Journey To Islam And Seeking Knowledge

So Kareem said, you know, whenever you know Mohammed was early, he was so happy here Jemaine

as the brother stated, there are so many brothers who have the privilege to sit with the shoe and talk to them, but not everybody have that access to them.

Now in this very unique encounter, we will be asking the chef, some

not too personal questions, but some questions inshallah, we will not embarrass our chef, or put it in a tight position. As far as I know, the chef is Allah, Who Naga Hema craft abderrahman has been away from the west since he was 18 years old, or 19 years old. And of course, it's very, very long time experience outside Western society. And this is one of the things inshallah we won't like to know about him. But my first question, which is a thing as everybody's mind is, how did you accept Islam? And what was your first encounter with Islam? And who introduced you told you about Islam

Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah, while al E, wasabi woman, whatever bad

when I first learned about Islam, my first encounter with Islam, and let me go back just for a few few minutes to say, you know that

before Islam I had started

in a life, I guess any

complaint on basketball because I love basketball and playing basketball, it took me to the good basketball courts, which were mostly in African American communities. So when I started to hang out in these places a lot and I was affected by them and their culture, their way of life. And so actually became like, one of them. And during this time,

I got into a lot of bad things.

You know, the everyday life of the ship, I don't know how open I should be, you know, sitting in the masjid, you know, we were sitting in the office might be a little different, but, and there were some things you feel embarrassed about now that we used to do before Islam in jail. Yeah.

different crimes, what have you. And this life, I went really deep into it. And I think maybe the only one here who knows how deep is probably a man, I go very deep into that. And maybe in another episode, if we find the fight, we'll do it. But any. Now I'll just keep it brief.

We know I got into that lifestyle, and I was going down the wrong path. But one of the people who I was if within the the life of crime, his father happened to be Muslim.

So I

were in DC one day, and you know, I saw him listening to tapes of the Quran and following in his his English Koran. So I started asking about Islam. And one of the first questions I had, you know, as a white guy, can I be Muslim, you know, hear about the Nation of Islam, and the white man is the devil and these things, you know, so I didn't really know if I could be Muslim as a as a white person, you know. So I asked him, he explained to me what Islam and and as I was going back to where I live in Virginia, from DC, I read a little bit about the belief of the Muslims and Jesus Christ that is to them. And that was affected by this, any of the, you know, the different, obviously, completely

different than any

of the different differences in belief. But, you know, I left the books on the shelf, I didn't read it for some time. And then I was in a car accident. So also rather long story. And, you know, one day I was sitting in the house, and I remember these books, and this is the the rewired moto sorrow. There's a lot involved here. But you know, you have your lecture coming up. So I'm giving it very, very brief. And I was in the house and I remembered the books that I had about Islam. So there's one book even though a lot of brothers feel it's not a good book for non Muslims. But it was good for me, Islam origin of truth. And I read through it, you know, the most thing that affected me

obviously was the thing of tawheed the difference between Islam and Christianity and the oneness of Allah and Islam in Russia, Muslim between him and a lot more and he's straightforward without you know, having to go to any middleman or you know, like you have a Christianity this affected me greatly, obviously. But one thing that really affected me, which I can say probably now, but it was because then he mentioned something of the sun and Pluto I know that a Muslim does to be a part of a salad. And one of the things he mentioned was that if a Muslim uses the the restroom will say the Canadian

They

learned the Canadian styles out. There, he said that if you go to the restroom that you

did a Muslim, you know, who actually you know, have to close the door and not doing in front of other people. And he would sit down. So so but all my life, I prefer to do this. But as you know, to be a, you know, they're non Muslim men in the West, to not use the bathroom in front of other men or to sit down, it's like a woman. And you know, I but that's what I like to do. But I couldn't tell anybody that obviously, you know, but after the Muslims did this, and effective is fun and a great way. And this is what Muslims don't realize, when I talked before my last lecture about implementing Islam, how it affects the non Muslims, they don't realize this. And I'll tell you interesting story

that he brother is from Saudi Arabia, he went to study in a university and

in the UK,

so they had a place in the university as a small university where they would send their laundry, the woman she would an older lady, she would clean the laundry, she would wash and then iron and send it back to the to the students. So she says she found this one guy, he was the only one who had clean

underwear. And this is something she's been doing for 25 years. And none of the coupon of the non Muslims have clean underwear is something we all know, because they don't have this ninja as we have this ninja.

They weren't taught as our beloved professors and taught us. So she was surprised, you know, she was curious. Because every time this guy never had any of this, she starts to look for him, you know, it's always clean. She was really, you know, shocked. So she asked him, you know, what is this and he explained to her, that I'm a Muslim, and our prophets have listened, and he ordered us. If we want to pray, we have to make a stingy. So we can all be in the purest state, and we have no filter on our clothes, or what have you. And she was affected by soon became Muslim right away. So that most of us don't think about this, this is yes, this has become adults become accustom our culture

to the Muslims, but this everything and affects the non Muslim. So this is affecting me greatly. And I was 18 at the time. You know, a lot of people when you're talking about snap a lot of Westerners, MSA Islamism students, you know, he believes it. But you know, the change is difficult for him. But I didn't have anything to do. I was just, you know, I wasn't going in a good direction anyways, you know,

I didn't have anything to lose, I didn't have a wife who is gonna divorce me and take half of what I own or anything like that. So I have dinner The next day, the next day after the book goes on a Thursday night, I went to Washington, DC. And I went to this Islamic Center after mobile, and I prayed this is this visit we had here pray with us today. I didn't know what I was doing, honestly. But I prayed with the Muslims. And I did my Shahada after Southern mobile. And that was in January, the end of January 1994. And here we are today.

Now and ask you a question in another area.

Who was your first?

My first teacher, my wife, mother, a man she was my first teacher. And the like she was, you know, when I got married, and my wife she is your English is better than what she thinks. But she doesn't. She was she's afraid to speak it. But so when I first got married to my wife,

she wouldn't really speak English to me. And I didn't know an Arabic. So one of us had a break, you know, and I left my country what to learn Arabic, so it was a good opportunity for me. And zone located on she didn't teach me the Sudanese slang. And then she used to teach me the classic Arabic And then she was affected. She would even speak it sometimes to her family, they would laugh, you know, what are you talking about? So she was to be very classic Arabic to me. And that's when I first started learning Arabic was from her. But actually before her, I can say she was the, I guess the main of it. But I also had the famous party in, in Virginia Sheikh Mohammed, all right.

I studied with him a little bit in Virginia, you know, the basic alphabet, and the small soldiers at the end. And in fact, they have what have you. I started there and Virginia, but then my wife, she was the main one when I went to Sudan. And then after that, obviously, any

maybe 100 or more came after her.

And, of course, he went to the University of Medina, somebody

from the university who is the shift that we had.

First of all, you know, when I went to the University, I didn't really realize you know, the importance of having this Shahada certificate what it was and I didn't really care about it. I don't really care if I graduated, I didn't realize that I came to the to look for jobs after I graduate, how important it was and how good a university it was, you know, now when I go online, oh, and I get good job offers all the time. I didn't realize that it wasn't really my goal. But what my goal was was to study outside of the university with dilemma and the classic manner of studying and then universe has said at least have JJ didn't be average in case you know, you need the shadow in the

future, you know, you never know. So I said I just didn't focus enough. My main focus, it was outside of the university. And I guess I could say the ones who affected me mostly, I was affected by them. was basically for mushir.

from them. My main sugar stir is dealt with how many meds have I studied with him, sell them on stock. Now you know the famous one that shipping what they mean to the expiration of 15 volumes.

I studied with him the mutton navigability from the beginning to the end. And the chef is Muhammad Yunus sort of so hey Benny, and he's a teacher in the Prophet's mosque, his chairs in the middle, if any of you have ever been there, he has a, a long, it's not as long as mine but he doesn't have hair on the side too much, which is rather long in the middle white beard wears glasses always wears the white coat is right in the middle of the home, as well as chairs underneath the umbrellas with opening is so he was my main shift. He was my neighbor. So what I did, I got a private lesson with that. And I studied a little bit in the room with him, but most of my time was in the masjid next to

the house. And all the other people saw this and I tried to do what he wouldn't give him the private lesson. So it was me and a brother from Bahrain, which was very good student I was the Barbarian brotherhood also from the student of shipping with a mean Rahim Allah. And we studied with him and he was He's my main chair. Also from my machine I benefited greatly from was Sheikh Mohammed bin Mata Rosario Rahim Allah. And this was a very unique man and it's upon Allah honey, when it comes to the knowledge of God. And this guy memorizes dates, and days from the time we live in another time, anybody who died what year he died when he was born, it was just he was just so incredible in that

in that field, even though he was so strong and Hadeeth heroes those The important thing is what the implementations are when you see the Shabaab memorizes it and he said that's nice, but we want something greater than that as the implementation and what the students to act on what they've learned from that ID. And we study with him not from how do we stay with him Brewster but we're in a different dudes who study a book and dow history books and tarbiyah books, education, and salute characters here are purifier souls is only focused on with him. So I've benefited him greatly. And I didn't know the importance of this man until he died for him a lot of the year before I left,

because when I graduated, do I come back to the west? Do I go to Sudan? I had a job in Saudi Arabia, where did I go. And he was the one I always turned to was like the father figure in my life, you know, so I missed him so much smarter. My mother that last year, I didn't get the chance to another one was a chef

who was the maid of the

army before one of the deans. And

also I learned from him the importance of the serial number, we're not just reading it, but you know, taking the doodles and everyone should benefit from it. And specialization, also the issues of test skier and the sheer creeps to give us a chart

that we would have to do if we wanted to and you'd have your pen you have your paper. Did you get the texture of a ROM not just the selector Gemma, did you make it that day or not?

Did you pray one out of tm a little nuts? Did you read one juice or not? Did you make incur of muker one time in the day or not? Just everything you check it off and you add up the percentage at the end. So it's kind of fun. And he was really getting good and educating us we've benefited a lot from him. And the last one I really benefited from is Shakeology, zaccaria, the former copy of the

the the mustard kooba for nine years until he was stopped obviously by the government then at that time, during the fit that that happened. And he was also if you go back to the must have the old print of the Medina must have. You'll see he is there. He is the president of the legislative committee that reviewed the entire myself. He's originally from Bukhara, and even though he's my chef, and I differ with him a lot of opinions. I learned one great thing from him.

Is that how to respect the opinion of others, you know, because he would come he would come with some weird opinions that we thought it wasn't you know, because a lot of our machines you know, they're from Nigeria from the from this, you know, so his opinion sometimes they'd be a little strange for us. But I learned how to respect the the other scholars who we differ with respect the opinion of others, and how to have an elf when you differ with other Muslims. We learned a lot from him. And the books that we learn with him and he would mostly see the books of shepherds, Nam Tamia. We had a dose every Sunday at his house. He was my neighbor in the neighborhood as well. They ran it

was a neighbor of the mushiya de la that was a blessing from Allah right next to the university. So we study with him and

his

Sharia and we studied with him also with us a lotta Mr. P. for the books of scheffel Islam we benefited greatly I had a whole bunch of privacy with him as well too. And we benefited from them. And also all of these machines if any, especially if my mother and Sophia here they always taught us the importance of going back to the books of the cellophane Elpida and not just you know focus on some of the modern books and even going back to the books like elleebana and Chanel a guy and these books that are you know, you take the with the net of the Arpita you take it from the self directly to have the proper IP either so I'm using my main my main machine can be benefited from obviously

there's other more and then university I can I can mention too. That really affected me and in my study in university one was Sheikh Abdullah Georgia board who taught us RP that he was amazing enough either. And also

the name is Jakob disease is looming. This guy he taught Sera, you know you on the battlefield. When he thought this guy could. He was like a drill sergeant. He would look like a drill

Sorry, you know, and he taught you you know, if you missed the class you would cry, or you cry and you weren't in the class that you need to be like yes and the guy can teach the theater you know, you really felt you know because they know you're on the battlefield you got your sword you ready to go explain it so as a man I love lesson that he was a very he's not that famous now famous guy but the guy can teach he can teach Mashallah. So these really affected me the these teachers.

In this mess in other massages, I see a lot of young people going to the Imams of the massage

and asking them for letter of recommendation for the University of Medina or mancora. Imagine even other places.

I learned that you got your test here from chef Abdulaziz embezzle Rahim Allah,

how did you do it? How did you get your test here?

And

I want to add some more, but I just want to leave it as a shout out to be the last question inshallah. But definitely, shall we do this a shout out tomorrow to learn more about the show. Please tell us how did you get up there as it's been best. It was actually a very interesting story that I went to the share. And I had actually two recommendations from Sudan.

One was from sugar mountain hubbub. And he is from the student of Chevron best as well for me a very, very strong recommendation and the one that I feel I probably don't even deserve, you know, very strong recommendation. And another one was from chef Hussain Ashish, who was the famous karate from Syria, but he lives in Sudan. His second wife is from Sudan, and he has now Sudanese nationality. So he but he told me if you see a person who looks like this, be careful he is this and this and the government's don't give him my desk. If I hurt you, I won't help you. But it's just the chicken. The chicken loves me. But especially about the man above any all of them love them. So I

went with that this guy just I saw what he said. So I put the other one in my pocket.

And I went with the disk he have shared with me.

And I saw the Shere Khan. He was amazing. Amazing. You know, the first time I had seen him in person, it was in his house in Mecca. And actually, the funny thing was that I had traveled to

the Emirates Emirates, I was in Emirates, and we heard the chicken bass was in was in Mecca, and it's my opportunity to give him that this gear, and hopefully you get accepted in the university and in Medina or in Saudi Arabia, and another university. So I went to Mecca, I bought a ticket and I got the visa and I went to Mecca for ombre, I went to the chef's house.

So as I walked in, it was just it was jam packed. Everybody was complaining, I need to get have an operation, I need money. And other guys, I need to bring my wife from my country. The other one his kid is sick. And this person wants that once this. And the chef is on the phone from France with a sister answering her quick question. And then the guy next to him is reading a pile of letters to him. The pile of letters no joke, it was this big, you know, just so huge. Ask him always my time and I'll see here for two weeks. I never get to my letter.

I say okay, you're here, just go ahead and give it to him. You came on this one. So I gave the letter to the

to the guy reading and he put it underneath

as I just said that, you know, the shear got to the point he said now. So the guy pulls the test given the band puts in a tap he said from a Sudan from a show called mile hubco Bismillah R Rahman m redditors gear. They share his face lit up they smile ear to ear he said I know what Where is he? So I came up and I kissed the shake on his head and I said to me I'm here and we started to talk and he was all smiles but her mo la he's like give us how'd you become Muslim this What about your family and this and that and he starts already immediately that this good news? Yep. Do they if he gives you something come back in two weeks and this he starts reading immediately. And he was in the shift

I mentioned for daughter had eaten Mecca. And I told him no, I said I want to go to Medina. So he said okay, so he wrote the chef's Allah Buddha was the woody of the gem at that time, and he wrote the test to him also a very strong recommendation and he told me if it doesn't work out come to reality and study with me and we'll find some I hope you in Arabic and you can study in my lessons other mature and as I got, you know, I went advanced and I wish I took that advice and took it right there. And when study with the chef had not gone to Medina but hamdulillah I said, you know, Allah, also during this time it took you know, anybody who's ever applied to Medina from you know, it

doesn't come out the answer very quickly it comes down, you know, six, seven months later. So, I was waiting, I got another follow up recommendation from the sheriff and went to him to do to make sure and I want this person to get accepted. There were two of them for me I have both of them now. So I got accepted him they learned from from that this year.

Malika follow up minutiae. This is from the natural laws of Hannah Montana. Fortunately we were asked to stop this time. So inshallah we will continue this talk this unit

council delegation

for shelter next time but in the last panel Tato maybe perhaps tomorrow the evening is

certainly my favorite ceremony.