Peace and blessings be upon all listeners—both new and returning. I praise and thank my Lord, the One who created man, beginning with Adam. I thank my Lord for saving Noah through the ark, for granting David precision in battle, for giving Moses strength, and for sending Jesus, peace be upon him, as a guiding spirit to this earth. And I praise and thank my Lord for the final seal of Messengerhood—Muhammad, peace be upon him.
To all our listeners, welcome. Today is the first day I share my voice and words with you from the inside. Dr. Gina, it is a pleasure to be recording with you again, and I thank my Lord for the support and help you have given me thus far.
Many of us are fasting today—from the inside. We are behind bars, incarcerated, in a space where judgment comes quickly and understanding is rare. Yet, Islam thrives here, in the places where people believe we are caged. Yesterday, Good News reported that Islam is the fastest-growing religion in prison, with over 1,000 people converting every year. I am here to share my voice, my reality, and my message.
My Lord anointed me, allowed me to enter the prison system, and here I am. To clarify: jail is the smaller space where one serves one to five years, usually on state charges. Prison is for those incarcerated for a longer period, often on federal charges. After living a life of luxury, honor, and respect, I was arrested and given the worst of charges. Some of you listening may be aware of these charges; others may not. But I cannot discuss them here. What I can say is that no label is more painful than the one I now bear.
I share this because, despite my past, my days were spent teaching, learning, and practicing the Quran. Whatever lens you view my life through, my reality was always one of knowledge, faith, and devotion. And now, I speak to you from a different reality, asking you to take one step beyond your judgment.
There are 37 to 40 men in my pod, each accused of a crime—some heinous, others mundane. But within these walls, belief thrives. Hope survives. In my short time here, five to seven people have converted to Islam. When I ask why, they say, “It just makes sense.” They find peace, completion, and truth.
As I share these words, I call to you from the inside: live free. Move your body, breathe, meditate, read, seek knowledge, eat clean foods, do yoga—whatever you’ve been putting off, start now. One Wednesday morning, in an instant, my life was frozen. My family, my home, my honor, my respect—everything was taken. My name was dragged through the public square, true and false claims established as fact, and the Muslim community turned its back. But I stand before my Lord, accountable, unwavering.
To those who knew me, who studied with me, who attended my lectures—know this: I am exactly who I always was. A teacher. A bearer of light. And now, a voice from the inside.
If you take nothing else from this, take this: free time is not just a luxury. It is a gift. And in the blink of an eye, it can be gone.
For those struggling with addiction, hear me. Whether it’s alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, or your phone—you are not alone. I see it firsthand. People gamble in here. People use drugs in here. Prison does not erase addiction. You must choose to fight it.
We, as a Muslim community, need to have the hard conversations. We talk about mental health, but we are unprepared to face addiction. We do not know how to support those struggling with the bottle, the screen, or their desires. And so, we judge. We reject. We alienate.
To the addicts, the outcasts, the judged: I am your imam. I am your brother. I see you. I understand you. And I am calling to you—get help. Please, do not wait until the Marshals are at your door. Do not wait until your children are taken from you. Do not wait until your community scorns your name. Let my fall be your warning.
One of the first steps in any recovery process is admitting powerlessness. The lie of “I can stop whenever I want” must end. And understand this: relapse is not an if—it is a when. You will fall. But God is Merciful. Keep fighting.
Some of you fear losing relationships, titles, status. But know that when one leaf falls, another grows in its place. If people reject you, God will provide new relationships, deeper and truer than before.
Everything happens with the knowledge of God. There are no mistakes. Even in suffering, there is wisdom. So if you are struggling, take my words as a call. Seek help. And when you have found stability, reach back into the darkness and help others.
I extend my hand from behind these bars to tell you—I love you. I see you. And I am begging you to choose healing. To choose life. To choose God.
May peace and blessings shower upon you all.
