Participants: Shakeela Yasuf
Series Code: DOA
Program Code: DOA000004
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00:40 As-Salaam-Alaikum, to our Muslim brother and sisters,
00:45 Shalom to our Hebrew cousins, 00:48 peace be upon you to our Christian friends. 00:51 Welcome to "The Descendants of Abraham." 00:55 Today, we'll be speaking to a young man 00:58 by the name of Abdul Saeed. 01:01 And he will tell us about his journey to the God of Abraham. 01:06 I would like to welcome Abdul Saeed. As-Salaam-Alaikum. 01:11 Walikum Salam, sister. 01:14 Abdul tell us a little bit about where you were born 01:20 and your journey to the God of Abraham. 01:23 Sister I was born in Saudi Arabia 01:26 in a Sunni Muslim family. 01:29 My parents, my mom and dad were strictly Muslims. 01:35 And they were not only practiced Islam 01:38 not only just by the name 01:39 but they were practicing Islam strictly. 01:42 So my journey as a Muslim-- 01:44 I was raised in Saudi Arabia as a young kid 01:48 and grew up in this environment where everybody is Muslim. 01:52 In Saudi Arabia-- Yes. 01:54 It is, there are lot of-- it's all Muslim. 01:56 Yes, majority of them is Muslim. 01:59 We cannot find anybody other believers. 02:02 Because they're pretty strictly to themselves. 02:05 Okay. And how did you worship God? 02:10 When you're living in Saudi Arabia. 02:12 Oh, living in Saudi Arabia, 02:14 obviously, you really don't have access to anything else 02:17 beside that as a Muslim and that was it for us 02:20 that my parents raised as a Muslim. 02:23 That admit us in Islamic school where we used to go everyday 02:30 to learn and read Koran and they also taught 02:34 to how to pray in a mosque five times a day. 02:39 So as a Muslim over there, that was my ritual, 02:44 my work that I have to do everyday 02:46 to pray namaz five times a day and read Koran. 02:51 Okay, and you learned Arabic. 02:53 Yes, I do learn. 02:55 I mean it's amazing the way anybody can read Koran, 02:59 but I read Koran so many times but I have, 03:02 is amazing I don't know what's the meanings are. 03:05 Interesting. It's just difficult to explain people. 03:08 Lot of time people asked me. 03:10 If you learned how to read Koran and know Arabic 03:14 you should know the meaning. 03:15 I said it's different because to learn how to read Koran 03:21 only thing you need to know about alphabetics 03:23 and they have sings on the top. 03:26 If something comes on the top you pronounce this way. 03:30 So I learned, I read Koran so many times 03:33 but I really don't know what the meanings are. 03:34 Okay, and you know, it's the same with me 03:37 as I was growing up, 03:39 we learned Arabic to read the Koran, 03:41 but we also spoke our native, our native language, 03:45 throughout, you know, with the family, 03:47 throughout the day. 03:48 What language do you speak? 03:52 My parents were from Pakistan and I speak Urdu. 03:56 Okay, Urdu, right. 03:57 And, you know, it's amazing. 04:00 Living there, but every place you go in Saudi Arabia 04:03 all the Saudi learn how to speak Pakistani Urdu. 04:07 So we really don't have time to learn Arabic or speak to them. 04:13 So only thing I used to do, I used to communicate with them 04:17 if I go to grocery store 04:18 if I see some Saudi working there. 04:20 Okay. And they were familiar with Urdu. 04:23 Yes. Oh, they because that's the business there stores are. 04:27 So they know lot of people don't speak Arabic so they learned. 04:30 They learned Urdu. Urdu. 04:32 So they can communicate with the customers. 04:34 Right, and I always found that interesting 04:36 and I have the same thing people say 04:38 well, as a Muslim you speak Arabic 04:41 and I said no we learn Arabic to read the Koran 04:43 but we speak our native language, 04:46 the Muslims around the world. 04:49 And when you were in Saudi 04:53 what was your life like as a Muslim. 04:56 In Saudi Arabia life as a Muslim that was pretty different. 05:01 Everything is rules. 05:03 Then you have to do certain rules as Muslim 05:07 to earn your good heaven. 05:09 We used to pray namaz five times a day. 05:13 And as a Muslim you must follow and pray namaz Allah's, 05:18 you know it was like if you miss your prayer-- 05:21 morning Prayer, you cannot make up. 05:22 You will get punished for that. 05:24 So we just used to get up in the morning regardless, 05:27 we don't know what we're doing 05:29 our God's going to accept those prayers. 05:31 You just have to pray. 05:32 And you know as a Muslim we used to fast 05:36 and it was amazing thing to me during month of Ramadan 05:40 when we used to fast for thirty days. 05:42 All of people think you might loose some weight. 05:45 I said no. I actually gained lot of weight. 05:48 Because you're hungry all day and soon it's time to open, 05:52 break your fast. 05:54 You just stuff everything in your mouth. 05:56 So I grew up in Islamic country as a Muslim, 06:00 I never see anything different. 06:02 I see all those things you're doing just for your works. 06:05 Okay, and let's speaking of Ramadan, 06:09 you've been about Ramadan, when I used to-- 06:14 I keep Ramadan and the fasting throughout the month. 06:19 As a child too I enjoyed that time. 06:22 Like you say, you fast all day, but after sunset you feast. Yes. 06:28 And before sunrise, you eat well too. 06:34 And it was like a really a month of really feasting. 06:39 And we had special foods at that time. And so on. 06:42 But like you said it was ritualistic 06:47 and you didn't really understand what it meant. 06:50 Exactly, same thing. 06:51 I mean only the reason I like that month 06:54 that you can eat a lot of different foods 06:56 and a lot of time your family get together everyday. 07:01 You know, your friends coming to your house. 07:04 You're making food for them. 07:05 And they're bringing different food. 07:07 But really nobody is caring what is exactly mean is. 07:10 The only thing they see, they're okay, 07:12 if this person is fasting or we're fasting 07:15 let's go stuff ourselves when it's time to open. 07:19 And, you know, that was it for us 07:21 month of Ramadan and nothing else. 07:23 You know, I mean you can see the bazaar 07:26 that used to get full. 07:29 Lot of people will go for shopping, 07:31 for different cloth you're buying, 07:32 I mean that was it for us. 07:35 All right. So you saw this celebration. Yes. 07:38 And that you told me too about Hajj and Umrah. 07:44 Yes, living in Saudi Arabia one of those thing 07:47 you can say privileges as a Muslim 07:50 or was for us it was so easy to go to holy city 07:53 to perform Umrah or Hajj. 07:56 I mean Hajj is the lifetime responsibility for one Muslim. 08:01 And Umrah is pretty much similar thing. 08:04 But Hajj has lot of things that you have to do in certain times 08:09 and Hajj journey lasts for 3 days. 08:12 Umrah you just go around Kaba seven times. 08:15 And you're done. 08:16 So for us-- I performed Umrah so many times 08:21 that I can't recount on my fingers. 08:23 But it was all same thing. It was the ritual stuff. 08:26 You really don't know why you are performing for that. 08:28 You just know, okay that's you got to do it. 08:31 Because you're Muslim. 08:32 So did you do umrah daily or weekly how many times 08:37 did you performed Umrah. 08:38 No, Umrah was like every time my dad got a time 08:42 to take a long weekend. 08:44 And we used to go to Mecca and perform Umrah. 08:47 Right. So-- 08:49 And because you lived close by to in Saudi Arabia, 08:53 you're able to do that more often. 08:56 Yes, yes compared to people who lived different countries 08:58 because you have to get a visa to come to Saudi Arabia. 09:02 For us there was no visa, nothing. 09:04 Only thing we have to do just get a long weekend 09:07 and just go drive to holy cities. 09:10 To holy city and perform Umrah. Yes. 09:13 And Hajj, you know, for people who don't understand, 09:19 you know, Hajj. 09:21 Did you perform Hajj? Did you go to Hajj? 09:25 Did you make that pilgrimage? 09:26 Yes, I did perform Hajj. 09:28 And a lot of people who don't know 09:29 what exactly Hajj is, 09:30 Hajj is long three day journey 09:33 where you have to go from one day, 09:36 when you're done one day. 09:38 It has a timing. 09:40 You have to be make sure 09:41 you're in different city after certain time. 09:44 If you don't get there before the time is over 09:47 then you're not going to be accept, 09:48 your Hajj is not going to be accepted. 09:50 So Hajj is a once a year come 09:54 and that's only the time you can perform Hajj. 09:56 And you know, it's amazing to me. 09:58 Every time I have been to Holy City 10:01 to perform Umrah or Hajj, 10:03 lot of time we used to hear that somebody steals 10:06 something from other person. 10:08 Because there are so many people like so much crowded. 10:11 But I always used to think myself. 10:13 Okay, you're here to the holy city, 10:17 God's house basically 10:19 and you're stealing right over the God house is. 10:23 So I never get it, how come people 10:25 can do those kinds of things. 10:27 But basically they're just coming. 10:29 They don't know why there're coming to perform Umrah or Hajj. 10:32 They're just coming to you know coming to this holy city 10:35 and just stealing somebody. 10:37 So what's going to interesting to me 10:39 that why this thing happening. 10:41 So seeing all of that started to put questions. 10:45 Yeah, starting to mind, you know, that's not right. 10:47 If you're believing that you're in the God house, 10:50 you're going to be afraid. 10:51 You're going to be respect him. 10:53 You're not going to be stealing somebody stuff 10:56 and just move on to your life. 10:58 You're going to be have some kind of feeling guilty. 11:01 So always used to thought in my mind, 11:03 you know, how come people can do those kinds of things 11:06 when they are coming to Holy City. 11:08 Okay, okay. That's interesting. That's interesting. 11:13 With your family and your parents and all that, 11:17 you know, because I you know came up the same way 11:22 you know in a Muslim family and so. 11:25 One of the things I miss and I did enjoy was the community. 11:30 Did you have that there in Saudi or was it different? 11:34 Oh, yes there was one of those biggest thing I miss community. 11:39 Community was for us was it was like 11:41 if anybody gets sick or get hurt, 11:43 you just see everybody come to our house, 11:45 you know, asking for us if we need anything regardless 11:48 what time it is. 11:50 You know, things people use to pour things to us. 11:53 And just say okay, let us know don't think 11:55 that it's going to bother to us if it's 2 or 3 in the morning. 11:59 And we were so close to each other. 12:02 We were just like one bonded family regardless 12:05 if you're family member or not. 12:06 I really missed that sometimes. 12:09 Yes, that I can understand that. 12:13 You know, it's hard when you're separated from the family 12:21 and then after you left Saudi you told me that you moved. 12:24 Where did you moved to? 12:26 I moved to Pakistan. 12:27 My dad send all of us to Pakistan, to go back home 12:31 because we were really from Pakistan. 12:34 We lived there. 12:35 I lived there for most of my life, my young life. 12:37 And obviously I was Muslim still that time. 12:41 And I had to perform everything one Muslim has to do, 12:46 take all the responsibility to pray namaz five times a day. 12:50 You know, doing fasting for month of Ramadan. 12:55 We use to zakat, giving to your poor. 13:00 So I moved there for few years. 13:04 And you mentioned zakat. Yes. 13:07 And I know I'm familiar with zakat, 13:09 but for those who're not familiar with zakat, 13:12 what is that. 13:13 Zakat is one of those things that you have to, 13:17 is the set of amount that you have to take 13:20 from your whatever you've money in your saving. 13:24 And give towards to God. 13:26 I think that's seven percentage or one percentage something. 13:30 I'm not sure. I don't remember now. 13:32 But one of things that if you have money in your saving 13:35 or if you have a gold jewelry then you have to weigh 13:40 that jewelry in whatever pound is or jewelry is weight-- 13:45 The pound for gold, yes. 13:47 Then you have to give that money towards to the poor. 13:50 Okay. Okay. 13:54 When you're praying five times a day 13:58 and when you're performing Umrah 14:03 what was going through your mind and your heart. 14:06 Did you feel close to God? 14:08 Did you feel God was hearing you? 14:10 What was your relationship to God? 14:13 Oh, you know what, 14:14 I remember I used to perform all those things. 14:17 You know, praying namaz five times a day. 14:19 Fasting for the month of Ramadan, 14:21 but I never felt I'm getting close to God. 14:23 I always thought I'm just doing works 14:26 that this is my responsibility 14:28 I need to do everyday regardless 14:30 if you're accepting my prayers or not. 14:33 So for me, okay I was like okay, I'm praying namaz. 14:38 I'm not even sure my God accepted my prayers or not. 14:41 Because it was amazing to me that, you know, 14:44 lot of a time you forget things what we have to do. 14:48 Sooner we're ready to pray namaz, 14:50 everything starts coming in my mind. 14:52 And I remember, you know, 14:54 namaz should be focusing towards God. 14:56 But instead of focus towards God I'm focusing things I forget. 15:01 So I never felt close to my God, close to God. 15:04 I always told that ritual stuff that my parents told me 15:08 that I have to do to earn my heaven. 15:11 Yeah, okay so. 15:13 You're more concerned with are you doing the right things 15:17 to earn your way to heaven 15:19 and focusing on that than really being able 15:23 to form this relationship, this personal relationship. 15:27 I never further have relationship with God. 15:30 I was thought I have to do things to make sure, 15:33 you know, you always put it on a skill level. 15:36 If you do good deeds, 15:37 your skills are going to be higher. 15:39 If you do bad deeds your skills going to be higher. 15:41 So always, you know, for me that I better do it those things 15:47 because I want to make sure I can go to heaven. 15:50 So it was just like I was hoping that God is merciful 15:54 and hopefully, He is merciful. 15:56 He is going to let me go to heaven. 15:57 Otherwise I will be big time trouble. 16:00 So never had an assurance that God accepted your prayers. 16:06 No, never. 16:07 I mean a lot of times they say when you're ready to pray namaz 16:10 you're focusing towards God, 16:11 but my gosh Every time I'm ready to pray namaz 16:15 my mind is some place else beside focusing to God. 16:18 So I know that same time, man, I am done praying namaz. 16:22 Now I'm not even, I was some place else. 16:25 Not even focusing my God. 16:27 I'm not sure He accept my prayers or not. 16:30 But I thought, you know, He is merciful. 16:32 Hopefully He'll accept my prayers. 16:35 So there was no relationship. 16:37 It's just, one of those things works 16:39 that we have to do to earn heaven. 16:42 Okay, so when you moved to Pakistan 16:44 did you miss Saudi Arabia? 16:47 Yes, because I was born there. 16:49 Right, It's your home. That was my home town. 16:51 And I miss their living style 16:54 that I used to be in Saudi Arabia. 16:56 And, you know, what's for me so easy to go to holy cities 17:00 because you know I used to go a lot. 17:03 And was not only that to go holy city. 17:06 I missed that much. 17:08 I missed the time with my parents 17:10 because it used to take us at least a day 17:15 to get to the holy city, 17:16 and we used to drive down there with as a whole family. 17:20 So that's the part I miss. 17:22 Because it was for us like a one day picnic thing, 17:25 my mom cooking dinner, cooking food, making sandwiches 17:28 to taking to us to go down to holy cities. 17:33 That's the part I miss. 17:34 I mean other than that I don't miss anything else. 17:37 I can see that in your eyes when you talk about 17:39 those times your eyes light up. 17:43 How is your prayer life different today? 17:47 Oh, my, when I accept Christ I find out 17:50 that I don't have to pray certain times. 17:54 Because in Islam everything has to do certain timing. 17:58 And you have to focus 17:59 and then you have to do on one direction. 18:02 Now I'm believer I can pray any time. 18:06 It's not necessary that I have to be in certain place to pray 18:10 or I have to be in different direction. 18:12 I can be laying down. I can pray. 18:15 I can be watching TV. I can pray at that time. 18:19 You know, sitting on the couch or on the computer. 18:23 Now it's amazing that my prayers, 18:26 I'm praying more often now then I was Muslim. 18:29 Because when you're Muslim you can do certain prayers, 18:31 at certain timings. 18:33 And that was it and you have to do certain direction. Right. 18:36 Facing east, facing Mecca. Facing east. 18:38 We always have to face Mecca when we pray. 18:41 So now you just pray when you're driving, 18:45 pray when you're sitting, pray when you're working. 18:47 And you believe God hears you. 18:50 Yes, because now I have a relationship with Him. 18:52 Because that time I was doing just that I'm not sure 18:56 I have a relationship or not. 18:57 Because that was a stuff I thought that those thing 19:00 you have to do earn to heaven. 19:03 Now I don't have to earn to heaven 19:05 because He came on to us and die for our sins. 19:10 So we can have relationship with him. 19:12 Because he came as a human being 19:15 because he know that we're in work doing enough 19:16 to be in heaven with him. 19:18 And you know, his heaven's a pure place. 19:22 But as a human being do sense regardless where we are at. 19:26 So God knows that we're not worthy 19:30 and we are not good enough to go to heaven. 19:32 So he came to earth to die for our sins. 19:35 So I don't have, now I don't have to worry 19:37 that how I'm going to go to heaven. 19:39 That part is over done. He already paid price for us. 19:43 Only thing we need to worry now what he did for us 19:46 so I can tell good news to others. 19:49 And that's what you're doing today. 19:51 You know, how did you come to Christ? 19:54 how did you come to know Christ? 19:56 Oh, it was a long journey for me. 19:58 When I came and when I almost start struggling that, 20:02 you know, that I'm doing all those good deeds good stuff 20:06 I really don't know God accepting my prayers, 20:09 accepting my good deeds, 20:11 because you still have to depend on Him 20:13 then He is merciful. 20:15 I was restless, I couldn't go to sleep 20:19 and I cannot understand everything 20:22 but my friends they were Christians. 20:25 This is in Pakistan. 20:26 No, that wasn't Pakistan, 20:28 I went to America for the education. 20:30 Oh, that's right. 20:32 You said that your father sent to be educated in America. 20:36 Yes, I came to America. 20:37 When I came to America was amazing thing 20:40 that I find out about the Christianity. 20:43 Because in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia 20:45 what they say about Christianity was totally different. 20:48 You know, you heard a lot of things that Christian do 20:51 all the sinful things because God die. 20:54 You know, Christian believed that he died for our sins. 20:57 Now they can do as many sins. 20:58 And I find out it's totally wrong. 21:00 He didn't said, you know, yeah he died for our sins, 21:03 but we should follow what he did for us. 21:05 So we can tell other people about him. 21:08 So my journey was long journey 21:10 and I always start questioning myself. 21:13 I started asking God who you really are? 21:15 Show me? Tell me? 21:18 And I used to ask my friends, tell me, give me the answer? 21:22 And there was amazing people. They never judged me. 21:25 They never point to me that you need to blame him 21:28 otherwise you will go to hell. 21:30 You know, they always showed me the love. 21:32 The love I never got it from any place else. 21:35 And I won friends. 21:37 He really gave me this example. 21:39 He said look, he said listen I want to tell you one thing. 21:44 That he said if you have a son, and if he did the crime, 21:49 a crime is he murdered somebody 21:52 and during in front of judge, judge will give you two options. 21:56 Either let your son get the death penalty 21:58 or you take his blame and let you, 22:02 let your son go free and you die for your son. 22:06 You know, I say, you know what, you love your kids so much. 22:10 You do everything for them. 22:11 Christ did exactly same thing for us. 22:14 He loved us so much. 22:16 He came to this earth because he knew we are not worthy. 22:19 We're not good enough. So he died for our sins. 22:22 Because he wanted to be have relationship with us. 22:24 So we can be in heaven with him forever. 22:26 Yeah, I like that. I like your analogy there. 22:30 Does your family know you're Muslim? 22:33 Yes, my family found out 22:36 few months ago that I am a Muslim. 22:39 It took me almost four years to let them know 22:43 that I'm a believer now. 22:46 And at first they were really upset. 22:49 I understand they were heartbroken, 22:51 I totally agree what they were saying. 22:53 Now they see the differences I have in my life. 22:57 I'm a new person. I am more respect to them. 23:00 I'm loving. I'm caring. 23:02 I do everything, you know, obey my parents. 23:05 And now they've start seeing difference 23:08 and now they've started accepting me who I am. 23:10 Okay, what's your favorite Bible verse? 23:14 Oh, the one Bible verse that really got me the most, 23:17 a friend he said you need to read this verse was John 3:16. 23:22 I'm going to read to you. 23:24 It says "For God so loved the world 23:27 that He gave His only begotten Son 23:31 that whoever believes in Him should not perish, 23:36 but him everlasting life." 23:38 It's amazing, you know, they told me regardless 23:41 what kind of sense you did if you just believe in him, 23:44 he will forgive all your sins. 23:46 And, you know, he died for us. 23:49 I mean who is going to do that. 23:50 Our Lord he came and he died for us 23:53 because he loved us so much. 23:55 So that's my favorite verse when he gave it to me. 23:58 He showed to me. 23:59 I say guess what, you got me now. 24:02 So John 3:16 touched you heart. 24:05 Touched my heart, yes. 24:06 And that's when you started studying more 24:09 and come to the God of Abraham. Yes. 24:13 This is the God of Abraham. Yes. 24:15 If you have, if you could say something 24:18 to our brothers and sisters, 24:21 okay, one thing you can say to them 24:23 what would you like to say? 24:24 I just want to tell my brothers and sisters that, 24:27 you know, we're living in Muslim world, 24:31 Muslim countries where we don't have access 24:34 for too many things. 24:35 One thing that we have to do all the ritual stuff, 24:40 that we make sure do this thing, do this thing. 24:42 To pray namaz, do fasting. 24:46 And we do all those things. 24:49 You know, it makes us just, 24:50 you know, I just want to let my brothers and sisters 24:54 know it's not worthy. 24:55 Regardless how good you are, 24:57 how much you do all the good deeds 24:59 you still don't know He accepting your prayers 25:03 or accepting your fasting. 25:05 But it just amazed that our God, our savior, he died for us. 25:11 And he told us you don't have to worry now 25:13 how you going to go to heaven. 25:15 Only thing you need to worry to tell other people good news. 25:18 And I just to other my brother and sister know, 25:20 you know what, you need to get 25:21 on those words and read closely. 25:23 So hopefully you'll accept Christ. 25:26 Well, thank you so much, Abdul. 25:28 I'm so thrilled that you're here with us 25:30 and what you did today was telling 25:33 your brothers and sisters, my brothers and sisters-- 25:36 Thank you sister to let me come and let me shared my journey 25:40 with other brothers and sisters. Thank you. 25:44 When you get to the Descendants of Abraham, 25:47 you can be sure that you're lighting the way 25:50 for all in search of the Creator God 25:52 and His message of love and forgiveness to all nations. 25:56 Thank you for your support and for your prayers. 26:00 All contributions are tax deductible. 26:02 Please visit us online today at www.descendantsofabraham.org 26:08 or write to us at the address you see listed on your screen. 26:11 All correspondence will be kept confidential. 26:15 You know, we read in Injil, the holy book of God, 26:21 that He says whoever denies me 26:28 I will deny them in front of the father. 26:33 But whoever, whoever talks about me 26:38 I will bring them to the father. 26:41 And the scripture says, he who loves father or mother 26:46 more than me is not worthy of me 26:49 and he who loves son or daughter more than me 26:54 is not worthy of me. 26:57 Today you heard the story of Abdul Saeed, 27:02 and what he did today the story he told today 27:07 I would like to say, Abdul, you are worthy of him. 27:13 You have given up a lot for him 27:15 and I would like to thank you for taking a stand for God, 27:20 for our Lord and showing yourself 27:22 worthy of his sacrifice. 27:25 God bless you. Thank you. 27:27 Join us again next week as we continue to search 27:31 for the truth of the God of Abraham. |
Revised 2014-12-17