The majority of us are now in Winter. Here is a dua for Winter to protect us.
لا ِاله ِالا اللهُ مَآ أشَدَّ بَرْدَ هذا الْيَوْمْ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ أجِرْنِيْ مِنْ زَمْهَرِيْرِجَهَنَّمْ Laa ilaaha illallahu ma ashadda barda hazhal yawm , allahumma ajirni min zamhareeri jahannam.
jahannam. “There is no deity but Allah, How severe is the cold of today! O Allah! Protect me from the severe cold of Jahannam” (Ibnu Sunni # 30) ( رواه ابن السني –– )
These days we are thinking and worrying about the future. This is a sign our imaan is weak. Worrying never solves a problem, leave it to Allah and He will take care of it. There are many fake magicians, or fortune tellers who promise to solve your problems. They trick us into thinking they are helping but they really using shaytaans to deceive us.
Mufti Menk gives us ways to build up our imaan and to stop worrying. Every morning and evening put a metal armor around you – protect yourself from jinns and black magic – stick to your prayers and you will be protected.
As we welcome the new year with lots of wishes, dreams, plans, and anticipations, we would like to look back and celebrate some remarkable good deeds and inspiring acts of humanity in the year 2019.
So we put this question to our audience on Facebook: Who are your Muslim figures of the year? And here is how they voted:
Topping the list is Mufti Ismail Menk, the globetrotting Grand Mufti of Zimbabwe.
Then followed by Linwood Mosque Imam Alabi Lateef who saved several lives during the New Zealand terror attack.
The third place was taken by Dr. Ingrid Mattson, a Muslim religious leader, a professor of Islamic Studies, and an interfaith activist.
“They were chosen out of 15 prominent Muslim figures. We shared them as a photo album on Facebook and let our Facebook audience chose by liking their favorites. The ones with the most likes are the winners,” said Nichola Taylor, from AboutIslam.net marketing team.
“I believe all the (Muslim) figures selected bring a lot to the Ummah. They are all respected scholars and leaders and people we should look up to for their efforts in the Muslim community.
“It is easy to see why Mufti Menk is the winner because he has wide appeal to both the youth and older generations. He brings wits and humor to his speeches. It is also great to see a woman placed in the top 3 and Dr. Mattson is very impressive in her work,” she added.
Here is a short bio for each of the three winners:
1st Place: Mufti Ismail Menk
As a counselor for more than 20 years, Dr. Mufti Ismail Menk is a leading global Islamic scholar born and raised in Zimbabwe.
He studied Shariah in Madinah and holds a Doctorate of Social Guidance from Aldersgate University. Mufti Menk’s work has gained worldwide recognition and he has always featured in the list of “The Top 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World” since 2010.
He is a regular contributor to AboutIslam.net. You can find more of his articles here.
2nd Place: Imam Alabi Lateef
Linwood Mosque Imam Alabi Lateef Zirullah rose to fame after for his heroic and gallant act during the tragic incident of Christchurch in March 15 .
He saved several lives during the New Zealand terror attack. Seeing the terrorist at the front door, Imam Lateef told all worshippers to drop to the floor for the second part of the Muslim prayer service.
The imam also ran out of the mosque with fellow worshipper Abdul Aziz, who had picked up a credit card machine on the way which he used to throw at the shooter. While that was taking place, Lateef said he tried to use that time to secure the doors and keep the gunman out.
His quick actions saved the lives of tens of Muslim worshippers who were inside the mosque for Friday prayer.
3rd Place: Dr. Ingrid Mattson
Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College at Western University in Canada.
Dr. Mattson was educated in Canada and the United States, earning a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1999. From 1998 to 2012 she was Professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary in CT where she developed and directed the first accredited graduate program for Muslim chaplains in America and served as Director of the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations.
From 2001-2010 Dr. Mattson served as vice-president, then as president of the Islamic Society of North America (USA), the first woman to serve in either position. Her writings, both academic and public, focus primarily on Qur’an interpretation, Islamic theological ethics, and interfaith relations. Her book, The Story of the Qur’an, is an academic best-seller and was chosen by the US National Endowment for the Humanities for inclusion in its “Bridging Cultures” program.
Getting elected in Congress, appearing on the covers of magazines, and breaking barriers, Muslim women have significantly come to the frontlines of the American Muslim community.
In reaction to their ordeal of being constantly targeted by the media, government officials, internet trolls, and even the White House, Muslims gathering in Chicago for the annual MAS-ICNA convention discussed how to support women and stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
The Muslim Women Alliance (MWA) hosted on Saturday, December 28, a wonderful series of lectures that truly discussed internal challenges like patriarchy in the Muslim community and external such as Islamophobia and sexism.
The panel included both Zahra Billoo and Margari Hill, the two well-renowned women in the realm of Muslim affairs, and women issues in particular.
Margari Hill began the session with a story: “There was a time in my life when the Muslim community didn’t stand up for me.”
She began to explain one of her college experiences, retelling the early 90s, around one of the international relations courses she took. At a time “before 9/11”, she still felt like an early revert, that there were a lot of different events and early Islamophobia before the events that unfolded.
“However, behind us, there were two Nazi sympathizers that would say demeaning things about Africans, Muslims, even to the point of calling the people of color in the room.” She was however warned that the Nazi sympathizers targeted Margari herself. Not at one point, did any of the other Muslim students develop a way to protect her or to escort her. She felt isolated and neglected at that moment.
Support Needed
With that example, she felt at that point there were very few instances where people felt they were inclined to stand up for Muslim women.
“Fast forward 25 years later, it has gotten to the point of structural violence, much larger than just personal bullying” alluding to Trump using his bully pulpit to target Muslims, in particular, Muslim women.
She brought up other instances in the public eye, where mainstream Muslim circles did not make an active effort to protect but rather participated in the maligning of Muslim women; particularly high-profile figures like Linda Sarsour, Rashaida Tlaib, or Ilhan Omar.
“We need to encourage women at the very least, if you are not willing to physically defend them, to keep them in their duaa at the very least. Keeping that goodwill is very important.”
Zahra Billoo
Having Voice
Zahra Billoo then took the stage and began talking about activism and the blessing of having a voice.
She talked about the Women’s March, the attacks and outright “lies” that defined the ideas/concepts of the entire Muslim leadership that participated in it.
Billoo lamented the smear campaigns, and right-wing pressure, that wanted to replace her with a more neutral and less controversial leader.
“When Allah gives you a test, He doesn’t give you something that you can’t handle” and that there is a certain beauty to it; a beauty in surrendering it,” Billoo said.
Specifically, here, she talks about it as a destination and not a journey.
Speakers concluded the sessions by talking about how Muslim women should have a voice in today’s American and the challenges that surround it.
This voice and activism should be fully supported by family, friends and the community at large to be truly influential in enacting change in the community and society.
In order to truly move forward, the Muslim community has to acknowledge the causes, politics, and other issues that impact women overall.
Do you have exercising and physical health among your goals for the new year? We all know exercise is great for us. It improves both physical and mental health as well as giving us higher levels of energy throughout the day.
If, like many people, you struggle to exercise on a consistent basis, then most likely exercise is not a ‘habit’ for you. Habits are behaviors that are largely automatic and you don’t have to spend time motivating yourself to do it – it’s simply a part of your routine and lifestyle.
If you would like exercise to become ‘automatic’ for you – along with all the associated benefits – follow this proven 7 step method from “7 Steps to Make or Break Habits” E-book .
1- Develop Self Awareness
First you must develop awareness of the need to change. What are all the reasons that starting an exercise habit is a necessity for you?
You also need to build awareness of your current exercise habits and fitness level so you can make improvements.
Are you exercising daily, weekly or not at all? What is currently preventing you from exercising? Is it a lack of time, enjoyment or fitness know-how? Can you remove some of these obstacles?
2- Set a Goal
Set a goal for the amount of exercise you would like to be doing. To successfully condition a habit you will need to do the activity every day for 30 days to ensure it sticks. Therefore, it is best to start off with something small that you can do every dayrather than attempting strenuous workouts that will leave you unable to exercise for days later.
Make sure you goal is smart (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely). For example, “I will walk for 15 minutes each day for the next 30 days at an aerobically challenging pace”.
You might want to include the time of day you will exercise as well if appropriate e.g. 7:00 am weekday mornings and 9:00 am on the weekend. Now you have something specific and measurable to hold yourself accountable to.
3- Build your Motivation
Until exercise becomes a habit, you will have to motivate yourself to do it.
Focusing on the benefits will help to motivate you. Write down all the reasons why you want to build an exercise habit such as improved physical health, reaching or maintaining a healthy weight, increased mental clarity, stress relief, feeling good from endorphins etc.
Read over these benefits morning and night and put them in a prominent place where you can see them.
Think also about the consequences of not following through, such as a lifetime of poor health and low energy.
We are more motivated to do activities we enjoy – therefore, make exercise fun! There are thousands of different ways you can move your body and exercise – be creative working with your interests.
You can also look at ways to make a particular form of exercise more enjoyable. For example, using your walk time to appreciate nature or reflect on your day can greatly increase your enjoyment. Do not use it as a time to think about your problems!
Having someone to exercise with will also make it more enjoyable and increase your commitment.
4- Decide on a Plan and Strategy
You will need a detailed plan to ensure you follow through on your commitment.
Treat exercise as a priority and plan your day so it won’t get pushed aside. Morning exercise is best for this but straight after work is also a good time. Opt for indoor exercises or schedule a lunchtime walk if you’re really pressed for time.
Have a contingency plan for bad weather if you are planning to exercise outdoors. This may include weights at home or treadmill so you can continue your habit in adverse weather conditions.
Organize as much as you can in advance, such as getting your gym gear ready the night before so you don’t leave without it. Try and work out exactly when, where and how you will exercise before you actually do it. The fewer obstacles and decisions that need to be made, the easier it will be to follow through.
Make yourself accountable to someone to ensure you stick with it.
5- Prepare your Mind
To successfully change a habit, you will need to work on your thoughts and beliefs as well as your physical behavior. For example, it will be difficult to maintain an exercise program if you believe with all your heart that you can never become fit and healthy or that to do so requires great sacrifice and pain. You must change your thoughts and beliefs in order to successfully change.
6- Take Action
Commit to following your plan for 30 days as it takes 21-30 days to form a habit. Put your commitment in writing and remind yourself that at the end of the 30 days, exercise will be a habit and you will not require as much effort as it does in the early stages.
7- Track your Progress
Start by recording simply doing your exercise each day. As Woody Allen said, “half of life is just showing up”. Focus on building a healthy habit first, then focus on specific results once the habit is formed.
As you progress, you might want to track things such as your weight or muscle gain to stay motivated. Beware though of focusing exclusively on something such as weight as you are likely to plateau at some point. You may then lose the motivation to exercise and start the slow slide back to your original non-exercising state.
Recording simple numbers such as the number of push-ups, speed or distance that you run can help you see that you are getting stronger and faster.
Finally… don’t break the habit! Once you have developed an exercise habit, don’t drop it at the first sign of trouble. Avoid long breaks in exercising or rebuilding the habit will take some effort. Rest assured though that it will be easier to form the habit 2nd time around!
Some of the photos that shaped 2019 for Muslims around the world.
Rashida Tlaib, wearing a traditional Palestinian robe, takes the oath of office on Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an as one of the first two Muslim Congresswomen in the US. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Ilhan Omar takes the oath of office on Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an as one of the first two Muslim Congresswomen in the US. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA
Salma Zahid elected in 2019 as Liberal Member of Parliament for Scarborough Centre
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane celebrate after winning the 2019 Champions League
Listed as Europe’s first green eco-mosque, the Cambridge Central Mosque opened its doors officially in December.
American singer Della Miles, vocalist for Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, converts to Islam
NZ Rugby Player Ofa Tu’ungafasi Accepts Islam shortly after Christchurch mosque massacre
Flowers and signs pictured at a memorial as a tribute to victims of the mosque attacks, near a police line outside Masjid Al Noor in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 17, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hugging a woman at the Kilbirnie Mosque in the aftermath of the shootings.
20,000 Pakistanis standing in formation created a human image of the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch
Uyghur women grieving for their men who they claim were taken away by the Chinese authorities in Urumqi, China. Ng Han Guan/AP
A Muslim woman took a photo with a mob of angry Christian protesters outside the venue of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) convention in Washington, DC.
Australian teenager William Connolly, known as “egg boy” seen breaking egg on the head of controversial Australian senator, Fraser Anning, who had blamed Muslim immigration for the Christchurch shooting.
Muslim woman stepping in to confront a man over his anti-Semitic rant at a Jewish father and son on the London underground.
Imam Suhaib Webb speaking at McCormick Place, Chicago during the MAS-ICNA convention held from Dec 27-29.
Khutbah conducted by Ustadth Feraidoon Mojadedi about the “Love of God and His Prophet” at the Knowledge Retreat 2019 ahead of the Reviving Islamic Spirit convention in Toronto.
The 2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires season saw a year-to-year surge in fires occurring in the Amazon rainforest and Amazon biome within Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru during that year’s Amazonian tropical dry season.
Notre-Dame Cathedral was destroyed completely in a fire on Monday, April 15, in a tragic loss to a historical place. SHUTTERSTOCK/LOIC SALAN
On April 10, a group of scientists from the international Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration released the first-ever photograph of a supermassive black hole to the public. Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration/Maunakea Observatories via AP
One of 2019’s top astronomy events occurred on January 20-21 with a total lunar eclipse and was seen mainly in the Americas as well as some other regions of the Old World.
From London to Makkah – 8 British Muslims successfully cycled to Hajj
Ohi Aidros Samri, 130-year-old Indonesian national, believed to be the oldest person to ever perform Hajj, was welcomed by a number of Saudi officials. (Twitter)
The “Hello, I am a Muslim” initiative aims to encourage mutual communication and cooperation between Muslims and non-Muslims [Anadolu]
The Muslim community in Newfoundland and Labrador are rolling up their sleeves to donate blood to Canadian Blood Services and avoid shortage that usually occurs during holiday seasons, CBC reported.
“The Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador wanted to fill in shortages and bridge gaps and work very positively with the other communities when they are busy with their holidays,” Abdelsalam Abugharara, a volunteer imam at the local mosque, said.
He added that the idea was about “supporting one another and bringing happiness to people in hospitals.”
Canadian Blood Services sees a lull around the holiday season, despite being open 365 days a year. (Ryan Remiorz / The Canadian Press)
Praise
Gord Skiffington, a manager for Canadian Blood Services in St. John’s, praised the Muslim community for the remarkable gesture.
“It was just incredible. It was amazing,” he said. “We need all blood types every day of the year, and certain times of the year it’s a little more challenging.”
Blood transfusion for medical purposes is permissible in Islam as Muslims are ordered to feed the hungry, take care of the sick, and save the life of people.
It is also permissible to take blood from a non-Muslim and it is permissible to give blood to non-Muslims. These matters are related to human life.
This is not the first time for the Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador to step in to provide the much-needed blood donations.
They also helped St. John’s clinic on Regatta Day in August, when the city shut down for a day of boat races.
“We will make it a national blood donation day throughout Canada, sponsored by the Muslim communities all over Canada,” Abugharara said.
According to the Canadian 2011 National Household Survey, Muslims represented less than 1% of the total population of Newfoundland and Labrador which was estimated at 525,073 persons.
Work hard towards achieving what you believe is beneficial for you.
(Prophet Muhammad)
Work Hard
You need a job? Work hard towards it. Use the capacity that the Almighty has given you to achieve it. You’re not feeling well? Go to the doctor, go and do something about it. You want to get married? Get up and do something, talk to people, and try things. Don’t just sit and say: “I believe in the Almighty Allah, He’s predestined everything. If it’s meant to be, it will come to me in my lounge!”
The Almighty gave you the capacity, the technology, the ability… He has written for us things, but obviously He expects us to play our role. Use your capacity, use your brain, use whatever Allah gave you and do your best.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don’t say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your” if” opens the (gate) for the Satan.
Don’t say that if I did this, perhaps that will happen. You already did it, close your eyes and carry on; don’t blame yourself and don’t go backward; go forward.
We all make mistakes, we’re human, we’re prone to error. When you make mistakes, learn to apologize, learn to make amends and learn to progress them, to move forward not backward.
When you keep on looking back and thinking, “O I made a big mistake”, the Almighty will always forgive you.
I promise you He will forgive that too if you seek the forgiveness. The only time He won’t forgive, perhaps, if a person dies without seeking forgiveness, it’s up to Him, it’s His mercy, He can do what He wants.
But the warnings are connected to after you’ve died if you led a life that was filled of negativity, sin etc. and the Almighty says, “you have yourself to blame.”
Obviously, He is Most Merciful, He has said that, “if I want, I will forgive you even then.”
SubhanAllah!
But I tell you, there is no point in going back and looking at a door that was closed and crying about it. Move. Life is too short.
For some religions the main characteristic they attribute to their god is an angry vengeful jealous god.
You must appease him or else his wrath will be upon you.
On the other side of the spectrum you have certain religions that only focus on love and mercy and claim that “god is love”. With such beliefs, they create great injustices to themselves and those around them having no fear of accountability.
Relation with Allah: How Islam Is Different
Unlike other religions, in Islam we worship Allah based upon three motivational factors of Love, Hope and Fear.
In this special series episode of Tafsir of Surat Al-Fatihah, Sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi discusses the three motivational factors of worship; namely Love, Hope & Fear.
In a fun-filled weekend, slightly farther away from the Bazaar, and the thundering sounds of the main hall, a social event was brewing that created a ton of buzz.
In addition to the youth programs, main programs and other parallel activities that underscored the MAS-ICNA convention, a Singles event and overall networking session was being organized by an organization by the name of “Pious hearts”. Before the 100+ attendees that filled the space the following Saturday, I sat down with the Founder & Owner Nawal Ali, to pick her brain on the origins of this event and the Matchmaking service she had created.
I asked her how she started this event, and this service overall, and why it was of such a burning passion to her.
“The reason I started this company was I felt there was a need for a private service that was not public like a lot of the different Muslim themed apps out there, but the problem was a lot of girls did not want to put it out there due to the stigma of being on those types of public apps”.
Pious hearts team
“Another reason I started this, was being an Arab American, born and raised in Chicago, I realized there was an epidemic for Muslims that wanted to get married, but didn’t have the means or idea of how to do so, particularly the girls, because the pool was very limited in terms of how people got to know one another”.
Afterwards, I dug into the nature of the event itself, and how certain types of events became popular as of late. The reality of the matter is similar to the median age of average Americans getting married at a later median age, American Muslims are not too far different.
Nawal revealed, seeing that she was in Chicago, home to almost 250,000 Arabs, and nearly half a million Muslims, she found that women who desired marriage, were getting closer to their mid-30s before finding an eligible match.
This served as a “large market” for a lot of reasons seeing that Muslims put a heavy emphasis on marriage to avoid premarital relations as a religious prerequisite and to avoid traditional courtship and dating found in mainstream American culture.
In addition to that, with the advent of social media platforms, and other dating apps, even if they are Muslim friendly; Nawal emphasized that they were “impersonal” in many ways.
A Much Needed Service
On Saturday’s event, it was largely hosted by over 120+ people in the room on Saturday, with a very healthy ratio between men and women. On Sunday, it hosted upwards to 150+ people split between men and women.
“Alhamdullih, We were blessed to have a very even ratio between men and women in these circles, which was unheard of in a lot of these types of events, where women tend to out-ratio the men”.
The turnout was very favorable in this regard, and seeing that it was a conference that largely emphasized female empowerment, this worked also in that favor as well.
The room was heavily decorated and very warm and inviting for a lot of potential suitors.
Despite, the event itself, the matchmaking service itself created a very staggering concept: Almost every member is typically matched anywhere “between 3 to 6 months”, which is largely a very favorable ratio in this space as well.
Each member is vetted and is carefully matched with the desired criteria of every other member. It largely creates a space where Nawal says “confidentiality is our largest priority; there is a big stigma to publicizing even the desire to get married, so we do our best to keep this a very confidential space via our website.
Nawal also shared that she truly wanted her company to be unique in that it was a wholesome service; many members are also matched to premarital counselors, psychologists, image consultants and other professionals that truly enhance the experience.
Opinions of Attendees
Ameer, 27, from Florida, attended the event and had good things to say, a first time attendee to MAS-ICNA, he believed his “circle” in his local community didn’t give him an ideal situation to meet a spouse. The biggest draw was that it was led by a “matchmaking service, and the popularity of the event itself.” Overall, he was heavily impressed by the event, and it really drew him to use Pious Hearts for the future, as a matchmaking service.
“It was well organized and it felt that they had a genuine place to present opportunities and to allow people to mingle in a stress-free environment”.
Another female attendee, also thought that the event was very well organized, “everyone had tables to go to, it was very personalized and they developed a way for you to sit down with potential matches”.
Shaykh Yaser Birjas talking to the attendees.
The “icebreakers” were really well-put together in terms of kick-starting the right conversations among people in the room. What really motivated her to go to this event is interacting with Pious hearts even before going to the event. Questions around background, age, and other important factors were really motivating in a way that allowed them to personalize their experiences to mold their experience upon arrival.
“There were tons of activities to understand the people in the room such as interactive games, riddles, and other activities to evaluate the personalities of the people around them.”
During Sunday’s event, the Pious Hearts team and MAS was able to bring Shaykh Yaser Birjas to greet and share words of wisdom to all guests. He talked about the ‘5 myths’ about marriage. Alhamdulillah, all attendees were extremely appreciative and benefited tremendously. MashaAllah, it was great to see Shaykh Yaser, after his speech, stay to answer public and private questions from all attendees.
On a concluding note, one of the attendees gave a really profound statement on the importance of these types of events:
“Seeing we are children of immigrants, we tend to have such a diverse background and largely work within so many different networks and backgrounds; it becomes very difficult to create a connection. You could be the wealthiest person out there but we largely need to tap and see other people around us want a deep purpose; being married plays such a pivotal role in a Muslim’s life in a much more spiritual way than meeting people online; this event was really important and events like these have such a deep need in our communities”.
Muslims believe the Quran to be God’s final revelation and divine miracle of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which is still preserved.
This everlasting miracle is the Book of the Quran which contains the literal Words of God:
Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it (Quran 41:42)
The Quran is God’s divine and last message sent to Prophet Muhammad which is full of wisdom, truth, and guidance. In this folder, Discovering Islam compiled some of interesting articles and inspiring stories that we hope you enjoy reading.
I noticed one reader on your site asking how we could answer or give someone evidence that the Quran has not changed throughout the past thousands of years…
What does new year’s eve mean to a Muslim? Our Prophet gave us two Eids, Eid ul Fitr and Ei ul Adha, there is also every single Friday, jummah, the day of khutbah are all days of celebration in Islam.
Stay away from gatherings where there is free mixing and alcohol. If this day is anyway meaningful we should use it to reflect on what we have done in the previous year.
We are one more year closer to our graves. Have we improved ourselves? Make it a night of worship, a night where we renew our promises to Allah (swt).
When we go through a hard time, it’s very tempting to skip a prayer. Then, before you know it, you’ve skipped another and another.
Do we not realise that by doing this we are only harming ourselves? We need this connection with Allah!
Allah says in the Quran,
“Those who believe and work righteous deeds,- from them shall We blot out all evil (that may be) in them, and We shall reward them according to the best of their deeds.”
Hold tight to your prayer. Even when you feel nothing, when you’re just going through the motions, keep your faith. Allah promises that He will reward you according to the best prayer you ever prayed. SubhanAllah!
One of the most curious aspects of Islam has got to be the headscarf. Every sister you meet will be able to regale you with hilarious stories of questions she’s been asked about her scarf.
From “Do you wear it in the shower?” to “Are you bald?”
If you aren’t Muslim, this should answer some questions. If you are Muslim, this will give you a giggle.
“Step out of the shadows of your own world, and step forthrightly into a participatory America — an America you have helped build, strengthen, and prosper… I want to see an America that embraces our faith as its own — if we step out of the shadows.”— First Muslim Congressman, Keith Ellison
Muslims in the US live inside interlinking social and cultural circles, one inside the other, the biggest of which is the global Muslim community and the smallest can be the different religious sects and groups within the one Muslim community in a district in one of the American states.
Some research work has been comparing the attention that US Muslims should give to the global Muslim community — the biggest circle — versus the attention they should give to their internal concerns as American citizens.
Yet, fewer researches compared how US Muslims prioritize between their internal needs as a Muslim community living in a non-majority-Muslim country and the need to communicate their beliefs and faith with the rest of the American community.
Notable academic scholars and US Muslim figures agree that US Muslims are facing challenges and problems, yet they prioritize and rank them differently. Some give more prominence to the internal challenges for Muslims in the US as a sub-community with a set of beliefs and traditions, while others place the challenges from the American society on US Muslims ahead of the internal problems.
The American population is diverse; more or less, they reflect the diversity and colorfulness of the global Muslim community.
Black Americans form about 20 percent of Muslims in America, Asians are 28 percent, and Whites — including Arabs, Europeans, and Americans — mount up to 41 percent, according to Pew Research Center.
In addition, and as noted by [late] Dr. Maher Hathout, former senior advisor and co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), “recently, the sectarian affiliation became vivid more than it was before.”
Hathout places the internal challenges facing US Muslims ahead of the external ones.
Ethnic divisions, sectarian affiliations, generational gaps, enlightened education, ineffective political institutions, and the absence of an enlightened Islamic leadership are the main challenges that Hathout identifies for the US Muslim community.
Aware of the fact that 70 percent of the mosques in the US have imams with no leadership characteristics (Hashem, 113), Hathout picks “the absence of the enlightened Islamic reference” as the key challenge; “if solved, it will guarantee a more bright future.”
Education, Application, and Success
Taking the same perspective yet with different priorities, Dr. Salah E-Deen Soltan — the founder of several US Muslim organizations, including the American Center for Islamic Research and the Islamic American University — pushes education and political activism ahead. He notes that “Muslims in the US need much more internal treatment than external one,” they “must have the abilities to unite themselves behind one cause and word.”
Directing American Muslim youth toward the study of law and instilling leadership and presentation skills within them would avoid Muslims to “get into a competition and end up with a weak politician that would do more harm than good to Muslims,” Soltan argued.
He mentions in his book Muslim Participation in the American Elections, that about 60 percent of Muslim Americans work in the fields of computer, engineering, medicine, administration, and economics.
“Mentality and culture of the immigrant Muslim community tend to put the study of medicine and engineering ahead of any other field,” Soltan told AI.
The debate is wide and open, and it depends partially on the orientation and relevant experience and closeness of the expert on US Muslims to the community.
While both Hathout and Soltan see the key for a better future for the US Muslims in having a unified Islamic reference and improving the education, the Georgetown Islamic Studies, and International Affairs professor John Esposito has a different understanding of the US Muslim community.
Esposito thinks that beside the normal challenges of any community, the US Muslims face more challenges with American society especially after 9/11 (giving more weight to the external than internal challenges).
Muslim Identity vs. the Other
“For many Muslims, there is an additional challenge of those who question the loyalty of Muslims, who had not sharply distinguished between Islam and a minority of extremists in the world, they rather see Islam as the problem,” the founding director of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) at Georgetown University said.
“We do have here a very vocal minority of people who are anti-Muslim, just as you find it in Europe.”
Beside Esposito’s concerns about the attack on US Muslims and Islam, there is an imminent factor that is shaping the interaction of the US Muslims in American society.
Identity and one’s understanding of their relation with the country that they immigrated to and the “homeland” represent an initial challenge that has to be handled for interaction with society to work well and benefit both parties.
Prof. Mazen Hashem, California-based Adjunct Professor of Sociology, notes that success or failure to hold on to one’s cultural roots in a foreign society would result in four different shapes.
The success of the immigrant with hospitality from the hosting society would lead to a state of harmony. Yet, when the hosting society rejects the immigrant who is holding to his or her cultural roots, that would be the state of crucial endurance.
On the other hand, failure to hold to the cultural roots with the hospitality from the hosting society is acculturation; and rejection from the hosting society would lead to the state of compliance (Hashem, 199).
Moving from the stages of acculturation and crucial endurance, “Muslims of North America made the transition in less than one generation. Major Muslim groups are now totally committed to address American reality. Such transition is admirable, although a lot is yet to be done and enormous challenges lie ahead,” the expert on US Muslims, Hashem told AI.
Dr. Zahid Bukhari, the Executive Director of ICNA Council for Social Justice and former director of the American Muslim Studies Program (AMSP) at the ACMCU, agrees with Hashem.
“Before 9/11, the majority of the immigrant US Muslim community were living here [in the US] physically, but mentally and spiritually they used to live back home.”
However, afterward, they realized that they are living in the US and that it is their country. “They are living here mentally, physically, and spiritually.”
Still, Bukhari sees that the main challenge for US Muslims is the “change in mindset,” on which the interaction with the American society will be based.
Several Roads, One Goal
Although the perspectives of experts might seem contradicting one another, they actually are presenting the different pieces of a puzzle that when combined make a clear picture of where US Muslims were, are, and possibly will be.
They started as migrants with the same aim of any other migrant community — good living. Trying to assimilate in the hosting culture, some lost their cultural background and identities, others did not. Afterward, a mainstream shift took place and the American Muslims came out to understand who they are as Muslims and how they are American. A certain balance in the identity took place, Hashem and Bukhari agreed.
More has to be done on this side, no doubt, especially when it comes to the nature of the Muslim identity. A unified Islamic reference, as Hathout pointed out, would help much in softening down the tension that accompanies the ethnic and sectarian differences among US Muslims.
As the US Muslim community reached a relevant success in regards to identity, it did not make a corresponding outreach to the American culture and political organization. The result is that many non-Muslim Americans know little about Islam, and ignorance often partially accounts for hostility.
This brings the analysis of Soltan and Esposito to a common point: The former places political awareness and involvement ahead as a priority to push the Muslim interest into the political realm of the American society; the latter anticipates the result of the social interaction and involvement of Muslims.
“How cannot you be optimistic? Muslims carry within themselves the genes of moderation and have the potential to offer America a unique blend out of its conservative and liberal elements,” Hashem augurs well.
Editor’s Note:This featured analysis was first published in 2009 and is updated and highlighted now for its importance.
References
Bagby, Ihsan. The American Mosque 2011. Washington DC: Council for American-Islamic Relations, January 2012.
Bukhari, Zahid H. Demography, Identity, Space: Defining American Muslims. Proceedings of Conference of Muslims in The United States: Demography, Beliefs, Institutions. Washington DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, June 2003.
Hashem, Mazin. Muslims of North America: A Study of the Islamic Mobility from a Global Perspective. Damascus: Dar Al-Fikr, 2007.
Soltan, Salah. Muslim Participation in the American elections: Its Obligation and its Islamic guidelines. Ohio: Sultan Publishing, 2005.
“US Muslims Concerned About Their Place in Society, but Continue to Believe in the American Dream.” Pew Research Center, 2017.
