I am building an Islamic monastery here in Alabama with the blessing of the Sayyid of Iraq, the blood descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

This tradition is rooted in Al Suffah, a platform that Rasul Allah built for the homeless and unmarried followers of Islam to sleep on in his mosque in Madinah. He even shared his daily meals with them.

Today, it is called a zawiya, a lodge for Muslim ascetics who renounce materialism for a peaceful life of contemplation, meditation, and prayer. We are building it in the forest by flowing water. This is the purpose of my life, to invite Americans to Islam and to lead believers in prayer and righteous works.

I hope to heal many people from their spiritual ailments, including addiction and depression, and to build a beautiful home for the poorest for God. Such institutions serve as the center of Islamic communities, and we grant the surrounding land to Muslims to build homes and farms.

Here is a zawiya in South Africa that is one source of inspiration. I have always admired monks and their way of life, and God has fulfilled the secret desire of my heart to build the monastery of my dreams. When I was at my lowest point in life, yearning for death, God provided me with another way and a purpose to live and do good for those in need.

This nation has experienced a lot of trauma and despair has increased. There is a lot of healing that needs to be done. Such institutions require a Shaykh to establish a brotherhood of ascetics, and for a poor man of no status like myself, the only way I can achieve this title is to become a Hafiz. To memorize the entire Koran. This is a lot of work to do, but I do it for God with the support of my brothers.