Eric Mason Why Islam

Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salaam aleikum, which means peace be unto you. Welcome to another episode of the deen show. We are here making a pit stop in Jeddah we completed the Hajj which is the fifth pillar of Islam. you testify that there's no one worthy of worship except the Creator of the heavens and earth. And Muhammad is His Messenger La ilaha illAllah Muhammad Rasulullah that's the first pillar. second pillar established the prayer. Third, you give from your wealth, there's a cut for you fast during the month of Ramadan and now the pilgrimage Hajj where you see people from all around the globe. So we finished at Mecca we're in Jeddah, making a pit stop on our way to Medina.

But before that, we got a treat for you. We will fire a special friend shake you semesters we're gonna let you hear another story because you got people from all around the world accepted Islam and we found another person in Jeddah so we're gonna have our brother, shake use of estas help us with this interview and we'll be right back.

Now is for known asleep God gave to give us rest after the day in

the journey that the Prophet made and what we'll do before we pray to help us wash our sins away and yet is for

me

Allah

Mohammed is His Messenger.

Jesus was his messenger.

Maybe it's just a break the ice.

The Dean Joe is about to show you somebody bridge to faith. We're right here on the yacht here in the Marina. And I'll get you the whole story of Eric just right now from our guests. Our special guest today jabril salaam aleikum. Allah call you hamdulillah. Tell us your name. My name is jabril Mason jabril Mason, but I think you changed. My name was Eric Mason. Eric Eric. Islam. Yes. And I became Gabriel. Gabriel is the English version of jabril which is Arabic, the angel Gabriel. Ah, it's the same one. All right. Now what we want to do want to ask you where are we right now? We're at Mercer Harlem in north of budgeter. It's a

Medina built by His Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud the owner.

On this Marina, we have restaurants, recreation facilities. We bring many overseas guests diving with us in a company that is owned by scientists called dream divers. Dream divers, yes. Okay. Now let's come to something that I'm sure our audience are really puzzled about. You have a British accent. Yet you're here in Arabia. And you're saying some Arabic words. You have an Arabic name? What's going on with all of that? Well, when I was younger, in Nigeria, my mother's Italian, a Catholic. My father was a British Protestant.

They met postwar and that for children. I was one of them, the youngest boy. And then my father was working for the Nigerian government for many, many years. And we are with our parents. And I saw that many of my father's workers were Muslims, house, people from the North is the house of people, the house.

And being younger, more impressionable. I wondered, why are all the security Why are all the truck drivers? Why are all the helpers Muslims? And my father said, because they're good people, you can trust them. So then he was saying, Wait a minute, hold. The media today is saying the opposite. Saying Muslims are bad people. You can't trust them. And your father was saying they're good people. You can trust them. There's another misconception being cleared up right away. My son was born in Saudi Arabia. He's now at university in England. They will never show a photograph of my son playing football with his Saudi friends. But they will publish a picture of my son fighting with his Saudi

friends. No. The media do have a lot to answer for in this context, especially with their perception of Islam. Muslims are like anybody else that are good Muslims that are bad Muslims, but Muslims practicing Islam.

They are 90% the majority are good people. Just good people. That's all they have to be good people. Okay, now, question. Did you become a Muslim? Of course. Yeah. How long ago? Oh, five years, six years, five or six years, five, six years I reverted to Islam. But I've had my Quran since Nigeria.

Since I was a boy given to me, my given to me, in fact, I'll show it to you later. It's in my car. Okay, we're gonna hold you to that, well, you know, no, you're gonna get to see the Quran original that I never travel without it. What took you so long to decide to be a Muslim? Because I wanted.

I wanted to revert to Islam for me, not for anything else, just for me and my God. And it came a time when there was no option, there was no choice. It was to revert to Islam.

To the one God, the only God. I mean, God doesn't sit at a table with 20 different colored telephones or, you know, speak to a Muslim speak to a Buddhist, that there is only one God and hamdulillah its allies. And Mohammed is a messenger of God. That's it. So that's why I joined Islam. Okay, now what happened after you came to Islam? Did people think you were crazy?

Some couldn't believe it. Many.

Even even I find it difficult. Many accepted it. Many accepted it right off. Many who have been here a while understand that Islam is it's a fine road to take. It's not the winding path. Many people did accept it right away. Some knows that some said, Eric, how can you be a Muslim? You wear shorts, your hair is long, you, you say D dedicated. But Muslims are people like anybody else, you know, don't get the idea that they all were that are here and they throw bombs or they don't. They don't. This is the exception to the rule.

So when you brought up the subject of bonds, one of the misconceptions that we've been talking about in our program today, is the idea that somebody says that terrorism is a part of Islam, Islam is a part of terrorism. But it seems a Jew agreeing with the what we've heard from our scholars telling us that no, that's the opposite. Of course there are thugs in all religions, thugs, yeah. In all religions. You can't stop it so that you're not the same.

They are not. There are good Muslims and bad Muslims as there are good Catholics and by Catholics, but no, no, no, no, no, Islam is not. So you say anybody throwing bombs is a thug. I say Anybody? Anybody earning anybody arming innocence or thugs? Yes. That's not what Islam is about. It's not about killing people. It's not. It's about discourse about understanding. And that's what we have here in Saudi Arabia. It's a wonderful, a very fine country. It really is. I wouldn't be here for 36 years. I'd have left 30 years ago.

How do you like being a Muslim? It's great. I love it. It makes you What do they say in America? laid back? laid back? Yeah, it is. It's

the Miskin. The problem with the West is Islam is a brotherhood. You're a brother. He's a brother, she's a sister. If you harm someone's brother, the rest will protect them. That's the problem. They don't understand that. If you hurt one, you hurt all. No, it's a brotherhood. It really is. It really is. And it's very nice to know that.

Okay, well, another question. wait five years you've been Muslim now. Have you had you're here in Jeddah right now in Saudi Arabia, which is the seaport not far from Mecca. The place where they have the Holy pilgrimage they call it what what do they call that? The Holy pilgrimage the Hajj, high costs, and have you done the house? I have not. I'm doing the Hajj next year, with the Dawa center with some of my European colleagues. We've all got together. And we all want to do together. All different nationalities, Americans, Germans, French, Italians, British. What if we join you? Cool more than welcome? more than welcome. I love this rebellious attitude. But You'd better hurry up

because it's filling up. I've booked already.

So you'd better better hurry up otherwise you're not gonna get in there. But I've I've done a murder twice on the 27th Ramadan, which is very nice. I visited the Prophet's mosque in Medina, which is also I think you're going to have a dinner when tomorrow. We're on our way today. You're on your way today. I'm delighted you will love it. Give us some advice, some advice, advice.

Be a good person.

It doesn't take much. read the Quran, get yourself a copy of this book. It's It's It's a really is a Book of Wisdom. It's a book of ways, but don't have to wait 35 years. No, not like me. Go there when you're younger. But no, no, no. When you're more mature, you understand it better. Really? Yeah, that's the way it is. There's no pressure there's there's nothing. Nobody in this country told me become a Muslim. become a Muslim. Nobody. That's what I like about it. The choice is yours.

The choice is yours. And they expect nothing from you except prayer and be a good person. That's it.

Words of wisdom. We really enjoyed that law. I'm glad you can say that because I've learned first. Well, these are good Words To Live By. Thank you. Yeah, it's not difficult. Islam is not difficult. It's common sense. Why do you Bay five times a day before prayer, because you're sweating. You're in a country and Europe together in the communion? Why? It's common sense. Don't eat pork. Why? It's a dangerous meat. Don't drink alcohol. It makes your mind wild. You do stupid things. You know the story about the bad lady.

She said to the guy sleep with me. No, kill my child. He said no. She said, Well come to the bar and have a drink. No, come to the bar and have a drink. He had a drink. He said, Have another one. He had another one. Have another one. He had another one said kill my child. His mind was sick. He killed the child. No, it's common sense. Don't do things that can hurt people.

It makes a lot of sense. We're really happy to have you on the program and look forward to more in the future more than welcome. And we're looking forward to Ted's to be together. Yes, please come next year. Yes. But book now. book now filling up more good advice.

Now, get your name on the list. Yeah, to go out and have a good time and do some deep sea diving. And don't forget to get your name on the list to be amongst those who entered agenda, the Paradise by doing what? accepting the truth of La la la la. There's none to worship except Allah. And Muhammad is His Messenger. All of that from right here on the deen show and the bridge to faith. Till next time I'm used to Vestas remind myself and you about the peace as salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa.

There you have it. Another person sharing his story on how he came to Islam. like to thank shake use Vestas for helping us with that and conduct that interview. And we hope to see you again next time here on the D show every week. You don't want to miss us. Until then, sit down what a cool piece be on to you.

Mohammed,

Mohammed,

Mohammed.

Mohammed.

There is no god but

peace be upon him receives his messenger