Straight Talk – What You Didn’t Know

Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato. Welcome to another episode of Did you know with shuraim A lot of people to their 100 Allah Allah has honored them with either popularity and unfortunately they have been placed on a pedestal. And guess what, this pedestal no mercy lives there, only the expectation of perfection. But before we begin our session for today, stay tuned and we will be right back

welcome back, my guest for today is none other than woof T is my little minx. Welcome salam ala Hello. Good to have you on the program mashallah Lovely to see you. I'm excited mashallah, you agreed to join us on this program about a coffee only a pleasure. Exactly. laughing I love the sitting in the outdoors. And Mashallah. Thanks so much for coming on board. You know, hamdulillah Jacque, you've been given a lot of talks, you go here you go there. And you have attained a level of popularity that everyone knows you. And there will be time will go out. People want to take a picture. People want to do this with you and a Life Survey. And sometimes I wonder how you cope.

Right. But before we go deep into this conversation for today, tell me how did you become famous? Subhanallah Smilla rahmanir rahim? That's a very interesting question. Because many people don't realize that.

I started years ago, I graduated in 1998 1999. I started working in early 2000. I wasn't on social media at a time when very few scholars were on social media. And I started using it bit by bit. And slowly but surely, we kept we kept going. And I kept a lot of different principles in mind, because it was just after September 11, when things became very nasty, and people were looked at as terrorists, Muslims were being persecuted, they were being harmed. Hate crimes are being committed against Muslims in many countries in the world. And so what happened is, when I started, one of the main aims that I had was to prove to people who hated Islam that Islam is actually a beautiful

religion. And so I kept the consistency, Facebook later on on Twitter. And what I had is a non copyright policy where people could actually post whatever videos they found of mine, I remember the first videos that we had started were actually videos in or were recorded in Cape Town. And mashallah, they were on YouTube. At that time, I didn't have my own channel, but we used to use Sook Islam par excellence a few of the other guys. And I was I didn't really have the time. I was teaching imam in the masjid, I had so many other commitments moved at the head of the Committee of fatwa and guidance, we have a lot of charitable work. So in the country, in Zimbabwe, I was doing a

lot a lot. And at the same time, they were many radio and TV programs that kept, you know, beaming the lectures, they would mail me asking me, Can we use your content because there was very little content? English speaking scholars at the time, I'm talking of 2003, four and five. And it started growing, but they were very few someone from Africa, I think they will, they will be Ahmed Deedat, who is someone who really worked very hard. In fact, I was the one who led the Janaza prayers of Ahmed Deedat in 2005. And I remember he gave me some advice to tell me if you want this work to reach the whole world, don't copyright it, and at the same time, you know, speak to a broad

audience. So Alhamdulillah I followed that guidance and slowly but surely, I became a very popular person today when people look, firstly, they don't know you my age, they don't know when I started. They don't know how hard it was to actually get to where we got to and people just swipe at you they sometimes they attack you they think that you might have been a person who just became famous because of one thing that went viral. Whereas in my case, that's not what happened.

You know, before I began the program, I was talking about how a lot of people who are popular put on a pedestal and on this pedestal no messy lives and no compassion. And you know, we just spoke about how people talk about these and talk about that. And you know those swipe and think that oh, you became popular overnight now knowing that there's a lot of hard work that has gone into this. Tell me how do you deal with so much hate out there because every time there's a video out there, someone is saying something about you someone is saying that someone is saying that you know even the video person love a few days ago about you driving, a lot of people are saying so many stuff. So how do

you cope as a person because I know you're human. You're not? You're not an angel? Obviously, look, I want to tell you I've been grounded with greater beer. I owe it to my parents. I owe it to the surroundings. I owe it to those who brought me up

Greater beer. We are Nobodies, actually. But at the same time we have fear of Allah, we have a deep rooted love and concern for all those whom we found on Earth. We care for them, we we love them, we want goodness for them. We respect them. And we understand that success is in the hands of Allah if Allah wants to give you success, if you asked me years ago that Where do you think you would be in 10 years, I would never be able to guess I didn't even have it in my dreams that we would have achieved what we did. But it's up to Allah. So Allah Who gave it to you can easily take it back. One of the things that I have found is when your grounding is solid, and you have a great character and

conduct from the very beginning, someone has disciplined you. And they have brought you up in in this way unique way. I think what happens there is you don't take people who say negatives against you seriously, because you know, they don't know you. They definitely don't know you. I give you an example.

Sometimes certain clips go viral. They if they are negative the peep, the person who says negative things does not follow you. They haven't seen the other clips, because those clips may not be viral. They haven't gone back and seen they say you don't talk about Palestine. You don't talk about this. You've never done this. I mean, they don't know. I probably have in the case of Palestine, I definitely have. They may have heard one or two things. They might have heard a misconception they might have heard someone talk about me, whose own reputation is actually so terrible that they don't even have the right to talk about someone else. Recently, there was a brother who spoke about me and

really I put it in people said, Why don't you make a video to respond? I said, I don't mind. You know, I mean, I don't mind what he said leave it because if people want to believe him without doing a background check on who he is, then it's their loss. I I can't carry on trying to, you know, tell people Oh, I'm a good guy. I'm a good guy. You either know it or you don't know it. If you don't want to follow please unfollow. There we are. It's as simple as that we will do the work for the sake of Allah. If Allah wants that benefit to reach you, it will reach you if he doesn't want it won't. So if you think I'm a bad and evil guy, it's up to you. I don't think I've ever harmed you. I

don't think I've hurt you. I don't think I've done anything negative against you. And that's it. So those people who think this guy is evil, they should ask themselves, has he hurt me? No, he hasn't, has he? And if I've heard something that he's hurt someone else, I need to verify that because most probably I'm involved in charity in a humongous way. I've supported so many charities and I'm involved with a particular charity Abdullah aid, and mashallah, we've done so much more, not only the charity, but even the work I do back at home. A lot of it is very charitable, we reach out to people we've helped in war zones with humanitarian assistance, obviously, we've helped in areas that

people would never imagine we've helped. And we've empowered people in such a way that Allah knows, and they know. And this is 1000s of people. So I don't mind if, if you don't like me, based on what someone has said about me, what do you think about me? You can fly a kite? That's been my policy from the very beginning? I'm not, I might, I might try to clarify it for you if need be. Otherwise, I won't people say oh, you've never used the term. certain terms on in on online? Well, look, either I haven't you haven't seen them or I haven't for a reason. You got to trust me enough. Regarding that reason, I'm educated. I'm, I fear Allah insha. Allah I, I have quite a bit of Islamic knowledge

in sha Allah, I'm not an angel, like you say, I'm not perfect. As you know, I am open for correction, I will always correct myself. But it doesn't mean that I have not studied what I'm trying to achieve. It may be your brain has not allowed you to reach this type of conclusion. It's okay. I mean, in my case, I've crossed the 10,000 mark, or some time back. What do I mean by 10,000 Mark the number of reverts that that have reverted to Islam based on the effort we've been able to make by the will of Allah. And I stopped counting. And I thought to myself, there's no point counting how many rivets but I want to say it's all because of a strategy. It's all the help of

Allah. It's all because you planned something. You said it in a certain way. You let people come in those who hated Islam, they started saying, well, at least it's not such a bad religion. We used to think it was bad, but it's guys like this who have made us realize that it's not that bad. So if all this has made you popular, you've not compromised the deen. People say oh, you know, scholars for dollars people are making money. If anything, I have contributed more money than I've made. And I when I say that I've made I mean, we haven't made a penny out of the Dow and its effect not out of the Dow not at all. But Subhanallah if people think that it's because that's what they're accustomed

to. They don't have the discipline we've had they don't have the upbringing we've had they don't have the understanding. We've had people want to know how do you earn I don't need to tell you how I earn. Did I steal your money? No. If I didn't, then please stay out of the way. If I stole your money, you can you can talk about it, but I

have not stolen your money. That's the thing. So people want to know, how do you earn? How did you whatever, it's none of your business, if I really would like to tell you it's okay if I don't I'll tell you Listen, brother, I don't need to let you know. I saw I'm not doing anything haram and I didn't do anything to steal from you. So then you have people hating and saying the man is probably eating and stealing and whatever what like it's up to them. Like I say, if anything we have helped and assisted. And that's how it's grown by the will of Allah. And I've been consistent in the method. I've been consistent in what I've said of late we know what's going on. And it's

unacceptable. It's genocide. For me, I would term it a holocaust, in all honesty, because that's what has happened. And it's still happening. And it is shameless, and it is unacceptable. So I have spoken about it more than any other atrocities that have been committed in my life. Because to me, it's the worst thing that's ever happened in front of my own eyes. And it's a cause that is that belongs to the entire deen of Allah subhanahu wata and not just me. So and I've done this for a very long time. It's just become louder right now. So people might be surprised Oh, wow, this is not really the guy's way. Well, there you go. There are certain things that you have to make an

exception for and they it goes if you lose a few friends for that you lose a few people. So what it's okay, it's fine. But I'm not going to stoop to the level of others who are screaming and yelling yet they are not educated Islamically nor are they educated in the understanding of how to spread the deen of Allah nor are they educated in a worldly manner that is that has resulted in their success. So if if anything, I know what I'm doing we have strategy I see people new freshers in the database. When I say freshers I mean, guys who are not yet graduated or just graduated now. And they start swiping so bad in without realizing we were where you where you are now. 30 years

back 30 years back literally 25 years back, you know. And we also were a little bit hard and harsh. And we've come we've learned a lot over time, we are much more accommodating of that which we can accommodate. And we don't just feed everyone and today everyone and we don't just swipe at everyone no matter what we pause we wait we watch we see we study we give people a chance we talk to them, we'll interact with them. And then we go for a person like me to interact with others is very, very important. Others meaning people of different faiths, people of different sects, I will if I believe that my contribution towards them may bring them towards Allah subhanahu wata, it's my duty to

interact with them. So it's not on a level where I'm appeasing. Or I'm actually supporting them. No, I'm giving them the Dawa. I'm, I'm, I'm calling them towards Allah. So as a result of all of this, you will always have 10 million people who love you to bits and 100 people who hate you. That's roughly the ratio, those 100 might be vocal, they might be loud, and so on. It's okay. It's Wallahi it's one of those things. It's one hola Sheikh, this is really amazing. And you know what she just said?

What a lie It's eye opening.

To be honest with you, you know why I say this, many of those who are that isn't in the field like yourself, you will face hate from your own brethren. There are sometimes people who talk about me whom I am surprised that they are saying it because they are supposed to be people whom I have either assisted or helped to, I've never harmed and some people who claim to be close to you, you know, people enjoy. And I've seen this in communities that I've known, I've come across people who pretend that they are your friends, they are your relatives they are so and they enjoy attacking you whenever there is something negative they will forward it to the whole world. You think I don't know

sometimes I get to know but I just say a prayer and I move on. I love it. There's one more that's dropped one more that's dropped, you know, the and I feel sad for them. Because whatever Allah has written for me is going to happen whether you say what you want to you don't say what you want. And what Allah has written for you is happening right now look at the negativity, what answer are you going to give Allah, I spent my time forwarding messages against the chef or that chef, when when there are millions of people whom we have helped by the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala to come on the deen. Because of one or two misconceptions you have about me and you go around spreading it, you

start causing doubt in the hearts of people who are already on the faith, and you don't mind. So that will come at a price that you and your children will pay. And so I just feel sorry for them. And that's why I say people sometimes enjoy attacking a popular man. I remember I was knitting once teaching my daughters how to knit.

I know what I'm doing. There is nothing wrong in teaching your daughters how to knit. I didn't teach my sons how to knit. If you know what my sons know. If you know what my sons have learned, you will be shocked because I can't even talk about it. So to be very fair and honest with you, I have eight daughters and if I was teaching them how to knit, you should thank Allah that at least I'm teaching my daughters how to knit man. And yet I had people whom I thought really I thought these were people who were involved in the Dawa doing their thing they took turns to attack me one after the other and say the nastiest and dirtiest things. I'm not mentioning it because I'm holding it against them

these brothers

As I love them, for the sake of Allah, they are doing some good work, I hope and may Allah grant them further success, but I'm saying it because it was their downfall not mine.

It was their frustration and Wallahi it was if they saw Oh, this when I spoke, for example about wives and there is a clip doing its rounds about oh, if my wife were to tell me to move to the side, I will move to the side and so on, there is a clip. That clip is a short clip that someone cut out of a longer lecture, which was talking about the friends that you have and giving them preference over your spouse after you are married, which is ridiculous. Your first spouse comes before your friends no matter what. So I was just giving an example that they call you a chicken sometimes, because you didn't spend the night with them. You went home at 10 o'clock. What's wrong with them

calling you a chicken if they called me a chicken, I would clap for them. You know, chickens don't crack by the way, but I just said it in by way of giving an example people cut a small clip and they started saying this guy is a simple this guy. Those swear words that you're using against me, they won't bother me they won't affect me. Does it look like for example, it has affected my work? No, it hasn't. If anything, it's it's probably given us greater exposure, but it's affected you your work your brain, your system, your dean, your connection with Allah, your akhira your Janna, your Johanna, everything is affected by those dirty words that you uttered about someone you've never

met. You don't even know you've just seen the other day I saw someone who is who's a convicted murderer speaking and and he was speaking about me saying this guy is is a Zionist and he's a Jewish this and that and whatever. Oh, a lot. I feel sorry for these people. I really feel ashamed that these guys they don't realize it will bother them. You can't say that about someone you don't even know the guy. You've never met him. And I don't think he wants to meet you either. To be honest with you. You've never met him. You haven't breathed the same air you haven't been in the same place he has you don't know a thing about him. You saw one clip and I heard the brother saying, I don't

follow him. I don't listen to him. But I can tell you he's a stray he's come on. You refuted yourself by saying I don't follow him. I don't listen to him. But I heard a short clip, you already refuting yourself. So it means you judge a whole human being by one short clip you heard about him Come on. And this man is supposed to be so intelligent. Some of his work is really good to be honest with you. Although he's a convicted murderer. Whatever might have happened Allah knows best. But someone told me Look, please leave this brother alone. This is his history. If you go to Google and search, you will find history of this brother. So leave him he might be a little bit. I felt no

Wallah, he this is a brother, he's he's ought to be given another chance, no matter who they are. That is me. That is me. If I see a criminal, I would love to see him

being corrected and given another chance after having served whatever sentences he may have. In terms of the legal issue. It's not mine. But in terms of rehabilitating someone I'm there, I visited Correctional Services in prison so many times, to see the inmates to give them hope to give them courage, inmates will come out, we work with some of them to try and re introduce them into society and community. When the world has written off a popular person because of their mistake. I am a person who would like to try to empower them and bring them back. Because I'm not a person who can cancel someone forever. I'm supposed to be. I'm a father, I'm supposed to be a leader. I'm supposed

to be a mentor. If you've made a mistake tomorrow, you might have done something that is a major sin. And the world got to know about it. Because you're a known figure, I want to tell you, I would reach out to you and say Brother, I need I would like to help you. And I would be the one who would say as a son of mine as a as a person who's in the data. I would like to see you come up again. Let's make amends. Let's try let's change your life. Let's do the world is not forgiving, but I'm a person as a leader as a father, I will try with you again and again and again and again until I see you come back because that's what Allah wants from us. Nabina Muhammad wa sallam worked on the

kuffaar and the biggest murderers. He worked on holiday bundle. Willie McGregor who killed so many companions he brought them he became such that you are not allowed to say his name without Radi Allahu Anhu. In terms of respect, that was Khalid who was Omar, who were these people who worked on them, they someone worked on them, that's when they came out. Similarly, even Muslims, if you have your own son on drugs, your own son has done something really bad. Would you just kick him? Would you just say it's the end of the world for him who is there from amongst our scholars who is prepared to specialize and work with those who are downtrodden and cancelled in the world. People

have made the mistake I want to reach out to them a listen, if you need any help, I'm here. You want to talk to someone I'm here only for the sake of Allah not because I'm interested in a woman, not because I'm interested in in something in your money in anything. No. I'm interested in pleasing Allah by reaching out to you, if you and the resources you had and the popularity you had and the power you had in negativity can be used in positivity Wallahi we will succeed. So that's the reason why whether it is Nicki Minaj or whoever else it may be if someone reaches out to me I will be prepared to talk to them. And I and I don't care what the world thinks because you know what? It I'm

not doing it for them. I'm doing it for Allah. And if they think you want this and you want that, trust me, you know what if you look at my family and what Allah has blessed me with

I don't need anybody, you know, in the sense that I remember once there was a woman.

And this is a very, it's a very sad thing. But anyway, there was a woman who was really trying to be serving us on an aircraft. And she was so arrogant, you know? And I told her look, if you are going to behave this way, we've paid for the service. I really don't mean that you. I don't I don't want to be rude to you or mean. But what I would like to let you know is, if you want to try and impress me thinking that I'm going to look at you and think, wow, you know what, what I have at home is far better than anything you can compete with. And Wallah, he, she was embarrassed. Later on, she came and apologized to me. She said, Look, I didn't realize I offended you and so on and I was wrong and

whatever. It's okay. It's okay. But the point I'm raising is, we're not interested in that the people out there who think oh, you're interested in this woman because you commented, and because you didn't because you spoke to her and because you gave her a chance. I'm not interested in the woman I'm interested in Allah. I'm interested in pleasing Allah, I'm interested in empowering her so that we can actually achieve something for the Ummah and even for an individual, if the Hadith says La Nina de Allah who be cara de la noir hit and Pharaoh, look, I mean, how many none? If Allah has used you to guide a single person, it's better for you than the most valuable of the conveyance. At

the time, you know, that man had it's more valuable than what you can imagine. If that's the case, surely, if I'm used to to guide one person, I'm excited whether it's male or female, whoever it is, and I tell you what, a lot of the people who are downtrodden, those are the ones who suffered and come towards Allah. There are people I've known who are very popular, they make mistakes, one or two, when I've reached out to them, they, they've told me Well, Allah He, you're the only person who's come up and shown us that you know what, this is what the deen is all about. Don't worry, you're in your lowest moment, it's not the end of the world come up, Allah will grant you the

goodness. But others, they kick them when they're down. Do you know a lot of the prisons, people accept Islam in the prisons, why they are in their lowest, and the Muslims show care. When you when we visit, for example, a Correctional Service or a prison, and we show them care, and so on, they feel connected, there is a brotherhood there is a bond. And that's the beauty of it. So I know I've spoken a lot, but to be honest with you, it's a topic that is so deep, so deep, that we need to go into it. You cannot just cancel a person. It's very difficult for me to walk out. So many people want to take photos and at the same time a few of them hate you. Look, I was in Medina the other

day, a few days ago. And I'll tell you three students from the university we're walking past in a haram late at night and I was walking around to go and do Salam to the prophets of Salaam. And I thought I saw these three guys. And I knew they looked like olive oil. They had little beards, they were in a haram they were probably going to Makkah.

And you know, I just said Salaam Alaikum. I smiled at them and they must and you know the response they gave me such hateful hurtful words that are don't sell on me and so on and speak the truth and dirty words I don't even want to repeat now. I feel I feel sorry for them. They haven't even started their lives and look at the type of mines they have. They don't even know me, they must have heard the thing or two, I really I hope they hear this and they really seek the forgiveness of Allah for me, I don't hold it against you, I feel sorry for you. I really feel sorry for you. Because you haven't even started you're like you don't even know where we were, where we are, what we do, and so

on. And you must have just heard a few things. I might not be specialized in something you want me to specialize in. But we have, we have hundreds of 1000s of that is we are not specialized in the same thing. I don't need to do exactly what you're doing. You are shooting, you are doing something, I appreciate it. i Every time I'm sure you're a witness, I try my best to empower you even with my own words. Sometimes even if I can say it at a time. I try to even support you financially in order to ensure this is happens. Am I right or wrong? Who would believe this? Who would believe that there was a time when I promised and I pledged and did I fulfill the pledge fulfilled thank you at a time

when you were you know, starting out and we're a bit of a struggle here and so children don't worry, I will give you this every month I will give you something Subhanallah I don't know how it came out here but here it goes. People don't know we have tried to empower as many people as we can. Some we may say some we may not say and here you get you get students guys who are just studying at the university. It is the same university you graduated from or wherever they were from. Allah knows best where they were from but the words you my brother, you are in a haram you are going for Amara you want the forgiveness of Allah you're not ashamed of yourself. Do you not realize your heart is

dirty, filthy. You need to go back and wash your heart my brother, cleanse it against your fellow believers, people who are serving the deen of Allah I told you that, you know Alhamdulillah we've crossed 10,000 And I'm not saying this out of pride, but I'm letting you know we've crossed 10,000 What did you cross? We've crossed 10,000 reverts converts, what do you cross my brother? Do you see? Another thing is I know millions of people have said we've benefited we've benefited So Alhamdulillah I might have a soft approach and hammer. Well it works for some I would expect that after they come closer to Allah they would go for someone who has a slightly harder approach with

perhaps more

depth knowledge on specific subject matter. It doesn't make my work irrelevant.

I am a very important component of the grassroots level in my own circles, according to what Allah has, has blessed me with, I should acknowledge it and thank Allah for it. And at the same time, people want to take photos. So sometimes it's difficult. I know, I like to say while I'm walking, you can take pictures as much as you want. If you're going to stop me, it's going to be a problem. So try not to stop me take pictures as you want. Sometimes people say, Oh, you've taken a picture with this woman, that female, my brother, we are walking past there are men, there are women things, they're right there, sometimes they will snap a shot and so on. Okay, call it my weakness if you

want. And if you don't want, if you really want to find an excuse, you could find it excuse there is no halwa there's always a third, fourth fifth person, there's a crowd it's in, it's in general public, someone wants to just have

a memory of the fact that they met you, they passed by and so on, I would respectfully hold them at a distance and perhaps take a picture not because I love the person, I want to develop a relationship with the person, I'm in touch with the person or even know the person not at all. That's a dirty mind that thinks that we the eye, we've taken millions of pictures, what is it for it's just so that these people feel that you know what, someone whom we've benefited from for a long time, and I've like met them and I have a picture of them. A lot of people tell me, old people have never taken a picture in my life. But I want to take a picture with you and I and I see the uncle is

shaking, he doesn't know how to take a selfie or take it from him and take the selfie for him. Not that I'm any saint. They know that I'm not they know that I've always said when we have the mass, the biggest crowds that I've seen in Dawa in Africa for example, and when we've spoken in those crowds I've said in the crowd and it's online if you want to hear it that I'm a nobody don't think that by you shaking my hand something's going to happen. Don't think that by you taking a picture with me suddenly you're gonna get paradise I am just a human being like you. I've said it, I've clarified it. If you didn't hear it, it's not my fault. Like I say this video we have for example,

this interview, some some clips of it might go viral. Some might not go viral. If a person's heard the viral bit and not the non viral but it doesn't mean we didn't say the rest of the things we said whatever. And if you're prepared to listen to the whole thing you listen to it mashallah we come to Africa Africa is not a joke you know how we struggle traveling from place to place sometimes food sometimes you are sick, you are unwell you have malaria you have diarrhea you have whatever else you have weakness fatigue so many other things the weather the sweating, the the flights, the cancellations, the delays the change of this the change of that people whatever so much we endure it

for the sake of Allah and for the sake of the doubt people think oh, these guys must be sitting calm and relaxing. My man once a year I'd like to go for him or at least with my family who facilitated Did you pay me for it? Did you give me that trip? Did you ever sponsor my entire trip for me and my family? No. So please keep quiet and do your things either make dua for the goodness we're doing and the rest you can do on your own but don't come in.

Don't harm us. If you really care you Tell me brother. I'm gonna buy you a house I'm gonna buy you a car I'm gonna I'm gonna you and your family. One holiday a year will sponsor it to the highest degree that's what's called perhaps I might say oh, mashallah, thank you for thinking about it. We are still waiting. We don't expect it. We don't we don't want it. I'm only giving an example. And then when we do it with our own money, people have a problem. Where did you get the money from? Where did you steal it from? Are you your mind is so data you probably running behind it. I promise you when you work for Allah, Allah opens the doors for you in a way you wouldn't imagine. May Allah

make it easy? I mean, does that color camera shake? Well, this is really, really deep so and I don't even know where to touch the nerve, My Allah bless. Zack like a little lucky, you know, we have love for the entire ummah. And we have love for those who are on the right path. And those who are astray, we have enough love for them to try and work on them to come with our own soft strategy. It's one of the strategies, there are other people who have heard harsh strategies, perhaps the impact also on others, I appreciate them. The other day, I was sitting with my brother Mohammed Pablos, in Madina Munawwara. And I told him, my brother, your approach, and the way you you know,

you he speaks loud, and he hits it to the point in he, he cracks it, he doesn't care. It is a very important approach in the sphere in the field of that way, because it impacts 1000s of people who are only affected by that type of approach. That doesn't cancel my approach, nor does my approach cancel his approach. There's customers for all. And when I say customers, we're talking of those people who are going to be impacted by the data. There are millions of them, your reward is with Allah, you will see the day you go to the Ophira May Allah bless you. I mean, yeah. So you spoke about how you have about, you know, eight daughters, right. And, Michelle, I know you have like a

lot of other sons as well. You know, your kids are also online, they go to see what has happened and like some of it, how do they feel seeing their father been, you know, attached, assaulted, and everyone. Have you ever had this conversation? We have had the conversation a lot of times actually, it's a pity because sometimes we've had to change schools because of attacks of the children. Some of my

older children, we changed schools because of how they were being treated by some people who were really bullying them. And because they were wealthy, they came from wealthier homes, the school didn't really do anything about it. So we changed that we just changed. And we, you know, we adjusted, it affected, obviously, up to today, you do have people like I say, from every million you have maybe from every 10 million, you have 100. But those 100 are a bother, and it becomes louder, because people online are sitting doing nothing. They everyone is a chef today, and they don't realize that you've actually, you know, just sold yourself to a popular person who really doesn't

know and he hasn't even studied. So a guy like me, when the young watch, they say, Oh, this is the guy, they don't even know where you are, where you studied, how old you are, when you studied how you studied because there are others who came far later on who claim that oh, these guys know nothing. It they studied with scholars who were the students, or the students of the students of those who taught us say, it's a crazy thing. No, no problem. But what I say is yes, the family does get affected I remember with my wife, there was a person who kept on messaging her and swearing her and insulting her to she had to close her accounts and so on. And, and they were claiming things,

someone was claiming something and then someone said, we're going to do magic, and we're going to do whatever all sorts and you know, we, we trust in Allah. So there has been a lot that happens on a constant basis. One of my sons told me, I don't want to follow your footsteps, because look at how, how much people say negatives. I said, Well, have you ever seen the positives? Is it Yeah, well, I see the positives, but why should I bother? Well, if you're going to serve society and community, you have to be ready to take flak from the same community. You look at my community in Zimbabwe, i i Don't let me word this in a beautiful way, my own community in Zimbabwe, and even in parts of South

Africa. I don't expect anything from them.

I don't expect them to support me the day that I'm down. I don't expect them to help me the day that I need that help. There are a few people but I still don't expect it from them. If anything, I would expect them to join the bandwagon of negativity. The day the negativity comes, they will gleefully say, wow, look, did you see what happened to me? Did you see what this guy does in my own community would do that? And I would expect it from them. That's why when it happens, I am not surprised.

And why I say this is that's the nature of humankind. They don't appreciate they don't very Filum Rahimullah besides a few. Even those who greet you, they smile at you, they chat with you. They will take a photo with you. They will hug you that day. And negativity comes about they will be the first people to forward it to everybody and to gleefully be excited about it and even tell you behind your back sometimes it's sometimes they might have the courage to let you know that you are a big letdown and a sellout. And so my brother Do you know, we've helped you and your children and sometimes even taught the kids I used to teach at a mother as I taught some of these kids growing up I've had that

I've faced as community members who are pathetic and ridiculous with me, I have something in May known as Wafaa. If you have done good to me today, I will never forget that good until the day I die. I visited India for a day trip part of a day in order to meet eight or 10 laborers who have fed me while I was in Madina Munawwara a few times when I was a student and I went recently visited India The same applies.

I have visited others whom now when I went to Medina I went to visit and a man who's now a very old man, when we needed to make a phone call to receive phones he used to allow us to use his his landline at his shop. And I went to visit him there was a lady who used to feed some of the students I went to visit them elderly, they are old, I go to visit with those are the real people who were there at a time when you were a nobody. They are somebody Subhanallah so I have that habit why I told you at the beginning of this of this interview that we have been brought up with culture with a discipline with morals and values and amazing upbringing. So we don't think cheap of people, we are

people of value, I would give my life to save the lives of others. I would definitely do that. And I would never make me harm you no chance inshallah. No. And if there are some people, a few scholars, two or three scholars whom I would like nothing to do with, I don't hate them. I wouldn't harm them. But I would like nothing to do with them because they have harmed me so many times. I just keep a distance. If I met them Salam aleikum. Wa alaykum wa salam and it stops there. That's it. Somebody you have to protect yourself. Another thing is people sometimes ask you, we need the program. I don't have the time for a program they say oh, now you are too big. Now you are too famous. My mind.

Today someone was asking me in October. We need you on my October 2024 is over. I already have a program in Zanzibar in Sierra Leone. And we there there are so many things happening. I can tell you what's happening in October by the will of Allah. So you say but how could it be over to October 2024. I'm sorry, it is you so I'm very sorry. It is over.

So if you think I'm avoiding or eminent there, and secondly is if I don't want to associate with this particular organization, or I'd like to give preference to another, it's my freedom. I don't need to there are young people who say, No, we'll just one of the men getting for this fundraiser. Maybe I don't want to be a part of that fundraiser because I don't know how and where it's going to be used. And you won't even allow me you might raise 20 million 10 million, 1 million 100,000 20,000. And I don't know a thing about it. And I was involved in fundraising. So it's, I have a right I have I'm a free man, I'm not enslaved. Another thing is, what do you you pay me

nothing, and I don't want to be paid. I come at my own expense. I will visited my people say what does it cost with me? It costs nothing. What does it cost to invite Mufti mink with me, it costs nothing. I come at my own expense, I'll stay at my own expense, if you would like to volunteer to give it to me Alhamdulillah. But I won't ask you a thing. I do it at my own expense. And on top of that, you expect that I owe it to you know, ways, I'm doing more work than you. I'm doing a million times more than you. So don't tell me you're doing nothing. Just because I didn't come to your organization. I couldn't help your organization or you as a person that I'm doing nothing. I'm

helping move way beyond your imagination. We've been into countries we've paid hospital bills of 1000s of people who couldn't pay house. But even here in Nigeria, I'm sure you're aware of that we've provided people with with so much we've now in Reza we've done a lot and mashallah, it's not enough, we still keep on doing and measure through the proper legitimate channels. And we make sure that things are done, I don't need people to come about and cheer me on or off, I don't care who you can think whatever you want, I have an Allah to go back to I'm not going back to you. If I close my eyes, if your life is either going to continue or you will close them to I'm not going back to you.

I'm going back to Allah, I need to please Allah. That's what it's all about. So if you think that I'm a sellout, so be it. So be it SubhanAllah. You know, Sheikh, we've come to the end of this interview below. Before I end this discussion, I will discuss with my friend at the summit who is an expert in AI. And he shouldn't be an AI with your face. And you speaking as they shouldn't watch I will make move to say something different. And automatically it should you say something different. And subhanAllah you know, I wanted to ask you this when you came to Nigeria, because with these you're easily impersonated is the video can go because you don't have copyrights on your videos.

That's number one. So your videos are out there easily so we could impersonate you and say you've said ABC and D How do you deal with this? I do have a level of copyright now in order to save ourselves from things but

I can tell you something. It's very dangerous. People talk to others. They think I know Mufti Menk, you've never spoken to me. I don't know you, you. So who am I speaking to some fraud. If it's not a verified account, then it's not me. And if I would not really be speaking to you from a verified account, unless there's an explanation as to why I'm talking to you and how it got to that point.

I also have a team that now I have a team that deals with my online presence. So some of the team members have certain discretion and certain permissions. So you remember something, if you're talking to me, you need to know who you who you are talking to. And you will be able to tell this is the person, the person, but remember something. We're living in an age of deception. A lot of what you see out there is fake. There's an interview doing its rounds. It's been edited and fake. They've chopped and changed things. There's videos doing the rounds, they're fake, literally fake. There's something about Mr. Murthy doing its rounds, it's fake. Today, someone sent me something about

selling medication. And they were using my voice again. And in order to do in Pakistan, it's a fake. So many things are fake, you have to be alert, you have to know AI is alive. And AI is used for good and bad as well. So they use your voice and they can speak even in a different language as if they were in the program shake. What advice do you have for married men and women out there? That was quite random? Yeah, married men, Mashallah.

I think we need to invest a good piece of advice. We need to invest in our families. Invest in your spouse a lot. time, effort, energy, you know, communication, money as well. Invest in your family members on both sides, husband and wife both ways and invest in your children invest in your parents because that is what is your duty and responsibility you will create a generation that you will be proud of. And Allah Almighty will grant you acceptance. That's a quick piece of advice. Obviously it comes with a touch of Allah and so many other things all it is it's called the deen investment I I don't mean it in you know, devoid of Allah Allah is in the equation always. Does that kind of

finishing. Thank you so much for having me on the show. I love it.

Thank you so much as you all know whenever I interview move to the other two to three questions on Hello ziani His face everything they intend to ask me Allah make it easy as one Allah let's be of those diversify issues. You know don't go around putting

hate our way, you know verify you should before you say things if you're not doing the good work, at least the best you can do to those who are doing the good work is to gag up and keep quiet when you see things that you are not much cleverer about. May Allah make life easy for us until the next episode I leave you on the care of Allah SNA