Azeem Muhammad - Behind the Scenes

American Comedian :: Episode #59

Mar 08, 2024

As’salamu alaikum Friends

A few weeks after releasing my interview with American Muslim comedian Preacher Moss (episode #56) I was delighted to get a message from brother Azeem saying he was coming to Scotland from USA and would love to do an interview. Azeem is perhaps best known for being part of the Allah Made Me Funny comedy tour which travelled the world from 2003. You will love the trailer.

Allah Made Me Funny was founded by Preacher Moss and featured comedians such as Azeem, Azhar Usman (who went on to the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and Mohammed Amer (who had his own Netflix show Mo).

I think you have to be of a certain age to appreciate the significance of the Allah Made Me Funny Tour at a time when there were very few Muslims in the West involved in entertainment.

Although Azeem speaks about this period of his life in the interview, what caught me by surprise was hearing about his upbringing and background as there was very little I had found online about his formative experiences during my research. I am grateful that he was so honest and open about the adversities he faced growing up and the remarkable change when he saw Louis Farrakhan (Nation of Islam) on the Donahue show.

One of the Gems that Azeem picked was the following verse from the Quran,

💎 Gem
Each community has its own direction to which it turns: race to do good deeds and wherever you are, God will bring you together. God has power to do everything.
Quran 2:148 (Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem)

After the interview we had the pleasure of visiting the Ottoman Coffeehouse which Azeem loved due to his passion for coffee. The owner recognised Azeem and they had a lengthy discussion about coffee beans and all sorts.