Imaan & Tawakkul: Faith and trust in Allah's plan (FRIDAY KHUTBAH)

 A recent Friday Khutbah which explores the importance of confidence and trust in God, as a means for identifying tools for personal/social refinement, as well as identity building.

This presentation also gives a slightly different look at the famous Quranic verse 49:13 ("O Humanity! Indeed, WE have created you from a male and female, made you into groupings and tribes, so that you will know (and benefit) each other. Indeed, the most honorable of you in God's sight is those among you with the most taqwaa, indeed, Allah is knowledgeable, aware") as a text which shows diversity as being part of the Divine plan.

Imaan &Tawakkul-click here

Thoughts on Muslim Unity in the midst of Differences

Introduction

From a faith perspective, religion comes to provide clarity, guidance, and light in a world of confusion, fears and anxiety.  We are conditioned to accept that it is all clear cut, black and white, right or wrong.

Scriptural citations are made in order to validate particular theological or methodological positions, and an assumption is automatically made that any disagreement with the position in question amounts to religious corruption, rejection of faith, or even rejection of God himself (i.e. atheism).

The purpose of this brief post is to outline some important points to remember when encountering views or methodologies that are counter to our own.  The primary focus of this article is the religion of Islam and the Muslim community.


One Scripture, Many Interpretations

A profound expression attributed to the Prophet's son in law, 'Ali ibn  Abi Taalib, says that while the Qur'an is from God, its interpreters  are humans. Diversity is a part of the human experience, and creation itself would be a dull ad boring existence if not for the various ways of understanding and applying ideas, arts, and any other item you could name.

For Muslims we are blessed to have a scripture that is universally accepted as being the same text that emanated from the Prophet (FT.1). It is viewed as a text that is totally secure from corruption. It is the most read and scrutinized religious text.

While there has always been differences in interpretation (ft.2), the primary as well as the most of the secondary foundations have always been accepted. Thus, Shiites and Sunnis accept the Qur'an, Prophet Muhammad ( Sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), the five pillars, the articles of faith, and so forth.  Divergence from these core principles have rightly been viewed with suspicion.

The Qur'anic language itself is largely general. It deliberately does not always go into specifics. Indeed, the story that forms the second chapter of the text highlights the pitfalls of always looking for precise details.  Allah The Almighty  asks the Children of Israel to make a sacrifice. They demand the specific details of the animal, so much so that the point of doing that was lost.

With that said, it is also a part of the nature of the Quranic text that it has allowances for the mind to delve into it, to bring out gems of insight, beautiful and profound realizations that impact one's faith, law, and social development. 

Unity through diversity

Within the same religious community, even the same sect, differences can emerge. This is part of the development of man.  The Qur'an itself states thusly :" And if God has wanted, He would have made you one unit...( Q 5:48).

Allah wants us to benefit from diversity, indeed, unity itself can be achieved when we can accept that differences are fine, so long as the foundational structures are present.

I believe that the trend to make everyone think and act the same, atleast in an Islamic framework, comes from an imperialist mindset. It assumes that we are always right, and other always wrong. It stems from a desire to exercise power, and it is such mindsets that we have to be cautious of.

There is always more grey than black and white. Life and its surrounding circumstances can be very complex and complicated. Our experiences may not be the experiences of others, we are often not privy to the social and religious realities of others.

Allah wants dedication and sincerity, Not Robotic movements

All of us are aware that the Qur'an says that God desires neither blood nor meat, but rather taqwaa. Taqwaa is a by product of moral and spiritual intelligence.It has to be cultivated, and that takes time. Knowledge and wisdom likewise takes time to develop. It is actually lifelong. Mistakes can be made along the way, but that is also a means by which lessons are learned.

 Conclusion 


Islam is a religion that seeks the best for its followers, indeed, for mankind itself. This is why it is not only against the consumption of intoxicants and gambling (waste of resources), it is also against destructive concepts such as racism, sexism, and the like. We seek the preservation of all that makes life worth living, all that makes life safe and happy.

Unity is achievable through diversity, and diversity is likewise achievable by the recognition of the true source of unity, THE LORD OF ALL. The Lord of all has put us in the situations that we are in. He has put us in the environments we are in, and has allowed us to make judgements that are-hopefully- in line with the goals and apsirations of all human beings, justice, peace and security.

Let us avoid sectarian pitfalls, try to stick to the fundamentals of our faith, agree on what we all agree upon, agree to disagree, and move on.


Footnotes

[1] While the  religious teaching that the Qur'an was given to the Prophet by God through the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) is disputed by Non Muslims, it should be accepted by all hands that the Qur'an was recited from the Prophet to humans.

[2] The differences in interpretations, at least in the early period, seemed to be more around Fiqhi issues rather than theological points. There are a variety of interpretative methods that have been employed throughout the ages, approaches to scripture that have yielded great results. A good way to understand the Qur'an, even if reading it in a language other than Arabic, is to read it consistently, take notes, ask those whose knowledge and insight you can trust and respect, and keep in mind that your own relationship to the text will keep changing as your own life expands in experiences.

Trump presidency: thoughts on the immediate and distant future

We begin this composition with a confession, and that is-simply put- that we never imagined that the Trump campaign was little more than a bad joke that had no chance of success due to the numerous accusations, outright racism and clear personality problems that are displayed in his recorded statements and behavior.

The success of the Trump campaign has essentially blindsided all of us, it has negated all the predictions of the pundits and it feels like we are now living in a parallel universe that Science Fiction programs such as Star Trek and Fringe have displayed, a world that is very similar to the world we know and are accustomed to, yet filled with glaring examples of differences, enough to make one panic and desire a quick escape.


Why is Donald Trump so troubling?



His entire platform has been one insult after another. However, our focus is not simply on this. His campaign has been one which tells the voters what they want to hear, however upon close examination there is actually no substance at all behind his rhetoric.


Whether it is call for  building a wall between Mexico and the Southern United States [which he asserts that he will make Mexico pay for], threatening Muslims, insulting African Americans, or an unclear plan to strengthen the US economy, any of these things, which are well documented, should be sufficient enough to find his election to this nation's highest office to be a frightening turn of events.

The following link has a good summary of why this is a terrible development. http://reverbpress.com/politics/seven-reasons-donald-trump-make-terrible-president/

If he's so bad, then why was he elected to the highest office?

The answer to this is even more troubling. Despite Trump's many issues in terms of not having any substantive plans and his crass statements regarding women, the handicapped, immigrants, minorities and the like, he has been successful. Those things did not work against him, rather, they worked for him.

I recall an interview I heard on NPR, the one being interviewed was a Gay Latino from New York. He thought of Donald Trump as a personal success story, narrating about the latter's homes, wealth and all the trappings of success he already displayed.

A succinct article in The Guardian [ Anti-Intellectualism taking over the US] explains this very well. This is increasingly becoming a culture that places no value on education [except of course in the practical fields such as Engineering].

Education is more than a piece of paper or the ability to count numbers and decipher symbols . Education is meant to instill respect for certain values and to nurture- at the least- a foundation for understanding the world around the student.

Yet, despite the presence of universities and the Internet, ignorance of even basic facts still is the prevalent situation. An economics professor doing work while taking a flight was pulled off a plane and interrogated by authorities. Apparently, he was mistaken for an Arab and his work notebook's contents "strange writings" was simply math equations. [ https://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/penn-professor-booted-from-plane-after-passenger-identified-him-as-a-terrorist-for-doing-math/#.Vy6cfuYVTDw.facebook].

This utter ignorance and dismay for personal and communal growth breeds irrational fear and unsubstantiated beliefs, particularly for the "other". African Americans have long been the victims of this thread of thinking, and are thus generally more understanding of this side of America!


The other unspoken reason that Mr. Trump has now become our president is that the demographics  are rapidly changing from the White Anglo Saxon Protestant equation. There is a great deal of growth of Non-White communities, and this of course translates into political and economic changes, not to even mention the social impact.

Indeed, the demographer William H.Frey in his book Diversity Explosion predicts that after 2040, whites will no longer be the majority population in this country. This is a future that is not pleasant to think about for many Americans.

We have ignored Mrs. Hillary Rodham-Clinton up to this point. Many analysts have explained her failure to win the Oval office due to the E-mail scandal or a frustration with the system in general. It is the view of this writer that those issues are only a minor part of it. In other words, it would not have even mattered if Jesus Christ himself was the candidate of the Democratic party, the chance to stem the social changes and to express deeply-held sentiments was simply too much to pass up.

What should Muslim do?

Since the issue of Muslims' religion and presence in this country was a campaign issue for President-elect Trump, it seems prudent to direct this to Muslims, however, this is equally valid for all Americans who feel that we have now entered seriously dangerous political territory and fear for the future of this nation!

Our response to this should include, but not be limited to:

[1] Coalition building: This means more than an occasional dinner. Muslims-particularly the leadership, have to become better involved in their local communities and become stewards of universal justice, which is itself a Quranic command [Q 4: 135]. This means that -for example- when a person is unjustly killed by law enforcement, Muslims have to be there standing for what is right. This means greater civil involvement.

[2] Become deeply involved in other parties: Currently this nation is dominated by a two party system. While other parties do exist, they have little to no influence at all. We have to join the voices of those seeking real change, and not simply hope our few dollars to entrenched politicians will produce results on our limited interests. Our interests must be bigger than Palestine, Hijaab and holidays.

As a whole, disaffected Americans can take a lesson from other nations such as India [the most populous Democratic nation as it likes to call itself]. It has about eight big active parties such as AITC and INC, but arguable hundreds of smaller ones.

We don't have to limit ourselves to this two party system. We have to think bigger and in longer terms.

[3] For Muslims, to do more to  have  our voices heard. Write to the local newspaper when stories are published. Become educated enough to answer questions on Islam. Share the Qur'an or Islamic materials with people, refer them to the mosque or to accurate websites.

[4] Americans, both Muslim and Non Muslim alike, should be encouraged to travel, in order to broaden their horizons and perspectives. This is also a Quranic teaching [ Q 29:20 is just one example]. Keep a valid passport at all times.

I hope this brief article generates much discussion and deep thinking. After all, this is the time to be rational and calm. Actions born out of frustrations and anger almost never produce a positive outcome.

Developing an approach for leaders within Western Muslim communities: focusing on knowledge

In the Muslim world, the job of the Imam or Shaykh is usually well defined and of a limited scope. He leads daily prayers in a mosque, teaches Qur'an and Hadeeth, and delivers lectures from time to time. For scholars of greater knowledge and fame, their roles are more than likely be confined to traditional academia, teaching everything from Sarf to Usool ul Fiqh.

In the Western context however, it's a very different experience. The Imam may do all of the above, or parts of the above, but is also the marriage counselor, visiting the shut-ins and the dying, the translator and even the janitor. He is a politician, a media consultant, and more.


Moreover, while an Imam from anywhere in the Muslim world is used to a homogeneous audience, sharing the same culture, worldview, experiences and the like, the Imam in a Western nation faces an extremely different situation. Muslims in the West are from a variety of ethnic, sectarian, madh-habi, cultural and educational backgrounds,  Add to this those accepting Islam from a completely Western pedigree!

Therefore, we would like to share some points of advice, relevant to Imams but also the governing bodies of Islamic Centers. The advice centers mainly around education. By "education", we mean more than a degree. We mean keeping that knowledge fresh, continued reading on these subjects and introspection.


Items needed for a Western Imam

[1] Deep knowledge of all the Fiqhi and 'Aqeedah trends within the Muslim Ummah

In the USA you will find Muslims from all areas of the world but also all over the map in terms of their Fiqh, their theological stances, and the like. There should be unity as much as possible among Muslims, and their particular Madhhabi practice[s] should not deter from that. "And hold fast to the rope of Allah, and do not be divided..", says the Qur'an [ Q 3:103].

The Imam can have his choice of Fiqh, to follow what he feels is correct, and he can even explain that choice to the community, but he must always be prepared to see others with slightly different practices and to avoid isolating anyone because of their particular practice.

We would kindly suggest to all Imams, regardless of what particular trend they follow, to be open to study of all the Madhhabs, 'Aqeedah differences, within the Muslim community.

[2] Other faith traditions

Obviously Judeo-Christian norms are the religious base for most Western cultures. Moreover, since Islam is widely seen as the third in that series of monotheistic religions, it's imperative that the Imam know about Judaism, Christianity and their scriptures, history, impact in local affairs, and the like. If the Imam is not strong in this area, he should never answer queries centered around it. "Answering" questions when in fact one is ignorant of the subject will only make the one answering look foolish, and it makes the Mosque/ Islam itself look bad.

A personal anecdotal story, I brought a Catholic to a mosque for a lecture, the lecturer decided to speak on the Islamic view of the crucifixion. The speaker went on a rant for one hour, making factually incorrect statements, insulting Christianity and Christians in the most ignorant fashion. Obviously it did not make a good impression.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but we should not pretend to know if we truly don't.

Conclusion

We live in a world where it is so much easier to obtain knowledge, or at least glimpses on this or that subject. Admittedly Google searches and the like has its strengths and weaknesses, even the study of books can have its limitations, but we should be open, especially if we are going to be speaking to people on faith issues on a regular basis. In addition to religious, cultural and historical knowledge, it's a good idea to become acquainted with counseling techniques, social sciences, take a speech class, seek to understand the local surroundings, the music, and so forth.

This not only makes the speaker a better speaker, it enriches the speaker. The Imam grows spiritually, he grows in Wisdom, as a result of these efforts.

Wa Billaahit Tawfeeq.