Yaser Birjas – AlMaghrib Created Friendships For Life

			Almost rib was one of its kind when it's first at its inception, obviously I'm personally I would
always say to the people who comes afterwards, if it wasn't for the sake of Allah subhanaw taala.
First and foremost, if it wasn't for Allah to just blessing in the first place, and then another
institute, the scene of the Dharma today would not be the same. Because another 20 years ago, came
when things were difficult to really navigate through and even, even to to take a hot button image,
it was difficult and hard, convincing people to come and pay to attend a class that will teach them
something about salah and Vedanta, it was like an impossible mission. Besides, there are a lot of
		

			difference of opinions among people and preferences of this speaker and that speaker, it was really
hard, but Subhanallah we knew that there was a need, unfortunately, a messiah will not really
fulfilling the need for the people. Our esteemed Imams who served in the communities at the time
really, were not at the level where the people can benefit from to the maximum or at least push them
into the future. But hamdulillah Al Maghrib came as a brilliant idea is to bring knowledge to the
people in a way that they can really understand they can relate to and the whole idea is to excite
them about Islamic knowledge to excited about being Muslims and handler, Brahmin and I think it's
		

			succeeded. And that's why mashallah people they see the beauty of Islam through Of course, you know,
how you present that how the classes are represented, how knowledge been, you know, given to the
people who are handler that the teachers how they carry themselves, you know, when they go to the to
conferences, and programs and so forth. Just a beautiful experience of Honduras. So I think I'll
mother have really served the community in America in many, many different ways that people don't
really do cannot bring it back again to it but I personally believe it goes back to that blessing of
Allah subhana wa Tada. And then the vision of Sheikh Mohammed Shiva at the time, Rahim Allah, to
		

			bring that knowledge to the people in that fashion. So if we look at communities, obviously,
whenever back in the days, you would like to introduce knowledge to the people. It's called bottle
Juma Holika, after motherboard, Russia and so forth. But at some point, unfortunately, the younger
generation were unable to connect and relate to this. So people stopped going to the masjid. Kids
have come to the masjid also the invention of the internet and technology and so forth. You know, a
lot of people started less and less go on to the masjid, to seek knowledge, and Alhamdulillah I
think what Al Maghrib did is brought that knowledge back again to the people. So as a result of
		

			hamdulillah was so exciting people to come back again to their Deen to come back again to the
masjid. And one of the things that I'm not going to did is making sure that every copy that we visit
at the time was what was called a copula, which means that a tribe or a group of students, their job
is to take that knowledge and give it back again to their own people. Their job was to take the same
knowledge, the same classes that we teach, and put it back again to small Halaqaat and programs to
go and teach maybe at an MSA to teach you in their Sunday school to teach their own community. That
is one of the messages I've been hotbar so as you can see my shoulders that the impact was so great.
		

			And then we moved on to the social services. So some of the students they became also involved in
activities that relate to feeding the poor and the needy, helping out you know, during specific
events and sometimes some disasters happen in their community, they will be there handled, assist
and so on. So a lot of impact was born of course, as a result of that so mashallah, I think that a
mother have transformed the communities into different different level. So they're not just passive
learners. They're active learners and also doers are handled by me into their communities
Alhamdulillah I think Almagro has proved itself to be among the, I would say, the strongholds of
		

			traditional knowledge and handler but I'm in terms of knowledge and terms of practice and Aqeedah.
So what we see today as people moving forward into this, this era and unfortunately the rise of
atheism and people abandoning Islam and and even sometimes with all due respect to many, many other
Yani organizations out there and experiences out there watered down, you know, experience of the
knowledge and then that doesn't necessarily satisfy the thirsty students of knowledge. And I hope
another mashallah they will continue to serve that in the Nazo gel by providing that knowledge
again, the authentic nor the authentic and that will help people inshallah strengthen their Eman and
		

			their stance on the, on the path of Allah subhanaw taala which what we really need today in the
ocean of this darkness, unfortunately, and what we see around us of fit and and so on, we need to
handle strong students of knowledge, we know strong believers for the light of Baraka with Allah and
those already take that knowledge. And again, put it back into practice. So what I see in sha Allah,
that we're going to serve to the next generation being Allah azza wa jal and now it's the turn of
our students to become the teacher the future inshallah I mean, why we should support a mother of
Institute hamdulillah there are a lot of organizations out there mashallah, that's good, that's
		

			teaching and so on. I like I said, you know, Al Maghrib. It started of course, with teaching people
the basics of the Illuminati Now much of advancing with the students in the lie, the baraka, Wattana
and mashallah says we have reached 1000s and 1000s of students around not just locally in America
around the globe.
		

			until it's proven itself for later barcode, the network is great. And those who participate in
helping a supportive admirably are building for themselves in sha Allah, Allah, they're running
charity, they put a seed for them that is beneficial that they can inshallah take their knowledge
they take it they reward for it in the dunya inshallah and in the era as well too. And if you
support a member of hopefully all these students that will come to benefit from your support,
inshAllah xojo will make that for you. So basically, in summary, when you support a mother, you will
inshallah you will get the highest Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam either madam or the Mankato family
		

			with lemon Terra, that when the son of Adam dies, your book of these will come to interruption
except for three things. The knowledge that you leave behind will be beneficial to people after you
leave this world. The running charity that you leave behind, that will carry with you shall out that
that continue to go after us people benefit from and from a righteous person that will come make dua
for you in shallow water. So these three things, whether it's soda, cotton, giardia or unenchanted,
that you benefit from Insha Allah, or beneficial knowledge, or even someone make dua for you, you
will have that support to show the cause of another position. This was many, many years back
		

			actually more than probably 15 years ago or so. And it was after given a double weekend class on a
solid, the divine link focus Allah SubhanAllah. It's one of my favorite classes to teach really,
because it's really about the Salah, and to the spirituality of practicality, it's very, very
interactive class all the way from the beginning to the end. So after two weeks of teaching that
class and mashallah, it was at the time I remember the largest crowd we've ever had for one sale for
one single class, and another at the time. So, so hamdulillah people, you come to shake hands with,
you take pictures, you know, hugging, and so on. So, and after about a left, as I'm trying, I'm
		

			started collecting my stuff from the podium. I see on my on my notebook, there was an index card
that was left for me, I'm looking at it, and it was sent from I believe a sister. So she said in
that letter, she goes, two weeks ago, when I came to this class, I didn't want to come late, my mom
forced me to come, she said, and then she said, like, I'm glad that she did. So because before I
came here, I had so many doubts about Islam, about my Deen about my salah, and so and so. And
attending this class and listening to and watching and learning what I learned from this class, I
just want to assure you that handler women, you restored my faith. And if and if there's anything
		

			you get out of this class, I want to tell you that you've saved somebody from Johanna. And I want
you to be to be to be the first to know about that. And honestly, this really gives me goosebumps, I
was just looking at that. So looking around to see who left this, this, this card over here.
		

			And that's just one example I'm telling you are have actually 10s If not even hundreds of examples
that we get from students how to love when they send their feedback, or a special letter or an email
or something like that. And honestly, I don't know if people know that. After every class, I used to
teach for a mother by us to write down their takeaway and their feedback on this class, like what
are the what do you think about the class, and I used to collect these, these index cards. At home
today, I have a huge box of all these actual index cards. Maybe one day I'm gonna go through them in
sha Allah, Allah and just write something about it. Subhanallah you probably may be one of those
		

			students will remember what they wrote. And they will just say like, that was me 10 years ago, that
was me 12 years ago. But overall, the experience of handle has always been great, has always been
great, because people they really enjoyed enjoyed this
		

			sort of like a break from the from the mundane of life and, and the fast paced lifestyle. And they
come and they sit down, quietly listen to this class and enjoying 100 activities and the programs
and the socializing and the brotherhood and sisterhood that they develop in these classes. That was
wasn't very enjoyable. And when at inception, subhanAllah people they were looking for that kind of
sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. They used to love to travel. They come from different cities to
all the way to another one just to attend one of those classes. And then they developed friendship
with the people there and it becomes panela a friendship for life, brother and sisterhood for life.
		

			Like I remember one of the classes that I taught in New Jersey
		

			was actually the CO develop the history of Islamic law. That was my first class I taught in New
Jersey Yes, in the Kabbalah Dudhwa so
		

			our him Allah Tala brother, Mustafa Mustafa Khalifa came to pick me up from from the airport that
was first time meeting him and his beautiful smile and beautiful laughter It just like still rings
in my ears. And so eventually we picked him up from our from the airport. And as we were driving, he
said, Chef, do you mind if we just pick up one brother? He actually flew in from, from the Bay Area
from California to come and I said, Why is he coming to attend the class? As this is going to come
to two weekends like he's going to be going back and forth or staying in between? He goes, No, he's
going to go back and forth. Wow. That's so much indication. Remember, this is about maybe 2003 2003,
		

			which means again,
		

			One years ago, and at the time and who is going to be traveling and flying double weekend leaving
his work and first of Hallowee saved his brother her brother came into the car is sat in the car.
And as we were driving then he asked Mustafa Khalifa, he goes,
		

			aren't you going to be picking up the shares?
		

			So most of them, I
		

			guess, Oh, I'm so sorry. At the time, 20 years ago, I didn't have of course the paper and sold that
I have in my beard. But and from that time, subhanAllah became so close friends, and that's brother
come run happy, who's currently actually live right now and debate. But Subhanallah it was such an a
moment and then from there, every time there's a class camera with travel, and we go somewhere else,
and then he himself mashallah became the reason why we open two chapters in California, in the
northern in the South as well as a matter of fact, there were three chapters in California at some
point, Sacramento Bay Area and also in the south. And as you can see, mashallah one individual can
		

			share the height with so many people, I'm sure that same story happens with many other volunteers of
another institute, and many, many people we have seen them transform, they come, you know, doubtful
about why they should be here in the first place. And at some points of Hanalei, they become
volunteers and they become Amira and Amira, and the baraka Rama and the higher that they share with
people, it will stay with them until the Day of Judgment. May Allah reward him or bad I mean, what
convinces him to join another? Chef Muhammad Sharif Rahim Allah.
		

			It was, it was an interesting thing, really, when?
		

			When we were in Madrid, we were Medina. Chef Muhammad was in his second year at the time, and I was
in my scenario, I was graduating, so he kept telling me chef, why don't you come to the US Allah if
you go there people that benefit from you this and I said, Look, I am not sure about going there,
but inshallah ALLAH SubhanA. So I didn't go obviously, four years later, after graduation.
		

			Somehow ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada, brought to my way, you know, an opportunity to go to the US. So I
came to the US and I decided to stay at hamdulillah by me, but then I was I was as an imam in El
Paso, Texas at the time. So they're looking at the scene of Dawa. And it's not like, where do you
want it to be and you want to do more on Allah. And that's when I start seeing Sheikh Mohammed or
Sharif, on the internet come in more often with his posters about his classes, Al Maghrib Institute
and had four computers at the time, two in the East Coast. One was in Jersey and one here in Houston
with Houston. So the four cities only. So we had brief communication with each other. And then the
		

			year after, that was in 2002, the year after still has three. I decided to go to attend Texas down
here in Houston as well. So I didn't know that he was here. So Powell, I brought my family with me
as I was going into the elevator. And then suddenly, Chef Muhammad comes in, he looks at me, look at
me, just oh my gosh. Muhammad, Asha said, he asked me What are you doing here? I said, Well, I
brought my family when they text us down on shallot and he goes, you're not speaking. I said, Come
on, man. I don't even know English yet. Still. I've been here more than less than three years. He
goes, No, no, you really just so good. You're going to speak. So take Give me a break man. He goes,
		

			No, I'm gonna introduce the Jeff Holliday Sharla Shahid, bassoon, he was actually the head of the
program. So he introduced it to your holy and shareholdings assignment to talk and give the history
of Islamic law as well too. And, and then after that, he goes, chef, I have an idea. I want you to
join me for a note with another institute.
		

			I said look, I've been looking at what you do mashallah, and I love it and I would be honored to do
that, but I don't think I'm ready for it because no, you are. Just do it. And subhanAllah he pushed
me away beyond my comfort zone to excel and expedite learning the English language properly, get
into the Dawa scene and stand in the stage and speak in front of microphones and all the stuff and
so on and mashallah, he did an amazing great job. So for me, why I chose because ALLAH SubhanA wa
Taala brought me here for a reason and Sheikh Mohammed put it right in front of me and I said, You
know what, Bismillah let's do this. And 20 years later, mashallah, here we are, as a family. One of
		

			the things I personally I cherished memories and moments with a mother is having the family effects
really in its classes, its programs and so on. And everything we did, really we did like a family.
And that's why all was mandated. For me, at least personally, every time a copula decides or wants
me to teach in a specific week weekend that has school break, for example, I insist you have to
bring my family with me. So my family visited almost every copula and they made friends with almost
every buddy there wherever they go. And fast forward many years later, mashallah, my kids cannot see
themselves outside of Admiral Brown really, which is why this 20 years later when we wanted to come
		

			to and first, they're all here. They all showed up because for them, they grew up with it. And I
frankly am Ken, I don't know some of you might not know that. But there was a time when I thought
that you know what I gave my best handle. I think it's time to move on really any
		

			So as they could have kind of like maybe, you know, just moving on and leave a mothership for the
younger generation to take over and Shala, and so on. So my son saw me typing an email, I didn't
finish. And then I just kind of like, was talking about, maybe I should actually step down and, and
move on and so on. So I went to the Salah, and came back again to continue my email to complete my
email, I realized that my son, he opened my laptop. And he saw He saw what I was, was typing. So we
he actually typed something down there he goes, that would be a bad idea.
		

			So I said, who did that? So he came to me, like, you can't do it. Because is it that I said, Why did
you write this for? Because you can't live in Madrid. I mean, we grew up with another visa, or our
life, whatever around that measure of itself. So you can do this? Well, I think it's one of the
reasons why I just stayed behind and to continue my journey with another at such 101 stage with all
the classes and so on. But once again, it really had a great impact on us as a family. That's one
thing. Second, I think a lot of friends, my kids, they made a lot of friends with other family as
well too. And martial every time everywhere we go right now. You don't feel stranger, you have
		

			somebody that you can connect with and your family also connect with your kids, they send salam to
others, and they get salam from other people. So I think it really have that beautiful, beautiful
family feel. It's not just an institute, it's not just as a student of knowledge. It's really a
community altogether. Firstly, Sheikh Mohammed Swami to teach, we will talk about classes, he said,
Let's teach them. I said for Kurosawa, which is family, any film and so on. But he didn't like the
title, obviously. So he was the one who suggested to say, hey, let's call it the fear of love. And
it was very interesting thing. So you know, it's too cheesy, but nevermind, we'll do that. So we
		

			call the feeling of love. And the purpose of that is to teach people how to get married, to
understand what marriage is, how it goes, how you go about it, all the technicality of relationship
and marriage and so on. That was the purpose of it. First of Hala, the impact was remarkable.
		

			Now I'm looking back 20 years later Subhanallah and those are those years. I now I can see the like
the splash that a subject like this really did in the in the field of knowledge and among the youth,
like everybody wanted to attend for a couple of if it was talking about a couple of Subhanallah
because for them they heard things that they've never heard of before stories of the Prophet
sallallahu sallam, his love life. So what allows that Amane humanizing Of course, the experience of
Rasul Allah is Allah said I'm also getting to know how to look for somebody what you look for, how
to make things, right and all these beautiful things and Allah and Masha Allah, many years later,
		

			obviously the impact of filth of love, it's so many students. So getting married, and mashallah many
of them, they would have actually started they told me they found me on me, I got married and
certain Camila volunteers among themselves. Or maybe they met at the end fest around summit at the
time, like they had marriages over there as well, too. We had multiple marriages, and summits
Annaleigh. And it's all it's all beautiful. But then a few years later, they start coming back to me
said, Sure, we got married, but we have issues now. What do we do? So we said, Okay, we're going to
talk about relationships. So we created love notes, love notes exclusively to teach people how to
		

			get married and stay married. Like it's all about making sure the relationship is handled is intact
and strong and solid. First of all, a few years later, people they came back to me says Al
Hamdulillah we get married, we staying married, Mashallah. Now we have kids, we have trouble with
that, what do we do now? So we create a new class for them protect this house, which is basically
all about parenting and relationship with your parents and in laws and families. And so like, making
sure that our kids grow up in a healthy environment of handler abandoned. So yeah, I mean, just that
series of classes, you can see that the social impact in the Muslim community, not just in one
		

			coverlets in the entire community in America, 100, left or even beyond, for the light of our Lakota.
But yeah, we had fun dealing with all these stories. And frankly, the whole concept of teaching
people about relationships and becoming a pastoral counselor came from this. Give him all the
requests that I got from the students to come and ask a they need some refreshment. And so one of
the beautiful stories I remember, I forgotten which Kavita was that, but I think it was somewhere in
the East Coast probably. Is that a couple?
		

			Husband wife, who, who at that time, they were married about maybe 1113 years later, or 13 years.
And after attending the class, especially love notes, I think, oh, maybe half of love. They came to
me, they said chef, we would like you to witness something. I said, What is it? So we'll be married
for these years. And after attending this class, now we realize that unfortunately, we never really
treated each other properly,
		

			that our marriage was not done properly. And we would like with your permission, that you witness
our exchange of vows again, like alright, this is interesting. So Allah they stood in front of each
other, you know, vowing to each other to treat each other nicely and kindly and Bill Maher roof and
with the
		

			sannan San it was it was such a beautiful sweet moments of Hana, witnessing a husband and wife would
be married for 11 plus years, you know, with kids even realizing, you know, I wish I've attended
this class many, many, many years back, I would have done even better job, but Alhamdulillah they
took their second chance, mashallah, and I hope each other doing well today, I think I'm slowing
down right now. I think it's time for the younger generation with fresh blood to take over ours. Our
duty right now is really to maintain shallow data, the vision, the spirit and, and making sure that
shallow data will continue in the same direction when the last specific like Sheikh Mohammed always
		

			wanted to be and moving moving in shot to the next level when Allah azza wa jal mashallah chef
Suleiman has done a great job right now leading that effort and he's mashallah one of those young
blood that hamdulillah in the organization, Chef hamartia magic and others have handled doing great
job mashallah, one of the things we realize that that even unmeasurable Institute is an Islamic
school, whatever, like it's an advanced level. It gives people options give people choices,
different and of course, you know, dealing with children, you're dealing with adults, whether McGraw
Institute, I am an educator. I love education. I support education in any form. Because I know that
		

			educated people can make better decisions. And we'll have people handle a lot of blind with level
headed humbler people who know how to make decisions. It's amazing. Illa benefit will be for
everybody is being the longest sitting teacher and instructor of another institute. I'm very honored
and very pleased handled by me to be in this position today, from Allah azza wa jal, and looking
back at all those 20 years mashallah, it was a beautiful journey. I enjoyed every aspect of it.
We've done so many things that handler together as communities, as instructors, as staff, and
members of the Al Maghrib. Community all together, but the one thing I always cherish is the
		

			beautiful memories of the inception of the organization and several not so many people witnessed. I
was the first teacher chef, Chef Muhammad actually recruited Rahim Allah, Allah, who recruited me
actually to, to the organization. And, and I remember that we sat together, it was just a simple,
simple, you know, kind of room in the hotel, discussing the future of America. At that time, we were
still barely in the late 20s In our ages, and thinking so big, it was ridiculous even to think that
our mother would ever come to where we are today. Subhanallah but I just want to give an idea and
give
		

			the gratitude first and foremost, Allah subhanho wa Taala for giving us the opportunity to be part
of this organization. And then to Sheikh Mohammed Shetty, for really championing this cause and
being the the man who led this vision to where we are today or handler blind, I mean, and then to
each and every one of you are out there watching and listening. Don't think that your ideas are
small and not worthy of really pursuing. Because if there is a welder if there is a world there is a
way and we have seen it, we've lived it and and Hamdulillah 20 years later, we are now reaping the
benefit of that hard work. I just want you to be dedicated and be motivated in sha Allah that if you
		

			have an idea that you believe is creative, and it can better the lives of many people in the future
in sha Allah, Allah, start working on it today. Because 20 years later we probably going to be the
one sitting in front of this camera and talking to others to motivate them in sha Allah to the
better job and ALLAH SubhanA wa Allah bless you all, may Allah Subhana Allah Allah have mercy Sheikh
Mohammed Al Sharif Rahim Allah Allah, Allah subhanho wa Taala with baraka and the love of his
children and his family, and all of you as salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.