The Deen Show – If DJ Khaled left the lifestyle for Allah (Ex-DJ Exposes lifestyle)

			DJ Khaled,
		

			of course, got a chance to hang out with DJ Khalid in DJing at that time, I think was bringing in
70,000 75,000 Just just doing parties here and there, the DJ Khalid was to leave you know, this
lifestyle, I saw myself getting this I'm disappearing in this lifestyle. Like my whatever little my
parents told me it was disappearing
		

			This is the
		

			show so to me came down to college job, right, that's what you do. And but you got a lot of free
time now. So what did you feel your free time with friends and my friends that then were, you know,
that go to the bar that go. And one of the one of my friends got into DJing like he bought
turntables. And I remember one is baseball and there's a company I went to that and I was the kind
of guy that you know, I'm good at something if I apply myself so he showed me how he's doing the
techniques and within 30 minutes I was doing it better than he was doing it. And he was still new to
but I was beating him and as far as skill set goes. And I guess that light bulb went off like I
		

			think I like this you know, kind of get attracted to it. So we invested I invested I think it was
$1,000 Then don't ask me remember how I got the money maybe 700 Anyway we bought more equipment and
then make a long story short I started DJing and you're one of those guys just like what you did
school if I apply myself I'll do try to put my all into it. So within a year I became really good at
it start making mixtapes start making CDs and start doing information on the mixtape you got to put
your number and little by little people start calling you and for parties. So my point is I got
unbeknownst to me was it became first a hobby but the hobby became monetized in the monetizes into a
		

			world of haram you know Party Party Party Party wasn't like I when I start cleaning my act up that's
when I started doing weddings even that was bad. But before that was just a bunch of parties. Some
of the parties were just insane like he said you you start cleaning your act up it was the next
level is a little bit cleaner weddings. Yes. Yeah, exactly. So I thought to myself, let me let me
get out of DJing in Detroit and all these some of these gang parties but you know, drinking and
gangs and fights and just crazy crazy lifestyle and then I saw myself getting this I'm disappearing
in this lifestyle like my whatever little my parents told me was disappearing like you were a little
		

			bit a little bit prey. I fasted in Ramadan but it was just just rituals just rituals. It wasn't felt
like you were sinking the more you Yes, this is what I'm trying to say. So even then I can remember
time sometimes I hate to say this is embarrassing you I had I remember one time vividly I had a
hangover in my kidney was hurting me I remember my cyberscrub and as I'm doing my slot that next day
I'm holding my side as I'm doing it cuz it was hurting. And I remember in the fog that time was like
This is insanity. I'm actually performing just like I mean I'm acting now like those Muslims that
you hear those stories her before before alcohol was outlawed. Muslims will be drunk and Salah and
		

			then the Prophet Islam then all those outlets alcohol completely. I guess my point is him he then
has like this is what am I doing? This is not a life. So but it's but you're so deep into how to get
out of it. So I said to myself, let me get out by cleat. Stop doing parties, and I'll start doing
weddings. So I call up a local guy who's doing just weddings. And now at least the weddings. I
thought I'm doing good because I'm DJing only Muslim weddings and your own community. Little better.
No, it wasn't bad. It was worse. That maybe worse in the sense that was the same level. Because
everyone's drinking in these weddings and the fitna and the mixing was the same, only that there was
		

			no gangs and that was just our people. So it made me actually feel worse not better because our own
people are acting like this. I'm sure much many people out there can identify you know, college
music now. You're like the life of the party. Yes. A DJ play that song. Yes. Yeah. And especially
it's almost like one of those things not that you're celebrity but you have one inch of celebrity
Yeah. And of course got mela Forgive me Allah forgive me, but a big fitna was women, because their
song Yeah. Oh my God. He didn't get along. Yes, it was a big problem. So I said, You know what,
this, this is ridiculous. The only way to do this right is to really cut it off completely. So I
		

			remember calling my friend up. He was also a local DJ in the area. And he wasn't that good. Like he
is aspiring to be a DJ. So for me to call him and say to him, Listen, I'll give you everything I
need. I need you to come over and take all my stuff like everything is good to me. I was like, no,
come get everything. You're telling him this? Yes. And he didn't believe me at first. And within I
go if you don't come with the fundaments I'm gonna call the next on my list. So he had three
brothers they all flew to my house and they didn't even didn't even look at me though at that time
at that time, like help paint a picture but you're spinning you know the the records right? It's not
		

			like today no, no, I was there antiques now. That's what I'm saying. Like I didn't give him like a
few $100 I get 1000s of dollars. Yeah, these
		

			They're worth a lot of money. But I knew that's the only way I can I have to like rip off a band aid
but really get rid of it. And they cleared off everything. I mean, they wrecked my room. They did it
like that to me. Did you actually have would you say? I would argue hundreds Oh, easy over 1000
records. Yeah, I was I was one of those guys that good. Like there's a few stores that don't exist
anymore. But they still if you don't want me ask you what particular type? Did you do hip hop rock
quest techno, I did it. I liked the house. I liked hip hop. I liked rock. I liked everything. I had
records for everything. Everything. Yeah, my mixtapes at that time were diverse. Like I try to do as
		

			many as I can. The popular thing at that time was freestyle music, you would do that. But I enjoyed
music. So I would branch off to all the other aspects of guys this is this the hip cool guy. Yeah,
the DJ, pay attention. So, but that's what you got to do. If you want to do something to do right.
Kind of back to the original idea. If I'm going to DJ let me do it. Right. I said to myself, and
when I started studying Islam, I can't mess around. This half and half hour is not working. It's
just surrounding me more It's like a It's just wasn't working. So anyway, they took everything they
left. The next day I woke up was like okay, this is serious. Now I got a I got no I have no nothing
		

			to do. No more money, no more gigs, no more, you know, if not three times back, and that's the
shaytaan so I call it had good for me. I had good relationships with friends that at that time
ignored me because I was in that lifestyle, but they didn't cut me off. Like they knew I was a good
guy. My soul I guess my core. So when I called them up one of them particularly his iPhone as like,
Listen, I need you to I'm ready to hear you. I know I've ignored you for the last three, four years.
You'll be tempted to talk to me and I've heard you admitting this so hide them now. Yes. So this is
the this will qualify as a good friend. Yes. Yeah. Good friend, a good friend. He's What's he
		

			telling you like that you didn't want to you didn't want listen together or you were putting him on
hold him both got caught up in this lifestyle. We're talking now we're young.
		

			But he was more mature for me than me and he broke off much earlier and practicing the DDS. Yeah.
And during those four or five years, where I call I created this institution as he tried to reach
out to me tried to get me to read this talk this and you know, you just want to hear your your your
brain somewhere else. But now I'm ready to hear it right. So I called him this time. Of course, he
obliged. I went to his house and I got lucky. But he was smart. He didn't he knew that I didn't need
just another lecture. I didn't need
		

			you know, he knew something like this guy's this guy's not a dummy. So he's like, you want to talk
I'll give you I'll make one condition. He went in his house came back gave me a book. He knew that
my my college my degree was economics. So he's like He gave me a book was titled the economic system
of Islam. I was expecting I don't know something. Something else I didn't expect that didn't make
sense to me, is like, I'll talk to you. I'll give you the discussion. But you got to read this book
first. And then we'll have that talk. Okay, deal. I'm ready. I went home knocked it on three days.
And at the end of the three days, I didn't go to calm right away. I took another three days to come.
		

			I took six days to calm. Why? Because three days to knock out the book. And I swear three days just
to sit there into my chair. I had a chair where I said think and really analyze and think I think
yeah, I used to sit in that chair in the DJ days and think of like mixtapes and how to make those
songs better. But now you're thinking about some Yes, yes. And now my chair. I've used the same
skill set for this. And I really thought about those ideas. I learned that book but like for
instance, I didn't know Islam, Allah losery I didn't understand. I didn't I didn't know for example
Islam
		

			had anti hoarding laws you know, these are things today where as economic major in college I saw
problems in the world today. And here's this book that that thing in has certain ideas that stem
from Islam stem from from 14 years from our dean that can solve instantly solve some of the world's
problems I was blown away. I really had to think about that. In it that opened my mind up was like
well if this if this can happen from just a couple of rules in Islam that I didn't even know exists
because at this point Islam to me was just pray just fast. And maybe go to Hajj one day and that's
it. That's the extent of Islam to me that I was taught from my parents. Here's the for the first
		

			time the book like smacked me across the face because I realized that this moment, Islam is complete
way of life if there's rules for this, and this one, for example, can solve a lot of the world's
problems. What else is there now my brains opened up now I'm ready to learn. And I see now he put
that condition on me so I went back it could have took so long that I had to think about this give
me a second let's let's sit down is it now let's let's back up a step. Forget and forget forget
economics. Let's go back to basics. And we start studying the existence of Allah we start studying
what I would call today a book called min dominance, ma'am, and it kind of just breaks down the core
		

			of thought the core of
		

			why we why we believe in Allah, etc, etc. And I think that really caught my mind up and I was just
got lucky I got lucky to reconnect with these guys. And I started learning from them.
		

			And I know it's cliche to say, but I'm assuming when someone's live also said that because you
you've been in this game a long time you
		

			videos go back years now. And in we had, we live in a time where we have resources, we have YouTube.
Not everything's good, but there's a lot of good stuff. A lot of good guys like you, where you can
go learn and just click and just in, dive in, and so either so in the gym, for example, when guys
asked me about my story, I always tell them, that's my story. But more importantly, you live in a
special time now where you don't need another iPhone, you technically could just sit in your house
just like you guys already do for music, just like you're ready to first for for sports, whatever
you're into. You can go in in Think of a topic and go click on it and learn about it. Because Islam
		

			has an answer for everything. You just got to kind of open your mind up and go and maybe learning
about something other than prayer. Even a prayer is important, even though fasting support and all
these rituals we do are certainly important. But for me, it was something else other than our
rituals that brought me to Islam. I guess that's my point. If you go back and you look at the life
you were living, obviously, you know, you're fulfilling a lot of desires. Yes, right. You're having
fun. Yes. Compare that to what you're doing now. Yes. And leaving that did you any regrets? No, I
don't think there was regrets because
		

			you you fill your mind with knowledge in this knowledge is not just though, like, like math, like
one plus one equals two, like that kind of knowledge. This is a this is a certain type of knowledge
that's penetrating my heart. Right? And I see why else. Mantella says in many verses in Quran that I
can you know, he describes the Elbe in but he's talking about as if it's you're describing your
heart, but it's really discussing your mind. So this connection between our mind and our heart, I
see a lot less building in verses and certain verses of Quran. It's very interesting, because that's
exactly how I feel what your question. So here's, here's I'm filling my mind with knowledge
		

			and knowledge of a certain topic that I didn't know before. And then it's penetrating my heart. It's
making me feel complete. And it's filling my soul in such a way where I don't need that lifestyle.
And it's filling your soul. Yes. The lifestyle before it wasn't filling. I'm trying to say yes,
yeah, it was just my heart. So this connection between our mind and heart is very important. I need
to learn, use my mind to fill it with knowledge. So I can fill my soul up that connect together.
That's That's how I feel every time I learn. And I, by the way, this doesn't go away. Like, I've
been studying Islam now for years. And it doesn't it's not going away doesn't go away. But there's
		

			because there's always something new to learn. Like the other day, I learned a new lecture camera
was the topic of blew my way. I forgot to I forgot it's on my phone. But he was discussing something
that I'd never heard before. And as a car. So there's a certain moment was a 2020 20 minute lecture.
He concluded the lecture and I thought about I thought about it Well, now instantly, my brain now
has a new piece of information. And it made my heart feel better. And I don't know if that makes
sense to you is absolutely yeah. And that's I think the connection between the heart and the mind is
important. You got to feel this to get this. And that's that way I don't go back to the haram. And
		

			it's not I guess what I'm trying to say is there are moments in life where Yeah, I see a beautiful
woman a man, I want to marry her. Or you get those I want to go back to the old cipher just for a
split second shaitan jumps in and says these thoughts, but you remind yourself that
		

			this is haram you start really understanding why certain things are haram in Haram and hella becomes
more not just a rule but something that you live in your heart in instantly like the thought comes
in and within two seconds I thought was gone like I defeated
		

			so you become stronger knowledge makes you your heart stronger your soul stronger. I think that's
what I'm trying to say. There's so much here that can be gained beautiful story. And you don't want
to dabble into sin. You don't want to dabble. Yeah, you know, and transgressing the limits of God
Almighty, the creator law and 100 law. You just cut it from the root. Yeah, that was it. What do you
what would you say to the people like who are out there who because you mentioned the topic of DJing
I don't know why in my head it came up DJ Khaled,
		

			of course got a chance to hang out with DJ Khalid or someone who's trying to aspire to be like DJ
Khaled, what advice would you give for them to take those gifts? You know, that Allah had given the
person and utilize it in a more profound way, then get you closer and other people closer to Allah?
Man? It's a good question. Like, for example, if DJ Khaled was interested to walk to my gym right
now, I would I would like to meet him Why not meet? He is good at what he does.
		

			But I think we need to go back to its core DJ Khaled is might be a good. I don't know if he's a good
DJ. I mean, listen, I think he's more of a producer with a cool name. But for a second, he's his his
idea comes up with good production. And this production has,
		

			you know, that idea has a choice. The minute crosses into the public sphere. I'm now influencing
1000s of people, and in this case is with millions of people. And that's a burden I don't want to
put on myself. So that's what I would tell somebody. There's not in my opinion, there's not the
wrong word. You might have a skill set. For example, let's say a woman like I have two daughters 116
I say to myself the other day she's not she's not that good but let's say she was another day with
the kids are watching some movie The sing or something like that sing too. And she starts she shot
		

			wasn't in the room because I want to do this in front of because a little shy from the dead. But she
shot up a note as hmm. And I walked in as if that was Zambia and she in sounded look like a
professional singer for a second. So for a second I entertained my mind what if she is good enough?
What if she's like she has an Adele quality in her voice? Well, I have a choice. Do I didn't stop
her from doing this or stop her from doing it publicly. To me, that's the important thing and I'll
just tell made us a very, very clear distinction between private and public. So basically, I'm
trying to say I'll let her explore this skill go ahead and sing all you want in your house sing in
		

			front of your father and your mother and explore this skill and even if you want to start writing,
right let's write I don't know if it's hella to some music written maybe I don't know I'm not a
scholar. Maybe that's allowed to I'm just guessing but let's explore the skill but the minute the
skill crosses into something that might be haram, we have to stop this is that this is our limit
because that end the day we're not here to sing to some music, or sing we're here to obey Allah Yes,
you don't have to so important we're not here you know to sing or write song we're here for a
purpose. Yes. And Allah told us what He created us for you know, so the last thing was when I was
		

			thinking that example is me, my Salas done my duties are done my due responsibilities of business
and respond all my things are done. Now I have a technical free time. I'll explore this on my laptop
just for myself. I think that's okay. I think if I'm mistaken correct me now and I'll fix that as
well. But I won't ever cross into the public because now I want to go back to those the old days.
Yeah. You know who I spoke a lot about this with like, I don't know if you heard a Loon, you know,
former rapper. Oh, yeah. Amir Junaid Maha did not he talks about this topic is really good. Yes. You
know, and then the also the former rapper who's with Tupac, you know?
		

			The Napoleon? Yes. Yeah, they cover these topics because they were people who are in just like you,
but at a wholly totally different level, you know.
		

			But now, just to finish off back on DJ Khalid, you know, you think about someone like him? Who has
everything. Yeah. And now you, you know, you are someone who had this lifestyle. And we know when
someone like, leave something for the sake of Allah, Allah replace it with something better. I
agree. So the same thing of these? Yeah, Holly was to leave, you know, this lifestyle this
obviously, you know, yes. It's not in the pleasure of the Creator of heaven on earth, and you can
actually be doing something that's raising your ranks, you know, if Allah, Allah definitely were
placed him so better, did you see that when you left this? You know, with the proper intention, you
		

			left this for your Creator? Right? Did you see it replaced with something better? 100% Yeah, I'll
answer the two for two to clear ways one, because you get edited the callback, the money, I was, I
monetize the scope,
		

			in DJing, at that time, I think was bringing in 70,000 75,000 Just just doing parties here and
there. And then when I started doing weddings, the money actually increased, not decreased.
		

			And that's a lot of money for someone that ages and I, you know, I would study in the daytime and
then just DJ over the weekends. So it was easy lifestyle, too. But you're talking for me to make
that much money, then I wanted to replace it because now I'll go from from this to zero.
		

			And I'm not saying happened overnight. But now that I have free time I I dove into a new skill. So
the minutes of DJing is okay, I start studying Islam, I still have free time, I didn't, you know, do
this 24 hours a day. So I found this, this, I mean, this art this, this, this background, you're
looking now is a reflection of that, when I found this niche, I fell in love with it. It not only
filled my time with something physical and mental. But also like a love became I really enjoyed
enjoyed it. And this skill I'm talking about, it took me years to develop just like you would I'm
sure in your case as well. I ended up monetizing it. And all that money I would made then came back
		

			because it goes back to that as a critic smaller and if we really understand that, you know, to me,
it's profound far because I'll go on to the world and do everything I can do to earn as long as
Khaled why because if it's meant to be it's meant to be that's why when a customer joins or doesn't
join I don't get mad is as long as I did my best to present a good product to the person and if the
joins great that means it was meant to be If not no big deal that means someone else gonna get that
money and I'm okay with that because it's gonna come back and all the money I made
		

			quote unquote loss DJ by stopping that lifestyle then I'll give me this and a few other businesses
I'm doing but this in particular that love was filled there so filled my time with this and I filled
my my money with this as well. Two things would same same thing that he gave me but now I've been
dodging haram so I can at least go home and face my children and they're not
		

			embarrassed by their dad. You know, my dad, for example, is a great man today. But his when he was
earning in this country, one of the things he got into was nightclub. He owned a nightclub on Mr.
Called prestige club him and his brothers.
		

			And that club I'm sure made a lot of money.
		

			For him enough money to pay for my college enough money to buy the home we have and they had.
		

			But when we when I became old enough at recognizing it, I put pressure on him Uncle Bob, I think we
need to get out of this I think we can get out of this.
		

			And that's a funny story in itself to maybe one day we could share that but how I kind of really
sometimes across the line, you know, being kind to my dad to being mean, because I want them to
pressure may Allah forgive me for that, but it worked. Eventually my dad said, Okay, you're right,
we need to get rid of this. And he went into the restaurant business because at the end of the day,
a nightclub is still a restaurant and he took the Haram part out and kept the higher part and, and
he did good with that. So there's another example where, let me abandon this this disgusting life
that's ruining my relationship. My wife ruining my, my, my kids not all have to recognize that my
		

			dad's my dad's not a good guy. He's making money selling liquor and living, terrible lifestyle. Let
me get out of this. And now universe replaced he had a very successful restaurant, same brothers
that left that they went to open a restaurant, they did great for years. And then He cleaned his act
up went to hygiene. He's a good man today. So there's another story, but so it can be done. So if
you've just done a law and you follow the Dean things, Allah opens other doors for you, I'm
committed to that and it's for sure. And DJ Khaled. If you were to quit, go back to his roots. 100%
A little give me 30 Because he's still skilled, he has skills, just take your skill somewhere else,
		

			DJ Khalid or anybody aspiring to be like that this inshallah could be a benefit for those who are on
the border. And they also like you in the inside, they know what they're doing is wrong and now,
getting out of something that's haram into something is halau and inshallah this will be something
that can help them make a better decision. Thank you so much for sharing that story with you. If you
guys are in Detroit, then come visit you at Detroit jujitsu here with our brother. He trains you to
calm
		

			best trainers in the state
		

			salaam Abdullah