Romanian And Loving Islam

			Bismillah Alhamdulillah salaam aleikum, welcome to another episode of the deen show on location. And
we've interviewed all sorts of Muslims all over the world. I told you if there's a Muslim on the
moon, we'd be interviewing them. But I found a Muslim from Romania. Romanian Muslim loving Islam
jabril salaam aleikum?
		

			How are you, brother? Good. Good to be here. I want to ask you a few questions, inshallah. So, in a
predominantly Christian, orthodox Catholic,
		

			Romania, how did you find Islam?
		

			Actually,
		

			it's a long story, I'll try to make as short as possible. Yes, Romania is predominantly orthodox and
some Catholic, that's my background was my family was, you know, raising me that way.
		

			Christianity is part part of the culture, there is not something that you just choose, you know,
you're raised into, we were having Bible class, you know, starting grade one. And I'm not talking
about your just your normal average Bible study, like you're actually going deaf, and you know, you,
you and I developed actually a love for for faith, you know, for for Christianity. And I used to be
one of the only ones in my family to go to church actually, believe it or not, you know, grade one,
I would go myself to church, and even pick some of the kids in the neighborhood and take him to
church, you know, and even the parent parents were like, what is this guy doing? So, yeah, it was,
		

			you know, I developed a love for God and interest in in faith, to the point where I used to cross
the road I used to cross myself, you know, I was very, very into it. And
		

			I was introduced to Islam, very early, actually, you know, part of our history classes in in
Romania, we know we have a long history with it with the Turks with the Muslim Turks. And we were
always taught that they're disbelievers. You know, they believe in this God Allah, who was a
different God was just, you know, someone out there was totally, you know, different, right? So, you
know, we were kind of taught not to like them, I wouldn't put it hate him, but not to like them. And
the Romans were always praised and you know, didn't defeated Turks and, you know, but obviously
history knows that sort of Muslims are called Turks. Yeah, the Muslims are called Turks. And we were
		

			memorizing you, and like, even now, I know, some, some poetry and Romanian are kind of against, you
know, the the Muslim Turks and praising the Romanians and the Christian armies, and how did he feel
it you know, in certain battles, the Turks So, you know, it's very nationalistic type nationalists
are very, it's just part of the culture, it was part of the culture and, you know, so I had that
preconceived idea. You know, when Push, push comes to shove different things happen in my life, and,
		

			you know, I kind of when I came to Canada, which was 1998, I was introduced, Muslims actually
finally got to meet a Muslim and I was like, was it a Turkish Muslim, it was not a textual, say it
actually a Bosnian, Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Muslim. And, you know, I read and I met other Muslims,
Arab Muslims, you know, I've seen these, you know, a variety of people from different backgrounds,
all being Muslim, you know, all talking about the same this a lot. It's got a lion on I was like,
Who is this, you know, Allah. So finally, slowly, I realized, first of all, that some of the things
that they were saying about Muslims, you know, being pagan, and, you know, bad people that do or
		

			not, they're actually very nice people and good people and actually praying a lot, you know, and
they prayed in a manner which, you know, I really, really became to love from being when I, when I
would, you know, see my friend praying, I was, I felt like, I was missing something myself in my
prayers, you know, so actually, at one point in my life, and also Christian, I used to get down and
make sushi within it, because I felt like, that's, like, closer to God than, you know, just my
normal prayers while kneeling, or just, you know, crossing my hand, meaning they would like fall on
their face and pray to God come up all the way down. Right, they would, you know, make what's called
		

			a full prostration, which is weird, because it's also described the Jesus peace be upon him of doing
it and in the gospels, right. So, you know, he did that. So, you know, I, I really came to love, you
know, that way of prayer. And I started, you know, being very interested in in Islam, you know,
trying to understand a little bit about Islam, China, you know, a lot of the things that I, you
know, knew before about us, and we're just, you know, misconceptions. And
		

			there came to a point where, you know, I was really
		

			I would say, it was the guidance of God that really made me question my own faith. You know, I was I
was really into different things up and basically.
		

			I mean, I wouldn't like to flaunt it on you like, just
		

			Everybody I'll just chase in the material world satisfying the flesh and you know
		

			I was you know drinking and even though I didn't like drinking but I was you know trying to you know
be in conformity with my friends in the past you know but but it's reality that's what people are
caught up into just having a good time get all you can can't that's what it was with Canada coming
here my parents kind of divorced and you know basically certain things happen that really opened my
mind right something missing now you were missing something there was there was there was a lot
missing from the beginning actually and and now I realize that and there's that void was very deep
right now when you know, my life was you know even more empty because my family was broken apart.
		

			And you know, I was culturally confused coming to Canada right like the culture was different right
so I was like, I was having identity you know, issues I was like, I mean who am I really you know
and what what is you know that same you know, question that everyone asks the nightclubs in a
drinkin wasn't in the wind, all that stuff wasn't satisfied answering your questions, right. I
turned to the to the female, you know, side for some time and that supposedly gave some some, you
know, took my mind off it for some time. But no, it didn't you know, that the night the nightlife
and the drinking, which I didn't like, the drugs I never did, because I don't I could I was just a
		

			sports guy all the time, so I can do, but the nightlife nerd that I used to go back in my bed at
night, I remember, you know, being drunk and just laying on the back and just sitting almost no, the
nightly You know, every night I would sit and stare like, what I just do, you know, like, I went, I
laughed. I had fun. Yes, I got drunk. And you know, I dense, but I just feel like so empty. what's
what's, what did I do? I mean, I don't feel happy. Everyone's laughing like the, you know, it's so
fake. Because you're there. And you're, you know, you, you pretend you're having a good time. But I
would go home and I would literally be like, like, what? I don't know, like, Can I see myself like
		

			this in five years? 10 years? What am I really doing? So I was very, very empty. And, you know, I
was I was definitely looking for something. And then it came to the point where I was, you know,
involved with a certain girl. And we had some issues in August. I remember that one night very, very
quite very well, actually, that I asked God, to, you know, I felt my doing that, you know, sujood
prostration with the Muslims pray you, you copy that you fell on your feet, you humbled yourself. I
humble myself, you know, and I remember I was crying because I just I was so depressed. I was like,
man, like, I don't know, I'm not happy. You know. I mean, I came from a third world country where
		

			everyone's everyone's dreaming to come to Canada, everyone's dream to come to United States. I mean,
that's like the utopia. You know, you want to go there. But when you reach there's like, okay, a
year you're like, Wow, nice buildings, nice cars, nice clothes. But then after some time, it's just
like, okay, is that it? You know, like,
		

			Where's all that hype that everyone's talking about? So I humble myself, and I put my head down to
God, I was just depressed. I'm just like, man, I don't know why I'm.
		

			And I said, you know, oh, god, I'm just, I'm not happy with, you know, girlfriend, this, that money,
whatever, you know, you're trying to get, I'm not happy. You know? Like, I mean, I need I need to
find a way What is this way? You know, the only time I was I was, I was confused. You know, I was
just like, you know, and I, even before I turned to the Bible to look for answers, no, but I was
confused. And I asked, you know, the Almighty in that position, and I was honestly, you know, I
mean, I don't like to, to, you know, too, too short. But like, I was crying, you know, I was really
in a depressed state. And I remember even after some time, I went to the doctor, because I felt that
		

			I was depressed tonight. And I mean, all you see throughout the TV, you know, doctors and Prozac and
you know, antidepressants, right? So the first thing I clicked on, let me go to doctor, there's
something wrong. Let me not see. Don't feel too bad. Because I'll guarantee you. There's millions of
people that are in that state right now. But they're not doing what you did. You humbled yourself
and you're asking God to guide you continue, please. Yes. So I went to the doctor, and I was like,
Listen, I wake up in the morning and anxiety attacks, like my heart's about to jump out of my chest.
I can't go to school anymore. I don't feel I would go to school, I would look at the school door and
		

			I'll turn around sometimes, you know, I just my marks went down. I was like, I don't I don't know
what's going on. So the doctor said, you know, here I'll prescribe some medicine right? So I look at
them I'm like, I don't want to take pills man. I say next was in it. I don't remember what it was. I
just don't want to take pills. You know, I need to I need there's there's a greater purpose for me,
you know, I can just stop myself with pills and you know, hope it's going to go away. So I remember
I went you know, home and and, you know, from this time to the time I found this time, there was
actually a great period of time, I would say about you know, a year and a half or so, where you
		

			know, still emptiness tonight. I try to look for different places. I try to forget about these
things. I tried to push myself to be someone I wasn't just I you know, I appear much when strong,
you know, and it worked for some time. Not I mean, I was doing very well in school. I was becoming
very popular on the soccer team.
		

			But it's still, you know, it was catching up with me once in a while back and just, you know,
bringing back those same feelings, and I knew that I'm just covering up, you know, sooner or later,
it's gonna, that reality is gonna come back to, to haunt me. And I remember exactly the time when I
actually gave up Christianity, because of course, I turned to it for answers. And I was I moved, I
got kind of kicked out from one of the schools told not to come back. And I went to a Catholic
school. And I remember the priests would come in and, you know, tell us about God. And I would, I
would just be like, I would have questions for him, right? And unfortunately, is, you know, my
		

			methodology was not the best thing. I was a bit rude. And, you know, I was just keep cutting off in
question. I was like, it makes no sense. It makes no sense. Can you please explain this? Can you
please explain that, and you just say you have to believe.
		

			And I remember that I went to the home. And it was, I think it was Saturday morning, I was sitting
in front of the computer. And I was looking through some Bible verses on the internet. And I just
researched the 10 commandments, which we all learned before memorized in school, in Navy, you know,
and I read the first commandment, you know, I am your Lord, that God, Thou shall not have any Gods
except me and on Heaven, Earth in between, right? I mean, we all know that, you know, all Christians
know that. And at that time, it just, it was it was different. It sounded different. And I just
realized, I was like, we don't really do it. This Christian. And I remember the next week, I went to
		

			school, and I was talking to one of my teachers, she was explaining something about Christianity.
And I said, Miss, we don't really, you know, I mean, the Trinity and the whole issue of, you know,
worshipping Jesus, it kind of goes against, you know, the principles of, you know, what, you know,
the Bible is supposed to teach it. And she says, Yeah, you know, you're right. But, you know, and
this is just something we believe, and I remember it myself. So, you know, I can't believe this. I
just can't, and I'm went home after some time, I took my cross and just want to get your very
nature, it went against exactly that feeling in your heart, you know, you and you know, I mean, you
		

			you have it in yourself as to what, you know, you you would see a contradiction, you know, there's a
contradiction there. So, I went home, you know, obviously, I wouldn't do that right now break across
anything, but I broke my crosses. I broke all you know, like, icons that we have, usually as
Catholics are thugs, they have icons, I took those away. And I just said, you know, what, I'm, I
believe in God. All religions are equally evil, or whatever, they just cause wars, and I just
believe in God and, and, you know, I'll just live my life like that. I'll have my own religion where
I, you know, I'm okay with everyone, as long as they call upon God, and I can, I have no problem
		

			with praying with all and I remember, even one of my friends, I was telling the buzzing, I was like,
We're going on Toronto trip. And I say, you know, I'll pray with you guys. I don't mind you know,
cuz you guys pray to God. Because Yeah, he's that guy. Actually, I like your prayer, teach me how to
pray. Right? And that's what started that. He actually said, Okay, let me teach you how to pray. So,
you know, he,
		

			he, he gave, you know, I gave up Christianity fully. I was in openly saying, I'm not a Christian.
You know, I believe in God, I'm on the religion of God, I would say no. And, you know, I, he taught
me how to pray he gave me you know, sort of fat. Yeah. And I remember I was, you know, My car broke
down at that time for some time, and I was going on the bus. And every time I'd be on the bus, I was
reading through it, I was like, I will never remember these words, you know, what is Alhamdulillah?
I'm not going to remember it, you know, what is Arabic? I mean, why does it have to be Arabic, I'll
put in my pocket. And amazingly,
		

			it would start going in my mind, you know, and hamdulillah. Hakuna, like, whoa. I mean, it's, that's
amazing, you know, and after some time, usually I memorize. And he actually I told him that and he
told me, we actually this is one of the, the core ends at the first chapter in the in the verbatim
Word of God the Quran. And he said, that's also one of the miracles because I memorize this way. He
said, you know, and that's one of the things that Allah tells in the Quran that, you know, he made
it easy for people to remember. Right? And I was like, wow, interesting. And slowly, slowly, very,
very, you know, with much wisdom, he started telling me about Islam, I started taking different
		

			books, I was hiding in my new, you know, under my pillow issue, so my family doesn't really know, I
didn't want him to, you know, I was a bit embarrassed, you know, that I'm looking into, you know,
what they perceive to be this Turkish religion, which you know, as pagan god and whatnot. So I was
kind of, like, hiding it. And I was looking through it. But, you know, again, the worldly things
caught up with me, and I was pushing, it was a struggle, you know, I was pushing the knowledge,
trying to get into the world. I wasn't happy with the world trying to go back to the knowledge and I
was, you know, struggling with it, too. I actually, it was interesting, one of the times that
		

			actually, you know, I went to them I was going to the mosque when when my friend and we were sitting
down one time and one guy comes to to us where he was actually, he knows me and you know, he saw me
before in the mosque, and he didn't see for a long time and he comes just looks at me. He's like,
wow, how are you? You know, did you become Muslim, and slipper Tang? I said, Yeah. I said, No.
		

			He started screaming Oh, brothers, this guy became awesome. I was like, no, no. And both me and my
friend were like, trying to explain to him.
		

			You know, I made a mistake. But that mistake was an innate mistake. That was what, in my heart I was
wanting, you know, like a slip of the tongue is I call you something that you really think about,
it's inside of you. And you can't control that anymore, you know, and you just use you let it go.
Right. So
		

			I, that's what I actually my heart was, was wanting, but I was fighting, it was no good. And I was
fighting it very well. Because I pushed it again, away. And what happened is my friend actually me,
we went to different schools. And for some time, we didn't see each other, right. So that
connection, you know, kind of stopped, right. And I got caught up again, with, you know, the worldly
things on the other side. But there was one incident, and I mean, I don't base the proof on dreams
and stuff like that. But there was one incident that I can't, I can't just swipe over. I mean, it
just catches up with me all the time, that I was sleeping one night after, you know, doing my thing
		

			and coming home, I was sleeping one night in my bed, and I dreamt that I was partying, and I was in
the house and it was dark. And you know,
		

			you know, you know the scenario, right? And certain person approached me, and stabs me in the
stomach. And it was so real, it was what you call like a lucid dream, you know, it's very, you can
really tell the difference between reality and dream. And I was hurting, and I was bleeding. And I
was holding my stomach and I was, you know, getting dizzy, and I walked outside is very dark. And I
heard the the ambulance coming. And when I walked outside, it was very dark. And I looked in the
sky, and I saw a light in the sky. And my soul left my body. And it was so real that I actually felt
it. And as my soul left my body, and it was going towards the night I woke up. And when I woke up, I
		

			was just crying. I was just wet sweat it in, like I could just came out of the pool. Like I was just
sweating. I didn't know what happened. You know, my reaction was like, okay, you know, in our
culture, if you dream, you know, these kind of dreams, nightmares. Maybe something bad happened,
right? I went checked up on my mom, see, she's okay. See if my brother's Okay, everyone's okay. And
I couldn't I was just sitting in my bed. And I went back. And I was like, I don't know, like, how do
I interpret this? And I realized, you know, just in my, in my,
		

			you know, Americans that there is a way out there. And it's not my way, I can just pick my own way
and say, you know, forget with this forget with that. I have my own way, there is a way out there.
And God wants me to find it till it's too late. That's how I mean, that was just my own
interpretation of dream, not the United States and boundary, but I felt as well, you know, I need to
find something I know, there is I'm just finding myself, you know, I'm just, you know, fooling
myself that there isn't something out there. I just need to find and you know, what? So what was
that? The logical rational thing, the the overwhelming thing about Islam that overtook you and had
		

			you take that step on to becoming a Muslim, I would say it was what you know, what we call an Islam
tawheed. Right, the oneness of God, the perfect Oneness, because a lot of people claim that they
have, you know, the ones from God, but that perfect Oneness of God. And also another thing, what we
call the fifth that I know that it fits your, your human, your natural disposition, you know, you
just, it fits that. And before knowing all these, you know, I mean, of course, the added later on to
my, to my firm belief, but before I knew, you know, concepts of knowledge of science in the Quran,
and all these, you know, beautiful things, the Quran that are used today for proofs, you know, I
		

			had, I would say what, you know, I could really understand how the Sahaba is felt, you know, because
they didn't know about all the sciences in the era, but they had the tauheed and the fifth Rhino in
that match. Right? So that's where, you know, slowly I, I came, you know, to, to, you know, to to
link that prayer that I made that one night, that desperate prayer, and the dream and, you know, all
the everything that happened, that's what it was pushing me that was the answer for me to that to
that prayer that I made for God to show me, you know, the one true path and, and very interesting
that we know, as humans, we're insane, you're always forgetting it was very interesting, because I
		

			was eager again, trying to find it. And I remember, the day when I was I gave up, it was the day
that again, I saw that I mean, you know, God sends people to guide you, I saw that, you know,
Bosnian brother again, and it was in the computer center, he was watching a very famous that she had
everyone watches, probably, you know, the last breath, you know, bathroom clutter, right? And, you
know, it's about the body, the soul leaving the body, you know, and says, you know, and it is true,
but it's too late, you know? And it really when I watched it, it just, it connected everything, and
I and I thought, you know, kind of like the next day I told him, and I really felt that this is I
		

			woke up that day, it was just perfect walking on my way to the university. I was just I felt that,
you know, this is I can't I mean, I can't fool myself, you know anymore. This is too much. I'm just
kidding myself. And I saw him actually on the way from one of the class and I said, you know, can
you please help me with something? Can you come over to my house, I need some
		

			And he came at night. And, you know, I went down downstairs, we went to, like, you know, the front
of house. And I told him I want to be. And he's like, no ways I knew it all along, he's like, you
know, you're so happy. And you know, very simply, it's all mean,
		

			obviously, you know what I do, he said, you just repeat after me. And he said, I showed on the La
Ilaha, Illa, shut on such a beautiful, you know, statement very simple for for person, you know, to,
to, you know, to become a Muslim. And since that day, on the line, I've been a Muslim, you know, I
thought that that's going to be, you know, the, the, the, the How to say, the, the threshold, you
know, when you reach your, your maximum in your life, and I always believed that God had a purpose
for me. But it wasn't, it was just the beginning of life. So now you became a Muslim, you took the
declaration of faith, which was a shadow in La ilaha illAllah, WA shadow, no, Mohammed rasulillah,
		

			which is basically bearing witness that there's only there is only one God, there's no deity worthy
of worship, except this one, God, Allah, the Creator of the heavens and earth. And then Mohammed is
his slave servant, and the banality of the Prophet, just like Jesus, Moses, Noah, we're all
messengers of God. Now, you're Muslim ones who surrenders and submits to the Creator, none of his
creation, you pray to Him, you worship Him alone. Tell us for someone else who's hearing your story.
What advice do you have for doesn't matter if he's Romanian, Italian, Irish, white, black Chinese,
Islam is for the whole world for all mankind? What advice do you have someone who might be caught up
		

			in that grip of cultural barriers, I'm born into this and I can't get out. But he's feeling inside.
He feels that, that his his natural instinct, or his natural, what we call fit that, that it doesn't
make sense that God is three and one and all pray, and all these other things that they believe. But
you know what? He's having a hard time coming over that barrier. He can relate to you What advice do
you give that person? My advice is, you know, just be sincere. I mean,
		

			God, you know, Allah hears everyone's prayer, you know, just be sincere and be open to truth.
There's lots of baggage that you have to push on the side. No, and that's what I was trying to tell,
you know, there was a fight between myself what I will might desire one, and you know, what the
truth was, and that's what Islam is, really is, once you reach the truth is you're submitting to it,
you know, what do you know, you might not, you know, one to wake up, for example, five in the
morning to pray, and a person was seeking the truth. And you might hear that it might not be used to
be like, Oh, man, five o'clock or 430 sometimes or, you know, four o'clock, that's your body, you
		

			know, unnecessarily you want to sleep, right? That's the whole issue of Islam, you go against that
desire of the party, because you submit that will, to the will of the Creator. And that's the
beautiful thing about you know, as you explained, that's, you know, the concept of faith in Islam
and tawheed and worshipping whitianga you know, if you're sincere, and you ask for it, get down
there on the on your knees, put your head on the ground. If you're Christian, you're not gonna have
a problem with it. Because, you know, Jesus did it. Abraham did it. And other prophecies that put
your head on the ground and ask, you know, don't ask in anyone else's name, okay? This will not be
		

			something that will go against, you know, your belief either, just as the one true creator just say,
oh my, oh, my Lord created the heavens and the earth. Right use you know, all the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful, the creator, show me the truth. I'm looking for you. I want to submit my world to you
will just show me the light and without a doubt without without any doubt. He will guide you with
arinto Thank you once again for for being with us on the D show. Like thank everybody for tuning in.
I told you, Islam is for everybody. We have interviewed many people from all over the world,
different countries and we just got to interview somebody from Romania. So inshallah God willing,
		

			you got to benefit. Tune in every week at the deen show calm, th e d and show calm for more great
topics, great lectures, and more of Islam and Muslims straight from the source. Till next time,
Salaam Alaikum. Peace be unto you