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The Islamic Bulletin
Volume X X No. 26
Page 6
I came to the United States from the Middle East in the
70’s. I already had two of my brothers living in America so
naturally I wanted to join them and live ‘the good life.” I
remember being so excited that I would have a chance to make
it rich; unlike the simple, poor life that I had been accustomed
to. I come from a large family and although there was much love
and happiness in the home, I was young and wanted the wealth
to buy material things. So, I came to Denver, Colorado and
worked hard and saved my money.
I eventually opened a big night club in Denver called Ali
Baba and the 40 Thieves. I was on top of the world with my
new business. I excitedly remodeled my nightclub, spending a
great deal of money to include a huge dance floor, a stage for
belly dancing, a bar, and a restaurant.
Business was doing very well and my nightclub attracted
many people from the Middle East. Once, a very wealthy Middle
Eastern was organizing a private party and requested that Nagwa
Fouad, a popular Egyptian singer, be brought over to perform for
him. I told him he must be crazy; that would take a lot of money
to do that. He told me that money was no object and that he
would pay to see this singer perform live. Sure enough she,
along with her entire group which consisted of 12 dancers, 35
musicians and singers, a choreographer, a costume designer, and
a makeup stylist/hairdresser were brought from Egypt for this one
grand party.
To be perfectly honest, I was quite happy with my lavish
lifestyle. I was married, happy, and making a very good living. I
was not thinking about my Islamic responsibilities, nor was I
thinking about what I should be doing to gain Allah’s pleasure.
So, I was going about my busy life preparing for another
evening at my nightclub. To my shock, a group of men, who
were all dressed in long, Islamic-styled clothing, came into my
nightclub. Even though they didn’t look like the kind who would
come to a nightclub, I told them that the club wasn’t opened yet
and to come back later. They told me that they did not want to
come to the nightclub but instead were here to see and talk to
me. I couldn’t imagine what they had wanted to speak to me
about; there was nothing I wanted to talk to them about. Who
told them about me or how they came to know of me was
anyone’s guess. Anyway, they came to my night club and I was
literally shocked. It was the first time I had encountered men
dressed in long, white flowing robes. I mean, this was America,
not the Middle East. The way they were dressed was
overwhelming. And they came with a strong message. Of course
they spoke to me about Islam, a Muslim’s duties to Islam, the
importance of prayer, etc. Although all of the Brothers were so
inviting and kind, I really did not feel comfortable talking to
them. I mean, I knew what they wanted to talk to me about and
I really did not want to listen. I remember one brother, Sheikh
Mabruk,
Allah Yarhamhu
(May Allah have mercy on his soul),
who did most of the talking. Anyways, he could tell that I was a
bit uncomfortable so he invited me to go to the masjid with
them. I said fine, that after closing tonight, I would meet them
there. Frankly, I really didn’t want them hanging around the
nightclub because I thought it wouldn’t be very good for
customers to see these guys hanging around the place. I didn’t
want these guys ruining my business.
After closing the nightclub at 3 or 3:30 am, like I had
promised, I went straight to the masjid, which was not a masjid
but a small house. I didn’t think anyone would be awake. When
I walked in the room, I remember seeing Sheikh Mabruk
reading a book. When I said “Assalamu Alaikum,” he got scared
and dropped his book. Sheikh Mabruk was so happy to see me;
he hugged me. He made tea for me and we proceeded to drink
tea and talk about many things. Soon it was time for Fajr salah.
He did not ask me to join the salah, but instead told me to
finish drinking my tea and that he would come back to join me
after salah. Sheikh Mabruk led the prayer and about 20 people
came to pray. I still remember the first ayah which was read
many years ago:
“Except for those who repent, believe and do
righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds
with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.”
(Ouran
25:70)
I had never experienced anything like it before. In front of me, I
saw a restroom and made wudu. I then joined the prayer. In the
second rakat, the ayah was so powerful:
Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against
themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of
Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is
Forgiving, the Merciful.”
(Quran 39:53)
When the Sheikh finished his salah, he saw that I had prayed. A
big smile came across his face. I too felt very good inside. After
so many years, this was the first time I prayed. As I was driving
home, I was pondering over what
had happened. Tears began stream-
ing down my face. I went home
and tried to go to sleep but I was
still thinking. This experience left a
huge imprint on my life.
My passion for my business had
begun to diminish. I no longer was
feeling the same drive that I had
once felt and I had begun to lose
interest. I felt heaviness in my
heart and a nagging feeling of
different emotions, like sadness,
guilt, and anxiety. My wife saw me
in this distressing condition and she
thought I was sick.
Probably the most shocking was
that I no longer was interested in ways on how to boost my
business. For example, I used to have a Happy Hour in my
nightclub, typically in the late afternoon between 4 PM and 7
PM; I no longer wanted to go. I had also been the one who was
always in charge of everything at the nightclub. From making
sure the speakers were working, the lighting was all set, the
stage was looking good, the music was ready, the dancers well
versed, I was the one who made sure that everything was
running on schedule. I no longer enjoyed my work, nor did I
feel in the mood to even show up at work.
About two weeks after that visit to the mosque, I was in my
nightclub staring out the window. The restaurant was slow that
afternoon and there were only a few who were dining on lunch.
Suddenly, I see 20 police cars surrounding my place. They
rushed in and what seemed like a matter of seconds, the police
officers handcuff two the men, arrest them, and take their
briefcases. I was in shock as to what was happening before my
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