This is man accepted Islam
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00:00I witness, no God, but Allah, and Mohammedan, Messenger of Allah.
00:10May Allah bless you all.
00:21In recent years, a growing number of young Americans have been drawn to Islam,
00:26sparking curiosity and debate about the factors driving this cultural shift.
00:32While the reasons for conversion are multifaceted and varied,
00:36it is evident that Islam exerts a significant influence on the lives of these individuals,
00:43offering a compelling alternative to traditional Western values and beliefs.
00:49Join us as we embark on a journey to explore the complexities of this phenomenon
00:55and uncover the profound influence of Islam on the lives of these individuals.
01:05But before we do it, Alberto, just tell them something about what you told me in the office,
01:08what attracted you to Islam. You could take off your mask a little bit.
01:12Look at that beautiful smile, by the way.
01:15Well, I am accepting Islam because my brother, when he accepted Islam,
01:25he talked to me about the Quran from Islam.
01:32So I was attracted because all that it says in the Quran, it was very attractive to my heart, yes.
01:48It was very nice when I read it.
01:53I feel much better and it also made me cry.
02:01Of course, he's under pressure and he told me a beautiful story.
02:07So, you know, every time he used to read the Quran, he used to cry, subhanAllah.
02:11And he, you know, is just a, you know, not even a Muslim,
02:15but just like Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said, like we said last week,
02:18this Quran enters the hearts because it's from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
02:22So, alhamdulillah rabbil alameen. Are you ready?
02:24Yes, I'm ready.
02:25Sure? Alright, bismillah.
02:26So let's do the Arabic first, okay?
02:28I agree.
02:30Allah.
02:32Ilaha.
02:34Allah.
02:36Wa.
02:38Anna.
02:41Muhammadan.
02:43Rasuluhu.
02:45Allah.
02:47Takbir.
02:49Takbir.
02:51But to me, it looks like the way it was practiced before.
02:54This was so perfect.
02:55This was so perfect.
02:57Alright.
02:58I bear witness.
02:59I bear witness.
03:00That.
03:01That.
03:02There is none worthy of worship.
03:04There is none worthy of worship.
03:06Except.
03:07Except.
03:08Allah.
03:09Allah.
03:10And I bear witness.
03:11And I bear witness.
03:12That Muhammad.
03:13That Muhammad.
03:14Peace be upon him.
03:15Peace be upon him.
03:16Is his final messenger.
03:17Is his final messenger.
03:19Takbir.
03:20MashaAllah.
03:21MashaAllah.
03:25Today, I'm sharing a personal story on how this.
03:30Turned me into this.
03:36Yes.
03:38I converted to Islam.
03:39The scale of the universe.
03:40The oceans.
03:41The jungles.
03:43The animals.
03:44Big.
03:45Small.
03:46How did this all came to place?
03:48What are we?
03:49What is the meaning of life?
03:50So, even with these Muslim friends around me.
03:53In the beginning, my interest was not really focused on the religion itself.
03:57It was more their way of life.
03:58The brotherhood.
03:59The love.
04:00And respect that slowly shifted my focus to the religion that instilled these traits in them.
04:06Still without the idea of thinking I would ever become a Muslim.
04:10And this was because I always had the idea that religion was like an old fairy tale that already was disproven by science.
04:17But the more and more I started digging into it.
04:19The more I realized I was completely wrong.
04:22So, first of all, God.
04:24Or Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
04:26As we Muslims call it.
04:28Is not just a man sitting somewhere in the clouds with a magic wand.
04:32It's an indescribable force.
04:34The singular and all-compassing power behind the creation what we see around us.
04:39And science proves that even the chair that I'm sitting on right now.
04:42Is made of enormously small and fast-moving atoms.
04:46This is called quantum mechanics.
04:47And if these electronics in it would stop moving.
04:50Atoms would become unstable.
04:52And I would not be able to sit on this chair.
04:55But what is the thing that makes these atoms move?
04:57And stay in its position?
04:59You see? What is this force?
05:01But I'll not dive too deep into this.
05:04Since this video is meant to share my experience.
05:06Not to convince you.
05:08So, long story short.
05:10For every question I asked.
05:12I received a powerful answer when digging more into Islam.
05:14And when people nowadays ask me why I became religious.
05:18I always say two reasons.
05:20One, for the rules and the way of living in this worldly life.
05:24We call it Dunya in Arabic.
05:26And two, the hereafter called Akhira.
05:29So, let's start with the second one.
05:31All life is a test.
05:33This is something we can't argue about.
05:35It doesn't matter if you want to become the greatest sportsman alive.
05:38Or just live a normal safe life.
05:40We all have to deal with negative experiences.
05:41We all have to deal with our emotions.
05:43Our desires.
05:45We will lose people we care about.
05:47Natural disasters.
05:49And so on.
05:51We all strive for an abundant life.
05:53Yet, 1 out of 10 people have a burnout.
05:5590% of the adults are too stressed.
05:57So, whatever you do.
05:59You will never be 100% satisfied with this life.
06:01Because you will be constantly tested.
06:03I mean, if you're lucky.
06:05You will live 70, maybe 80 years on this planet.
06:07It's gone before you know.
06:09It's a matter of time.
06:11The clock is ticking.
06:13So do mine.
06:15Shouldn't there be more than just this?
06:17At least, I would like to believe that.
06:21Many people are sending emails, messages, in person.
06:24They see you.
06:26I want to be Muslim.
06:28What do I do?
06:30What is the procedure?
06:32The procedure is minor.
06:34Ibrahim, what did he say?
06:36He entered the fold of submission completely.
06:38By declaring, I face my face to the one who made me
06:39and the heavens and the earth alone.
06:41And I will never render an act of worship
06:43for anyone or anything besides him.
06:45That was entering the fold of faith.
06:47Submission.
06:49So, he said,
06:54That's his declaration of faith.
07:00I bear witness that there is none worthy
07:02of any act of worship,
07:04be it big or small,
07:06besides the one who made me.
07:07That's faith.
07:09No religion can ever debate this.
07:11Because the one who made me
07:13is the only one who I can put my head on the ground
07:15and say, oh you who made me,
07:17you are the greatest, you are the highest.
07:19Oh you who gives me, sustains me,
07:21controls everything, who cures me,
07:23who does whatever he wants with me.
07:25You are the highest.
07:27We repeat that statement
07:29so many times a day,
07:31every time we are in prostration.
07:33Subhanallah.
07:35When you want to enter the fold of Islam
07:37when you want to enter Islam
07:39and the reason I have to say this,
07:41you will have someone come to you,
07:43I want to be Muslim.
07:45Be careful, don't shun them.
07:47Don't shun them.
07:49Talk to them, bring them, ask them
07:51if they know the pillars of faith.
07:53Number one, I only want to worship
07:55my maker and my maker alone.
07:57Number two, I bear witness that
07:59Muhammad peace be upon him
08:01is a messenger and a prophet of Allah.
08:03Bear witness that Muhammad peace be upon him
08:05is the final messenger of Allah
08:07and already you're a Muslim.
08:09Entry level, you've come in.
08:11That statement, the prophet Muhammad
08:13peace be upon him says,
08:15it is so heavy in the scale of good deeds
08:17that on the day of judgment
08:19if you have 99 files full of bad deeds,
08:22each file from the east to the west
08:24and on the other hand you have
08:26one time that statement of
08:28I bear witness there is none
08:30worthy of worship besides Allah
08:32and that Muhammad peace be upon him
08:34is his messenger,
08:35those in the eyes of Allah.
08:37For as long as you are genuine,
08:39may Allah grant us acceptance even once.
08:41One of the key factors
08:43contributing to the rise of Islam
08:45among young Americans
08:47is the profound influence
08:49of Islamic teachings and values.
08:51Islam encompasses a comprehensive
08:53world view that addresses
08:55not only spiritual matters
08:57but also ethical and moral dimensions of life.
09:00The emphasis on justice,
09:02compassion and social responsibility
09:05resonates deeply with many young people
09:08who are searching for meaning and purpose
09:10in a complex and often chaotic world.
09:13From the intricate patterns
09:15of Islamic architecture
09:17to the haunting melodies of Islamic music,
09:19the aesthetic allure of Islam
09:21captivates the imagination
09:23and inspires a sense of wonder.
09:29As you mentioned,
09:31in the minds of some Americans
09:33after 9-11,
09:35the religion of Islam
09:37was associated with
09:39maybe you could say evil in the world,
09:41maybe you can say terrorism.
09:44How can you respond to this association?
09:46How does it make you feel,
09:48first of all,
09:50as a devout Muslim yourself
09:52and how can you overcome it personally?
09:54How can you overcome it as a community
09:56and as a religious leader?
09:58It's interesting because 9-11 now,
10:00we're talking over 21 years ago,
10:02you know, unfortunately
10:03this is a country that has
10:05not just, you know,
10:07taken greater shape
10:09in media constructions of Islam,
10:12but also policies, right?
10:14A lot of the civil liberties
10:16of the Muslim community
10:18were taken away from us.
10:20You read about the Patriot Act,
10:22you read about the securitization
10:24of the Muslim community
10:26and some of the unfair practices
10:28that have been engaged
10:30by the Bush administration,
10:31international Islamophobia.
10:33And so,
10:35the hatred of Muslims
10:37and the bigotry
10:39that is wielded against
10:41Muslims on the basis
10:43of this idea that we are
10:45a barbaric people
10:47not ascribed to a religion
10:49of hate and violence
10:52has had immediate
10:54consequences for us
10:56no matter where we are
10:58in terms of our age
10:59in terms of our experience.
11:01We have dealt with that
11:02in different ways.
11:04Now, the association
11:06of Islam to terrorism
11:08is a lazy association.
11:10It's one that ignores
11:12both
11:14the history of violence
11:16as well as its everyday occurrence.
11:18You know, we're good
11:20for how many mass shootings a year?
11:22When's the last time you heard
11:24of a Muslim carrying out
11:26a mass shooting in America?
11:27How many mass shootings
11:29if you were to scrub
11:30the social media?
11:31What, 400, 500
11:32mass shootings a year?
11:34If you were to scrub
11:35the social media of some
11:36of those that carried out
11:37those shootings?
11:38You know, we're good
11:39for one or two idiots a year,
11:40right?
11:41It's unfortunate that
11:42you're going to have people
11:43that carry out
11:45despicable acts of violence.
11:47But when we as Muslims
11:49hear someone in the media say
11:51terrorism has been ruled out
11:53as a possibility
11:55while the blood is still
11:56boiling at Walmart,
11:57we already know that
11:58the police chief just said
11:59that wasn't a Muslim.
12:00Don't worry.
12:02Islam provides a sense
12:04of community and belonging
12:06that is particularly appealing
12:08to young Americans.
12:10In a society marked by
12:11individualism and isolation,
12:13the communal aspects of Islam
12:16offer a supportive network
12:18of like-minded individuals
12:20who share common beliefs
12:21and values.
12:22Mosques serve as hubs
12:24of social activity,
12:25providing spaces for prayer,
12:27study and fellowship,
12:29where friendships are formed
12:31and bonds are strengthened.
12:33Islamic culture and traditions
12:35also play a significant role
12:37in attracting young Americans
12:39to the faith.
12:41From the rich tapestry
12:42of Islamic art and architecture
12:44to the vibrant sounds
12:46of Islamic music and poetry,
12:48the aesthetic appeal of Islam
12:50captivates the imagination
12:52and inspires a sense
12:54of awe and wonder.
12:56Moreover, the emphasis
12:58on modesty and simplicity
13:00in Islamic dress and lifestyle
13:02offers an alternative
13:04to the consumerist culture
13:06prevalent in Western society.
13:08Furthermore,
13:10the global interconnectedness
13:12facilitated by technology
13:14has made it easier
13:16for young Americans
13:18to access information about Islam
13:20and engage with Muslim communities
13:21around the world.
13:23Through social media platforms,
13:25online forums
13:27and educational websites,
13:29young people can learn
13:31about Islamic beliefs and practices,
13:33engage in dialogue with Muslims
13:35and explore their own
13:37spiritual journeys
13:39in a digital age.
13:41In addition to these influences,
13:43the political and social climate
13:45of the post-911 era
13:47has also played a role
13:49in shaping perceptions of Islam
13:51among young Americans.
13:53The rise of Islamophobia
13:55and xenophobia
13:57has led many to question
13:59mainstream narratives about Islam
14:01and seek alternative sources
14:03of information and understanding.
14:05For some,
14:07converting to Islam
14:09is a form of resistance
14:11against bigotry and prejudice,
14:13a way of reclaiming their identity
14:15and asserting their dignity
14:17as human beings.
14:19The journey of faith
14:21is transformative,
14:23shaped by a complex interplay
14:25of religious, cultural
14:27and socio-political factors.
14:29Islamic teachings and values
14:31resonate with the spiritual
14:33and ethical concerns
14:35of young people seeking meaning
14:37and purpose in their lives.
14:40The sense of community
14:42and belonging
14:44offered by Islam
14:46provides a refuge
14:48from the isolation
14:50Moreover,
14:52the aesthetic appeal
14:54of Islamic culture
14:56and traditions
14:58captivates the imagination
15:00and inspires a sense of wonder.
15:02As young Americans
15:04continue to explore
15:06and embrace Islam,
15:08it is essential
15:10to foster an environment
15:12of understanding,
15:14acceptance and inclusivity
15:16where diverse religious beliefs
15:17are embraced.