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HomeReal Talk with Dr. Yusef Salaam — Interview

Real Talk with Dr. Yusef Salaam — Interview

Real Talk with Dr. Yusef Salaam
February 3, 2020
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Salaam: There’s like a…there’s a notion, I think, for America to be okay with safe Muslims. 

Sapelo Square:  Right.

Salaam:  That the safe…whatever that construct is right.  And I think that part of the issue with that is there’s a people who very much are aware of the totality of what Islam means.  But Allah has not blessed them to be Muslim.  And there’s a people who absolutely don’t know anything about Islam, other than, oh, those people who are terrorists, you know what I’m saying.  Like, I usually make the point that often I’m running for a plane and imagine me one time getting on the plane and saying, you know, huffing and puffing.  I’m at the front.  You know, and of course I make a little jest of it.  I’m not even sitting in first class, but I grab somebody’s water sitting in first class.  Grab the water.  Whew, thank you!  I really needed that. You know, what I’m saying.  [Laughter].

Sapelo Square:  [Laughter].  Right.  Right.  

Salaam:  And I say, man, God is the greatest. 

Sapelo Square:  Right.  

1:00Salaam:  Man, some people are going to be like hold on, brother, do that again.  Let

me, you know what I’m saying.  Like wow, I want to go Live, you know. 

Sapelo Square:  Right.  

Salaam:  I say same scenario though, if I get on a plane, same scenario, and I say, Allahu Akbar.  I’m probably not gone stay on a plane.  If…they probably gonna get me off that plane. 

Sapelo Square:  Right.  Right.  Right.  

Salaam:   You know?  And I think that, you know, the xenophobia of it, I think is what attracts people even though they’re propelled by it, right.  They want to be scholarly in the xenophobia of it.  And it’s the mystery of it too. It’s not like real, real trueness.  It’s just this whole mystery of, oh the Muslims.  Where one of the benefits, I think of Islam is what Allah (ta’ala) says in the Qur’an, that he has made you into many nations, many tribes, many colors, I think some people translate it as not so that you will despise one another but so that you may come to know one another.  

Sapelo Square:  Right. 

2:00 Salaam:  And so, the whole idea of what it is to be a human being, being a person who, if you understand Islam to be what it truly is then you understand Islam to be a way of life that Allah has presented at this time for people to become obedient to God.  And I say presented at this time because people think, Oh, you know, Islam is a new religion.  The truth of the matter is that Islam has really never been a new religion.  There’s been various formations I would say.  That being someone saying, oh, when Musa (alayhi salam) or Moses was here, peace be upon him, this is what he came with, which became known as Judaism and similarly Isa (alayhi salam), 3:00 Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, this became known as Christianity.  Where Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, has told us that all of the prophets and messengers are builders of one house.  I’m the last brick.  There’s nothing above or below when you think about it from that perspective.  But that this whole thing is working in conjunction to give people the benefit and the mercy of being beneficiaries of the Allah’s promise to Adam (alayhi salam), and that promise was that even though I’m kicking you out of this blessed state, after they … after they received word…after Adam (alayhi salam)received the words from Allah, Adam, turned to Allah, prayed to Allah, supplicated to Allah, made dua to Allah, and said

4:00those words.  And Allah, turned to him mercifully and said, “Be on the lookout. I’m gonna send my messengers to you.  I’m gonna send you guidance.  Look, I created this phone.  But I also created a manual for the phone.”

Sapelo Square:  Right.

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