Muslim Belal - The Transition lyrics

Jamaica is my background
London is my birthplace
Why didn’t they teach me about
Islam in the first place?
I was on the brink of walking
Around with a hurt face good thing
I wasn’t too cool to read the first page

From the outside, looking in
A ghetto child, lingering
Thinking, "Should I take it now?"
The thoughts were just wavering
Will it make my daddy proud? What
Am I gonna say to him?
Can I go back to my house? "Mummy
I’m a Muslim!"
How’s she gonna take it down? How
They gonna take it in?
Will I end up kicked out?
Will I get a kick-in? I don’t know what do
I gotta plan my next move
I wanna take shahadah soon
I really gotta think it through
What’s right for me, I gotta do
Live for me and not for you
I don’t believe that is true
The things I read up in the news
It’s my choice, Imma choose
I ain’t got nothing to lose
This is the religion of
Truth, bring the books, found the proof
Isma’il came to me
Sit me down and says to me
What’s your purpose in life? Cuz it just
Looks like a game to me
I would think, occasionally
Isma’il was right, I need to fix-up my life
Tonight, could be my last night
Now, just before the summer, year 2002
My mind’s already had a wonder
It’s time to make a move
I made my way down to the studz
I linked up with my crew
I’m sitting on the single chair I’m
Running my fingers through my hair
I said, "Yo Israfil
Is your older brother here?"
Thankfully, he says "yeah
Isma’il is downstairs
He’ll be up in a minute he’s
Having a word with his mother" he comes up
I tell him I wanna take my shahadah
He looks at me and smiles, I stand up
Receive a hug
He says, "I see you as a friend no more
I look at you like a bruv"
Now I can feel the love
No longer feeling lost
He said to "take off your cross
Let’s take a drive to New Cross"
I met my uncle Yasser and
His brothers from all over
They said it’s time to leave the
Ghetto life way over your shoulder
I said, "Lā ilāha illā-llāh
Muḥammadur rasūlu-llāh"
There’s no true god except Allah
Muhammad is his messenger
I ain’t going church no more
I’m going Jum’ah friday, Streatham Mosque
Mumtaz done the khutbah
I wanted to get the front row
I had to get there early
He read the prayer in Arabic
I understood it barely
Really gotta learn it quick
I got myself a teacher then I went to Egypt
So I could learn the language better
Feeling all emotional
I wrote my mum a letter
In Egypt feeling lonely
Wanted to find myself a lover
I tried to get married
I suffered a bit of racism
He said she couldn’t be with me
Because my parents were Jamaican
And I say, "Hey, but I still pray
Fast in Ramadan" he said
"No daughter of mine is marrying a black man"
I said, "Ok, Imma make dua’ for
You and you know what, brother
Just make dua’ for me too"

Jamaica is my background
London is my birthplace
Why didn’t they teach me about
Islam in the first place?
I was on the brink of walking
Around with a hurt face good thing
I wasn’t too cool to read the first page