Meet An 85 Year Old New Muslim

Bismillah Alhamdulillah Salam aleikum, by now you know that that means peace be unto you. This is a greeting, that all the messengers of God greeted each other with degree to the people with and were greeting you with that same greeting, peace be unto you, you won't find another group of people who are striving more towards peace, to have peace with their Creator, to have peace with themselves and to have peace with their fellow human beings. Those are those who strive humbly to submit and to surrender to the One God doing what he wants them to do on his terms. Those are the Muslims, you can be a Muslim, anytime you can do it right now or after the show. But think about this very important

invitation. One man who are going to be interviewing today, he accepted the call to submit and surrender to the One God to do what all the messengers of God did.

And that's

submitting to God on his terms. Now, we're going to be talking to James, and we have a double treat for you, we have shake use of estus, he's going to be interviewing this 85 year old man who came to Islam who came to the submission of one guy, realizing that you know, what, I've been through everything, a lot of things, different things. And this is where I needed to be.

If I wanted to be successful, Time's running out, we not we might not make it to 85 years old, we might not make it till tomorrow. And this is something that we need to think about. The lights will go on after the party, and the party will end. And you will be alone. And you will have to be accountable for everything you've done. Life is not all about just chasing that man or woman or that good time. It's not all about the baseball game and the basketball game and chasing a position and getting a lot of wealth and money. There's more to this life. And it's up to you to be sincere enough within yourself. And to want to know more. That's the first step. And then to Acts, the one

to ask the one who has created all this to guide you. And to make things clear that only be fair if you wanted it. It only be fair if he gave it to you wouldn't it now, and he's willing to give it to you. He's willing to guide you. Because that's one of his attributes. He's the most loving, the Most Merciful, and he's the guy, but you want to want it first to be guided. So we're going to see how this man James was guided and shake use of estas is going to be talking to him and then we'll come back. So I hope you enjoyed this week's episode of the deen show.

Welcome did the deen show? No, I'm not Eddie, this is just a Festus welcoming you to the deen show. On behalf of Eddie and all the folks here at the deen show. Today's program is amazing and exciting that a lot things happening. One of the biggest things of all though, is an interview with a beloved brother of ours, a Muslim who came to faith of Islam in just recent months. And what's really interested in about this. He has spent more than 85 years on this planet in investigating faith finding out about people and we'll let him tell his own story that imore is all coming up right here on the deen show.

$100 bill I mean the praise to a law and we're now with our special guest today with our brother James cage is 85 years of age. I just hope I'm strong enough to go through with it. My throat has been giving me trouble. Well, I was told that that's a brother just told me that's the gift of Hij is this special voice we get afterwards when we can't even so I'm not alone in this actually most of our companions in the party are in the same condition. Also, we're here will tell us where we are. Where are we located? Well, what are the cages in Jeddah and a rather nice

hotel here? Not very far from Mecca? No, not very far. I don't know how many kilo kilo kilometers but the journey time was about an hour or something. A lot depends on the traffic. Yeah, it does. So why would we you and I be here in a place usually associated with Arabs and that type of thing? Well, we're here as a newcomer to the Muslim faith. I'm bound to come here. if Allah wills during my lifetime, at least once and I've been most fortunate with the people who have helped

may come to the position I'm in today. And you're one of them, rather used to have this marvelous experience to come on this hardship. It really has been. It's not been easy for me because I'm not as young as I used to be. And I'm not really to be quite honest, used a lot of crowds of people. But it's been worth it. And I've struggled on. And I've, I think I've completed everything, as it should have been done in that in more I've been with you right along. And I'm sure that you've done that and more Jolla than that, we would like to ask you a question. It's do your life now you're 85 years old, Mashallah. And this is many people never attained that age. But in your experience, could you

give us a little background, some of the places you've been things you've done? Well, I was born in Scotland A long time ago, I have a middle class family, my father's a doctrine. But I they were overseas in Nigeria, and he was overseas and I didn't really see much of him. So I grew up with Scottish Presbyterian Christian relatives, and they gave me the, the background of believing in God and worshiping Him. And then complications came on in that scheme. later on. I went to Roman Catholic school. And

I was confused and never really adjusted to well to what was in a sort of new religion to me. And then I after the five years in the Air Force during the war, I went through which war would this be the second world war? Yeah. Second World War? Sorry. 1940s. Yeah, 39 to 46. I think it's finished at 45. After that, I managed to attain a job with a large

company in the Red Sea and based in Aden, and spent a year in London learning

the business and went out there. And that was when I first came into contact with

people of the Muslim faith, mostly rainbow. So you're not a newcomer to meeting Muslims? No, no, I worked with him. We work with a wall, all kinds of people that have different faiths. But I learned something about the Quran then, and Islam at that time, which would be about 1949 to 1952. And I was

and then after that, I came back to Britain for a short time because my contract wasn't renewed there. I like to stay there. But in many ways, Allah was looking kindly on me because a lot of my friends didn't survive the sort of breakup their colonial days, and in the British colonies, too hot, is known. It's a troublesome background. Then I went to Hong Kong for a short time working in a business company there. Now, were there any Muslims in Hong Kong? No, I never met in Muslims. I was completely divorced from any sort of religion really, for that time. But then I went to Africa, to the Central African Federation, Rhodesia, as it was then called now called Zimbabwe. And got a

simple job, which is more to my city.

With the health department, killing mosquitoes and your mosquito killer, I was a mosquito killer and killing and dealing with the problem of some viruses as a difficult word to pronounce bilharzia, which can be caught from going into rivers. So I worked for them for a while, and then they Federation broke up. It's a long story, we have a good time for that. And I transferred across to the veteran department and worked in

tsetse fly control very successfully, until I took off and then they warriors Come on, I wasn't involved in any religious experience at that time.

And

eventually, I got back to Britain, but then went back to Africa again. But in the circumstances, in Zimbabwe today, I came back to London about five years ago. I see. So now you're not a fly killer anymore. Not a fly killer. on an individual basis. That's very true. But then I thought,

I thought to myself, again, you're in an age now. Now you always believed in God, but you haven't been praying to Him or worshiping him for years. So it's about time you got done did something about it. Now, Nobody forced me but I always had a feeling that

also, the Jesus is only

a prophet, one of us prophets. And I thought that the Muslim religion was the only one for us.

So I already had this embedded in the background. It must have been It was not something that popped up after seeing the role.

Well, I consider it to be appalling way the country going downhill with so much promiscuity and greed, gluttony and what have you all the evils that the Holy Quran tells us, we should avoid and fight. So I decided to become a Muslim. Nobody twisted my arm. Nobody forced me, but it is just through ours intervention that completely,

almost not accidentally, but I was making money transfer to some poor Africans in South Africa, we were suffering. I'm not a rich person, but I sue them through

a money exchange shop and internet cafe, which was run by a smaller chap. Now, I'd been to Somaliland and my brother had been adopted in Somaliland at one time, so they were completely strangers to me. So I realized that this fellow was quite a religious, Muslim, religious, smaller, all I could say. And he introduced me to the element tada of Islamic Center in Parsons green. And I went down

to see them one day and there and then I was accepted. I made the shadow.

The Shahada.

Excuse me, I'm really sorry. And I went and then I, on the 10th of June 2008.

And

it's been the best thing I've done. Your whole life. No, you're talking about do your whole life. What does this stand out as the most? I think, I think I think it must be Yes, yes, it is. Certainly the most rewarding and to become speaking to you today in this

in this place. It's It's such a it's almost miraculous.

It is for me as well, I have to tell you that. Ordinarily, when we have guests, I don't like to interrupt them. But I have to tell you something the minute I met you, I was so happy to make your acquaintance. And I prayed that allowed let us be together for this heart. So I'm so thankful to allow for us to get to beer. For this the experience that we shared together, people we met together things that happened. Some were kind of comical, some were a little tough. Yes, it hasn't. It hasn't been all that straightforward. It No, it never is. But as you said to me, I think I'm on occasion when you saw me sort of falling, not falling by the wayside, and not exact but falling down exam,

but it's not supposed to be easy.

And so I sort of brace my shoulders again, and sort of dug into that Scottish toughness, you know, and, and survived.

Very, very thankful to you, not only to you, but to all the brothers that be in your team here. Luke taught me so well, without the strong arms and shoulders of our brother from Colombia and south south carolina. I don't think I would have made it on the last day, which is very crowded, but I managed to get up close, pretty close to the cabin. So this would I could hardly believe.

I've seen pictures of the Kaaba in the old days in Aden. And it seemed to be a small building in the middle of the desert, and I arrived here, you know, you're gonna have it.

It certainly was an experience that I didn't expect. But everything's worked out very well. It's not easy for an 85 year old person.

I have to go into the details. That's not easy. But thanks to you and your and your team I've managed to survive. We say thanks to allow that any of us.

That is very true. I want to ask you now about the word in Arabic. It's called Tao heed or monetarism, how important is that? I think it's very, it's very important. It's very, very important to everybody, irrespective of the sort of time in life, but when you get old, doesn't matter what you've done in the past, you've got to look ahead, when you begin to look ahead to you've got to look ahead to the afterlife which Allah has promised us. And to get there you have to

belong to the Muslim faith follows the advice and the rules and live the rest of your life in the way that Allah and the Holy Quran instructs you to do.

This is easier for a person like myself, who's had a belief in God or hasn't been

shown very much but has a basic belief in God.

It's easy to make a conversion.

It might be more difficult for you to convert

People who don't believe in anything or don't worship and you say I'm an atheist would be harder to come to them? Yes, I would think so very much. That's been our experience. Actually, not the atheist is committed to nothing. But I think a gang Well, that's true. But going back to going back to Africa, which I had a lot of experience, most Africans, in most parts of Africa that I've been to have ever had any chance, real chance of knowing about the Muslim faith, or, or having anybody tell them about it. And they're very, they're people that I think we'd welcome some initiatives, because they, they have a basic belief in, in, in a god, one of the things we spoke about earlier is the

ease of understanding, I guess, the beliefs, because it's not difficult to understand there's one god do what he wants you to do. But to implement it or put it into practice, this is where the difficulty comes. And difficulty comes, of course, it's individual at some, I have an age now where they, shall we say, sins of the flesh are behind me now. And I haven't really been drunk a martini for a few years, and I've never been a gambler, I don't believe in the stock exchange, and I don't have, and I'm not greedy person. In fact, I'm struggling to keep my weight down. I still live on less than three pounds a day, which is about six American dollars. So you know, but it's not

everybody can do this. So I appreciate that. It's, it's, it's gonna be hard. Maybe some people, it's harder. It's not about giving up a form of religion, it's given up a former world, I'd think worship of the material things are very much that they material things. And as we've seen, now, I mean, the falling apart of it, but

material things I mean, you want to go to go to a supermarket in London, and see

people in, in medical terminology stricken with obesity, walking out with trolleys full of liquor and food, enough to feed an army of Africans, you know, for about a month. And this is just the weekend, business and so much waste.

Terrible ways. I never waste anything. One of the things that has nothing to do with my being a Muslim, it's just the way I'm built. I never waste anything. Because

you know, where, if you were, if you had surpluses, you would give them away to people who needed it. You know, as I do, I support the family in Africa

for many years now, and every year I go out for a couple of weeks. And I don't go over to Zimbabwe at the moment. But this year in April, I'm going back to South Africa and my friend will bring the old pickup down the bucket as we call it down. And we thought that was food and take it back to this person where I'm hoping to go with him to see some of his four children. Because I haven't seen them for a long time. Well, that's that's my interest in life. I don't I mean, I live by myself, but I look upon them as my family and it gives me something you don't just sit in and and do nothing but you can't do a great deal. If your miskeen Miskin means is being rather poor. impoverished, is

precuneus

we're gonna throw out all the big words.

Let us know ask you to give us as you did throughout the Hajj pilgrimage that we shared together, all of us and there were quite a few of us together. We looked forward to hearing from you on many occasions, we would ask you questions. And now again, we're going to ask you to give us some advice. Well, I'm not very sure audience I'm we've got here. This is the world at large. I would say take a look at yourself.

are you leading a good life? Do you feel that you're getting lab? Do you feel that you're committing sin? If not sins are being written down? I've told you but something in your heart and your body? Are you doing something you think is wrong? Do you not think you could possibly do things better? Maybe, maybe not be so greedy, maybe help other people, maybe pay more attention to God Allah

if you do that, realize that he's there looking after you. And not only that he is there to care for you. When you leave, depart from this life. It's very important. And all the rules are laid down. Think about him. Come to him and the best if when you when you decide that it's time something we've have gone see. Go to your local Masjid mosque or Islamic Center. Find someone that you can talk to and you have your own

cultural background is better to find someone like yourself that they can help you answer the many questions you have. And I tell you that you will feel a lot better, a great deal better when you've accomplished this, and come to terms with our, and certainly with all the people in the last few years in life, and if you're a young person, it goes for that as well. But and the younger, the more advice you need from people, much more experienced, and I am experienced, I only became a Muslim since the 10th of June this year. So I'm unable to to instruct you that well, somebody like our brother here, Yusef will be able to guide you in the right direction. I advise you to do this before

it's too late. Because people often say to me, why have you become a Muslim? No, you know, you can spend them by not giving an answer, but I give him a rather frivolous answer. I say

I want to be on the side of the angels. But knowledge decides to pull the final curtain down in this place. You think about that, I advise you to get on the side of the angels, and don't leave it too late.

Very good advice. Very, very good advice. And for me, I have felt that it was personal to me as well. Thank you so much, James, for sharing the heart with us and sharing your life with us. And especially thank you for taking the time to be with us and give us this good advice. We love you so much. And you're your brother in Islam. And we look to you like like our Father, we love you so much.

Thank you.

Well, that's our program for the dean show for this week. Edie, we'll be back with you next week. And until then we ask that the words that our brother James shared with us today will become a part of our lives, influencing us properly, correctly, that we can also have this great relationship with our Lord, to be close to a law and also the teachings of our Prophet Mohammed, when he told us that our relationship with Allah should be reflected in our relationship with the people. And whoever doesn't thank the people doesn't take a lot. So we thank our brother James and all the brothers that helped us to have our Hodge and we thank Allah subhanaw taala God Almighty, for giving us the tofik

the success and having our Hodge and having this program with you. Till next time for the deen Show. I'm using vestis salam aleikum, which means peace be unto you.

And there you have it, another person sharing their wonderful story with us, James at five years old. And I'd like to thank shake use of estus for helping us out with this interview. I hope this story that James got to share with you is something that will have an impact in your life. For those people who are still seeking the truth, wanting to know the truth after hearing his story, and watching some of our other shows that you acknowledge. And you're ready to acknowledge that you know what, you're smart enough to know that there is a creator behind all of this, that this universe and everything in it did not just come by chance that there's an orchestrator. There is one who is

sustaining and maintaining it. And he is the most wise, he did not just create this all in mere play in foolishness that I will have to go back to the giver of life, the one who has made me and I'm going to have to answer for everything that I've done in this world, especially what I believed in my heart, and that the signs that he gives to an individual and to the nations that I accept His signs, and this is one of them. Know that you are intelligent enough. And it's in your very nature when the truth comes to you. That it's simple to understand. It's nothing complicated. It's a way of life that all the messengers of God brought. They all taught the same way of life, submission and

surrender to the one God. He is the Most Merciful. He is the Most Gracious, he is the king. He is the only holy one. He is the peace. He is the giver of safety. He is the mighty, he is the powerful, the majestic. He is the only true create tour.

He is the maker of shapes, the most forgiving the Sustainer the all knowing the all hearing the Most High. He is the Protector. He is the most wise, the most loving. He is the giver of life, and the giver of death.

He is truly the

Self existing, he's truly independent on of all, and we are all dependent on him.

Try not taking the air in that he's given you see, if you're truly independent, which you are not, he is the only one truly independent and he is all powerful. He is ever living the all rich.

This is the one true God. In Arabic, we say Allah in Aramaic, the language that Jesus this mighty messenger spoke, he would say, Allah ha, in Hebrew, Allah. So it doesn't take person with many brain cells to figure out that the English language, Moses, Jesus, Abraham, they never spoke any of this. They didn't speak English, they never said and God. So when you put the pieces of the puzzle together, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, this is the God. And we just gave you some of his attributes. So you know that this is the one that I want to worship, this is the one that I want to turn to who I want to guide me. He is the one that self sufficient Master, who begets not nor was he begun, to

whom there is no quote, equal or comparable, who has no wife, no child, no siblings. This is the one God, He loves you, he wants to guide you, and He will forgive all sins. But you got to turn to Him and you got to want it. We talked about some of these other things early in the show, that the lights will come on the party will be over this life will end you'll be accountable for your sins. And you know, we got a lot of them.

We're coming to a close. All I want to say is that we care for our brothers in humanity. And we want everybody to be in paradise. And Paradise is eternal. Why barter is something temporary, which is this life for something eternal? Why would you risk paradise for something in a pleasure? That's always in the past tense. I was here I went there, it will all end. It will all be a past tense in paradise. It just keeps getting better and better. And all you got to do is one, ask for the guidance. And when it comes to you submit to this one God and strive to be the best human being you can be doing what this creator wants you to do. Doing it on his terms, not your terms. That's all we

have for today. I hope that you got to benefit. Continue tuning in every week to the deen show. And until next time, Assalamu alaikum, which means peace be unto you