Ali Dawah - December 05, 2021POP STAR OPENS UP TO MUSLIM - OLI LONDON
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
251.3273
Summary
In this episode, Ali speaks with Oli London, a K-pop singer, TikTok and YouTuber. Oli talks about his journey to find his purpose in life and how he uses his talent to spread positivity and love to others.
Transcript
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Islamnet is raising funds to establish a masjid and community centre in Norway.
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Every person who prays there, every kid that learns about Islam, every youngster that
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memorises the Qur'an, all of this and so much more can be on your scale of good deeds.
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Assalamu alaikum guys, my name is Ali as you guys know. So as you guys might remember,
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I did a reaction video to yourself. I'm a Muslim. Have you ever come across,
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have you ever read the Qur'an or come across Islam?
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I study history, so I love history, so I know a lot about the Middle East. I've been to the
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Middle East and I love it. It's always very welcoming and very accepting.
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That's good, that's good. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Like for example,
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I've seen your videos, etc. Yeah. But firstly, your name?
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So I'm Oli London. I'm a K-pop singer, a TikToker and YouTuber as well.
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Okay, so how would you like me to refer to you?
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Okay, so tell us a bit about, for example, a bit about yourself. When did you start this?
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So I actually started making K-pop music two years ago. I used to live in Korea and I fell
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in love with the Korean culture. So my producer one day made me a song and I was like, okay,
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you're doing this song. I was like, really, me? Of all people? And I'd always loved K-pop.
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So I was like, okay, let me try. And then I released the song. It did very well online.
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So I've actually now got to the stage where I've just released an album, Fallen Angel.
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And today I'm dressed up to film my Christmas in Korea video.
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Okay. So is this the music video that you're doing that you've been going around?
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Yeah. So this is just a Christmas video, just a fun one for the fans to get everyone in the
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Christmas spirit and to get everyone happy. Yeah.
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Just a question from a perspective as a Muslim. What do you think, what would you say is your
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purpose in life? What is it something that you would like to achieve? Or what do you see your
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For me, I just want to find happiness, but also spread happiness to others. So I always believe
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in spreading positivity. I like to make people laugh. I like to entertain people, especially when
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we have the pandemic. It's a very tough time for the world. So I like to give people a bit of light
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entertainment online and also spread K-pop and Korean culture as well.
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Okay. So when we talk about happiness, like for example, how do we attain happiness? For example,
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what would you say is something that makes you happy? Because when we attach ourselves to
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materialistic things, anything that we attach our heart to be a relationship, be a partner,
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be material things, when that thing leaves, our happiness leaves with it. So would you say
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that maybe in your life, what has caused you unhappiness and how did you seek happiness?
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I just think that when I was younger, I never liked the way I looked and I used to get bullied
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at school. So that gave me a lot of unhappiness. But since I've obviously changed, I've had some
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surgeries. It's given me so much confidence and happiness and it's given me a new lease of life.
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So, but I feel like, you know, we do find happiness from within. So it's not just an external,
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it's not just our appearance or like you said, material things don't mean anything.
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True happiness is feeling love, feeling happy, feeling positive. And that's, you know, it's very
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hard. We all have a quest to find happiness and we don't always find it. So it's, yeah.
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As Muslims, for example, we are told in the Quran that God Almighty says,
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it's only in the remembrance of God that hearts truly find peace. So what it is, is that connection
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to the higher being, the higher power and understanding our purpose. Because I'll be honest with you,
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when I was young, for example, like I was not happy with the way my nose looked. Yeah. Okay.
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So now I did get, and what was it? I was societal pressures and other elements that was making me
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feel as if I am not attractive. Now, when I was young, for example, obviously I was like,
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oh my gosh, I get a nose surgery or whatever it may be. But as I grew a bit older and I came like,
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I'm a revert to Islam. I accepted Islam about nine years ago. I, I realized to myself that I had a lot
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of slave masters and what these, when I'm a slave masters, what I meant was like materialism,
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money, the opposite gender, how I looked to be pleasing to them. And I felt like,
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hold on a second. These are actually my masters. And the only way I can free myself from them
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is to find, please, the one who created me because he's-
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And find happiness within and be happy with who I am. Because I believe if I'm not happy with who I am,
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I don't think I can be happy with who I become. That changes. It depends on person to person.
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But I found the true happiness by trying to please the one that created me,
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because I realized that the things that I'm trying to be a master to are never going to be happy with me.
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So that's where I found it. So would you say, for example, you're at a stage now that you are fully
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happy? Is there any other, for example, like maybe adjustments that you would want to make to yourself?
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Or would you say, I'm in a place where I'm like, okay, you're very right. It's very hard to get to
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that point. And like you said, there's a lot of things around us that influence us and influence
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our happiness. But I've got to a stage now where I'm super happy with my music career,
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with my look. I'm getting more of the Jimmy look. I'll be super happy when I live in Korea.
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So that will give me the ultimate happiness. So that's the next step. But I've got to a stage
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now where I'm super happy. I love my life. I feel very grateful. I feel very appreciative.
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And, you know, material things don't really matter because it just makes me realize as you get older,
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it's like we have to appreciate the people in the world, the animals and, you know, spread happiness.
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Yeah. I would. Would you mind if I give you a gift to the Quran?
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Sure. Yeah. Before I just give, I know you need to go. I don't want to hold you up anymore.
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Can you open it in a random verse and let's see what maybe message there might be?
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Yeah, sure. Just any page. Any page and point out a verse.
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Okay. And I'll read it for you. Do you want me to read it or?
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Okay. 52. 52. Let me, okay. Let's read it. Okay. Here we go.
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So do not, okay. So do not obey the disbelievers. Yeah. And strive against them with a great striving.
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Yeah. So this is talking about the Quran. So what it's talking about, you know,
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when the prophet Muhammad came with the message, the pagan Arabs didn't like it.
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And they were persecuting him just because he was striving with the Quran.
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So let's just carry on. And he, it is who has released simultaneously the two seeds,
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one fresh water and one salty water. And he placed between them a barrier and prohibition partition.
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And it is he who was created from water. So we believe every living thing is created from water.
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The human being. Oh, 70% water. Yes. Made him a lineage and marriage and ever is your Lord competent.
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But they worship rather than Allah that which does not befit them or harm them.
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And the disbelievers are ever against their laws. So this is what it's talking about in a nutshell,
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is that the main message of Islam and why it came down was that we free ourselves from the shackles.
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Because there was a philosopher. He said, man is born free, but in shackles everywhere.
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So the reason the Quran Islam came down was to free mankind from all the shackles in society,
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be it money, be it people having, you've been bullied. Like, that was really sad.
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Like, nobody should be bullied and made you feel as if you are.
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You know, we should all spread kindness and happiness. Exactly.
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You know, there's very important teachings in the Quran, of course.
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Exactly, exactly. So, in a nutshell, yeah. Yeah, so, and one little verse.
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I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay. All right, last verse, all right.
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And say, I do not ask for you for any payment, only whatever wills make.
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So God's saying he doesn't want any money from you. He just wants you to have a connection with him.
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Yes, that's the gift. I'm so sorry for holding you.
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But it was a pleasure, yeah. Yes, yes. Thank you very much.
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Wish the best. I look forward to seeing the video as well.
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No, no, I will. I actually love history. I love learning about culture.
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I'm atheist, but I do, you know, I appreciate all religions.
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No problem. Do me a favour. Do me a favour. Just try it.
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When you go home, just say, God, if you're there, guide me.
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I would say Jimin. I'd say Jimin if you're there, help me.
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But this is a great, this is the one who created Jimin.
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Anyway, it was a pleasure. I'm so sorry to keep you.
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I actually really appreciate the fact that you even stopped.
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Thank you. Thank you very much. Have a nice day.
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Okay, guys. So basically, actually, thank you very much.
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We tried to, we didn't want to really intrude on them.
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He's doing his little music video, etc, whatever it may be.
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And I think what really touched me there, Dawood, is his last statement.
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Because he wants to be, you know, Jimin is a Korean pop star.
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And I said to him, I don't know if you heard of it.
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And I was like, this is the one who created Jimin.
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Because what you're doing is, in a nutshell, I don't mean intentionally or unintentionally,
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And I mean idol, I'm not talking about pop star, literal worship that he wants to look like him.
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And I mean this in a way, but I don't want him to watch this and feel like we had a very nice discussion.
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It's just that it seems as if that is some kind of deity.
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Sometimes, you know, and I feel like him, he seems like a very warm and nice kind of person.
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But I feel like sometimes people look for things which are within them, outside.
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Because the thing is, we're all created to worship God.
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It's either you do that or you substitute, try to substitute that.
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And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to guide him and myself.
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Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guides him and accepts Islam inshaAllah.