Suhaib Webb – Pay Your Dues

It's really important to realize that in the

process of becoming a religious vocation, you have

to be tested. You have to go through

some hardships. That's just the way it is.

Everybody has to have their life.

Just how the world works, man. It may

come in different moments.

And if you come into religious work with

expectations from people, you will set yourself up

for failure as well as inadequate prophetic work.

I say that because right here,

25 years ago or so, I was invited

to this event

in Washington DC.

And I came after I left from Dallas.

It was an event at Dallas. I came

here,

and I got in, like, around, I think,

11:30. That's not how it was happening. And

the brother

the brothers who invited me

were not here.

They were not here. So I called the

brother, and he actually said to me, we're

not gonna pick you up. This is unacceptable

behavior, of course. It's too late. You just

have to do what you gotta do. I

was so broke at that time. I didn't

have enough money. I didn't I didn't have

a credit card. I didn't have a debit

card. I was still young. I had nothing.

So I was sitting

right over here. I got so frustrated. It

was just me and this guy was waxing

the floor.

I prayed,

And I felt like, yeah, Allah,

everything's falling apart, man. It's like my worst

nightmare. I was still from Oklahoma, so I

don't really know

the world. You know? And then after I

prayed, the brother who was watching the floor,

he pulled up next to me. He he

goes, assalamu alaikum.

Just to let you know, you prayed the

wrong direction.

So then I prayed again, and

everything

eventually worked out. It's crazy how it worked

out. That's another story. But the point is,

if you're in this work,

you have to face some challenges and thought

if and if you have expectations

of people,

and that's why you're in this work,

you're in the wrong work.