NFL players Hamza and Husain Abdullah might be best known for training while still observing a pillar of their Islamic Faith, fasting during the month of Ramadan, which coincides with the NFL training camp each year.
This year, the Muslim brothers will put their NFL careers on hold to observe another pillar of their faith, the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) taking place during the 2012 NFL Season.
In preparation of their pilgrimage, the Abdullah brothers have arranged a “30 Mosques in 30 Days” tour to take place during Ramadan, which begins on or about July 20. During Ramadan, Hamza and Husain will travel across North America to promote interfaith dialogue and to deconstruct the negative connotations often associated with Islam.
In this interview with CNN, Minnesota Vikings’ Husain Abdullah explains how he trains during Ramadan, while fasting from sunrise until sunset.
The brothers plan to have “Iftar,” the Ramadan fast-breaking meal, in a different mosque every night during the month. They will also speak about fasting and its impact on athletes – focusing on the importance of hydration and nutrition during Ramadan. They will also reach out to people of other faiths to challenge misconceptions about Islam.
Following their nationwide tour, the Abdullah brothers will travel to Mecca to participate in the Hajj.
When asked about their decision to postpone their NFL careers to fulfill their religious obligations, Hamza stated “It has been a blessing to play in the NFL for both Husain and I, but we would be remiss if we didn’t give thanks to the One who made it all possible.”
Husain echoed his brother’s statement, “I visited Makkah, Saudi Arabia in March and a strong sense of urgency overcame me to attend ‘Hajj’ in October. I love the game of football but, it would directly coincide with my pilgrimage. So, I’m taking some time off.”
Respecting the game and business of the NFL and what their careers have brought to their families, both Hamza and Husain hope to return to the game of football following their Hajj, but understand that their NFL opportunities may be limited.
The Abdullah Brothers "Want for your brother what you want for yourself" Tour.
Peace and blessings to all. We have been blessed with a very unique opportunity to achieve our childhood dream of playing football in the NFL.
This Kickstarter will fund the filming and production of the documentary film “Want for your brother, what you want for yourself,” which includes the Abdullah Brothers 30 for 30 Ramadan Tour.
How do you do it? How do you Fast and play football? These are the questions we've been asked countless times. We're not the only one's who Fast, but we Fast while playing professional football.
Does that make us special? We don't know. It makes us thankful and grateful that we have an opportunity to do what we dreamed of doing when we were kids. And to also be fulfilling a religious obligation, that's the cherry on top.
Some would say that's a big deal. But we also know, there are bigger stories out there. There are more people doing great and courageous things while they're Fasting, so we decided to go meet them. To go on a road trip, while we're Fasting, and go break our Fast with some of these wonderful people. Our goal is to travel around the country and visit 30 Masjids/Mosques in 30 days. To go meet the people who "Liked" Husain's Feature story on Yahoo. To go meet the people who "Tweeted" good things in support of The "Abdullah Brothers." Heck, let's even meet the ones who said "I hope they die while Fasting" (yes, someone actually wrote that). God willing, we'd like to educate on the importance of why we Fast. We'll hop in a car, go around the nation, meet as many people as we can, eat with them, and film the entire experience. Muslim's are not the only ones who Fast (and we're not Fasting to get a 6 pack).
Husain on Yahoo
If this sounds like interesting or like something you would like to be involved with, please PLEDGE whatever you can. God willing, we're going anyway, but we'd like for you to be a part of the tour.
Thank you again. Peace and Be Blessed.
Tour Stops
*Depending on which day Ramadan starts (July 20 or 21)*
July 20 or Ramadan 1 Orange County, CA
July 21 or Ramadan 2 Los Angeles, CA
July 22 or Ramadan 3 San Francisco, CA
July 23 or Ramadan 4 Portland, OR
July 24 or Ramadan 5 Seattle, WA
July 25 or Ramadan 6 Pullman, WA
July 26 or Ramadan 7 Boise, ID
July 27 or Ramadan 8 Salt Lake City, UT
July 28 or Ramadan 9 Denver, CO
July 29 or Ramadan 10 Omaha, NE
July 30 or Ramadan 11 Eden Prairie, MN
July 31 or Ramadan 12 Chicago, IL
August 1 or Ramadan 13 Detroit, MI
August 2 or Ramadan 14 Cleveland, OH
August 3 or Ramadan 15 Toronto, ON, CN or Buffalo, NY
August 4 or Ramadan 16 Boston, MA
August 5 or Ramadan 17 New York, NY
August 6 or Ramadan 18 Philadelphia, PA
August 7 or Ramadan 19 Washington, DC
August 8 or Ramadan 20 Charleston, SC
August 9 or Ramadan 21 Atlanta, GA
August 10 or Ramadan 22 Riverdale, GA
August 11 or Ramadan 23 New Orleans, LA
August 12 or Ramadan 24 Houston, TX
August 13 or Ramadan 25 Dallas, TX
August 14 or Ramadan 26 Lubbock, TX or Norman, OK
August 15 or Ramadan 27 Albuquerque, NM
August 16 or Ramadan 28 Chandler, AZ
August 17 or Ramadan 29 Tempe, AZ
August 18 or Ramadan 30 San Diego, CA
*ALL TOUR STOPS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
Stay tuned for updates to the list. Your feedback is encouraged and welcomed.
Yes. All of the funds goes towards filming, producing, editing and creating the the highest quality documentary film.
Filming is scheduled to begin July 20, 2012 and post-production shortly after. Our target date to release the documentary is Fall 2013. We will keep you updated and let you know the actual release date. Dates are subject to change.
And a very special Thanks to our Brothers who put this trailer together:
Welcome to the Abdullah Brothers KickStarter. We've Kick Started our NFL Careers, now we're looking to Kick Start this project. Come along for the ride, and don't forget to pledge.
The Abdullah brothers consist of Husain and Hamza Abdullah. Although we are the only two mentioned here, we actually have a host of other brothers and sisters. We are greatly appreciative of the opportunities and platform that we have. Our mother taught us from a young age "Want for your brother, what you want for yourself". We try and live this mantra, at every turn of our lives. As men of faith, and men of the community; we strongly believe in taking care of our fellow man. Regardless of social background, culture, religion or race.
We play professional football in the NFL, and have played for seven and four years, respectively. Husain has spent all four of his professional years with the Minnesota Vikings. Hamza has spent time in Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Denver and most recently, the Arizona Cardinals. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our story with you, and we pray to have the opportunity, for you to share your story with us.
Thank you for stopping by our page, we truly appreciate your time. Peace and Be Blessed.
