My Role Model Killed Himself

Interviewer:
Assalamualaikum warahmatuallahi wabarakatuh

I’m joined with brother Wael Ibrahim.

Wael Ibrahim: Serving Islam Hong Kong / Serving Islam Team
Waalaikumsalam

Interviewer:
Who has came all the way from Hong Kong to Sydney, Australia. And wallah, we really appreciate your time…

Wael Ibrahim:
Alhamdullillah

Interviewer:
And your effort that you are spending here.

Many people may know Wael Ibrahim for his very MashaAllah informative and affective videos on how to overcome pornography addiction. But there’s something about brother Wael that not many know.

Now, I’ve known brother Wael for quite some time and I know that before you got into the Dawah, before you got into the public speaking, before you got into the helping the youth overcome pornography addiction.

You used to be in the music industry.

Now, I really want to know..

What was it like?

Wael Ibrahim:
I was a musician, singer, music composer.

Before Photos of Wael Ibrahim

I actually had no passion whatsoever in my entire life other than making music, singing, earning money through this industry.

My ambition was to compete with big names, like big stars.

So that was my ambition.
I wanted to be one of the top singers.

Interviewer:
Sure.

Wael Ibrahim:
Alhamdulillah.
Allah says, no.

Interviewer:
I don’t know anything about Arabic musicians.
(Indistinct)

Wael Ibrahim:
Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah, you don’t know.

Alhamdulillah.

Moved to Hong Kong

Wael Ibrahim:
So while I was still in the music industry. I decided to leave the country,
after I met my Filipino wife and she was a Catholic. A very devoted Catholic girl.

Now, moving to Hong Kong, I had no idea what I’m gonna do, yanni.
What kind of work I’m gonna do in Hong Kong City. I don’t know anything except music.

So, I started to form a band in Hong Kong City.

Interviewer:
Again in Hong Kong?

After moving back to Hong Kong…
(Indistinct)

SubhanAllah

Wael Ibrahim:
inna lillahi…
(Indeed, we belong to Allah…)

And then we hit the market. Singing, dancing so on and so forth. And I used to earn a lot of money akhi, every night.

Interviewer:
So, what made you just give it up?

Was it just a random thing?

Wael Ibrahim:
There are a few incidents that took place.

Number one.
Again, as I told you.
When I was in Hong Kong, after earning money so on and so forth. I wanted to be famous; I wanted to be on the top.

So, I asked who is the most popular singers here and show me who is that popular singer so I can compete with him.

So, he told me its person by the name Leslie Cheung.

Photo of Leslie Cheung - Hong Kong Singer

Wael Ibrahim:
All right, so I started studying his music and so on and so forth. I want to reach his production company to give them some ideas so that we can work together and compete with him.

In the middle of all this planning, Leslie Cheung committed suicide.

Interviewer:
Whoa!

Wael Ibrahim:
He killed himself.

Interviewer:
And this is the person; you are trying to be like?

Wael Ibrahim:
Yeah.
He is famous.
He is wealthy, every…

Actually, he was known to be…
They used to call him, the Asian Biggest Superstar.

Interviewer:
SubhanAllah

Wael Ibrahim:
People would fly from all over.

Interviewer:
Suicide.
After having money, cars, everything.

Wael Ibrahim:
Yes, yes.
He was so young, so handsome.

Interviewer:
SubhanAllah.

Wael Ibrahim:
Everything akhi, I wanted to have - he have had.
Yet, he gave it up all and threw himself off one of the hotels, very popular hotels in…

Leslie Cheung - Suicide News Report

Interviewer:
Threw himself off, of a hotel?

Wael Ibrahim:
Yes, the hotel room.
The top.
You know, very high floor and he was dead instantly.

Interviewer:
SubhanAllah.

Wael Ibrahim:
Now, this incident shook me a bit.
And I was asking myself like, why in the world someone like him, in his position would kill himself?

I wanted to be like him.

Interviewer:
But you do know that he is not the first musician to kill himself.

Wael Ibrahim:
Ya, I came to know later.

Because I was blinded akhi at that time.
I was blinded but Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, yanni opened up my mind and heart at that particular incident.

But whom do you know that are…

Interviewer:
There are many, many celebrities that I’m sure a quick Google search will give you tons of celebrities who had the fame.

1. Robin Williams
4. Lee Thompson Young
2. Philip Seymour Hoffman
3. L'Wren Scott

Interviewer:
Although it’s very sad. It’s a lesson for us, Muslims to really…

Wael Ibrahim:
To reflect.

Interviewer:
Really, really say, Alhamdulillah for what we have.

Wael Ibrahim:
Alhamdulillah.

Interviewer:
Like the happiness, we have.
The content that we have.

Both:
Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillahi rabbi alameen.

So..

Wael Ibrahim:
So at that time akhi, when I heard about Leslie’s death. I was left at shock and I started to reflect and think why he, why would someone like him do that.

And I started to have nightmares. And I will wake up in the middle of the night scared.

Because I would jump off the bed, my heartbeat would be pumping…

Interviewer:
Lailaha ilaAllah

Wael Ibrahim:
I don’t know what it was.

But I was in a very, very difficult state for a few months after this incident.

One day, I remember because at that time akhi, my wife as I mentioned she was very, very devoted Catholic from the Philippines.

So, she would never miss any Mass…

Interviewer:
Sunday…
(Indistinct)

Wael Ibrahim:
That is like, you know..
So, she invited me to come with her.
Now, I love her and because I love her, I had to go with her.

I used to line up during the Holy Communion thing they call…

Interviewer:
SubhanAllah.

Wael Ibrahim:
And the priest who give me that biscuit where there is a cross engraved on that piece of bread, and he was saying the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, and I would take it.

But deep in my heart, ya akhi, I felt that there was something wrong with this, ya.

I didn’t know what to do.

Interviewer:
So the famous superstar commits suicide.

Wael Ibrahim:
Naam.

Interviewer:
You follow your wife’s footsteps to the church.

Wael Ibrahim:
Naam.

Interviewer:
When did you give it all up?

Wael Ibrahim:
I said I wanted to pray.

One night, I woke up and I said, I..
You know..
I’m fed up going to the church..
I’m fed up with this bothering thoughts that comes after the incident.

So I said I wanted to pray.
So I woke up in the middle of the night.
One night, I performed my wudu and I started to pray.
No Qibla direction..
(The direction of the Kaaba (the sacred building at Mecca), to which Muslims turn at prayer.)

Nothing…

Interviewer:
Nothing…

Wael Ibrahim:
I just wanted…

Interviewer:
Allah.
I just want Allah.

Wael Ibrahim:
Really…
Yeah, I don’t know what it was.
These two Rakaat or three Rakaat.
I don’t even remember.

And, I prayed and I cried to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.
And, I made dua.
Ya, Allah…
Yanni, relief my heart from that pain and that confusion.
I really..
I cried to Allah, so much.

After I said, Assalamualaikum warahmatuallah in this particular prayer, I got scared.

You know, why?

Cause my wife was at the back..
She was actually watching me all the time.
You know what my wife told me that night?

She said I wanted to try the prostration. But, I don’t want to become a Muslim.

Interviewer:
SubhanAllah.

Wael Ibrahim:
I just want to try the Muslim’s at prayer.

And then we ended praying together next to each other and I gave her printed form of the Salah.

And when she hit the ground with her forehead and nose.

I heard her crying.

Interviewer:
Lailaha ilaAllah.

Wael Ibrahim:
Wallah, I heard her crying.

She was crying and she said what, God is worthy of being praised and worshipped like this…

Interviewer:
Lailaha ilaAllah

Wael Ibrahim:
This is the way we should worship.

She didn’t know and I didn’t know at the time that even Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) in the Bible prostrated to God Almighty.

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed”
- Matthew 26:39

Wael Ibrahim:
She didn’t know and I didn’t know at the time that even Abraham, Moses, Joshua all this…

Interviewer:
That’s how they all pray.

Wael Ibrahim:
Yes.

One day, we were watching.
We were listening to a tape about the purpose of our existence and the Sheikh was shouting the crowd like..

Are you so arrogant to acknowledge that there is only One God?

…Sheikh - Video…

Wael Ibrahim:
Are you so arrogant or are you ignorant?

Because if you’re arrogant, then Allah will deal with you on the Day of Judgement.

But if you are ignorant then, here you are.
Now, we are telling you to accept One God.

And during this lecture, forty people I heard have accepted Islam and we heard them reciting the Shahadah with the Sheikh.

My wife was one of them.

Interviewer:
SubhanAllah.

Wael Ibrahim:
She was in her room and I was at a far distance. And, I saw her moving her lips with the Shahadah…

Interviewer:
Lailaha ilaAllah

Wael Ibrahim:
So I went up to her and told her, isn’t it time yanni, to acknowledge.

Come on..
We’ve been yanni, in this for two years and (Indistinct) many books around, the tapes of Sheikh Ahmed Deedat and all.

She said I already did.

Interviewer:
Lailaha ilaAllah.

Wael Ibrahim:
I said what, what, what.
Repeat again!

And then she took the Shahadah in front of me that day.

And wallahi, since then my wife became so thirsty to learn about Islam and so thirsty to share the knowledge that she learned about Islam.

But guess what was the next surprise?

Interviewer:
What?

Wael Ibrahim:
Five months later, we are in the Kaaba.

We are at Hajj.

Interviewer:
Lailaha ilaAllah.

Wael Ibrahim:
Yeah..
And that changed everything.

Interviewer:
What a story.

Wael Ibrahim:
Alhamdulillah.

Interviewer:
Jazakallahu khairan for being with us.

Wael Ibrahim:
Jazakallahu khair.

Interviewer:
What an absolute, like amazing story.

Like, how many of us are being held back from the Shaitan.

How many..
How many out there right now…

Wael Ibrahim:
Right

Interviewer:
That are still listening to their Nicki Minajs…
Listening to their Drakes, listening to this, listening to that..

When at the same time, they don’t know where they could be.

Wael Ibrahim:
Right, right..

Interviewer:
If, they just leave this rubbish, leave all of this…

Wael Ibrahim:
It would lead them to a path of purity.

Interviewer:
And wallahi, you could be so much better in this life.

Wael Ibrahim:
Right, right..

Interviewer:
Jazakallahu khairan.
Assalamualaikum warahmatuallahi wabarakatuh

Wael Ibrahim:
Jazakallahu khair for having me.
Shukran.