Episode 18

full
Published on:

15th May 2025

He Gave Me Purpose Before I Knew I Needed It

“He Gave Me Purpose Before I Knew I Needed It”

Chaplain Ali on mentorship, identity, and the burden of sacred trust.

In this episode of the American Muslim Podcast, host Imam Tariq El-Amin interviews Chaplain Syed Ali Nasaruddin. Raised in a scholarly family, Nasaruddin shares his journey from learning Islamic studies under his grandfather in Chicago to earning a Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy from Bayan Islamic Graduate School. He discusses his practical application of traditional Islamic teachings in modern American contexts, emphasizing community service, interfaith relations, and the importance of empowering youth. Nasaruddin also highlights the challenges and opportunities he has encountered moving from Chicago to Southern California and reflects on the dynamic nature of identity and leadership in different cultural environments.

00:00 Introduction to Bayan on Demand

01:02 Meet the Host and Guest

01:10 Chaplain Syed Ali Nasaruddin's Early Life

02:50 Family Legacy and Scholarly Background

05:52 Cultural and Community Engagement

16:20 Leadership and Mentorship

23:49 Challenges and Reflections

24:58 Navigating Constant Change

25:42 Identity and Perception

27:15 Community and Service

29:23 Comparing Chicago and Southern California

34:12 Educational Journey and Chaplaincy

41:02 Practical Applications of Faith

47:43 Final Reflections and Lessons

50:19 Podcast Conclusion and Call to Action

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Cover Art & Intro Music - Tariq I. El-Amin @ImamTariqElamin

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Transcript
Tariq:

Bayan on Demand offers a growing library of courses taught by highly

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regarded scholars and practitioners,

designed for meted board members,

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school administrators, imams, chaplains,

youth workers, parents, and more with

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development, non-profit management, and

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the history of Islam in America and more.

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Bayan on Demand provides accessible

knowledge for just $10 a month.

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Join our growing community of

learners today and support the work

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of Baan Islamic Graduate School

and the Muhammad Ali Scholarship.

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Go to bayan online.org.

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That's B-A-Y-A-N online.org

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to get more information.

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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,

and welcome to the American Muslim

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Podcast presented by Bayan on Demand.

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My guest today is Chaplain Syed Ali

Nasaruddin raised in a scholarly family.

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He began his Islamic studies

under his grandfather in Chicago

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and went on to study in Egypt,

earning a certification in Arabic.

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He holds a Master of Divinity in

Islamic Chaplaincy from Bayan Islamic

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graduate school and has served as

spiritual life manager at Iman.

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Currently.

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He teaches Islamic studies and

Arabic while pursuing further

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studies at the Majlis Seminary.

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He also facilitates spiritual care

gatherings across Southern California

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As Salaamu Alaikum chaplain.

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Chaplain Ali: Wa Alaikum

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As Salaam wa

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rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.

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Tariq: I appreciate you taking the

time to have the conversation with us.

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we always like to begin by letting our

guests know that, we invite you to be

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as open, as vulnerable, as transparent.

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in sharing a bit about yourself and

some of those, pivotal moments and

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memories that have impacted, you

and helped to shape who you are.

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with that said, is there a first

memory or is there a pivotal moment,

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something that you can look back on?

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And say, this is where

it all started at for me.

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Chaplain Ali: Yeah.

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I think when it comes to the

origin, there's different parts

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of my childhood that come to mind.

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at different stages of my life.

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I think I like process different parts

of, my beginning to understand where

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I'm at and something that I've been

thinking a lot about the past few

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weeks having just completed my M div.

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Is just like, why did I choose?

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It's also because I'm

answering a lot of questions.

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people are asking, what did

you do for three, four years?

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I was like, yeah, it's complicated.

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But, it really did start

with, my grandfather as was

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mentioned, and my parents.

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Of course, my, my family is,

Originally from Hyderabad India.

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and, both sides of the family.

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And, they, my, actually my

parents' families knew each other.

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My, both of my grand or my

grandfather and my great-grandfather.

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So my dad's father and my mother's

grandfather actually were colleagues.

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and they were both.

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scholars in Hydrabad

India, just doing work.

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and, the families knew each other,

they saw, may maybe my son and

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your daughter and they sort of

like met, outside of America while

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my dad was already in America.

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And then he brought my mom over.

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And, the intention that they had coming

to America was not just economic for them.

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It was very much like continuing in

this, tradition that both my parents

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came from, of taking, scholarly

knowledge and putting it in action.

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And then I was blessed.

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To be able to, you know, , my

father's father passed away, when,

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actually my father was like 16.

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and, my mother's father, who was also

a scholar, I was actually able to spend

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a lot of time with him in Chicago.

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Uh, he lived mostly on, Devon Avenue.

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Which actually a lot of people around

the country might know, Rogers Park,

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neighborhood on the north side of Chicago.

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And, he basically just took that same

tradition from Hyderabad and continued

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it on Devon, like he, he was in business.

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Than he had his whole like,

livelihood that he managed.

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But for him, his whole like goal of

life was how do we serve using this

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tradition that we've been gifted?

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And, so I really grew up seeing

this as an intergenerational,

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burden that I had to take on.

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and I really started

engaging with it very early.

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I was also pushed into the

limelight pretty early about it.

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So at 5, 6, 7 years old, my grandpa

would write speeches in Urdu for

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me and my brother, and we would.

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Recite them and he would tell us, like,

he was like, this is what you're saying.

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This is what it means.

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And you have to, it's,

it's, it's laylatul-qadr you

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gotta speak to the children.

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I'm like, I am the children.

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This is like, I'm five years old.

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I'm speaking to the 10 year olds in

the, in the, in the youth section.

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This is this is crazy, but, it

was a part of this like pedigree

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that was really given to me.

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And, we were doing that.

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We would rent out Bombay Hall on Devon.

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for the bigger events.

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and then we would also, it was

just a lot of apartment hopping,

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we had a couple like, masjid

communities that we would work with.

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a lot of storefront message.

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one of the, we had a masjid that was.

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In the basement of a restaurant.

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I don't know how, I don't know how

the zoning situation was working,

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but, we got, nobody was hungry.

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Listen, everybody in the area

was happy with the situation.

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we can eat, we can shop,

we can go downstairs.

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We are good.

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You know, um,

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Tariq: right.

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Chaplain Ali: And, we had this

like, community of people that

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were mostly immigrants, And

mostly from the subcontinent.

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although we worked a lot with, Somali

masjid's that were in the area as well.

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and, the north side is just.

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So congested.

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Everybody is just in a really tight space.

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And, I just saw my grandfather

just serve in that capacity.

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Like, his apartment was not an

apartment, it was a community center.

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Like, his living room was just

all day from breakfast to dinner

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filled with people going in and out.

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Just like, just wanna spend time.

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Some people are lonely.

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Some people have questions, some

people wanna study something.

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And as a kid I was just annoyed like,

okay, can I like turn the TV back on yet?

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Like, is it, is everybody gone?

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But especially, and also I would

go back to India, every so often.

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And I would see actually on.

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A bigger, more institutionalized scale

where my family was like bringing all

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these ideas from, which actually made me

respect a lot more what they were doing.

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'cause they're still

figuring things out here.

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having come here in the eighties

and nineties and still understanding

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the landscape of America.

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But that origin, like story

for me was like at 13.

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Once I turned 13, my grandfather came

up to me and said, he said, all right.

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so you're mukallaf now,

I was like, I'm a what?

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And he said, no, you're,

he's like, you're a man now.

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I was like, all right.

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And he is like, I'm gonna have

to teach you the religion.

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you, I'm gonna come over to your house.

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And we're gonna spend a weekend.

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I'm gonna teach you fiqh I'm gonna

teach you aqeedah and I'm gonna

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teach you, tasawwuf, and I'm gonna

teach you the history of Islam as

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it's been passed down to you today.

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And I was just like, all right.

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Tariq: Wow.

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Chaplain Ali: He was like, he told me,

he said, bring a notebook and a pencil.

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And we just went through the whole, it

was like, you know what a 13-year-old

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would need, He explained to me,

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Tariq: what's f all this stuff.

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If I could interject.

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Yeah.

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If I could interject really quickly,

just for the benefit of our audience

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who may not be familiar with some

of the terminology within Islam.

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Chaplain Ali: Absolutely.

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Tariq: Mukallaf, it means

that you are responsible.

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Chaplain Ali: Absolutely.

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Tariq: You're at the age of

responsibility, you're accountable.

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please do continue.

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if folks could pick that

up through context clues.

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'cause I think you laid

out pretty nicely though.

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Chaplain Ali: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Moral, he was like moral responsibility.

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He was like, the angels on your

shoulders are writing stuff now.

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just be aware of that and let

me make sure that I teach you,

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are you praying correctly?

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Are you washing yourself correctly?

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Are you engaging with people correctly?

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Is the way that you

understand and view the world.

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And God's role in that,

the prophet's role in that.

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Is that all correct And, get,

let's get your mind, body,

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spirit aligned through knowledge.

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And then also what he was very big

on was, let me contextualize all

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of this through a study of history

and specifically he was like.

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there are controversies that happen that

people like to stay away from, but if

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you're gonna serve, you need to be able to

take the lessons from those controversies.

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if there were issues among the sahaba,

I want to talk about it with you.

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You and explain to you how the scholars

have understood how to be able to like

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put all of that in context and what

that means for us as we try to do our

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own community work, generations later.

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Tariq: So you went from this five and or

6-year-old giving speeches to other youth.

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Chaplain Ali: That's right.

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Right.

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Tariq: That, that then at the

age of 13, your grandfather says,

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look, you are responsible now.

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Now it is time for you

to be properly equipped.

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Right.

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That's with information.

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Was there any point that you felt,

maybe awed by the family, this legacy?

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Did you know, or were you excited

about entering and continuing that?

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Chaplain Ali: Yeah, if I'm

honest, I was like, it was, I

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was annoyed 'cause I was like.

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All the other kids, like, they're

not doing weekend intensives.

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They are like at the park.

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why am I going through this?

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Tariq: right.

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Chaplain Ali: Especially when I was

younger, but I think As I became

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like 12, 13, you also become very

inquisitive, and you start to

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question things and wonder why.

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And my grandpa basically, before, Before

the rebellion really started, he was like,

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let me tell you exactly what your life

mission is gonna be and give you a sense

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of purpose and like tell you how to move

and just get you moving and get you going.

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And that was like, I didn't

necessarily even recognize what a

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gift that was, but I knew that like.

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Oh, now I feel motivated now and I

have like something that I'm constantly

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thinking about and working towards.

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Whereas, looking back at it, I was like,

how come a lot of my friends are just

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like drifting and just like, I don't even

know what you're doing with your day.

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and I was just thinking , oh, okay.

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So , if that's what we were

doing in Baghdad, 200 years

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after the prophet passed away.

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Okay.

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And then they, when they got to

India, this is how they translated it.

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What does that look like in Chicago?

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that's what where my

mind was at 13 14, 15.

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so initially I was like, I didn't like it.

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'cause it's just a lot.

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it's a lot for somebody in this age and

culture to be given so much, so early,

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but as I was going through it, I started

to become very excited, very quick.

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Tariq: Yeah.

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What were some of the things in

retrospect or maybe you noticed them

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then, some of the differences and

maybe even some of the similarities

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that you might have seen when you.

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We're in India as opposed

to in Rogers Park.

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and the way your family was situated

there and as opposed to here.

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Chaplain Ali: That's right.

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I think, and actually when I was

13, one of the things that my

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grandfather also mentioned was

he was like, you've been doing

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speeches in Urdu for all these years.

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, And I want you to learn Urdu, I want

you to have some engagement with Urdu.

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All these things.

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But he was like, the kids that you're

talking to don't know what you're,

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they don't know what you're saying.

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'cause a lot of them don't know Urdu.

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And the area that we were in, India's

very diverse, like linguistically also.

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So a lot of them speak Gujarati.

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A lot of them speak different languages.

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So it's like.

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may, maybe you can try to like

do this in English a little bit.

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And, basically it was like, how can

you reach out to these children of

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immigrants who he was like, listen, I'm

reaching out to the uncles and aunties

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who came here because that's who I know.

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I don't know these kids.

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And that's where you come in and

you need to ask me tough questions

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in terms of what does this actually

mean as you do the translation work?

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and, because I saw that like,

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Tariq: hold on.

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Yeah.

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Your grandfather

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told you to ask him the tough questions.

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Chaplain Ali: Oh, yeah.

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Oh yeah.

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he sat there.

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He was like, all right,

so what are we doing?

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What are you thinking about?

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it's, 27th Rajab, and I'm giving a speech.

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I'm gonna talk about this, this, and this.

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if you were to just translate

that into Urdu, and, or translate

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that into English from Urdu, what

would that look like for the kids?

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And what makes sense to you?

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What doesn't?

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we were big on calendar events, isra wal

miraj the commemoration of the day that

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the Prophet Mohammed was taken from Mecca

to Jerusalem and then up to the heavens,

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many believe it was the 27th of Rajab.

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And so in India, it becomes

a whole commemoration.

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Like, let's do, let's remember that.

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What does that mean for us?

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usually like.

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How can, that was the day that

the gift of prayer was given.

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So how can we use this?

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Like as a check-in to be like,

are we recognizing that this

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prayer is a gift and not a burden?

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Different things like that.

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You have the 15th of Shaban,

which is another sort of mom.

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All these different like

moments throughout the

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calendar year, we would have.

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Community events.

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And so it's like, my

grandpa's gonna give a talk.

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I'm gonna give a talk.

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Other people are gonna give talks.

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And so in using that, he's like, okay,

this is what I'm gonna speak about.

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Does that make sense to you?

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Does it not make sense to you?

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Why not let's.

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Let's have some sort of like

dialogue, and he really wanted me

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to be able to speak to the youth.

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And what I noticed about the

youth was like, they were just

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there because they were there.

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Whereas in India it

was a lot more natural.

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There was a lot more cultural, continuity

that allowed for like a level of

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communication to where even if the

kids didn't care, they knew what was.

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Being talked about, whereas here

I had a lot of friends who cared.

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But didn't know what they were talking

about, even having like a connection

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to legacy, like in India, we would

walk around and they'd be like, oh,

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this is, this is where this happened.

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This is where this person is buried.

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This is where that center has been

serving people for hundreds of years and.

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They're just looking around

the neighborhood and they're

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just like, look at all of these

things that we're connected to.

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And then on Devon, it was just

like, everyone just felt like,

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oh, this is just all foreign.

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We don't know anything here.

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And our parents tell us that, we have

all of these legacies, but I don't know.

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It all sounds like theory to me.

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And especially my parents, lived

between the suburbs and the city.

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And while our community was

always in the city, they wanted,

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us to go to, high school or

middle school out in the suburbs.

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And even over there it was.

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Even more of a disconnect where, I was

like, translation work from my family to

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Devon is one thing, but I just started

to recognize like even other desi's,

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other South Asians in different parts

of the city are like, we're all going

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through very different experiences.

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That all requires

translation work, and India.

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India to, to Chicago at least

gave me one like case study

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of what that could look like,

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Tariq: Right.

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Right.

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your grandfather sounds

like an amazing man.

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Chaplain Ali: Alhamdulillah.

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Alhamdulillah.

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Tariq: There's, something that I

think is, pretty interesting and that

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you hear certain types of parenting

models that are very much rooted in.

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Do what I say, don't question me.

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And in this dynamic that you're presenting

between your grandfather and yourself

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He's saying, ask me the tough questions.

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Chaplain Ali: Oh yeah.

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Tariq: And he's also saying to you,

you know, these kids, I know the

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aunts and uncles, you know these kids.

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I don't know them.

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Chaplain Ali: Mm-hmm.

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Tariq: So it sounds to me like there

was a respect that was given to you.

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Oh yeah.

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Chaplain Ali: Oh yeah.

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Tariq: To your intellect and also

recognizing that you had a certain

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capacity that you were capable

of reaching those around you.

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How has that impacted the way you deal

and you interact with young people today?

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Chaplain Ali: I'm actually a middle

school teacher right now, and so

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I think about my grandfather a lot

and the way that, especially at this

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pivotal age, sixth, seventh, and

eighth grade, that, he was able to.

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Still this like confidence in me.

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that's huge.

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It's huge.

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and with anybody, there are so many

adults walking around with the wounds

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that they still think about from

actually these formative years of

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sixth, seventh, eighth high school.

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And, I just tried to like, and I

actually didn't even realize that my

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grandfather was unique in this, not

necessarily unique, but it's just so

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common, like you said, to just be like.

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I don't want you to think,

I don't want you to engage.

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You just, you're just gonna

follow what we tell you.

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Right.

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So now in my work, what I

try to do is do the same.

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Just be like, listen,

I don't know your life.

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I don't know your fa we might have

even been na, we might be siblings

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and I still don't know your life.

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I don't know how you're engaging

with everything that's coming at you.

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I'm engaging with it in one way.

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My little brother is very different

person, and he's engaging with the

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same experiences that we're both

receiving completely different.

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Yeah.

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And so it's like, how can I actually

empower people with the tools so

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that you can figure it out, And it

makes it easier for me 'cause then

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I could just, here's the tools, man.

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You know what to do.

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Tariq: Yeah.

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Did youth ever get in the way

for you, or has it gotten in the

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way for you in certain instances

because there was a model.

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That was established for you,

which was, I am capable, I am

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respected, and I go out and engage.

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And for others it might seem,

this is a fresh phase, young guy.

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he hasn't done anything

without knowing that you've

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got years and years behind you.

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:

Chaplain Ali: Yeah.

369

:

it still continues.

370

:

subhan'Allah.

371

:

Everything is from the wisdom of Allah.

372

:

I also look younger than I am, so I'm

30 years old, but people think I'm

373

:

like 23, 24, and they're just like, oh,

and I'm like, oh, I just got my M Div.

374

:

They're like, oh, so you

just graduated undergrad?

375

:

I was like, no.

376

:

Know alhamdulillah,, it is been a minute

since I graduated undergrad, And then

377

:

Allah also gave me situations where like.

378

:

It's like, yeah, I took a three year

break in the middle of my undergrad.

379

:

So what year did you graduate?

380

:

I

381

:

I, how do I explain this to, right.

382

:

it constantly comes in the way, but

also it's, when it comes to service,

383

:

I try to just be like, okay, listen.

384

:

If you think I'm a 23-year-old,

how can I serve you as a.

385

:

As a 23-year-old, maybe you'll take my

ideas more seriously as like a young

386

:

person as opposed to, someone who's

starting to get washed in their thirties.

387

:

so lemme just take advantage

of that in whatever way I can.

388

:

Tariq: Now, let me go back a

bit to the previous question.

389

:

Chaplain Ali: Yeah.

390

:

Tariq: So having gone through

that a little bit, yourself,

391

:

is that something that is.

392

:

In your mind to be aware of as

you get older, and how you relate

393

:

to those coming behind you.

394

:

Chaplain Ali: Yeah, I think my

grandpa just made it very clear.

395

:

also it's important to consider.

396

:

we were, all, our whole community was

functioning within the Tariqa paradigm,

397

:

under the spiritual mentorship of

my grandfather, where there was a

398

:

formal like, okay, you are somebody

that I trust that has taken this

399

:

spiritual tradition of Islam, of like.

400

:

How do I actually make my belief that

God, created everything, the good and

401

:

the bad, the bitter and the sweet.

402

:

How do I take that and move in the world

with that understanding and actually

403

:

like internalize that, how do I actually

take my prayers five times a day, and

404

:

actually make it something that's very

real in the way that I engage again

405

:

with the world, like bringing that.

406

:

the legal tradition and the theological

tradition to life, through the

407

:

mentorship of somebody who learned

from somebody who learned from somebody

408

:

all the way back to the prophet.

409

:

My grandfather was the sort of spiritual

mentor or the sheikh of that community.

410

:

And so we were like, we were

in the Qadri Tariqa and we were

411

:

functioning in that sort of system.

412

:

my grandfather had like different deputies

that he'd be like, okay, you're gonna

413

:

handle this and I'm gonna handle that.

414

:

And I'm in Chicago six months

and Hyderabad about six months.

415

:

Who's gonna handle these different

areas while I'm in different spots?

416

:

And I really felt like a soldier

in that mission of just like, how

417

:

do we serve people in these areas?

418

:

And I'm given this task,

how do I fulfill that?

419

:

And so I try to bring that.

420

:

Mentality, to the people

that I work with as well.

421

:

like for example, I had to go to

Chicago for graduation, so I told one

422

:

of my middle schoolers, I was like, all

right, Bismillah, you gave the khubah

423

:

a couple times, you know what to do.

424

:

You have my email, let me know

if you have any questions.

425

:

You got it right.

426

:

And he's just like.

427

:

Sir.

428

:

Yes, sir.

429

:

I try to bring that even just like talking

to people as if they know what they're

430

:

doing sometimes gives them the confidence

to be like, I know what I'm doing.

431

:

and I really felt like that's what

my grandfather did was like, what's

432

:

a 13-year-old gonna know about, like,

translating cultures and all these.

433

:

but that gave me the confidence

to actually begin that journey.

434

:

And I look back at it now, like

almost 20 years later, like

435

:

Alhamdulillah,, I have a master of

Divinity because of that confidence

436

:

that was instilled in me 20 years ago.

437

:

So I definitely bring that with me.

438

:

Definitely.

439

:

Tariq: So there are some, aspects of

leadership that I think that we can

440

:

lift up from what you just mentioned.

441

:

what does leadership mean to you

and how do you actualize that?

442

:

Chaplain Ali: Yeah, I think, especially

coming from the Tariqa paradigm where

443

:

there's a lot of talk about like

embodiment, and chaplaincy similarly.

444

:

mentions embodiment a lot.

445

:

I think just like embodying like, all

of these things and just moving and

446

:

interacting and engaging with people,

with all of these things in mind.

447

:

like for example, if I'm, talking

to a middle schooler and I'm asking.

448

:

Him like, oh, are you ready?

449

:

Can you lead the prayer today?

450

:

ask, first of all, engaging with

him, with letting him know like, I'm

451

:

asking you because I believe in you.

452

:

I'm not saying that, but

when I look at him, that's.

453

:

That's like I have to, like, before I

start that interaction, look in my heart

454

:

and be like, okay, what am I doing?

455

:

I'm gonna, I'm gonna go up to a

13-year-old, a 12-year-old, what

456

:

was I thinking when I was 12 and 13?

457

:

And how can I bring what I

would've needed at that moment

458

:

to this kid in this interaction?

459

:

And it's not necessarily gonna

be in what I say or 'cause human

460

:

beings like, I'm gonna mess up.

461

:

I'm gonna have bad days.

462

:

I might not.

463

:

package something in the best way.

464

:

But if I can in my heart, look at

this kid with the type of empathy

465

:

and love and concern of just

like, Hey man, I believe in you.

466

:

I really think you can do a great job.

467

:

And listen, if you're making the adhan

and you don't know how to make the adhan,

468

:

let me coach you through it and then I'll

stand right in front of you as you do it.

469

:

And a lot of times these kids

know how to do something.

470

:

they're just scared.

471

:

And just me standing there.

472

:

Looking at 'em smiling, letting them

know that like, Hey, you're doing great.

473

:

You know what I mean?

474

:

And even when they make a mistake

correcting 'em real quick and

475

:

being like, all right, keep going.

476

:

You got this, you're doing great.

477

:

Like those little things that

come from a level of concern.

478

:

It's emotionally exhausting to do that.

479

:

But that's because real things

are happening when you do that.

480

:

It's not just like in your head and not

real like, and people feel that, and

481

:

I think that's the type of leadership

that I've received and benefited from.

482

:

And so that's what I try to, give back.

483

:

Tariq: Let me shift gears a little bit.

484

:

I wanna ask you about a challenge.

485

:

What's the biggest challenge

you've had to face thus far?

486

:

And how did you deal with it?

487

:

Chaplain Ali: Biggest challenge.

488

:

Biggest challenge?

489

:

Yeah.

490

:

When, in regards.

491

:

To like this, this community service work?

492

:

yeah, the, there's been

a lot of challenges.

493

:

I think just one recent challenge

has just been, moving from

494

:

Chicago to Southern California.

495

:

I've lived in India.

496

:

I lived in India when I

was 13, just for a year.

497

:

And I lived in Egypt for two years.

498

:

when I was, in my twenties.

499

:

And, but moving from Chicago to

California, it's like a, it's like my

500

:

whole conception of America, of the

whole country was just like Chicago

501

:

and just being in California, I.

502

:

I'm starting to realize how much of, my

assumptions about the country and the

503

:

community in America is based off of

Chicago and that there are differences

504

:

and how can you like approach things.

505

:

and just constant moving that I've

done, like even when I was young.

506

:

I never really stayed in a

place for more than two years.

507

:

sometimes it would just be to the

other side of the neighborhood.

508

:

Sometimes it would be from one suburb to

another, to the city to back and forth.

509

:

constantly changing schools.

510

:

And the challenge always is like,

okay, it's an opportunity to be

511

:

like, okay, I have a reset here.

512

:

Like I can decide how I wanna

show up at this new place and I

513

:

don't have to deal with baggage of

whatever I had at the last place.

514

:

But, it also like begs

the question of like.

515

:

So what are you gonna do with it?

516

:

for example, in high school it's like

much more black and white, right?

517

:

Like, you have the jocks

that are super into sports.

518

:

You have the people that are super into

musics, people super into like whatever,

519

:

like, And you pick your lunch table.

520

:

And I think life is like that.

521

:

And just moving from Chicago to California

has really forced me to be like, okay,

522

:

if I'm not, fighting the Chicago politics

and I'm now in California, who am I now?

523

:

if I'm not, in America dealing

with, like, one, one thing that's

524

:

always like interesting as an

immigrant is like, I'm not.

525

:

I'm not black, I'm not white, I'm

not, I'm this like third category.

526

:

And so in a lot of the spaces

that I go, it's like I'm

527

:

constantly perceived as something.

528

:

and it's like the biggest challenge

is being like, who am I outside

529

:

of all of these contextual things?

530

:

And just being able to find like a

footing, like being at IMAN last year, I

531

:

was a chaplaincy student, just engaging

with, the neighborhood, issues of.

532

:

63rd and California, and I was some,

someone from Devon, so trying to

533

:

understand what that looks like.

534

:

And I think the challenge is always

like, how do you show up and be yourself,

535

:

and figure out what your lane is?

536

:

and I've just continued to try to do that.

537

:

especially now that I have an MDiv I have,

I'm at another crossroads like what am I

538

:

gonna do with it and how am I gonna, use

all of these things that I've, been given

539

:

through this education, through all my

experiences to just keep moving forward.

540

:

I think a lot of times, people

end up philosophizing and be

541

:

like, okay, this is my identity.

542

:

This is who I am and what I'm gonna do.

543

:

And it's like Allah has for me in my life,

just constantly pushed me to be like,

544

:

okay, you thought that was your identity?

545

:

All right, now you're over here now.

546

:

So what, who are you now?

547

:

What are you gonna do now?

548

:

And, being in California, I think it's

just another opportunity for me to really

549

:

get deeper into like, what is it exactly

that I wanna spend this life doing?

550

:

And actually, there was an

organizing training here at, Isla,

551

:

la one of the professors, at Bayan

actually, is the Imam there, Dr.

552

:

Imam, Dr.

553

:

Jihad Saafir.

554

:

And, it's one of the reasons

that actually I was very happy

555

:

to move to Southern California.

556

:

And, at Isla we had an organizing

training, Imam Tahir Abdullah,

557

:

formerly the chaplain at U Chicago

558

:

Tariq: U of C.

559

:

Chaplain Ali: That's right.

560

:

He was just like, he was like, look, if

we're gonna be doing any type of service,

561

:

let's just make it plain and simple.

562

:

We're gonna die one day.

563

:

We're gonna meet Allah

before that happens.

564

:

How can I rack up as many good

deeds as possible so that when

565

:

I meet Allah, I have a better

chance of it being a good meeting?

566

:

And I was like, at its core,

that's what it's gotta be.

567

:

It can't be like, I'm gonna be

the person that serves in this

568

:

way, or I'm gonna be the person

that does this and this and this.

569

:

And I think just getting

through all that fluff.

570

:

That's also just been like my

life journey of my grandfather.

571

:

Like, okay, you're not

just Indian anymore.

572

:

like it was easier for us.

573

:

Now you're like doing this new thing.

574

:

What does that look like?

575

:

I think that's been the

challenge and alhamdulillah.

576

:

I think through that challenge I've

been able to crystallize more and more.

577

:

oh, how I can show up in any

place immediately and just start

578

:

working and just start serving,

no matter, how I fit into that.

579

:

Tariq: So that really is to say that

the identity that we clinging to Or

580

:

that we associate with being who we are.

581

:

Is really a response, right.

582

:

We respond to our environments.

583

:

That's right.

584

:

And, and different environments

require different responses.

585

:

So we may have to be one thing in

one space, and we may have to be

586

:

another thing in another space.

587

:

But still being true to our core beliefs.

588

:

Chaplain Ali: That's right.

589

:

that's right.

590

:

Tariq: So yeah, that was

really, really interesting.

591

:

what have you seen that's

different in Southern California

592

:

in comparison to Chicago?

593

:

I.

594

:

Chaplain Ali: Yeah.

595

:

And of course all of this is gonna

be based on my experience, but my

596

:

experience of Chicago is that it

is an extremely segregated city.

597

:

Yeah.

598

:

man, it,

599

:

Tariq: yeah,

600

:

Chaplain Ali: on you have

the east side of Dev.

601

:

East of Western is one way.

602

:

West of Western is one way, and

that's just one neighborhood.

603

:

And you deal with all of the neighborhoods

of Chicago and you're gonna end up with so

604

:

many different communities, with so many

different backgrounds and issues, and.

605

:

Strengths and opportunities

and challenges.

606

:

And that's just the city.

607

:

And it's like so many of the Muslims

are also in the suburbs and that

608

:

has its own like, I don't wanna say

politics, but like dynamics, Yeah.

609

:

and also Chicago is just

has such a long history.

610

:

I mean everything from like, the Imam

Warith Deen Mohammed community, the

611

:

Nation of Islam is right in Chicago.

612

:

And then of course you have MCC

on Elston, and then you have all

613

:

of the suburban masjid's that come

about afterwards, after all of that.

614

:

And it's like all of these.

615

:

Different communities

are doing their work.

616

:

And it's like a lot of times the

difficulty in America that as opposed

617

:

to like India for example, or even

Egypt, is like the institution is so

618

:

hard to maintain that it almost becomes

like institution or bust, Like, like

619

:

we need to preserve the institution

because it is so challenging to get.

620

:

Funding to be able to just sustain

the actual building that we have,

621

:

And it becomes very focused on how

do we just keep this thing alive?

622

:

versus in California it's a little

bit, newer, they do have the

623

:

Garden Grove masjid, which Dr.

624

:

Muzammil H.

625

:

Siddiqi from what I am learning,

he was very close with Imam Warith

626

:

Deen Mohammed, and he established

his masjid very early on.

627

:

And.

628

:

they have this long history, but

in general, it's funny to me, like

629

:

a lot of the masjid's here are

like, oh, we're an established

630

:

masjid we've been here since 2005.

631

:

I'm like, what?

632

:

That's a baby masjid.

633

:

The Chicago terms like, yeah, 2005, How

about:

634

:

I think that also, allows for people to

like be like, the institution is new.

635

:

There's, there, it's a lot

less, low stakes for us to like

636

:

maybe introduce new ideas or.

637

:

Or tweak things here and there, and

there's not this pressure of just like,

638

:

no, this is like a, this institution

is alive because the people that you

639

:

know worked for it had these ideas.

640

:

Versus in India it's just like, oh,

we have an endowment that's like, been

641

:

preserving this and we have a new board.

642

:

We'll do something new.

643

:

that was my experience when I was in

India was like, it was a lot less low

644

:

stakes also, Muslims are a minority in

India, but they're a very big minority.

645

:

The, they're a huge minority.

646

:

And so the, just the collective like

power that they have is like, right.

647

:

it's not all hinged on this handful

of institutions, in any given city.

648

:

So I think all of those.

649

:

Things, make a big difference.

650

:

in California.

651

:

the communities here are a lot

more willing, and open in my

652

:

experience to work with each other.

653

:

there's not a lot of history maybe for

some of them or whatever the case is.

654

:

Also just like, I think redlining

in the Midwest is just so different.

655

:

even the communities

here, like, it's so funny.

656

:

When I was trying to move here, I was

like asking my friends like, oh, okay.

657

:

Like.

658

:

What areas, do you feel like,

would be good for like a young

659

:

family and things like that.

660

:

And they're just like, oh, you move

anywhere and everything is pretty

661

:

much, it's all Southern California.

662

:

And I was like, oh, okay.

663

:

Chicago, I was in Uber driver for

four years, so I'm like, you give me

664

:

an address and I'll tell you exactly

what that neighborhood is like.

665

:

Exactly what the pros and the cons

and the strengths and the weakness.

666

:

All that's, I could

give you a whole thing,

667

:

Tariq: Right,

668

:

Chaplain Ali: right.

669

:

just from a street corner and

it's like, in California it's

670

:

just, it is just very different.

671

:

So I even, I'm even,

I'm adjusting to that.

672

:

I'm realizing I have this like really

like, alright, we gotta break these lines.

673

:

And everyone's just like, yeah,

there's lines, but they're not as.

674

:

Hard as they are in the Midwest.

675

:

And so people are

actually a lot more open.

676

:

And so that's actually an opportunity

that I'm really happy to discover here

677

:

is like LA County, orange County, San

Bernardino County, Riverside County.

678

:

All these like counties are actually

like, they're all, they've already been

679

:

working together for such a long time.

680

:

I'm like, oh wow.

681

:

Like, that's a beautiful thing to see,

especially for me, I also realizing

682

:

how much trauma I have about like.

683

:

All this masjid opened up right

next to the other masjid because

684

:

we want, we rival masjid's.

685

:

It's like, man, dealing with

that was really difficult.

686

:

really difficult growing up.

687

:

Tariq: Yeah.

688

:

that's crazy to think

about, rival masjid's and

689

:

Chaplain Ali: my goodness,

690

:

Tariq: but it's a reality,

unfortunately in certain instances.

691

:

what has that MDiv.

692

:

Done for you or added to your.

693

:

to your toolbox, if you will,

someone who has this experience

694

:

of traditional learning.

695

:

what has it added to it?

696

:

Chaplain Ali: Yeah.

697

:

when I went to Egypt in 2014, my

intention was like, all right,

698

:

I'm gonna study the tradition.

699

:

I'm gonna do the whole thing, and.

700

:

And, but I was like, let me

take it one step at a time.

701

:

So I was like, let me just do

the Arabic program here, and then

702

:

after that we'll see where it goes.

703

:

So I finished the Arabic program

and, I, I really loved it.

704

:

I really loved it.

705

:

And towards the end of my Arabic

program, I even started doing traditional

706

:

classes, that were in and around, Zahar,

different scholars just teaching in

707

:

different messages and things like that.

708

:

and it was really, I just loved

being in that environment.

709

:

But one thing that like, my grandfather,

Allah Alah, have mercy on him, and

710

:

increase him in his, in his rank.

711

:

He passed away in 2015 and up until

:

712

:

partner, intellectual thought.

713

:

Partner to be like, what about this?

714

:

I know that Hyderabadi Muslims, the,

Hyderabad is a city in South India.

715

:

I know that Hyderabadi Muslims are

doing this, but what about the Gujarati

716

:

Muslims or the Pakistani Muslims?

717

:

Or the Syrians or the Palestinians or the

Black Muslims or the Somali Muslims or all

718

:

of these different groups, and I'm like

trying to like engage with them and I'm

719

:

like, does, is this actually necessary?

720

:

I know we've been doing it for

generations, but is this actually

721

:

the core of what's necessary?

722

:

Can I actually push and he'll be like.

723

:

listen, we've been doing

this for a long time, right?

724

:

And I'm just like, no, but it,

I don't think it's gonna work.

725

:

And being able to have that conversation,

in:

726

:

and I felt a little bit lost.

727

:

I felt like, okay, I'm studying all

of these things, but all of a sudden

728

:

I don't have somebody that I can,

bring that into conversation with and

729

:

be like, okay, I'm learning all this.

730

:

Egyptian Islam.

731

:

Okay.

732

:

It's all sunni Islam, but

it's an Egyptian coloring.

733

:

how does that correlate with the

Indian sort of understanding of it?

734

:

And then how do both of

those go back to Rogers Park?

735

:

And, I was like, I, if I don't have

that close and intimate thought

736

:

partner in this whole thing, I don't

really know if I'm gonna be able to

737

:

benefit from just like, studying like.

738

:

Arabic grammar and legal text.

739

:

It's like I, I no longer saw like the

long-term vision where I was like, I

740

:

think I need, I need to like, equip myself

with the tools to be able to do this,

741

:

more independently, this like thought

exchange and like trying to understand.

742

:

And so when I came back.

743

:

I finished up my, I, picked up my

undergrad that I had left off and I

744

:

finished that and I was like, okay, let

me see if there's some sort of maybe

745

:

academic Islamic studies program or

maybe just spending time with American

746

:

Scholars outside of my community.

747

:

and I came across the Bayan program,

the chaplaincy program, and for me it

748

:

was just like, oh, you have traditional

scholars, academically trained

749

:

scholars, people doing community work

all over the country, all coming to

750

:

one place and doing this thing called

chaplaincy, which is basically like

751

:

being in Imam outside of the masjid.

752

:

I'm like,

753

:

Tariq: right,

754

:

Chaplain Ali: you're just being an imam

at the hospital or at the, corrections

755

:

facility or in a community organizing.

756

:

a cohort or whatever that is, or

in a university, like, they're just

757

:

taking the tradition and putting it

into conversation with real life.

758

:

which to me, coming from the Tariqa

paradigm, I was like, that's what

759

:

I've been doing for generations.

760

:

And I was like, that fits.

761

:

That actually fits, And they're

talking about all this internal

762

:

stuff, like, you gotta make sure

you're internally right and we're

763

:

gonna try to, things are gonna come.

764

:

I was like, that sounds a lot like

Islamic spirituality that I grew up

765

:

with, so there's a lot of overlap here.

766

:

And so to me it was like, oh, all

those, like all that, dialogue and

767

:

debate that I had with my grandfather

to be able to figure this thing out.

768

:

The chaplaincy program is giving me

those tools to be able to do that as

769

:

I'm engaging with not just my insular

community on Devon, but the wider

770

:

like American Muslim experience and

just like global Muslim experience,

771

:

intergenerational, historic, And so

I was like, I was blown away that

772

:

a program like that could exist.

773

:

and the three year program

took me four years to finish.

774

:

Four years later.

775

:

I'm like everything that I thought

that the chap, 'cause everyone's

776

:

just like, oh, what's chaplaincy?

777

:

Isn't that a Christian thing?

778

:

All that kind of stuff, like and

I would have those questions too.

779

:

I'm like, am I romanticizing this?

780

:

am I projecting what I wanted to be?

781

:

before years later?

782

:

I'm like, man, it's even more what

I was looking for then, I even

783

:

thought before, so like now, when I

read a book by an Islamophobe, I I

784

:

have some understanding about what

philosophical framework is he using.

785

:

Yeah.

786

:

And what assumptions does he have about

the things that he's talking about?

787

:

What good can I take from this

islamaphobe, what critique is he

788

:

offering that might be useful and

what things need to be discarded

789

:

and how can I do that with, other

Muslims who I might not agree with?

790

:

How can I do that with.

791

:

atheists who I don't agree with on

certain things and agree with on certain,

792

:

basically this dynamic engagement, I

actually have tools to be able to do that

793

:

more independently and, in community,

with other learners, with professors,

794

:

with, activists with everybody.

795

:

And that to me was like, okay, now

I can go back to the tradition now.

796

:

and that's why I'm so grateful

to have the majlis seminary.

797

:

With a professor from Bayan, Sheikh

Fouad Elgohari he also helps run, this

798

:

seminary, the Majlis seminary, where

they're going through traditional books.

799

:

But it's like, now I'm able

to ask really good questions.

800

:

and, and alhamdulillah, I'm have

the practice of that already with my

801

:

grandfather, but now I'm able to do

it, with anybody that I engage with.

802

:

And so that, that chaplaincy piece

from so many different angles, the

803

:

spiritual angle, as well as the sort

of academic thought, intellectual

804

:

angle, has just been extremely useful,

especially the way that Bayan does it.

805

:

Where you have, for example, professors

like Imam Jihad Saafir and Sheikh

806

:

Fouad Elgohari and so many others.

807

:

That are traditionally trained

and academically trained, giving

808

:

you a core foundation and then

exposing you to everything that's

809

:

out there, that's not traditional,

that's this, that's everything.

810

:

And being like, okay, talk to me.

811

:

What do you think about this?

812

:

so it's, it really is exactly

what I had been looking for, in

813

:

terms of my own personal journey.

814

:

Tariq: Earlier you talked about

the practical application, There's

815

:

a, the difference between the

theorizing and the application.

816

:

How have you seen your.

817

:

your educational pursuits manifest in

a practical sense, and are there, and

818

:

are there other objectives that you

want to achieve, in a practical sense,

819

:

whether, individually or communally?

820

:

Chaplain Ali: Yeah, I think, one of the

things that I admired about my family's

821

:

legacy was like they were scholars.

822

:

Like my great-grandfather, Maulana

Syed Shah Habibullah Quadri he was.

823

:

Sheikh-ul-Jammia like, he was like the

president, the sheikh of the school

824

:

called Jammia Nazamia in Hyderabad,

which was an Islamic university.

825

:

People studied there.

826

:

They became scholars there, and he

was the head sheikh there at the same

827

:

time living in India and South India.

828

:

He said, all of this academic stuff

is great, but as I'm growing my

829

:

family and I'm choosing where I,

what I want to do in my personal

830

:

life, he was like, let me find.

831

:

A Hindu temple and become neighbors

with the worshipers at that temple.

832

:

And, in, in that part of an old city

Hyderabad, a neighbor means like, the

833

:

distance between one side of my car

to the other side of the car, like the

834

:

door to the Hindu temple was on my left.

835

:

And the door to my house was on

the, like, that's how close we were.

836

:

So every Sunday we would hear them

doing their worship at I think like

837

:

nine o'clock, and they would sing

their songs and do their music.

838

:

and we were right there.

839

:

We could hear it every morning.

840

:

We knew like, oh, okay,

they're starting their worship.

841

:

We would turn our TV down a little

bit, nobody eats beef in Hyderabad.

842

:

Why?

843

:

Tariq: Yeah,

844

:

Chaplain Ali: because the cow

is a sacred animal, to our Hindu

845

:

neighbors, our brothers and sisters.

846

:

And so we eat lamb.

847

:

We're like, we don't really eat beef.

848

:

'cause I just outta respect,

It's not like a religious ruling.

849

:

This is just like a love thing.

850

:

Like we love each other,

we are living together.

851

:

This is what we do.

852

:

To me that's practical.

853

:

That's not something you can find

in a legal book, And then at 10

854

:

o'clock my great-grandfather would

host a Tafsir year class, and we

855

:

got breakfast and we got tea, and we

got all different types of things.

856

:

And everybody is welcome.

857

:

Once a month we're

gonna have a, a Qawwali.

858

:

Concert you might call it.

859

:

But really that's not what it is.

860

:

It's more like a, like a, intentional

sacred ceremony where, religious

861

:

music is played and people listen.

862

:

Listen, and they listen to the music,

they listen to the lyrics and they, and

863

:

everybody is sitting together in this

poetry and it's music and all these

864

:

things, and it's music that sounds just.

865

:

It's like the worship that we hear

actually at 9:00 AM on Sunday.

866

:

The sounds and the musical

scales and everything, the,

867

:

in everything is the same.

868

:

But we're singing about Allah and

the prophet and they're singing

869

:

about their theological beliefs.

870

:

and that becomes an invitation.

871

:

And all of our Hindu neighbors

would come and they'd be like,

872

:

oh, listen, we like music.

873

:

you guys sing about things

that we don't agree with, but

874

:

we like music and you have.

875

:

Free food like that sounds great to me.

876

:

That's practical, right?

877

:

That's practical.

878

:

Like people wanna eat, that's free food.

879

:

Come on, people wanna eat.

880

:

That's right's, right?

881

:

At the end of the day, people want to eat.

882

:

If you ca, if you have food, you'll

be able to bring in people again.

883

:

You're not gonna find that in

aqeedah book, in, in a fiqh book,

884

:

a book of the theology or of

legal codes and all these things.

885

:

Like that's just a matter of love.

886

:

That's just a matter of service.

887

:

and so for me now having

like more of a toolbox.

888

:

I'm looking to continue, studying

and just being, just being in the

889

:

company of scholars and having

these conversations with them.

890

:

Understanding the sort of veracity of

the Islamic classical tradition, and

891

:

putting it in conversation with real

life issues that I'm coming across.

892

:

being part of community at places

like, Isla la having been at, IMAN in

893

:

Chicago, That was what I loved about

it is just like, alright, let's take

894

:

this tradition, put it in conversation

with things that are happening in our

895

:

community there in places where the

realities of America cannot be ignored.

896

:

and continuing to engage with Isla

and they have a beautiful Ilm and

897

:

Amal program, that, the day that I

moved to California, they had their

898

:

last class, and ? It was so amazing.

899

:

I was just like.

900

:

I, they did a whole summer

intensive where it was

901

:

Tariq: So a knowledge.

902

:

A knowledge and work program.

903

:

Chaplain Ali: Yes.

904

:

Yes.

905

:

Know knowledge, and

knowledge and good works.

906

:

And, it was basically a

community organizing training.

907

:

It was like, political education and

just giving everybody the foundation

908

:

that they needed spiritually,

on a community level on a.

909

:

Family institution level on a greater

national level of just like, how do we

910

:

bring these things into conversation?

911

:

I think just being part of these

organizations and just being able to

912

:

contribute in whatever way and just

seeing where Allah takes me Right now.

913

:

I'm also a middle school

teacher, in Irvine, California.

914

:

which also has been such a great

opportunity for me to be able

915

:

to build solidarity, and really

teach these kids from a young age.

916

:

Like, Hey guys, like, we're in Irvine,

and we have a lot of blessings and gifts.

917

:

How come everybody in Santa Ana and

Anaheim still in Orange County, but

918

:

on the other side of Orange County?

919

:

how come they have such different lives?

920

:

how come we never go to LA County?

921

:

How come we never go to

San Bernardino, Riverside?

922

:

Like what?

923

:

I'm just trying to get them

to think about these things.

924

:

How can we actually work

in solidarity together?

925

:

And the only reason that we are not

facing the issues that they're facing

926

:

is because structurally we've created a

bubble where those issues are removed.

927

:

So as Muslims, how can

we break through those?

928

:

they're a lot more invisible, here.

929

:

where we're like, oh, it's

all Southern California.

930

:

It's not all Southern California.

931

:

we're living very different lives.

932

:

How can we as Muslims find out what

those issues are that are swept under

933

:

the rug in areas like Irvine and be

like, no, as Muslims here in Irvine,

934

:

we're gonna serve all of our brothers

and sisters and we're gonna be, as

935

:

Muslims, we're gonna be at the forefront.

936

:

How can we learn from the legacy?

937

:

Of, masjids like Isla masjid ibad'Allah

in South LA that have been doing

938

:

this for a long time with Imam Siddiq

Saafir, Imam Jihad Saafir father,

939

:

and all these things, and how can we

just like build a stronger coalition?

940

:

And I think my chaplaincy skills

have really allowed me to be able

941

:

to speak to an eighth grader who's

just like, what are you even talking?

942

:

You know what I mean?

943

:

Like to really make that

a real thing for them.

944

:

my chaplaincy skills and

just my community organizing.

945

:

exposure that I started to have

at IMAN and I'm starting to

946

:

have a little bit more at Isla.

947

:

I think all of those things like

that to me is like the real work.

948

:

Like you have everyday people

going through issues and you

949

:

have these things that divide us.

950

:

How can we build solidarity and then

solve those issues so that in the

951

:

words of Imam Tahir, like before we

meet Allah, rack up those good deeds.

952

:

that's plain and simple

what we're looking to do.

953

:

Tariq: Alright, our last question.

954

:

this is really more of

a fill in the sentence.

955

:

Chaplain Ali: Okay.

956

:

Tariq: The one lesson I keep learning is,

957

:

Chaplain Ali: The one lesson

I keep learning is don't

958

:

take yourself so serious.

959

:

I've been taking myself real serious

for a long time, and one, one

960

:

of the beautiful things about my

grandfather was he would always, he as.

961

:

he's telling a 13-year-old

to be extremely radical.

962

:

He's like, listen, the world is

burning and we need to be at the

963

:

forefront of trying to figure that out.

964

:

And if we're not at the forefront,

who is at the forefront so we

965

:

can partner with them to be

able to figure these things out.

966

:

Like we need to cut, very serious talk.

967

:

My grandfather was one of

the funniest people I met.

968

:

Tariq: really

969

:

Chaplain Ali: when I say people were

going through his living room all day.

970

:

My grandpa's cracking jokes.

971

:

We're eating food, we're even

making fun of each other.

972

:

Like it's, everyone's so familiar and

close with each other that it was like

973

:

the only way that he was able to have that

the mindset and demeanor of like service,

974

:

like, boom, wake up in the morning.

975

:

What are we gonna do with our life today?

976

:

Like, we woke up.

977

:

That's a gift.

978

:

The only way that he was able

to do that was he was like,

979

:

it's actually not me working.

980

:

I'm not doing anything.

981

:

Allah subhana'wa'tala can

use me or he cannot use me.

982

:

People can see me do work or I might

just have intention my whole life, and

983

:

that's all I contribute to society.

984

:

But Allah, saw my intention and

insha'Allah I'll have a good ending.

985

:

So it's like it's, don't

986

:

take

987

:

yourself so serious.

988

:

It's not even about you, Allah's working.

989

:

Allah has a plan, and either he makes

us part of the plan or he doesn't.

990

:

We pray that we're part of the plan, at

least by intention, and hopefully also

991

:

that we're given the tawfeeq the divine

facilitation to be able to like actually

992

:

contribute and be part of real change.

993

:

But like, for example,

like I have two small kids.

994

:

I got a 2-year-old and a one month old.

995

:

So like right now my service

is just like making sure my.

996

:

Like driving home as fast as I

can and just, Hey, go to sleep.

997

:

Go take a walk.

998

:

Whatever.

999

:

I got him.

:

00:49:53,293 --> 00:49:55,423

I got one in the carrier,

one in my arms crying.

:

00:49:55,423 --> 00:49:56,083

We'll figure it out.

:

00:49:56,083 --> 00:49:56,503

just go,

:

00:49:57,143 --> 00:49:57,233

Tariq: Right.

:

00:49:57,233 --> 00:49:59,393

Chaplain Ali: So just don't

take yourself so serious.

:

00:49:59,393 --> 00:50:00,173

That's the one lesson.

:

00:50:00,173 --> 00:50:00,383

Yep.

:

00:50:01,438 --> 00:50:01,958

Tariq: Alhamdulillah.

:

00:50:01,958 --> 00:50:02,478

Alhamdulillah.

:

00:50:03,048 --> 00:50:07,678

I really appreciate you taking this time,

chaplain Ali Nasaruddin, to talk with us.

:

00:50:07,858 --> 00:50:12,108

May Allah continue to bless you, in all

of your work and bless your intentions.

:

00:50:12,578 --> 00:50:13,328

Chaplain Ali: Ameen.

:

00:50:14,018 --> 00:50:15,038

Tariq: As Salaamu Alaikum, Beloved.

:

00:50:15,538 --> 00:50:17,318

. Chaplain Ali: Wa Alaikum As Salaam

wa rahmatullahi wa barakatahu

:

00:50:18,078 --> 00:50:18,678

Tariq: Alright, family.

:

00:50:19,008 --> 00:50:22,518

Thank you for joining us for another

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00:50:22,968 --> 00:50:27,108

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00:51:29,688 --> 00:51:31,418

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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.