know, subhanAllah with a man as far as even in your work will lead, you know, you have there has to be a level of competence, competence, and confidence. At the same time, you can be confident, confident, but may not know or may not have knowledge. But when you have knowledge, you're competent, and you're confident, this is what will make the Muslim man shine and thrive and have a rippling effect

on people around us. On top of that a lot of times, you know, when we're usually when we go just in attendance, I usually attend, like almost every event out there.

Just because I want to also see where the where the almost, yeah, what can be and where we can help and we don't need to be on the payroll to go help people out, right? So a lot of times, you know, we'll even go when, you know, when we tend to invent and we'll see even the the community struggling to raise the funds. It bothers me. So I'll go up, I say if you don't mind, I want to make sure we hit our goals tonight. Michelle, are you gonna make sure, and then you know, because because we have to, we have to because that that success is our success. You know, at the same time, we got to always see the Muslims at its finest. You know, sometimes when people are very critical about our

work, and we're the most critical people about our own work, not the outside community. Yeah, because it's the internal politics that used to hurt us, or the external. So if we clean that up a little bit, we're gonna put ourselves in a better situation where you make a good point on that. And this is this is one of those fundamental points about the whole concept of what you started with, what it means to be a man as a Muslim. As soon as you say that sentence, everybody imagines strength, but the reason what, what affected my perception of a man and why like it used to throw me I used to sit late at night and be like, I'm trying to reconcile it. When we say being a man, we

think big muscles, big strength and like and then you read the Hadith of the Prophet Selim said, The Strongest Man is not the one who's strongest physically is the one who's able to control his particular anger. I see the Prophet SAW Selim coming to Nigeria, to Thailand. And he's and he's, you know, cowering, and Khadija has to cover him, you know, just to reinforce him. I see the process of selling, like I said, in these battles, doesn't have the clear strategy, how to resist them, but he still keeps going. I see that a man is not just about strength, as much as is also about his ability to demonstrate the kindness and the gentleness and the softness and that's not weakness, that

strength when the Prophet has a Selim enters Mecca, and shows such a formidable capacity to look at Hynde who had mutilated the body of his uncle Hamza on the line, to look at her and say, I forgive you. I don't know if in 99% of Muslim individuals would be able to do that. The Prophet SAW Selim in his rift in the kindness that he showed, he gave a door for Amro blondes to carry Islam to Egypt. He gave a door for how to do more lead to carry Islam to Syria. He gave a door for honorable Hatha who used to beat up his sister for the Quran to come and become El Faro, in the kindness. That is strength. And that's what I think if the Muslims don't appreciate that kindness is strengthened and

they will never be a man if as long as you believe that kindness is weakness, and that's why this is what you remind him of the A it came from what you said, when you say you know, sometimes we're tough on ourselves. Allah says that the believers are issued debt or a local failure or Hormel bainham actually do a local fire knowing that they are tough on this believers but tough on repression tough on oppression, suffering in the battle Muslims are fierce but between themselves they are gentle. When we're in the fight. We're in the midst we're in the political debate. When we're on Sky News or Piers Morgan or this kind of we are facing the battle. We are competent in the

battle we are tough but you had done a you know it and you know it as well. When you've been on the road when you've gotten and you've told the Muslims you're able to Lahoma move when you walk through your front door at home, your reaction is not you know, like your action is you hang out outside you know you hang your jacket and then your wife will tell you how is you honestly

because in front of her, you can do that. You know like and she comes in she restores your energy that doesn't make you less of a man in

That's the man, the man who has the capacity to allow the others to recharge him. And that's why I think that the beauty of Sahaba is not just Sahaba themselves. The beauty is that the Allah subhanaw taala reinforced his beloved prophet with people who had the talents to carry his message after he died to the four corners, even to Dallas, the middle of nowhere on the map. So you know, we talk about the politics we talk about, even leading in different capacities in ma'am level and an intellect and whatnot and even philanthropy world, it's not for everybody. At the same time, you know, Allah subhanaw taala, select certain individuals to do this type of work. And I tell people,

if you have Allah give you a God given talents, use it. Because we ask Allah Subhana Allah to continue to use us and not replace us. Right? And it's really scary sometimes. And sometimes, you know, you know, I know you're ahead of you lead the reverts in the European National Institute, like the research and the support over there. And subhanAllah when a new person comes into Islam,

I actually start getting worried I say, I hope that that person is not going to come replace me, right? So I started getting I gotta work harder. I gotta figure out what my next purpose is. I gotta make sure I get it together. Push, you know, so we got to always understand what our What are why is what are the purpose? Yeah, you know, because yes, being bold and, and courageous and forthcoming and whatnot. But same time, if we don't express ourselves in the best way, shape or form, we're not expressing ourselves as true most, no less true, but when

you hit the nail on the head, but also for those listening who might say in response to what you said, How do I discover my why we discovered my wife by asking Allah what your why is, I remember as a teenager, and I'll be honest with you, I used to say it without without, I understood what I was saying, but didn't know how it manifests. So you know, for example, you know, you'd be like, I used to see an alarm or Jandy Menara tunnel Islam, Allah make me like a minaret, you know, like, a mana for Islam as a 1415 and 16 year old you know, and you'd be like Allah Geminis I don't know how Allah and Chinese Sultana mobila Give me like a standard power that I can use. I didn't know how it would

manifest I thought it was laws and I change your mind political risk. Then it was like, Oh, is it on the media? Is it on? This is a Allah makes you stumbled through life. But it's this concept of why. And that's why I think that when many people get stuck on this, on the concept of why I think a lot of it has to do with this idea of positioning yourself within Allah's plan and acknowledging that Allah's plan would be the best plan for you. And I think you hit the nail on the head where you say, you don't want Allah to replace you. That's why I think the best do it is not the Allah make me the one who delivers the outcome, Allah let me be the vehicle to try to bring about that outcome. And

that's why when you mentioned earlier, and to be honest, I get when people start, they say, Sam, you've done this, Sam, you've done that, Sam, you've done this, but the reason I used to think that when I heard it, I'd be happy. The reason it evokes terror is because when you read sort of thought that and you read that area, mankind you realize that a fella says to Jimmy, it's an unqualified area, there's no qualification. It's Allah saying those who seek glory let them know all glory belongs to Allah subhanaw taala and the terror is ya allah though they are saying Sammy, I know it's from you. Allah though they are saying Sammy this hola hola. I know, you put me in this position.

And you gave me the honor being the vehicle Hola. They said that not me. Hola. I'm innocent of what they say. Hola. I'm just celebrating me that you at least you gave me an honor that my voice was heard. When once upon a time I used to sit on the couch and wish I could be just the vehicle. And when you realize that you're satisfied with that, the irony, not the irony. But sort of the strange thing about Islam is the moment you submit yourself wholeheartedly to Allah, the heavens open up and suddenly start pouring on you Subhanallah and the moment you arrogantly believe you're doing a favor for Allah, that's when the doors start closing. And that's why I loved Muhammad SS quote that I read

at 18 years of age, that became the mantra that at least I always tried to remind myself with. It's not Muslims that make Islam great. It's Islam that makes the Muslims great. When Muslims allow Islam to elevate them, they become part but when Muslims believe they're doing the favor for Islam, Allah humiliates them for Allah doesn't need you, you need Allah and that's why the story of universalism is so terrifying. A prophet who goes to his people gets frustrated and leaves as these guys aren't worth it get swallowed by well, when he comes back, Allah doesn't Allah destroy the people of who people of Salah people of Midian he destroyed the people of New Hollister. But he didn't destroy the

people of Yunus even though they refuse to listen to him. I think they're the only people Allah doesn't destroy even though they don't listen to their Prophet because Allah was sending a message to us and the prophet by saying, You're a bad Allah, I don't need you. I'm giving you the chance to choose for the honor to be a vehicle in delivering the outcome. And if you decide to reject it, I can replace you and other people. And that's what I mean your heart suddenly goes Allahumma la ilaha illa and a shadow Allah Allah Antoinette Muhammad, Abdullah Sulak and Allah I'm honored that you've elevated me in the status and I know that to keep it I need to pray to continue being a vehicle I

mean, you always allow us to be a vehicle two months ago I was sitting at home saying you know what, somewhere I think all those been sent man videos and you know, all these politics videos and the like, I

Carla's I'm destined to be isolated sit in my living room, she told me BYU is a statement of offer. Don't be like that. That's an Subhanallah I find myself starting to shut down worthless, no SubhanAllah. And it shows you that Allah truly opens to those men how to lead.

And what and this is the point I want to finish here is that there is I want to say to those who are listening, that you may think that you will arrive to a point in life where you have it all figured out. You won't even until your deathbed you won't. And that's why Allah may trust in Him so important in that no matter where you are in life, trust in Him. If you fight with somebody, you can make it do and say Allah ease his heart so that he forgives me for Allah intervenes in these things, but you have to believe that he intervenes in these things. And I love that Allah does so and and I said that to shutdown. And yesterday, I said, sometimes, you know, everything's happening so fast.

I'm not sure even my feet are on the ground at the moment, you know, I am forced to be in a situation Allah, you know, don't let me make a mistake. I don't want these hit jobs, like they do another email. So that kind of stuff. But hamdulillah father, you know what FOB he will kill me. And there's no one better than Allah subhanho wa Taala to handle the affairs. Yeah, no doubt about it. I mean, and that's really, you know, at this age that we are now in our 30s and 40s. Really, by the time this time of our life, of understanding purpose, are really just honing in on that and allowing what we do. I mean, this is our responsibility, right? being bold, being courageous, being

confident, being competent, and using it in a way that's beneficial for yourself and for society as the greatest simple example and also the last thing to being grateful as well and being grateful exactly, because we're in a very, we're in tough times and the last panel test people in their own capacity. And I'm I'm grateful to Allah subhanaw taala I know we all are, that, you know, he's not challenging us like he's challenging others, right? Because we will know how we're going to handle it. Right right and being grateful that we're able to service them and serve serve Allah subhanaw taala and being grateful for being Muslim. I think people keep on this point, when sort of na Milan

when Oulu el Bab Gulu, led by by those who know Allah subhanaw taala. When oil and beb are making a DUA, they say the people who will abide by those who ponder the creation of Allah standing, sitting and lying down, and they say Robina Mahalo to hell. But they say Allah we acknowledge only you created this. They are the ones who make the dough out of Bonilla to Lumina by the in Hadith and Allama. Please don't get us out of the deal. After you have guided us. The reason that's terrifying A is if people who are closest to Allah closer than us are making this dua and expressing a terror that Allah will take them out of this Deen. Why is it that I have this arrogance that I assume that

I will always be on the deal? And that's where the gratitude comes in enough to keep it you have to show that gratitude and that's why and even on the point of courage that you mentioned, people assume courage means no fear. Courage means that that despite the fear you keep going on the proof is that sort of power which I listen to sort of Shereena and Ivana recite sorta I just copy, you know, like, I showed him because I love the way like it is just something that shook my heart. Is that more Sally Selim, there's at least three areas where he repeats for Oh Josephine FCIP. For them Musa Carla Rafa a fruitarian or yatra. Musa Elysium says he's scared, despite the fact he's spoken

to Allah subhanaw taala. And that's what I think sometimes in the concept of man, being a man, being a man doesn't mean that you don't feel fear doesn't mean you don't hesitate. It doesn't mean that when you go through tough times, you don't feel like your back is being broken. Some people feel they have to put on a show no, being a man means that even in those times of difficulty, you are aware that Allah can deliver you that Allah can flip hearts, that if your wife is giving you grief over the fact you're broke, Allah can make her heart patient for you. If you ask him to, if you ask and if you show kindness to her, you can win her loyalty. So that one day has happened to me once

upon a time when I didn't have any money in the bank account. My wife realized I wasn't going to football for two months, and I didn't I was I was like, No, I'm proud man stuff Allah. I'm not going to say to her, and one day one law she walked into living room she put 10 pounds in my hand she goes go play football. There's pride between the husband and wife

you know, in that moment, she wanted me in that moment. In that moment, she tamed the lion that's gonna be in that moment. That's gonna be was hers. That's gonna be our part. In that moment, I was you know why? Because she saw it. She identified it. She didn't put me through humiliation of admitting it she literally just went well my husband I care if you knew what

was your take? I promise you I was your ticket. Moments so vividly. Because that's the more I went you know what Alhamdulillah That's the man who I stopped. I don't need to impress. Yeah, my fortress is built the last brick of my fortress is that and that's why when I travel when I go back I feel like I'm going back to my fortress. I feel I enter my gates the gates close behind me and I see my family and they say come what come home let's recharge because you're entering your Jana masala

May Allah spent Allah bless you brothers man, it was a great session. hamdulillah and I think it's important that we listen to this and that we really ponder over it and let it reflect have introspection, see about whatever was talked about how it is in your life, and how to help some making you a better man in living your purpose is everything we're talking about here is manifest of what we're doing in this life to say thank you, Allah. And the more we keep doing that, the more we're humble, and that's really what the humble servant is. And that's really what the Muslim man is to strive to be. Ilia except the US

To me and that worship is done through all of what was in here. So my last month Allah bless you brothers, my last ones I bless you all for tuning in, in The Man Cave to where we talk about mill excellence while being grounded in faith as Salaam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh