Exclusive Interview of Dr. Bilal Philips

Times of Youth: A lot of conspiracy theories with appealing proofs are being propagated over the internet regarding ‘Free Masons’ and the ‘Illuminati’ cult. Your views about them?

Dr. Bilal Philips: My view is avoid conspiracy theories, and cults. It’s a waste of time, energy, and brain cells.

Tell us the first thing that comes to your mind for the following-

• Youth: The future of the Ummah depends on the education of the youth

• Love:  Love is from Allah Subhana wa Tala. Love should be between husband and wife. Love makes the world go around

• Freedom:  Freedom is the right of every human being within the boundary set by revelation.

• World:  The world is our home. Allah created us for this world. Nationalism, and tribalism, is against the norm. There should be open borders, where humans can go wherever they want to live. The world is ours.

• Afterlife:  We need to be focused on the afterlife, because this life is only a bridge to it. Whatever we do here, we should be thinking how it’s going to affect our afterlife.

Things we’d like to know about you-

LIFESTYLE:

• First thing you do in morning: Salatul Fajr. After salatul Fajr, I exercise. I do Tai Chi.

• A thing you never forget to do: I never forget to eat, but what I should never forget to do would be to read Quran every day.

• Your day is incomplete without: My day is incomplete without gaining some knowledge, passing it on, and practicing it.

• In your closet, we’ll definitely find:  My computer.

• Most prized possession: My computer.

• Last thing you do every night: I check emails from the Islamic Online University administration coming from the other half of the world that is just waking up.

UNFORGETTABLES:

• Your Most cherished day: The day both of my parents accepted Islam.

• A person who is most dear to you: My mother.

• A place you’d visit recurrently: Makkah.

• Best advice you ever received: The advice of the Prophet (pbuh) to love for your brother, what you love for yourself.

• An utterly awesome experience for you: in 1991, when I led a team of brothers giving dawah to the American troops, after the first Gulf War. After 5 ½ months, over 3000 of them accepted Islam.