Shaun King – The single most special place in all of Europe is in the middle of Istanbul Travel

Shaun King
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AI: Summary ©

The speaker discusses their plans for a YouTube channel and past experiences with social media. They also mention their desire to travel to Afghanistan and visit the largest mosque in Afghanistan. They then talk about their plans to see a large mosque and discuss the importance of Islam in society. They also show a video of a Muslim man trying to be a woman and discuss his success in her community and charity.

AI: Summary ©

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			hello, good to see all of you I
		
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			have so much to tell you and I'm
		
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			starting as you may know I've talked about
		
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			this I'm starting for the first time in
		
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			my life to do a YouTube channel where
		
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			you actually see me and if you know
		
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			anything about me personally I'm actually a shy
		
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			person I normally hate to be on camera
		
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			me and my dear brother professor Khalid Beydoun
		
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			both of us would rather not be on
		
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			camera but with all of my platforms being
		
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			penalized or banned or removed it's just caused
		
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			me to rethink something and I had a
		
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			conversation with some Muslim employees at YouTube and
		
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			also at TikTok and both of them spoke
		
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			with me about doing a travel show and
		
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			this was all the way in January and
		
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			when I first heard it I was like,
		
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			what?
		
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			do you know me?
		
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			do you know how serious I am?
		
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			what am I going to look like doing
		
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			a travel show?
		
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			and what I learned I never watch travel
		
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			shows on YouTube what I learned is that
		
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			there's some of the most watched, most engaged
		
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			shows what they told me, they said, Sean
		
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			there are no travel shows from the perspective
		
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			that we think you could bring that was
		
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			almost 7 months ago and I've been thinking
		
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			about it for the past 7 months my
		
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			family is now in Turkey and I am
		
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			in a place I could cry I may
		
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			cry multiple times filming this video one the
		
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			genocide in Gaza has made all of us
		
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			deeply emotional I've been very public about the
		
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			fact that there have been times over these
		
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			past 9 months where I have screamed and
		
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			cried, rolled on the floor and cried I've
		
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			had to go to a bathroom or put
		
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			my face into a pillow so that my
		
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			wife and kids could not hear me and
		
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			so I was already a sensitive man and
		
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			because I'm sensitive, it's why I do the
		
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			work I do but I'm in a place
		
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			here in Istanbul that I feel like Allah
		
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			has knitted my heart to the place where
		
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			I am today and so I actually came
		
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			here first this is my third time here
		
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			in 4 days that's how much, now I'm
		
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			here all by myself it's my third time
		
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			here in 4 days that's how much I
		
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			love it I love this place so much
		
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			I'm about to tell you all about it
		
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			I love this place so much that I'm
		
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			going to try to come here every day
		
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			I'm in Istanbul for the next month we're
		
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			traveling out of Istanbul a few times but
		
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			every day I'm in Istanbul if I can
		
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			be here even just for 5 minutes, I
		
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			will so we're in a place right now
		
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			that may look very festive almost all of
		
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			us who are here are happy in some
		
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			kind of way for a lot of reasons
		
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			but there's something very very special about the
		
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			place that I'm about to show you right
		
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			here, in Istanbul while the city is 99
		
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			% Muslim this is a place where many
		
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			devout Muslims come in a lot of ways
		
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			to to make our own kind of pilgrimage
		
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			because here in Istanbul I've learned so much
		
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			about this just over this past week here
		
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			in Istanbul one of the companions of our
		
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			prophet peace be upon him Abu Ayyub is
		
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			buried here this was his final resting place
		
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			in Istanbul and I was so curious like
		
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			how did this man who was in his
		
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			90s and was a companion of our prophet
		
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			peace be upon him how did he end
		
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			up in Istanbul?
		
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			why is he buried here?
		
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			and my thought was did he die in
		
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			Mecca?
		
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			did he die in Medina?
		
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			and he was moved here?
		
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			no, the story is much more profound than
		
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			that you know, my dear brother my imam,
		
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			Dr. Shadi from New Brunswick Islamic Center back
		
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			in New Jersey I love him so much
		
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			you know, he told me, he said Sean,
		
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			I think where you are I think it's
		
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			the most special place in all of Europe
		
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			it may surprise some of you say, I
		
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			thought you were in Istanbul how could you
		
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			be in Europe?
		
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			well, half of Istanbul is in Europe half
		
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			of Istanbul just the city, half of the
		
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			city is in Europe half of the city
		
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			is in Asia we're on the European side
		
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			right now this is close to where I'm
		
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			staying so it's easy for me to get
		
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			here I love it so much that if
		
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			I could move here, I would if I
		
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			could move to this property, I would that's
		
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			how much I love it in part, if
		
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			you know me I'm a new Muslim we
		
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			became Muslims during Ramadan and so I've only
		
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			been a Muslim if my math is right
		
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			for almost 5 months so I have not
		
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			been able to make hajj I have not
		
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			been able to make umrah and so this
		
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			place is the closest I've been to our
		
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			prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him the brother
		
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			who was buried here Abu Ayub Al Ansari
		
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			was a dear dear companion a part of
		
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			the sahaba of our prophet and I can't
		
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			wait to show you what's here and if
		
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			you know me I'm actually people used to
		
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			know me as the guy on Instagram I'm
		
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			not on Instagram but more than anything else
		
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			I'm a father I'm a husband but I'm
		
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			also a historian, my undergraduate and graduate degrees
		
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			are in history and so when I travel
		
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			and go places a lot of what I
		
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			hope to show you is the history of
		
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			that place I'm also obviously going to be
		
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			talking about the politics of that place and
		
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			I want people to be able to see
		
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			a deeper part of what's going on and
		
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			today I'm going to show you as much
		
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			of it as I can and I really
		
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			want you to learn and understand just how
		
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			beautiful and special this place is so as
		
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			you may know our prophet Muhammad peace be
		
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			upon him he was alive on this earth
		
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			he was never able to step foot here
		
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			in Istanbul and in fact during his lifetime
		
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			this place was not called Istanbul instead it
		
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			was called, do you know?
		
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			it was called Constantinople and he told his
		
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			companions he told the sahaba, he told he
		
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			told the Muslims of the day that one
		
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			day this city, Constantinople it was a prophecy
		
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			that one day this city would be opened
		
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			up to Muslims and indeed it has been
		
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			obviously and the dear brother here Abu Ayub
		
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			I'm going to go in and show you
		
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			all about it let me, I have a
		
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			I'm doing all the filming myself okay and
		
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			so I'm going to turn around and show
		
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			you just what I see I'm in a
		
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			courtyard right now and this is outside of,
		
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			there are just wonderful shops, there's a beautiful
		
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			energy here this is a very Islamic audience
		
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			and crowd because of what this place is,
		
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			there's a beautiful mosque that I'll take us
		
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			to I'll go there to pray here in
		
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			just a few minutes but I want to
		
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			show you, I'm going to show you around
		
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			and show you just how beautiful and special
		
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			this place is again this is my this
		
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			is my third visit and we brought you
		
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			know our whole family is here with us
		
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			and so we brought our daughter our daughter
		
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			Tay who just very recently became a Muslim
		
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			we brought her here yesterday, my wife and
		
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			I were here maybe the day before that
		
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			and I'm going to be able to show
		
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			you his final resting place and I want
		
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			to tell you about Abu Ayub if you
		
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			don't know who Abu Ayub is it was
		
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			Abu Ayub who invited the prophet Muhammad peace
		
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			be upon him into his home in Medina
		
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			it's actually a beautiful story um the prophet
		
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			for all intents and purposes was a refugee,
		
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			he could no longer stay in Mecca Mecca
		
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			was, the people of Mecca at the time
		
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			were were abusive and so many harsh things
		
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			happened to him there and so as he
		
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			went to Medina on a camel as you
		
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			would he said to the people everyone there
		
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			in Medina they welcomed him in so many
		
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			ways everyone wanted him in their home, they
		
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			wanted to host him and host his family
		
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			but the prophet peace be upon him said
		
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			I'll allow Allah to use the camel and
		
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			wherever the camel stops, Allah will choose that
		
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			place to be my home, that's a beautiful
		
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			way to do it, to say no I'm
		
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			not choosing the rich man, I'm not choosing
		
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			the powerful man but I'll use a humble
		
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			camel and Allah will use this camel and
		
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			wherever the camel stops it doesn't matter if
		
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			it's a hut, a tent doesn't matter where
		
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			it is, wherever we are that's where I
		
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			will call my home and the camel indeed
		
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			stopped in front of the home of Abu
		
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			Ayyub and when the camel stopped there Abu
		
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			Ayyub was so touched and so thrilled that
		
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			the prophet of Allah chose to be there
		
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			or that Allah chose the home of Abu
		
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			Ayyub and it's just a powerful thing, he
		
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			was overwhelmed with joy and he welcomed him
		
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			into his home and in about 690 forgive
		
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			me I've done a crash course on Abu
		
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			Ayyub here over the past few days forgive
		
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			me if I have the date not exactly
		
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			correct in about 690 they decided to our
		
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			prophet peace be upon him had already passed
		
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			away but the companions and the Muslims of
		
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			the day wanted to fulfill that prophecy and
		
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			wanted to open up Constantinople to Muslims and
		
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			Abu Ayyub who was in his 90s said
		
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			I want to be on the front lines
		
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			it wasn't that he was a fighter he
		
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			was 90 years old but you have to
		
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			understand Abu Ayyub was one of the few
		
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			people who could say he physically was a
		
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			part of every single battle that our prophet
		
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			peace be upon him was a part of
		
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			and so there was no way that the
		
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			Muslims of the day were going to go
		
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			to Constantinople and he was not going to
		
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			be a part of it even though he
		
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			was in his 90s that courage that bravery,
		
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			it touched me when I think about how
		
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			desperate all of us are to see justice
		
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			happen to Palestine, to Gaza to the West
		
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			Bank, to Jerusalem to all of the land
		
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			may we have the heart, the spirit, the
		
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			energy of Abu Ayyub who even at the
		
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			age of 90 said put me on the
		
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			front lines and that is even this week
		
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			has been my prayer to Allah please show
		
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			me how to be on the front lines
		
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			for our people in Gaza show me how,
		
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			how can I be on, how can you
		
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			who are watching this, how can you be
		
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			on the front lines how can we be
		
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			like Abu Ayyub and Abu Ayyub made that
		
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			trek from Medina all the way to Constantinople
		
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			a very, you know they didn't fly, I
		
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			mean this was a very enormous trek to
		
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			go from Medina to Constantinople after he was
		
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			here we believe for a few months he
		
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			passed away and was buried here and did
		
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			they win that battle no, they didn't in
		
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			fact, they didn't win the battle in 690,
		
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			not in the 700s 800s, 900s, not in
		
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			the year 1000, not in the 1100s 1200s,
		
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			1300s it was all the way in the
		
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			1400s you know 700 years later, 7 centuries
		
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			later that Muslims finally opened up Constantinople and
		
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			Abu Ayyub who passed away in 690, buried
		
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			here, is a testament to the prophecy of
		
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			our prophet Muhammad and the promise of Allah
		
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			that sometimes when Allah makes us a promise
		
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			you physically may not see it with your
		
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			eyes but Abu Ayyub knew it would happen
		
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			and so there's some things that we may
		
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			not get to see but it's still a
		
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			promise, it may not happen right now so
		
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			let me show you there's some beautiful things
		
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			here, some things I had never seen before
		
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			as a new Muslim let me show you,
		
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			for instance I had never seen that we
		
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			could do Wudu outside like this and we
		
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			just found it, this is like an ancient
		
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			Wudu station and you see our dear brother
		
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			here is washing his feet for those of
		
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			you who are not Muslims you may not
		
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			know, but before we pray we wash virtually
		
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			our entire body and there is a private
		
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			Wudu station for women behind me, this is
		
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			right here is a Wudu station for men,
		
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			I was able to wash here, before I
		
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			go to pray I was able to wash
		
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			everything but my feet so I will wash
		
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			my feet here let me take you in
		
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			to a very very solemn place, I'll have
		
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			to speak quietly because this is the tomb
		
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			of Abu Ayub and when we go here
		
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			it is the tradition that we greet our
		
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			dear brother Abu Ayub and say Assalamualaikum Assalamualaikum
		
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			Habibi and greet him and it is this
		
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			is where I could cry because it is
		
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			our belief it's our hope that on the
		
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			day of judgment when we all face Allah
		
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			that Abu Ayub will be able to say
		
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			to Allah that, let me just show you
		
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			that Abu Ayub will be able to say
		
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			to Allah that this sister, that brother this
		
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			sister, that each of them, yes Allah I
		
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			heard them pray they believe in you I
		
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			wonder if it's even this possible that Abu
		
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			Ayub the beloved companion of the Prophet, who
		
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			welcomed the Prophet into his home I have
		
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			three stories in a minute that I'm going
		
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			to share about Abu Ayub to you, I
		
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			have to show you this special place first,
		
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			but if there's even this much of a
		
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			chance that on the day of judgment Abu
		
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			Ayub who was called the beloved of the
		
00:17:10 --> 00:17:14
			beloved of Allah that is, the Prophet Muhammad
		
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			peace be upon him, was beloved by Allah,
		
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			but that Abu Ayub was beloved by our
		
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			Prophet peace be upon him the beloved of
		
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			the beloved the beloved of the beloved, that
		
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			if on the day of judgment there's even
		
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			this much chance that Abu Ayub I'm holding
		
00:17:35 --> 00:17:39
			my emotion could say to Allah O Allah
		
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			I saw Shawn King I heard him I
		
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			heard him say the Shahada and I heard
		
00:17:53 --> 00:17:57
			this I witnessed this if there's even a
		
00:17:57 --> 00:18:00
			remote possibility that that could happen that I
		
00:18:00 --> 00:18:02
			want to be a part of it let
		
00:18:02 --> 00:18:09
			me show you we're walking now into the
		
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			tomb of Abu Ayub there are also some
		
00:18:13 --> 00:18:15
			very special things here that I want to
		
00:18:15 --> 00:18:18
			show you it is custom before we go
		
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			in to take our shoes off just as
		
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			we would do in the mosque or anywhere
		
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			else and so I want to show you
		
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			one second so you know, I've never you
		
00:18:38 --> 00:18:42
			know, I've never been to Mecca, I've never
		
00:18:42 --> 00:18:45
			been to Medina, and so some of the
		
00:18:45 --> 00:18:48
			things that I'm about to show you it
		
00:18:48 --> 00:18:51
			made it real for me in such a
		
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			profound way and I can't wait for you
		
00:18:52 --> 00:18:54
			to see it so I have my shoes
		
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			in one hand and the camera in the
		
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			other let me show you so we're walking
		
00:19:02 --> 00:19:06
			in now to the tomb of our dear
		
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			brother Abu Ayub Al Ansari he was a
		
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			part of the Ansar the men and women
		
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			of Medina who cared deeply for our prophet,
		
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			there are some things here that are very
		
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			very important I'm going to speak quietly and
		
00:19:25 --> 00:19:31
			reverently there's a case right here there's a
		
00:19:31 --> 00:19:33
			rope line that we can't go past just
		
00:19:33 --> 00:19:38
			for security but in the case there are
		
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			and these have all been there's a verification
		
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			system in Islam just as we verify the
		
00:19:46 --> 00:19:51
			the Hadiths there's a verification system for relics
		
00:19:51 --> 00:19:54
			here that belong to the prophet Muhammad peace
		
00:19:54 --> 00:19:57
			be upon him there are hairs from his
		
00:19:57 --> 00:20:01
			beard there are leaves from a tree in
		
00:20:01 --> 00:20:04
			his yard and I have so much more
		
00:20:04 --> 00:20:07
			to tell you but first let me show
		
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			you our dear sisters and brothers here are
		
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			praying to Allah thanking them for Abu Ayub
		
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			thanking them for the companion and his love
		
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			for our prophet peace be upon him and
		
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			so it's a very reverent place you can
		
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			see the beautiful mosaics on the wall and
		
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			here are several relics that I was telling
		
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			you about including hairs from a beard there's
		
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46
			several different things that belonged to the prophet
		
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48
			or were peace be upon him or were
		
00:20:48 --> 00:20:52
			near the prophet and so when you're here
		
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			it's a place of deep reverence and so
		
00:20:55 --> 00:21:01
			let me show you our sisters and brothers
		
00:21:01 --> 00:21:06
			are praying and so I want you to
		
00:21:06 --> 00:21:09
			see this and my hope is that eventually
		
00:21:09 --> 00:21:12
			you'll be able to see this for yourself
		
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			and experience it so
		
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			here beyond the gate is the tomb of
		
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			Abu Ayub and I will say much of
		
00:21:43 --> 00:21:47
			my prayer silently but I want to say
		
00:21:47 --> 00:21:51
			so you can hear it Assalamu alaikum Abu
		
00:21:51 --> 00:21:56
			Ayub Assalamu alaikum Habibi peace be upon you
		
00:21:56 --> 00:22:00
			and just a beautiful beautiful place we have
		
00:22:00 --> 00:22:05
			security we have we have a brother here
		
00:22:05 --> 00:22:11
			doing a recitation and here our sisters and
		
00:22:11 --> 00:22:16
			brothers are praying and reverent they're reflecting and
		
00:22:16 --> 00:22:20
			many of you I'll show you I'm not
		
00:22:20 --> 00:22:24
			yet able to read the Arabic script but
		
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25
			for those of you who can I just
		
00:22:25 --> 00:22:28
			want you to see the script okay and
		
00:22:28 --> 00:22:30
			for many of you who are unable to
		
00:22:30 --> 00:22:32
			travel here I just want you to be
		
00:22:32 --> 00:22:34
			able to share in this moment with us
		
00:22:34 --> 00:22:40
			all right it's a beautiful beautiful place there's
		
00:22:40 --> 00:22:43
			so many stories about Abu Ayub that I
		
00:22:43 --> 00:22:45
			want to tell you there are three that
		
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46
			I have to tell you right away okay
		
00:22:46 --> 00:22:52
			but just a deeply deeply reverent place before
		
00:22:52 --> 00:22:55
			we leave just one last time just beyond
		
00:22:55 --> 00:23:02
			these walls is the resting place the temporary
		
00:23:02 --> 00:23:09
			resting place of Abu Ayub I say temporary
		
00:23:09 --> 00:23:11
			because one day we believe that we will
		
00:23:11 --> 00:23:15
			meet Allah and we will be here no
		
00:23:15 --> 00:23:19
			more so I'm putting my shoes down and
		
00:23:19 --> 00:23:22
			I want to show you around and in
		
00:23:22 --> 00:23:27
			just a few moments I'll I'll show you
		
00:23:27 --> 00:23:30
			the masjid and it's just a beautiful beautiful
		
00:23:30 --> 00:23:35
			place and we don't step our feet on
		
00:23:35 --> 00:23:38
			the carpet or in the space but just
		
00:23:38 --> 00:23:43
			a beautiful beautiful place and so because one
		
00:23:43 --> 00:23:45
			of the companions of the prophet peace be
		
00:23:45 --> 00:23:48
			upon him because one of the companions was
		
00:23:48 --> 00:23:51
			here so much has built up around this
		
00:23:51 --> 00:23:55
			area and so behind me is just a
		
00:23:55 --> 00:23:58
			beautiful beautiful mosque I'm going to go in
		
00:23:58 --> 00:24:01
			there later and pray I won't film the
		
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02
			prayer but I will show you the masjid
		
00:24:02 --> 00:24:11
			and outside of here we now have a
		
00:24:12 --> 00:24:18
			a cemetery of let me show you if
		
00:24:18 --> 00:24:24
			I can flip the camera one second we
		
00:24:24 --> 00:24:27
			have a wonderful cemetery and one of our
		
00:24:27 --> 00:24:31
			tour guides was able to teach us what
		
00:24:31 --> 00:24:35
			the symbols mean on the tops of each
		
00:24:37 --> 00:24:42
			on the tops of each of the markers
		
00:24:44 --> 00:24:46
			each thing means something different it could mean
		
00:24:46 --> 00:24:49
			that you were a leader or a scholar
		
00:24:49 --> 00:24:52
			it could mean that you were a teacher
		
00:24:52 --> 00:24:55
			it could mean that there are markings that
		
00:24:55 --> 00:24:58
			that tell us whether or not it's a
		
00:24:58 --> 00:25:01
			man or a woman if you spent a
		
00:25:01 --> 00:25:04
			lot of time in the mosque if you
		
00:25:04 --> 00:25:07
			were known to be a student of the
		
00:25:07 --> 00:25:11
			Quran and so all around let me show
		
00:25:11 --> 00:25:15
			you all around where I am there are
		
00:25:15 --> 00:25:21
			hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of graves from
		
00:25:21 --> 00:25:25
			the 1400s 1500s of scholars of imams of
		
00:25:25 --> 00:25:31
			teachers of those who all loved Allah and
		
00:25:31 --> 00:25:34
			loved our prophet peace be upon him and
		
00:25:34 --> 00:25:38
			it's just a beautiful beautiful place are you
		
00:25:38 --> 00:25:42
			familiar with Abu Ayub you know when I
		
00:25:42 --> 00:25:47
			first became a Muslim I heard all about
		
00:25:47 --> 00:25:51
			Omar I heard all about Hamza of course
		
00:25:51 --> 00:25:55
			I heard all about Abu Bakr I heard
		
00:25:55 --> 00:26:00
			all about Aisha I heard all about so
		
00:26:00 --> 00:26:06
			many important men and women and yet I
		
00:26:06 --> 00:26:09
			had not heard of Abu Ayub I have
		
00:26:09 --> 00:26:12
			not yet read all of the Quran I'm
		
00:26:12 --> 00:26:15
			just now really learning all of the stories
		
00:26:15 --> 00:26:21
			just the beautiful rich narratives of the prophet
		
00:26:21 --> 00:26:24
			peace be upon him and his companions but
		
00:26:24 --> 00:26:29
			Abu Ayub is special and oh that me
		
00:26:29 --> 00:26:32
			and you could live the life could have
		
00:26:32 --> 00:26:36
			the heart of Abu Ayub let me show
		
00:26:36 --> 00:26:42
			you this is this is right outside of
		
00:26:42 --> 00:26:44
			the tomb of Abu Ayub and I hope
		
00:26:44 --> 00:26:47
			that many of you are able to read
		
00:26:47 --> 00:26:50
			and understand what that says forgive me for
		
00:26:50 --> 00:26:53
			not being able to just yet but we
		
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55
			my wife and I and our guides we
		
00:26:55 --> 00:27:00
			took a tour of the cemetery as well
		
00:27:00 --> 00:27:05
			but I want to show you inside of
		
00:27:05 --> 00:27:08
			the masjid but before I do I have
		
00:27:08 --> 00:27:13
			a couple wonderful stories about Abu Ayub and
		
00:27:14 --> 00:27:18
			what a man what a man first when
		
00:27:18 --> 00:27:22
			he had a chance to welcome the prophet
		
00:27:22 --> 00:27:27
			into his home he he was so humbled
		
00:27:27 --> 00:27:29
			that he wanted the prophet peace be upon
		
00:27:29 --> 00:27:33
			him to have whatever rooms he wanted do
		
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34
			you want to be on the second floor?
		
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35
			do you want to be on the first
		
00:27:35 --> 00:27:35
			floor?
		
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37
			do you want the master bedroom?
		
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38
			do you want the guest bedroom?
		
00:27:38 --> 00:27:42
			whatever you want it's yours and he welcomed
		
00:27:42 --> 00:27:45
			him into his home not for days not
		
00:27:45 --> 00:27:48
			for weeks not even just for months but
		
00:27:48 --> 00:27:52
			for several seasons of that year and eventually
		
00:27:52 --> 00:27:58
			the land that is now I just saw
		
00:27:58 --> 00:28:01
			this picture and a beautiful beautiful sermon from
		
00:28:01 --> 00:28:03
			my imam and my dear brother Sheikh Omar
		
00:28:03 --> 00:28:09
			Suleiman just a century ago the actual home
		
00:28:09 --> 00:28:13
			of Abu Ayub still existed I regret that
		
00:28:13 --> 00:28:17
			it does not exist today it was taken
		
00:28:17 --> 00:28:21
			down to make room for new areas to
		
00:28:21 --> 00:28:23
			be built in Medina but the pictures still
		
00:28:23 --> 00:28:26
			remain and the picture that I saw of
		
00:28:26 --> 00:28:29
			the home of Abu Ayub it is literally
		
00:28:29 --> 00:28:34
			almost touching the prophet's mosque and it is
		
00:28:34 --> 00:28:36
			right there so in Medina at the prophet's
		
00:28:36 --> 00:28:39
			mosque the home of Abu Ayub was just
		
00:28:39 --> 00:28:43
			right there so if I'm standing in the
		
00:28:43 --> 00:28:47
			home of Abu Ayub the prophet's mosque would
		
00:28:47 --> 00:28:51
			just be right there like it's right there
		
00:28:51 --> 00:28:55
			and it's there because the land that was
		
00:28:55 --> 00:28:58
			given to the prophet and his family peace
		
00:28:58 --> 00:29:01
			be upon them Abu Ayub gave them that
		
00:29:01 --> 00:29:06
			land imagine all of the blessings on Abu
		
00:29:06 --> 00:29:10
			Ayub because of all the wonderful things all
		
00:29:10 --> 00:29:12
			of the blessings that have happened in the
		
00:29:12 --> 00:29:15
			prophet's mosque on land given to our prophet
		
00:29:15 --> 00:29:20
			peace be upon him by Abu Ayub my
		
00:29:20 --> 00:29:24
			dear brother Imam Omar Suleiman in a series
		
00:29:24 --> 00:29:26
			that he has called the first which has
		
00:29:26 --> 00:29:29
			taught me so much I'll try to link
		
00:29:29 --> 00:29:33
			it here under the video because everything I'm
		
00:29:33 --> 00:29:35
			telling you he would tell you but actually
		
00:29:35 --> 00:29:38
			a whole lot better and in a way
		
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39
			that's a whole lot more skilled than I
		
00:29:39 --> 00:29:43
			can there are a few stories that I
		
00:29:43 --> 00:29:47
			want to tell you one is a beautiful
		
00:29:48 --> 00:29:53
			amazing story Abu Ayub was outside of his
		
00:29:53 --> 00:29:59
			home and saw that both Muhammad, prophet Muhammad
		
00:29:59 --> 00:30:02
			peace be upon him and Omar and Abu
		
00:30:02 --> 00:30:07
			Bakr were all hungry and he invited them
		
00:30:07 --> 00:30:11
			all into his home to eat and they
		
00:30:12 --> 00:30:17
			were living very very humble lives our prophet
		
00:30:17 --> 00:30:19
			peace be upon him and Omar and Abu
		
00:30:19 --> 00:30:23
			Bakr they were humble men they had not
		
00:30:23 --> 00:30:30
			eaten meat in months and Abu Ayub literally
		
00:30:31 --> 00:30:34
			slaughtered a lamb and began preparing the meal
		
00:30:34 --> 00:30:38
			for them and one of the first things
		
00:30:38 --> 00:30:41
			that our prophet peace be upon him said
		
00:30:41 --> 00:30:44
			is please hold on I want to give
		
00:30:44 --> 00:30:48
			my portion to my daughter because she has
		
00:30:48 --> 00:30:50
			not eaten like this in months and I
		
00:30:50 --> 00:30:54
			would rather her have this than me and
		
00:30:54 --> 00:30:57
			later in a meal that Abu Ayub had
		
00:30:57 --> 00:31:04
			prepared for four people that meal that was
		
00:31:04 --> 00:31:06
			designed for four people this was the miracle
		
00:31:06 --> 00:31:09
			of our prophet peace be upon him almost
		
00:31:09 --> 00:31:13
			200 people were fed by that meal just
		
00:31:13 --> 00:31:17
			a beautiful beautiful thing and so it was
		
00:31:17 --> 00:31:20
			one of the early miracles of the prophet
		
00:31:20 --> 00:31:22
			peace be upon him that when Abu Ayub
		
00:31:22 --> 00:31:25
			prepared the meal it didn't just feed four
		
00:31:25 --> 00:31:28
			people but it fed nearly 200 people including
		
00:31:28 --> 00:31:31
			the prophet Mohammed peace be upon him and
		
00:31:31 --> 00:31:33
			others and so what a blessing I'm here
		
00:31:33 --> 00:31:37
			with some brothers hello hello salam alaikum I'm
		
00:31:37 --> 00:31:40
			Sean King yes I'm Sean yes good to
		
00:31:40 --> 00:31:43
			see you yes yes what's your name yeah
		
00:31:43 --> 00:31:46
			good to meet you yes salam alaikum I'm
		
00:31:46 --> 00:31:48
			Sean yeah good to see you I'm uh
		
00:31:48 --> 00:31:51
			I'm telling my I'm telling my family and
		
00:31:51 --> 00:31:53
			friends and others about the story of Abu
		
00:31:53 --> 00:31:56
			Ayub yes yes and uh for people who
		
00:31:57 --> 00:31:59
			people who aren't able to travel to Istanbul
		
00:31:59 --> 00:32:02
			I want them to know just the beautiful
		
00:32:02 --> 00:32:06
			story of Abu Ayub yeah absolutely yeah good
		
00:32:06 --> 00:32:08
			to see you brothers yeah thank you brother
		
00:32:08 --> 00:32:14
			yes so um you know just yeah salam
		
00:32:14 --> 00:32:18
			alaikum good to see you salam alaikum what
		
00:32:18 --> 00:32:24
			is this yes um I'm I'm telling people
		
00:32:24 --> 00:32:28
			the story of Abu Ayub and just you
		
00:32:28 --> 00:32:33
			speak English a little I'm just I'm filming
		
00:32:33 --> 00:32:37
			me telling people the story of Abu Ayub
		
00:32:37 --> 00:32:41
			and um because a lot of people aren't
		
00:32:41 --> 00:32:43
			able to make it here to Istanbul and
		
00:32:43 --> 00:32:46
			I want them to see the tomb and
		
00:32:46 --> 00:32:48
			the mosque and I'm telling them the story
		
00:32:48 --> 00:32:50
			of Abu Ayub can you tell him okay
		
00:32:55 --> 00:32:58
			from the United States from New York New
		
00:32:58 --> 00:33:02
			York yes yes yes very good I've uh
		
00:33:02 --> 00:33:05
			I've only been a Muslim for five months
		
00:33:05 --> 00:33:13
			you Muslim yes yes yes so uh yeah
		
00:33:13 --> 00:33:16
			I'm very happy and I'm just wanting to
		
00:33:16 --> 00:33:20
			tell people um how beautiful Abu Ayub was
		
00:33:20 --> 00:33:35
			yes yes
		
00:33:35 --> 00:33:42
			my name is Sean King yes yes yeah
		
00:33:42 --> 00:33:44
			thank you brother good to see you salam
		
00:33:44 --> 00:33:52
			alaikum yeah you have a nice day bye
		
00:33:52 --> 00:33:58
			thank you salam alaikum this is um this
		
00:33:58 --> 00:34:02
			is the beauty of Islam we're strangers but
		
00:34:02 --> 00:34:05
			uh you know when they're curious because they
		
00:34:05 --> 00:34:08
			see the camera but um everyone here is
		
00:34:08 --> 00:34:11
			so happy and we we trust each other
		
00:34:11 --> 00:34:15
			and uh we're wanting to uh they're just
		
00:34:15 --> 00:34:17
			wanting to see what is he filming what
		
00:34:17 --> 00:34:21
			is he talking about um a dear sister
		
00:34:21 --> 00:34:26
			from Gaza recognized me I wouldn't film this
		
00:34:26 --> 00:34:31
			but recognized me just earlier and uh she
		
00:34:31 --> 00:34:34
			began crying and uh telling me thanking me
		
00:34:34 --> 00:34:38
			for my support and uh several people who
		
00:34:38 --> 00:34:40
			were not Muslims and did not recognize me
		
00:34:41 --> 00:34:44
			um came up and was like are you
		
00:34:44 --> 00:34:47
			famous they thought I was uh they asked
		
00:34:47 --> 00:34:49
			me they said uh why did she cry
		
00:34:49 --> 00:34:51
			when she saw you and uh they said
		
00:34:51 --> 00:34:54
			are you famous and they're like uh are
		
00:34:54 --> 00:34:56
			you a singer I was like no if
		
00:34:56 --> 00:34:58
			you ever heard me try to sing you
		
00:34:58 --> 00:35:02
			would know I'm a terrible singer um but
		
00:35:03 --> 00:35:05
			we are here in the area of Abu
		
00:35:05 --> 00:35:10
			Ayub um not just to celebrate Abu Ayub
		
00:35:10 --> 00:35:15
			but to celebrate his devotion to Islam to
		
00:35:15 --> 00:35:17
			uh celebrate his love of our prophet peace
		
00:35:17 --> 00:35:21
			be upon him and so Abu Ayub fixed
		
00:35:21 --> 00:35:24
			a meal for Omar fixed a meal for
		
00:35:24 --> 00:35:29
			Abu Bakr uh fixed a meal uh for
		
00:35:29 --> 00:35:32
			the for the prophet Muhammad peace be upon
		
00:35:32 --> 00:35:34
			him and it was a meal for four
		
00:35:34 --> 00:35:38
			people but it fed nearly 200 people this
		
00:35:38 --> 00:35:42
			is a miracle from Allah and there's so
		
00:35:42 --> 00:35:45
			many stories uh another one that I loved
		
00:35:45 --> 00:35:51
			um Abu Ayub inside of the masjid heard
		
00:35:51 --> 00:35:53
			people speaking ill of our prophet peace be
		
00:35:53 --> 00:35:58
			upon him and he literally grabbed a man
		
00:35:58 --> 00:36:01
			by the collar and and dragged him out
		
00:36:01 --> 00:36:04
			of the masjid you will not speak ill
		
00:36:04 --> 00:36:06
			of the prophet in this place you will
		
00:36:06 --> 00:36:13
			not and uh one more story um Abu
		
00:36:13 --> 00:36:17
			Ayub Abu Ayub this is actually in the
		
00:36:17 --> 00:36:22
			Quran um we have things in Islam called
		
00:36:22 --> 00:36:25
			hadiths these are sacred texts that have what
		
00:36:25 --> 00:36:28
			we would uh like what I would call
		
00:36:28 --> 00:36:33
			provenance like documented verified proof of scholars and
		
00:36:33 --> 00:36:36
			witnesses because there are many stories that cannot
		
00:36:36 --> 00:36:38
			make the hadiths they have not been verified
		
00:36:38 --> 00:36:42
			but those that can be verified are and
		
00:36:43 --> 00:36:46
			um there is a story that's not just
		
00:36:46 --> 00:36:48
			a hadith but is actually a story that
		
00:36:48 --> 00:36:52
			made the Quran which uh is our sacred
		
00:36:52 --> 00:36:56
			text and in that story uh someone was
		
00:36:56 --> 00:37:00
			speaking ill of uh there's a beautiful cat
		
00:37:00 --> 00:37:03
			that just walked past me someone was speaking
		
00:37:03 --> 00:37:07
			ill of our dear sister Aisha our mother
		
00:37:07 --> 00:37:15
			Aisha and Abu Ayub asked the woman he
		
00:37:15 --> 00:37:19
			said uh is the thing that you're saying
		
00:37:19 --> 00:37:21
			about her and the thing that everyone is
		
00:37:21 --> 00:37:24
			saying about her is that something you would
		
00:37:24 --> 00:37:26
			do and the sister said no of course
		
00:37:26 --> 00:37:29
			not and this thing had gone viral like
		
00:37:29 --> 00:37:34
			the equivalent of being retweeted and shared and
		
00:37:34 --> 00:37:37
			Abu Ayub said to the sister would you
		
00:37:37 --> 00:37:39
			do the thing that you're saying our sister
		
00:37:39 --> 00:37:42
			Aisha did and the sister said no of
		
00:37:42 --> 00:37:46
			course not and Abu Ayub said but she
		
00:37:46 --> 00:37:49
			is a better woman than you are so
		
00:37:49 --> 00:37:52
			if you would not do it and Aisha
		
00:37:52 --> 00:37:56
			is a better woman than you and surely
		
00:37:56 --> 00:37:58
			you will understand how that math works the
		
00:37:58 --> 00:38:01
			math doesn't work at all that if you
		
00:38:01 --> 00:38:03
			would not do it and Aisha is a
		
00:38:03 --> 00:38:05
			better woman than you she did not do
		
00:38:05 --> 00:38:09
			it it was a lie gossip and gossip
		
00:38:09 --> 00:38:11
			is dangerous they've turned on the lights which
		
00:38:11 --> 00:38:12
			have given it a bit of a glow
		
00:38:12 --> 00:38:17
			here but Abu Ayub I told you fought
		
00:38:17 --> 00:38:21
			side by side with the companions the Sahaba
		
00:38:21 --> 00:38:26
			in every single battle without fail every single
		
00:38:26 --> 00:38:30
			battle alongside on the front lines alongside our
		
00:38:30 --> 00:38:32
			prophet peace be upon him he was there
		
00:38:32 --> 00:38:34
			not just in battle he was there in
		
00:38:34 --> 00:38:37
			conflict he was there in controversy he was
		
00:38:37 --> 00:38:42
			a comforter a provider a friend oh to
		
00:38:42 --> 00:38:49
			be called the beloved of the beloved what
		
00:38:49 --> 00:38:54
			better compliment could you imagine that Allah sees
		
00:38:54 --> 00:38:57
			you as the beloved of the beloved oh
		
00:38:59 --> 00:39:04
			I if if I could have a fraction
		
00:39:04 --> 00:39:09
			of that dedication and devotion that we see
		
00:39:09 --> 00:39:13
			from our brother Abu Ayub please I want
		
00:39:13 --> 00:39:16
			it I'm just going to show you this
		
00:39:16 --> 00:39:19
			will be my final moments as I close
		
00:39:19 --> 00:39:21
			I'm going to show you inside of the
		
00:39:21 --> 00:39:23
			Masjid and then I'm going to turn the
		
00:39:23 --> 00:39:27
			camera off and pray alright love and appreciate
		
00:39:27 --> 00:39:31
			all of you it's a beautiful beautiful place
		
00:39:32 --> 00:39:35
			I'm sitting down to take off my shoes
		
00:39:36 --> 00:39:40
			it's just a special special place to know
		
00:39:40 --> 00:39:44
			that our brother Abu Ayub Al Ansari that
		
00:39:44 --> 00:39:49
			he had the faith the dedication the courage
		
00:39:49 --> 00:39:53
			at age 90 that many of us don't
		
00:39:53 --> 00:39:57
			have at age 20 at age 30 at
		
00:39:57 --> 00:40:02
			age 44 at age 44 that at age
		
00:40:02 --> 00:40:04
			90 he said I want to be a
		
00:40:04 --> 00:40:07
			part of fulfilling the prophecy of our prophet
		
00:40:07 --> 00:40:11
			that peace be upon him that the Constantinople
		
00:40:11 --> 00:40:14
			will be opened to Muslims and that this
		
00:40:14 --> 00:40:18
			has been a beautiful beautiful city for Muslims
		
00:40:18 --> 00:40:22
			now for hundreds and hundreds of years yes
		
00:40:22 --> 00:40:25
			it's had it's like any city it's had
		
00:40:25 --> 00:40:27
			it's ups and downs it's challenges it's highs
		
00:40:27 --> 00:40:32
			it's lows but there's so much beauty and
		
00:40:32 --> 00:40:34
			so much history here I'm going to show
		
00:40:34 --> 00:40:39
			you inside of the Masjid and then and
		
00:40:39 --> 00:40:46
			then I'll say goodbye okay and it's going
		
00:40:46 --> 00:40:50
			to be a call to prayer soon and
		
00:40:50 --> 00:40:52
			hopefully you'll get some of that as well
		
00:40:52 --> 00:41:05
			okay let me show you it's
		
00:41:05 --> 00:41:12
			so beautiful here here in Istanbul there's so
		
00:41:12 --> 00:41:19
			many just beautiful beautiful Masjids that are some
		
00:41:19 --> 00:41:23
			there's one Masjid here in Istanbul that can
		
00:41:23 --> 00:41:28
			seat 65,000 people and so this compared
		
00:41:28 --> 00:41:30
			to those may be small but it has
		
00:41:31 --> 00:41:34
			it has an energy and a spirit because
		
00:41:34 --> 00:41:38
			we know that it is it is built
		
00:41:38 --> 00:41:46
			in many ways to to celebrate Islam to
		
00:41:46 --> 00:41:49
			celebrate our prophet peace be upon him and
		
00:41:49 --> 00:41:52
			to celebrate one of his companions brother Abu
		
00:41:52 --> 00:41:58
			Ayub Habibi just gorgeous and right now our
		
00:41:58 --> 00:42:01
			sisters and brothers are just reverently it's not
		
00:42:01 --> 00:42:04
			prayer time yet and our sisters and brothers
		
00:42:04 --> 00:42:08
			are just sitting here reverently in many ways
		
00:42:08 --> 00:42:13
			waiting for the call to prayer and it's
		
00:42:13 --> 00:42:18
			special Islam is beautiful at the root of
		
00:42:18 --> 00:42:23
			let me show you my face peace is
		
00:42:23 --> 00:42:26
			at the root of our faith anybody that
		
00:42:26 --> 00:42:30
			says anything else is lying it's a beautiful
		
00:42:30 --> 00:42:36
			beautiful way of life religion should be a
		
00:42:36 --> 00:42:41
			way of life ideally but Islam is a
		
00:42:41 --> 00:42:43
			way of life it's not a Islam is
		
00:42:43 --> 00:42:47
			not a service you go to Islam is
		
00:42:47 --> 00:42:49
			not a box that you check but it
		
00:42:49 --> 00:42:51
			is a way that we live our lives
		
00:42:51 --> 00:42:58
			and it's changed me deeply in these wow
		
00:42:58 --> 00:43:02
			just these few months you know I'll say
		
00:43:02 --> 00:43:04
			to you something for those of you who
		
00:43:04 --> 00:43:08
			stayed around you know many people recognized me
		
00:43:08 --> 00:43:11
			here in Istanbul even just right before I
		
00:43:11 --> 00:43:13
			started filming someone said Sean we miss you
		
00:43:13 --> 00:43:17
			so much on Instagram and for I miss
		
00:43:17 --> 00:43:19
			being able to be there to do what
		
00:43:19 --> 00:43:22
			I did but and at first I was
		
00:43:22 --> 00:43:27
			bitter I spent over 10 years building not
		
00:43:27 --> 00:43:29
			an account I built a community of 6
		
00:43:29 --> 00:43:34
			million people from 150 countries and it was
		
00:43:34 --> 00:43:38
			some of my life's work I raised millions
		
00:43:38 --> 00:43:42
			of dollars for causes and charity and at
		
00:43:42 --> 00:43:44
			first I was hurt and I was bitter
		
00:43:44 --> 00:43:47
			but now I've grown to think differently about
		
00:43:47 --> 00:43:50
			it I've grown to think that when I
		
00:43:50 --> 00:43:53
			lost my Instagram account it removed so much
		
00:43:53 --> 00:43:56
			noise from my life good noise and bad
		
00:43:57 --> 00:44:00
			that I was able to hear and listen
		
00:44:00 --> 00:44:04
			and reflect I don't know that I would
		
00:44:04 --> 00:44:06
			be a Muslim today had they not taken
		
00:44:06 --> 00:44:12
			that account away Alhamdulillah because they took that
		
00:44:12 --> 00:44:18
			account away I was able to consider who
		
00:44:18 --> 00:44:21
			am I where am I what am I
		
00:44:22 --> 00:44:24
			and who will I be for the rest
		
00:44:24 --> 00:44:28
			of my life I don't trust myself enough
		
00:44:28 --> 00:44:29
			to believe that I would have ever become
		
00:44:29 --> 00:44:32
			a Muslim if I had never lost that
		
00:44:32 --> 00:44:34
			account I would probably still be on Instagram
		
00:44:34 --> 00:44:37
			chugging pushing I was working day and night
		
00:44:37 --> 00:44:43
			sharing stories translating messages but they removed something
		
00:44:43 --> 00:44:47
			what they did was unjust but if you
		
00:44:47 --> 00:44:51
			know Allah Allah can even use injustice to
		
00:44:51 --> 00:44:54
			do something beautiful and people started telling me
		
00:44:54 --> 00:44:57
			they said Sean you may have lost 6
		
00:44:57 --> 00:45:02
			million followers but you gained 2 billion sisters
		
00:45:02 --> 00:45:06
			and brothers all over the world Mashallah I
		
00:45:06 --> 00:45:10
			would make that trade 100 times out of
		
00:45:10 --> 00:45:13
			100 if someone said to me today Sean
		
00:45:13 --> 00:45:16
			you could either accept Islam or be on
		
00:45:16 --> 00:45:21
			Instagram which would you choose it's no choice
		
00:45:22 --> 00:45:26
			I'm choosing Islam I'm choosing Allah I'm choosing
		
00:45:26 --> 00:45:29
			the message of our prophet Muhammad peace be
		
00:45:29 --> 00:45:31
			upon him I'm choosing to learn about the
		
00:45:31 --> 00:45:34
			companions of the prophet like Abu Ayub that's
		
00:45:34 --> 00:45:38
			richer deeper better than an Instagram account with
		
00:45:38 --> 00:45:42
			100 million followers I would rather be a
		
00:45:42 --> 00:45:45
			Muslim than own Instagram I would rather be
		
00:45:45 --> 00:45:49
			a Muslim than own Meda this is no
		
00:45:49 --> 00:45:54
			trade at all I won I they meant
		
00:45:54 --> 00:45:56
			it for wrong but Allah used it for
		
00:45:56 --> 00:46:02
			good sisters and brothers I'm going to get
		
00:46:02 --> 00:46:04
			ready for prayer and I'm going to wait
		
00:46:04 --> 00:46:07
			here for a few moments and for those
		
00:46:07 --> 00:46:09
			of you who want to stay while we
		
00:46:09 --> 00:46:12
			hear the call to prayer I will continue
		
00:46:12 --> 00:46:17
			filming but I would like to even begin
		
00:46:17 --> 00:46:22
			getting myself ready my heart and mind ready
		
00:46:22 --> 00:46:24
			for prayer I love you all I appreciate
		
00:46:24 --> 00:46:28
			you if my time is right it's about
		
00:46:29 --> 00:46:32
			46 minutes I don't know how to edit
		
00:46:32 --> 00:46:35
			videos so I'm doing it all in one
		
00:46:35 --> 00:46:39
			take it won't always be like this inshallah
		
00:46:40 --> 00:46:43
			one day we'll have editors and one day
		
00:46:43 --> 00:46:46
			maybe there'll be a cameraman here on this
		
00:46:46 --> 00:46:49
			channel but for now it's me and a
		
00:46:49 --> 00:46:50
			little camera that I have in my hand
		
00:46:50 --> 00:46:55
			and but I'm happy in my soul I'm
		
00:46:55 --> 00:46:58
			happy in my heart in my mind I'm
		
00:46:58 --> 00:47:04
			happy in my mouth I'm happy because we
		
00:47:04 --> 00:47:07
			are with Allah the only thing that I
		
00:47:08 --> 00:47:10
			the only thing that breaks my heart is
		
00:47:10 --> 00:47:13
			that there's still so much suffering and pain
		
00:47:13 --> 00:47:16
			and evil and ugliness in this world and
		
00:47:16 --> 00:47:19
			I think even now as I pray I
		
00:47:19 --> 00:47:21
			will be praying for our sisters and brothers
		
00:47:21 --> 00:47:24
			in Gaza I'll be praying for you I'll
		
00:47:24 --> 00:47:25
			be praying for our sisters and brothers in
		
00:47:25 --> 00:47:27
			the West Bank I'll be praying for our
		
00:47:27 --> 00:47:31
			sisters and brothers in Sudan, in Congo I'll
		
00:47:31 --> 00:47:34
			be praying for oppressed people everywhere, for Kashmiris
		
00:47:34 --> 00:47:38
			for our Uyghur sisters and brothers I'll be
		
00:47:38 --> 00:47:42
			praying for the Ummah and please I ask
		
00:47:42 --> 00:47:45
			that you also pray for me and that
		
00:47:45 --> 00:47:46
			you join me in all of these prayers
		
00:47:46 --> 00:47:51
			for oppressed people that Allah sustain them, provide
		
00:47:51 --> 00:47:55
			for them please Allah give them strength, give
		
00:47:55 --> 00:47:59
			them provision give them freedom and I will
		
00:47:59 --> 00:48:01
			say these prayers with all of you, okay
		
00:48:02 --> 00:48:05
			let me show you I'm going to take
		
00:48:05 --> 00:48:07
			a seat and I'll show you around and
		
00:48:07 --> 00:48:11
			then I'll be silent and when the call
		
00:48:11 --> 00:48:14
			to prayer begins I was told it's best
		
00:48:14 --> 00:48:18
			not to speak Salam Aleikum