Latest / After Maghrib 🌙 / Its time for us to WAKE UP - ft. Husayn & Kazim

Transcript

Its time for us to WAKE UP - ft. Husayn & Kazim · After Maghrib 🌙

0:00
Salaam Walaikum off the Maghrib I'm.
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Good. I'm good.
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And in someone who's probably not used to this position but is
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very used to the studio. Ahmed Goku as our guest.
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Hello. Hello, Salaam Alaikum.
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How are you? Thank you for having me.
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No problem. No problem, man.
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How are you guys doing? I'm good.
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Thank you for having us. We're it's our honour to join.
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You're in the hot seat now I'm you could argue I am, but just
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like just to say hi and welcome to you guys and everyone at
0:47
home. Salaam walaikum.
0:48
Welcome back to aftermarket rib. If you're new to the channel,
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make sure you subscribe. Every week we have a brand new
0:52
conversation, important topics, amazing conversations that come
0:56
out, but today I'm relinquished of my hosting duties and I'm
1:00
handing over to my brothers, although we're going to have an
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informal chat. We've got a lot to talk about.
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There's been a lot of developments in the last few
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days in the Shia world and at the same time I think just
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ripple effects for us to take a note of for as youth in the Shia
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community. I do miss dearly.
1:16
My brother said I need other we who is not in town at the
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moment. He's gone for Ammara and we pray
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Shala, his Kabul and all his Hajjat are grantees.
1:25
Armala accepted inshallah, but Kazem and Yahya.
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He couldn't help himself, Roy, you see that?
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I can't help him. Bro, he had to help it.
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Oh yeah. For those of you wondering that
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you may think that us and Ahmed are strangers, we are no
1:39
strangers. And in fact, Ahmed used to be
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our madressa teacher. He used to teach us in Hodjet
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Madressa. Yeah, 9 so 5-6 years ago now.
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Yeah, more than that, longer, yeah, Yeah more than that.
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And he was with his better half at that time.
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Damji as as our Co teachers. And Ahmed how do you remember us
2:01
as students? How?
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Do you, how do I remember your students?
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Do you know what I taught? Teaching was like one of the
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funnest things I did. It was in Charlotte.
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Soon I had the opportunity. I'll restart Charlotte.
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However, I had like four or five classes which I taught or maybe
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less. Yeah, probably four or five
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different year groups. And I remember your class the
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best for the right and the wrong reason.
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No, you guys are great, Marshall.
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I loved it. You guys were shining examples.
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There's a reason why I've asked you to come here today.
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I think you are exemplary. And I think you have a big
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future as a generation, as a group of brothers.
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Like your age group are incredible.
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And what you've done since then, in the last 6-7 years, I think
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it's been has been incredible. So yeah, man.
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Yeah. It's fun.
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Well, it's not always been shiny examples, though, and I'll give
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you one one memory that really stuck with me.
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OK, you guys, you remember they used to make us put our phones
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so in mother. So we had to put our phones on
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the table, right, because we got to the age everyone had phones
3:02
and stuff and people were checking the messages.
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So you and. Go on.
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Actually do a live. Demo yeah, yeah.
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So you and MG used to make us put our phone on the table.
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You're like no distractions. Yeah.
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And so I wasn't even trying to do, trying to look on my phone
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last thing, but I wanted to like, you know, kind of wind me
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up. Yeah.
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So then me and a couple other guys shout out to Kai and also a
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couple of the guys from the class.
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We used to stare out the window here.
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And you go, why you're looking at the window.
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We're like, that's more interesting than your class.
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Yeah. No, Yeah.
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And they were like, it doesn't matter what you make us put on
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the table. We'll find a way to be
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distracted. Oh, you also coordinated alarms
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bro. Every single person in the class
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with. You and Don G No, no with with I
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don't. Think.
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I don't think you did that. I think you didn't do that with
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me. It coordinated alarms for 15
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minutes and then you should have seen Don G's face when single
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phone in the in the class time every.
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Single at. The same time, yeah.
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By the way, it's not because now he's a teacher, but he
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understands exactly what he's put these kids through, put
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these teachers through. I think there's no endorsements
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here. Shout out to Mohammed Damji,
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man, my brother, we love him, I'm sure.
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And he's doing, he's still doing incredible work with with I'm
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sure he is of the community in London.
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And he set up with a few other brothers a mentoring scheme.
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I believe he has now 40 mentors each.
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You look after three youth, if I'm not mistaken, right?
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But now he's much he's he's. Vice Principal.
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Vice principal. Yeah, exactly.
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If you guys are interested or if you want to know what on earth
4:27
we're talking about, go back to on aftermarket search D AM Ji
4:31
yeah, Dante. He's a good friend of ours.
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He did a podcast year on leadership in the Muslim world
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and how to be a strong leader in the Muslim community, which I
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think to be honest, is more pertinent now than ever.
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Do you know what I mean? So I want to ask you guys, look,
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let's let's kind of get stuck in we, of course.
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Look, it's been it's been a turbulent few weeks for the Shia
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around the world. It goes without saying that
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first of all, it's like it wouldn't be right to have any
5:04
conversation without referencing and commemorating those who have
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lost their lives, the Montmini, the Mont Minards, those who are
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facing oppression in Iran, in Lebanon particularly, who are,
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who are shining examples, I think to many of us on how to
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maintain the suburb and to Waqul in a time where only Allah knows
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what trials are coming towards you.
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And furthermore, to those oppressors who are utilizing the
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most heinous tactics of war, bombing desalina, tion plants,
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power plants, infrastructure, schools, hospitals, bridges,
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nurseries, orphanages, churches, synagogues, mosques, the whole
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lot. And continuing to relentlessly,
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I think, apply pressure, political, economic, military
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pressure onto a group of people, nearly 100 million people in
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Iran and Lebanon combined. And I think that's something for
6:00
us to take note of. Now, obviously, this
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conversation is not political. We're not going to go into kind
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of the the facts at the moment, ever changing day by day.
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However, we recently went aftermarket to put out a post as
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to what we feel are priorities for Muslims in the West and
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particularly youth. So just to start off, I wanted
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to ask you guys this conversation, yes, because you
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guys are hosting as well. So what do you guys feel are the
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biggest priorities now, especially facing young Muslims
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in the West who right now feel disoriented.
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They may feel a sense of overwhelmingness.
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They might feel confusion and perhaps a lack of ambition as to
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continue their day-to-day lives while while having consciousness
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as to how other Muslims have kind of not just Muslims, but
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people are suffering in the world around them.
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Yeah. So I think first of all, like
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the last few weeks, like my Telegram screen time is like
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through the roof. I think it's just to see we kind
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of because we're not there, we're not on the front lines.
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I feel like we kind of displace ourselves from this conflict.
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And then what we tend to do through that is we kind of think
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that we have no purpose or no power or no responsibility in
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these times. You know, like when we see like
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the scale of death and also the scale of willingness to die for
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a 'cause that's greater than yourself and to have that
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strength of principle. I think first of all, like we
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have to carry on feeling, you know, we can't allow ourselves
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to be desensitized or forget or like, or like the sacrifice and
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what they're doing for us as Shia.
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I think that's for me. That's what I've taken.
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And like seeing people standing and standing and making human
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bridges in front of power plants because they fear, they don't
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fear death. You know, they're willing to put
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everything at risk for these, for these, for their principles,
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for their God. And, you know, primarily that
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that really shocked me. Yeah.
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Yeah. You know, actually I had an
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interaction with someone from a different community, and this
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was in the heat of the, you know, Ramadan events and all of
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the stuff that was happening. And we spoke and he kind of gave
8:06
me a very comforting comment. You know, he said, listen, a lot
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of the times when things are going up in the air, when things
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are turbulent, you're wondering how it's going to go and how
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it's going to end. And, you know, all of these
8:18
things, right? Like, oh, my God, this is the
8:20
end. Oh my God, this is, you know,
8:22
how we're ever going to come back from this.
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You said the difference with this story is that you don't
8:28
know exactly in detail the turn of how the events are going to
8:31
go. But what do you know?
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You know the ending. You know the ending.
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So in the contrast to all of the other calamities that might
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befall us, yeah, as an ummah, as as, as a nation of Muslims,
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right. We have to be patient in these
8:44
times, and the comfort is that we know what's going to happen
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in the end, right? All of these things are a test
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on our trust in Allah, right? We have to keep being unwavering
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in our support of the truth and injustice of of justice and
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against injustice. But the ending is known to us.
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And I thought that was a very beautiful way to look at it.
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It is, yeah, it really is. Especially as you said, we are
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community, we are family. We are a group of people who are
9:09
born into this faith and what that's one of the biggest things
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we take for granted. You know, being born into Islam
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and particularly being born as a Shia is one of the biggest
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blessings we could ever ask for. Like having that faith in and of
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itself is blessing. Like that's Balaka.
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That means inshallah the the, the Wasila of say the Fatima
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will be with you Inshallah. However, like you said, we know
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what is going to happen at the end.
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We don't know if we'll be alive Charlotte.
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We will be given the opportunity to witness it very soon.
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But we know the footage is coming.
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The relief is coming of all of the awaited Imam is coming.
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The difference is we are a community that looks forward.
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We don't just reflect on the past.
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Allah tells us in the Quran, he says we give you kasos, these
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stories for you to reflect on such that you may learn, right.
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So we've done Inshallah as a community, we do this, we
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reflect, we read the Quran, we read the Hadith, we learn from
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the people before us. Nations have have risen and and
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toppled hundreds of of empires and dynasties have risen and
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fallen over the centuries, over the millennia.
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And what do we see until today's the same empires rise and fall
10:28
and we can see the the decline of particular empires today's
10:32
and hegemonies today. But what we do know, as you
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said, is what's to come Inshallah.
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I think that's probably one of the most important things.
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It's incumbent upon all Muslims, Sunni or Shia, to have belief in
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Imam Al Mahdi. Of course, our belief is that
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the Imam is present is just not apparent to us, right.
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But I feel like that's priority for us.
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Our, you know, speaking to a customer of mine today, actually
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at work and he's, he's half Lebanese, OK.
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He's not Muslim, He's atheist, lovely guy.
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Like he said to me, he said, my family's still in Lebanon.
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What can I do? I can't do anything from here.
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It's impossible for me to do anything.
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And like I thought rose in my mind like, OK, of course there's
11:17
amazing campaigns, organisations who are doing great work.
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And I know you guys have been involved in that stuff as well,
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fundraising, collecting A and so on.
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But beyond that, you have faith. Like you read Dua, you read Dua
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Joshin Sahir, you read Dua Alitagur, read Sutton Fat or
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Sutton Nasal. Like these are solas that you
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read Dua Tuaisal. At times like this, these
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turbulent times where everything seems like there's going to be
11:44
an implosion and ultimately you believe that you know, whatever
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is meant to come is to come. I think so, yeah.
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What's interesting for me like as my personal experience was
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that I saw the like the tweet, you know, I'll end civilization,
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whatever. And I was like, it was very
12:02
scary for me, not because of what?
12:04
Because victory is promised, right, but for me not to have
12:07
been part of the mission. And like the Imam comes and he
12:11
looks at me. He's like, what?
12:12
What good did you do, you know? And it was like a wake up call.
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And a lot of these things, we can see them as symbols for our
12:18
own wake up and our own removal of the veil and like to look for
12:21
because but I was like, what the hell have I been doing?
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So let me ask you guys question here.
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Do you guys feel like, so that I think there's probably what, how
12:28
do you 20/21/20? So this is like 910 years
12:32
between us, right? So do you feel for you guys?
12:35
You have been a Marshall. I know both your parents and you
12:38
know, you come from amazing families, amazing communities,
12:40
smell and reward them and bless them.
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However, do you feel like as a Group, A demographic, do you
12:47
feel like we've been raised, especially for your age group in
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an Imam Mehdi centric community? Honestly, I think that the
12:56
perception, you know, that some people have about Imam and
12:59
Mahdi, especially in the community that we come from,
13:02
sometimes there's never been a very, you know, an overly
13:05
positive outlook, you know, and I see that with a lot of caution
13:09
because I know that no one intends to have to, you know, to
13:12
make that kind of perception of Imam Mahdi.
13:13
But you have, for example, this old ideology that Imam will come
13:19
to establish justice and that's it.
13:20
You know, he will come and he will, you know, do away with the
13:23
people that are bad and and invite the people who are good
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and that's it. There's no room for any other
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like, you know, that's it justice.
13:31
But actually, if you want to understand the beauty of the
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Imam, it's not in the justice, it's in the love and the must
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that he was that he was spread. You see in the time of when the
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Imam comes, that a believer will be like to a believer that when
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he's in need, he doesn't even need to ask, can I take
13:45
something from you? Can I take some money from you?
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He'll be able to put his hand into the other believers pocket
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and take out the whatever he needs and the ability will trust
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that he'll pay back whenever he needs it.
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Do you know what I mean? And we also have hadith where
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obviously this is metaphorical that the the pre will become
14:02
friendly with the predators in nature.
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You know, like to to to that level of Rahman and and
14:09
all-encompassing mercy. So I think that deepening our
14:12
understanding of the reality of that time, of the horror, you
14:16
know, deepening our understanding of what is
14:17
actually going to look like makes us much more in Terdari,
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you know, makes much, much more actively awaiting the Imam.
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Otherwise, if we have this perception, this negative
14:25
perception, then maybe a part of our subconsciously might not
14:28
want actually the Imam to come. Like, no, he's going to reject
14:31
us. So why, why are we praying for
14:32
him to come? But no, it's not going to be
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like that. What do you sorry, what do you
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mean by like negative? Like do you think that we are
14:39
waiting for him to do things that we can't do?
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Like we've become passive in that sense.
14:42
Or would. You put your mic a bit closer.
14:45
Yeah. Yeah, Karen.
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So I think that that the, when I said negative, I don't mean that
14:52
anyone has a negative like for our committee, a negative
14:54
perception of the Imam, but maybe that the perception of
14:57
what life looks like when the Imam comes.
15:00
It's not just exactly, it's not as inviting to the idea of
15:04
Mahaduweya that it should be. You know, it's supposed to be a
15:07
beautiful, inviting ideology. Should we should be like we
15:11
should be waking up every day and saying wow another day
15:14
without the Imam. However, we have a hadith from
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Imam Asada and from Sallallahu Alaihi Ali where we have rawayat
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as a paraphrase where talks, it talks about the the state of the
15:28
beliefs at the time of the Reba Rebus al Qabala, that even
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during the Rabour, the Rabour itself will be sweet and you
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won't feel the absence of the Imam in this period if you have
15:39
two matlab of the Imam. And that's something I think we
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generally as a community, me myself especially included, we
15:45
feel we feel a lack of Matlab and that's my own fault.
15:49
And I feel like as a collective, as a community, it starts from
15:54
like specific also what I'm looking for inception stages and
15:58
then should branch out into a community wide and momentum
16:02
mentality based project. So if the way I see it in my
16:05
mind, and of course, I'm not anyone with any experience or
16:09
expertise, but one thing I have I've had to love been able to do
16:11
over the last two over 150 a 170 episodes on the podcast is try
16:15
and be like a sponge. So to learn from amazing
16:18
scholars and guests. And one thing I've recognized is
16:21
that everything starts from within.
16:24
Our last season of Quran will not change collective.
16:26
This is a condition of society until you change yourself.
16:29
So you start within, you work in your family, your homes and then
16:32
your local communities, your neighbors and so on and your
16:35
branch out. But beyond that as well, it's
16:38
also about having a mindset shift in our day-to-day
16:42
interactions. So for example, with you guys,
16:45
you're in universities, right? You're in absocs based
16:47
societies. I know we've got brothers and
16:49
sisters from around the world who have Absa.
16:52
I think in the US, the big student association, you've got
16:55
the US one as well. Sydney, Australia.
16:57
Australia ones as well. And yeah, and shout Absoc man,
17:00
big love for Absocs over the years, but I feel like like it's
17:05
a good example, right? So if you're talking about
17:07
universities, you've got a hub there where people are their
17:10
primary. The existence, existential
17:12
reason for Absocs existing comes back to being able to impart and
17:20
espouse the values of the athlebe to ayahu Salaam to your
17:22
local communities and your universities.
17:24
How we do that is obviously up for discussion because there are
17:27
people who will take and you know, there's different
17:31
argument. Are you going to do a
17:32
paintballing event or are you going to do a document event or
17:34
are you going to do a gala dinner?
17:36
Of course, there are so many methods and means of, of doing
17:39
that, but my point being is that in every element and facets of
17:43
our day-to-day lives, a marmalade should be our priority
17:46
and our focus. We should be waking up in the
17:49
morning and praying for Bubble Hall, doing dwell.
17:51
I had in the morning and before we sleep doing dwell fall out
17:55
with our kids and do you know what I mean?
17:57
These kind of things so. And I think that, you know, I
17:59
had from a scholar, he gave some advice.
18:02
He was like, you know, no one's saying that make your life doom
18:05
and gloom that oh, you know, like everything should stop
18:07
because their mums not here. No, but he was like they should
18:10
always in a believers heart be a sense of grief and sorrow that I
18:13
am away from and I'm not with my Imam.
18:15
You know, not to say that, oh, don't get married until he
18:19
comes. Don't do any happy.
18:20
No, of course, do all these things because they are Sunnah
18:22
and they are, you know, you have to make believers happy.
18:24
But to say that they should always be this kind of hole in
18:29
your heart. You know, even my my dad, he was
18:33
delivering a series of lectures. He'd been doing it for a couple
18:35
of years, you know, about the Imam and every lecture, the Imam
18:39
you won't hear. If you look up for it two years
18:42
ago, you won't hear. See one lecture that's not on
18:44
the topic of Imam Hadi. Actually one of my boys in a
18:46
very like friendly manner, he came to me.
18:48
He was like, has your dad doesn't know anything about Imam
18:51
Hadi? That's the only thing that he
18:52
studied in HOSA. Like that was I was just started
18:55
laughing like, you know, OK. Then I asked my dad.
18:57
I was like, you know, this is what he's saying as a joke,
18:59
obviously. And when I was like, how can I
19:02
stop before he's come? Is there a reason for me to stop
19:05
reciting 100%? Is there something more
19:08
important than him that I should be speaking about?
19:10
Or have I achieved my purpose and he's here and that I should
19:13
move on to a new topic? He's like, no, this is the only,
19:15
this is the only thing that he, he, he, he was saying that this
19:17
is the most important thing I find to speak about.
19:19
And I think that links very, very well to your point that
19:23
they should always be this, you know, pressing thought in our
19:26
heads that the Imam is not here and we need to do something
19:29
about that, you know. Allah says in the Quran when we
19:33
read an article on where Allah says that people will be called
19:36
with their imams and we go back a few in shout out more than we
19:39
did an episode with our brother Sadiq Damani on this and we we
19:43
spoke in reference to this point.
19:45
When Allah talks about us being called in the afterlife by our
19:49
Imam, do we have metaphor of who our Imam is?
19:53
And one thing I have to mention about your dad, Sheikh Abbas,
19:55
and shout to him. Now, I protect him, preserve
19:58
him. He's incredible.
20:00
And I've heard and I've noticed this myself, that he takes an
20:02
effort to talk about this. And I'd recommend people to
20:06
check out Sheikh Abbas's Miles lectures on Imam Ali, Mehdi, and
20:09
generally speaking, because he does an amazing job.
20:12
But when you look at, for example, your social circles,
20:16
your university circles, how do you feel?
20:19
So I think what I think what's most important is that we have
20:24
to realise the potential that we have as youth and through spaces
20:28
like Absoc. There is like so much change
20:31
that can genuinely be made through these endeavours.
20:34
I think one thing that we tend to do is like we're saying
20:37
we're, we're far from the conflict, far from the front
20:38
lines, then we don't assume any responsibility, right?
20:42
So I mean, we're both been involved in abstocs over the
20:45
last year. Like there are certain goals and
20:48
certain aims that we intended to do through the year of Abstoc,
20:52
for example. So one of those things for, for
20:53
me was to try and build a community of people who are
20:58
willing to go on a journey. So instead of people coming in
21:01
for a specific for, for a social, you use that social as a
21:04
means of building a community that are willing to travel from
21:07
A to B and that can be through like through knowledge.
21:09
Like we had Muhammad Ali came on three-part series about the,
21:14
the, the letter of Imam Mati to yes.
21:17
And like, I think what we can do is 1.
21:21
You're building that community, right?
21:23
Then you're seeing that if that person, you know, we have, like
21:27
you mentioned the Haditha. If someone needs money, you can
21:29
take it from my pocket or damn, you're realising, right?
21:31
Like we, we're kind of immune to sacrifice and we want both
21:36
things. We're not realising that for a
21:38
mathowy community, we need to be able to sacrifice for each other
21:41
like it's our own, you know? And so we try to build our
21:44
community through these events. We try to connect the alumni
21:47
back into the existing system. We try to host, you know, space
21:51
for academic discourse as well as building that brotherhood and
21:54
system. But yeah, all your experiences.
21:57
OK. I'll be honest with you.
21:58
City's been on vibes like this year like we've done.
22:01
We've been active on the Lab every Absoc, you'll find that in
22:05
the London space, every Absoc has their own speciality, right?
22:08
Like Imperial Mashallah this year they've done done so well
22:10
on courses LSC is known for, like the academic discussions
22:14
city. Over the last couple of years,
22:16
while I've been the, I've been involved, we've got like what
22:20
you say, a social reputation, right?
22:22
Like we do a lot of things tournament paddle tournaments.
22:25
We did a Barber event where everyone in the in the Ifstar in
22:28
Ramadan got a free aid haircut. So ours are much more social,
22:32
but the, the end goal for I think both of us is the same to
22:37
build that community that is going on this journey, building
22:42
that brotherhood before that purpose of being close enough,
22:45
you know, like indoor, I thought, what do we say?
22:47
Allah fortify our ranks, right? Making them unpenetrable that
22:50
way, like, you know, like how you stand in Salah that no one
22:52
can get in between you, right. So like that we, we, we're
22:55
trying to build a brotherhood like that.
22:57
Every abstract has their own kind of niche.
23:00
We work. Work.
23:00
It's always been like that as well.
23:01
Like I I started university 13 years ago and when I started and
23:08
I joined Aston AB Sock. Shout out to them.
23:10
Best AB sock to have ever existed.
23:12
Aston AB Sock. Birmingham man.
23:16
Don't know how to hold it down, bro.
23:17
I'll just say that. Let me put it out there now.
23:19
Yeah, there's a reason why we won Best AB sock, best event of
23:24
the year, best campaign of the year.
23:25
All in this. Anyway, Long story short, but.
23:29
You paid them off. What happened?
23:30
The game's the game. No, look every up sock and and
23:37
for those who are not students at home, forgive us, but just to
23:40
kind of for you to understand as well what the university scene
23:43
is like. We have thousands, 10s of
23:44
thousands of share students at universities right now across
23:47
the UK and across the world. And I think one of the
23:51
incredible things we have is a few things.
23:53
One is we have an opportunity. So we have networks, their
23:57
present academic and non academic staff who are available
24:01
to hear, to support, encourage, to give credibility to your
24:05
work, as well as a network of people who will be the leaders
24:09
of tomorrow. Basically through Students 2 is
24:11
you have resources. So you have auditoriums, you
24:14
have theatre halls, you have a logo and a brand and university
24:19
names behind you so you can back it.
24:21
Thirdly, you have a network of students who are all coming from
24:24
different parts of the world or the country to join your
24:27
community and join your society, all for the same goal.
24:31
Now for each society to have their own flavours, like
24:34
Perfect. Obviously in London it's very
24:36
different because you guys will go to each other's events.
24:38
Most of the time you'll all live at home or you'll be living in
24:40
dorms, but you're local to each other.
24:42
In other cities it doesn't really work that way.
24:44
So for example, in our Absoc, we were one of two Absocs at the
24:47
time in the city. So we would communicate and
24:50
collaborate. So we would strategically work
24:53
on things. And you take this and I'll take
24:54
that kind of thing. But at the same time, you also
24:56
still have to play an all in one role.
24:59
But the primary thing is to know what challenges, kind of like a
25:03
SWOT analysis, you know, the strengths and weaknesses you
25:07
have as a society, whether it's finance, whether it's membership
25:10
issues, SU issues, whatever it is.
25:14
And then at the same time, the opportunities and threats.
25:17
So I know for example, that we have the threat of like in my
25:21
ABSOC, we had a huge issue with Salafis, like straight up like
25:25
they'd throw our Talibans in the bin.
25:27
So. This actually happens.
25:27
We had a whole. We made a whole thing of it.
25:30
We got university security involved.
25:31
They facilitated like a mobile between us.
25:33
I was mad, but we worked very closely with the chaplaincy, so
25:38
we had all the faith societies back in this year.
25:40
And it shouldn't be like that. But the point being is there
25:42
should be freedom of religious expression and belief in any
25:45
student space. But to do that kind of SWOT
25:47
analysis for any young leader and what you'll recognise is
25:50
that when you graduate and you move into community positions
25:54
and leadership positions in centres and organizations,
25:56
charities and otherwise, including your new companies and
25:59
businesses, that skill is transferable.
26:03
So being able to walk into an environment, understand what is
26:08
at play at the moment and where you want to take it, and then
26:11
being able to be that transformative force which takes
26:13
it from A to B. So that's something which we as
26:16
a community gain a lot of exposure to through things like
26:19
island based societies. When you're still 1819 and
26:22
you're, you know, you're like a young adult and you're exploring
26:24
life now, and then by the time you graduate from Absoc, you'll
26:28
feel like you've learned a lot. You've got a lot under your
26:30
belt. The youngest student is 3 years
26:32
younger than you are looking at you like, wow, this guy's OG and
26:34
absorb. You know, I've been there, done
26:36
that. Like, these guys will look at
26:38
you, the freshers in September. They're like, yeah, 'cause,
26:41
yeah, yeah, like, yeah, these guys, they know what?
26:43
Go on. I don't really, but I can ask.
26:45
That's a really important thing. That mentorship thing comes with
26:48
it as well. So those are the best years,
26:50
man. I really love them as well.
26:52
So yeah. I think it's like maybe we don't
26:57
realise what we have like with it because we're so lucky to
27:00
have an event, pretty much 2-3 events a week, you know?
27:03
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm trying to put myself in the
27:05
shoes of someone who is stuck in, you know, in a dorm in a
27:09
campus with no community and no brotherhood and no sisterhood.
27:12
And I think it would be a very different experience to what we
27:14
got to experience. To be honest, that's also why we
27:16
do after mock up and why amazing virtual organisations do what
27:22
they do. And that's to, to kind of like
27:24
support that audience as well. Who doesn't have that access for
27:27
you guys? You cater for a physical
27:28
presence. We try and cater for a virtual
27:30
presence. And it's a like for like synergy
27:33
there. And we all, like you said, we're
27:34
working towards. The same how was that journey
27:35
bin with Aftermath? Has your 180 podcast have?
27:39
How have you developed and how is Aftermarket developed?
27:42
Oh my God, how long we got aftermath of is the funnest and
27:51
most rewarding thing. I myself have had the
27:53
opportunity to be involved with with the boys and obviously
27:57
Hamdullah, the four of us Co founded together and we put our
28:03
life into it and our heart into it.
28:05
It's obviously voluntary and it's something that we wanted to
28:08
to continue doing. We have a lot of stuff yet to
28:11
do, a lot of things we still haven't done yet.
28:14
At the same time, it's also hard, right, because we've got
28:18
families, we've got work, we've got priorities elsewhere as
28:21
well, but it's enjoyable. And that, I mean, that's why you
28:24
guys are here as well, because obviously over time we want to
28:26
integrate new faces, new rising stars, rising leaders and shout
28:31
out in our community. Rising dawn and shout out much?
28:35
Yeah, yeah. Just the up and coming youth,
28:38
brothers and sisters who we know are going to be incredibly
28:42
important, not just the ones who we can go and there's a whole
28:46
generation of people. But it's been amazing, man.
28:47
Like after Mogadov is everything to me, you know, it's, it's a
28:51
space like no other on this chair I'm seated in.
28:55
We've had experts, scholars, academics, community members
29:01
from every walk of life, pretty much every continent around the
29:05
world from different parts of the ideological spectrums, still
29:09
maintaining and understanding as to what is mainstream.
29:13
But being able to have conversations in a mature manner
29:16
which explore discrepancies, which is a very difficult thing
29:19
to say as a non partisan organization which doesn't have
29:22
any particular backing or funding or aligned to a
29:25
particular group, which I think a lot of others are.
29:28
And you know, that's, that's fine.
29:30
You know that like there's no judgement there.
29:32
What I mean to say is, is that the work we do is independent.
29:35
So everything is grassroots, built and funded and we aim to
29:41
be as representative as possible and keep that matter.
29:44
We spirit at the core it's. A very, very needed space.
29:46
I think it's a very needed space to have something like this.
29:48
And like, just. I'm sure you're here with a
29:51
remark. Just my limited experience at
29:52
the studio itself, Right? I've come here at this new
29:55
studio twice now. Every time I just come.
29:58
Love it, bro. Yeah, like for those of you
30:01
maybe that at home just watching us on the screen now, when you
30:03
come here, you see one scholar in this room 1 filming going on
30:07
there. And then there's the AV
30:09
background team that's doing their work over here.
30:11
They're working just before the Rising Dawn event with the
30:15
Costco run and just mad like, you know, Husted on Bustle and
30:18
Usher like you guys. We can see that there's a lot, a
30:21
lot more that goes on behind the scenes.
30:23
Team, that's the aftermarket up team, I'd say like our core team
30:27
is a handful of us, four of us in terms of like the the
30:31
directors and that's the the four who who the team know and
30:35
the viewers know. However, the wider team, which
30:39
includes yourselves and the other volunteers and the other
30:41
kind of core people behind the team, we're in total 1520
30:45
people. We have people who don't live in
30:48
the UK who support what we do, graphics, people who support
30:52
with our content online, our website, our merchandise, people
30:56
who support us financially. We can never forget.
30:59
We have scholars who advise us, who are official guides.
31:04
We have a scholar from a senior scholar Bakhade Scholar in Com
31:07
and senior Bakhade scholar in Najaf, both of whom have each
31:11
been on the podcast. I can't say names, just going to
31:14
tease you guys at home, keep you guessing.
31:16
But scholars who all we look up to, we rely on and at the same
31:20
time who guide us. They don't enforce, they don't
31:23
put anything. They we approach them.
31:24
We say we have this idea, share, say.
31:26
What do you recommend? Yes, No.
31:28
What do you, how do you go about it?
31:30
And then they'll give us their feedback.
31:32
On this, on this point, when it comes to scholars, they're like,
31:36
they're obviously incredibly important to the ecosystem of
31:39
the Shia community, first of all, but also there's a lot of
31:42
them. How do you not enough?
31:45
How do you choose your scholars that you trust and what are you
31:49
looking for in a particular scholar that makes you inclined
31:52
to them that you take advice from?
31:56
How do we choose the scholar? OK, fine.
31:59
I think to rewind slightly, what I think I'll, I'll, I'll start
32:02
by saying is how do we choose what to talk about and then who
32:05
to bring on? So we try and segment our work
32:09
into like 4 areas in terms of content.
32:11
One is historical. So stories of the imams, the the
32:16
holy prophets and kind of Islamic history.
32:20
This is the planning process. Planning process.
32:21
Yeah, another is academic, so that might be for example
32:27
differences on schools of thoughts, understanding deeper
32:33
issues about my career, age to hard anything like anything with
32:38
an academic leaning. Yeah.
32:40
Thirdly is social issues, so issues that affect us in our
32:44
day-to-day life, substance abuse, bullying, marriage,
32:47
divorce, being a parent, finding a wife, anything the opposite
32:53
gender, anything which has a social element to it.
32:56
Leadership, as I mentioned earlier, things like that,
32:59
narcissism, ADHD or anything like that.
33:01
The 4th and the final thing I would say kind of like
33:05
miscellaneous, if that makes sense.
33:07
So we have then the podcast where we do like reactions or.
33:10
Something like this into? It, yeah, just like catch UPS
33:14
kind of thing, you know what I mean?
33:15
But the point being is we want to balance entertainment and
33:17
information. But when we have a topic in
33:20
mind, either we will approach someone who we feel is an expert
33:23
in that topic, or if we know there's an opportunity to film
33:25
with someone who's around and we know he's an expert or she's an
33:29
expert in a specific topic, we'll approach them for that
33:31
topic. So then kind of moving on to
33:34
your next question about scholars.
33:36
So with scholars, firstly, may Allah reward them all and
33:39
preserve them for us. I think the majority of scholars
33:42
that we've, if not all, but definitely at least the mass
33:45
majority of scholars that we've interacted with have been
33:48
nothing but respectful, forthcoming, open to supporting,
33:52
and I think that's a huge buttocker.
33:54
We don't really give our gratitude towards enough.
33:57
As you said, they're kind of the pillars of our ecosystems in the
34:00
shark community. We don't have enough scholars
34:02
for sure. I know this because we have to
34:04
book scholars. We speak to scholars a lot, but
34:08
at the same time, we don't utilise scholars.
34:09
And I think that's why aftermarket up is here.
34:10
So we try and have conversations with scholars that we wouldn't
34:13
ordinarily have. So most fuckers when he was on
34:15
recently talking about how to raise kids to someone who's got
34:19
two kids who are under 10 to said Ali, right, and that those
34:23
are the kind and he was challenging him back and forth.
34:24
He was saying, yeah, but said what about this said like, yeah,
34:27
well, you should try this. Like, yeah, but I can't because
34:29
I'm doing that. Like the sometimes we want to
34:31
ask all the specific issues, but it's harder to but yeah, it's
34:36
it's hard to obviously try and be have every everyone on.
34:40
I think All in all, what I would say is, is that there are so
34:44
many amazing scholars and speakers in our community and I
34:47
think we've extended an invitation to, to several of
34:51
them. And for those who we haven't
34:53
yet, Charlotte, when the opportunity arises, Charlotte.
34:57
So it's just as a case of either logistically when they're here
35:00
or when our our schedules align or whatever.
35:02
I think the beauty of what you said about the four categories
35:06
is actually in the miscellaneous right, and I'll tell you why
35:08
once you bring. Come.
35:10
On come on bro once once you bring like the the entertainment
35:16
factor yeah into something that also produces religious
35:20
education material history, all of these things right and
35:24
acquired beliefs. So once you bring the an
35:27
entertainment factor in a space that's not so serious.
35:32
I think that one of the problems that have that is challenging
35:36
the youth right now, especially parents.
35:38
Yeah, that I'm obviously I'm not a parent.
35:39
Sure like one day. But I'm saying now I hear a lot
35:42
is they don't they can't control and they can't conceive what
35:46
their child is consuming in terms of entertainment.
35:48
You know, they'll have no control over it.
35:50
They will have any kind of. Alternatives.
35:54
Yeah, there are any alternatives?
35:55
Like there's nothing that they can say.
35:56
OK, you know what? I trust this.
35:58
This is not going to be any kind of Pollu pollution in their
36:01
mind. Watch this and be entertained.
36:02
No, there's not. But obviously there's a space
36:04
for that within. OK, you you need it these days.
36:07
Yeah, you do need it, but the problem is, is like we you
36:10
can't. You can try and be a Jack of all
36:11
traders. Are you football fans?
36:12
I've asked you 4 times today. There's a football player called
36:15
James Milner. You guys know him.
36:16
Milner's played on like every position on the pitch.
36:19
He's recently become the Premier League's all time record
36:22
appearance holder. Milner, in his career he's
36:24
played like everywhere. However, by the end of his
36:27
career they ask him where did you play?
36:29
He'll say mostly I played in this position but I played
36:31
everywhere. OK great.
36:32
But he was never like the best of the best in one position.
36:36
Now, like, you know, win the the league as a football team, you
36:39
need the best of the best in every position.
36:41
So in the same light and kind of in the same perspective after
36:45
Maghrib as a platform tries to do.
36:48
And of course, we're we're, we're, we're not perfect and we
36:51
have a long way to go. There's still a lot we haven't
36:53
talked about, but there's still a lot to that we try to cover in
36:58
terms of breadth and diversity of topics.
37:01
But it's like, OK, fine. Like we talked about Absox 15
37:04
minutes ago. Yeah.
37:06
But there's like, I know people who are over 50 who watch after
37:08
markup. Do you know what I mean?
37:10
And vice versa. Last week or a couple of weeks
37:12
ago when St. Mosfa was talking about
37:14
parenting. Bro, there's like.
37:16
People like us watching 16. Year olds who watch after
37:18
markup, Yeah, like, do you know what I mean?
37:20
So we can't cover everything, but what we can do is we can
37:22
aspire to cover everything through different productions.
37:25
So we've had to Hold My Heart, which looked at specifically
37:29
female issues. We've had Your Knights, which
37:31
looked at more literary issues and kind of more academic stuff.
37:35
Golden hours the same. We have more stuff lined up in
37:37
Charlotte in the coming years. Charlotte.
37:39
Yeah. But yeah, man, it's exciting
37:41
times. It's exciting times, definitely.
37:42
Let me ask you guys something because I know we're coming
37:44
towards the end ish. Is too used to being the host,
37:47
you're too used. OK, OK.
37:48
You. You all.
37:51
Right. I want to ask you something, and
37:53
I want you guys to give me your like on his, on his opinion.
37:58
Yeah. Yeah.
37:59
And not even opinion. Ambition doesn't work.
38:01
So you're 20 and 21. Yeah.
38:04
Where do you want to see yourselves at 30?
38:09
And what do you want your community to look like when
38:11
you're 30? Yo, can I tell you?
38:14
Can I tell a story about Caz? Gone.
38:16
But we were, must have been 10-11 and we were playing
38:19
badminton at Oldenham. Yeah.
38:20
And I, I don't remember how, but I think I asked him, what do you
38:24
want to do when you're older? And he goes, I want to lead a
38:27
revolution. Relax.
38:29
And I got. From No wait.
38:31
Wait. Then I go, oh, like Imam
38:33
Khomeini? Because now I'm bigger than Imam
38:35
Khomeini. You remember that?
38:37
Bear in mind I was 10 and 11, yeah. 10 year olds are talking a
38:41
lot. Radio Revolution playing
38:42
badminton in northwest London. Was it must have been that age,
38:45
Yeah. Yeah, it must have been.
38:46
You guys are next. Poor memory, but I swear.
38:48
Yeah, OK. But answer.
38:50
Then you go for your answer. OK, OK.
38:52
So I think was very what I've noticed in my community is that
38:57
we want our cake and we also want to eat it.
39:01
And what I mean by that is because we don't like, for
39:04
example, Zahajah, for example, we don't have a ties to that
39:06
land that's getting bombed, for example.
39:08
So we we don't really have the skin in the game and we're not
39:12
really willing to sacrifice to the same extent.
39:14
I agree. You know, we're very willing to
39:16
have our four holidays a year and still be lovers of Ali
39:20
without actually, you know, struggling in the way to
39:22
actually create some meaningful change.
39:24
No, I, I truly like believe that there's so much we obviously.
39:29
I think some people will take offence to that, like in in
39:31
sense that I'm not saying that you're wrong.
39:33
I'm saying that some people might think that who are you to
39:36
tell me how I should be awaiting and how I should be preparing.
39:40
You know, what if this is, what if this is their capacity and
39:43
their capability? I think that everyone has the
39:47
capacity to do more and like if you have a vision on what you
39:50
see a community to be like, let's say at 30, I'll give you
39:53
some examples of what I envision for our community.
39:56
We have a lot of people and I'm speaking from my own
39:59
perspective, like my own perspective of our community,
40:02
right? And I'm not trying to disrespect
40:05
anyone or make. Assertions.
40:06
Yeah, of course, of course. But like we have a lot of people
40:09
with a lot of houses who are renting them out.
40:12
We also have a lot of people who are rent, who are renting
40:14
themselves, you know, and yet we still haven't found a way of
40:18
tying these people together. And maybe you have to sacrifice
40:20
a little bit of your rental income or stuff like this.
40:23
But there should be such an integration between like myself
40:27
and the elders and the mentors in the community that, you know,
40:31
if we truly want to be dependent on ourselves when it comes to
40:34
our income. And you know, if, if we really
40:37
want to talk about like destroying empire and hegemony,
40:40
like it starts with grassroots organization and grassroots
40:44
change. And like when I when in 10
40:47
years. Sounds like me when I was a
40:48
student honestly. But everyone says it's, oh,
40:50
you're going to be revolutionary as a kid and then.
40:53
I did IRI, did IR and uni and I sounded just like you.
40:57
Yeah, go on. And look at you now.
41:00
Well, like in terms of where I see us in 10 years, like I want
41:05
a much stronger community who are very dependent on each
41:08
other, who rely on each other for a lot more than we currently
41:12
do and who don't secularize their religion in such that it's
41:16
only limited to the mosque during Ramadan and Muharram, for
41:21
example. You forget it.
41:22
Now, obviously this may sound very rich coming for me and I
41:25
completely appreciate that. But I think like I was speaking
41:29
to someone from Australia today, right?
41:31
And he was telling me about what he was doing in his community
41:34
and like building political power and trying to stand up to
41:39
the the Taho to that time. You know what I mean?
41:41
Like, why do we reduce ourselves so much?
41:44
But yeah, what? What do you think?
41:47
Well, I want to be in 30 and well, I want to see my
41:49
community. Yeah, I think I would like to
41:53
see definitely the the spirit, right.
41:56
Like that kind of community building and bonding because
42:00
it's very easy to do the things that that are easy to do.
42:03
Do you know what I mean? Well, when you don't have to
42:04
actually feel the pain and the, the sacrifice, it gets a bit
42:07
complicated and techie and people start to, you know, step
42:09
away. But you won't get anywhere until
42:12
you do that, you know. And that's why some people
42:14
reflect on certain other ethnic groups and communities like
42:18
you're, they're so self reliant and they're so like, you know,
42:21
within themselves, they can sustain themselves.
42:23
Yeah, there wasn't always easy for them.
42:26
Like if you look at the history of these communities, they
42:28
started off very, very poor and struggling and they realised
42:31
that this was a long term solution, you know, and that's
42:34
one thing where credit, credit, credit.
42:36
Give them what credit? What's the credit?
42:38
Credit. What credit?
42:39
Give credit, what credit, Yeah. So I think that we need to kind
42:43
of foster that kind of community also and this active.
42:47
When you say community, I've just to clarify, do you mean the
42:50
Shia community? The Shia community own ethnic.
42:53
No, no, not like a cordial, not like a no, I think I, I, I think
42:56
that actually sometimes does a lot of harm when you kind of
42:58
segment off the Shia community, Gorja and Shiraki and this it
43:03
shouldn't be like that exactly. Even I would go to the extent as
43:06
to say that your political beliefs within the Shia
43:09
community shouldn't be a barrier for you to be brothers with one
43:12
of us. Do you know what I mean?
43:13
Yeah, it's not even contentious. It's but sometimes we make this
43:17
like very silly barriers in our head, you know, with certain
43:20
people, certain groups. I don't know how many scientific
43:23
studies there have been over the years.
43:25
No matter how small the population, people always find a
43:27
way to group themselves sense right?
43:29
So you look at any community over the course of history,
43:31
you'll find people that they'll divide and disseminate
43:34
themselves into either class, race, religion, culture,
43:37
economic status or language, whatever it is such to avoid
43:43
integration A lot doesn't Quran we made you from different
43:45
tribes and cultures to get to know each other in the same way.
43:48
Even bring it down to a team of five people in your Absoc
43:52
committee, for example, or whatever.
43:54
Even within that, you'll have clicks and you'll have mentality
43:57
differences. But it shouldn't be like that
43:59
because like you said earlier on, and very aptly, you said
44:01
that the believers, the more minion at the time of the Imam,
44:03
will be able to feel so comfortable with each other.
44:05
I don't need to repeat that hadith again, but you know
44:07
exactly where I'm going with this.
44:09
So I, I agree with that. There shouldn't be party lines.
44:11
There shouldn't be boundaries. None of that.
44:13
So, but what about you individually?
44:15
Individually, I want to be like, I guess practically another
44:20
family in sha Allah sha. Allah.
44:22
I want to study like the religion, not.
44:26
Fighting a hoser? To to go hoser inshallah, but
44:29
not for any other purpose than to better myself.
44:32
I don't have any kind of motive of being something off the
44:34
hoser. And ask you why.
44:37
OK, now he wants. To go hoser.
44:39
He doesn't. No, as in.
44:40
Why I don't want to be for? Example.
44:42
But that's I'm just playing devil's advocate because I have
44:45
these conversations. Yeah, yeah.
44:46
Not I have a lot of friends who have gone Hauser and kept it
44:51
there. Yeah.
44:52
When I say kept it there, I mean they don't.
44:53
The people around them don't know they've gone Hauser.
44:57
Why is that case for you? OK, Do you, do you remember said
45:00
Mahom Asad Geoffrey, Of course, yeah, he may Allah bless him and
45:05
reward him. He had the he told a story.
45:07
I remember this actually. I think he, I think, I don't
45:10
think I saw it online. I think I was in person in the
45:12
Majlis when he was in Stanmore that he gave this and he was
45:15
speaking about when he first went into Hozer and he was like,
45:19
I first got into HOSA and one of the teachers, they asked me, I
45:22
want to paraphrase, I don't want to like, you know, say that this
45:24
is exactly how I said it. But he was like, they asked me,
45:26
why have you come to HOSA? You know, what's the reason that
45:28
you've come? And he was like, yeah, I want to
45:30
be like a beacon of guidance for my community back home.
45:33
I want to study, give back to them.
45:35
And the guy looked at him was like, who the hell do you think
45:37
you are? Basically Like, why do you think
45:39
that you are the one to go and what be the light and for
45:42
mankind and save your whole is like, no one told you do that.
45:45
That's not your job. Your job is to be here for
45:48
yourself. If something extra comes out of
45:52
that, that's sincere. You know, like if you do it with
45:55
your class and something comes out of that way, you've given
45:58
it, you've given an opportunity for double leave or something,
46:00
then take it. But don't go with the intention.
46:02
Otherwise you won't be learning. I agree with that, yeah, But
46:04
there's a difference between going with the intention to
46:06
become something externally or going with the intention to
46:09
become something internally. Like everyone will obviously
46:12
have the intention to become something internally.
46:13
I want to be better. I want to get close to Allah,
46:16
all of that, but at the same time, the minor supply, bro.
46:20
Like I had a scholar who was aftermarket when?
46:24
I'm not going to say when because it will narrow it down.
46:25
But let's say in the last 2-3 months, yeah, a scholar who came
46:29
to our studio who was sitting where you're sitting and was
46:30
speaking to me and he was telling me.
46:32
Are we seeing what you're saying?
46:33
No, he's seeing what you're saying.
46:35
Actually, you've narrowed it down.
46:35
You've narrowed it down. No, no, not one set.
46:37
It wasn't a camera. It was offline.
46:39
Yeah, reporting. I was saying here we haven't
46:43
anyway, I nearly, I nearly broke the ice.
46:47
He was saying, he was saying to me, he goes the number, the
46:50
number of English centres in the West versus the number of
46:52
English speakers available in the West.
46:54
It's outnumbered, right? And there's a high demand than
46:57
supply. Now I'm not saying people go
46:59
howser because you need someone qualified or with ACV, just
47:04
throw them in any centre and he's a speaker.
47:06
Doesn't work like that. Of course, right there, there is
47:09
no question of it does not work like that.
47:11
It's not as simple as that. However, at the same time, you
47:15
need the bigger picture here is about the stability and the
47:21
security of the entire Ummah, right?
47:25
So I'm not saying that people go with the intention to become
47:28
speakers. I'm saying that the communities
47:30
that organise their individuals incentivize people to go with
47:35
the hope that more of them trickle down into serving
47:38
communities worldwide. For example, Mahom said Arsene
47:40
Jaffrey Melar reward his soul. Incredible.
47:43
I was in I was in mash head when I heard the news of his passing
47:46
a few years ago. I think 2023 really Subhanallah
47:49
Melar reward him. And I remember I prayed Salafi
47:53
his soul in the shrine that night and he probably did the
47:56
same reformers thing but we definitely prayed for him
47:58
anyway. Beautiful man, but imagine one
48:00
scholar like that has such a profound impact on millions
48:04
probably or at least hundreds of thousands of people worldwide
48:08
over the years. Bro he's a product of people
48:10
who've encouraged him and I'm sure it'd be the same for you as
48:14
well. So I would say, I would say that
48:15
I'm definitely open to whatever opportunities that I think would
48:19
be good for me, you know, and I think obviously I know that
48:22
we're wrapping up, so I don't want to make this a whole
48:24
different thing, but it's definitely a conversation worth
48:25
having another time where, you know, especially me, I'm not
48:29
going to speak for ya here because he's a much better
48:31
person than me. But in this space, even in an
48:33
abstract capacity, right? I feel this kind of imposter
48:37
syndrome, you know, where I'm like, OK, I'm doing this Absoc.
48:41
I'm leading an ABSOC. I'm, you know, doing whatever
48:43
events, if I recite anything and then I look at myself in the
48:48
mirror and I'm like, I'm no one to do anything for anyone.
48:51
Do you know what I mean? I'm not any kind of person to
48:55
come and tell you, oh, this is Allah, this is Islam.
48:58
This is how you I'm, I'm, I'm not that guy.
49:00
I have too many flaws within myself.
49:02
But now when that when those things come or I do, do I say,
49:05
okay, I'm not going to serve, You know, that's it.
49:08
I'm not going to serve because I don't feel like I'm worthy.
49:10
Oh, do I, You know, so, so it's reconciling that.
49:13
I know exactly what you mean, trust me.
49:15
And it's. Difficult conversation to have
49:16
because of. Bro, we talk about religion on a
49:18
weekly basis for 3-4 years. Yeah, it's, it's a fine line
49:21
between being a preacher and being like a conversationalist.
49:24
So what we try to do and we like, trust me, I feel the same
49:28
way as you. I have for years, not even but
49:31
after my just even prior and in other commitments.
49:33
Especially as a Madresa teacher, by the way.
49:35
Yeah, I'm a young teacher. I'm invited to teach you.
49:38
Train them pre on time and then you're there like 20 minutes
49:40
before because I like. He's caught me.
49:46
Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.
49:47
Yeah. No, but this is it's OK because
49:50
you're not meant to be Maxwell. You're not expected to be
49:52
Maxwell. However, what you do need to
49:55
know is your boundaries or your limitations or your red lines.
49:57
So, for example, if as we've had and haven't invitations from
50:02
around the world, centres, communities, events for the
50:06
after market up team to go and support some we've said yes to,
50:09
some we've said no to. The idea being is, is that we
50:12
don't do anything, which is not our playing field, right?
50:15
So we're not going to preach or give lectures where why?
50:19
Because we're not scholars, right?
50:21
So Ali and I take a deep interest and of course, Muhammad
50:23
Ali's of course, study of studies privately in the UK.
50:28
But for the for myself and said Ali, we're not students of the
50:31
Houser. We've done foundational courses,
50:34
we've studied under teachers of the Hauser privately or in a
50:37
group or whatever, but we've not officiated done Amoka Demat or
50:41
anything. Do you get me?
50:42
So for us, it's like we know we will engage in conversations,
50:46
we'll ask the questions and we'll understand to some amateur
50:51
degree, but we do understand the dynamics, sensitivities, topics
50:54
that are treacherous and turbulent topics and topics
50:58
which are safer ideological differences between schools of
51:00
thought, textual differences between different interpret
51:04
people interpret pieces of literature.
51:07
But the point being is like when you know what your limits are.
51:10
So it's again, everything is manifold yourself in it.
51:12
Like you know who you are, then you know what you can achieve in
51:16
the future. But you can only do that if you
51:18
know who you are now. So you get me.
51:20
So if I know that right now, my strengths are I like to talk,
51:25
you know, ramble on, right? So that's something I enjoy
51:28
doing. Why not host the podcast to get
51:31
me, but at the same time, not preaching, like try not to
51:34
preach. Of course, reminders,
51:35
reflections to double all of that is great.
51:38
But, and I'd say the same for all of our youth, you know.
51:42
Like my question? Believe in yourself.
51:44
I have confidence as well. Like you need to be authentic.
51:47
So if you're young and you've got a community, believe in
51:49
yourself. Like know that you can organise,
51:51
you can mobilise. Yeah.
51:53
And you can, you can create something.
51:55
Momentum is there. It's there to be made and the
51:57
youth are there for that. I also just to add to that like
52:02
we look at ourselves 100%. I'm in the same boat, but we
52:07
also sometimes discount our potential and discount that what
52:10
we can do. Like if I'm just thinking 10
52:12
years, if I'm just like, I was rethinking this, well, imagine
52:15
what I could do in 10 years. You know, they say, oh, it's
52:18
going to take forever, but like the time will pass, you know,
52:20
and it's going to come time passes, the time will pass.
52:23
And I'm like, harass me. You're like we I.
52:24
Know when you guys are 13? Yeah.
52:26
Not real life. It's crazy.
52:28
But we have archetypes and we have heroes and we have role
52:32
models. Like what's stopping us from
52:34
achieving these? Like, there's nothing with the
52:38
dude. There's so much potential.
52:39
Yeah. No, you're right.
52:40
You're right. Yeah.
52:41
So was there something or should we?
52:43
No, I've lost our chances. Sorry.
52:46
No, I think it's important conversations to have and look
52:49
people might be wondering like we've jumped from A to B to C in
52:52
the conversation. I think the point being is, is
52:54
that if there is a time for us to reconnect re gravitate
52:58
towards Allah upon to Allah understand the the matter we
53:01
caused. And also just being able to just
53:03
the hard part like bridging the gap between what Allah has asked
53:08
and not even asked instructed of me in the Quran and and what we
53:11
have from how much meaning that had it from that to what we see
53:15
in the world around us globally to see what we see in our
53:20
day-to-day interactions. If we can create like, you know,
53:24
on FIFA Ultimate Team, you have chemistry, green link chemistry.
53:27
Yeah, yeah, you go, you have you, you have lines of chemistry
53:30
between these three compartments, then we're good.
53:34
We're good. Like for me, on a personal
53:36
level, I might understand global repercussions on my day-to-day
53:40
life, but I might not tie global repercussions back to Allah's
53:43
will. The the the Qaba and Qadar of
53:47
Allah's one to Allah. Do you know what I mean?
53:49
Like it's just something I might not or I might see Allah's will
53:52
on the global affairs but I don't understand why Allah
53:54
chooses for my life to be the way it is and I'm not happy with
53:58
it in. Fact.
53:59
Well, you mean like conceptually know of it, but like that true
54:02
belief? There, yeah, like actually
54:04
you're cleaning. It is different bro.
54:06
Like having the reassurance in it is different.
54:08
Like you can say victory is promised, but do you truly
54:11
believe? You truly believe?
54:13
Well, like if you truly believed that Imam was ready or like he
54:16
was around the corner, for example, how different would we
54:18
actually? How would he be fixed up and
54:20
fixed a lot? It's food for thought.
54:22
I think Last thing I'll say from me and then obviously over to
54:25
you guys to close because you're hosts.
54:27
But yeah, last thing I'll say from me is like at times like
54:32
this, we just need to, like I said, re centre ourselves.
54:36
Be patient, be present, understand our strengths and
54:39
weaknesses, learn from people around us, remain humble,
54:43
connect with the Quran and the stories of the Ali Beta Alayhi
54:47
Musalam, and then ultimately Allah's promise will always be
54:52
fulfilled. A lot of us don't have any
54:55
metaphor of Imam Ali Mehdi. We've said this for the last
54:57
couple of months. It's been our focus heavily
55:00
thematically throughout Shahram Aliqan and thereafter.
55:03
We don't really have a focus enough on Imam Ali, Mehdi.
55:07
When we start to develop that focus a bit more consciously,
55:12
then I think we'll start to see things change in our life.
55:16
You know, these ambitions we have for the next 10 years start
55:20
to align. So yeah.
55:22
I've got one more question for you, if you don't mind.
55:24
You're 910 years old, you said? Yeah.
55:27
What advice do you have for us? I don't think I just said
55:30
enough. Nah, man.
55:32
Just be yourselves. Guys like you guys are doing
55:34
well. Be patient, respect your
55:36
parents, love your parents. Be humble.
55:42
Don't care about things that other people your age care about
55:45
all the time, like cars, fashion, money.
55:49
Like, obviously swag out, look good, smell good.
55:53
But at the same time, like, remember that life is short.
55:57
Yeah, that's all I'll say. I I was your age when I taught
56:02
you so right. I was 2021.
56:06
I think it's Pamela how time flies.
56:08
Yeah, man, just enjoy life. You're. 2021 already to us.
56:11
Yeah, bro. Wow, it looks the same though.
56:13
There's no way, yeah, actually exactly put on like a good 1015
56:17
kilos. But other than that, yeah,
56:20
Hamdullah. When'd you get married?
56:22
A bit personal for the pods. No, I'm joking.
56:25
It's like probably when I was. I think you were married, 24.
56:28
Yeah. Oh, you're.
56:29
So you're not married when you're teaching us.
56:31
Oh, crazy. No, I was not.
56:35
I think I was still studying or about to graduate or Yeah, yeah.
56:39
Yeah, sure, I would say lost, lost things from me.
56:42
Firstly, thank you all so much for listening and like.
56:45
Sorry for having to deal with. It yeah, sorry for having to
56:47
deal with me honestly. Is it all right?
56:49
Yeah, yeah, we've got a long way to go to be, to be like even you
56:53
guys are good to say it, honey. But at some point, you guys can
56:57
host a pod without me or saying Charlotte and Charlotte would be
56:59
a nice honour. But I'll say the thing that's
57:02
given me, like a lot of things I've been reflecting on is that
57:06
don't discount yourself. You know, like the chronic verse
57:09
that has has capitulated me, captivated me for the past few
57:13
weeks. Is this Wajah Al Haku was a Hak
57:17
al Batal in in Al Batala Khan as a Hawker.
57:19
Yeah. That that falsehood is bound to
57:21
vanish. It has to vanish.
57:24
And so you have the ending given to you.
57:26
Why not be part of the journey? It's not about is it going to
57:29
happen? Is it not going to happen?
57:30
We're going to be victorious. Do you want a piece of the pie
57:32
or not? And that to me is like, why not?
57:35
Do you know what I mean? What's stopping me?
57:36
Like I'm not even scared of being a loser because I know I'm
57:39
going to win in the end. So why not take a piece of that
57:41
pie? You know, like how they say, why
57:44
do we say salwat? It's not like Allah is not going
57:46
to bless the Prophet without you, but you're taking a piece
57:48
of that pie that you are the ones who are blessing the
57:50
Prophet. The same way that we should be,
57:52
inshallah, taking a piece of this pie of standing up for the
57:56
Madloomin and standing against the Zalomin.
57:59
I said beautiful, beautiful words.
58:01
Yeah. All right, guys.
58:02
Thank you very much. Thank you to everyone for tuning
58:04
in. Do you want to close?
58:06
Go on, mate. You can do it.
58:08
I'm pranking for this. Thank you everyone for listening
58:12
inshallah, see us next time. Smash that like button.
58:15
Subscribe button. Yeah, yeah, we love it.
58:18
We love it.