Bob Waalkes who accepts Islam on The Deen Show
The Deen Show – Why Americans choose Islam
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss their experiences with Christian faith and the importance of avoiding religious norm and being open-minded to learning. They share their struggles with past struggles with financial troubles and their desire to be around their family. They also discuss the importance of meditation, a breathing exercise used to release breathing tension, and their desire to be around their family. They end by thanking their brother and offering to connect with them again if they want to learn more about their content.
AI: Summary ©
You see somebody praying in an airport and prostrated an airport praying, don't call police security? Well, you know, the one thing that I did understand was I wasn't going to be a Muslim. I wasn't that was clear. That was clear. That was not an option for me. She says, Mr. altobelli says, Well, I have a good friend that converted to Islam, and from what I understand, it's very close to, you know, Christian beliefs. There's things there's her teacher telling her this my teacher told her the Quran is, is another miracle, and it's a miracle that is unchanged over 1400 years. You know, she said, You You can do whatever you want, dad just don't try to convert me, you know. And it's
funny, she has a teacher she really respects in school. And there must be a lot of people like me, that had what they felt they, they knew what Islam was, and they're wrong. We both ended up in tears. I mean, we just both ended up in tears. I was so happy as I told her, I said, I don't have to go through what Dr. Lawrence brown went through. When I was baptized when I was young, or had these experiences in church and in Christianity had never felt in my heart what I what I feel, never, I never and I think a lot of people don't understand how closely you know, the Christianity is to the Muslim faith when it comes to I had no idea you know, no, Moses, Jesus peace be upon him. You know,
I just, I didn't I did not understand this was obvious here. Because he was sincere. And he's ready to say a shadow in that, you know, hey, Lola, Shadow, Mohammed and I'm a witch.
salaam aleikum greetings of peace. Welcome to the deen show. And I have our friend Bob walks from Boston. How are you? Mr. Bob walks. I'm Fantastic. Thank you very much. Are you doing Peace be with you? He's to be with you. How's it going? Salaam Alaikum. Salaam Alaikum. You know what's interesting? I have a talk coming up. I'm supposed to be in New Jersey in New York. And they want me to talk about why Americans are choosing Islam. I got an American here. And maybe you can help me with this. Because you're one of those Americans who are choosing to become a Muslim accepting Islam. Is that correct? That's absolutely correct. And you didn't want to be in the closet about it.
I don't want to be in the closet that no, I was actually that's the exact phrase that I I use that I was committed to not be in a closet. Muslim. I got that from you. Yeah, absolutely. I think that's very important. So tell us what what was it about Islam that had you now wanting to accept it? You have an official? I mean, you're you're supposed to be taking your Shahada, you're ready to take your Shahada.
But what was it about Islam that had you come to work? You're on a D show now.
And I can't tell you how excited I am to be on the deen show. A lot of my education, I think came from, you know, the input that I got from your YouTube videos and the podcasts and I really been chewing up a lot of information. Very good friend of mine, has helped educate me. Not, not through just not through a ton of conversation, but feeding the information. And that was really what I felt I needed because I had a lot of questions. And I grew up Christian Baptist, I was baptized. I went to baptist church with my my sister, my family was was we attended a Baptist Church alone, just the two of us, you know, you and your sister, my sister and I, and my sister has a strong Christian
faith to this to this day. But I've gone through just a lot of things I didn't understand. I questioned and wasn't really practicing Christian, even though Christian Christianity, I believe is, is quite easy to practice. But I
rebelled in a way that bit just because I didn't understand. But the one thing that I did understand was I wasn't going to be a Muslim. I wasn't that was clear. That was clear. That was not an option for me. I was not going to be a Muslim. Not a chance. Even if I said, even if you're a god, let's put this in context. And please don't lose your place where you're at. This is I was just thinking if someone said, it's like you saying I'm not going to submit my will to God, there's no way because that's what a Muslim means. I know. I didn't understand. Would you ever say that though, as a God fearing God loving person, I'm never going to submit my will to God would you
do or saying that? I was saying but not knowing what a Muslim actually means. Muslim is one who submits to the will of God. That's by definition, what a Muslim means. Absolutely. So what happened from there? Well, getting educated.
I did sort of recommit to exploring further learning more, getting involved in a church and I think it's a beautiful church.
Had a great outreach men's group I was involved in, involved in Saturday men's group, you know, sessions and, and I started to realize that I this wasn't a path I could just take on my own,
which was a lot of my indoctrination as a young as a young person with my grandfather that you know, beware of man and beware of church, beware of organized religion, beware, beware, beware, this is coming from your, my grandfather was a big influence in my life. And but he would pick things out of the Bible that justified, you know, whatever message he was trying to give me, the same way that people pick things out of the Quran and to justify things that are that are that are not accurate. But
the point is that when I really started to learn, and when I started to study, what what it meant, what would it what it was about? all the questions that I had, were answered and answered very quickly. For me, it was, it was an amazing path. And for the first time in my life, you know, I never when I was baptized when I was young, or had these experiences and church and in Christianity had never felt in my heart, what I what I feel now.
I don't know that I could fully explain the difference. But I feel like maybe my heart was hardened in a way. And it was certainly consumed with life and career and making money or whatever to, you know, to the detriment of my family, my faith, everything.
Where now through the five pillars of, you know, of the Muslim faith, it really has grounded me towards what's important, you know, you've actually started doing some of these rights. I've been studying it and I have been praying I don't I think it's important I have I have recited
the Shahada, and yeah, but but to myself, and I also think that's important to do that in front of, yes, brothers. Yeah. So now you're welcome to your family of over 1.5 billion. So people know now that you're there, you know that there for you, you make that connection with your family? I mean, if you have some family out there, you want to know who they are. Right. Right. Right. And the shocking thing to me was I never I never and I think a lot of people don't understand how closely you know, the Christianity is to the Muslim faith when it comes to I had no idea you know, no, Moses, Jesus peace be upon him. You know, I just, I didn't I did not understand this, and most
people don't.
And unfortunately, especially in the last maybe 15 years or so, there have been the extreme, you know, terrorist actions that have just tainted and and media has done a serious disservice to the faith. But my eyes have really been open to that. Yes. And I was watching something recently where, you know, if you picked out the verses where it talks about, you know, peace and love versus war in the Quran, it's like 140 something to 17 don't quote me on those numbers, but it's, you know, yeah. The Quran is about love, peace, forgiveness, surrender, yeah, you can easily do the same thing. They had a man who was going out there and taking verses from the Bible, and verses from the Quran. And
he said, Okay, did you see that video? And then he said, What book? Do you think this is? They thought it was the Quran? And then he was showing those verses, you know? And then they said, No, no, at the end, it was actually the Bible. Did you see that? They did a social experiment test. I did. You know, and you can easily play that game. That's easy that it is and I don't know, that's that the part is very frustrating for me, the more I learned, the more frustrated I get with with it's, it's just doing such a disservice to the faith there is for any academic out there tuning in, and they just, you know, want to look more I often quote Robert Pape, he's a terrorist expert. This
man has put more time into this area, and is an expert in terrorism. And he says Robert Pape, that Islam he's saying that this these terrorist attacks that happen, these are politically motivated, this has the adjusted geopolitical This is not because of the religion of Islam. No, it's not. And, you know, those acts of terrorism have killed more Muslims than anybody else. That's profound. Yeah. So you know, if it was of, of the faith, would that happen? No, it's not. So the difference between you and someone behind the keyboard, right, and just reading headlines is you actually you went deeper and with a sincere heart open mind, and you really started to research because you wouldn't
be here if you weren't sincere, and you weren't really doing your homework. Well, that's a good point. I wouldn't I wouldn't be here without the opportunity to learn and you're not going to learn by reading the headlines. You're definitely going to
go in a different direction if you read most most headlines, but I was given the opportunity to learn the truth and sources that I trust and still question, you know, I still question everything. But whenever I do question, the answer comes. And that's never happened to me in my life and in my faith. Yeah. Tell us You were sharing the experience you had actually with your, with your wife and your daughter?
Yes. So
obviously, I was scared. And I listened to a YouTube video from Dr. Lawrence Brown. And the trials that he went through with his family and he lost everything, you know, a beautiful home, a guest home that was probably the size of my, my home.
You know, and living in a really shabby apartment, and he really lost it all. And it scared me. It scared me. I didn't know how my family would react. But, you know, I'm ordering they see that I'm ordering through Amazon or Quran. I'm ordering a prayer rug, you know, I'm doing these things. And my wife, I I'm so thankful that she's been very supportive. She's not saying I'm with you. But she said again, listening. She's not like, what was the former president with us?
Exactly. She's not giving you one of those. Oh, no, not at all. So supportive. But not saying I'm with you. Yeah. But the more she's learning and and everything else, she has questions and those those answers are coming to her as well. But but that's that's important. You don't expect someone just to blindly follow her husband was just sincerity there, right? But she's at least she's now because one of the greatest forms of ignorance is a great thinker said is to reject something you know, nothing about, right. So at least she's open to learn, right. And you know, the beautiful thing about the crown, the first thing is obviously, read, read, read three times read and read,
read, you know, and, and, and so,
and cores, and I've learned a lot about cores, and then you know, and that's, that's, that's not the right approach, and especially from somebody that I feel, I'm still very ignorant in the in the faith.
You know, it's not gonna come from me, but read, learn, you know, learn on your own. And she's done that, I have to share a share, share a story. We were We were watching a video the other morning, and
it was fast. And it was fascinating. And it was from a Christian, or, excuse me, a religious scholar, who is Christian, but the way he was presenting the Islamic faith, you thought he was Muslim, right? And she pulled out her like, journal or, you know, her, her, her Task Manager, and she started to, you know, look at it and write it. And I says, Why don't you think this is fascinating? You know, watching this, she goes, No, I'm making notes. She's even taking notes. She's taking notes. So that was the, you know, that was just, we both ended up in tears. I mean, we just both ended up in tears. I was so happy I, I told her I said, I don't have to go through what Dr.
Lawrence brown went through, you know, at least you know, but I had struggles with my daughter, my old my oldest daughter.
You know, she said, You You can do whatever you want. Dad just don't try to convert me, you know. And it's funny. She has a teacher she really respects in school. And she, she, we we didn't have a great conversation in the morning. I didn't feel I handled it. Well, when I dropped her off at school. She had a half day, I went to pick her up and she says, Well, I went to Mr. altobelli, my teacher and I told him you converted to Islam. And I almost had a heart attack. I'm like, oh, wait a minute, you know. And she says, Mr. altobelli, says, Well, I have a good friend that converted to Islam. And from what I understand, it's very close to you know, Christian beliefs. There's things
there's very her teacher telling her this, my teacher told her this, which I never would have dreamed of. No. And I just think every, every time that I've had a struggle,
and there have been many of them that I know there are more to come. I just have faith that they're gonna, you know, they're gonna be able to be worked through this amazing God. God Almighty allows the best of planners. So it's just to see these things, how they're just coming out. Perfectly plan. It's amazing. Absolutely. So what would you say? What What can I go back to tell people? What would you say now with your experience, you can't speak for all Americans. But what are, say the top three things you would say about Islam? And as to why Americans are choosing Islam.
While I believe that the truth is being spread, it has to be because I feel like there's got there there must be a lot of people like me, that had what they felt they, they knew what Islam was, and they're wrong. And so, so ignorance is a big part of this. So being educated is number one is to read. You know, the
Quran is a miracle one of the one of the most amazing miracles and, and Jesus PSP bottom is performed miracles, the Quran is, is another miracle, and it's a miracle that is unchanged over 1400 years. And all of there's no way that you can dispute if you really dig into it, there's no way that you can dispute science, you know, the expanding of the universe embryology, you know, all of this is described very clearly, these are all questions that I had. My family is, you know, science, engineering background, very, that's what you do for a living, you're, I'm in business, but my, my father was a
mathematics professor who then ended up in business. And most of my family are engineers, and you know, that sort of thing. very educated people, very educated, very educated. And there are agnostics, and my father is Christian. No True, true believer. And, and I'm also thankful that no, no matter what I feel, you know, I'm going to be in paradise with my father, I feel I feel that in my heart, but
I also have an opportunity to help educate.
You know, and I feel that this is a part of being you know, closet, are you going to be a closet Muslim in your in your faith? Or are you going to put out what you really believe in? Maybe it? Can I have an effect on somebody? Yeah, but that's not up to me. But all you can do is, share the truth. Yeah, this is I just get so excited and to hear people like yourself, who, who have given it a shot who've had an open mind, and who are sick of being lied to. And it was really good Americans out there. I'm an American, Bosnian background. But you know, and that's one of the reasons I do the program. Because I know if people give I was I was, I was doing an interview with a VA scholar from
Florida, Miami. And when we were done, he said, and they just got to give us a shot, give Islam a shot. That's it. Because we're not getting, you know, if you really, this will help to make society make the communities better places. I mean, but there's so much effort, money being spent to tarnish the image of Islam, and you're actually by doing that you just causing more havoc in the world? And I would also say, you know, despite that, it's this fastest growing religion, despite that's another thing. You know, I had all that prophecy that was prophesized by Prophet Muhammad, and it's coming to be Right, right. Yeah. So I mean, in spite of all of that, you know, I was at work, and that's
fastest growing religion. And another thing that, you know, if you really put the the extremists
you know, into their category, appropriate category, if you look at the, the religion of Islam as a whole, and it's how many billion, almost like almost 2 billion almost points, a 1.61. Point? Yeah, something like that billion. It's point 000 to 5%. There's something like 10,001, one group, there's 70,000 and other groups. I mean, it's just such small numbers that, unfortunately, they just get a lot of attention. But but you have I mean, functioning extremists. I mean, like the KKK who have over like, 200 functioning branches in the world today for their functioning, their operating, you can go sign up, you can fill out an application, and you also have to go to your to attend Sunday.
Is it Protestant? Or I don't know what the what the Christian faith is, but they're Christians. Yeah. But we don't judge obviously, Christianity by the KKK, right. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. So we got to grow up pastors. I mean, people who are academic who are sincere, who are open minded, I mean, even just a layman, who just wants to connect with one God. He's confused with all the confusion out there about God. But now Islam comes down and says, submit to the Creator, not the creation, one God worship Him alone. That makes sense, when you heard that I mean, when you because over and over the theme of the crown is that pure monotheism, worship God, just alone, not setting
up partners are equal, as Jesus is a messenger of God, just like Moses, Abraham, they all came with the same message simple, the warning, the glad tidings paradise if you do good, you become a good human being all under the pretense of, of God consciousness. What, what, what's going through your mind?
Well, it was so easy. That part was very easy for me. Because of, you know, when I say in one sense that it was a negative that my grandfather said, beware, you know,
that part was easy for me to accept there is one God and my grandfather believed there was one god yeah. But I also believe that there's a community of faith. There's, there's a responsibility to you know,
To share to share the knowledge of you know the truth and not be a closet, you know, Muslim.
But so that part was very easy for me to accept. And and I'll tell you a comment that my wife made, we were watching, we were watching a video and they it was talking about Jesus and we were talking about the Trinity and, and Jesus being God and she she said she grew up Lutheran, and she says, Well, I never really viewed Jesus as God. And I said, Well, did you practice? You know, these certain things? She says, Well, I did, but I guess I never really in my heart felt. So service. I think a lot of people and a lot of Christians and a lot of it's not going to be that hard to accept. I do believe in it, you know, in my readings and from what I've read in the Quran that we are the,
the they're our brothers and sisters in faith, you know, certainly the we have our there's differences. But
there's so many similarities. Yeah. You know, so for me, it was very easy. Yeah, I often make that statement that we have brothers and sisters in humanity, we have the same father Adam, right. And then you have brothers and sisters, siblings now from the bloodline. And then now you make that transition from worshipping a human being worshiping Jesus worshiping the creation, you come to worshiping only the Creator, you become now the brothers in faith, sisters and faith, you know what I mean? Right? But still, if you choose, Islam gives you that's between you and your Creator. We do not condemn people write them a one way visa, you know, say, Hey, you, john, you Joe, you're going
to *, that's between them and God, right, but associating partners with God, there are grave consequences is clear in the Quran, right. Hellfire is their paradise for for for a reason. So like you said, getting the truth out, but at the end, now we still deal with people, justly. humanely, kindly. Exactly. Exactly.
You know, and when I
I'll share with you is one of the problems that I had in my, in my family with with this, and I have, you know, beautiful wife and two amazing girls that I'm trying to raise as independent young, young women. And the misconception that they had about how, or then I had about how women were viewed in Islam. And, you know, the first thing I learned was the fastest growing segment of the of the Muslim faith of women. Why would that happen? Why would that happen if they were mistreated? And, and, you know,
you know, restricted in so many ways, and when you learn that, the reality of it, and it's the complete opposite of that. I mean, 1400 years ago, they were given the right to vote and to, you know, have inheritance and which, if you, you have to place yourself back in those times where that would have to be absolutely unheard of. Yeah, that was totally like, we would say that, like our friend, Dean, Mohammed was saying this was totally like the liberal. Yes, exactly. Exactly. So so now they're I mean, that's what I often tell people go speak to the Muslim woman go and talk to her the one that's observing Islam, and who's living it and she's chosen to just like marry the mother
of Jesus, like the nuns that are out there. She's living God conscious life ask her Yeah. And most people now they Why do you think it is people get stuck you have a fabulous, amazing people like your your wife, who's open minded, she's open heart, you know, her mind is open, she's want to learn. But have you come across other people now that you've talked to about this, and you can just see that they're not even giving, like I said it a shot. They're not even willing to, to listen, where you can say, Look, just hear me out. If you like what I have to say, take it if you don't reject it, that's it. Yeah. I have good friends.
That, you know, I've shared shared with and for the most part, I've gotten support. You know, I'll give you one instance where it was it was dinner with my wife and I were at dinner with a couple and we weren't even talking about me and my faith, but somehow Islam or Muslims came up and this was the
way Wait, hold on, hold on. So you didn't bring it up? I I don't recall exactly how it came up. You know, maybe I did. Okay. Because it seems like it's coming up at at at just your random conversation. It was in random conversation. And it wasn't Oh, you know, Michelle, my wife saying, Oh, wait, Bob's converted to Islam. And you know, you know, the person is doing what he literally did.
And I, I, I was shocked. Yeah, you know, I was shocked and at the same time
you know, I understand because we are, we are fed so much information that is, you know, untrue and unfair.
There, it's it's frustrating and at the same time,
that's why I'm sitting here. And, and you know, and I'm very, very new to this, I'm just you sitting here and just sharing just a few gems that you've learned. That goes a long way. Look at that. And now imagine if you, you weren't exposed to these gems and now you're just hearing this from imagine that same person, or someone else does, that's just that same, you know, body language like this and associate that with Islam, someone has no idea. So then they carry that picture with them to the next print, and then you see how these, these these lines just keep on you know, misconceptions is growing, right? We were talking earlier about this series of three videos of the, the religious
professor, and he was presenting from the perspective of how how Muslims see themselves and appears he did a very good job of it. And he made a comment in that video. He said, Please, when you see somebody praying in an airport and prostrated in an airport, praying, don't call police security. Well, you know, my wife and I had to laugh, but, you know, think about it. That's how people see it. Yeah. You know, and it's, it's, that's how Jesus prayed. I exactly who was he praying to?
He's trying to the crater to the water a lot. So what about that now? So we covered the one thing when I asked you about why Americans you feel like choosing Islam, and you'd particularly as an American, you were born in Boston, or no, Michigan. I was born in Michigan, Michigan, raised in Boston, or how long ago? I was, I was raised in Michigan. I've been in Boston, I've moved out there for work about 17 years ago, 17 years ago. Beautiful place. I heard Boston, it's gorgeous. Yeah. So what other thing? Would you go ahead and say, that attracted you to Islam? So we talked about a few things here and there, but what out what else would you say? Many people get turned on to the
worship, and we covered that of just one guy? That's easy. And I think that people nowadays, because they attribute
important things with complication or the example like the tax system, right? It's just so complicated, right? The language of attorneys, you find it complicated, right? The medical language and lingo that only doctors complicated, but these are important matters, right? But then when you come down to God, people think it's got to be confusing, complicated. So it just, it's blind faith, close your eyes and just believe, say, hallelujah, that's it. But you don't have that with Islam. It's so easy that it's kind of like confusing, like, hold on. Well, yeah, that was the biggest thing. That was the biggest thing, you know, like blind faith, I had a hard time accepting that. And
I think a lot of people do, especially, you know, if you, if you have a scientific mind, physic, you know, physicists type type mind analytical type mind, it's very hard to grasp that, you know, you want to see proof, you want to see proof and
faith, a lot of times, you know, especially in Christianity is you just have to trust that, you know, though, certain things happened and have faith. And, and I always said, I believe I always believed that, but I always questioned, I was afraid to say that I questioned but I questioned. And what really attracted me was, it was easy to say, I believe there's no monotheism, I believe there's 111 God.
But that the biggest I think, thing was that I could see proof, we have a miracle in front of us, if you took if you if you really read the Quran, in its full context, you know, in
if you listen to good sources out there, you're a fantastic source. If you listen to other sources out there that, you know, the truth is there. And it's very clear, it's very clear, and it's in it. It's, it's a miracle that is one of the most magnificent miracles that you can imagine, when there's no way 14 over 1400 years ago and illiterate could have, you know, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him could have could have known, you know, we didn't know a lot of these things till 50 100 years ago or less, so that you can't dispute in my mind that you cannot dispute. That's so important because there are just really a few possibilities. Either Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be
upon him who was known by his community that he was unlettered. He couldn't read, he couldn't write, that was known, but he was known as the truthful. So the people who claim that now they are prophets from God, either they're the worst people on humanity because they're lying against God, or they're the most righteous, the most pious and we look at his life and that's what he was. So either he's making it up, or you got a group of people coming together to conspire to make the Quran
and then the third is the the devil made it. And you know that every time you recite the Quran, you're saying you're seeking refuge with God from the devil. And then you look at it
There's a challenge in the Quran to produce something like it Come Come on, examine it, find a contradiction. And you see that there's no way that it can come from any of these three. And on every page of the Quran, God Almighty His name is mentioned, calling into theater upright and honest and just and righteous human being opposite to what the devil wants you to be. So when you knock all these out systematically, and then what you talked about the signs, the prophecies, all these things compiled the authenticity of the crown, and we can go on and on and on. We come to where you hear where Bob is here, because he was sincere. And he's ready to say a shadow in La la la la, or a
shadow under Mohammed. And I'm Dakota Sula, which I often say if you were living during the time of Jesus, there's a there's a really profound statement in the Bible, I believe is john 17. Three, where it says, This is life eternal, where Jesus is allegedly saying that this is life eternal, that they may know you the only true God, la li la, there's nothing worthy of worship except the one true God and Aramaic, the language of Jesus Aloha. In Arabic, Allah, there's no God worthy of worship except Allah. And at Jesus's time, you would say, Isa Rasulullah, and Jesus is the messenger of God. And you often have heard the statement that Jesus, they say is, he is the way, the truth and the
light, no one rise to the Father God, except through him, of course, through his teachings, but now we extend that the extension of that is Prophet Mohammed. So now for all of humanity, he's a mercy set for all of mankind. And he is Mohammed rasulillah, the Messenger of God. And there you have that Shahada set today. Exactly, exactly. Yeah, it's quite, it's quite, it's amazing. It's amazing. So more people. I'm just I'm really I enjoy having these discussions, I said, if people would give us a shot, you know, to go ahead and deliver this truth. I see a lot of times when people when people first accept Islam, sometimes it can be a hard reality, because I know from my experience, I'm
reading all of these signs, I'm reading all these things that just require some logic. This is not some woowoo stuff in the back that someone's doing and disease, these fake healers and weird stuff that, you know, the guy is like doing some, like, crazy stuff, and 10 people are falling off the bleachers and stuff, you see all these like, now I got the holy in me and whatnot. So none of that this is just calling you to think to be sincere design. In the case of designer, someone created this turn to the one who created this, ask him what's your purpose in life, let him be your guide the creator and then start to do the research. You did that? You found that in Islam, more people
will do that. I'm sure if there was sincere God, we without a doubt, God will guide anyone who is sincere and looking for the truth. But now the challenge is because you have so many distractions. It's a nightmare of distractions out there. How did you get past all of the distractions, money, a position, you have to go against all odds now because you're where things are, thank God working out with your family, but then what's my co workers? What are my friends? I might, you know, not have these, this door closed on me. How did you get through that? And then at the same time, you know, just the distractions of we say dunya the material world? Yeah, I don't think I am through it. I
think I'm just beginning my journey. And I and I expect you know,
you know, I expect troubles or hardships along the way. And,
you know, that's okay. I mean, because I think that's just that just, you know, goes along with it. And it's not gonna shake my faith because, again, my heart was hardened. And there's, there's a difference in how I view everything right now. And, you know, the praying five times a day and grounding yourself and, and making, getting getting connected to, you know, our Creator five times a day is a beautiful practice of not being distracted by and you know, and when you're living in a fast paced, you know, business environment, you know, talk about distractions, you know, you can go in in a million different directions, and at the end of the day, all you feel is, you know, high
blood pressure, and, you know, sometimes panic attacks. So I don't feel that I feel I feel a lot of peace and I feel like I can handle hardships, whether they be business and hardships with accepting this my faith that that you know, you're able to handle those. Yeah.
You said something that was really profound also, because you have some of the top entrepreneurs, billionaires, multimillionaires,
preaching the importance of rest time as far as meditation, you started doing meditation, but now the difference between actually meditating and now and we would call like victory, like remembrance of God, like as opposed to you have solid the connection with God, the prayer, you were started doing the meditation. What's the difference here between Salah prayer connection with God and then the meditation? Yes. Well, you know, I think meditation was amazing and
Yeah, you know, and I was really surprised how many times I saw meditation, you know, in the, in the Quran. And but meditation was was, in many ways life changing for me, because rather than using drugs Xanax or something to to call myself, I could use my IP For me it was mindfulness meditation, which was just focusing on my breathing and calming myself down. And I would do that as a morning practice. And then I would started to do it anytime. I was felting, I was having a, you know, meltdown during the day, I would close my door, and do do it in my office. Now I have the opportunity five times a day to do really the same thing except I'm giving glory to, you know, to
Allah to God, my, you know, in practice my faith, but it's, it's different to I still meditate, but the prayer in prostrating yourself and completely releasing, you know, meditation, mindfulness meditation is a breathing exercise. Yeah, the only way to completely evacuate the air from your
breathing. Yeah. So the breathing, this is really important. Yeah. And so you know, the feeling you get this calmness that comes over you. I feel like I it's a similar effect, but more powerful that I can go back. And not only does my body feel better and calmer, but my mind is in a space that I can go handle whatever needs to be in. Yeah. How would you get people to really because this is the the crucial question that we try to motivate people to ask, like, why are you here in this world? Right? At what point? Like, why are you here? And where are you going? You think you're just going to amass money, you're going to live life, but you're going to die? You know, what's it all about? You made
the money? You had the big house and you had all the all the fun? sad times good times, but then you die. What's the purpose? What's it all about?
That's a difficult statement. You know, because I'll share with you I didn't have any purpose. Yeah.
And, you know, I had many, many goals in my life, mostly financial related, and career related. And, you know, I met those and, you know, I was CEO for 16 years, which I think is a pretty long run as a CEO of the company, I was CEO of a company, you know, small to mid sized company, but a global company. Yeah. So I was traveling the world and I started a manufacturing plant, and, but
that was a whole focus of my life. And
there was a lot of dysfunction in it, there was a lot of dysfunction. And I honestly hated who I was, I, I felt my family would honestly be better off without me. And in my heart, I felt this. And now, I
I can't believe that I would feel something like that with what I have. And you know, what I can, you know, share and, and be there for my family. And what me being around means to my family.
That didn't exist, you know, and I walked away from that position, making a lot of money, I resigned
and went through a lot of financial troubles, too, you know,
a lot of a lot of struggles.
But I got to the point where there was something missing in my life. When you get to the point where you feel that you you, your family, the people you love the most are much better off without you. There's something wrong.
Yes, yeah. And and, and anybody that I would talk to any of my friends or any of my family would say to me, you have a real problem, because you have what anybody else would want. I mean, you people would people would do anything for your position. And I had the freedom I could do really whatever I want and I got to see beautiful places around the world and all over the world and
no contentment. None None. Was there a void? Huge void? Yeah. And shame. Yeah, you know, how I was doing business I didn't believe in
the dysfunction of you know, the environment. You know, alcohol
you know, just many things that were not what I was proud of what I was shameful of.
Wow, this is a I mean, I can go on and on just a couple more things. I mean, so now, let's, Jesus.
How is your relationship with Jesus now because this is a key figure in Christianity. So now we take it to Islam and when people think okay, you you've lost salvation. He came to die for your sins. What do you say that? Absolutely not. I have a better understanding.
Absolutely not. I mean,
Jesus is one of the greatest prophets, you know, along with many other prophets that are that are in the Bible. And this is one one of the biggest Miss conceptions that I had. You know, I, I honestly would say, there's no way I'm going to worship Allah. Because I never understood Allah was God.
You know that? Never. Yeah, as ignorant as that sounds, that's what I believed. And I think there are many other people out there that that believe the same thing. But know, the love I have for Jesus and the message that he brought, you know, no, is stronger than stronger than it ever was. When you hear the word like Trinity, what is that? You know, how were you? Yeah, for me, now, I just that it's one thing I had, I had an issue with, I don't believe, I don't believe that Jesus, or excuse me, that God would put could
put his son through a come in the form of a man and put him through what he was put through, and be considered God incarnate. And, you know, the, the Trinity just does not make sense to me and never, never did, it was one of the things I had a big complication with, and idolatry,
you know, to put put the face to to these things and put an image to these things into worship these things I didn't understand and it and I, I always did have that central, my my relationship is my relationship with God.
So, those things never made sense. They do make they are very clear for me now. So we got Bob here on the deen show, Bob walks. And you see that his Muslim, he doesn't have to I mean, you know, even though we see Jesus with a job and a beard, and you know, he looks like present day Muslims today. But Islam is not about changing your DNA. He's not turning into an Arab, he's an American. He's Muslim. He's likes nice suits, like I do, right? So we don't have to start dressing. It's not Muslims, not someone who has to turn Pakistani or Indian or whatnot. I mean, those are all our brothers. But at the end of the day, you are, you're a Muslim, you're American. And you're following
the way of Jesus and the last fundamental problem Muhammad, which all I mean, simple as that, that that that testimony, that is for those out there, as simple as as we talked about it is that pure monotheism. And at the end of the day, when someone wants to testify what's in their very nature, right, you testify that this person took your wallet to find the police. Can you fill out a description? Yeah, you testify in the courtroom, you promised to swear to tell the whole truth? nothing but the truth. So hope you got Yes. But now will you testify that the crater a lot, this is my Creator, and I'm not going to put up anyone between me and my Creator. This is just one. Why
would someone be ashamed of that? I mean, you see, you unconsciously do some things, but that's it. And this is something that you've been La ilaha illAllah Muhammad Rasul Allah, that's it. You've been saying, you know how to say it by now. I bear witness that nothing is worthy of worship, except Allah, the Creator God, and Muhammad is the messenger. Yes. Would you like to share that with say it? I can't say in Arabic, but I would say uh, with you, yes. So I testify. I testify. There's nothing worthy of worship, that there's nothing worthy of worship except God Almighty Allah. But God Almighty Allah and I testify and I testify that Muhammad that Muhammad is His Messenger, his
messenger that Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, I'm sorry, Shadow, Shahada and Allah ilaha illa Illa Allah illallah wa shadow, WA shadow and Anna Muhammad Muhammad Rasulullah Rasul Allah, that's simple. And if you are speaking the language of Jesus in Aramaic, you would have been saying something very similar because the English language didn't exist. I have to visit you God Willing in Boston. So absolutely. This was a pleasure. Thank you so much. It was so nice meeting you. It was a pleasant surprise. We thank our brother
up guys, thank you for tuning in. And if you're out there and you want to connect with us, follow us every week call in if you want to learn more open to love open the mind and we'll see you next time subscribe if you haven't already, hit the notification bell and leave your takeaways the things that you've taken away from this episode. share them in the comments you want to spend send some love to our brother Bob also interact we'll see you next time until then. Peace be with you. salaam aleikum