Episode 19

full
Published on:

23rd May 2025

Habeeb Quadri: 'Your Success is Our Success.’

Habeeb Quadri: Your Success is Our Success

In this episode of the American Muslim Podcast, hosted by Imam Tariq El-Amin and presented by Bayan on Demand, the guest is Habib Kadri, an award-winning educator, author, youth advocate, superintendent of MCC Academy, and part-time faculty at Harvard University. Kadri discusses his journey into education, inspired by his parents and significant figures like Mr. Earl and Dr. Gazda. He reflects on his leadership experiences, challenges in Islamic education, the importance of instilling confidence and good character in students, and his vision for education. He emphasizes transformational learning, priority management, and the significance of community collaboration. Kadri also talks about his consulting work aimed at enhancing educational practices globally and shares insights on maintaining balance and sincerity in personal and professional life.

00:00 Introduction to Bayan on Demand

00:57 Meet the Host and Guest

01:45 Early Inspirations in Education

04:58 High School and Basketball Journey

08:59 Leadership and Community Involvement

13:30 Path to Educational Leadership

16:11 Vision for Education

20:22 Challenges in Islamic Schools

26:36 Transformative Power of Education

29:17 Learning from Elite Institutions

32:43 The Potential of Islamic Schools

33:33 The Role of Humility in Leadership

37:14 Balancing Faith and Leadership

38:04 Time Management vs. Priority Management

42:46 Founding High Quality Educational Consulting

44:51 Addressing Youth Challenges and Islamic Studies

48:15 The Importance of Asking Questions

54:01 Receiving the ISNA Lifetime Educational Achievement Award

01:00:16 Final Reflections and Gratitude

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Transcript
Imam Tariq:

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As Salaamu Alaikum, may the peace

that only God can give be upon you.

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I'm your host Imam Tariq El-Amin.

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Welcome to the American Muslim

Podcast, presented by Bayan on Demand.

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Our guest today is Habib Kadri,

an award-winning educator,

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author, and youth advocate.

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Currently the superintendent

of MCC Academy and part-time

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faculty at Harvard University.

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He has impacted education worldwide

through thousands of lectures,

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consulting and community service.

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Welcome to the American Muslim Podcast.

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My brother As Salaamu Alaikum.

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Habib Quadri: Wa Alaikum As Salaam.

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Imam Tariq: Well, we thank you

for taking the time to have a

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conversation with us and share.

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We always start by

letting our guests know.

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We invite them to be as open,

as transparent, as vulnerable as

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they are comfortable being and

sharing a bit of their journey.

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So can you take us back

to your early years and.

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Tell us what was it or who

was it that inspired you to

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pursue a career in education?

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Habib Quadri: I think it's kind of unique.

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so my father and my dad, came in 1960.

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So he was at Oklahoma State

University for one year.

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It was kind of tough sitting

in one side of classroom not

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getting a job opportunity.

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So he moved to Kansas State.

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And so he was kind of

part of you know, the MSA.

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So when he got into Chicago,

and started Chicago, they were

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part of the Sunday school.

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So the first Sunday school used

to be in Gary, Indiana, but that

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used to be the headquarters of MSA.

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They used to drive from the city, and

he used to, and I always wonder why

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he came to the city of Chicago because

from Kansas State in the summer, all

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the, the students, especially the

immigrant Muslim students, used to come

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to Chicago so they could find a job.

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you know, being bus boys and

so on and so forth in downtown.

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And so my parents both taught Sunday

school for, 50 years masha'Allah.

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So that maybe was my first

group, like parents involved.

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Then when I came into the field, I have

to say, teachers played a big part.

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I became a social studies teacher, Mr.

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Earl in eighth grade.

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used to always wear suits, and he used to

play basketball with us at the, you know,

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recess come around, shoot the baskets.

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So I always felt like, man,

you know, he is a cool guy.

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I wanted social studies because of him.

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I wear suits every day if you see

people see me at school, right?

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and just 'cause I always felt like

this guy's just crisp to the point.

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And so I think that kind of came

my first kind of option, hey there

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someone that made a big impact.

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You know, you always have your elementary

teachers who you like, but some, you know,

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when you're in that middle school years.

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And for me, that played

a big part in education.

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And then in middle school, I got to

play basketball at North Park College.

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I mean, our North Park, was like a church.

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There was a church school, Ray

Whitson, he was only 21, but he

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coats us 13, 14 year olds, right?

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he was gonna be, become a

pastor at North Park University.

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But the idea of him just to kind

of embrace his, Hey, you know,

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let us play with, you know,

let, letting me play with them.

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I felt man, that was just another guy just

making impact, like motivating mentoring.

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So I was like, I like this idea.

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So when I was in high school,

I was like the Big brother, big

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sister program, played ball.

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So that played a big part.

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And then I think another one in

my high school career would be Dr.

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Gazda, who saw me pray on the side.

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He is man, you're really practicing.

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So he's the guy who sponsored, uh,

to guide him and said, Hey, you know

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what, if you need to pray, don't you

guys, and we talked about fifth, he

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goes, you guys prayed five times?

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He goes, yeah, and you know, Juma.

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So we used to pray juma at a

kid's house after school who lived

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clo closer to school, some of

the Muslim brothers from Vonte.

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So we started the first Juma prayer in

high school at Von Steuben in:

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And he sponsored it voluntarily.

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And he said, I'll watch him

'cause we need to have a sponsor

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and talk to the principal.

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So Dr.

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Gods, who later on became the

principal of the school too before,

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after I left, kind of had that.

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So just the idea of how a person

could impact you spiritually

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from athletic standpoint and

just the idea of just academics.

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so those were kind of my three up to

high school that played a major part.

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And, you know, from the academia side

and then from, you know, from the

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spiritual side, you know, Sunday school

teachers, but min Muslim youth through

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North America was a big thing to me.

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Imam's, sage back in the days because

most of the items I knew were from back

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home were like, you know, how to connect.

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mail Lord, reward that man.

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I mean, I, me, so it's a huge part.

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I, me.

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Imam Tariq: so you were a ball player,

you were, you played for Von Steuben.

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Yes, sir.

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And so one of the things that I

think many people recognize that,

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especially at that age, that it's

really difficult to be, independent.

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it's difficult, you know, we are more

likely to try to blend into the crowd.

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We don't wanna stand out.

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And here you are on the

side of the court praying.

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Habib Quadri: Yeah.

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Imam Tariq: So what were some of the

things for you that helped you to have

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that kind of, confidence, that kind

of independence at such a young age?

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Habib Quadri: I mean, I have to give it

to my, my, my parents, you know, both,

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you know, they were quite involved in the

community and the idea of being proud.

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I was still nervous.

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So my freshman year in high

school, I was kinda like, you

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know, I'm gonna go home and pray.

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But sports played such a big part.

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So Vonte had no football team.

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Basketball, was it?

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By my sophomore year, I got

to play varsity and hamma.

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I did, you know, somewhat,

you know, played well.

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Where are your legend?

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Hamma?

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I saw the article.

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so and so with that played a ca I

mean, that was a catapult, right?

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Because that gave me confidence, okay.

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You know, I'm captain by junior,

senior, you know, junior, senior year.

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I was averaging double

digits all three years.

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so I had that, opportunity and I

got to play like at a, you know,

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back then au Circuits knock.

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I was there, it was only a few teams.

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So I used to go practice at Carini Green.

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I would have to take the

Olive and and I think Sedgwick

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Park, and so on North Avenue.

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And so I remember Larry be, the coach

would pick me up on the train station,

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get me what, how to get practice.

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So that gave me just confidence,

like, all right, I could be a part.

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And that gave me platform just to

speak my comfortable enough to say.

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So my sophomore year I was like,

you know, I'm gonna start praying.

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And then that's where I was like, Hey,

I'm gonna be confident of who I am.

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And you know what also hopped

at that time was the nineties.

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Malcolm X came out my sophomore,

junior year of the movie.

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Then you got a public enemy

representing, you know, Islam, right?

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So you had a lot of, you had the

five percenters and all that.

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So it was kind of like.

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You know, people like, and then even

individuals like the, you, like the

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Vice Lords and Four Corners, they

used Fat had in some of their, you

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know, j Jeff o you know, some of kin.

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So there's a little, again,

I'm not promoting it, but I'm

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saying, so kids had parcel things.

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So now my whole team was, guys from

fte, everyone came from all over, It

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was like, it was one of those where

you have to apply to get into school.

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So I had individuals from everywhere and

my whole basketball team mostly lived

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on the west side and the south side.

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So I kind of had, you know, so it

was kind of these conversations.

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Two of the brothers became Muslim,

you know, about my senior year.

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So that played, I think that

helped me because that something

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I'd be like, okay, platform.

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I'm confident enough to

say something about it.

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and then from there I was like, okay, how

do I get others to kind of buy into it?

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And so social stuff that was going on

at the, at the hip hop world, the movie

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by sports, you know, and I mean, again,

unless tophi that happened that, and

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I always felt man, you know, how do I

become, and my father always said, he

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goes, look, when you have that platform,

you could have a platform to make change.

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Or you could just sit there

and just be like, be the norm.

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And so I think for him, you know,

being a part of the MSA in sixties and

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all these small things, I'm like, all

right, you know what, let's take that.

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and now then I always felt you

know, 'cause you know, when I grew

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up, I got picked on, even when I

up playing ball, everywhere I went,

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there was always some comment.

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I remember foreman in high

school playing basketball, and

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this is person golf war right?

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In the nineties.

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So I'm like a sophomore

having a good game.

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They all start chatting.

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U-S-A-U-S-A, there's, you know,

'cause they're like, Hey, Saddam,

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there's like Saddam's there, right?

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So they used to call me Saddam coming in.

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you know, just getting all the

time, Hindu, you know, whatever.

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In the movie Gandhi came on when I was

in the elementary, especially where

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we, where I went to elementary school,

we were like the first Indians to

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move into that neighborhood, right?

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So they used to bus in an

Afro-American bus and a lot of,

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other, like Southeast Asian kids.

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So when I lived there, the first,

so there was a lot kinda picked.

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So when I felt like I had a, you know,

like a spot to make it easy for others.

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So that's why I remember my junior,

senior year, I'd be like, all

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All these Muslim kids make sure

any problems you gotta tell me.

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You know, how do you

keep everyone in check?

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and I'm telling you, B Ball gave

that credibility that's why I

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have so much love for my coaches.

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Imam Tariq: So you were put in a position

of leadership, through sports somehow?

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Yes.

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and that translated into, basically

into the social, network as well.

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A hundred percent.

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Habib Quadri: I mean, I was captain.

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I mean, I'm just kind of, just for the

sake of information, I hope doesn't

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come off like I'm bragging, but Yeah.

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in middle school I was a captain of the JV

basketball team Of, of the park district.

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and it kind of gave, and so we played up.

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So then that's where I, you know,

I was like, okay, that then,

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you know, I was part of the big

Brother sister, you know, program.

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So that idea of Sunday school

taught Sunday school, so like

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another kind of, kind of thing.

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And maybe that it is kind

of lead into something else.

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But I used to complain

about Sunday School.

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Oh, really?

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And and I was like, you know, my father,

my dad said, look, we're trying our best.

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So when I was 14, when I graduated

Sunday school in ninth grade, my dad

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said, well, don't you do something

about it, like uptake, complaining.

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So I taught preschool, pe a

kindergarten, first graders as an aide.

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Then I became a teacher, second,

third grade, then later on.

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So that kind of, kind of got me into that

involved and community said, well, you

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know, you could be a complaint on, you

know, everyone always complains, even deal

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with the community, You be the community.

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Everyone's always on the side.

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The Monday, you know, you know, Monday

morning quarterback, the Sunday morning

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quarterback for Jim, my quarterback

always got this didn't go right.

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so I was like, all So that kind of

played me that path of like sports and

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kind of, the credibility and I'm allowed

just in its own ways, made it happen.

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Imam Tariq: So leaders definitely have to

be able to, or at least effective leaders,

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have to be able to, analyze themselves,

be able to look at what they're doing,

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to see what works, what's not working.

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At what point did you recognize

your own ability to, to lead?

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Habib Quadri: I, I.

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And it is funny because I

was a shy guy, a shy kid.

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When I was young at home, I was creative.

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so my dad, we didn't

watch too much TV at home.

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So I used to kind of, and I had a

sister who's five years older than

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me, so I used to make up games

thinking I'm playing basketball,

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throw the ball, jump on the sofa.

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You know, cats like, so especially

back then, we had no phone.

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so I had this creativity and

my mom, and it is funny, my

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dad never knew of my jokes.

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Like in middle school,

you know, camps and stuff.

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I started doing like skits.

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So a guy named Zerman was a comedian

that you might have known Zerman.

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And so we used to do skits together,

improv, and so that's why I kind of

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knew, I had okay, some form where I

could speak, feel confident, but yeah,

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I, if it had to be something sports

because right when the coach was like,

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I could get people together, people

kind of listen and maybe me being the

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only like ethnic student, you know,

kid to, and to have that respect at the

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school that kind of be like, okay, wait

a minute, Allah's giving me something.

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And my dad's look, you know, sometimes

a lot gives you some qualities.

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Are you gonna use it for the good or not?

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And that's where I was like,

all right, how do we navigate?

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and then the idea of was like,

okay, learning from others.

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And I think I always, you know, my mom

always told me, every person you see,

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there's something you can learn from.

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And I've always tried to look at

someone, something you don't want.

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Like even my parents say there's

good in us and there's bad in us.

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So the good take from it and the things

you don't like about it improve on it.

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and that's something I kind of realized.

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And so I think that's what

I kind of started realizing.

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So by the time I went to MSA, so

at the, in the Muslim club, how

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to give the, I was like, you know,

like how to train ourselves, right?

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Because if you're gonna make

things happen, and so the MSA

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part of the MSA part of minimal

meet the North American Hospital.

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But my junior senior year, then I

started realizing, all right, you know,

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unless I think I got have something.

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But you never know how it manifests

as when you have others encourage you.

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And I think that played a big part

of our, like the minute camps where

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you, where they let the youth, that's,

you know, four youth buy youth,

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so you have to make all the phone

calls to the campsite and all that.

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I mean, this is old school

mailing stuff, writing letters.

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So you build these like skill sets.

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Imam Tariq: So Minna was also

really a big part of your formation.

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Habib Quadri: You know, for me,

because a lot of the, I grew up grew

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by, you know, like they, many of

the first Oma were from back home.

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So they're like, what is

this playing sports like?

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So like I didn't watch too much tv.

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You know, I had that radio, you sneak

and listen to the radio and your dad

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does it, you know, can't hear you.

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B 96 you had one 7.5

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WGCI don't triple dot that I, that's

all Chicago people would know that one.

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That's right.

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So top nine at nine.

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so you would sneak, you

know, sneak that radio.

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So it was like, you know, even like the

Bulls games, I listen to 'em on the radio.

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You know, you know, because,

so it was really this idea of,

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you know, this experience of.

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of life of kind of figuring things out

and just kind of navigating through 'em.

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So it was funny.

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Imam Tariq: Now, you said Mr.

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Earl was a big, was a

big inspiration for you.

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Yes.

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So that, I would imagine that

was just in general, you say,

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man, I wanna be a teacher.

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I wanna be in education.

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Yes.

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When did the specificity start

to present itself for you as

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to what area of education?

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and es especially as it relates

to educational leadership.

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When did that, come about for you?

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Habib Quadri: Yeah, so because of,

you know, high school, you know, I was

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kind of involved in leadership roles,

college, I was MSA, then I knew I

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wanted to go to education and I have

to, you know, so how lot, most people,

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especially in our community would

become like engineers, doctors, right?

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It was kinda like that.

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You right.

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My sister, she was a, like top

five in her high, but my dad let

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her go to social work, right?

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He's look, what can we help the community?

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So my parents were the few, I was like,

you know, son, and we still remember.

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I have no problem if you go into this

field, but bring back the nobility

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and their Noble Pro profession.

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if you're gonna do it,

you gotta go hardcore.

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you don't want people to be like, ah,

you know, he's just a community kid.

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You know, they just, you know,

they don't want to go full force.

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So he just thought he could do this.

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So I think that played a big part.

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So I knew, because I was always

working with kids, did camps, did

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run haahs at the, you know, at the

ji like first part of the haah then,

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you know, you know, doing stuff.

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So then I realized, hey, this

could be something I like,

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and my parents did push back.

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They say, Hey, just go full force.

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So that kind of helped.

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But I knew I wanted to be a principal,

so I liked teaching so studies, but

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I was like, Hey, I want to kind of

point where you can make changes.

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So I, you know, worked in Chicago

public schools and Detroit public

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schools, you know, and so my whole

thing was to kinda move fast.

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So I was like, okay, I wanna teach,

do my master's at night, be part

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of the director of afterschool

activities, what I could do.

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'cause I, you know, I felt like

I had some, you know, parts of,

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kind of some leadership skills.

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So building those skills.

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And that's why I was telling

people who are listening for young.

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S those things are running clubs,

being a part helps build life skills.

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And so by the time you get to

the workforce, you have some of

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these things that majority of

other people don't have, right?

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Those social te and technical skills.

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'cause everyone could be smart,

cognitive, but those that hustle.

337

:

The other things, like we, I

remember we started a company

338

:

called Salon Wear when 1516.

339

:

We wore you know, like lumm shirts, like

back in the days and sold them at isna.

340

:

you know, like small little kind of,

you know, businesses you try to do.

341

:

So I realized having those skill

sets, talking to people, trying

342

:

to sell to people, you're work,

you're working on life skills.

343

:

And I think that kind of all kind of

came into place and in education I

344

:

always felt man, you know, where, you

know, where, when I, 'cause I used to

345

:

practice that, you know, the other thing

was a project education plus if anyone

346

:

lives in Chicago, please support that.

347

:

Organization's been there for 50 years.

348

:

that Mr.

349

:

Carter where, when I used to

practice for travel team, so I

350

:

used to tutor in college there.

351

:

Yeah.

352

:

In Ka green, they back before they

turned, they, to turned out the projects.

353

:

So a lot of my thought was, you know,

impact and I felt man, you know, you

354

:

know, we just need people to really

help out individuals go through life

355

:

lessons and, you know, growing pains.

356

:

And so I always felt that

was something I wanted to do.

357

:

And Hamal, I just kept

on going into Hatfield.

358

:

Imam Tariq: What's your

vision for education?

359

:

Habib Quadri: So for me it's, I, there's

I think four parts for me, right?

360

:

So one part becomes, there's this

cognitive, I want to, okay, you want,

361

:

you wanna give them, you know, the life

tools, To be successful in this world.

362

:

But it's not just this idea of hey,

just knowing stuff, remote learning,

363

:

like learning or just rote memory.

364

:

But the other part, I feel

like education is the social

365

:

emotional development of people.

366

:

Now they're kind of picking

this up and saying, I.

367

:

Hey, being conscious of what's going

on in the world from a social stu ju

368

:

justice standpoint, having empathy

for people, understanding that you're

369

:

not just here for making sure you are

taken care of, but how do you make

370

:

sure you take care of God's creation?

371

:

I always tell our kids, if you help

God's creation, God will help you.

372

:

And I think that became a, that

aspect of building these life skills.

373

:

So that's why for me, I always say,

when I came to Islamic education,

374

:

I said, look, we're giving the

necessary tools so that they can become

375

:

productive citizens in this society,

but also productive, not productive,

376

:

but the citizens agenda, right?

377

:

You're trying to give 'em both these

skill sets and then a lot of it's, and

378

:

our dean is mostly about good character

and mah dealing with individuals, right?

379

:

So Salah will take care of em.

380

:

You gotta take those foundations.

381

:

But if we could just tell 'em

about life skills and stuff,

382

:

I think that was kind of huge.

383

:

And from my own experience where

some of the, when I met I was like,

384

:

man, they're just so rigid, so tough.

385

:

And so that always did, just

didn't felt right to me.

386

:

So then finally I was like, you know, how

can we come back to how the prophet was?

387

:

You know?

388

:

and I think that's kinda that changed.

389

:

So it's funny because on Fridays I

dress up, so I have like costumes.

390

:

I'll be Batman, Superman, I might

just have different, panda hat.

391

:

So I'm dressed up in various ways.

392

:

So when I first came to an Islamic

school from a public school,

393

:

Imam Tariq: yeah,

394

:

Habib Quadri: right.

395

:

There was like seven principals

in the first 14 years.

396

:

you know, Fridays I'm like, hey.

397

:

And so now when I'm dressing

up, I know kids are gonna say,

398

:

they're like, gimme high fives.

399

:

oh, Mr.

400

:

K, you're so silly.

401

:

You're the silly principal.

402

:

So some parents, 'cause many of the

parents when I first started there,

403

:

there were, you know, back home and

they're like, brother, you know, you

404

:

know, you know, back home when we saw

our principal, we would look down, right?

405

:

And we'd be fear scared of him.

406

:

We'd be fear.

407

:

I said, they're like, okay, you

know, but you know, you know, I think

408

:

you're being too friendly because

they're not gonna respect you.

409

:

I said, I know that you respected

your principles out of fear, but.

410

:

First of all, that's not my culture.

411

:

I said, my culture is our prophet Saam,

and you tell me when Haddi, that the

412

:

prophet walked around and all the kids

ran away from him, and they looked down.

413

:

They all wanted to be by him.

414

:

Everybody wanted to be by him.

415

:

So I said, I'd rather have kids wanna

respect me outta love and not outta fear.

416

:

And that's, we gotta come back to

what makes it, what makes the, our

417

:

dean beautiful is to have these

interactions and making the, you

418

:

know, you know, smiling, seeing 'em

at the door, and kind of have that,

419

:

because the only time you see Mr.

420

:

Re is when they're in trouble.

421

:

If I don't, if I like doing parking

duty, because I could see the

422

:

parent sound go, how you doing?

423

:

How go there?

424

:

And that's the only time I see

them is Hey, what's going on?

425

:

Like, when I was in Detroit Public Schools

every week I used to call two parents.

426

:

I'm like, Hey, so go, I mean, sorry.

427

:

Hey, how you doing Mrs.

428

:

Mrs.

429

:

Johnson.

430

:

She was like, she was,

you're telling me like, wait.

431

:

Tyrone, I'm just wanna tell you, I'm just

excited to have Tyrone in my CL like.

432

:

Wait a minute, he's not in trouble.

433

:

I'm like, no, I'm just wanna call you.

434

:

He's you're the first person I

ever called just to say positive.

435

:

I was like, I just wanna start

off, you know, with a, you

436

:

know, a positive relationship.

437

:

Just wanna tell you if

there's anything you need.

438

:

And I think what we have to do is that

human nature of what brought everyone

439

:

to our dean is the prophet's character.

440

:

Yes.

441

:

The revelation was wa he,

that's the biggest miracle.

442

:

But the other miracle is that

everyone loved the prophet.

443

:

And then I think that's where, you

know, I feel that's a new form education

444

:

we need to do is like inculcating

the that, not to just to sit on

445

:

the outside, which is important.

446

:

No, I'm not.

447

:

I'm please anyone who hears this, I'm not.

448

:

But man, if we could just be just people

like, I like being around this person.

449

:

This person's good, this person's

always smiling because smile, being

450

:

religious doesn't mean you can't smile.

451

:

That's right.

452

:

And that's when I grew up,

that's how like the culture was.

453

:

It was like, you just, Allah

doesn't want you to do this.

454

:

And the more religious you're Sam, right?

455

:

Oh, And I was like, so and so that was

that whole kind of changing philosophy of

456

:

like the truth are beyond in character.

457

:

Imam Tariq: What were some of the

challenges that you had and going from,

458

:

public school to an Islamic school?

459

:

Habib Quadri: Oh, yes.

460

:

Yeah.

461

:

So for Islamic schools, as you said,

so there's, and especially in the

462

:

nineties, those are growing pains.

463

:

Growing pains, right?

464

:

Yeah.

465

:

That seven principles in the first

14 years, there's every two years.

466

:

Right now, even average Islamic school

principal is like four years, right?

467

:

You're dealing with community boards.

468

:

Some of 'em are not in the field of

education, maybe highly successful, but

469

:

that doesn't mean, you know, have that.

470

:

And like you're imam you're dealing with

personalities and so on and so forth.

471

:

And when you're Islam school principal,

you're not just, it's not just a school.

472

:

Then you got religion.

473

:

Like our school has 56

different countries.

474

:

That means you got a lot cultural,

religious standpoints too.

475

:

Just kind of coming in and navigating

those conversations and kind of

476

:

getting everyone to move forward.

477

:

And especially when you have a history of

people like, oh, there's a new principal.

478

:

I had to just change the climate and

culture even to a point I first year

479

:

I remember saying, all right, sister.

480

:

and so brother said, we're stopping that.

481

:

This is not Sunday school.

482

:

We're gonna So Mr.

483

:

Mr.

484

:

So and just to change that and say,

okay, this is not Sunday school.

485

:

This is not after school loo program.

486

:

This is not youth group.

487

:

We're gonna change some systems.

488

:

And I was like 26 at that time, or

27 and some of the, because I came

489

:

back into the community I grew up

in, so I knew a lot of the people.

490

:

So many of 'em were aunties to me.

491

:

So I remember I said eight to

four, I'm gonna call you Mr.

492

:

So and Mr.

493

:

So and after four o'clock,

I'll call you Auntie Soandso.

494

:

You know, they're like, Hey beta.

495

:

You know, I'm like, okay, after

four you can call me beta.

496

:

All you like, I have no problem, but we're

gonna change, you know, kind of have that.

497

:

So climate culture was one people

buying into like we could become great.

498

:

Like I've had the opportunity to go

to Exeter visit like some of the top.

499

:

middle schools that, Andovers, like even

Harvard, how does Harvard become Harvard?

500

:

How does Notre Dame become Notre Dame?

501

:

So all went through the growing pains.

502

:

And so our thing is if we can stick

it through work, hard work, we could

503

:

become who we can because the sister

Clara Muhammad schools Mela bless her.

504

:

She's they're, it's not, she's the og.

505

:

Yeah.

506

:

And the idea is if you could have an

opportunity where edu great education

507

:

and also give them self-worth

and a strong understanding of who

508

:

they are, that's a game changer.

509

:

That's what has to happen.

510

:

And so that's where I was like,

look, we have to buy into assignment

511

:

schools that academically, oh, we

could go to this school district.

512

:

I'm like, we could do it.

513

:

Our subs, if we all pitch in and

buy into this, it can't happen.

514

:

It can't happen because we got the

talent we have, you know, and slowly

515

:

we can build, get the resources and

at the end we have a lot on our side.

516

:

you know, I always tell

our kids we do our best.

517

:

Al will take care of the rest.

518

:

we just can't limit ourselves.

519

:

And then saying, and that's

where, you know, I had the

520

:

opportunity to go see, Mosam.

521

:

Like I, I remember in

:

522

:

can I just see what, why

not what, what's happening?

523

:

What's the development?

524

:

You know, how can we take improve?

525

:

And I think we have to all learn

from each other what people have done

526

:

in the past, what communities have

done in the past, and how do we keep

527

:

moving forward and making, and my

whole thing is not just making our

528

:

community better, the society, right?

529

:

you know, for me, I'm

like, I'm American, right?

530

:

And I like the podcast, we,

American Muslims, right?

531

:

Muslim Americans, however people

wanna call it Muslim American Muslim.

532

:

But the idea is my cultural

habits are a lot more American

533

:

than they might be Indian.

534

:

But faith dictates my life and about how

do we, and there's nothing wrong for us.

535

:

so stuff like challenges during the 4th of

July parade, people are like, oh my god.

536

:

Having Native Dean do a concert,

some parents go, you know, you

537

:

know, our, just different, we had,

za Bika, all these people, like

538

:

changing people's thought process.

539

:

Okay.

540

:

How do we balance respecting both sides?

541

:

But, and saying, okay, we're

trying to move forward for that,

542

:

that Muslim American experience.

543

:

Imam Tariq: You know, it's interesting

that you say, respecting differing,

544

:

opinions, you know, without

necessarily favoring one or another.

545

:

Yeah.

546

:

But has there been situations

where in respecting and recognizing

547

:

those differing opinions that

it's led to a sort of a paralysis?

548

:

Or how do you avoid that?

549

:

Habib Quadri: Yeah.

550

:

and that's why even for example, at

our school, we might say, Hey, we are

551

:

Sunni Muslims, so we have Shia students.

552

:

We say, Hey, they could come, but we

are, we're just going to teach the C

553

:

of the prophet through all khalifas.

554

:

And that's how it's gonna be.

555

:

and the she.

556

:

And now when, then when they pray,

we say, Hey, you're welcome to pray.

557

:

You can put your hands down.

558

:

We have no problem.

559

:

'cause kids are, you know,

different schools of thought.

560

:

But even for Shafi, I

just kinda have that.

561

:

We say, Hey, everything's there.

562

:

But we said, Hey, you know, the one

of 'em, when they put the the car,

563

:

the stone, we said, okay, that one,

hey, that's gonna, we feel, hey,

564

:

that might be a little bit too much.

565

:

You want a piece of paper or whatever.

566

:

There's ways, how do we

accommodate, but we still have

567

:

to say these are our parameters.

568

:

Hey, so for example, give and

take, we had native dean in

569

:

all these, speaker, musicians.

570

:

But we said, okay, it only

can be duff drums, right?

571

:

We're not gonna let them play any guitar

and stuff and say that, that, you know,

572

:

like, how do we go in between to kind of

still make sure that's there, but that

573

:

means we decided here's our two, three

scholars and we're gonna go with them.

574

:

'cause if I go, everyone brings

their fatwas, we're gonna go nuts.

575

:

I can't.

576

:

So how do you say, okay,

this is what we're gonna do.

577

:

This is how our process is gonna

stand from religious standpoints.

578

:

So when you have even those

kids with meat, they said.

579

:

Oh my.

580

:

You know, some parents might

be hardcore eha, right?

581

:

And then you might have someone

who's gonna drop off some McDonald's,

582

:

you know, chicken, chicken nuggets,

583

:

Imam Tariq: right?

584

:

Habib Quadri: And you got a first grader.

585

:

I'm talking about a first grader, and

sometimes parents I can't believe you.

586

:

I was like, at first grade's

oh my God, what are you eating?

587

:

But Bob said, that's hurrah, right?

588

:

And now we have to have a navigated

conversation that parents like,

589

:

are we teaching that our school?

590

:

I'm like, no, we are not.

591

:

We're gonna say, Hey, we promote when

we're providing food Zaha at school.

592

:

We say, look, there are different

schools, but even at first grade,

593

:

they're too young to have that.

594

:

But some parents make that and you

know, that little kid becomes like the,

595

:

you know, the Muslim police, right?

596

:

so that's where we have to have

these and say, Hey, you know what?

597

:

This is sometimes to happen.

598

:

This is how we, what our conversations is.

599

:

And then we wanna say, this

is in the circle of our dean.

600

:

There are different views.

601

:

This is what we're, you know, and

we're even in our, in, in SUNY Islam,

602

:

we're teaching mostly hundred vfi,

but we explain all the other fix too.

603

:

And say, Hey, if you're raising

your hand, you put your hands

604

:

up here, or our, or you say.

605

:

You know, you know, one time

another ham and you say twice, Hey.

606

:

And we give people both options

just to kind of, to grow in that

607

:

path, especially living here.

608

:

Even my father says, he goes,

I learned more about Islam

609

:

here than I learned back home.

610

:

Imam Tariq: Because it

611

:

Habib Quadri: opens

your eyes to everything

612

:

Imam Tariq: because of the, diversity.

613

:

Yes.

614

:

so education, we often hear it

said education is transformational.

615

:

how has your pursuit of education,

and then I would even add the

616

:

application of what you've learned,

how has that transformed you?

617

:

Habib Quadri: Yeah.

618

:

You know, I think one is that

you're always learning, right?

619

:

Education.

620

:

My, my whole thing is every

day you're kind of picking up.

621

:

That's why, you know, one thing I always

say that you learn from everyone, right?

622

:

And then you could pick up what things

you could do, what things you're

623

:

not to do, what we think are better.

624

:

So that's why I think I realized one

thing for me, you know, is always

625

:

reflecting, like all profits reflected.

626

:

You know, I just, we just kind of finished

this one book called Prophetic Leadership.

627

:

And so the first chapter I kind of

thought about was Hey, the prophets all

628

:

used to sit and kind of self-reflect.

629

:

And I feel like in education

you will always have to say

630

:

what can we do to become better?

631

:

What are we not doing?

632

:

And then, so that's why,

because kids change too.

633

:

So the idea is that hey, a child

from 20 years ago, a kid now, and

634

:

now you have to be more soft skills.

635

:

you know, kids are more, were

tough love when we grew up.

636

:

Anyone uncle could say, tell me anything.

637

:

It'd be like, it's done now.

638

:

You gotta be like, oh, my kid.

639

:

Child's feelings could

be hurt how he's there.

640

:

So you gotta be very careful

what it's said, how it's said,

641

:

what could get triggered.

642

:

But I'm just saying, I can't believe this.

643

:

I'm saying, okay, that's how it is.

644

:

How do I navigate our conversations?

645

:

And training ourselves to say, okay,

the demographics of the students,

646

:

the personalities of the students,

the, their thought process, the

647

:

ideologies, and we have to do that.

648

:

So even now, Islamic studies classes

where we now talk about existence of

649

:

God in seventh, eighth grade, where

because we see that's like the ideologies

650

:

becoming more and more popular in college.

651

:

So we say we gotta get our

kids foundational stuff.

652

:

It's Simon social issues.

653

:

When we wrote like the whirlwind

and the hearts book and brought

654

:

it into school like seven to eight

years ago, like pornography, they're

655

:

like, how to carry you Simon Scholar

School schools ripped that pages off.

656

:

I said, look, whatever ones

you feel comfortable to use.

657

:

Use, But I'm like, this is reality.

658

:

But now even stuff like gender

issues and LBGT, we're like, okay,

659

:

we have to have these conversations.

660

:

Not even eighth grade,

even fourth, fifth grade.

661

:

So people have to realize,

hey, things have to change.

662

:

Educational topics might be changing to

when it's gonna be changed to what age?

663

:

Things are changing.

664

:

And I think that's the idea of always

being flexibility and being transformative

665

:

and being adaptive to the groups of

individuals that we're working with

666

:

to the parents and the community and

what's going on, at large, right?

667

:

Of how do we respond?

668

:

Even political issues.

669

:

What do we say?

670

:

How do we say, when do we say be careful?

671

:

What have that, what's going on?

672

:

How do our mind should think?

673

:

And I think, and really also understanding

more than ever before that you are in

674

:

this country and we pray for this country.

675

:

We have love for this country, and

how do we make this country better?

676

:

It should be our thing just like our

own community and our own families.

677

:

Imam Tariq: So when you talked about

Harvard and, culture and any elite

678

:

institution, an institution that is

kind of synonymous with excellence,

679

:

what have you brought to and

learned from being in those spaces?

680

:

Habib Quadri: the, you know, one of

the beauties and allah's blessings

681

:

that I have the opportunity to be

there and still be there and is.

682

:

This idea of on constantly learning

and going, they're always looking

683

:

at the newest research and what I've

always liked about it, it's research

684

:

and then put it into practical.

685

:

So my job is a lot of that,

the tenure professors is how to

686

:

break that down to practitioners.

687

:

And then kind of having synergy.

688

:

So we go, like every year we

go and visit different states.

689

:

Like we went to New Orleans

schools, Oakland schools,

690

:

you know, Chicago schools.

691

:

And they'll say, Hey, what are some

great things that are happening?

692

:

How do we share and what, you know,

and out what the newest research

693

:

and ongoing pursuit of not being

satisfied of what, what's going on?

694

:

So I think that's something like, I

always kinda man, they're always thinking

695

:

of, Hey, what's the newest thing?

696

:

What's there?

697

:

What's Ray?

698

:

Hey Habib, did you read this?

699

:

People are sharing articles.

700

:

Which of 'em always like, all

right, you know, this is great.

701

:

So I think that's, that,

that becomes there.

702

:

The other thing is investing within.

703

:

And so one of that, that networking right.

704

:

Hey, you're a graduate.

705

:

Hey, what do we do?

706

:

How do we keep making sure

that we're proud of who we are?

707

:

So even like our own assignment

school, our mom was we are proud

708

:

that we have two of our own,

alumni on our school board now.

709

:

Or having about 30, 40 of our kids,

kids now at our school, at least what,

710

:

you know, in my last 20 years, right?

711

:

Having them be volunteers for this.

712

:

Like how do we have them buy

into like our, that your success

713

:

is our success and we want this

success for the future generation.

714

:

And they're kind of having, you

know, that the Harvard name goes,

715

:

there's Hey, how do you, why can't

MC be where people say, hey, they're

716

:

trying to get better and better now.

717

:

oh, some schools.

718

:

And I think that's where I feel like

now they saw skate where the first

719

:

five, 10 years, they're like, how

do we just be sustainable to, hey,

720

:

now let's kinda get some quality.

721

:

But now it's well, how do we become elite?

722

:

You know, where you want things to like.

723

:

We gotta look at all that.

724

:

So every five, six years we do strategic

plans and say, Hey, we need counselors.

725

:

We need social emotionals.

726

:

We need to do that.

727

:

Oh, we don't have a financial base.

728

:

Well, how do we get there?

729

:

How do we keep pushing

ourselves to become better?

730

:

And I think that's where the things I've

kind of see what great schools that at

731

:

least recognize as great schools is.

732

:

They all started 200 years ago.

733

:

Harvard started from Andover and

Exeter that later on, Puritan

734

:

that said, Hey, let's have our own

religious, faith-based university.

735

:

And it became who they are.

736

:

Why can't we become like, why can't A,

you know what, how Cairo, fa all these

737

:

places, let us be those top universities.

738

:

You know, India used to be,

but why are we stopping?

739

:

Why do we just kind of be like, like some

of, we have some of the greatest talents

740

:

working for all these great, companies.

741

:

why don't they just believe in themselves

and say we could do it ourselves.

742

:

you know?

743

:

And so I think that's, that the

self, oh, you know, it's gotta

744

:

be, oh, we gotta work with them.

745

:

no, we gotta be proud of who we are.

746

:

We have a great history.

747

:

We have Allah on our side, and one

way the most diverse faiths right.

748

:

From all over, if we just You know, like,

how do we just synergize to a next level?

749

:

And I think that's something that we,

you know, you know, the Harvard alums

750

:

are always kind of working together.

751

:

We got this bigger alum, you know, Islam.

752

:

So Yeah.

753

:

How do you synergize together?

754

:

Imam Tariq: Yeah.

755

:

Habib Quadri: So that's why for

me, it's like Islamic schools.

756

:

You know, we, we're the only, in

Illinois 15, 20 years ago, we decided

757

:

to have like coalition of Islamic

schools together, where every two

758

:

months the principals meet together.

759

:

So we're not competing with each other.

760

:

Let's help each other speed

up our learning curve.

761

:

How do we do that?

762

:

You know, like something like, you know,

I'm like, Hey, let's all meet together.

763

:

I think we could do this.

764

:

And now we build that relationship

that it's not competition, it's about

765

:

it know, you know, recognition and

try to help each other become better.

766

:

Imam Tariq: When people are, I, I guess

part of the social fabric and what we

767

:

kinda get used to here is this idea of

competing everything is about establishing

768

:

your foothold in the marketplace,

whatever marketplace you're in.

769

:

So if you're in an educational

marketplace, you wanna, you want to have,

770

:

you wanna get all the students, right?

771

:

You wanna have the

long, long waiting list.

772

:

But you're talking about this coalition

of Islamic students, Islamic schools.

773

:

What part does humility

play in all of this?

774

:

and is that something that, you

have to be conscious of in terms of,

775

:

leadership and organizing, groups?

776

:

Yeah.

777

:

No, I'm, you know,

778

:

Habib Quadri: it's one of the

things I realize, the student of

779

:

Allah to prophets wasn't easy.

780

:

And I feel like you are

my own massage community.

781

:

Our work, it's not gonna be easy.

782

:

People get frustrated

and I tell people like.

783

:

But why is it in corporate America

someone tells you to do something?

784

:

No, no problem, sir.

785

:

I'll do it.

786

:

because you wanna move up because you

see there's a financial benefit, right?

787

:

I said, and so this is where I think,

is that yes, we want our schools to

788

:

be good and I wanna push, and I, you

know, you want people to be like,

789

:

Hey, I wanna be here or be happy.

790

:

But why?

791

:

I was like, look, but I wanna make

sure if I make others happy, because

792

:

at the end, my employer is Allah.

793

:

And especially in this

field, universal success, all

794

:

access, success, they do well.

795

:

And there's something I learned

from them and they learn from me.

796

:

our school, we're all

gonna get gen money, right?

797

:

It's just gonna be the straight

up you know, kind of coming in

798

:

and saying, look, that happens.

799

:

And that's where in saying, I'm making

money with someone else's success.

800

:

But it might not be, you

know, like monetarily.

801

:

But I think that's where

that key comes there.

802

:

Now, that doesn't mean boards

who are listening to this, oh,

803

:

you still gotta pay our people.

804

:

No, no doubt about it.

805

:

But this other idea of Hey, if we all

come together to work together, man,

806

:

it's, it, we just be rocking and rolling.

807

:

Just if all countries or Muslim

countries is man, we could

808

:

just put our minds together.

809

:

there's numbers in ours

too, and the talent level.

810

:

So that's where I think what's been

a blessing where even my board's,

811

:

like letting me go to different

cities and so on and so forth.

812

:

and for me it was like, Hey, can, I

mean, one of the reasons, like when

813

:

the, when our school won the national

ward, for me, it wasn't about me.

814

:

I was like, all you guys

did this happen together?

815

:

And for me it was, I was more excited

that a Islamic schools could do this.

816

:

We can academically increase our scores.

817

:

We could be financially

responsible, we could have a

818

:

school climate and culture, right?

819

:

The categories that they, we

were com you know, competing.

820

:

For me, I like competing against other

public schools and Hey, we could be them.

821

:

Like, why are we always well.

822

:

The, those elites private schools?

823

:

No.

824

:

You, we could be those elite private

schools by putting our minds together

825

:

and looking at the greater good like

the archdiocese and saying, well,

826

:

how do we make all our schools well?

827

:

So like we, we, you know, having the

CNAs and the ULAs and some schools

828

:

of League of America that's there.

829

:

And that's why for me, when I was

early in my years, I wanted to

830

:

know, because the sister Clara

Muhammad schools were like 70, 80.

831

:

They were like, huge.

832

:

So what was your success?

833

:

I was trying to read up on her, right?

834

:

okay, what was that philosophy and

what's there, what kind of kept it going?

835

:

What were the areas that, you know,

what kind of stopped that process?

836

:

So all these things we gotta learn from,

because in saying those are things that

837

:

we have to learn from our own communities,

and saying, kind of building there.

838

:

And I think, and we have to, you

know, I, I think throughout being

839

:

a social studies teacher, I.

840

:

The only, the greatest way people

have historically, what we've

841

:

always looked at, every country

organization divide and conquer.

842

:

Yes.

843

:

Through financial, through

fame, through whatever.

844

:

And God tells us about it, and

we still get caught up in it.

845

:

And I wanna protect myself, a pair

of all of us that you know, that,

846

:

you know, because, you know, you

know, things come and shaan gets

847

:

and things and you, that Allah makes

our hearts sincere in our work.

848

:

but it, and it has to because I

think being a association where you

849

:

see it and you hear about, we know

what's happening and we still let,

850

:

making it happen is just not cool.

851

:

Imam Tariq: I want to bring in,

one of your works, and I think you

852

:

referenced it a little bit earlier.

853

:

the war within our hearts, thinking about

this in terms of, leadership, all the

854

:

responsibilities that you have, right?

855

:

you're not a classroom teacher, right?

856

:

You're superintendent and the

traveling, we haven't even

857

:

talked about your consulting.

858

:

but from a time management standpoint,

give a bit of insight for those

859

:

who are also in positions of

leadership, but also feel like I

860

:

have something else to offer as well.

861

:

How are you able to manage that?

862

:

Habib Quadri: first thing I learned from

one of the sheiks, you make the, you

863

:

gotta make ua, I love ika in your time.

864

:

that's my first one.

865

:

I would say, you gotta make

dua when you go to sleep.

866

:

I love ika in my sleep.

867

:

So that six hour sleep

is a tight, good sleep.

868

:

I love Ika in my meeting before this talk.

869

:

I love ika in me, you know, I help me say

the right words, And I'm still gonna make

870

:

a lot of mistakes, but, Having that's one.

871

:

The second thing is, people

always talk about time management.

872

:

I'm a thing is that, that time management,

it's called priority management.

873

:

What's important to you?

874

:

That's what's gonna happen

because, so for me, it's like,

875

:

there's a few things, right?

876

:

So I know I, if it's not education

or youth, I don't get involved.

877

:

So people are like, oh, I want

you to be a bear, a board on.

878

:

it's not board.

879

:

I'm like, if it's not in that field or

unless I, that board part is to be, is

880

:

in a full field, then I'm gonna be there.

881

:

Or if it's not to help our community.

882

:

'cause how do people wanna

get into everything, right?

883

:

And I'm like, Hey, centralize

where, you know, you, this is

884

:

where I could be really strong at.

885

:

So for me, youth education and

I love sports, so that's just

886

:

more of a passional thing, right?

887

:

So now for me as a person, I'm like,

okay, I know faith is important.

888

:

So am I blocking off my 30 minutes

or 40 minutes, whatever I have to do.

889

:

Prayer sah, reading haddi when haddi.

890

:

So I'm a small, I have my

attention deficit issue.

891

:

So I'm a person that might do

something small, but doing consistent.

892

:

So that just means read one haddi

day, just read one Haddi day.

893

:

If that means just reading two pages of

Quran, just read two Kran, maybe Ramadan,

894

:

you move it up to another whole level.

895

:

But just doing certain things and

saying whatever that is, right?

896

:

And the idea of constant growing and

the more you're in a leadership skills

897

:

at, you know, thing what you know.

898

:

and I think that, like Imam you know,

from California, Melo, bless him, he

899

:

had once kind of said, he goes, look,

if you're in leadership skills, then you

900

:

gotta do things where people don't know.

901

:

And I said, what are those?

902

:

He said, look, then that means fasting

at least once a month or once a month.

903

:

'cause no one else knows

if you do that or not.

904

:

and I'm weak and I, I don't think doing

it, but it's, I realize, and there has to

905

:

be those small things that no one knows.

906

:

But for me, like I realize

if it's not faith, then the

907

:

other thing is family, right?

908

:

So now I'm like, if I'm going,

that means like markups.

909

:

Aah.

910

:

You know, some people

like, I'm gonna pray.

911

:

I'm like, no, I'm gonna pray as a

family, especially when they were young.

912

:

Now they all high schools are everywhere,

but like when at least, hey, that's Salah.

913

:

We're gonna pray as a family at

least Monday through Thursday.

914

:

Wherever those are, hey, we have a

Sunday family Holocaust and say, Hey,

915

:

look, even through Zoom, wherever you

are, you're still gonna lock in for

916

:

30 minutes and we're gonna have that.

917

:

I feel like those kind of skill sets play

a pig time exercise is important for me.

918

:

So that means 30 minutes, four times

a week, you got exercise, you know?

919

:

you know what's funny, I was in

California and your wife was there

920

:

too, and she had a talk IIII get picked

up and she went for good morning run.

921

:

You know, like I'm, we're

getting, we're leaving.

922

:

I'm like, I was like, is that sister?

923

:

You, And so that idea of you

keep your consistent thing right

924

:

because I realized when people,

I was like, man, I wanna do this.

925

:

I wanna do this and say, Hey, all

love's give us all skill sets.

926

:

So some skill sets are flyers.

927

:

I'm like, look, you could be the best.

928

:

Flyer for our community person.

929

:

There's this one sister,

she's awesome man.

930

:

And that's all she does.

931

:

But that's her way of giving

back to the community.

932

:

One person who's our accountant, he

goes, he's CPA, he goes, I'm gonna

933

:

volunteer and help out with our $6.9

934

:

million and that's gonna volunteer.

935

:

That's what a lot you, it's in your

realm, you know it well, and you're

936

:

still giving to the community.

937

:

And I think that's what people have to

realize and saying what's there, where

938

:

sometimes people are in areas that they're

really not good at, but they want to

939

:

be in there and it gets them frustrated

and then they get arguments and stuff

940

:

and saying, know your role, know where

you are, and then kind of go through,

941

:

I think kind of has that and, never I

estimate and then put timelines on stuff.

942

:

Hey, I'm gonna do this.

943

:

So for me, I, that means I

have to give up something.

944

:

And what I give up is I

don't watch too much tv.

945

:

Alright?

946

:

So I might watch one hour, like

S-K-E-S-P-N gives me that sports

947

:

center gives me everything fast.

948

:

But like even now as I'm older, I

don't sit there and watch the whole

949

:

game as maybe when I was younger.

950

:

I'll watch the last watch 10 minutes,

like lot games where my son's

951

:

Hey Bobby, gotta check this out.

952

:

All right, I'm, you know,

turning it out or just watch the

953

:

YouTube for seven, eight minutes.

954

:

So how do you like pick and choose

where you still have your vice,

955

:

but now kind of giving that or

looking at that certain time.

956

:

So I think that, you know, it's

really, I call it priority management.

957

:

What's important.

958

:

You'll put those into place and

that means hanging out my friends.

959

:

So I, you know, I might hang

out, I'll go for an hour.

960

:

I said sitting out for three hours

and just You know, that's just me.

961

:

But that, that someone who does it,

my show, more power to the people.

962

:

But that it is what it is.

963

:

Like I have two parents

who are really old.

964

:

That's my priority first.

965

:

I ha, you know, for me to go

three, four days a week just to be

966

:

like, Hey, how's everything going?

967

:

You know?

968

:

So I think kind of putting those things

in Shava, a love guide all of us.

969

:

Imam Tariq: I mean, I really, I love that.

970

:

not time management,

but priority management.

971

:

absolutely.

972

:

Habib Quadri: Yes sir.

973

:

Imam Tariq: And I'm also one who

I have not been able to watch a

974

:

full basketball game for years.

975

:

I watch the highlights.

976

:

That's how I get it in, you know,

10 minutes and then I'm out.

977

:

Habib Quadri: That, and

that's what it is, right?

978

:

our kid at 10 15 is going to be

years old, they're important.

979

:

So I realize I have to step away and

be like, we gotta prioritize that.

980

:

I said I wanted that same moment, so I

have to realize what I put out myself.

981

:

You can't do that to that 20-year-old,

realize that our own stages of growth.

982

:

Imam Tariq: that's right.

983

:

tell us a bit about founding high

quality educational consulting,

984

:

Habib Quadri: high quality

education consulting.

985

:

So one of the things happen is that,

alhamdulilah, as you know, for a lot

986

:

of how the opportunity at blessed me

where I'm working at a university where

987

:

it's highly respect, respected, so I was

like, how do I, we help other schools?

988

:

And so a lot of times I used to just

volunteer my time and what happened was

989

:

I realized sometimes people, they don't

take it seriously and give you advice.

990

:

And I'm sitting there for an hour

or two did I realize, I realized I

991

:

had to put a little cost to it for

people to just listen a little bit.

992

:

And so my whole process was how do we.

993

:

Speed up the learning curve and

the growing pains of schools.

994

:

And that was the whole purpose of it.

995

:

And so a lot of the work, we were kind of

going through ourselves, working in the

996

:

youth, being part of MENA and all that.

997

:

So I was like, that opportunity helped

out and then working overseas, right?

998

:

So when we did the war within the hearts,

like I went to Kenya, you know, I went

999

:

to Mombasa and Nekuru and a lot of that

stuff, like the same challenges that kids

:

00:43:42,286 --> 00:43:47,366

were having about clubs and drinks and,

like drinking and girls and all that.

:

00:43:47,546 --> 00:43:48,476

Those were challenges I had.

:

00:43:48,476 --> 00:43:50,936

The whole reason we wrote the book was

because when I asked Chef, why can't we

:

00:43:50,936 --> 00:43:52,616

do this ra, I'm like, what do you mean ra?

:

00:43:52,716 --> 00:43:54,666

I don't having these feelings, right?

:

00:43:54,671 --> 00:43:55,626

Am I the only one?

:

00:43:55,896 --> 00:43:58,806

And I'm telling you, when I wrote this,

we've got letters from Kabul, Afghanistan,

:

00:43:58,806 --> 00:44:02,556

and all these kids, man, we're not the

only one thinking like these challenges.

:

00:44:02,586 --> 00:44:04,776

And so I think that

became kind of this thing.

:

00:44:04,776 --> 00:44:08,196

so that, so the consulting come and came

was like, Hey, how we do workshops, how

:

00:44:08,196 --> 00:44:11,976

we have that, some do pro bono places that

we can, but then someone's if I could.

:

00:44:12,426 --> 00:44:14,736

And sometimes when ministry is called,

I was like, okay, that's where I

:

00:44:14,736 --> 00:44:15,936

feel like, okay, I could help out.

:

00:44:16,356 --> 00:44:20,136

And so that's, Hamal loves blessed me

now to visit about 13, 14 countries.

:

00:44:20,346 --> 00:44:22,926

So I've gone to from India,

Pakistan, small villages.

:

00:44:23,016 --> 00:44:24,006

Like it wasn't in Kenya.

:

00:44:24,276 --> 00:44:27,696

I did a whole presentation, like

150 ladies male to bless them.

:

00:44:28,056 --> 00:44:30,876

They're in the hot sun, I

just have a tent, right?

:

00:44:30,876 --> 00:44:32,946

And they're like, they didn't

have the thing for the slides.

:

00:44:33,006 --> 00:44:35,376

They're like, I'm like, look,

they're out here listening to me.

:

00:44:35,676 --> 00:44:36,276

I'm gonna make this.

:

00:44:36,276 --> 00:44:37,236

Don't worry about PowerPoint.

:

00:44:37,236 --> 00:44:38,946

I will make this happen.

:

00:44:39,126 --> 00:44:43,201

So now with technology gotten better,

I'm making small videos for everybody.

:

00:44:43,201 --> 00:44:46,471

So like that way when you go to places,

like they had to ask me, go to Afghani.

:

00:44:46,471 --> 00:44:47,851

I was like, look, there's some places.

:

00:44:47,851 --> 00:44:51,301

I was like, you know, just for

safety, security of economic videos.

:

00:44:51,301 --> 00:44:56,731

Because one of the things for me was also

reteaching Islamic studies, you know?

:

00:44:56,881 --> 00:44:59,731

And especially my co consulting is

not just on leadership and governance,

:

00:45:00,091 --> 00:45:03,811

but one of the focus, my whole

thing was is when we grew up, it

:

00:45:03,811 --> 00:45:05,076

was like, this is ra, that's Haram.

:

00:45:05,716 --> 00:45:08,206

And our dean is that we have

to have kids understanding.

:

00:45:08,256 --> 00:45:11,286

we are a generation that's asked

questions and it's not something that

:

00:45:11,286 --> 00:45:14,226

the prophet people, how do we know

what the prophet's personal life was?

:

00:45:14,376 --> 00:45:15,516

'cause people ask questions.

:

00:45:15,606 --> 00:45:18,306

So we act oh my God, these kids

in the west, we just ask 'em

:

00:45:18,306 --> 00:45:20,106

questions, everyone ask questions.

:

00:45:20,286 --> 00:45:23,256

But stuff here, people are more upfront

about back home, just kids didn't do

:

00:45:23,286 --> 00:45:24,846

taboo as long as parents didn't know.

:

00:45:25,146 --> 00:45:25,776

So I have these.

:

00:45:25,776 --> 00:45:30,196

So I think having these conversations and

stuff about what people are doing and why

:

00:45:30,196 --> 00:45:31,911

they're doing it, and became a big thing.

:

00:45:31,911 --> 00:45:35,871

So for me it was on, on the governance

aspect of it, a curriculum aspect of

:

00:45:35,871 --> 00:45:39,291

it, but also teaching Islam studies

and rethinking how do we do this?

:

00:45:39,291 --> 00:45:42,051

And then understanding kids

and saying what's going on.

:

00:45:42,051 --> 00:45:45,231

So a lot of, for me, it's like now

these teaching them and saying,

:

00:45:45,231 --> 00:45:48,381

look, you guys are the, but you

guys have to also understand what's

:

00:45:48,381 --> 00:45:49,701

going on with kids and stuff.

:

00:45:49,921 --> 00:45:53,791

that's what I love about Baan right

now I'm getting to deal with all these

:

00:45:53,791 --> 00:45:58,951

individuals who are imams now just

saying, I under, you got all this

:

00:45:59,011 --> 00:46:00,991

knowledge, but there's this one part of.

:

00:46:01,381 --> 00:46:05,521

Understanding how to disseminate

that to a child, right?

:

00:46:05,651 --> 00:46:08,501

and then sometimes words we use

when we grew up like music, Haram.

:

00:46:08,501 --> 00:46:10,061

I'm like, I mean, music is Haram.

:

00:46:10,061 --> 00:46:14,351

Then I'm like, so I'm like, okay, if

listening to Zane Bika or Yu of Islam

:

00:46:14,351 --> 00:46:16,181

is Haram, then why not listen to Tupac?

:

00:46:16,181 --> 00:46:16,631

It doesn't matter.

:

00:46:16,631 --> 00:46:19,511

I'm like, fine, I'm gonna get Ssed C

if I'm listening to cussing anyway.

:

00:46:19,721 --> 00:46:20,351

Sin, whatever.

:

00:46:20,471 --> 00:46:23,171

So not understanding and

breaking things down.

:

00:46:23,171 --> 00:46:25,691

So that's why even went to, I'd be

like, well, let's break that down

:

00:46:25,691 --> 00:46:27,281

to a kid and say, is words Haram?

:

00:46:27,671 --> 00:46:29,321

No words R together.

:

00:46:29,321 --> 00:46:32,871

Haram, no words rhyming

together with, some rhythm.

:

00:46:34,041 --> 00:46:34,521

No.

:

00:46:34,761 --> 00:46:35,001

Okay.

:

00:46:35,001 --> 00:46:35,421

Some, okay.

:

00:46:35,421 --> 00:46:36,921

Some people might have

this about instruments.

:

00:46:37,011 --> 00:46:37,281

Fine.

:

00:46:37,281 --> 00:46:38,721

That's a, that's one conversation.

:

00:46:39,021 --> 00:46:41,061

But we're rhyming together with message.

:

00:46:41,091 --> 00:46:43,341

Is that how I, no spoken words.

:

00:46:43,341 --> 00:46:43,701

Okay.

:

00:46:43,701 --> 00:46:44,781

Some songs are okay.

:

00:46:45,231 --> 00:46:51,861

Words, you know, that go against God's

commandments are, you know, are rules.

:

00:46:51,861 --> 00:46:52,191

Okay.

:

00:46:52,431 --> 00:46:56,061

Now when you break it down,

a kid like that're like, oh.

:

00:46:56,481 --> 00:46:57,351

That's the thing, right?

:

00:46:57,351 --> 00:47:01,881

Like we just, we go bluntly on a

comment without breaking things down.

:

00:47:02,241 --> 00:47:04,071

Then you start questioning God.

:

00:47:04,641 --> 00:47:06,651

That's why my biggest

worry like, and have that.

:

00:47:06,651 --> 00:47:08,511

So that's what this whole

consulting kind of company came in.

:

00:47:08,721 --> 00:47:11,691

So many parts was leadership and helping

out school, but they're also kind of

:

00:47:11,691 --> 00:47:15,411

rethinking and having these conversations

and saying, Hey, we have to, also

:

00:47:15,711 --> 00:47:20,511

looking at growing up here, being A,

you know, a first generation looking at

:

00:47:20,511 --> 00:47:24,171

certain, seeing the co conversations and

talking about stuff that people don't

:

00:47:24,171 --> 00:47:27,981

really wanna talk about and how do we

kind to answer these in proper ways?

:

00:47:28,101 --> 00:47:31,911

And Ella, bless now, you know, you

have the, and all these kind of make

:

00:47:31,911 --> 00:47:34,971

things more practical and kind of have

that, and then you'll see aah bless

:

00:47:35,241 --> 00:47:39,021

all you Imam and all the work you

guys are doing just to make change.

:

00:47:39,021 --> 00:47:41,841

Because right now, more than ever,

kids are questioning faith because the

:

00:47:41,841 --> 00:47:43,731

morality is such you out an Halton high.

:

00:47:43,941 --> 00:47:44,121

yeah.

:

00:47:44,121 --> 00:47:46,881

So yeah, the consulting company

is like a vast kind of thing.

:

00:47:47,091 --> 00:47:49,251

And what's crazy why the, and people

might be asking em throughout the

:

00:47:49,251 --> 00:47:50,571

world 'cause of the whole global.

:

00:47:50,811 --> 00:47:51,771

Satellites now.

:

00:47:52,011 --> 00:47:56,481

All those challenges that people thought

the West, everyone's dealing with it.

:

00:47:56,721 --> 00:48:00,231

And now many of them are

asking how do you deal with it?

:

00:48:00,231 --> 00:48:01,491

Because they have never done it.

:

00:48:01,491 --> 00:48:05,361

'cause it was just like whatever we were

told cultural and now they're like, kids

:

00:48:05,361 --> 00:48:06,681

are questioning back and they don't know.

:

00:48:06,771 --> 00:48:09,051

'cause we were like, we're just

told because my parents told

:

00:48:09,051 --> 00:48:09,861

me, I, grandparents told me.

:

00:48:10,291 --> 00:48:11,881

And that's not enough answer now.

:

00:48:11,941 --> 00:48:13,921

'cause kids are able to,

you know, rethinking.

:

00:48:14,491 --> 00:48:14,731

Imam Tariq: Yeah.

:

00:48:15,301 --> 00:48:17,941

So in all of the thousands of

lectures that you've given, are

:

00:48:17,941 --> 00:48:22,211

there some, consistent questions

that keep coming back up from folks?

:

00:48:23,741 --> 00:48:23,891

Habib Quadri: Yeah.

:

00:48:23,891 --> 00:48:26,036

You know, for Young, for the youth.

:

00:48:26,096 --> 00:48:29,366

I think you, there's all, the

whole thing is being open to

:

00:48:29,366 --> 00:48:31,646

letting us ask any question I have.

:

00:48:31,646 --> 00:48:34,466

I rather them ha have them ask us.

:

00:48:35,186 --> 00:48:37,796

Like ulamaa, again, I'm not

a scholar for anyone here.

:

00:48:37,796 --> 00:48:41,036

I'm just saying educators who could

speak to ulamaa, but like having a sheikh

:

00:48:41,246 --> 00:48:43,316

like you where they could come and ask.

:

00:48:43,616 --> 00:48:46,556

Then having Google, because right now

the problem is even Google, they could

:

00:48:46,556 --> 00:48:48,596

go to Muslim website, but you don't

know who's on the backside of this.

:

00:48:48,751 --> 00:48:51,626

Some of these are dummy websites

too, so that becomes a problem.

:

00:48:51,626 --> 00:48:54,686

Like a lot of the stuff that we did

with Extremist Kit kids who try to

:

00:48:54,746 --> 00:48:58,886

join Extreme Groups, hamula, even

when I dealt with Homeland Security

:

00:48:58,886 --> 00:49:03,026

and stuff, none of 'em were connected

to massages and Islamic schools.

:

00:49:03,596 --> 00:49:05,366

They were all online information.

:

00:49:05,366 --> 00:49:06,326

That's why it's so important.

:

00:49:06,326 --> 00:49:07,856

if you get that strength,

you know, kind of knowledge.

:

00:49:07,856 --> 00:49:10,916

I think that by itself was what, I

think that became, kind of important,

:

00:49:11,166 --> 00:49:14,006

to kind of realize that basis

of our Islamic knowledge, having

:

00:49:14,006 --> 00:49:15,806

kids ask any questions they have.

:

00:49:16,046 --> 00:49:18,986

the second thing I see, 'cause there,

you know, a lot of social ill questions.

:

00:49:19,036 --> 00:49:23,326

that's where there is that second

thing is not losing kid kids hope.

:

00:49:23,686 --> 00:49:25,486

See, one of the things when

we thought, man, I mean I did

:

00:49:25,486 --> 00:49:26,626

this Haram, I did this Haram.

:

00:49:26,626 --> 00:49:28,216

Man, I'mma go to hell.

:

00:49:28,456 --> 00:49:31,186

'Cause sometimes we talk about

this, a haba was so amazing.

:

00:49:31,426 --> 00:49:33,196

Then like you compare

that, you got no hope.

:

00:49:33,526 --> 00:49:38,476

But what is it that we forget that Allah's

Mercy is at another whole infinite, right?

:

00:49:38,866 --> 00:49:38,926

Yeah.

:

00:49:38,926 --> 00:49:40,546

and especially, I think

we've changed it now.

:

00:49:40,666 --> 00:49:42,976

The only worry I get now, I think

we sometimes pendulum too much

:

00:49:42,976 --> 00:49:44,446

to the other side, like Allah's.

:

00:49:44,446 --> 00:49:45,196

So merciful.

:

00:49:45,196 --> 00:49:46,816

I'm like, no, you're still

gonna be accountable.

:

00:49:47,236 --> 00:49:47,566

That's right.

:

00:49:47,566 --> 00:49:52,546

So I think Allah's hope and Mercy's

there, but the only caveat I realize now,

:

00:49:52,546 --> 00:49:54,316

people are almost like, oh, so forgive.

:

00:49:54,496 --> 00:49:55,516

Do anything you want as long.

:

00:49:55,516 --> 00:49:57,296

I'm like, look, let's slow this down too.

:

00:49:57,296 --> 00:50:00,336

So that's you, that's the one only I

felt like the pendulum is going the

:

00:50:00,336 --> 00:50:03,816

other way too, but hope, because I

realized a lot of times how our, you

:

00:50:03,816 --> 00:50:07,466

know, especially immigrant parents were

so tough that you're like, man, kids

:

00:50:07,466 --> 00:50:08,546

started trying to go the other way.

:

00:50:08,756 --> 00:50:13,671

So I think, hope, mercy opening

up questions and then the

:

00:50:13,671 --> 00:50:19,281

other thing is they have to be

confident of who they are, right?

:

00:50:19,331 --> 00:50:24,911

It is, okay, our dean, you could

be Muslim and still be American.

:

00:50:25,301 --> 00:50:26,921

Like they don't have to have this battle.

:

00:50:27,296 --> 00:50:30,226

I think for some reason we have this

battle, oh my God, everything against him.

:

00:50:30,376 --> 00:50:34,606

I'm like, no, we ha we can, we

have the right to have issues.

:

00:50:34,606 --> 00:50:38,026

That's why when people go and

say Pakistan, man, I feel more

:

00:50:38,026 --> 00:50:40,551

safe in America than some Muslim.

:

00:50:40,636 --> 00:50:43,396

Some countries I've gone to, I've been

to some Muslim, some countries, I don't

:

00:50:43,396 --> 00:50:46,396

wanna say it 'cause I don't want someone

to get offended, but where I had armed

:

00:50:46,396 --> 00:50:49,006

guards with me the whole time, right?

:

00:50:49,006 --> 00:50:51,826

Because of kidnapping or so on and

so forth, or whatever those are.

:

00:50:52,036 --> 00:50:55,816

So I would say, look, everything in

our, those countries too, there's a

:

00:50:55,816 --> 00:50:59,806

lot of stuff that's very questionable,

but you still love your country.

:

00:51:00,076 --> 00:51:05,236

I still love our people here, but

there are some domestic policy's.

:

00:51:05,236 --> 00:51:06,076

Unacceptable.

:

00:51:06,286 --> 00:51:08,566

There's some overseas

policy, unacceptable.

:

00:51:08,686 --> 00:51:12,166

There's some amazing politicians

and there's some s who I don't like.

:

00:51:12,226 --> 00:51:13,516

There's some amazing neighbors.

:

00:51:13,666 --> 00:51:14,836

There's some not amazing neighbors.

:

00:51:14,926 --> 00:51:16,126

There's some amazing Muslims.

:

00:51:16,276 --> 00:51:17,596

There are not some amazing Muslims.

:

00:51:18,076 --> 00:51:21,886

That's what we have in saying, look,

our dean is to keep moving forward

:

00:51:22,336 --> 00:51:24,166

to worship Allah and worship Allah.

:

00:51:25,546 --> 00:51:28,426

It's not I, but how we deal with people.

:

00:51:28,756 --> 00:51:31,756

And so that's my, you know, like my

other thing is that look, just being a

:

00:51:31,756 --> 00:51:33,826

good person is worse from Allah smiling.

:

00:51:33,826 --> 00:51:37,156

You get Hassana picking up something,

you hassana being nice to your neighbor.

:

00:51:37,156 --> 00:51:38,986

You get hassana not cheating the system.

:

00:51:38,986 --> 00:51:41,461

You get hassana not cheating

on your taxes, you get hassana.

:

00:51:41,491 --> 00:51:45,826

Everything a lot has it

is that we have to do.

:

00:51:45,826 --> 00:51:49,756

And so that's kind of my kind of approach

where, you know, people, you know, of

:

00:51:49,756 --> 00:51:55,161

the kids like open is questions, hope,

mercy, be confident of who you are and

:

00:51:55,161 --> 00:51:56,541

understanding there's nothing wrong.

:

00:51:57,081 --> 00:51:59,661

Being happy where you are

and trying to make it better.

:

00:52:00,211 --> 00:52:03,841

You know, at least my, if I had to

kind of sum the, I mean there's a lot,

:

00:52:03,841 --> 00:52:06,751

you know, things from there and then

from teachers, it's disseminating the

:

00:52:06,751 --> 00:52:10,111

information, the challenges of all these

issues that people are having is one

:

00:52:10,111 --> 00:52:12,901

of the things I've seen, like imams and

all this, how to answer some of this

:

00:52:12,901 --> 00:52:15,241

because just because I mom doesn't mean

you have answers for everything, right?

:

00:52:15,601 --> 00:52:15,661

Yeah.

:

00:52:15,761 --> 00:52:16,631

Counseling.

:

00:52:17,051 --> 00:52:20,771

Marriage counseling, youth counseling

have to lead the prayers, give all the

:

00:52:20,771 --> 00:52:22,541

juma they need to know all the politics.

:

00:52:23,441 --> 00:52:24,941

Everyone has specialty, right?

:

00:52:24,941 --> 00:52:28,081

You know, like they, they're

not the answer for everything.

:

00:52:28,081 --> 00:52:32,881

But as imams, they have for teachers, I'll

say, look, gets people who are special

:

00:52:32,911 --> 00:52:34,351

in this and say, how would you do this?

:

00:52:34,481 --> 00:52:36,161

I'll talk a counselor,

what's your thoughts on this?

:

00:52:36,161 --> 00:52:39,431

I have this kid, I have

this question's coming up.

:

00:52:39,431 --> 00:52:39,971

What do you do?

:

00:52:40,211 --> 00:52:41,831

I don't have to just say,

I'm gonna look it up.

:

00:52:41,981 --> 00:52:44,321

Find the people who are, who

could be advocates for you.

:

00:52:44,501 --> 00:52:47,651

Be make them part of your team is,

I think one thing I have to say when

:

00:52:47,651 --> 00:52:51,101

these questions and challenges come

through, and then for institutions,

:

00:52:51,311 --> 00:52:56,046

we have to have them have a love for

this, our massages and things, right?

:

00:52:56,266 --> 00:52:59,260

No doubt we need to have professionalism,

which I'm thinking we're getting better

:

00:52:59,260 --> 00:53:03,610

at and we need to have, organization

stuff, but we also need to make

:

00:53:03,610 --> 00:53:05,920

sure we have to keep things open.

:

00:53:06,295 --> 00:53:07,225

Now my only worries.

:

00:53:07,225 --> 00:53:10,075

Now I also get worried about some

of our new co people come in.

:

00:53:10,255 --> 00:53:12,745

One thing they don't like, they

need to post it, take a picture.

:

00:53:12,985 --> 00:53:14,065

Oh my God, look at this.

:

00:53:14,065 --> 00:53:15,715

I'm like, you caught one thing.

:

00:53:15,715 --> 00:53:19,615

Let's really make sure you're giving a

fair justification to this budget, to this

:

00:53:19,795 --> 00:53:21,715

imam before you're blasting it on too.

:

00:53:21,715 --> 00:53:24,675

Because now everyone's everything goes

viral before you're getting that too.

:

00:53:25,185 --> 00:53:27,975

That's, you know, I'm also, I

have to give it that balance on

:

00:53:27,975 --> 00:53:29,205

both sides too, you know, yeah.

:

00:53:29,385 --> 00:53:33,015

Where we keep it open and stuff, but

that doesn't mean everything is just, you

:

00:53:33,015 --> 00:53:34,605

know, go, just because I didn't like it.

:

00:53:35,625 --> 00:53:39,165

Everything's wrong about this mosque,

which I also feel is not cool.

:

00:53:40,065 --> 00:53:43,695

Imam Tariq: And I would actually, I would

go back to the observation that you made

:

00:53:44,055 --> 00:53:48,795

as a 14-year-old saying that you had

some issues with, you know, with weekend

:

00:53:48,795 --> 00:53:53,265

school, with Sunday school and says, and

you being given the responsibility, okay,

:

00:53:53,265 --> 00:53:54,285

well what are you gonna do about it?

:

00:53:54,685 --> 00:53:58,585

when we make critiques, if we are not

prepared to offer correction, then those

:

00:53:58,585 --> 00:54:01,075

critiques really, they kinda ring hollow.

:

00:54:01,745 --> 00:54:08,095

and I, so I want to ask you now about,

what does receiving the isna Lifetime

:

00:54:08,095 --> 00:54:12,505

Educational Achievement award, what does

that mean to you on a personal level?

:

00:54:13,705 --> 00:54:15,715

Habib Quadri: You know, those

I get worried about because,

:

00:54:15,715 --> 00:54:17,965

man, I just, I don't wanna get

in trouble upstairs, you know?

:

00:54:17,965 --> 00:54:21,940

You know, it's as, you

know, see, I look at it too.

:

00:54:21,940 --> 00:54:26,372

you know, it's funny for me at the Islamic

side, you know, you know, you know,

:

00:54:26,377 --> 00:54:27,660

in sha we do it for the sake of Allah.

:

00:54:27,660 --> 00:54:29,850

But, you know, if it could be a

way to motivate people to like,

:

00:54:29,850 --> 00:54:31,800

Hey, just do what you have to do.

:

00:54:31,800 --> 00:54:33,360

and hopefully others will recognize it.

:

00:54:33,660 --> 00:54:33,840

Imam Tariq: Right.

:

00:54:34,020 --> 00:54:36,690

Habib Quadri: But I'll be honest,

when I get more excited is when we,

:

00:54:36,720 --> 00:54:39,240

when we went, you know, how like

that even the basketball thing, you

:

00:54:39,240 --> 00:54:41,990

know, like you were talking about the

basketball, like that article That got

:

00:54:41,990 --> 00:54:47,670

more kids to be like, look, we can, we

could still be top people in America.

:

00:54:48,060 --> 00:54:52,080

So for me, the ones where, like the

na, like the principal award, national

:

00:54:52,110 --> 00:54:55,410

principal, again, white House and say

we could compete against everyone else.

:

00:54:55,770 --> 00:54:59,220

Don't think from Islamic school all man,

we're part, are we, because we have a

:

00:54:59,220 --> 00:55:02,280

Muslim, like I've worked at a school

that we can't compete somewhere else.

:

00:55:02,500 --> 00:55:05,110

So that, that idea of confidence

source, that's why we're, I'm

:

00:55:05,110 --> 00:55:08,880

more kind of excited about Hey,

don't ever underestimate yourself.

:

00:55:08,910 --> 00:55:09,570

Don't everything.

:

00:55:09,570 --> 00:55:10,500

You can't do something.

:

00:55:10,560 --> 00:55:14,300

And that's always, I'm always,

this challenge of why can't I, why

:

00:55:14,300 --> 00:55:16,010

can't we be the ones who do that?

:

00:55:16,010 --> 00:55:17,870

So that's why I'm always like,

well, let me see if I could

:

00:55:17,870 --> 00:55:19,100

play ball and be good at it.

:

00:55:19,150 --> 00:55:22,100

Or, you know, if I were to be educated,

let me try to be like, strive to be the

:

00:55:22,100 --> 00:55:24,680

best at it and say, how do you do that?

:

00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:28,710

but one of the things that, but especially

for all of us who are, you know, in some

:

00:55:28,710 --> 00:55:31,830

form of leadership That means we have to

always keep on checking our hearts that,

:

00:55:32,490 --> 00:55:35,340

you know, because these things could

also get you in your like, man, you know,

:

00:55:35,820 --> 00:55:38,100

so it's all yeah, how do you struggle?

:

00:55:38,130 --> 00:55:40,410

And that's why when you had

Todd, like we all always have

:

00:55:40,410 --> 00:55:42,240

to have our internal say, hey.

:

00:55:42,555 --> 00:55:42,975

Who's there.

:

00:55:42,975 --> 00:55:45,575

And that's why I always get to have

good friends of yeah, that's great, but

:

00:55:45,635 --> 00:55:47,115

guess what, you're horrible at this.

:

00:55:47,145 --> 00:55:50,655

Which is good to have those close

boys, those close BA boys or

:

00:55:50,655 --> 00:55:54,585

families sometimes that wife would

just tell you like it is, right.

:

00:55:54,585 --> 00:55:58,485

So I think having that text, but I mean,

at the end it's aah, but really it's

:

00:55:59,025 --> 00:56:03,005

hopefully there's, if it could inspire

educators to say you know, a lot of

:

00:56:03,005 --> 00:56:05,615

times I hear people, I was like, man,

oh no, we can't Islam go board this.

:

00:56:05,615 --> 00:56:08,395

Everyone always blames someone

else and saying, but we got

:

00:56:08,455 --> 00:56:10,885

the sun of Allah for profits.

:

00:56:10,885 --> 00:56:11,905

It wasn't easy.

:

00:56:12,145 --> 00:56:14,245

So we have to strive and hustle.

:

00:56:14,545 --> 00:56:20,310

Just like when you said, Imam, you made

up a, a good a point here is that, you

:

00:56:20,310 --> 00:56:23,670

know, when people complain, they just

complain and when they get involved

:

00:56:23,670 --> 00:56:27,510

they're like, oh man, I tried you just

sending one email doesn't mean anything.

:

00:56:27,975 --> 00:56:29,535

In corporate America, you have an issue.

:

00:56:29,535 --> 00:56:31,635

You keep on trying, you're

trying to start your business.

:

00:56:31,755 --> 00:56:33,855

You're gonna grind and

grind to get what you need.

:

00:56:34,035 --> 00:56:35,535

You wanna get strong working out.

:

00:56:35,715 --> 00:56:37,755

It's not gonna happen after

working out for a month.

:

00:56:37,875 --> 00:56:39,555

It's going to be after six, seven months.

:

00:56:39,915 --> 00:56:43,155

But why is it when we come to religious

institutions, we're all like, man,

:

00:56:44,085 --> 00:56:46,065

lemme just quickly post, right?

:

00:56:46,145 --> 00:56:46,865

That's that grind.

:

00:56:46,865 --> 00:56:51,155

Because even that frustration,

if we keep our intentions,

:

00:56:51,245 --> 00:56:52,685

you're getting has enough for it.

:

00:56:52,735 --> 00:56:53,695

Even if they don't go with it.

:

00:56:53,695 --> 00:56:55,555

So like I came with good

sincerity, it didn't happen.

:

00:56:55,915 --> 00:57:01,045

Look, I've had in my 24 years, like

10 different board members and 15

:

00:57:01,045 --> 00:57:02,815

presidents of 13 presidents of the maja.

:

00:57:03,625 --> 00:57:05,305

Every three, four years

we have like a rotation.

:

00:57:05,515 --> 00:57:05,605

Imam Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:57:05,995 --> 00:57:07,315

Habib Quadri: There are

different personalities, right?

:

00:57:07,315 --> 00:57:10,835

They that, that, hey, I didn't lose my, I

didn't get, I didn't go ball and lose, get

:

00:57:10,835 --> 00:57:12,575

white hair by the age of 30 for no reason.

:

00:57:12,965 --> 00:57:13,625

Things happen.

:

00:57:13,775 --> 00:57:14,705

Everything wasn't smooth.

:

00:57:14,705 --> 00:57:15,815

And s sailing I lot taxes.

:

00:57:15,865 --> 00:57:17,905

But I didn't want people

to think it can't happen.

:

00:57:17,955 --> 00:57:20,955

I wanted not be like, oh, you know

what principles, every Islam schools.

:

00:57:20,955 --> 00:57:21,225

Yeah.

:

00:57:21,225 --> 00:57:21,705

Every three years.

:

00:57:21,705 --> 00:57:22,065

It's crazy.

:

00:57:22,065 --> 00:57:22,725

Community's crazy.

:

00:57:23,055 --> 00:57:24,915

So when I go to Islam school, it's

no, you could stay there longer.

:

00:57:24,965 --> 00:57:27,275

Even our principal, vice principal

Alhamdulillah, they're all there for

:

00:57:27,275 --> 00:57:29,705

14, 15 years and they're all within us.

:

00:57:29,705 --> 00:57:30,305

it's not about Habib.

:

00:57:30,305 --> 00:57:33,545

It's like how do we train, how do

we make our people become better

:

00:57:34,145 --> 00:57:37,265

and not realize that if they become

better than me, that's my happiness.

:

00:57:37,315 --> 00:57:41,515

I always tell kids, only two people are

gonna love, who wanna make you better and

:

00:57:41,515 --> 00:57:42,835

want you to become better than they are.

:

00:57:43,165 --> 00:57:44,215

Teachers, majority of the time.

:

00:57:44,215 --> 00:57:45,655

'cause they want you to become,

make you become a doctor too.

:

00:57:45,805 --> 00:57:46,405

They're excited.

:

00:57:46,525 --> 00:57:47,425

And your mom and dad.

:

00:57:47,635 --> 00:57:47,905

That's right.

:

00:57:47,910 --> 00:57:48,985

They want you to become better.

:

00:57:49,285 --> 00:57:52,315

And if we could now get that to be

like, man, I just want everyone in our

:

00:57:52,315 --> 00:57:53,545

schools and community to get better.

:

00:57:53,545 --> 00:57:55,405

Just be like, your win is my win.

:

00:57:55,705 --> 00:57:56,395

That's awesome.

:

00:57:56,455 --> 00:58:01,325

you know, I got to see your wife, won an

award I recognized, I forgot the thing

:

00:58:01,325 --> 00:58:02,985

about two weeks, 2, 3, 8 weeks ago.

:

00:58:03,165 --> 00:58:04,185

Imam Tariq: Oh, noble, noble Schools.

:

00:58:04,820 --> 00:58:05,110

Habib Quadri: Yeah.

:

00:58:05,115 --> 00:58:05,325

Yeah.

:

00:58:05,425 --> 00:58:06,195

What was it for for her?

:

00:58:06,210 --> 00:58:06,900

Imam Tariq: the Noble schools?

:

00:58:06,900 --> 00:58:07,315

Habib Quadri: Everyone should know this.

:

00:58:07,825 --> 00:58:08,455

those are huge, right?

:

00:58:08,455 --> 00:58:09,085

Because yeah.

:

00:58:09,815 --> 00:58:15,005

that's one of our highly educated

Muslim sisters who has that and for us

:

00:58:15,005 --> 00:58:16,565

like that, that, that's great, right?

:

00:58:16,565 --> 00:58:19,265

Because there's so many amazing things

going on and say, what can we do that,

:

00:58:19,295 --> 00:58:23,315

how we learn from that and kind of having

these platforms and saying, so hopefully

:

00:58:23,495 --> 00:58:25,985

to inspire people say, that could be me.

:

00:58:26,225 --> 00:58:26,435

You know?

:

00:58:26,435 --> 00:58:29,615

you know, my daughter's got to meet your

wife when one time fasting 5K, right?

:

00:58:29,615 --> 00:58:31,585

I was like, this is so

and This is what she does.

:

00:58:31,585 --> 00:58:33,835

She's, you know, a pro, you

know, a professor at UIC.

:

00:58:33,835 --> 00:58:35,905

I'm like, well, Bob, the school

you went to, I was like, yeah.

:

00:58:35,905 --> 00:58:38,545

You know, so that, that's huge, right?

:

00:58:38,545 --> 00:58:42,175

Because if they don't see stuff,

and they'd be like, because my worry

:

00:58:42,175 --> 00:58:48,235

and this whole thing about award

thing is I like to show kids, people

:

00:58:48,235 --> 00:58:50,185

who they could still see Yeah.

:

00:58:50,185 --> 00:58:50,935

And do stuff.

:

00:58:51,145 --> 00:58:54,205

'cause when we always talk about

the Saha, bless them, anyone who's

:

00:58:54,205 --> 00:58:59,185

see this, and, but sometimes kids

need to see concrete because it's

:

00:58:59,185 --> 00:59:01,315

not like this is this is a sister.

:

00:59:01,855 --> 00:59:03,685

Brother practicing their dean.

:

00:59:03,895 --> 00:59:06,865

So right now I teach, I still teach

a class once, to the senior class.

:

00:59:06,985 --> 00:59:08,965

On, on leadership and entrepreneurship.

:

00:59:09,025 --> 00:59:10,675

And we bring in different individuals.

:

00:59:10,855 --> 00:59:14,945

And so we have a person who's who

became Alah, 26 years straight, earnest

:

00:59:14,945 --> 00:59:16,295

and young, and now is a partner.

:

00:59:16,715 --> 00:59:19,625

So one of the first southeastern Asian

Muslim guys in, you know, Chicago.

:

00:59:19,895 --> 00:59:21,455

So I was like, look, what's his storyline?

:

00:59:21,605 --> 00:59:26,155

We had another person who, you know,

started, we started like accelerator,

:

00:59:26,155 --> 00:59:28,105

like a thing for cryptocurrency.

:

00:59:28,105 --> 00:59:29,940

And then, mark Cuban invested in him.

:

00:59:30,270 --> 00:59:34,380

I was like, Hey, show guy people who

they comfort soah, who have done some

:

00:59:34,380 --> 00:59:36,120

cool things who are in our community.

:

00:59:36,120 --> 00:59:36,510

Right?

:

00:59:36,810 --> 00:59:38,130

People don't see that stuff.

:

00:59:38,350 --> 00:59:40,480

And I think that's where I look at that.

:

00:59:41,110 --> 00:59:44,230

Where I'm more excited if kids could

kind of, kind of encourages them.

:

00:59:44,230 --> 00:59:45,490

'cause you know, like I'm Mr.

:

00:59:45,490 --> 00:59:47,350

QI was like, man, I didn't know

you were that big of a baller.

:

00:59:47,350 --> 00:59:50,350

I'm like, gives you credibility

that they're gonna listen to me

:

00:59:50,350 --> 00:59:51,850

about some religious thing, maybe.

:

00:59:52,120 --> 00:59:55,120

So I realized like sports and all

these other things can me help bring

:

00:59:55,120 --> 01:00:00,280

credibility to an adult or to a child

and in Shaah And then for us, sometimes

:

01:00:00,280 --> 01:00:05,270

I get worried that man a lot is, you

know, that Allah that protects our, from

:

01:00:05,270 --> 01:00:08,510

our, from take away sincerity in shaah

:

01:00:09,350 --> 01:00:09,620

Imam Tariq: at me.

:

01:00:09,620 --> 01:00:09,980

At me.

:

01:00:10,460 --> 01:00:10,700

Alright.

:

01:00:10,700 --> 01:00:11,840

My final question for you,

:

01:00:11,840 --> 01:00:12,120

Habib Quadri: Yes sir.

:

01:00:12,120 --> 01:00:13,790

Imam Tariq: Actually, it's more

of a, it's more of a finish

:

01:00:13,790 --> 01:00:15,080

this sentence if you would.

:

01:00:15,680 --> 01:00:16,070

Habib Quadri: Yes, sir.

:

01:00:16,170 --> 01:00:20,220

Imam Tariq: the moment I knew I

was walking in my purpose was when

:

01:00:23,040 --> 01:00:26,940

Habib Quadri: eighth grade

graduation at Detroit Public Schools.

:

01:00:28,950 --> 01:00:34,745

When, I worked in Detroit public

schools was unique at that moment.

:

01:00:35,075 --> 01:00:37,715

So I was there for four years and

that was a year at graduation.

:

01:00:38,225 --> 01:00:42,305

And again, just a learning and

what, for me that, and it kind of

:

01:00:42,305 --> 01:00:45,345

like where they all the kids stood

up and gave me a standing ovation

:

01:00:45,345 --> 01:00:46,465

and said, thank you for all that.

:

01:00:46,465 --> 01:00:49,525

And then parents were crying

saying, thank you for that.

:

01:00:49,525 --> 01:00:51,055

You really cared about your kids.

:

01:00:51,385 --> 01:00:53,690

And I think you know, that you

really cared about them because,

:

01:00:53,690 --> 01:00:55,345

you know, I made this opportunity

every two weeks, you know, call.

:

01:00:55,700 --> 01:00:58,560

And so that's when I realized

sometimes you don't know if

:

01:00:58,560 --> 01:01:00,180

you really made an impact.

:

01:01:00,480 --> 01:01:01,470

I think that was there.

:

01:01:01,900 --> 01:01:05,200

and sometimes you always, I always

tell educators, you're never always

:

01:01:05,200 --> 01:01:09,240

gonna get to know later, but you know,

when I got sick, you know, and I was

:

01:01:09,240 --> 01:01:12,690

in chemo, I had a lot of people send

letters and kids were telling me like,

:

01:01:12,720 --> 01:01:19,370

when you did this, things that you don't

remember that, that the, it, it impact.

:

01:01:22,760 --> 01:01:24,760

you know, that's where you get

You know, that's what, when you

:

01:01:24,760 --> 01:01:26,560

realize, hey, you never know, right?

:

01:01:26,740 --> 01:01:26,860

Yeah.

:

01:01:26,860 --> 01:01:30,940

Whose life, whose life you could impact

or whose life you could maybe best up.

:

01:01:31,750 --> 01:01:31,960

yeah.

:

01:01:32,010 --> 01:01:32,940

those were the moments.

:

01:01:33,330 --> 01:01:33,660

Sorry.

:

01:01:34,590 --> 01:01:36,570

Mah mah.

:

01:01:37,260 --> 01:01:38,250

Imam Tariq: Thank you so much.

:

01:01:38,850 --> 01:01:42,600

I really appreciate you taking

the time to share with us.

:

01:01:42,810 --> 01:01:45,660

And we are gonna move eventually to video.

:

01:01:45,720 --> 01:01:47,160

Right now it's just audio.

:

01:01:47,610 --> 01:01:51,330

but what I'm pretty sure is that our

listeners will be able to hear the

:

01:01:51,330 --> 01:01:53,190

smile on your face as you are talking

:

01:01:55,260 --> 01:01:56,129

and, that's good.

:

01:01:56,364 --> 01:01:58,314

And the sincerity in your voice.

:

01:01:59,244 --> 01:02:02,034

I continue to bless

you, in your leadership.

:

01:02:02,364 --> 01:02:06,114

Continue to put Barica in all of

your work because one of the things

:

01:02:06,114 --> 01:02:10,374

that I'm taking away from this

is that it's never just about us.

:

01:02:10,584 --> 01:02:15,294

Our work is really about how

we are impacting other people.

:

01:02:15,609 --> 01:02:17,709

So mail I continue to

bless you and your family.

:

01:02:18,509 --> 01:02:19,919

Habib Quadri: Ameen, ameen.

:

01:02:20,799 --> 01:02:21,099

Thank you.

:

01:02:21,099 --> 01:02:22,509

May Allah reward the work you're doing.

:

01:02:22,939 --> 01:02:25,339

and may Allah accept it And

thank you for this opportunity.

:

01:02:25,538 --> 01:02:25,979

Imam Tariq: ameen.

:

01:02:26,389 --> 01:02:28,399

Alright, As Salaamu Alaikum my brother.

:

01:02:28,659 --> 01:02:29,429

Habib Quadri: Wa Alaikum

:

01:02:29,429 --> 01:02:29,819

Imam Tariq: As Salaam

:

01:02:31,909 --> 01:02:32,509

. Alright, family.

:

01:02:32,839 --> 01:02:36,409

Thank you for joining us for another

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01:02:36,829 --> 01:02:40,969

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01:03:40,324 --> 01:03:41,839

Until next time, I'm your host.

:

01:03:42,009 --> 01:03:43,189

Imam Tariq El-Amin.

:

01:03:43,534 --> 01:03:49,324

I leave you as I greeted you, as made

the peace that only God can give be upon

:

01:03:49,324 --> 01:03:49,534

you.

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About the Podcast

The American Muslim Podcast
The voices, stories, and perspectives shaping the American Muslim Experience
The American Muslim Podcast is your gateway to exploring the diverse and dynamic stories shaping the American Muslim experience. Hosted by Imam Tariq I. El-Amin, and brought to you by Bayan On Demand, this podcast shines a spotlight on the voices of leaders who are making a profound impact in their communities—many of whom are students, alumni, and visiting faculty of Bayan Islamic Graduate School.

From imams and chaplains to Islamic school leaders, teachers, scholars, and non-profit pioneers, we celebrate those who dedicate themselves to serving others. These inspiring individuals include masjid leaders, community activists, and youth mentors who exemplify the values of faith, compassion, and resilience in their work.

Through insightful conversations and authentic narratives, we explore how these leaders navigate faith, identity, and service, offering a unique perspective on the evolving role of American Muslims in shaping society. Join us to uncover the stories of those who lead with purpose and embody the transformative mission of Bayan.

About your host

Profile picture for Tariq El-Amin

Tariq El-Amin

Imam Tariq I. El-Amin serves as the Resident Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa in Chicago, IL. He is the founder of the Chicago Black Muslim History Tour and the former host of Sound Vision's Radio Islam, a nightly talk radio program that aired in the Chicago market. Tariq is a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Scholarship and earned a Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy from Bayan Islamic Graduate School in 2022. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry in Islamic Community Leadership at Bayan, with expected completion in 2026. Tariq is also a producer of the award-winning UIC Black Excellence podcast, hosted by Dr. Aisha El-Amin, and lends his voice to narrating audiobooks.