Live Show Struggling In The Deen

Let's wake everybody up.

Everybody, I'm very excited we're trying to share, because we care. And that's why we do the program D show, which is viewed internationally all over the globe. And we're here with you guys. We're here with you guys. And I get definitive first and foremost, because I get to sit with some of the students of knowledge, people who have accepted Islam, and I get to soak in his knowledge and then press record and share with you today we're doing a live show. So for our youth that are out there struggling, it's difficult growing up in the West here, many of the challenges, you have to wake up on time to make the prayer, you have to stay away from certain things, a lot of do's and don'ts. So

we want to give you some encouragement, not only to the youth, but also the parents who are here to try to understand you. So what better way than to get some advice from our brothers here also have grown up in this culture, myself included. I was born and raised here. I'm an American. And we can speak that we speak the vernacular language. So sometimes when you father mother telling you this and the other and it goes in from one ear out the other, but when you're talking to somebody who can relate, and shall lie sinks in a little bit better. So I had two of our brothers in Sharla. We've been on the D show Muslims allow Yeshua, Joshua Evans and shallot soon to be Omar Reagan. So we're

gonna start off by having them introduce themselves, starting from my right to the left.

Go ahead.

My name is Hugh Evans born and raised in South Carolina accepted Assam in 1998.

And have been working since then to share it.

My name is Omar, Camila and my my mom when I was five years old.

My name is Muslim chin. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, London, South London. I embraced Islam in 2002.

And the journey continues

viewer can get to benefit from the responses that you guys growing up in the West you've also faced some of those challenges many of us are still facing challenges to this day is a struggle is that you had all the way till we visit that grace. So we want to do enough good to please our credit before we meet our creditors so we need that good advice. So as I mentioned, sometimes when you get an advice from from an old uncle, we respect our uncles from you know you guys Ain't that old but when we get people who are more our age bracket or who've been there done that we've kind of respected a little bit better so tell us what were some of the challenges that you guys face growing

up here and how did you overcome these things such as going to the nightclubs things as you know when people are in the masjid you're out you know partying and hanging out in the call commerce with the prayer but then the friends are calling you know you did to be out with them. So that's a dilemma that we're facing. How did you guys

overcome that?

Let's start with let's start with Allah

Subhana Allah lot for me.

I was scared when I first became a Muslim if I'm honest, I was scared of the rules of Bravo was giving me Dawa. I told him I'm I'm considering becoming a Muslim. And it's important in the manner in which we give Dawa he scared me to tell him he decided to tell me everything hits around.

So it's like, Is it like this music that you're doing in his forearm? You know, you'd have to stop that. And also this going out to clubs, etc. You'd have to stop that and I said, Okay, we'll go I won't drink alcohol. You know, just have a good time. No, no, no. Going out together to get the alcohol. I said, Okay, well, it's my friend's birthday. Is there no birthdays as well forget.

So everything seemed to her arm and just mixing in general these women and it scared me. You know, when you're young, you The world is like a playground to you and you just you just see enjoyment in everything because you don't have much responsibilities at a young age. So you just want to have fun.

And it sounded like everything that was fun was haram and everything that was fun and enjoyable, I can't do no more. So what's this life gonna be like, for me, if I become a Muslim now and 19 years old, it's just gonna be boring. And it's gonna be, I wanted to delay it to a later age. And like I said, Maybe I'll become a Muslim when I'm 30 or 40, after I've had all my plans. But we don't have this contract, saying we're going to live for this long. So basically, it was, it was the fear of death, when I spoke to someone else, it was the fear of dying in that bad state, and not having that time. You know, a lot of us being old. Later on in life, people boost up after they get married.

After University, we delay it, we don't hate them towards good. And it was the fear of dying and being raised on that day kiama when he was the guy who's giving me with more wisdom, he was explaining about being raised as like the winners or the losers, and it was the fear of being raised as a loser. That just made me think that I have to try now. So I accepted it from 19. And the journey just started about style. But believe me, it wasn't easy. And it's still not easy. Like there's there was many things that I was battling with. But for me as a rapper, it was when some young Muslim sorry to get to the point some young Muslims are doing it a calf in the mosque, and it

was the man's children. And they came up to me and they recognized me as a rapper young Pakistani, because allow your app or your app or dora dora.

I said, I didn't want to do that. You're embarrassing me. I said you recite some Quran. And he was reciting what shamcey what he had for me and us and they said Don't you know it? Um, my little brother knows his induced armor and he's five. So not knowing it. But knowing all that rap. Kind of that made me Christian.

I'm like, No, I can rap along to so much rap CDs, etc. But when the Quran plays How long can I go on for I don't. So it This made me question. Where's my heart? See, it's just that

it was that battle basically like, Where's your heart when the questions come to you? What did you really love in this life was it you say we love a learner Dean, but our actions are showing something different.

Yeah, talk is cheap. Yeah. You have any regrets? any regrets? Yeah.

There's no there's no enjoyment in it. Like there's no enjoyment in it. Not at all. So you're happy now?

How do you we talk about the 10th realisation of this world you I mean, you're like right in it all the Hollywood glitz and glamour and the movies made. And now it's like, are you going to wear to the after party is not was all about now. It's the red carpet. And all the, you know, Papa Razzi and it's like, you know, everything's mixed district style sort of martinis and how you not succumb to that and say on the right way, the way that's pleasing to the Creator.

So how long? Oh, man, well, hum the law is, it's a big problem, to be honest with everybody. You really have to

let me tell you, I'm gonna tell you this short story. You You it becomes a point where you start seeing yourself and the environment that you're in. And you all of us have this voice on the right side of us to remind us like, you shouldn't be here. You shouldn't you really shouldn't be here.

Any looking around. I was I went to this event.

And when the law was, I was with a man

who was Dave Chappelle, who was a Wesley Snipes. We was there was a billy Shapiro's his brother, I was at this event. And we were going we had good intentions. I mean, youngsters, we wanted to talk to Prince visor was there with the Hollywood Studios. And I wrote the script. And I wanted to talk to him about doing some Muslim halau movies. That's what I wanted to do. And he had the money. And I wanted to talk to him, say, give me the money.

But I had to go into this to this party. And it was on the Sunset Strip. And not genuine was there. Lisa Ray was there. All these other celebrities was there that you know, you have to lower our gaze, sisters even have to lower their gaze with the genuine guy we know.

But it was at this point, when I realized that I was wasting my time. I was there. And look how I got the reminder. I'm standing there. And I felt so shame because it's the time when Michael Jackson was had passed away. And I was I was playing a Michael Jackson song and I was

and this woman she was tall. She She probably

Man was like, you're the only one Texan.

Oh,

and all the people I'm thinking like a Muslim, and I'm the one that stands for the Michael Jackson. So then she's talking to me though, I must say, I don't remember what I said. To be honest, I don't know what I said that she lives. She's like, you Muslim. I was like, Oh, yeah.

She's very tall. She had this miniskirt on. And she's like she was a model. And she said,

she, she told

me, she said, other than me tell you that why have mercy on her? Because I didn't know what that meant.

Right? And so I was like you from Silicon?

Valley. She said, Morocco. And so I was like, wow. And I looked at it and she said, Please, this would she honestly.

She looked at me in her eyes water. He said, Please stay with me.

And I was touched, like, I was like, This messed up. But

I didn't know like, I really I started thinking about all of this.

Like, this is this, what is this is got to be.

But I was like, well, I'll mess up. And she's messed up too. So we met.

And he was like, I want to know what it is and everything. And I said, Wow, what if that was me, I walked away from her. And this lady was talking to me and this guy was black. And he was looking at me. She took me to introduce me to him. And this guy, he was the manager in charge of Erykah Badu and everything. And he was like, you want to drink off your drink? It's real. It's an honor. When I turned the drink down, I was dishonouring him. It was like I said, No, no, I don't drink and everybody just

like, you know, he was like, Oh,

no, he's Muslim.

And he pulled out his alarm chain as if it was his badge,

to be like, bam, and he started talking to me.

And I was like,

I don't understand the point that it got to me. I started looking around, I said, You know what,

it's a bunch of Muslims in here.

And look at how we look. And I don't look no bad. I gotta make a decision. Like, I do not want to just blend in with the crowd. I want to, I want it that that experience, it really bothered me, because I was like, man, I look just like everybody else. I don't look like anybody that's making survive. That's a reminder of a love that, you know what I mean? Just this. I like what I am. Why, like inspiring American Muslim youth, I don't look like that I'm misrepresenting everything. And it really made me feel shame. And it just stuck with me. It's a little funny, but it shook me. And it's very difficult to be in that kind of environment. I mean, I've done some film mounting with telogen

Muslims, which film and I've done, because I'd be like, Oh, I wouldn't be ashamed. just grateful that I didn't really have any bad things. But just because I was there.

And if you saw a movie like us, you know, it's just too much, it was really too much. And it comes a point where I don't wanna talk to too long. It does come a point where we have to make a commitment to be who we really truly are. Like, we don't really realize that a lot from what Allah has given us the light, and they, they want the light that people look for the light, but how am I going to shine the light. If I'm in a mix of all of this, they'll just block the light. And then nobody will be like, hey, by the way, and I'm gonna die. It's not gonna work. It's just not gonna work. So we just can't be putting on we got to try our best like, like most of them said, we gotta try our best

because it's a constant struggle and be strong. Thank you. Thank you.

I am not afraid.

I'm not afraid.

I'm not afraid.

I'm not afraid.

I am not

I started asking deeper questions. The question I want people to really ask themselves

is, when you come back from a night on the town, you've been drinking, you've been losing, you've been dancing,

hanging out with girls, guys, whatever. Number one,

did you improve yourself as a human being?

Number two, did you contribute anything to the betterment of humanity?

The amazing thing is, is that the most advanced studies in psychology, about human happiness, show

that these are the two key factors in making people profoundly happy. I take five minutes out of my day, and prayed to the Creator, and none of the creations and I feel a deep internal peace. And I still have my normal life.

And get the experience from you, Sean Evans, you've been on the D show before a lot of people go to see your whole story at the D show.com. So you also made a transition from living that lifestyle of chasing your lust and desires. So in short, how did you overcome that to where you are today? What keeps you going?

As soon as

you know, 13 years ago, almost 14 years ago, when I accepted Islam,

I was at a point where I was trying to get out of that lifestyle, I really, you know, didn't have realized I didn't have a place in the first in the first place. And I was striving to get out. And so when I found Islam, it was like finding home. You know, it's like I found what needed to be in belong. But 14 years later, after going through so many different things in within being a Muslim dealing with my family, the biggest probably tribulation that came to me was not from non Muslims wasn't from my family is from the Muslim community. Because when I first accepted Islam, this was before 911 there wasn't you know, people weren't entering Islam in droves, because Islam was in the

media. No, I was just some weird white guy, you know, in the masjid, and the only white guy in the masjid and it was somewhat hard for me to find my place. You know, it was almost like I was still an outsider. I had left my whole way of life and become an outsider to everyone else. And then I was sitting outside in the community. And everybody was giving me everything, read this, read that study this, you need to know this, you need to know that I didn't know where to start where a B, C, D went anything. So 14 years later,

what I think really keeps me going. And being able to go and try to bring other people out of that darkness is one day I was sitting on a plane half asleep. And this is something that I think all of us, especially really quickly show of hands, how many people were born,

born and raised in Israel.

How many people came to Islam reverts very small number in the room. So I'm speaking to all of you born and raised in this mess. I was sitting on a plane one day half asleep. And for some reason,

remembering I was preparing for a lecture and I was thinking about the Hadith of the Prophet Alayhi salat wa salam, about Allah azza wa jal, having written everything in a book that is only with him 50,000 years before he initiated the creation, everything that would happen, as we know the puppet is that as a synonym, so the first thing to look at was the fall of the pin. And then he told the pin the right thing said, right, what he said, right, every everything. And then I thought to myself,

you know what, somewhere in that book alone, that you would be guided, somewhere in that book, a lot of rules, and had written that you would be guided, that you would come out from that darkness, into the light of the flood, and be where you are right now.

And that's kind of overwhelming, because now having really understood who migrated is really understanding

that Allah would consider guiding someone like me, out of all of humanity is really a favorite, and I didn't do anything to deserve.

I don't do anything to continue to get that guidance is still there. And so now it becomes more of an issue for me not to struggle to stay inside of Islam anymore, but to struggle each and every day to repay a debt that I can never repay to Alma because he's given me something that's priceless, which is

and there's nothing I can do.

Do you need a myriad of lifetimes to repay that debt? So every morning, I wake up now with the consideration that what am I going to do today to try to repay that gift that was given to me, before I was even thought of before the creation was thought of where Allah had written down in a book that is only with him that I would be guided. And for all of you here in this room, a lot of wrote your name and that book to that name, your name was written in that book, too. So Allah put in consideration to bring you to Islam. And I don't know what any of you have done to deserve it. But if you are like I am, we didn't do anything to deserve it. It is truly a gift. It is truly an honor

that was given to us. And every single day that we wake up, and we're able to say, Laila, hey, Mamata, it's another gift. And and that's really the beautiful

treasure of Islam that we try to share with the world that is a gift. And it was given to me 14 years ago, and I tried to give it to as many people as I can. That's the only thing that keeps me going. If not, I don't even know what I would be doing right now.

I don't want to have all the fun. So we're gonna try to take a couple questions. You have a few minutes

to learn from their experiences. We

will start with the sisters, any sisters assistant wants to ask a friend whose big challenge today is maybe she her friend just barely got on here. And all the other friends are trying to have her at that party.

So suffice to say anybody raise your hand, sister be okay.

Go ahead and ask your question.

Thank you so much. I always struggle with that.

And I'm so thankful that I'm

why why.

And some that have had to say it's so

hard

to do. And some people that are fighting share

with them.

Beautiful question, go ahead. If you bought all three of you can maybe hit it for one minute each. Before we take another question. Go ahead.

I don't think I've fully understood the question, why are we so lucky to be guided, she wants to share it with

you know, guidance, it is from Allah. Like, oh, we can do is convey a message. The guidance is from Allah. So we have to do our duty, it's not really our duty to change the world, and to get frustrated or angry at the rest of the world, etc. We can just convey a message in the best manner, manners we have possible, and hope that Allah guides them. And the way I've seen is to, to change ourselves by having beautiful characters. And by having the best of manners, and inshallah we'll attract them to want to join us or to be interested in what it is that we have.

Yep.

That's right. I agree. He said everything. I mean, I'm Lila he said everything, be grateful. And then if you're grateful, then you're happy. And you're happy and you're smiling. And I think what happens to a lot of people is they get turned off from Islam, because they don't they don't see Muslims smiling. You know. So I think that we have to smile more and show that we are really truly excited and grateful to Allah for him even making us Muslim. And then you know, that we know, because this is natural, to want to party to want to drink, to want to have fun to want to have do haram all at a time is not who we are. As human beings. It's not who Allah created as man. That's

things that and like and so Xs, or last month, Allah says that we seek refuge in law from pseudo ness that whispers from that go into the heart. That feeling or that emotion is not real is whispered in to us. So being Muslim is natural.

We got it. We're gonna pass it to you.

Um, as far as the question, why are we the lucky ones? That's a question that we can't really answer. I can't even tell you why I'm on guidance. So but when it comes to sharing the message of Islam with people

are Muslim family members that are not practicing friends that are not practicing, you know, and they are exposed to the same things we're exposed to, but yet they are not coming on board. You know, this is a question that plagues our beloved messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as well. And Allah azza wa jal revealed to him.

Will you destroy yourselves over their footsteps? Will you destroy yourself over their footsteps, their comings and goings, and they're running away from you. A lot told him you cannot guide whomever you wish it is I who guide whomever I wish. And I know best who is guided I know who is best a strength. One thing I tried to share with everyone, and this is maybe something you can take home with you tonight. When I meet people and give them data, I tell them something very simple, that look when it comes to your relationship with your Creator, it is personal relationship, it is personal, it doesn't have with me, doesn't have anything to do with

the mother. This is a relationship between you and the one who created you. So I implore you to do something. If you really want to know the truth about your life and your existence, then go to the one who created you simply humbly ask him guide you to the truth. And also ask that with sincerity. And they are willing to follow that path wherever it may lead, it will lead to guidance, because the law says we guide those who walk Alright. So that is simply and humbly those who wish to follow the path of Allah that Allah gives them

to be able to go on that path.

We're taking one question from one of the brothers and we get a hand. You have a question? anybody have a question? From this side? Go ahead. Okay.

Go ahead. young brother.

coworkers, friends.

offended, offended, you know, you don't want to I mean, we know that God is trying to send that message. How do we send a message without offending them? And also, sometimes they agree with the message, but they don't. It's the identity, because it's also someone with an Arab or you know, most most associated with that. So how do they how do we fight that identity battle and how do we speak without offending them?

Because what we

wants to say 30 seconds to answer the question, you shut off.

Do you right 30 seconds.

One problem we have had here in in in the West a lot with Darwin is to learn how to make Islam universal because Islam is a religion, everyone, not content to any time or place. It's not constricted to any time or place. It's not a religion. It's not a bug. It's not any religion. When it comes to sharing the message without being overbearing. Allah azza wa jal has given us that key very simply when he commanded us Oh, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Bill hekima. The first command was called to the way of your Lord with wisdom. And wisdom is according to the best definition, when given the English language, wisdom is to use knowledge at the right place at the right time, with due

discretion. So we have to know how to share Islam with our brothers and sisters in humanity. And I finished with this last statement that we do need to be trained and our that was something that needs to be learned. It is a technique it is a skill, it is a proficiency. But Lastly, I want to explain to you the last Hadith is that the Prophet alayhi salaatu wa sallam said, as you all know, you do not love for your brother, what you sow, you do not have true belief until you love for your brother, what you love for yourself. Mmm. And now we are saying Mahalo to Allah. When interpreting this Hadith, he said Brotherhood in this sense meant general that you do not have through a man

until you love for your fellow human being, what you love for yourself and what we love for ourselves as Jen. So we should love that for them to ensure them sincerity, that we have care and concern for you.

For the male or female that is down and out. They feel like they hit rock bottom. She's been used and abused by the man, she should have been there in

relationship. And you know what, she's trying to get her X ray, and he's also manipulated with the women and he's picked all the parties and now he's like, you know what, I just don't want to do it anymore. And he's telling

me is there hope?

give some advice.

To be fast. I'd say like,

after hardship comes ease and sometimes the hardships of this life should be what drives us to want to work harder for the next leg.

Because we know what Allah is prepared to read about Ghana and paradise on what's prepared for you. And when you suffer in this life and you're going through that hardship that should make you want to work harder to get to gender. So, first thing is to start with the prayer. If the prayer is good, and everything else will be good in your life, the prayer is bad, then everything else will go bad. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up. Do that action turn to Allah. No, so many people have come to me and said they sin and they feel so bad that they feel they're too bad to even pray. This deed is for the sake of Allah and it's in accordance with the sun. Go meet with you and pray. Allah

will accept it from you inshallah.

Pray, pray, pray, and and you know what, brother? Because he got the Omar Rican shirt on

when you find that you're upsetting them the people that you're talking to stop,

tell Oh, I don't mean to offend you. I don't mean to upset you. That's not I'm sorry. I apologize. When they see that you're so passionate about something that you want to control yourself from getting into continue arguing that's dour in itself. And then people don't stop. keep on praying. Because there's hope for all of us. I feel like I'd have done so much dirt. If I lost one what data saved me he can save everybody, I promise you.

Pray?

Is there hope they did everything under the sun. And now they're feeling like there

is their hope is so I'm going to quote one of my dearest friends who will be with us here in sha Allah Allah, one of my dear beloved friends, Imam Suraj.

There's always hope, because if Allah azza wa jal wished to create a creation that did not sin, He had already done that. He had already done that with his angels. And when Allah said, I will create and make a leaf on earth the angels didn't understand. They said, Why will you create one they will commend mischief? Allah simple response was, I know what you do not know. Because Allah azza wa jal can be known through his greatness with his creation of the heavens and the earth and the angels, he can be known through many of his beautiful attributes, but one of his greatest attributes only becomes perfected through this creation of the insane engine. And that is his attribute of mercy,

the ability to forgive the ability to turn to those who turned to him repent, if Allah did not create people who would sin, no one would ever cause mercy. No one would ever understand Allah's forgiveness. So if you commit sin, no, you are doing that which is part of your nature, but it does not become part of your identity until you return to Allah azza wa jal and seek His forgiveness and repentance. And lastly, the prophet alayhi salaatu wa sallam said, if the son of Adam did not commit sin, Allah would just just get rid of that creation and replace them with people who would commit sin, so that they would turn to him and repent to him. Because indeed, in our repentance, we show

the great need that we have for Allah. And we allow Allah as visual to show the greatness of His mercy.

Thank you very much.

I'd like to thank all of you guys,

for sitting attentively. And let's take the advice let's work to please our Creator before we meet our Creator by doing all the wonderful things the beautiful things as he's told us to do, so we can be in genda. So we can be in Geneva because this life is short, and it will all end very soon. So let's not get hypnotized by the 10th realization and the delights of this world. Let's get hypnotized by gentlemen and strive to be the best the best and character the best and deeds and actions before the Angel of Death comes to snatch our soul out of our body. Thank you very much. We'll reward you peace. Assalamu alaykum

humanity. This is what we need for you and me. Peace. The solution for humanity.

pieces we need

to open your eyes.

See

you will find it is clay

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