Redemption. Service. The Pursuit of Excellence. Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin Priseter
Faith, Redemption, and Leadership: The Journey of Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin Priester
In this episode of the American Muslim Podcast presented by Bayan on Demand, host Imam Tariq El-Amin welcomes Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin Priester, a respected theologian, community leader, and senior instructor at Tayba Foundation. The conversation delves into Ustadh Priester's transformation from a tumultuous past in street life to embracing Islam and dedicating his life to service and education. Key themes include the profound impact of mentorship, the significance of prayer and Quranic engagement, and the role of Tayba Foundation in shaping his educational journey. Ustadh Priester also touches on the vision behind EP3 Consulting and his experiences with Bayan Islamic Graduate School, highlighting the importance of sustained community support and self-sufficiency in non-profit work. The episode underscores the value of resilience, redemption, and leadership rooted in Islamic principles.
00:00 Introduction to Bayan on Demand
01:03 Welcome to the American Muslim Podcast
01:26 Meet Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin Priester III
02:20 A Journey of Influence and Reflection
03:56 The Impact of Imam Jamil
06:32 Embracing Islam and Pursuing Knowledge
08:30 Challenges and Triumphs in Education
17:52 Leadership and Community Service
25:18 The Role of Tayba Foundation
32:35 Personal Reflections and Redemption
33:51 Reflections on Generation X and Personal Struggles
34:35 Influence of Early Life and Family Dynamics
35:35 Youth Involvement in Street Life
37:45 Loyalty and Brotherhood in Islam
40:10 The African American Muslim Experience
47:51 Advice for New and Struggling Muslims
54:28 EP Three Consulting: Vision and Goals
58:08 Experiences with Bayan Islamic Graduate School
01:02:19 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Subscribe to Bayan on demand at https://shorturl.at/wlQl7
Donate to the Muhammad Ali Scholarship at https://pages.donately.com/bayan/campaign/2028-endowment-campaign/donate
Cover Art & Intro Music - Tariq I. El-Amin @ImamTariqElamin
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Transcript
Bayan on Demand offers a growing library of courses taught by highly
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youth workers, parents, and more with
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and the Muhammad Ali Scholarship.
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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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:May the peace that only
God can give be upon you.
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:Welcome to the American Muslim
Podcast presented by Bayan on Demand.
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:I'm your host, Imam Tariq El-Amin, and I'm
honored to bring you a new conversation
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:each week with the leader who is serving
their community in meaningful ways.
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:Each guest offers a unique perspective
on what it means to shape and
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:represent the Muslim American
presence both publicly and privately.
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:Today I am pleased to welcome Usad Abdulah
Muhammad Priest, the third to the podcast.
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:He is a theologian, community leader
Imam at Grinnell College, senior
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:instructor at Tayba Foundation, and a
doctor of ministry student at Catholic
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:Theological Union, where he focuses on
practical theology, leadership and ethics.
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:Without further delay, let's welcome
our guest, As Salaamu Alaikum Ustadh
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: how you doing Imam?
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:Tariq: Alhamdulillah, I'm doing
well, and I appreciate you taking the
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:time out to have this conversation.
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin:
Thank you for having me.
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:Tariq: Oh, it's our pleasure, Seth.
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:So we always invite our guests to
share their stories with as much
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:openness and vulnerability as they're
comfortable with, knowing that it
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:can be a benefit to our listeners.
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:We want to understand the work you
do, but more importantly, who you are.
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:Was there a pivotal moment, an
experience, a mentor, something you
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:read that helped shape you or set
you on the path that you're on today?
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: that's a very
interesting question because, it's been
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:a lot of people and a lot of influences.
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:In my life in terms of
where I'm at right now.
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:Although at the time they were
influencing me or attempting
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:to, I wasn't listening to them.
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:But as I sat back and I reflected
on my life journey and, just some
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:of the morals and things that I hold
to today, I recognized that there
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:were a lot of people that came along
that path that helped to do that.
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:and just to make sure that we
keep his name and people's ears
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:and his memory alive so we could
do something to assist him.
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:Even after Jamil out of me.
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:He was a good friend of my
father's when he first moved to
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:Atlanta back in the seventies.
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:My father became Muslim with him.
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:my father had his own journey in life.
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:we primarily are a family of civil
rights activists, Pan-Africanist and
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:black nationalists, and some kind
of mixture of all of that together.
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:that we come from, that's what I am, I
always tell people I'm a child of the
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:movement, but there was one particular
time when, I was doing a lot of different
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:things that weren't right and my
father would get exasperated with me.
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:So I remember one time he took me
to go see the Imam and it was on
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:Saturday af Saturday morning rather.
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:So we sitting now, 'cause if you knew Imam
Jamil's community, it was a park across
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:the street and he had a shop right there
on the corner he sold, had a laundromat,
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:and then he had a little store where
he was the little sell stuff out of.
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:So we sitting in the store and Imam
told me that morning, he's one day
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:you're gonna have to make a choice.
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:You're gonna have to make a choice
if you're going to do what's right or
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:you're going to do what's not going
to help you and help your people.
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:Fast forward to now.
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:And I think about that.
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:I'm, I made the choice that I wanted to
be able to do something to help my people.
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:And I probably, although at the time when
he said it and I didn't remember what he
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:had said to me till years later, somebody
else had asked me a question about him.
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:And that's something that came to
my mind that, that stuck with me.
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:In addition to all the other
people, family members, friends and
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:associates I've met over the years.
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:Like I said, I have a very cosmopolitan,
story to tell, although it would seem
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:as if things were just very one sided
with me, it wasn't, I come, like I said,
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:my family background, but in addition
to that, I'm selling drugs 'cause I was
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:12 years old until I went to prison at
32 for my last time and became Muslim.
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:This year will be 21
years I've been Muslim.
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:So it's just it's a, it is a very, I
don't want to take off all your time.
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:It's a very long and complex story.
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:Tariq: Hey, this is your time.
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Yeah,
Insha'Allah we'll get to
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:Tariq: it's your time.
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Get
to bring some of that out.
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:But yet the Imam was, in terms
of, particularly in terms of
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:like right now his health, he's
struggling with his health.
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:He has stage four
cancer, some other things.
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:And it's just, it's very sad
what they've done to him.
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:They know he wasn't the one that
killed those police officers.
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:they knew it at the time when
it happened that he was the one
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:that killed the police officers.
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:actually I was in Atlanta at the time.
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:I was still in the streets
when that happened then.
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:And actually I was around
the corner making the sale.
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:I had just left from making
the sale around the corner
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:from where he was at and.
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:All of that went down.
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:I, we saw the police calls, we
didn't hear the gunshot, but we knew
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:something was going on around there.
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:And we, but it's, Allahul Musta‘ān
Insha'Allah allah will free him and
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:give him some relief and grant him shifa
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:Tariq: ameen his
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin:
illness that's affecting him,
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:and let
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:him go home to his family and community.
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:insha'Allah,
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:Tariq: Ameen, many people
embrace Islam, right?
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:Many people take the shahadah,
but not everyone goes on to pursue
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:knowledge or become a teacher.
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:Right.
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:You did.
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:Can you reflect on what that
journey was like for you?
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:What exactly shaped that path for you?
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Well,
my mother's an English teacher.
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:That was her original.
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:She went to school for
English, and she was an English
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:teacher for a number of years.
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:Did a lot of other things.
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:She was in the Social Rights
Social Justice civil rights, realm,
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:Alhamdulillah being that my mother
was an English teacher, I've was
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:reading since three, four years old.
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:I tell people that and they get surprised.
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:It's no, I've been reading for a
long time and this is 'cause this
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:is something that she, cultivated in
me and my siblings over the years.
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:And, 'cause like when we were
little, you couldn't ask definitions.
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:Say, what's this word?
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:How you spell this word?
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:What's, what this word mean?
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:Look it up.
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:Use phonetics and you have to sit
there, that'd be part of your lesson.
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:You have to get it right.
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:1970s moms get it right.
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:Or I'm gonna talk to you a little
for a little while and we gonna
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:do this until you get it right.
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:But it helped, because this brought
me to the point where I'm at today.
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:'cause even when I was
running the streets.
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:Everybody else chasing cars.
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:I sit on the porch, I'll
be reading the newspaper.
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:I'm not getting up chased behind no cars.
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:They come to me.
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:I've always been different like that.
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:I love reading.
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:I love learning about different things.
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:even something I thought about the
other day in elementary school,
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:some of my friends would call me
Encyclopedia Brown, at the time that
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:for them, that was like an insult.
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:But, Alhamdulillah, Allah used that
as as we know now, that was a means
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:of actually honoring us and giving us
a chance to be, the type of people.
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:Allah want us to be
educated and intelligent.
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:So that by itself was something
that helped to drive me.
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:And then, as I came after I became
Muslim, one of the challenges I was facing
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:was the fact that in the institution
I was in among others, there were no.
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:Outside resources available to us.
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:So we had someone who would
come into the federal prison.
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:I was at Estel for a couple of
years, but then, some of the,
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:I guess you could say attitudinally,
divergent brothers among our
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:salafi brethren ran the Imam off
even though he was a salafi Imam.
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:Iam.
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:So go figure that part out.
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:After two years of me being there, we went
eight ramadan's with no outside, nothing.
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:I went on a letter writing campaign
in:
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:and everywhere I can get an address to
asking for support and nobody responded.
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:I wrote a letter to someone, I
wrote a letter to Sheikh Hamza
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:Yusuf, if he was the only person
who responded, but he responded by
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:giving my letter to table Foundation.
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:In the letter I had asked for four things.
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:I had asked for a list of books that he
suggested I should have, just as reference
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:in being able to personal edification
a curriculum to study for formal study,
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:advice on, just general day-to-day life
as a Muslim and advice on how to study the
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:books that I asked about that he gave me.
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:But his response was he connected me
to Tayba Foundation, and that was in
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:February, 2013 when I got the letter
from them about the program, because I
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:wrote back probably like summer 2012.
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:So February, 2013, I was the
only response I got back.
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:I probably 40 or 50 letters and, From
that point there, I've always wanted
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:to do something to work within the
community because like nonprofits,
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:community development, these types
of things was something that was
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:always very strong within my family.
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:If you remember, when they were started
doing the mail bombings back in the
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:eighties when the first people that was
killed with the mail bombers was Robbie
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:Robinson, attorney from Savannah, Georgia,
and my granddaddy was first cousins,
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:so that's the family.
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:I, that's the background I come from.
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:that's my roots.
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:just even though some of us chose
to do what we wanted to do, that
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:we come outta that generation.
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:But at the same time, we
had these people around us.
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:We had these influences and these types
of figures who were able to give us
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:that focus that we needed in terms of, I
wouldn't say as much say focus, because
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:we weren't focused at that, at least that
model that we could refer back to when it
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:was time for us to get ourselves together.
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:And with my mother being a teacher doing
work within the community, I've always
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:found pleasure in helping other people.
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:Even like when I was inside, like
my last five years, we ran a men's
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:process group through the psychology
department called Come On People,
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:and we were using the book by Dr.
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:Bill Cosby and Dr.
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:Alvin Poissant and it was very
successful and just in terms of
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:just, it was just really more natural
for me to be engaging with people.
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:Talking, helping, mentoring, and
teaching a little bit of law allowed me
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:to learn, giving reference to people.
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:we have people think one way, okay look,
here's some more books you need to read,
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:expand your mindand, these types of things
because you know this, giving people
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:that option to be able to do something
different from what they were doing.
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:For me that was always a driving
factor, and particularly as
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:after I became Muslim, I.
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:I started understanding
what it means to be a Harden
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:servant in engaging in service.
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:That's became, that became my
predominant focus throughout life.
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:So anything I'm dealing with, it has
to be in a means of giving service
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:to people, providing something back
to the community, and being able to
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:help people transition from that.
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:I like to think of
myself as a facilitator.
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:I wanna facilitate you being able to
get yourself to wherever you feel you
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:need to be so you could be successful
and Lord this messenger, so the Lord
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:can be pleased with you on the daily.
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:Okay.
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:Tariq: You mentioned being a reader
from a very young age, right?
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:Extremely young age, and coming
from an environment that encouraged
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:curiosity, not just asking
questions, but seeking answers.
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:When you look back, what shifted between
the 12-year-old version of you and
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:the version of you who embraced Islam?
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:how did your approach to
truth and action evolve?
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:Right?
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:What came together for you?
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Well,
the thing that put me into that
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:place, like I said, my father,
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:he went through his phase.
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:He started off with Jamil.
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:he became rastafarian after
that, for a number of years, and
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:towards the end of his life, he
reaffirmed that he was Muslim.
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:he reminded me, Hey, don't
let the play at my body.
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:You bury me as a Muslim.
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:So when he passed, I watched his body.
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:I led his janazah there was
something I was able to do for him.
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:And, but the means that took me there
and watching, growing up with my father.
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:'cause when I went to go stay with
him in Atlanta in 84, I couldn't do
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:anything else in South Carolina where
my mother was a mother from a place
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:called Georgetown, South Carolina.
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:Her and my father met when she went
to Savannah to go to Savannah State.
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:But I couldn't go to no more
schools in South Carolina.
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:I done got put out all the schools.
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:It was like, you can't stay.
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:So I had to go to Atlanta.
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:So when I got to Atlanta, like I said,
west End Atlanta,:
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:to black red Donna Hebrews, like you
got Yahweh, but Yahweh's people, you got
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:some of any and everything you has ever
come through the black community in terms
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:of religious or the conscious movement.
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:It was all right there in
Western Atlanta in:
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:And that was the mil I was put into.
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:And then, my father being a Rasta at the
time and the people that he was around,
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:it was like they was doing their thing.
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:it was Irv reggae music and life
and, my father again, we just, we
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:just having an honest conversation.
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:It's not being, Dismissive of who
he was or any of those things.
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:I don't want people to get the
wrong understanding this just
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:the life that I came from.
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:But, my father was a very prominent
figure amongst the Rasta community
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:and, we were one of the only
people that we had all the weed.
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:So that was my introduction to the game.
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:I grew up around his Jamaican
friends, guys would be importing
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:products into the country,
shipping products out, doing stuff.
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:That's what I came up around.
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:that's what I know.
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:I remember my father and them sitting down
having conversations about, okay, this's
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:what we going to do for the community?
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:And it's any means necessary,
and the means that we had
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:was do this and get money.
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:And, as with all, bad
objectives, with good intentions,
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:everything gets corrupted.
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:from 12 years old, I.
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:It's yeah, we doing this to
people, the nation, this.
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:But as I got older and things
started happening and just like
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:those things became less and less
relevant to the point where you just
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:don't even talk about it no more.
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:Now I'm gonna say something that
some people probably not gonna
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:appreciate, but it's facts.
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:And I have to say it because
this is part of our history.
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:And I think for a lot of us, particularly
within African American community,
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:Muslim conscious community, however
you wanna say it, we really have
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:to come to grips with some of the
decisions that our forefathers made.
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:and one of them was, it was a
conference they had in Philly back
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:in, I can't never remember the year,
'cause my godmother told us about it.
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:She's passed now.
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:but she, between 72 and 74, it was a
conference that they had Black Nationals
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:conference and they made the decision to
run the heroin dealers out the community.
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:Sell cocaine.
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:And when she told us about that, they
made a decision at that conference in
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:Philadelphia to run all the heroin dealers
outta the community and deal with cocaine.
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:And if you think back to the back
exploitation era and all of the Black
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:Mafia stuff, this was that time when
that happened that was the result
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:of that decision that they made.
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:I had godparents and some other
friends and associates who were part
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:of these discussions at the time.
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:I'm like, I'm, I got it from
them secondhand, but it's I'm
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:giving you firsthand information.
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:'cause I got it from the
people who was in the room.
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:So it was like when they did that,
me as a youth, that really destroyed
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:my understanding and my respect
for the movement and all of that
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:stuff that we had did all those
years, I felt very disillusioned.
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:So it was just like, man, I
don't wanna hear none of that.
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:It's, do or die.
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:Until the casket drop.
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:It was just, I was all in after that,
and that was where that real shift came.
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:a lot of things just like I said,
you start off with good intentions
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:even though your objectives are
bad, but it just, things just
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:get outta control from that way.
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:And that's part of the Kaydu ash-Shayṭān.
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:that's part of the shaytan's plan
that trick you and deceive you and
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:take you into all of these dark and
dangerous paths that he take us down.
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:So that's the short of the long answer.
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:Tariq: Not at all.
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:I appreciate that.
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:As I listen to you, I'm thinking
about leadership, especially how
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:at 12 years old we respond to
it without fully understanding
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:how our environments shape us.
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:So now for you, as someone who
creates and guides environments, are
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:there lessons from your own journey
that influence how you lead and try
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:to cultivate healthy spaces today?
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:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Yeah,
that's a good question.
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:I think everything from my previous
experience has really helped me.
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:It's been, for me it's very, it has been,
and it still is at times very, unsettling
320
:how Allah has allowed for me to be able to
have an influence on people and, places in
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:a space that I inhabit from time to time.
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:A law has allowed for me to be
very impactful in that space, and
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:it took me a long time
to really deal with that.
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:my mother's probably one of the first
people that really told me, it's
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:like, Hey, you got to stop fighting.
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:It made you, God made you a leader.
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:Just got to go with it.
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:And that's one of the reasons I
followed along with the leadership
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:track as I've been studying because.
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:I recognize that at times God
has allowed me to have influence.
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:But then that's also come from the fact
that even like when I was out doing what
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:I was doing, I was always the one that
reminded dudes in the community is Hey
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:man, we just can't be out here doing this.
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:We got to, we gotta clean
up these people yard.
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:We gotta make sure these old ladies,
these people got the bills is
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:paid, they got food in the house.
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:Just can't be just out here like that.
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:You gotta keep things, It was a
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:perverted type of morality, but it was
a moral system that I have nonetheless,
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:probably primarily because, like I said,
from my previous experience with other
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:people that in the community, from nation
building sessions and all that type of
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:stuff, it's look man, we supposed to be
here doing something for the community.
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:We're not just supposed to be here
just getting money, tearing things
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:up and just going about our business.
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:We're supposed to be trying to build
up the community and the people and
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:then engaging with other people.
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:I.
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:Having had the experiences that I've
had over the years, knowing that
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:there are a lot of different traps
and turns that we get caught up into.
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:I try to always make sure that I'm
with the young people that I deal with.
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:I'm always trying to remind 'em.
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:It's look man, I did that.
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:I done been through that.
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:the names may change.
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:The drug might be a little different than
it was before, but I done did all that.
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:Man, I can run the whole
game down to you from A to Z.
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:I could hear a conversation
and I could tell you exactly
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:how everything gonna turn out.
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:'cause I, I done seen all that before,
And using that as a means of helping
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:people and pushing them forward.
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:I find that to be very important.
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:And it just, as one of the things that
Muslims, we know the reminder we're
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:supposed to be people of Vicar, sometimes
people just think that just means making
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:touchy and all these things lay all that.
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:Not really that's part of it.
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:But it's also the fact that we're
supposed to be reminding and encouraging
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:each other constantly about how
we're supposed to be going about this
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:life and what we need to be doing.
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:like nowadays it is very difficult
to give people advice or to remind a
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:person like, Hey man, you tripping.
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:What are you doing?
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:like even with some young people and
you see these things on social media,
373
:how people just disrespect their
parents and other stuff like that.
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:we didn't tolerate just man, look, you
and they talk to your mama like that.
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:You need to go in there
and straighten that up.
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:But when we get outside,
we gonna deal with you Now.
377
:You better go in there and probably
you don't talk to your mama like that.
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:What's wrong with you, man?
379
:that's how, that's what we did
and we were serious about that.
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:It helped people along the way.
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:'cause you come back and people now
it's Hey man, I appreciate that, da.
382
:But just those influences, it's it be,
be hard for most people to understand.
383
:How can a person who say they ran the
streets, carry guns, sold drugs, and all
384
:these things can find lessons that can,
help in a positive way for leadership.
385
:But all of that factored into it.
386
:And the reality of it was like,
like that slogan, everybody like
387
:to say, there's no man left behind.
388
:You're struggling.
389
:You need help.
390
:I can't walk away from a person
that I see that needs help.
391
:Even if I sit there and I'd be
like, Hey man, you're tripping.
392
:Now I might have to give you
the third degree, but I'm
393
:gonna help you fix the problem.
394
:I just can't walk away from you like that.
395
:And that's probably one of my
bigger, I won't say faults, but
396
:one of my harder lessons to learn.
397
:Sometimes you just got
to say, I can't do it.
398
:But you know, I don't know how to do that.
399
:Because like I said, I know where I came
from and I know mentally, spiritually,
400
:sometimes physically, emotionally, all
that, I know how that affects people.
401
:'cause I done been
through all those stages.
402
:I done had money, lost money.
403
:I'd have been shot.
404
:I done shot at people, I done been
homeless, I done been on drugs.
405
:I did everything that
you could think about.
406
:I didn't mess with no old people.
407
:I didn't mess with no children and I ain't
rape nobody, and I wasn't homosexual,
408
:but other than that, I don't think you
could come up with anything that was
409
:done in the streets that I didn't do.
410
:I did all of it and I was happy about
it, Sickness, but that's the way it was.
411
:But now that we come to where we at
now, it's I know what that feels like.
412
:I know what it tastes like.
413
:I know how that affects people.
414
:It, I can't walk away
from somebody like that.
415
:So that's, I think that's part of the
biggest factor of leadership in terms
416
:of that there just being that source of
support and dependence for people, because
417
:I think that's one thing, most people
lose in the reality of what leadership is.
418
:Most people just think that I'm in charge.
419
:I tell you what to do, and I'm
going to take this group or this
420
:organization to these fantastic places
and everybody has to listen to me.
421
:It's not like that.
422
:Even if we looked at life, yes, he
got, while he's from the Lost Valley,
423
:he received revelation and he was the
leader, but at the same time, he would
424
:get down in the ditch and he would dig.
425
:When the people were hungry and
there was no food, he was the
426
:hungriest one out of all of them.
427
:'cause he made sure that whatever
he got, he gave away to the people.
428
:So the lady was selling, so nobody was
left without, and he, him and his family,
429
:they got theirs last if anything was
left over, And that for me, that's the
430
:epitome of leadership, serving the people.
431
:That's why I went go back to being
a Khadim engaging in Khidmah.
432
:that's it.
433
:It's nothing else.
434
:Tariq: You mentioned something
really powerful, how some might
435
:wonder how someone with your journey
ends up as an imam, as a teacher.
436
:While others would say, who better to lead
than someone who deeply understands the
437
:path of what it means not to be on it?
438
:I think that we do ourselves a
disservice by disconnecting from our
439
:past as if we only began with Shahadah.
440
:given your roles now as Imam at
Grinnell and senior instructor.
441
:With Tayba, do you see a connection
between those experiences and how
442
:you serve in both spaces today?
443
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Yeah, absolutely.
444
:in terms of, like with Tayba Foundation,
ce my connection with them in:
445
:Tayba has been a tremendous support
to me in a number of different ways.
446
:And the ability to actually
447
:quantify it , qualify it, whichever
way is it's very difficult to try to do
448
:that because although I've had family
education experiences prior to coming to
449
:come in the Tayba was a facilitator of
putting me in the place where I was able
450
:to engage with a much larger audience of
people and they supported me to move the
451
:more and higher, levels of competence.
452
:It's even like in terms of work, if
I didn't have this job at Tayba, I
453
:don't know what I would be doing.
454
:I have the job at Grinnell's part-time.
455
:It's beautiful work working
with those young people.
456
:As with any place where you're
going to be of service and it's
457
:needed, they do need people like
myself to be there to help them.
458
:But, yeah, a lot of what I've done
at Tayba had a direct effect on me
459
:being able to get to work at Grinnell,
because the work experience that I've
460
:been able to gain through them, I've
developed curriculum, written textbook,
461
:I've written chapters to textbooks,
we've edited, developed tests.
462
:it's just, you could just
keep going on and on table.
463
:It's allowed me to actually fully realize
my potential in terms of being able
464
:to engage as a servant and a leader.
465
:To the Muslims people in general and
being able to have an organization
466
:behind me that actually can tell
people, yes, this person is competent.
467
:We believe in the ability that he has
and you should support him and give him
468
:this job or give him this opportunity
to come speak to your community,
469
:talk to your children, whatever.
470
:All of that is direct result of me
being a part of Tayba Foundation
471
:and what they have been able
to help me do over the years.
472
:Can't take away from it.
473
:Absolutely not.
474
:Tariq: So as a part of your work
with Table Foundation, you've written
475
:curriculum, you've developed tests.
476
:Yes.
477
:Has that work been a natural response
to your own pursuit of education?
478
:you've spent over 12 years
studying classical Islamic text.
479
:Can you talk a bit about how
these things are connected?
480
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Well.
481
:Like you said, I started with
Tayba:
482
:months left when I got with them.
483
:I got out in July of, 2014.
484
:I was at the door of 11 years by the time
I had completed, doing the sentence I had.
485
:But, I came home first couple years.
486
:I'm just working, trying to get things
together, and in:
487
:asked me if I wanted to accompany
them to Isna was held there in
488
:Chicago at the McCormick that year.
489
:And, okay, help do some outreach,
get out and meet some of the Muslims.
490
:And I had a habit when I was
inside, I used to work at the
491
:law library and other places.
492
:I used to keep books.
493
:I used to have two net bags,
books, notebooks, stuff like that.
494
:'cause I was, reading Brothers in
on the Yard or wherever they wanted.
495
:they coming up with
discussions about things.
496
:I had reference books 'cause like
I read, so I had a lot of books.
497
:I would send home, ask Family and Friends
to send me books and stuff like that.
498
:So when brothers would need information,
they would come to me for references.
499
:Like they would read stuff
from Islam or any other thing.
500
:So I had the information that they
need most often, insha'Allah and that's
501
:been a habit I've had since then.
502
:I've always kept me a bag full of books.
503
:So when I came to, I
had a bag full of books
504
:and we were at breakfast one morning.
505
:We were having a conversation about
something and she was talking about it
506
:and the brother had asked him something.
507
:It was another young brother.
508
:Abdul Kabir came with him.
509
:Came with us to do some outreach
and other Tayba students.
510
:had not not too long came home and,
he was asking some questions and
511
:sheikh was talking to him about it.
512
:I was like, well, yeah,
the hadith was right here.
513
:I pull out the commentary.
514
:This, we was, I had stuff in the bag,
I had books in the bag, and I was able,
515
:and it wasn't so much, trying to show
off anything that, that's just me.
516
:Like when y'all, we were in class in
Chicago back in October, had a bag full
517
:of books, just, they can't help it.
518
:when I came back from Chicago, Sheikh
Rami called me and was like, Hey
519
:man, you wanna grade some papers?
520
:It's okay, yeah.
521
:I need the money.
522
:Absolutely.
523
:And grade some papers.
524
:I'm doing lot, as time just
goes on, it's just more and more
525
:things, okay, help us with this.
526
:Help us with this, help us
with this, help us with this.
527
:And it just, things just kept,
Adding up and then, they labeled
528
:me senior instructor and by
Allah's fadl (favor) here I am.
529
:But, you asking how that, works
and influencing my engagement with
530
:people, it, again, it's just for me
it's it's, the zakat of knowledge.
531
:There's zakat of ilm (knowledge) all gives
you something, you have to give it back.
532
:You just can't sit down
and hold it to yourself.
533
:You have to share it.
534
:And for me, internally, I'm
disturbed if I'm not doing more.
535
:As part of, I guess maybe some of my
guilt of my process of redemption from
536
:what I've done over the years, it's like,
537
:not so much idleness, but just
the fact that I'm not adding to.
538
:What I'm doing or I'm not adding to my
ability to understand certain things.
539
:I'm not, developing myself more than I
always feel like I'm not doing enough.
540
:my wife and my mother, they get
on me a lot about this 'cause
541
:they're like, man, you not young.
542
:You're gonna kill yourself.
543
:You need to slow down.
544
:And it's I can't, I
don't know how to do it.
545
:I know it's a problem 'cause
I burn myself out sometimes.
546
:I get to the point sometimes
it's like I can't even read.
547
:'cause it's like I'm reading,
but it's not sitting there.
548
:And then I, unfortunately, my wife
and children ain't gone right now.
549
:They're not here with me.
550
:And I sit in this apartment by myself
and I like to say I eat my brain
551
:because I don't have nobody to talk to.
552
:So it's just as if you see
me right now, there's books.
553
:you can see this.
554
:Here's books here.
555
:Books there books.
556
:There's.
557
:Just me and the books.
558
:I have to find some way to
engage with people and give
559
:something back all the time.
560
:that's just me.
561
:I can't help it.
562
:And all of those things that
I've gained from working with
563
:Tayba, benefiting from that.
564
:I think all of that's part of, because,
565
:like they say, the cup gets full
566
:so the cup is full, but it's
always something leaking out and
567
:it always has to be filled again.
568
:So it just it's like a constant
system that's going on.
569
:I think that's the best
way to describe it.
570
:Did that
571
:answer
572
:your question?
573
:I talked a lot.
574
:, Tariq: yeah, it did.
575
:It did.
576
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Okay.
577
:Tariq: It actually made me think of
the, my cup runneth over metaphor
578
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Uhhuh,
579
:Tariq: it keeps feeling even
as it's being poured out.
580
:that to me is part of the blessing.
581
:Seeing knowledge, not just is
something to hold onto, but
582
:something you are meant to give.
583
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Right, right.
584
:alhamdulillah, but I will say this in
terms of a personal thing, it's like,
585
:'cause the challenge is still there for me
in terms of what I just talked about, but
586
:also in the fact that I've been studying
for years and on a personal level, I
587
:have deficiencies that I see in myself.
588
:It could or could not be deficiencies.
589
:Like I say, I may just be too hard on
myself from times, but I see things
590
:within myself at times and it makes me
very uncomfortable how people receive me.
591
:And I think part of that may go back
to that redemption factor because I'm
592
:very big on wanting to seek redemption.
593
:'cause I was not a very pleasant
person before I became Muslim.
594
:I loved my family, I loved
my friends, whatever.
595
:But I was a very selfish
and unpleasant person.
596
:If I wanted to be.
597
:And the streets have made me very callous.
598
:I come from a very violent and
disruptive background at times.
599
:That was through personal choice and
seeking those types of things out.
600
:And, I'm grateful because, you think
about that stuff and you're just
601
:like, I'm the, all laws has allowed
me, first of all, I'm not dead.
602
:I'm from Generation X.
603
:I was, I'm the endangered species,
super predator, all of that stuff.
604
:Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, them
talked about, that was me,:
605
:And it is just you can just go on and on.
606
:I'm from all of that.
607
:It's just and then when I look at
everything that Allah has brought
608
:me out of, and it's just and that's
another thing that pushes me with that.
609
:'cause it's I.
610
:I feel I'm never doing enough
because I've done so many terrible
611
:things to myself and other people.
612
:So just like I'm never doing enough.
613
:So it is really, it's difficult
to say the least, but it's a
614
:beautiful experience nonetheless.
615
:So we give thanks to a law for that.
616
:Tariq: But do you think you would
have that same drive, that same
617
:intention, if not for those experiences,
618
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: if
it wasn't for this life?
619
:I've, my experiences, I don't really
believe so, no, because, you have to
620
:think about it, understand it this way.
621
:like I said, I started off young
622
:and,
623
:I am engaging with the different
people I met over the years.
624
:Particularly like when my youth,
in that time I was with my
625
:father in new formative years.
626
:'cause he would fight with me tooth and
nail about being out in the streets.
627
:He would always try to
shortstop everything.
628
:It was like, man, you can't be doing that.
629
:You doing this, you gotta
leave me alone, man.
630
:me and him, we was constantly butting
heads about stuff, but that's pops.
631
:I love him.
632
:we not going there, but you
know, we gonna have our issues.
633
:you can't be doing this, man,
you gotta leave me alone now.
634
:but at the same time, it's
just like one of his partners.
635
:I'm not gonna use people names,
anything that's one of his
636
:partners used to bring in weed.
637
:So we was like 13, 14.
638
:he, young kids rosters, they bagging up.
639
:So he'd be like, Hey man,
y'all help us bag this up.
640
:And the thing was, as you bagging
up, you take what you want.
641
:Because once everything in the
bag, you can't ask for nothing.
642
:So if you end up taking three, four
pounds for yourself, that's fine.
643
:That's yours.
644
:this be 13, 14.
645
:So we might do that.
646
:He might give 1,006, $700, might
be five or six of 'em in the house.
647
:And all of 'em doing the same thing.
648
:13, 14 years old, I got me three.
649
:I just wanna have bagged
up three, four pounds.
650
:they give us, we might have about four,
$5,000 from messing with them by then,
651
:and then we go out and do our thing.
652
:So it was just like mentally, I was in a
lot of different places, even at my age.
653
:A lot of young kids, even back then,
especially back then just didn't know
654
:about, they didn't know about none
of that stuff, And I'm in places with
655
:grown folks and they used to always
like me 'cause I know how to be quiet.
656
:I kept my mouth shut
657
:and I got busy.
658
:if something went down, I wasn't
hiding and crying, I'm getting
659
:busy just like the rest of 'em.
660
:They used to like me.
661
:'cause I, it was like, I ette that boy,
that rough said Don right there, boy.
662
:So that's how they dealt with me and
that was how I was raised up in the game.
663
:I never knew how to be anything less than,
dominant within whatever space I was in.
664
:Whether I was up or down, good or bad.
665
:Right or wrong.
666
:I didn't know how to do anything less.
667
:it was never outta no sense of arrogance
because I never liked arrogance.
668
:I never like hypocrisy, So
arrogance was a quick way to get
669
:that pistol put on you, around me.
670
:You come around me with
all that showing off.
671
:you gonna have your bad day around me.
672
:You come off trying to play
games and high side and all that.
673
:Okay, we gonna show this
one here, what it's about.
674
:but this, that's just like you
were asking 'cause it's this
675
:so engaging with people now.
676
:Again, going back to your question, it's
like I don't know how to do anything else.
677
:Some people would be
like, well you should.
678
:Why don't you do this or that?
679
:It's what you mean?
680
:It's like I don't know how
to be unloyal to a person.
681
:I don't know how to go somewhere
and my people not good.
682
:I know you ain't got what you
need and you with me and I
683
:don't make sure that you good.
684
:I ain't talking about that.
685
:You just there and I'm taking
care of you that you good.
686
:You see what I'm saying?
687
:That translates right back into
the Muslim, you and I saying
688
:belief until you love for your
brother what you love for yourself.
689
:I don't know how to look at you and be
like, nah, I ain't rocking with bro.
690
:What you mean?
691
:It's a Muslim?
692
:Okay.
693
:Yeah, you might.
694
:Have issue.
695
:We may not get along to the best way,
but believe you me, if you say, Hey,
696
:A, I need some help, it's no question
what's, if I got the ability to do it,
697
:tell me what it is that you need from me.
698
:If I can't do it, I'm going to
help you find a way to get it done.
699
:You see what I'm saying?
700
:I don't know how to do anything else.
701
:Tariq: Usad, you touched on something
very important and it brings to
702
:mind the saying, paraphrasing
the best of you before Islam
703
:are the best of you after Islam.
704
:That's not about being mistake free,
but it's about recognizing that even in
705
:our missteps, qualities like loyalty,
empathy, and concern, these were
706
:always present and Islam affirms these.
707
:And when I asked you about drive, you
said if it weren't for those experiences.
708
:That really resonates because
Allah doesn't miss anything.
709
:Right?
710
:Sometimes it's those very experiences,
even the difficult ones that shape our
711
:drive to serve, to teach, and to care for
others in ways that knowledge alone can't.
712
:And I believe that kind of rootedness,
especially among indigenous African
713
:American Muslims, is unique.
714
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Right?
715
:Tariq: So I just wanna say be
merciful to yourself Ustadh.
716
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Yeah.
717
:Like that.
718
:That's a good point that you raised.
719
:Particularly like for us as African
Americans in this country, like for
720
:me, coming from a Pan Africanist back
nationalist background, I love my people.
721
:I love my people, but at the
same time as a Muslim, I.
722
:Even as I was transitioning into
actually finally accepting Islam.
723
:'cause at the time, like I said, I grew up
around the Imam, I grew up around Muslims.
724
:we ran the streets
together, we did all that.
725
:And I've never denied the truth of Islam.
726
:I never denied la ilah
illallah Muhammadan rasulullah
727
:but like I shared with you,
I can't stand hypocrisy.
728
:I'm in the streets.
729
:I'm a gangster.
730
:This is 100000% me.
731
:I'm not doing, I'm not going to,
church or the maji and thing.
732
:I can't do that.
733
:I hate hypocrisy.
734
:I hate it, and I knew I'm not
gonna pray five times a day.
735
:I like smoking weed.
736
:I used to going to strip club.
737
:I used to like to drink.
738
:I used to like how it felt when
you walk in the building and you,
739
:everybody's stopping to look at you.
740
:I used to like shooting my gun.
741
:I used to like all of those things
that went along with that life.
742
:I might pray once or twice a day.
743
:I might pray five times a day, sometimes
according to what my week was going like.
744
:But I knew I was not going
to do everything that I was
745
:supposed to do as a Muslim.
746
:And my mother asked me one time,
she was like, when you gonna
747
:get married and settle down?
748
:I was like, when I can't raise
no more hell than I'm going to
749
:get married and settle down.
750
:I said, until then, this what it is.
751
:I'm not doing it well, she
look at me, shake her head.
752
:But the thing was, with
all of that going on,
753
:like you say, it is like even
take, let's take it back further.
754
:Let's go back to our ancestors.
755
:We came here despite all of
the conservative and liberal
756
:estimates that they give of.
757
:20, 30%.
758
:West Africa was a Muslim polity.
759
:We were Malachy and in West Africa
have always been up until more recent
760
:times, maybe the last 50, 60 years when
they had all of the fitna that came
761
:up with the divergent understandings
of the religion the last few years.
762
:Right.
763
:But Malaki ashari and then when you
look at it, you look at the history
764
:and all of the programs that they were
doing, the things that they were doing
765
:to suppress us from learning, speaking
our languages, doing this, that, and
766
:the third, they were stopping people
from praying and reciting cord on,
767
:they were stopping brothers from
praying and reciting cord down.
768
:We know about the uprisings in the
ikas that were being passed around
769
:in the Caribbean and in the early
years of the colonial period here
770
:in America before all of that.
771
:So we know all of this history.
772
:So really a lot of this is just really us.
773
:It's like we're going
through the crucible.
774
:Islam has much more meaning for
us as people who have converted to
775
:the dean, than some people who have
been born into it because this was
776
:something that was stolen from us.
777
:And the reality of reconnected with
it, even if we don't know this was the
778
:original heritage that we come from
the reconnection with that makes it
779
:even more intense for those of us who
fall back into, the embrace of Islam.
780
:And as a result of that, for me, it's like
781
:the value and the lessons that our
lived experiences can give to people
782
:who are struggling because this is
a, this is the dean of struggle.
783
:This is the dean that takes a person
that's at their lowest point, and
784
:Allah uses that to elevate them.
785
:It's a panel Allen, it's
I've been five percenter.
786
:I done dibbled and dabbled in some of
everything that done came through the
787
:pipeline over the last 40 years, And
it's like nothing is like this Dean, man,
788
:if we really just take the time to just
put aside all of the attachments that
789
:our families may have, the Christianity,
which was something that was given to us.
790
:'cause even if we go back to that,
Christianity was not in West Africa.
791
:They could tell you whatever
they want to tell you.
792
:When Portuguese and all of them
came in the 14 hundreds, early
793
:15 hundreds and started spreading
around in it, Christianity was
794
:not in West Africa, period.
795
:I don't care what they tell you.
796
:It was nothing but Muslims or
traditional religions and Muslims
797
:are the ones in the majority of
those places that had the power.
798
:This is a return of, I guess you could
say, I don't wanna say the prodigal son.
799
:That's not a good reference.
800
:This is like the return of that child.
801
:Who was kidnapped or
stolen from their parents.
802
:And then, we, they had
these searches for them.
803
:And then, you see the stuff on the news.
804
:Somebody go in, it's like these off
chances that you just run into somebody
805
:or a child was put up for adoption,
abandoned and put up for adoption,
806
:and then they find a family again.
807
:And this is the unfortunate experience
where, you know, not dragging on
808
:nobody, where brother have a child
and don't know about the child.
809
:And then 20, 30 years later they come
and the child comes, Hey, what happen?
810
:I didn't know.
811
:And it's like that connection that, that
manifests out of that reality of finding
812
:what was taken from you, and being able
to articulate that, like you say, the best
813
:of you prior to this Islam, or the best of
you in this Islam, or the best of you, I
814
:can't remember how the tradition go, but
the rasulllah ﷺ he ended that as that.
815
:when you acquire knowledge of the
religion, that was the ending of it.
816
:So for me, even again, that was
encouragement, going back to redemption.
817
:Yeah.
818
:That, again, it's all
about redemption for me.
819
:How do I redeem my face with my family,
my community, all of the harms and all of
820
:the things that I did over these years.
821
:And that African American experience is
true because, I'm a resident of Ghana
822
:when I'm not here, my family is in Ghana.
823
:I have my own in Ghana.
824
:And it's again, we are not
trying to drag nobody down.
825
:It's just the reality.
826
:Because this is a lot of what's
been done in a systematic fashion.
827
:Although I have my own issues with
some of the terminology and the
828
:methodology that people use in terms
of dealing with racism nowadays.
829
:'cause there's no black and white,
all those are actual constructs.
830
:Yes, we can agree to that.
831
:Some of the other stuff we don't,
I don't want to get in that.
832
:I went on a tangent, so I know I probably
done said some of everything else.
833
:Tariq: no.
834
:It's all valuable.
835
:yeah.
836
:Much appreciated.
837
:I cannot help but reflect
on how our society past and
838
:present often leans into shame.
839
:This isn't anything new.
840
:People find comfort or a false sense of
superiority in highlighting someone else's
841
:visible mistakes while hiding their own.
842
:But in the Quran, we hear the
voice of those who say, indeed
843
:I have wronged my own soul.
844
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Right?
845
:Right.
846
:Tariq: That admission doesn't
necessarily have anything to
847
:do with what other people see.
848
:It's about standing before Allah
with awareness of our shortcomings.
849
:Redemption, as you have been describing,
isn't just for the publicly known misstep.
850
:It's for anyone who sincerely
recognizes their need to repair.
851
:To return.
852
:And that is deeply internal.
853
:It's something that we lose when
we only focus on others' faults.
854
:So with that in mind, usta and knowing
how many brothers and sisters are
855
:on similar journeys, maybe they've
accepted Islam but haven't yet immersed
856
:themselves in learning or growing in
their faith, what advice would you
857
:offer to help them take that next step?
858
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: a couple things.
859
:whether you're new or been Muslim
for a while and things just not
860
:going your way like you wanted to.
861
:One of the main things I
always tell people is, do
862
:not ever abandon your prayer.
863
:If you have prayers that need to
be made up, yes, it's going to be
864
:difficult to get that done, but
there's a system that can work.
865
:make your prayers, make up whatever's
old, and make your prayers on time.
866
:That's probably the.
867
:The most crucial thing in the world that
we can tell people in terms of just being
868
:able to find grounding with the dean.
869
:The second thing would be
develop a relationship with the,
870
:unfortunately, I, when I stand in Ghana,
you'll see people, they'll recycle
871
:Koran, but they don't know what to say.
872
:Read the Koran, find a way if
you have to find a translation
873
:for yourself or whatever.
874
:Read the Koran with understanding
so you can understand what a lost
875
:upon what the al is saying to you.
876
:Yes, translations are not
always the best, we know that.
877
:But the point is you
have to read the Quran.
878
:I always tell like people, when I give
people shout or students, if they have
879
:difficulties, like even if you just read
three to five ayat a day, 10 ayat a day.
880
:You don't have to read the Quran.
881
:It's good if you can read the Quran
in a month or week or whatever.
882
:even like when people struggle to read
the Quran during Ramadan, it's like
883
:the important things that you read.
884
:Take some iops and read every day.
885
:Have a, if you recite, have a recitation
that you engage with every day.
886
:Even if you don't pick up the physical
must-haves the physical copy of the Koran
887
:every day, you still have some type of
connection to the Koran where you're
888
:engaging with it on a regular basis.
889
:It's very important, like I said,
even if it's just three, is if you
890
:only know, Qul huwa Allahu Ahad, surah
al-falaq and surah an-Nas recite those
891
:constantly all the time throughout
the day, outside of the prayer.
892
:It doesn't have to be this in the
prayer, but do it constantly so you can
893
:develop a relationship with the Quran.
894
:Allah will open up things
for you outside of that.
895
:And the third is also salat
ala nabi, sending prayers and
896
:blessings upon the the prophet.
897
:ﷺ We have a very peculiar and
strange thing that people have been
898
:saying in the last few years since
I've been hearing it as a Muslim.
899
:I know they've been saying
it much longer than that.
900
:Some people is that you can give
too much praise to the prophet.
901
:How in the world could you ever give
too much praise to somebody who,
902
:if you don't acknowledge him and
give him his due, a loss of does
903
:not even accept anything from you?
904
:You can't even call yourself a Muslim.
905
:You can say, la ilaha illa'llah.
906
:Okay, but that doesn't make you Muslim.
907
:You have to say,
908
:you cannot leave him out.
909
:If you say, I'm going to pray this
way, and it's totally different
910
:from the way that told us to pray,
Allah will not accept it from you.
911
:Oh, but no, he would not accept it because
you know of him and you rejected him.
912
:You have to make salat ala nabi all
the time like you're talking about.
913
:That's one of the things they say in
some of the books, that if you don't
914
:have a Rabi or a teacher to guide you
on the path, then making Sala a Nabi,
915
:some will say 500 times, some say a
thousand times a day at minimum, is the
916
:way that a law will facilitate an opening
for you to be able to get to that next
917
:stage in your development that you want.
918
:But the point is nonetheless, always
make time to give present and peace
919
:upon the profit solo lawyer was selling.
920
:Because even Allah has told us
921
:Angels,
922
:he commands us in the Quran to do it.
923
:How you gonna sit there and tell somebody,
Hey man, you're doing that too much.
924
:Are you crazy?
925
:What's wrong with you?
926
:You can't do it too much.
927
:It's never enough.
928
:It's never enough.
929
:I don't want to get into, I can
go off on a tangent with that.
930
:you have to love the prophet.
931
:that's the whole point of what I'm saying.
932
:There has to be a love of the prophet.
933
:There has to be a love of Islam.
934
:Yes, prayer is, can be tedious if
you're going through the day and
935
:you're working and things are moving
and grooving and everything happening.
936
:But guess what?
937
:Yes.
938
:If you in the airport and they looking at
you and you got to pray, but guess what?
939
:You got to pray anyway.
940
:It's not gonna stop nothing.
941
:And the law's not gonna say, okay, you
excused that you didn't pray because
942
:you didn't want people looking at you.
943
:That's not gonna be a valid
excuse on Yama Hammer, pray.
944
:Quran and never stop giving s
945
:and honoring him and uplifting him,
whether it's to speech actions or just
946
:having a love for him in your heart.
947
:Those are, you do that and whatever
struggles you're going through,
948
:if it's talking about learning
education, all law is gonna remove
949
:all those burdens out your way.
950
:It may take 20 years, 30 years, 40 years
may take a day, but it's going to happen.
951
:It's facts.
952
:I found nothing better than
salat-ala-nabi and just having that
953
:connection with love of Allah is ou
in this religion because it's Hawk.
954
:This came from Rabbul-izza
you can't deny it.
955
:Even those who deny it can't deny it.
956
:They just don't accept it.
957
:That's what it means to be
Catholic, that you reject it, you
958
:know the truth, and you reject
959
:Tariq: it anyway, I am always glad
when people make that distinction.
960
:Kuer isn't just disbelief.
961
:It's knowing the truth and rejecting it.
962
:The root meaning Kafara or to cover.
963
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Right, right.
964
:Tariq: It really drives that home
and I think that has to always be in
965
:the context of when we are talking
about that it is an intentional
966
:obscuring of what you know to be true.
967
:Alright.
968
:Let's shift gears a bit.
969
:Tell us a bit about EP three consulting.
970
:What is it, what inspired it?
971
:What are you hoping to achieve through it?
972
:Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: that's a, in
some ways it's a dream of mine is just
973
:really a means of me being able to
have a professional outlet to engage
974
:with people and share my ideas, the
things I've learned over the years.
975
:Yes.
976
:Even though I did run the streets
and do a lot of crazy things.
977
:My mother started another of nonprofits
over the years, family I've participated
978
:in starting programs, running programs,
all of that stuff, even in the midst of
979
:my, disobedience, and again, having that
desire to help and work with people and
980
:knowing, I work for the nonprofit mah and
I'm working in a space where we're dealing
981
:with the religion and teaching, man.
982
:Got to eat.
983
:You got family to take care of.
984
:insha'Allah, Allah will allow that to
become something one day that would
985
:allow me to continue doing what I'm doing
and support the work that I'm doing.
986
:that's the other thing.
987
:I'm not very big on the 5 0 1 C3 model.
988
:I think Muslims need to
be much more dynamic and,
989
:self-sustaining and business-minded.
990
:Yes, the work of the law should
not be something that brings
991
:charge or burden to the people.
992
:Also within that, you have to find a
way to support yourself in the work that
993
:you're doing without continuing to come
to the people asking them to help you.
994
:Because people start resenting that
after a while, I shouldn't have to
995
:have X number of fundraisers every year
to support the work that I'm doing.
996
:I should have means of doing
that and supporting the work.
997
:And then I can come to people with
projects, Hey, we are trying to do this.
998
:Help us do this.
999
:We got these people that
we are trying to help here.
:
00:56:16,572 --> 00:56:17,472
Help us with this here.
:
00:56:17,712 --> 00:56:21,732
But in terms of like operating costs,
administrative costs for institutions, we
:
00:56:21,732 --> 00:56:24,942
need to be more conscious about how we're
going to be able to do that for ourselves.
:
00:56:25,242 --> 00:56:29,292
Restaurants, clothing, any number
of different things that we can do
:
00:56:29,502 --> 00:56:32,052
within the community and build it up.
:
00:56:32,112 --> 00:56:36,452
This is what the walk served for all
of our institutions like with, and
:
00:56:36,452 --> 00:56:39,372
all of the different, institutions
of learning that we've had in
:
00:56:39,372 --> 00:56:40,902
our community over the centuries.
:
00:56:41,322 --> 00:56:45,107
All of these were supported by
endowments, if you will, the walk that.
:
00:56:46,257 --> 00:56:48,807
Wealthy people within the
community put up and supported.
:
00:56:49,167 --> 00:56:52,137
Even like within terms of how we
support our scholars nowadays.
:
00:56:52,137 --> 00:56:55,137
people say, oh, well Abu Hanifa
and them didn't ask anything.
:
00:56:55,137 --> 00:56:56,487
Abu Hanifa had a business.
:
00:56:56,487 --> 00:56:57,477
He was a wealthy man.
:
00:56:57,807 --> 00:57:01,077
He paid for his students'
education in a number of instances.
:
00:57:01,377 --> 00:57:02,547
he sold fabrics.
:
00:57:02,607 --> 00:57:03,507
he was very well off.
:
00:57:03,507 --> 00:57:04,317
He didn't need anything.
:
00:57:04,317 --> 00:57:07,857
So yes, he didn't have to ask anybody for
nothing because he gave her what he had.
:
00:57:08,187 --> 00:57:11,577
Those who did not have wealth, at one
point in time, Allah gave them wealth
:
00:57:11,787 --> 00:57:17,317
and they used it fe, But at the same
time, the community made sure that
:
00:57:17,317 --> 00:57:21,217
they had what they needed and they
didn't allow them to be distracted
:
00:57:21,757 --> 00:57:25,477
from their daily bread if they were
ones who needed to have some support.
:
00:57:25,477 --> 00:57:27,247
So that's what the walk came in.
:
00:57:27,787 --> 00:57:29,527
Yes, they had salaries and everything.
:
00:57:29,527 --> 00:57:32,047
They didn't have to worry about
charging students to come learn
:
00:57:32,317 --> 00:57:35,887
because all of that was provided
for, and they were provided for, and
:
00:57:35,887 --> 00:57:37,087
they were able to live their life.
:
00:57:37,087 --> 00:57:37,447
So they.
:
00:57:37,747 --> 00:57:40,417
That's part of one of the
reasons why I have EP three.
:
00:57:40,417 --> 00:57:43,527
I wanted to be able to, insha'Allah have
something that could support the work.
:
00:57:43,527 --> 00:57:47,562
'cause I have other things that I want
to do as Allah allows me to, insha'Allah.
:
00:57:47,602 --> 00:57:51,482
But, that, that was the whole thing behind
that consulting and community development.
:
00:57:52,142 --> 00:57:56,972
And, this having a means of being able
to sustain myself so I can do this
:
00:57:56,972 --> 00:58:00,452
work because this is it, this is it.
:
00:58:00,692 --> 00:58:04,532
Tariq: Well, may Allah make it easy
for you and continue to bless your
:
00:58:04,532 --> 00:58:06,302
efforts to uplift and build community.
:
00:58:07,752 --> 00:58:07,902
I Amen.
:
00:58:07,902 --> 00:58:08,022
Ameen.
:
00:58:08,022 --> 00:58:08,172
Ameen.
:
00:58:08,212 --> 00:58:11,762
My final question for you, Seth,
you mentioned as well as I did,
:
00:58:11,762 --> 00:58:15,542
that we had the opportunity to
take a class together last October.
:
00:58:16,352 --> 00:58:20,242
Even though you're at Catholic
Theological, union, what has
:
00:58:20,242 --> 00:58:24,112
been your experience and overall
impression of Bayan Islamic
:
00:58:24,112 --> 00:58:26,362
graduate school and what it offers?
:
00:58:26,992 --> 00:58:27,412
Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Well.
:
00:58:28,342 --> 00:58:30,892
I've appreciated the efforts
of Bayan over the years.
:
00:58:31,582 --> 00:58:33,562
I've been following 'em for a
while, since I've been home.
:
00:58:33,832 --> 00:58:35,782
I've been using the, online platform.
:
00:58:36,772 --> 00:58:39,172
I have a subscription to that
for a number of years now.
:
00:58:39,172 --> 00:58:41,822
Although I don't use it as much as
I would like to, doing so many other
:
00:58:41,822 --> 00:58:45,273
different things, but I access it
nonetheless throughout the year.
:
00:58:45,278 --> 00:58:46,112
Tariq: That's bayan on demand.
:
00:58:46,112 --> 00:58:47,642
Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin:
Some of the different Yes.
:
00:58:47,642 --> 00:58:51,882
The band on demand that they put up
and, I've always was interested in that.
:
00:58:51,882 --> 00:58:59,787
And just to give a, a side, I had
actually applied for Bay and I, I applied
:
00:58:59,787 --> 00:59:01,527
for bay the first part of last summer.
:
00:59:01,737 --> 00:59:07,827
After graduation, I was asked
to apply and bylaws, decree.
:
00:59:08,037 --> 00:59:12,237
There were some, small things that didn't
get done with the application in time.
:
00:59:12,237 --> 00:59:15,477
I had a couple of letters that didn't
come in time before the deadline
:
00:59:17,187 --> 00:59:21,077
and, I went with it, but then at the
same time, I went to go do something.
:
00:59:21,647 --> 00:59:29,187
in the summer and I met, brother one from
CTU Catholic Theological, and he asked
:
00:59:29,187 --> 00:59:30,657
me to apply for their program as well.
:
00:59:30,657 --> 00:59:33,567
So I told him, Hey, I applied for
Bayan, but you know, I didn't get a
:
00:59:33,567 --> 00:59:35,127
couple of my reference studies in time.
:
00:59:35,547 --> 00:59:38,007
They still review my
application, but I don't know.
:
00:59:38,907 --> 00:59:46,347
And lo and behold, I got, accepted to
both programs, but CTU had a scholarship
:
00:59:46,917 --> 00:59:50,157
because I was gonna have to try to figure
out how to pay for the Bay and Program.
:
00:59:50,457 --> 00:59:51,537
So that was why.
:
00:59:51,537 --> 00:59:55,167
But I always, I told them when I got
there, I was like, so they told me it
:
00:59:55,167 --> 00:59:58,797
was part of the Consortium of Theological
Schools in, in the Chicago land area.
:
00:59:59,037 --> 01:00:01,827
I can cross register, which is what I did.
:
01:00:01,827 --> 01:00:04,237
And I was able to get into
that class 'cause, Dr.
:
01:00:04,567 --> 01:00:06,277
Ham law preserve him.
:
01:00:06,667 --> 01:00:07,807
I wanted to follow him.
:
01:00:07,807 --> 01:00:11,527
Well, 'cause me, and I know Sheikh
Jahad Brown for a long time.
:
01:00:12,157 --> 01:00:13,867
He's a resident scholar of that band.
:
01:00:14,527 --> 01:00:15,817
And I met him.
:
01:00:16,177 --> 01:00:16,837
In Chicago.
:
01:00:16,837 --> 01:00:18,267
That first job was with Sheikh Rami.
:
01:00:20,017 --> 01:00:23,907
And, so me and him had connected for
a while and I had been doing the,
:
01:00:23,907 --> 01:00:27,447
the course readings with him that
he was doing the, I can't remember
:
01:00:27,447 --> 01:00:28,377
what they called the program.
:
01:00:28,587 --> 01:00:33,377
But I went through, a couple of books
when I did, Sheikh Muhammad Hitu, Khalas.
:
01:00:33,897 --> 01:00:38,637
And then we went through on the Jawhara
I went through those two books with
:
01:00:38,637 --> 01:00:42,397
him through that, program the Bayan was
doing with the seminary text readings.
:
01:00:42,877 --> 01:00:47,467
again, the work of working with Muslim
supporting Muslims and building up
:
01:00:47,467 --> 01:00:49,177
the community, that's what it is.
:
01:00:49,867 --> 01:00:54,037
despite whatever people are saying
nowadays, it's a tremendous opportunity
:
01:00:54,037 --> 01:00:55,837
for Muslims in this country to do Dawa.
:
01:00:56,407 --> 01:00:56,767
Tariq: That's right.
:
01:00:57,367 --> 01:00:57,877
Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Yes.
:
01:00:57,877 --> 01:00:57,937
I.
:
01:00:58,402 --> 01:00:59,902
Our cousins are crazy right now.
:
01:01:00,002 --> 01:01:01,052
they showing themselves.
:
01:01:01,052 --> 01:01:03,452
They, they, they acting
good and crazy right now.
:
01:01:03,452 --> 01:01:04,082
We know that.
:
01:01:04,382 --> 01:01:05,462
We knew they was crazy.
:
01:01:05,822 --> 01:01:07,592
That's other people just
learning that they crazy.
:
01:01:07,652 --> 01:01:08,762
We knew they was crazy.
:
01:01:09,392 --> 01:01:11,072
we were telling you for a long time.
:
01:01:11,072 --> 01:01:12,092
Them people was crazy.
:
01:01:12,512 --> 01:01:14,663
Now you, just finding out, okay,
:
01:01:14,663 --> 01:01:14,873
Tariq: that's right.
:
01:01:16,013 --> 01:01:17,093
Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin:
It's going to be all right.
:
01:01:17,363 --> 01:01:19,013
They going to calm down in a little while.
:
01:01:19,043 --> 01:01:22,523
'cause after a while they aunties and
their uncles and they, granddaddy, they
:
01:01:22,523 --> 01:01:23,963
gonna tell 'em, you better sit down.
:
01:01:24,293 --> 01:01:25,223
You're going too far.
:
01:01:25,553 --> 01:01:27,773
And they going to, they gonna
shut it down in a little while.
:
01:01:28,583 --> 01:01:28,943
Yeah.
:
01:01:29,513 --> 01:01:33,023
But you know, we have work
to do in this country.
:
01:01:33,533 --> 01:01:33,923
whatever.
:
01:01:33,923 --> 01:01:38,333
They talk about Sharia law or they,
okay, whatever we talking about, God,
:
01:01:38,333 --> 01:01:40,283
we talking about salvation of souls.
:
01:01:40,283 --> 01:01:42,263
Right now it's work to be done.
:
01:01:44,183 --> 01:01:47,513
Whoever's facilitating the work,
we may not agree on all the points
:
01:01:47,513 --> 01:01:51,743
about how to get things done or this,
that, and the third, but as long
:
01:01:51,743 --> 01:01:56,573
as we don't divert from the central
component of the work, which is KA law,
:
01:02:00,323 --> 01:02:01,643
everything else will work itself out.
:
01:02:03,263 --> 01:02:03,713
Tariq: That's right.
:
01:02:03,803 --> 01:02:04,673
Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin:
But get the work done.
:
01:02:05,303 --> 01:02:05,783
Tariq: That's right.
:
01:02:07,133 --> 01:02:11,753
And that kind of environment where
human dignity is preserved, protected,
:
01:02:11,753 --> 01:02:17,273
and promoted, that allows us to
embrace plurality without fear of some
:
01:02:17,273 --> 01:02:19,163
oppress arising up from amongst us.
:
01:02:19,463 --> 01:02:19,734
Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Right, right.
:
01:02:19,784 --> 01:02:24,743
Tariq: Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin
thank you for sharing your time
:
01:02:24,743 --> 01:02:25,948
and your wisdom with us today.
:
01:02:26,588 --> 01:02:26,908
Ustadh Abdul Muhaymin: Alhamdullilah
:
01:02:26,928 --> 01:02:27,148
Tariq: to
:
01:02:27,148 --> 01:02:29,228
our listeners, thank you for tuning in.
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Peace.
:
01:03:22,388 --> 01:03:24,158
That's my thought and
I'm putting it out there.
:
01:03:24,698 --> 01:03:26,538
I'm your host, Imam Tariq El-Amin.
:
01:03:26,948 --> 01:03:28,538
I leave you as I greeted you.
:
01:03:29,918 --> 01:03:32,258
May the peace that only
God can give be upon you.
