This would be easy.... right? He’s my forty-six year old, fun-loving dad who’s open to any and all conversation. This wasn’t like that time where he was my Geography teacher for two years and I avoided him at any means possible in class. I liked hearing what he had to say now. He still teaches at my old school though, and is a high school counselor and mentor. I was completely comfortable with him 99% of the time but for some reason this interview fell into that 1% that I just innately felt nervous about. Why I was nervous… I don’t know. I’ve talked with my dad about religion before and he’s strangely wise about it. I specifically chose him because my dad is probably my favorite person ever, so to interview him should've made me nothing but happy. But, right now I was just anxious to hear his responses. I’m looking forward to seeing how this goes…

Me:
Is your religion true? And if so, why?
Ahmad Muhammad Sr. (my father):
Yes. I’m a Muslim and my religion is true because my religion is freedom, justice, and equality.
Me:
What qualifies you to be a Muslim?
Mr. Muhammad:
To be a Muslim is my birthright and a Muslim is one who does the will of Allah.

Me:

What do you think of other beliefs or religions?
Mr. Muhammad:
I think that people who are striving to worship God should be respected.
Me:
What question would you ask God if you could?
Mr. Muhammad:
Why did he allow his people to suffer for over four hundred years? {referring to the enslavement of the Black man and woman in America}
Me:
Please talk about a time when you felt close to God.
Mr. Muhammad:
When I lost my brother and I reflected on a higher being; power and I felt very close to God.
Me:
Describe God.
Mr. Muhammad:
A life force that dwells in people. A spirit, an energy that is housed and clothed within human beings.
Me:
What do you think happens to people after they die?
Mr. Muhammad:
I think that there is an energy and a life force that every human being possesses and that essence makes them have a direct relationship with God. I think that that energy can take form in other people or persons in different times and places.
Me:
Have you ever experienced religious discrimination?
Mr. Muhammad:
Definitely. We were travelling to Costa Rica and my son’s name is Ahmad Muhammad so they stopped and made us do a random search… they pulled him aside and detained us for a while until they realized that he was only nine or ten years old and couldn’t be a serious threat.

Me:
Do you think that you should tell other people about your religion or let them experience it for themselves?
Mr. Muhammad:
I believe that my religion is such an exciting, fulfilling religion that I would love to share it with the world. Of course everyone has the power of making the choice they want, but I definitely would tell them about it.
Me:
So what made you convert from Christianity Islam?
Mr. Muhammad:
When I heard Islam: freedom, justice, and equality it really rung and resonated in my soul and I desired to be that. And I became a Muslim as a teenager and now I’ve been a Muslim for over twenty-five years.
Me:
Who introduced you to your current religion and how ?
Mr. Muhammad:
Dr. Khaled Muhammad. I heard him as a freshman in college. And he talked about Islam and I was fascinated. I’ve been a student of Islam ever since… that would've been the spring of 1989.
Me:
Do you think your parents are proud of your religious beliefs?
Mr. Muhammad:
No, initially they weren’t proud. They thought it was something very strange and very foreign which I can understand because Islam has been kept away from the darker people of Earth by design. It appears to be something foreign, but Islam is simply submission to the will of God, through the example of Prophet Muhammad. As I matured in my beliefs, my parents grew to love and respect me more because they saw the true principles being practiced and they saw their child growing into a principled young man, which is all they really desired for me.
Me:
Briefly describe the beliefs of Islam.
Mr. Muhammad:
Islam means submission to the will of God. Also in Islam there is a principle of fair dealing in freedom, justice, and, equality. I think those principles are extremely rudimentary and the foundation of nobility, regardless if you call it Islam or not. I don’t think what we call religion is very important. I think the practices and the foundational principles of a religion is the most important. And I loved those principles found in Islam the first day I heard them and I’m still excited about them today.
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My dad was completely at ease during this whole interview, never wavering on his faith in God. The calm that settled over him when he spoke about God inspired me to make Allah {“God” in Arabic} sufficient in my life because it seemed to engender peace and contentment. By the end of it all I wondered why I was even nervous in the beginning. I even wish I could ask more questions, which I did, but Mr. B is only allowing 1,000 words. I’ve talked with my dad like this before but to “officially” talk to him and record it was kind of fun, though we did this late at night on the commercial breaks of a basketball game. Any time is a good time to learn about someone else’s beliefs and even your own. Someone’s surety might bring about your uncertainty, and vice versa... but you will never see the world if you refuse to see it through other people’s eyes.