Success Is Not What You Were Taught

Islam will teach you more about entrepreneurship than any other self-help guru can teach you. So-called self-help books are dangerously contradictory to the Islamic paradigm and dangerously contradictory to the Quranic compass. If I think in my mind, Allah has written mass amounts of risk for me, I will then work harder because I want to fulfill what Allah has written for me. The only means to attain wealth is that you understand the goal and you have a hunger to achieve that goal. Here is something every Muslim should do before they give a revert advice. Ask yourself, if all of my sins were public to this person, would I advise them the same way I'm going to advise them right now? Would I do it differently? If someone takes their shahada and then one month later people are, you're posting music, you're this, you're this, you are contradicting how Allah taught us. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala starts with wisdom as the first prerequisite to da'ah. We have three prerequisites for your da'wah to be considered as da'wah. Number one is I believe if the Sahaba saw the Muslim ummah today, they wouldn't think we were Muslims. What is your baraka blueprints? It's part of the um beauties of life that Allah subhana wa ta'ala gives us these unique challenges you know >> and and for for example um Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala when he designed the lives of Sahabah like even the Sahabah the Sahabah had their al also had their unique challenges the difference is that the Sahabah had what they had the objective guidance they had access direct access to objective guidance which is what the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam >> we don't have that so automatically our flaws are going to be magnified >> so you can be in a room with seven people and three of you are going to clock that something is not right and you're like why is like these two why are these two or these three people going on about x y and zed are they not see like what the hell are you not seeing this bro like come on man >> but these three people in in question, they don't pay attention to it because they have a difference paradigm. Their paradigm is that we're doing something good, right? So, I don't know. I think I I think it's a I think it's a very ironic and interesting part of our life. >> I would agree. Yeah. Yeah. >> 100%. Very well said. So look, anything aftermah in this podcast I don't have the I used to have the likealam welcome to the blueprint podcast you know um I may do that actually subhan Allah but um anything after we starts so there's no there's no formal introduction per se canon but um I don't know maybe I want to maybe I want to start with something subhan Allah because you are literally the first you you've been the first guest of the Baraka blueprint. Mhm. You are the first guest to have responded to a DM when I said, "Hey, like you said you were coming to Dubai 2025. It was you posted it in March if you remember, right? Coming in April." And I was like, "I'll write to him." I had a friend who looked he's like, "Dude, Hhabibi, you have barely a thousand followers. You're writing to someone who had the at the time I remember your Instagram, you had I think 90K, you were touching 100K. Mhm. >> And he said like, "Ira, no, no, no. You stick to someone in your in your party, in your in your ballpark, you know, in your sandbox." I was like, "No, no, I'm going to try." And I remember you replied like, "Ah, it sounds cool. That's fine." Because I I remember you explicitly wrote, "I don't care about your like audience uh level or like how how many people are actually listening to you. I'm interested in the in the actual project." So, I'm happy that you liked the Baka blueprint project, per se, but that was a year ago. Both had suits, remember? You had your green dashing suit. I'm I'm going to put it up as well for people to see. It's beautiful. And now we're both shallah. [laughter] It's been a year ago, a whole year, Canyon. You have been the first person to respond, to accept, to be the guest. >> You've been the first person to actually be the guest. And now you are the first return guests. Alhamdulillah. Am I also the first guest you've done um with? >> You are the only guest of >> Alhamdulillah. >> And I was going to talk about that. Subhan Allah. Because so much has happened that year. And first of all, I I ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala to uh bless the success that you have gone through. Bless your family, bless your household, bless your health, bless your wealth. And I ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala to bless this companionship and bless this friendship and bless this brotherhood because subhan Allah the last thing I ever accounted for canyon God is my witness the last thing I ever accounted for was that this friendship would be closer >> to the point that Allah subhanana wa ta'ala invites the two of us to visit his house >> how much this can do to a person huh >> yeah so the thing is subhah I was I remember you told me like ah I'm coming to Dubai Hey, let's uh uh let's rerun the Monica blueprint. I was I I was so excited, bro. Like, I was jumping in my apartment, right? My neighbors thought I was crazy. They they think I'm crazy for other reasons as well. But the thing is like on my way here and before the episode, I was asking myself, what am I going to talk about? >> Right? I've changed the style. I'm not I'm no longer the interviewing type of person. Maybe I on and off go back to it, right? But I was asking myself, thinking, subhan Allah, maybe this is an opportunity for me to have a performance review. >> Maybe this is an opportunity for me to hold myself accountable first. And do you remember because in the Canyon Mips show, we also had a collaboration. >> Yeah, we did. Yeah. >> What was the last thing I told you? >> I don't remember. >> What What is your signature question by the way? If you had if you could speak into a microphone and tell the whole world something, what would you say? >> Uhhuh. Do you remember what I said? >> I don't remember what you said. >> I'll remind you. Hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable. >> So I thought there is no better topic in the bar blueprint than accountability. >> I like it. Let's do it. >> Let's do it. Let's do it. So after praise be to Allah subhana tala and may the mercy uh and blessings of almighty God be upon the beloved messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam. May the and may the mercy and blessings of God be upon the companions of the prophet who followed him upon righteousness until the last and final day. I am blessed today. Baraka blueprint family. Whoever listens to this, whoever watches this, I started a year ago, a year and a half ago. Subhan Allah. And I was I was actually filming in my story. I was saying, "Subhan, I I haven't been very good with the content uh publication recently, right? And one thing I have to say, I am so grateful that Allah subhana t sends me people like Canyon. God is my witness. Because to me, you're not you're not you're not a face behind the screen, right? >> Yes. It was it was a very cool uh moments to have done content together, right? Of course, it's very cool. It's one of the beauties of life. But but subhan Allah the times where we've held each other accountable in in Omrah I remember like sometimes like I saw randomly randomly I maybe maybe I'll be on my phone and someone subhan Allah would tap me on the shoulder in just some brotherly accountability sometimes he doesn't have to say anything else just brotherly accountability and I remember subhan Allah I've I've overpowered the microphone. I want to hear your voice, bro. I want to hear your What are you What are you feeling? Second time Baraka blueprint, bro. It's been exactly a year, right? >> Yeah, it's been about exactly a year. Alhamdulillah. I would say I am like a completely different person. Like, if you sat me down with me a year ago and we had a conversation, it would be the most dynamic conversation ever, right? >> Okay. Talk me through it. Well, I just think I on our podcast a year ago, >> I had a very linear view of life that what I knew is what it's supposed to be in terms of how to become successful, right? You know, I'm I'm hyper obsessed with success, right? But I thought success was what I had found, right? Which I had found a way to get successful in this dunya. But now the more and more I've kind of tried to get Islamic knowledge, I've realized that all success stems from living as close to the sunnah as you possibly can. So over the last year, like my whole framework has changed from, you know, take the Islamic parts of me and take the non-Islamic parts of me and this is one person, right? The slogan of my podcast used to be balancing the dunya and the acura. I need to change it soon because I found the answer, right? It was a year I was trying to find the answer. How do you balance the dunya and the acura? Right? How do you have some dunya and how do you have some? I found the answer. How you balance it? You don't. There is no balancing the dunya and the acura. You only prioritize the and by only prioritizing the you get the dy and the I'll tell you exactly what I mean because people think prioritizing the means doing your salah means giving your charity. But that's not true. Right? Going to work with the right intention becomes an ibada and that becomes prioritizing your acra. Exact. Taking care of your family with the right intention becomes prioritizing your and you get the dunya. Right? Building a business for the sake so you can have risk to take care of the people you love and pay your zakat and help people prioritizes your acra and then you also get the dunya. So I think how I go about making decisions in life has completely changed. how I go about the structure of my life has completely changed and every aspect right like I wouldn't say I'm a completely different person but it's definitely a dramatic change >> but uh on the topic of structuring your life because one of the angles that I approach the baraka blueprint has become more so of project managing your life right and the statement that I make uh and the claim that I make is that there's there's No other way to success in life other than project managing your life. This is this is applicable to the person who has the interest of dunya and the interest of applicable both ways and there is no better project management methodology than the Quranic compass. Right? And this is the claim that I've made uh and it's a claim that I've presented and shared with my shared shared with my guests. Right? So question I want to ask you is so how are you structuring your life differently >> number one thing is I follow the routine of prophet peace be upon him >> you know I now obviously stay awake after fudger and I go to bed after I isha and I used to like want to stay up super late but then I was asking myself okay if prophet peace be upon him is the best man who's ever lived the most successful man who's ever lived why would I do anything differently than exactly what he does right there's there's No other answer. So people often ask me, Kenyon, what is your opinion on XYZ? And I used to give them my opinion. Now when someone says, Kenyan, what is your opinion on XYZ? I say my opinion is what the Quran and the Sunnah says. >> That is what my opinion is, right? And so it's completely changed. Now that's changed how I go about life. So now in my day-to-day life, how I make decisions of what I'm going to do is I ask myself two questions. >> Okay? >> Number one is in my situation, what would Prophet peace be upon him do? out of all the things that I could do right now, what would he choose to do? Second thing I ask is what will bring the most amount of pleasure to Allah, right? And that is the priority that is it doesn't matter anything else. If I'm presented with a hundred things to do, what do I think the prophet would do? And what do I think Allah will be most pleased with, right? And they're the same answer when you ask what Allah is be most pleased with is exactly what the prophet would do. So that's how I structure my life with everything. I'm more strict on not working at certain times, right? I used to be grind, grind, grind no matter what. Like if I have to get a task done, I'm going to keep working. Now I'm like, when it hits six, unless it is dire and I can get it done in like 30 minutes, laptop gets close and I'm done, right? And you ask, oh, but why? You know, you got to be successful. You got to get things done. How did the prophet Muham peace be upon him do it? Right? Did he have time with his family? Did he have time with the companions? He had a very balanced life, a very structured life, right? And he didn't uh live in chaos, right? He lived in structure. He lived in balance, right? We have times of chaos, but not as the constant all the time. So, I've recently been having a more slow part of my life. Right? This actually was a big takeaway from our UMRA trip where I told myself one of the number one things that changed after I performed Umra this year was I want to be intentionally slow in parts of my life and I want to be intentionally fast in parts of my life. the last two years and alhamdulillah it generated results but I don't think what got me to where I am right now is what will get me to where I want to go was just being on 24/7 it was just on 24/7 just work 24/7 constantly switched on now I want when I'm working I'm super present I'm super focused on what I'm working and when I'm not working I'm not working right when I'm spending time with my family or my friends that's what I'm doing this podcast there's nothing else I'm doing except being at this podcast talking to my Right? So being more present. So I'd say those are the few things that have mainly changed on how I live my life and how it's structured. Let's um let's look at crisis mode. Okay? Because everyone reaches there. Allah god knows how many times I've been in that situation, right? Uh you have a routine h you crash for whatever reason and suddenly all of your priorities and everything falls, right? Um, one thing that I have tried to practice recently is how can I establish a process or a reset factor or a reset um parameter >> or steps that I can follow to reset everything and basically steer the ship back to where it is supposed to be going, right? Um like for example I I want to tell myself I want to and I try to I want to tell myself that I am the kind of person that wants to lead with the Quranic compass and follow the Quranic compass and very often we don't do that we do the exact thing the exact thing that is not in accordance with that compass for whatever reason Right? Everyone of the offspring of Adam are sinners and everyone makes mistakes and everybody falters in whichever degree you want to think about, right? Um I'm interested in knowing if that was to happen to you, Canyon, what's your how does your crisis mode look like in terms of resets? >> How how how do you get back in focus? Mhm. I think a mistake a lot of people make with their routine and why crisis destroys their routine is they have too complex of routine with too many things that they think are non-negotiables. Right? So see people set a structure like I have to do XYZ every single day. I have to wake up at this time. I need to journal at this time. You need a cold shower at this time. I need this this this. Right? So it becomes very easy to miss one of those and then subconsciously I said I was going to do this. I broke my word to myself. I've messed up my routine. and then they go on a downward spiral, right? Because they're losing faith in themsel, they're breaking their word of themsel and their whole schedule collapses or they have a crisis and they cannot manage any of this stuff. So then they burn out, right? >> And I think the mistake stems from they set their schedule up in the incorrect way. So how I do it now is have a schedule that can sustain crisis by having only certain small non-negotiables. Right? I have a long routine of things I like to do. I like to go to the gym, right? I work out, then I go for a long walk on the beach, then I sauna, and then I cold plunge. Are all of these a non-negotiable, right? On Monday, Wednesday, Friday is when I'm at the gym. No. The only non-negotiable is I lift weights three times a week, right? So, if like all of a sudden a bunch of stuff's going on, I can cut all of that fluff out, right? I have a morning routine where I do some gratitude journal. I'll sit and like ground and drink coffee for 30 minutes. I'll do this. I'll do Is any of that a non-negotiable? No. The only non-negotiable is that I pray fudger. Right? So if you make a structure that you have this bare bones of what you do no matter what even in a crisis I think it becomes easier to maintain routine. So I'd say my non-negotiables are I will lift weights three times a week and I'll pray five times a day. >> Mhm. That's it. If I do those that's fine. That's non-negotiables. I maintain some structure in my life. And obviously I have a lot, right? 10,000 steps a day, two liters of water a day, right? I try to only have whole foods, no processed food. But if I mess up on one of those, am I gonna let that throw me in a downward spiral? If I burn out and then cannot maintain that, am I gonna let that, you know, throw me for a loop and then stop me from being more productive? No, I'm not. Right. I'll control what I'm required to do and then the rest, bro, it is what it is. >> I want to make a connection to a statement that you made in our first episode. Uh we talked about the definition of success. >> Yeah. >> And you gave me the example of two people. >> What they define as wealth and what what they define as success. You remember that right? Uh I'm I'm seeing a great parallel with this >> because how you define a successful day >> also is very different >> right because you can define a successful day like you said you have these crit the every single criterion of uh whatever part of your routine you have to complete right what however complex or simple it is or you can have a simpler one and of course the success rate theoretically speaking is going to be higher because theoretically speaking you define how successful your day is. Right? Uh I'm interested to know this before I dissect this further. Uh I make sure I want to make sure if I heard this correctly. Was was this the biggest takeaway that you had from your or what was your greatest takeaway in this case? Because look listen Ramadan. Okay. Look, we went to Omrah in Ramadan. Omrah in of itself breaks your routines, bro. You wake up different times. You are awake different times. Omrah and Ramadan. There's no working out. You can try. There's no uh specific nutritional schedule. And if you had it, say bye-bye. >> Right. Breaks every routine. How did you get okay? How how did you go from there to establishing a working routine? Well, I'll tell you the number one thing that changed after I performed Umrah in Ramadan. The number one thing was literally nothing else matters except pleasing Allah. >> Nothing. Right? You know, some people have uh like Umrah burnout where they perform Umrah, they come back and it's like this crash, right? Because they were in Mecca Medina and this spiritual high and then they crashed >> or they were stuck in Jedha for some time. >> I didn't have that at all. I have completely changed since Umrah. And it's just realizing at the end of the day, literally nothing matters except pleasing Allah. Right? If it is anything else, I'm not going to stress about that. Anything that goes wrong, it doesn't really matter. Am I still able to please Allah? If I go through hardship, am I going to handle this hardship in a way that pleases Allah? If I'm having success, am I going to use this success in a way that pleases Allah? That's the number one thing that's changed. It's literally all I care about, right? And I pray that I keep that and I pray that I keep this intention. And I pray that Allah continues to have me renew this intention and make this always my intention because I notice that is how I've become so happy in my life is because at the end of the day, I'm going to die. I'm gonna face Allah and anything that I did in my life that wasn't centered around gaining the pleasure of Allah doesn't matter it doesn't matter right I love doing stuff that's amazing I love going on adventures I do but I have to make the intention to do it for Allah so a lot of stuff I would do but if I just waited like 30 minutes and really worked on my intention it could become an ibada right so now I try to make everything I possibly can an ibada I'm no way perfect at all many times I forget to set my intention But I want to continue on this part. Right? So that's the number one thing. Now, how did I go from having no routine to getting back into a routine? I think it's just you take things slow, right? I >> there's a lesson in the Quran. >> Okay. >> There's not a lesson in the Quran. There's a lesson in how the Quran was revealed that directly correlates to how I apply things into my life. Uh, and I know which verse you're referring to as alhan. >> Was the Quran given to us as a book? >> Nope. >> Was the Quran revealed step by step at the most applicable time? Exactly. So too too many people try to set a new routine and go >> routine massive routine. I must follow it. Right. So Allah is smarter than every intelligence combined times 1 billion trillion quintilion what we can't even comprehend. Right? So if Allah knew the Quran had to be revealed this way so we could follow and it would be sustainable. Why do we try to do anything else in our life when applying a structure to follow? Right? The Quran is a structure, a blueprint to follow. So, if we're going to make a routine and a blueprint to follow, we should set it up exactly how Allah set up the most important blueprint and schedule to follow. And they say, why was the Quran not given to us in a singular delivery? Verily, it is to stabilize your heart and we structured it accordingly. >> Exactly. >> You're right. Ultimately, everything comes back to the Quran. Um, and the wisdom and the lesson in terms of how the Quran was uh revealed is in itself a lesson in the Quran. So, everything comes back to it. Subhan Allah. Uh, so, okay. So we're so so so we're saying slow and steady growth wins the race. We agree on that one and the lesson and and our reference is going to be strictly the Quran. Okay. Sorry. Um I told you before I I I find it extremely fascinating and extremely sometimes funny, sometimes ironic, sometimes poetic, sometimes everything at once. how every single thing in life and every wisdom and every lesson that we can take comes back to the Quran. >> Even slow and steady growth, >> you know, you said uh in our first podcast I gave you the definition of success. >> Yes. >> My definition of success has changed. Can you guess what it is? >> Oh, okay. Um we Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. We were talking about um what Okay. your your definition of success was very family oriented, very family connected. >> So that how what I thought success was, but how I defined success was like the definition of success is how close do you get to attaining what you said you want. >> That is correct. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. That's that's what you said. >> And then yeah, I wanted like balance and all this. Yeah. Yeah. That's all good things. >> So definition of success is how close you are to achieving what you set out to achieve. >> I've changed the definition of success and I've also changed my version of success. Okay. This is very interesting. Okay. Okay. Okay. But and and you're and you're telling Ibrahim Sharif to guess like no problem. Ibrahim Sharif is going to try to guess. Um you Okay. So am I correct to understand then that that Canyon M's definition to successf? He defines success as how close you are to attaining that which Allah subhana t has distanted for you. >> That's a good answer. >> Yeah. Okay. I'm telling you. I calculated but but I'm sure I'm sure the answer the correct answer is even better. So please tell me >> my definition of success >> and what I view as success for me is the same answer to both. So there's no definition of success. There's none of that. The definition of success is Jenna Allahbar. There's nothing else that needs to be said. Allahbar. >> So here's the thing. Like when I first came on your podcast, alhamdulillah, mashallah, I've been able to get around a lot of successful people at a young age. Like I saw like how you become successful. I met a lot of people who are doing a lot of amazing things with their life. Yes. >> So I used to think there were answers outside of Islam, right? Which you can read like self-help books. There's a lot you can you can read other things that are beneficial and they will benefit you for sure, right? >> But there every answer you're ever looking for in your life is in the sunnah and in the Quran, right? So I used to think I need to get some of my knowledge and some of my wisdom from outside of Islam, right? Like my entrepreneur side of things. Like I thought Islam was just about the peaceful side of things, you know, learn how to worship your Lord. But Islam will teach you more about entrepreneurship than any other entrepreneurship book will, right? Islam will teach you more about grinding and hustling more than any grind and hustle book. Islam will teach you more about becoming successful as a man than any other self-help guru can teach you. Right? So that's also why I changed my definition of success. It's because I no longer look outside of Islam for any ideology or opinion that I'll hold. I want to make the claim as well that sometimes these uh so-called and dangerously contradictory to the to the Quranic compass. I've done some content about it as well very recently. Uh ironically, subhan Allah. Okay. So, so, so, so, so to those of you that are um, uh, that are familiar with these clips that I've released on Instagram and Tik Tok, and more of them are coming in because this is something that I truly believe in. uh the idea of uh comparing and like trying trying to understand these books that have that seem to be popularized from the Quranic and from the Islamic lens is actually the product of our conversation >> when we were stuck in Jada. We were both trying to get home. >> Yeah, I remember that [laughter] >> in that in the middle of that fever dream, right? And if if if you if you recall a part of that fever dream, uh we were talking about the importance of content delivery and how to structure your content and how to like like your brand positioning as a personal brand, right? Uh so it was from there I started to make those clips with uh like understanding books like books from Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich, books like the 5 a.m. club, atomic habits, like whatever all of them, uh like for example one of the one of the books uh think and grow rich Napoleon Hill in one of the pages there was a quote that Napoleon Hill shared and he said that and I'm paraphrasing by the way summarizing and paraphrasing saying that the like the only means to attain wealth is that you understand the goal and you have a hunger to achieve that goal. Mhm. >> So the problem with the selfhelp dogma or whatever you want to call it is in the first name self. >> Everything is connected to the self. It's dangerous. It's very damaging. It's borderline neighboring the verse. Have you seen the person who has taken his own what? Self as a god. And a lot of these self-help books, they're they're either touching that verse or they're swimming in that verse because ultimately everyone is saying, "Hey, it's only you. You are the you're the make or break. >> You are you are the only one who can help yourself." We're taking away the most important ingredient. We're taking away the most important ingredient which is relying on Allahh. >> So I so not to like not to any what's it called? Rain on someone's parade if that makes sense but I have to add to this where you said I 100% agree with you and to add to that it's a problem >> big problem. I think also you'll realize a lot of the ide ideologies that you take from self-help you find them with Islam if you have enough knowledge. So, let's take some of the things maybe I presented in our first podcast, like beliefs that I held that were ingrained in me. A belief that a man must grind and work as hard as possible to make something of his life. >> Does that disagree with Islam? >> No. Right. >> Of course not. >> Not at all. Right. I believe that you must be accountable for everything. Right. Whether it was your fault or not, you should be accountable. Does that contradict Islam? >> Absolutely not. Exactly. Exactly. >> And it goes on and on and on. all these self-help things, but you find them in Islam. And I just want to get this apart. I just want to get this across. The answers to anything are in Islam, right? Anything you need is in Islam. You don't need to look out anywhere. Islam is perfect. So I think the problem is once the solution is once you understand that Islam is from God, it is from God. It is from the literal creator of the heavens and the earth. >> Your life quality is going to mirror that as well. If you follow, right? People think like, oh, Islam is something you add to your life. No, Islam is life. >> Subhan Allah. >> Ah, okay. Okay. Okay. I I get the tangent now. Yeah, >> I get the tangent that you were going to go to because you also said and I'm going to explain why and how it's it's not about balancing the dean and the duny. >> It's about only focusing on your and will follow along. >> Because that's literally it, right? >> Because like you said, once you understand that this >> there's nothing else. >> Mhm. We did not leave anything undisclosed in this book. Every single thing has been described and the standard of quality and the quality control check everything has been described in the Quran as well. So if we focus on that and we realize that well I mean this is a perfectly valid and the only valid source of information because this is coming from the creator of information and the creator of those who process that information. So of course the quality of life is going to mirror our quality of following instruction. >> What a what an interesting way to reach that. >> Now station I have developed a new opinion on how I believe that we should chase success as Muslims. >> Please share >> and what should what it should orientate around. Right. >> So success comes from obviously gaining the pleasure of Allah. Yes. Right. But many Muslims want to achieve grand things. So this is amazing. They want to build businesses or they want to get wealthy. This is amazing. >> Now here's my number one recommendation to anyone who wants to achieve grand things and as a Muslim and through an Islamic lens how they can do this. >> We all have risk written for us, right? >> We don't know what it is, but it's written for us. We are going to get what we are supposed to get. And some people think the risk being written for me means I don't really need to do much. Like it's there for me. I'm gonna get what I'm going to get. Right. Yeah. >> How I view this is what belief system will increase my ability to get more risk. >> What I mean by this is I believe if I think in my mind Allah has written mass amounts of risk for me, I will then work harder because I want to fulfill what Allah has written for me. Right? But if I sit and go, I think Allah's only written a little bit for me, right? Allah's only written a tiny bit, then my actions will correlate to that. Right? But if I believe no I believe Allah wants me to do amazing things for this umah right if I believe that then I have a higher chance of achieving it now at the end of the day I'll achieve what I'm supposed to achieve right what's going to happen is what's supposed to happen what Allah has written for me is exactly what's going to happen but my belief will change my behavior and then if I change my behavior then inshallah I should end up getting more risk >> can you expand on that a bit more your your your belief changes your behavior Everything starts with belief, right? >> All of our actions start from belief. Everything we do starts from belief. So if I believe that I am someone who is supposed to do XYZ, what is then the probabil the possibility that I then go do XYZ, >> right? Our beliefs and identity shape who we are. There's a reason why I wear th now because when I wear th I >> besides the fact that you looked absolutely dashing in the th. >> Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. >> Of course, >> I believe I'm more Muslim. Even though that doesn't there's no basis in this, right? There's no even dressing like a Muslim, but like the way I feel or I embody more being a Muslim. So then if I believe this in my mind that I'm more of a Muslim by believing I'm more of a Muslim, this will then bleed into my character traits and how I act. Right. >> So, alhamdulillah, mah, I've been blessed with a big platform online and a lot of followers. And I believe that Allah has given me this so I can have a positive impact on people. Me believing this will now change how I act to produce content that will benefit people. But if I just believed, >> uh, yeah, Allah gave me this because he wanted, you know, he it was in my risk. He wants me to be successful. Then I'd probably only use social media to monetize it, right? And live a good life and this this, but not trying to maximize for impact. >> So what we believe actualizes into our life, right? What we think about becomes a reality. That's true. >> True. And it it like you said it shapes how you uh behave in set scenarios as well. Uh and you touched on something and I I want to expand to that as well. Um because one of the topics I wanted to touch is particularly the content that you make, right? And first of all uh your content has changed completely from uh we from when we last saw each other in like in the Baraka blueprint sphere. Okay. Uh on top of that as well it hasn't just changed directionwise. Uh it has expanded. First of all, you have an Arabic page that seems to end up on my dad's Facebook for you page, right? Uh which I'm happy. I'm happy for that. By the way, he was he was telling me he's like, "Ibraim, have you seen this white dude who's is a Muslim? He he's making content is being translated in Arabic." I was like, "Haba." And that was like when I when I I had just uh we had returned from I spent like every day until like the last two three days of Ramadan and then I went to Sweden to celebrate Eid with my family, right? So um after Ramadan I like this has happened. So I I was like dad you mean this guy and then I showed him our um pictures right? He's like oh yeah that's him that's him. [laughter] So besides that bes bes b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b besides reaching uh my dad and other Arab speaking um people, right? You also have you have you have your show, the Kany show. >> Uh you have uh you also you you create a lot of content especially from like Indonesia and any even life there and what to expect for people like me who haven't been to Indonesia, who haven't been to that part of the world, right? Uh so I want to dissect those one by one. Uh I want to talk about your podcast. >> First why >> why why the podcast? Why why why not just like the the content that you're already doing that is already doing very well by the way? >> Mhm. The podcast is for reverts because we do not have enough resources for reverts. >> And I believe that we're underserving >> But everyone is making dawa. >> Yeah. Everyone is calling to Islam. Bro is everyone's bringing, this is the number one problem we have with our dawa is everyone's bringing people to Islam and then we have no nurturing process. So everyone's leaving Islam. It doesn't really matter to convince someone to become a Muslim if they then leave Islam a year later. We didn't do anything. We didn't save that person. They're not saved from the hellfire if they leave Islam a year ago. >> So I think something we need to focus on as a community is we need to nurture reverts. We need to be there for them. And we need to understand that being a reaver is a massive journey. You don't change your life in a month. If someone takes their shahada and they're 25 and then one month later people are, you're posting music, you're this, you're this. >> I don't give a rat's bottom. If that's a sin or not, you are contradicting how Allah taught us. >> And then people are going to clip this, take me out of context. Fine. Disclaimer. [laughter] >> Here's the thing. Right. Allah revealed the Quran to us by teaching us about and to not commit sherk and teaching us about salah and teaching us about who he is and his majesty >> for a long period of time. >> Did he go here's all your rules. Follow them. I'm not going to tell you who I am. I'm not going to explain who God is. I'm not going to tell you about the prophets. I'm not going to tell you about the stories. Just follow a bunch of rules. No, it doesn't work that way. Now, we do this on reverts and that's why people leave Islam, right? You have to get a reaver to fall in love with Allah and fall in love with salah. Then they'll follow the rules. >> And it has to be non-negotiable, by the way. It has to reach a point where it's non-negotiable. >> So that's why the podcast is now because the podcast is a place for reverts to see all of the journey other reverts have been through so they can know how to handle the hurdles that they're going to face. they can know how to handle the backlash they're going to get because every single revert says the exact same thing. They all have a different story how they find Islam. But then once they become Muslim, 90% of the time it's all the same, right? Haram police pissing me off, people not understanding my intention, people not giving me advice correctly, people not being there for me, people not welcoming me into the community, people treating me like I'm a trophy and not actually like I'm a human being. Right? These are the same things every single revert faces. >> And yet nobody's actually speaking about these things. So I'm trying to make a platform, right? So I can speak out for the reverts and I can advocate for them because we have a huge issue where someone becomes a Muslim and they're so glorified and it's like this like rush like imagine this is going to be a weird analogy but like imagine you're a person and you just do like cocaine for a month, right? And you're just like this is insane and then you just get put in a a sane asylum box. You have to sit there for the rest of your year, right? You go from cocaine every single day to sitting in an insane asylum, right? You go from one extreme to another. It's like as polar opposite as you can possibly get. It's actually kind of the same thing with reverts. They become a Muslim. Everyone just praises them. Everyone, anything I can do for you, let me know. Anything I can do for you, let you know. And then one month later, no one talks you, you know, strategically. >> No one talks to them. They're completely gone. They're completely isolated. They're by themselves and they don't know what to do. So that's why I made the podcast, you know. Subh first first of all, the way I see it, okay, I'm I'm not qualified to speak on the matter because I'm not from a revert background and I haven't gone through these challenges. Subhan Allah. To me, it feels like this is like a home for converts. It's like the channel for converts. It's the voice for converts, like you said, because I heard stories from from your uh from your podcast. >> Horrific. >> Terrifying. Subhan Allah. And you know I the thing is like it challenges my misconceptions as well and it challenges my belief system when it comes to what happens on that part of life because I was under the assumption that the challenge is with the non-Muslim paradigm. >> I was wrong. [laughter] The challenge is while it can remain there, >> the challenge has a lot to do with how the Muslim paradigm is engaging with >> Yeah. Non-Muslims are not the reason why reverts are leaving Islam. The reason why reverts are leaving Islam is because of born Muslims and born Muslims don't want to accept this. It's because we have absolutely lost the wisdom on how to give people advice. I'm going to give you an exact example. There's a brother Reaver. He's been on my podcast. I just saw he posted a clip. He had music in it, right? I see some people comment like, "Brother, music, it's haram." And I know if he reads this, he'd be like, "What's going on?" Like, "Guys, he's been a reaver for three years, for three months." And like, he he'd just be upset about it, right? I messaged him and go, "Hey, bro. I just want to give you like some advice. I don't know if you knew this, but there's a hadith that the four major schools of thought agree that because of this hadith, music is impermissible." And I know social media, you know, if you post like in you get sins for other people, it can kind of be a big deal. So, like regardless of being permissible or not, like I would look into it if I were you. And then obviously like it's always best just to stay away from it is like my advice. And he's like, "Oh, thank you. I didn't know. I'll thank you for letting me know. I'll take it down." Right. >> Wait, hold on. I'm sorry. That is a better approach than mass commenting and saying that is haram. >> Yeah. Well, one thing I know it's it's crazy. >> What? >> I I want to I want to I want to cover this real quick. We don't have to go on a two tangent for the revers. >> No, no, go ahead. Go ahead. Do do it, please. >> The best way to give advice to a revert is to seek to understand. Take this back. The best way to give advice to any Muslim [laughter] is to seek to understand where they are before giving them the advice. Right? If you see a revert sister posting a video and she has a half hijab where her neck is closed, don't be an idiot brother and go, "Sister, this is haram." If you don't even know if she knows that or not, right? Seek to understand, does she even know what makes a proper hijab? if she might not and all you're doing is commenting going, "Sister, your hijab's wrong." It's just going to push her farther away from Islam. Okay? So, seek to understand where someone is. Second thing is is know who is the right person to give advice. Okay? If I saw a sister right now online, maybe a new reaver, she's been a reaver for like 3 months, and I see she's doing something wrong, would I message a sister privately and go, "You're doing this wrong." No. If I if I really felt she needed advice, what I would do is message like a sister who I know who's 40, 50, right? Maybe who has proper knowledge and I'd say, "I saw this sister. If you think you should give her advice, here's her Instagram." And I'll leave it. She's a better person to give advice than me, right? So we right now Muslims just assume that someone knows what they're doing is wrong. Doesn't care and is just openly sinning without first thinking does this person even know what they're doing is wrong. Right? I once made a video when I had like not much knowledge and I said something wrong and everyone was just ripping me apart and comments you idiot this this this. No one once asked like hey did you know what you did was wrong? I would have been like oh okay thanks for telling me right and I would have taken the video down but everyone just attacked me without wanting to understand where I am. So yeah, we need to give advice with we need to give advice and have wisdom behind the advice we give. >> Even subh the way we are taught to give dawa to people because this this is a form of dawa at the end of the day. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala starts with wisdom as the first prerequisite to da'wah. He says so we have we have we have three prerequisites for your dawa to be well considered as da'wah, right? in accordance with the Quranic compass. Uh number one is wisdom. Okay. And it's saying the right thing at the right place at the right time to the right person. >> You know, and and like an an example of that is for like the the example of the sister who either has an issue in terms of like an action or a a piece of clothing or whatever it is. And okay, what is going to be the better approach? which approach will give us the highest ROI >> and the highest ROI is the person saying I'm going to implement this. Okay. And then you you get part of the reward because ultimately like I said what is the definition of success? >> Jenna. >> Jenna. Exactly. How do you achieve Jenna? By making sure that you do the things that that that Allah subhana t is pleased with. >> Okay. [clears throat] And ultimately funny thing funny thing, right? Ultimately all of this doesn't matter if Allah subhana wa ta'ala doesn't give you his mercy >> without Allah's mercy you don't you don't enter our actions are not enough but to maybe maybe be worthy of a fraction of that mercy we do the best with our actions >> I have something super tactical actually a really piece of tactical advice on how to give advice >> let's go >> this is I got this from a friend of mine Bro, maybe it was you who told me this. Well, we'll figure it out after [laughter] I tell you. >> It was the best advice I've ever gotten on how to advise someone when you see that they're doing something. Oh, if it's the best, then it's definitely me. [laughter] >> Act like you don't actually know what's right or wrong and ask them to clarify while you give them evidence of what you have supporting what they're doing is wrong. Okay. So if I see you, let's say uh what would be a good example? Let's say I see you doing your woodoo incorrectly, right? And I want to give you advice. Instead of coming up and go, brother, you're doing your woodoo incorrectly. This is this is how you need to do it. I'd go up and be, hey, I I saw you're doing your woodoo differently than me. I was wondering, can I get your opinion? Uh this is where I learned to do woodoo. This is the sources that showed me the correct way to do woodoo, and I'm wondering, am I doing it wrong? And then they're gonna they're gonna they're going to clock, oh no, I'm the one who's doing it wrong. and they're going to tell you. But imagine that gives this person a such easier way to accept the wisdom because they don't have to accept that they're wrong. They don't have to publicly say, "Oh, yes, I'm wrong." But then they're going to change their behavior, right? Same thing with music. Okay? So, let's say you see someone posting music and you could DM and go, "Brother, music is haram." Or, "Hey, I'm just curious like I I don't yet know the answer to this. Do you follow the opinion that music is impermissible or not? I was told the four major schools of thought say music is impermissible because of XYZ hadith. Which is a better way to give advice? That's very tactical way to give advice that I would ask you. >> Like you said, by the way, I this is very good advice. This is really really good to this. >> Abdullah Abdullah who told >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Subhounds like him. Ah, our our nomad brother. Huh? No. Subh this sounds exactly like him because the brother is very wise. This this can only be given from a very wise person and Abdah is a very wise person. um makes perfect sense and even and I could be wrong in my quotation. I'm not I'm I'm I'm very very very very much a noob a beginner in my quest of seeking Islamic knowledge. So um I think I went through a a a a story where Alass Hussein the the grandchildren of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam the sons of uh they saw an elder man do a like he he he was mistaken either in his it was either in his or in his I don't recall and um and I could be wrong so so so those who have the better reference Please correct me. But the the moral of the story was that they approached the man, the elder gentleman. And I mean, come on. If anyone can tell you that you're wrong, I would say the grandchildren of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam are pretty qualified to come to you and say, "Hey, just so you know, what you're doing is wrong, and you you you're just going to have to swallow your pride, shut up, and say thank you." Right? Now, they understood that this is an elder gentleman that they're speaking to. So they go and say, you know, you seem to be wiser and elder, right? Could you help us? >> We're debating which one of us is doing this correctly? >> And they both do the exact same thing. And the man realizes saying, "Ah, no, no, no. They're the ones doing it correctly and I'm the one who's mistaken." >> Right? So properly good advice. And like speaking of which, yes, it's about the highest return of investment. Okay? Because your actions, it's an investment. either either either you're gambling, okay, and you're losing out and ultimately you're getting minus points or you're winning something, right? So, like you said, subhan Allah, the best return of investment is to understand how to give your >> and unfortunately and I don't understand that. Many people don't seem to clock that. >> I want to speak up for the revert sisters really quickly, >> okay? Because many men don't actually understand the struggle that revert sisters go through with the hijab and they immediately criticize these sisters because they don't wear the hijab. >> I want to make the claim that I don't think any Muslim man would understand. Not that many I don't think anyone would because it's a very different paradigm when I said men and women are not the same. So it's a very different ballgame. >> But please continue. Many of these women actually want to wear hijab and they are actively struggling with implementing it into their life and they want to and they want to be more modest, but they're having to adapt and change their entire life. Right? If a woman takes her shahada at 25 and she's been dressing inappropriately her entire life, she has to change 25 years of a habit. Right? I've interviewed many sisters who are like half hijabies now or 75% and they'll openly tell you like, "I want to be a full-time hijabi. I pray for this. in my salah, I pray for this, right? They want it. They're actively trying to seek the pleasure of Allah. So, if you're some man who does not understand the journey that this woman's going through, do you think it's beneficial at all to critique her and to give her like unnecessary criticism, all that's going to do is probably push her away because she's getting this criticism when she's actively putting in her best effort. Now, many people take this out of context and say like, "Oh, we don't, you know, give advice or we don't forbid evil and enjoy in good." But this is not the case at all, right? You just need to understand where someone is and know that you don't know the journey they're going through. You don't know what what stage they're learning at, right? And these reverts, many reverts, it takes five years to get fully off the launch pad. Like if you if you look at every revert, it statistically it's usually about year five when they're like, "Okay, like they're a fully practicing Muslim now. They, you know, it's a woman, they are full-time hijab now. If it's a man, you know, like they're married, they cover their aura, right? They lower their gaze, but it usually takes about five years." >> Uhhuh. So, if I see a Muslim sister who is either not wearing hijab or wearing it incorrectly, I shouldn't rain on her comments and DMs. >> Yeah, you shouldn't comment 3 three3 sister >> three. >> It's the Quran verse 33 33. >> Aha. Oh goodness. Okay. >> Come on, Mr. Half is [laughter] like, wait, hold up. To be fair, I don't even know what the Quran versus comment [laughter] on Tik Tok >> three. Aha. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. I I thought I thought three as in chapter 3. I was like, but by chapter Okay. 33. Are we saying 33? >> 33. 33. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. [laughter] Bro, look. I memorized the Quran. What? What is it now? 17 years ago or something? 17 years ago. I didn't understand 333. [laughter] So, >> I should have said 33 33. >> No. No. Even by the way wall had you said 33 I wouldn't have clocked it until you told me the verse. So as as in to say maybe maybe that part of the advice is not going to be working very well. Right. No but okay. So so we're okay. We're saying moral of the story don't rain on people's DMs because it's not the most effective that >> Yeah. Right. It's really I'd say just >> let me just take a note of this. >> Seek to understand where someone is. That's where it all stems from. Right. Look, knowledge is knowing that smiling in in front of your brother is a sunnah and wisdom is to not smile in a funeral. >> There's a big difference. Big big difference. I I >> That is really good. >> I heard a wise brother say this. Subhan Allah. And I I think it's I I think it's very true. Why? Because ultimately knowledge the what what you are to implement the general ruling. Of course, we understand this and this is what we have to implement. But the wisdom and like I said like like I said Allahh tells the first thing is wisdom >> not not what is logically and rationally the better methodology to follow. No it's wisdom because like you said a a certain individual is not going to take that particular delivery or method of delivery as well. >> Makes perfect sense. Yeah. And like you said, let's consider the sister in question who is constantly making dua for Allah subhana wa ta'ala to help her attain the goal of um uh complete modesty as per the description of our dean. Okay, beautiful. This person is struggling for whatever reason. Doesn't even have to disclose the reason. Could be family reason. Could be that someone is literally having a gun to their head. >> You don't you don't know. >> Mhm. Everyone has demons in their heads and skeletons in their closets, right? what would make more sense? Okay. The the to this individual, there's no oneizefits-all. And it I'm so sorry, but it grinds my gears. It grinds my gears when someone comes and says, "No, but you have to follow the the commandment of you command the good and you forbid the evil." How am I going to be forbidding the evil if I don't speak up? But habibi, who are you to speak up? >> Who are you to speak up? The prophet sallallah.aii wasallam the best of creation. The way he advised the different companions, not talking about non-Muslims, I'm not talking about people who are yani, you know, weak. We're talking about the best generation of Muslims, right? He was advising them differently and they were already stable in their iman. They were full-fledged believers. They were people who internalized and completely understood what this mission is about. >> And based on their different personalities, he gave the advice differently. Subhan Allah. >> So I think and I'm going to have to like it's full circle moment what you said if more people internalize it and I I I I talk to myself first and I mean myself first. If more of us understood that the way we live our life should be about what makes Allah subhana ta pleased >> how would the prophetatam act in this situation pretty sure he wouldn't be raining on people's DMs and >> saying stuff you know some people they say worse things bro >> yeah it's really bad >> as like I mean from what I have seen and heard I'm frightened [gasps and laughter] >> so we ask Allah to stabilize his and actually make us first of all increase in knowledge in this dean and make us benefit from that knowledge >> because what value has the knowledge if we don't benefit from it if and if we don't act on it and ask Allahh to make us of the people that call to his sake correctly >> easy easy to say that you're a canyon easy I mean but you're a convert subhan Allah of how long have you been a convert now >> two and a half years >> two and a half very not not so long into your journey and alhamdulill Allahh is using your reach and your brand to to help people and to guide people ask Allah to accept and ask Allah to multiply that even more but who are we who's Ibraim who please no one we're no we're nobody at the end of the day everything we are doing is we're trying to attain the pleasure of Allahhala You said it perfectly. I have nothing else to add to that. >> No, I the thing is like it's not even Ibrahim's words. I don't Bro, this the these are the words. I'm telling you, this conversation is a sinner talking to a sinner. >> And if more people realize that that in their conversations sinners are speaking to sinners, wall, we would get off our high horses so quickly. That's a good frame of mind to think before you give let's let's say let's stay on the topic of giving reverts advice. I think it's actually really good. >> Here is something every Muslim should do before they give a revert advice. >> Pay attention to the tutorial, guys. All right. >> Ask yourself, if all of my sins were public to this person, would I advise them the same way I'm going to advise them right now, or would I do it differently? Oo, this is so good. Because if all of our sins were public to that person, we would probably be a little bit more compassionate on how we speak to them and it would probably be a little bit more sincere cuz they know all of our closet stuff that we've got going on, right? >> But if this revert doesn't know any of my sins, it's very easy for me to be, oh, I'm pious Canyon. I can give you advice cuz I'm so perfect and you're the one messing up. But if they know that I also mess up and that I also sin, it's a lot easier for them to take my advice if I give it with sincerity. >> Let's say with the music one, for example, the brother I advised on music. >> I it mentioned in the voice note like, "Yeah, like it took me a while to quit music. It's hard." Like I actually didn't even know music was impermissible for like the first year. I related to him like I spoke like not from this high horse from like the I get it, right? It's a long journey to stop listening to music, right? So I related on that level. I didn't expose my sins but I told him like I see where you are. So I changed how I give him advice. Right? And this is why sometimes the people who give the worst advice are Allah the best practicing Muslims who have lived amazing lives isolated from the west because they don't understand the challenges. Right? They grew up in Medina Allah. Their life's been amazing. They've always been a practicing Muslim. They grew up studying the dean. Their parents are practicing Muslims. So they see someone doing a sin and they just can't like they see someone doing a major sin that maybe they don't do they just can't comprehend it because that's not in their life right and then we got to understand the best people do it give advice right this is why uh Shikusman gives really good advice to like the street guys because you can relate to them it's why I give better advice to the reverts it's why certain people gives better advice to certain people so without us going on a very long tangent I think that's probably a good place to end the the whole revert stuff but >> and you just read the second part of the verse so we said the First part is what? Wisdom, right? >> To give like to to to give your and your advice and your daw to call people to the religion of Allah subhana wa tala with wisdom firstly. Secondly comes the good manner, the good, the good presentation, right? And uh like you said, I I definitely think this is a great uh place to um uh to to move to the next segment. Subhan Allah. And I'm and I'm telling you, I think I think this is something that can't be spoken enough about. >> I I want to make that claim. I want to make the claim that this particular topic, we can't speak enough about it. Why? Because people seem to fall and and step on the exact same bear trap every single time. And like the more people, subhan Allah, come and speak about this, it makes me realize something. It makes me realize that we need to do a better job to hold ourselves accountable. before we are held accountable. >> Before we are held accountable. Exactly. Because look, if we h if we were to better our accountability and our and have our own performance reviews, we would not have the same level of arrogance when we give our to people. You know, the thing is the problem is I would say I'll tell you what the issue isn't those that are like just copy pasting the same line or two in the comments. The issue is when you have someone who actually has studied the dean, >> you have someone who actually has the background or the stack. be it if they are masak like me who've only studied Quran or if you have people who have studied a bit further and a bit longer. The problem is when it comes from that direction that is when we have a big issue because how are we going to succeed and nurture our members of the ummah convert or not revert or not born Muslim or not we have to take care of one another at the end of the day >> because look Allah subhana wa ta'ala says and collaborate in that which is in that which leads to good action and and God consciousness >> major mistransation from myself by the way but what I'm trying to say subhan Allah is that ultimately we we we have to collaborate bro why do you think it is more rewarded for us to pray in jama than if we were to pray in singular if you were to pray alone your salawat and you you you you complete all all of your and sure I mean yeah okay fine there there is a difference of opinion of whether it is to pray or not but again the moral of the story is why is it more favored to do actions in jama than to do it alone even if they were to be and even if they were to be sunnah there is a reason for that >> so that means we as an ummah we need to grow together and we to we need to build and nurture an environment that can nurture people. And I want to end by saying or this particular segment I mean I want to end this particular segment by by by saying canyon I think Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala I don't know bro I'm I'm I'm no one to speak about this right but I think Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has put this particular podcast the canyon mims show the show where you uh make a podcast I mean with the converts or with the reverts from the reverts to the reverts >> I think this is something that can really really change how we uh interact with reverts and not not even that sub I think it's a perfect reminder for us on how how we should interact with born Muslims >> bro I have subhan allah I've seen god is my witness I have seen people with my own eyes in our massid in Sweden people who wanted to stop going to the masjid people who have been studying Quran people who have been studying hadith people who have been studying people who have been studying people who have been studying like the beginnings children and they stop going to the masjid or they want to stop going to the masjid. Why? Because some people's behavior >> who are also seeking knowledge by the way again very sad. It pisses me off. So I think Allah I ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala that he makes your content and your podcast and the things that you're doing a a reason for the people not only to be guided but for people's actions to be guided and and and for people's manners and characteristics to be guided. >> I mean man I'm sorry went off on a rant like I'm pissed. I'm pissed. Yeah, it's it's it's a big problem. But yeah, inshallah we'll bring a lot of stuff for I'm hopefully working on some resources that will be more beneficial. >> So on that note then yeah can speaking of accountability I want to ask you how are you with Quran? >> Horrible. >> So like me, huh? >> No. >> No. Like me. I'm telling you right now. I'm I'm telling you right now, bro. >> That's not fair to you. >> No. No. I'm telling I'm telling you. I'm telling you. No, I'm telling you. Listen here. I I I told you before I told you before I created this podcast mainly for myself mainly for myself. Yeah, I'm I'm happy that and I'm happy that some people can benefit from it. But I want to I want this for myself. I want to improve, okay? I want to become better. >> So and I and subh look [sighs and gasps] >> bro you see I'm a chatter box right? You know I like to talk. >> Big difference from our first ever recording. you know, I was like very very stale, very stiff, right? [laughter] But what I'm trying to say is I love to talk. I love to make content. I love I love the creative artistic side of content. So, I mean, of course, there's a part of me that wants to have a growing personal brand or whatever, right? I mean, why not? Sure. But the thing is like every single time I've tried to grow my content or my podcast or my brand or my whatever, right? I I ask someone I consult with somebody, right? Or like go through whatever coaching or whatnot, right? And then whenever they ask me the question like what is like what is your super duper niche or whatever like I always give like either vague answers or sometimes semi-contradicting answers, right? >> Until Subhan Allah, our before taught me something. I think my niche if I have if I want to understand my niche I have to understand my mission and I think and bro I'm not the right person to do this. I'm not the right person to say this but I think my mission is to connect people with Quran. >> I think so. I don't know. I I and I I I promise myself that okay this is this is the one thing that I will try to do with my content. If everything else fails I don't care. >> Let this be my focus. So I've I've promised myself that from that moment on any guest that I speak with there needs to be a connection with the Quran in the episode. >> So I guess Canyon first of all to the two of us. Again we said we said very very clearly this is a podcast in a studio where a sinner is speaking to a sinner. Mhm. >> A sinner has taken up the the position of inviting another sinner to his podcast to speak. >> Okay. These two people want to improve their relationship with the Quran. And I am very sure and I can guarantee you that every single person watching this video wants to improve relationship with the Quran. What do we do? [snorts] I think we need to understand more the significance behind the Quran. >> It's the same thing. And once you can really understand that Islam is from God, like it's from God, it changes kind of how you view the religion. And I think it's the same thing with the Quran. I remember something clicked for me once I actually understood the Quran is the words of God, right? Many reverts like, "Yeah, Quran, you know, it's from God, wisdom, this, this, this." But it's usually like six months later that then it clicks for them. This is God speaking to me, right? >> [snorts] >> If you could have a billion dollars, a Bugatti, a mansion, or have God speak to you, >> which one is more powerful? Really, if you knew the God who creates all the Bugattis and all the mansions, which one's more powerful? Getting to have God speak to you or have a mansion? >> So, we just have to be reminded of this. We all know this, but I think we need to remind ourselves of this. And the more and more we realize how mighty it is to be able to hear the words of God, I think we'll then naturally be more encouraged to read the Quran. Right? This is just my theory. I need to work on it. >> So um speaking of which uh any of the um without disclosing names of course, but have has there been any uh or unless you want to Yanni because I mean it's these these are public episodes now that I think about it. goodness that's some sometimes you get the wiser after after the fact of speaking. But anyway, what I'm trying to say is like from your episodes of like the Canyon Mim show, Uh has there been any like any of the episodes that stand out in terms of like uh that particular revert story with the Quran? >> Elaborate on the question like what do you mean specifically? >> No problem. So like from from the from the revert stories that you have shared with the world. Um, how many of them have like have their stories like either in in a in in a certain way connected to the Quran or fully connected to the Quran be it like how they were guided or them listening to a verse or whichever it is in from that aspect and from that paradigm I know it's a way to ask the question sorry but which is is there a story that stands out for you and if so is that something you can share with Feel [clears throat] free to ask me to further elaborate because I know it. >> There's a few I I've had a bunch of reverts who like listened to a Quran verse and immediately started crying, right? I've had people who read the Quran and read one verse in the Quran. Uh one lady read a verse where it said, "If you know, if this was not from God, you would surely be able to make something like it." You know? >> Yes. Exactly. >> Horrible paraphrase, but you know what it is. uh that she read that one thing was like oh that's true I've never seen a book like this this has to be the truth right so a lot of people yeah the Quran has led that many people read one chapter read one verse but if I could say one unique thing that stood out between all the reverts is most people who revert to Islam reverted before they finished the Quran which is fascinating most people don't have to read the entire Quran to believe Islam is the truth so I know that's not the answer to your question but that's what I'll say >> no but I I want to expand on Okay. You're saying that most did not finish like finish reading the Quran and then choose to become Muslims. >> Most of them read like either parts of it or they're exposed to parts of it or some not even exposed to it at all. >> Okay. How Okay. Um this is actually against what I was expecting. I actually was expecting that people would have read because you know people would read and >> yeah there's >> there's two types of reverts. There's a theological revert and the emotional revert. And 90% of reverts are the emotional reverts. Right. So there's about 10% of reverts that are theological. They research all the religions. They read all the texts. They analyze the hadith. They analyze the Quran and then they make a logical decision based on all of that. Then there is the 90% which is the emotional reverts that read a little bit. They see the logical side of Islam, but they feel Islam. They feel that it's the truth. They see how Muslims act. They see the wisdom behind it. So, they don't need to do more analytical side because their fitra feels that it's the truth. So, then they accept it as the truth. Right? Our Fitzra that we're all born upon were all born upon believing that Islam is the truth. Right? The 10% the theological were just a little bit farther away from the fra. So, they had to do more research to com to convince themsel. But most people, because we innately know Islam is the truth, don't need to read the entire Quran to be convinced. They read a couple pages, they read a couple chapters, and then their fit reminds them that this is where they're supposed to be, and then they accept the truth. So, most people don't have to finish the Quran to become Muslim. >> I didn't. I read 10 pages. >> 20? Yeah. Like 20 pages. >> Do you remember where exactly? >> I just like I I know I didn't get far at all. subh. You know what's funny? I I wanted to move past this segment, but we seem to be coming back to the um to to to the subject to to the subject of revert story. Subhan Allah. I don't know maybe maybe it's because like um how do you say again may maybe there's a wisdom bad but again I'm thinking thinking through the term or through the theme of year in review content in Arabic man >> how come walk me through that >> well bro I wasn't the one who made the decision it just kind of happened bless me >> Allah There's no complex answer behind it. Yeah, >> you guys. >> It has more reach than the main page though, right? >> Yeah, bro. >> Wait, how? [laughter] >> I have I've never had since I've removed back to the Middle East, I've never had a single day where I went out in public without someone noticing me. In Arabic countries, like in Indonesia, I can go walk around and no one knows who I am, which kind of nice, right? I get to have some privacy. I love I love having people come up to me. It's very it's very heartwarming. Uh but yeah, the the Arabic pages, the reason why I now logically do it is because there's two parts to the content that I post. Number one is the advocating for the reverts so they can see a blueprint on how they should go about learning their dean. And the second part is making all of the born Muslims aware of how they should treat reverts. Yes. Right. So if someone speaks Arabic, they're probably a born Muslim, right? They're probably have, you know, a good grounding in Islam. They've probably grown up in the Middle East, so they have a good Islamic background, but they might not know the struggles that reverts go through because they can't relate to that because they've lived their entire life in Saudi or the UAE. So now having my content in Arabic, I think it's just another way to spread awareness for the reverts. That's the answer. There's nothing complex. >> Gets a lot of views though, Ro. So much more than my English. It's crazy. >> I'm I'm seeing that >> Arabic Facebook. It's where I'm the largest. >> That's that's the thing. Like in in the YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram, >> the best performer is Arabic Facebook. >> Yeah. It's all like it's like it's all your dad is the demographic, bro. >> It's all like 40, 50y old uncles. I love it, bro. I love it. >> They're so nice. Yeah. >> Ask to shower you with success, bro. I have um I I want to finish this off with a few uh rapid fire questions >> for you. Uh and some of them like although prepared I want to I I want to shift them a little bit. Okay. >> I want to understand. Okay. I'm I'm I'm going to >> How quick of answers do you want? >> The thing is Okay. I I need I need to read Okay. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. Okay. Let's redefine the term rapid fire. Okay. >> Like oneliners, like one sentence. [sighs] >> No, wait. Hold on. I don't even want that. I want to I want to have the conversation. >> We can do one. Rapid fire is cool. >> No, it's not. Now it's not even rapid fire anymore. Okay, I'll tell. Okay, you know what? Let's do some final gems. >> Okay, that sounds better, right? Final gems. Yeah, let's do some final gems, right? Just some final questions. Okay. Um, this is okay. This this this is this is your exit interview from this performance review. Okay, perfect. I'm going to start intense. Okay, it's now it's been a year. From now until next year, what would you want to have changed? >> Seek more knowledge. >> Allahabarak. That was rapid fire either. But that makes sense. Subhan Allah. That makes perfect sense. Any any like any particular direction that you are interested in? >> Strong foundation. I I got I can give you a good answer for this. >> Amazing. Tell me. [clears throat and cough] >> Another one of the big mistakes reverts make is not building their foundation of learning their religion correctly. Right. Imagine your religion, your dean is like a house and you need to build it correctly. Now, can you build a house in the middle of a pond? No, you can't. And that's what many reavers try to do. their life is currently a pond and they just try to start building the house there which is building their faith. You first need to go find some good dirt to build the house on. And that good dirt is building a strong foundation of your dean and understanding the pillars and understanding the basics and a very depth level. Right? Some people like yes I know the five pillars of Islam, but how deep do you know that topic? How deep do you understand why they're revealed? Right? The six pillars of IM. Okay? Do you know them? Yes, but how deep do you know them? And then once you have a deep foundation of the basics, then you start building the house, right? But many reverts start building house in the middle of the lake and that's why it crumbles a year later. So I need to build a stronger foundation of seeking knowledge. That's why >> and if you want some good soil, there's nothing better than Idaho. No, I'm joking. >> True. Yeah. [laughter] True. >> Speaking of which, that fever dream, remember? >> Yeah, that was crazy. >> Suddenly we talked about [laughter] soil. >> That was crazy, bro. Okay, great. Um, what did do for you that nothing else could Umra allowed me to detach fully from the dunya and get a reality check that it does not matter what I want. It only matters to please >> I actually had a firsthand view for this because you literally shut down your phone. Like you were on shutdown mode. >> Alhamdulillah. It was such a good time. >> I used to think I'm going to do with my life what I think is best. But now all I care about is what do I think Allah wants me to do and I'll do that. So for example, I love, you know, building businesses and social media and doing these grand things and traveling the world. But at the end of the day, if what would please Allah most is I sit in a mosque and learn the religion, I never do a single thing, I'll do that. If what would please Allah the most is I sit in this chair and never leave this chair until I die, then that's what I'll do. If what pleases Allah the most as I do this social media thing and I advocate for reverts, then that's what I'll do. Right? So Omrah gave me a reality check that it does not matter what I want. It matters what Allah wants. What does the ideal version of canyon look like? And what stands between you and him? What stands between me and him is knowledge and implementation. Those are the only two things I believe that we need. You have the knowledge, then you know how to implement it. Then you can get whatever you want. You only need two things to achieve the things you want. What I want to be is a term that I've recently been saying. I haven't heard anyone else talk about it. is modern-day Sahaba. How can I live a life to where I would fit in with the Sahaba 1400 years ago? And they would think that I am one of them, right? If they came and sat with me right now, they'd go, "Yeah, yeah, he's a Muslim." I think right now if the Sahaba sat down with many modern Muslims, I want to say this actually. This is like a super sobering thought to think about. I saw this is not my original words. Somebody tweeted, "I believe if the Saha if the Sahaba saw the Muslim Ummah today, they wouldn't think we were Muslims." Makes sense. >> So, I want to become like a modern-day Sahaba where they would think I'm a Muslim and they would respect me and they would treat me like I am one of them. And I can do that by trying to do as much as I possibly can to gain the pleasure of Ask Allah to make to make that easy for you and for us. >> I [snorts] mean >> then Canyon, >> is that it? >> I have a question. No, no, no. >> Before we end, I'll have a question for >> No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's not the It's that That's not it. But the funny thing is I was I was going to ask you a signature question, but you know what? Uh I'm I'm I'm going to save it because you you because you wanted to say something. So, I'll tell you what. I'll save my signature question and go ahead. >> No, no, no. My question's got to be at the very end. >> Oh. Oh, your question has to be at the very end. At the very end, it's my podcast, bro. >> Yeah. No, [laughter] bro. I'm I'm taking over. >> You know what? You know what? That's fine. I'll I'll give it to you. Okay. I have I have a signature question that I started with after our episode. >> Okay. And I ask people, "What is your baraka blueprint?" >> The sunnah. >> The sunnah. Allahbar. Okay. Because you gave me such a short answer, I I have another question for you. This one. Okay. >> I know my answers are more boring now because my opinion is just >> Oh my god, bro. It's so so boring when you're on the H, bro. [laughter] >> Now, okay, but I have another question for you though. >> Seriously, and this is something that I've been struggling with as well. Okay. Um, your Okay. The way the challenge looks for you is a little bit different. Why? because well I mean the circumstances between us are very different. Alhamdulillah uh and it is the following. How do you balance like managing a personal brand that is first of all growing in visibility and reach and everything and you balance that with sincerity like how do you do that? Because I'll tell you what, bro. I don't have those numbers, but if I was to have like slightly more than I would have right now, and what I have is very low, I would be very scared. >> So, how do you do it? >> The best piece of advice I ever got on sincerity with social media was when I first started to grow. It was a brother who gave me this advice. >> Your intention and sincerity is not something that you set in stone and then it's good. Okay? You've you've written it off. >> It's something you have to pray for every single day. You have to renew your intentions every single day and you have to understand that your maths will try to mirror your piousness to then give you ego. Right? So it's such a fine balance of >> ego and then not doing it for ego then actually becomes ego again. Right? [laughter] So you have to find this perfect balance that I'm trying to do everything for the pleasure of Allah. And when before I post a video I have to ask myself what is the point of this? Right? So, I have two main types of videos that I'll post. One that I truly believe benefits people and will please a lot. And one that might benefit people. I don't think it will displease a lot, but it's not really like a big dollar thing. It will just bring more awareness to my brand, which then it leads to more people seeing the number one content that was pushed, which I believe benefits a lot, >> right? And then understanding that if someone critiques your intention and it bothers you, part of what they said is right. You will know your intention is more concrete when the person across from you can say, "You're posting those videos for money." Okay. Right. You became a Muslim for money. Okay. Right. You're you're doing this for clout and fame. >> Okay. But if at all of you is like how like like it gets you a little bit, it means what they're saying is slightly true, right? >> Oh, interesting. >> So, you have to know like you have to have someone be able to slander you and say the worst things about you and say, "You're doing this for clout, right? You're doing this. You're not even real Muslim. You're not this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and go like, right, bro. Nice." And then also understand that followers don't mean a single thing. I have 5 million followers now. It's crazy to think about. Five million people follow me. Does that make me better than someone? >> Yes. I mean, no. Absolutely not. >> Does Does this make me more valuable than someone? >> It does mean that you were paid to become a Muslim, though. >> That is true, bro. By the way, Saudi. So, moving forward. [laughter] And that is how you get on the payroll. Everyone's going to call me a word that I won't say on YouTube. [cough] Yeah. [clears throat] But that's that's what I'd say. It's a battle. And then you have to you have to stay humble and know that if you say everything I do is 100% sincere, then you have failed because you've fallen on the other side of ego. >> If you say, "I believe I'm very sincere. I believe the majority of time I'm sincere. I mess up. I pray Allah continues to purify my intention. I think you're in the right place." And maybe it was you who said this. A wise brother told me this once, so probably you. That if you are questioning your sincerity, then you are already on the right track. The people who are insincere are usually the people who never question their sincerity. May Allah make us among the people of sincerity because he says in the Quran he he will hold this is also chap 33. Okay. But that's the other part of 33. Okay. That's the part of 33 that people don't quote. He will hold the truthful people accountable for their truthfulness. >> Very interesting, huh? >> Very very interesting. Even the Sahabah when they were reading this and they were and saying if if Allah subhana t holds the truthful people accountable for their truthfulness, what about the people who are not sincere? >> H what about them? >> Problem. So um I think I think this subhan Allah is applicable to everything that we talked about in war. >> Be it if you were to give >> to advice people if you were to >> exactly the sincerity of advising people right are you advising them so you can feel better about yourself because you have so much knowledge or are you advising them because you genuinely want the best for this person and you don't want them to go in the hellfire and if you genuinely don't want them to go in the hellfire and you want Allah to have mercy on them then you would really think about how you're going to give them advice. >> Exactly. Exactly. That is very true. Do we genuinely want to with the help of Allah subhana wa tala bring people closer to the definition of success in Jenna or do we just want to feel better about ourselves? >> Exactly. Yeah. >> So this is my time for my question. >> This is this this is this now now the baraka blueprint has become your podcast. >> Okay. Is my beard long enough? Do you have a fatwa now? [laughter] >> I thought you were going to ask me can I get a fatwa? [laughter] AI was almost going to ask that. [gasps] >> Yes. Yes, it is. I mean, I I I I I can I can >> Is that So, is that a fun way you just gave me that my beard is like >> That actually is [laughter] that actually is full circle moment. The the the Power Bow Rangers are going to like this. Those who know, they know. [laughter] No, definitely. Um I mean, of course. Of course, man. If you if you aren't doing it already, I mean I'll I'll do it on your behalf. >> Okay, good. [laughter] >> Uh before what I used to do, Subhan Allah, before ending the um before ending the podcast, Canyon, remember I used to like if if they now now if you look into the a look into the audience that sounds wrong, sorry. Okay, let's take it again. What I mean to say is usually what I told people is to give the their final to to the audience, right? and to look into the camera and whatever, right? Okay, bro. Just me and you. >> Just me and you. If you were to leave yourself with advice, >> yeah, >> I there's no to yourself. No one else, feel free to redact and like or tell me like Ibraim. No, no, no, no. This is I'm not I'm not saying this. That's it. And that for me is fine. That for me is fine. If you if if you tell me Ibraim censored, I'll say okay, no problem. Then then we don't say anything. We thank you for your time and wish we wish you we wish you a lovely day. >> Great to yourself, remember? >> So the best piece of advice I'd give myself is if your intentions are pure to please why could you possibly think Allah would not provide for you? If you are genuinely trying to do something to please Allah, you think he's not going to provide. You think he's not going to pay your rent? You think he's not going to take care of your family? You think he's not going to provide for you? Of course he is. first page. And whoever fears Allah subhana wa ta'ala, he will give them a way out of their hardship. Give them sustenance from doors and sources they do not expect an account for. And those who rely on Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that will be sufficient for them. Pretty good way to end the podcast, huh? May Allah bless you. Thank you for giving me another memorable moment for the baraka blue pits. >> That was good. The best kind of friendships are those that are built around the pleasure of Allah. >> May Allah make us of them. >> Amen. >> It was good. >> Oh, this was good. >> Really good. >> This was very good. [snorts] I like this, Ben. And you can also tell it's been a while since I've been recording a podcast, man, because Yeah, I haven't been recording since what? January, bro. January, man. >> January. January. >> January, >> bro. I'm going to tell them to turn on the AC, bro. Like, I'm so sorry. I'm I'm I'm boiling. >> I almost got hot for a second. Yeah. >> Almost. >> Ah, wait. You're You're like twice the the length of me. So, of course, it will take a while to for the heat to