The pace of life in the western world is very fast. In spite of this hustle and bustle, many Muslims do find time to help the neighborhood mosques and Islamic schools voluntarily. For example, one day the congregation of the Tawheed Mosque of Detroit agreed to visit the Tawheed Mosque of Farmington Hills after Fajr Prayer. We wanted to cut the wild trees with a chain saw and chop them into small parts. We intended to make small bundles of these unwanted trees and place them on the roadside to be picked up by the city services, thereby cleaning up the courtyard of the mosque.
After Fajr Prayer we left for this job in two cars. Jim was a new American Muslim and very new to this mosque. I invited him to join me in my car. On the way I asked Jim how he accepted Islam. Jim told me his fascinating life history in detail:
“I used to go to a Christian church with my parents. My parents used to pay ten percent of their income to this church in order to attend its services. Eventually, they switched to a different church because they did not like the religious practices of this church. There they had to pay only eight percent of their income to attend the services. This was acceptable to my parents since nearly all churches operate like this. I however did not like the practice of buying our seats through compulsory contribution. I stopped going to any church since I disapproved of the ideas and practices of these churches.”
“After finishing high school I attended a university. There I met many Muslim students from various countries. I asked them, “Do you have to pay for using a place for worship?” They said, “Not at all. In fact everybody has an equal right to use the place of worship for his prayers.”
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Dr. Najat (How a Hindu doctor accepts Islam and offers selfless services to the Muslim community)
Dr. Najat was born, raised and educated in India. He came to Windsor, Canada for his post-graduate education. I dare not write his original name since it is very long and hard to pronounce. All it tells me is that he belonged to a very conservative Hindu family who chose such a typical Hindu name for him. He received very sound religious education, which he practiced as much as he could during his stay in India.
At the University of Windsor he found a very healthy interaction of ideas and cultures. He, like many other students, was open-minded. He wanted to make his life meaningful for himself. He was not comfortable with his Hindu ideas and practices. He, therefore, started reading the Christian Bible. It appealed more to his mind than his native religion. Thus, Najat accepted Christianity and practiced it sincerely for a year or so. However, he did not find the ultimate satisfaction that he was looking for. Consequently, he started exploring Islamic ideology. Certain religious conflicts were going on in his mind while he was studying for his Doctorate in the field of Engineering.
College campuses offer a unique freedom of choice and practice. Sometimes constructive debates are arranged between Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars in a very healthy climate. This has opened doors for many who have been locked up in their own closets. Najat learned more and more about Islam through various sources. It made much more sense to him to have one God rather than having many gods to worship. He found the Islamic ideology the most consistent and coherent of all.
At the University of Windsor he found a very healthy interaction of ideas and cultures. He, like many other students, was open-minded. He wanted to make his life meaningful for himself. He was not comfortable with his Hindu ideas and practices. He, therefore, started reading the Christian Bible. It appealed more to his mind than his native religion. Thus, Najat accepted Christianity and practiced it sincerely for a year or so. However, he did not find the ultimate satisfaction that he was looking for. Consequently, he started exploring Islamic ideology. Certain religious conflicts were going on in his mind while he was studying for his Doctorate in the field of Engineering.
College campuses offer a unique freedom of choice and practice. Sometimes constructive debates are arranged between Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars in a very healthy climate. This has opened doors for many who have been locked up in their own closets. Najat learned more and more about Islam through various sources. It made much more sense to him to have one God rather than having many gods to worship. He found the Islamic ideology the most consistent and coherent of all.
Susan (A mother and her children display Islamic character in their daily lives)
Susan married Abdul Qadar, a Burmese Muslim residing in Maryland. He was a manager of a shoe company and frequently attended Friday services in the Laurel Mosque. One day he expressed his difficulties to me. He said, “I am married to a Christian lady. We are blessed with twin daughters and I am worried about the future of my children. I tried my best to bring my wife to this mosque but she totally refused. What should I do?” I advised him to bring her to our house for dinner. She will meet my wife and would feel more comfortable. This approach worked. Susan started coming to the mosque and also started attending sessions of tafseer(interpretations/explanations) of the Quran. A few weeks passed very well. One Friday I was conducting the tafseer session. I gave an explanation of a few verses of the Quran and then I invited questions from the participants. Susan asked a question. Another gentleman responded, even before I could say anything. To my surprise Susan started crying bitterly while sitting in the session. Everybody was confused. Abdul Qadar led her out of the mosque and drove her home.
Later on I asked Abdul Qadar the reason for her crying. He said, “Susan refused to go to the mosque again. She felt that her question had annoyed the person who answered it since he had a very serious face. She does not like to annoy anybody.”
To the best of our knowledge and judgement the respondent was not annoyed. He only had a serious look. I said to Abdul Qadar, “Please explain to her calmly and cool-mindedly that many people from India and Pakistan have serious faces. You can see this at any airport or bus station or shopping center. This is our cultural drawback.” Susan gradually digested this idea and after a few months returned to the mosque. She learned more and more about Islam every week. She found the question-and- answer session very beneficial in understanding Islamic values and faith. She developed many friendly relationships with other ladies in the mosque and received lots of encouragement and respect.
Later on I asked Abdul Qadar the reason for her crying. He said, “Susan refused to go to the mosque again. She felt that her question had annoyed the person who answered it since he had a very serious face. She does not like to annoy anybody.”
To the best of our knowledge and judgement the respondent was not annoyed. He only had a serious look. I said to Abdul Qadar, “Please explain to her calmly and cool-mindedly that many people from India and Pakistan have serious faces. You can see this at any airport or bus station or shopping center. This is our cultural drawback.” Susan gradually digested this idea and after a few months returned to the mosque. She learned more and more about Islam every week. She found the question-and- answer session very beneficial in understanding Islamic values and faith. She developed many friendly relationships with other ladies in the mosque and received lots of encouragement and respect.
Imam Siraj Wahaj (An American Muslim, a lion of Allah)
The Muslim Student Association(MSA) used to be an umbrella organization for the Muslims residing in America and Canada. Siraj Wahaj and I had the privilege and honor to be members of the Majlis Shura(Advisory Council) and the Executive Council of MSA. Over several years many Muslim students became citizens of the United States and made this country their future home. To serve the needs of these citizens a new umbrella organization came into being. It was named the Islamic Society of North America or ISNA. We were also members of the first Majlis Shura and the Executive Council of ISNA.
We had to meet often at the ISNA headquarters in Indiana. Our meetings used to be very long and extremely tiring. There was rarely any chance to talk freely with each other. The agenda was a very long one. Only a few members had a chance to express their opinion on various issues. In this way I felt a vacuum between these national Muslim leaders.
Luckily, one day brother Siraj Wahaj and I got together during the brief lunch break from the Executive Council meeting at ISNA. I was curious to know how he accepted Islam. He narrated his experience as follows:
“I used to be a member of the so-called Black Muslim movement, which was quite different from traditional Muslim beliefs and practices. MSA held a summer training camp for community workers. I happened to attend this camp. The camp started with a recitation from the Holy Quran by a Sudanese brother. I did not know Arabic at that time. This recitation from the Quran affected me deeply. I started crying profusely. The more recitation I heard, the more tears gushed out from my eyes, flowing down my cheeks continuously and falling on my clothes. I did not understand a word of Arabic. I said to myself, “Whatever it is, it seems real.” I, therefore, became a traditional Sunni Muslim.”
Brother Siraj learned Arabic very diligently and mastered the recitation of the Quran and Hadith in due course of time.
We had to meet often at the ISNA headquarters in Indiana. Our meetings used to be very long and extremely tiring. There was rarely any chance to talk freely with each other. The agenda was a very long one. Only a few members had a chance to express their opinion on various issues. In this way I felt a vacuum between these national Muslim leaders.
Luckily, one day brother Siraj Wahaj and I got together during the brief lunch break from the Executive Council meeting at ISNA. I was curious to know how he accepted Islam. He narrated his experience as follows:
“I used to be a member of the so-called Black Muslim movement, which was quite different from traditional Muslim beliefs and practices. MSA held a summer training camp for community workers. I happened to attend this camp. The camp started with a recitation from the Holy Quran by a Sudanese brother. I did not know Arabic at that time. This recitation from the Quran affected me deeply. I started crying profusely. The more recitation I heard, the more tears gushed out from my eyes, flowing down my cheeks continuously and falling on my clothes. I did not understand a word of Arabic. I said to myself, “Whatever it is, it seems real.” I, therefore, became a traditional Sunni Muslim.”
Brother Siraj learned Arabic very diligently and mastered the recitation of the Quran and Hadith in due course of time.
Rehana (The Islamic behavior of her Muslim children changes the attitude of her non-Muslim grandparents)
There is a lot of mobility in American life. It is estimated that on an average one family does not stay in one place for more than five years. In that sense my family was a true American family. We moved from Seattle to suburban Los Angeles, California. Our nearest Muslim neighbor was brother Abdul Wahab. We not only met in the mosque daily, but also regularly shared a cup of tea. One day Abdul Wahab described the challenges and tests he went through preceding the acceptance of Islam by his wife, Rehana. He described their story:
“When I married Rehana, I was a non-practicing Muslim and she was also a non-practicing Christian. I rarely went to the mosque and she never went to her church. In due course of time Allah blessed us with children. I tried to talk to her about going to a mosque, however she bluntly refused. To my surprise, she even started going to a church. Moreover, the more I invited her to the mosque, the more she ran to attend church. Nobody ever wins against a woman anyway. I offered her a compromise very gently and respectfully. One weekend we will both go to a church and the next weekend we’ll go to a mosque. She reluctantly agreed. In this way I wished to give her some exposure to Islam.”
“I realized I must become a good practicing Muslim and have the best Islamic manners at home and with others around me. This is the only way she can discover and cherish true Islamic values. I shaped up. The merits and negative aspects of the husband and wife cannot remain hidden from each other since they closely interact with one another on a daily basis.”
“This was a new but beautiful lifestyle for me. I had to act as a role model to see positive results. Rehana started understanding Islam very gradually, but surely, through positive experiences at home and in the Muslim society. Her appreciation of Islam grew day by day.
“When I married Rehana, I was a non-practicing Muslim and she was also a non-practicing Christian. I rarely went to the mosque and she never went to her church. In due course of time Allah blessed us with children. I tried to talk to her about going to a mosque, however she bluntly refused. To my surprise, she even started going to a church. Moreover, the more I invited her to the mosque, the more she ran to attend church. Nobody ever wins against a woman anyway. I offered her a compromise very gently and respectfully. One weekend we will both go to a church and the next weekend we’ll go to a mosque. She reluctantly agreed. In this way I wished to give her some exposure to Islam.”
“I realized I must become a good practicing Muslim and have the best Islamic manners at home and with others around me. This is the only way she can discover and cherish true Islamic values. I shaped up. The merits and negative aspects of the husband and wife cannot remain hidden from each other since they closely interact with one another on a daily basis.”
“This was a new but beautiful lifestyle for me. I had to act as a role model to see positive results. Rehana started understanding Islam very gradually, but surely, through positive experiences at home and in the Muslim society. Her appreciation of Islam grew day by day.
Kathy (An American lady accepts Islam after reading the meanings of the Quran)
I left the Maryland school system as the Chairman of the Mathematics Department and joined the Islamic School of Seattle as the Principal. Kathy was a secretary there and was very active as a Muslim worker in the community. She accepted Islam in her own unique way. This is how she narrated her story:
“I was only in elementary school when I went to the public library with my mother. These libraries do not throw away duplicate or discarded books. They sell these books for petty coins. There was a sale of books in the library. I had a few coins in my pocket, so I bought one book for a nickel or a dime. I stored it in my room. The usual life activities continued. I went from elementary to middle school. In due course of time I went from middle school to high school. Finally, I graduated from high school. I was lucky to join a college. I studied arts instead of science. My major was Comparative Religion. My professor offered very extensive coursework in this area. The comparative study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam was the major theme. None of my teachers happened to be Muslims. I passed all these courses with ease. In this way I accumulated enough credits to graduate from college.”
“As a fresh graduate I started looking for a job. In this part of the country jobs are few. It is a miracle for a female graduate of the arts to find a job. I got exhausted, bored and sat idle at home most of the time. To minimize my boredom I started looking at various items that I had in my house. I came across the book, which I had purchased years ago from the library. It was covered with dust. I cleaned it and picked it up. It is human nature to value those items on which you have spent your pocket money, especially as a child. It was a precious piece of personal property for me.”
“I started reading this book. It happened to be the Interpretations of the Meanings of the Quran in English. It was fascinating. The more I read, the more curious I became about Islam. It was totally different from what my professors taught me in the university. Anyhow, the true Islamic values offered by the Quran satisfied my mind and conscience. I realized that if this is Islam, it is wonderful. I wanted to become a Muslim.”
“I inquired about how I could become a Muslim. The process was extremely simple, so I embraced Islam. All Praise be to Allah. I soon married a young man from Afghanistan. We both offered our services to the Islamic community and worked hand in hand with the local Muslim leaders. We never wish to change this way of life. May Allah accept our efforts.”
“I was only in elementary school when I went to the public library with my mother. These libraries do not throw away duplicate or discarded books. They sell these books for petty coins. There was a sale of books in the library. I had a few coins in my pocket, so I bought one book for a nickel or a dime. I stored it in my room. The usual life activities continued. I went from elementary to middle school. In due course of time I went from middle school to high school. Finally, I graduated from high school. I was lucky to join a college. I studied arts instead of science. My major was Comparative Religion. My professor offered very extensive coursework in this area. The comparative study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam was the major theme. None of my teachers happened to be Muslims. I passed all these courses with ease. In this way I accumulated enough credits to graduate from college.”
“As a fresh graduate I started looking for a job. In this part of the country jobs are few. It is a miracle for a female graduate of the arts to find a job. I got exhausted, bored and sat idle at home most of the time. To minimize my boredom I started looking at various items that I had in my house. I came across the book, which I had purchased years ago from the library. It was covered with dust. I cleaned it and picked it up. It is human nature to value those items on which you have spent your pocket money, especially as a child. It was a precious piece of personal property for me.”
“I started reading this book. It happened to be the Interpretations of the Meanings of the Quran in English. It was fascinating. The more I read, the more curious I became about Islam. It was totally different from what my professors taught me in the university. Anyhow, the true Islamic values offered by the Quran satisfied my mind and conscience. I realized that if this is Islam, it is wonderful. I wanted to become a Muslim.”
“I inquired about how I could become a Muslim. The process was extremely simple, so I embraced Islam. All Praise be to Allah. I soon married a young man from Afghanistan. We both offered our services to the Islamic community and worked hand in hand with the local Muslim leaders. We never wish to change this way of life. May Allah accept our efforts.”
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
How Islam Touched Their Hearts?
By: Imtiaz Ahmad, M. Sc., M. Phil (London)
C O N T E N T
PREFACE
During my twenty-six-year stay in America I had the privilege and honor to interact with many American Muslims on a personal and family basis. It was very inspiring for me and it strengthened my faith immensely. I confess, like many other immigrants in the U.S.A., I became a better practicing Muslim in America than I was in my native country. Much credit for this goes to these new Muslims. Most of them are superior in knowledge and practice than I. May Allah let me catch up with them!
Most of the Muslims described here are ordinary members of the Muslim society in North America. I feel that they have made a great impact on their own lives and the lives of those around them. Such local heroes should be recognized. It is this positive change at the grassroots level of American society which amazes, and somewhat alarms the followers of other religions there. For example, some of the most violent prisoners became the most well-behaved citizens and peaceful residents after accepting Islam. These new American Muslims are a guiding light for both Muslims and non-Muslims. They very quietly adorn American society with their remarkable character.
I was teaching Mathematics in a public high school in Maryland. Teaching is a very demanding job. Most of the teachers get very exhausted. It was customary for the members of the Mathematics Department to have a special luncheon for all faculty members at the end of each semester. We called this social event the ‘unwinding process’. We used to cook a dish called sloppy Joe. It is ground beef cooked with tomato sauce and mild chilies. It was done in our department using a slow cooker. My colleagues loved this sloppy Joe. I once announced loudly that I would bring the ground beef the next time. Everybody eagerly agreed. During this next luncheon I had a very meaningful conversation with a colleague. Her name was Cindy and she happened to be Jewish. During our conversation I said to her, “Aren’t you lucky that I brought ground beef which both of us are allowed to eat?” She said, “Mr. Ahmad I am a bad Jew. I even eat pork.” I did not pursue this matter to avoid sensitivity.
We had a common interest in real estate since both of us were licensed real estate salespersons. She was working in the real estate brokerage office owned by her husband. She told me that the market was pretty good then. She added that since her husband was a military colonel working in the Pentagon(military headquarters), she had to take care of most of the brokerage work. During our conversation I said to her, “Cindy, how come I do not see you on duty at the basketball games or other sporting events in the evenings?” She boldly said, “The school authorities cannot force me to do this duty since I have to take my children and the children of my neighborhood thrice a week to a Hebrew School during the weekdays. This is in addition to the regular religious services. I have been doing this voluntarily for the last few years.” This amazed me. I said to myself quietly that this young lady is a full-time teacher and drives forty-five minutes one way each weekday to school. She is a part-time real estate agent also. Besides this she has her usual family and social life. Still she has time and the commitment to serve as a volunteer for a Hebrew School, and even then she calls herself a bad Jew.
I started wondering about my personal commitment, if any, and commitments of many others around me who consider themselves as good Muslims. May Allah strengthen our faith and actions.
Imtiaz Ahmad, Madina Munawara, June, 2002
C O N T E N T
PREFACE
During my twenty-six-year stay in America I had the privilege and honor to interact with many American Muslims on a personal and family basis. It was very inspiring for me and it strengthened my faith immensely. I confess, like many other immigrants in the U.S.A., I became a better practicing Muslim in America than I was in my native country. Much credit for this goes to these new Muslims. Most of them are superior in knowledge and practice than I. May Allah let me catch up with them!
Most of the Muslims described here are ordinary members of the Muslim society in North America. I feel that they have made a great impact on their own lives and the lives of those around them. Such local heroes should be recognized. It is this positive change at the grassroots level of American society which amazes, and somewhat alarms the followers of other religions there. For example, some of the most violent prisoners became the most well-behaved citizens and peaceful residents after accepting Islam. These new American Muslims are a guiding light for both Muslims and non-Muslims. They very quietly adorn American society with their remarkable character.
I was teaching Mathematics in a public high school in Maryland. Teaching is a very demanding job. Most of the teachers get very exhausted. It was customary for the members of the Mathematics Department to have a special luncheon for all faculty members at the end of each semester. We called this social event the ‘unwinding process’. We used to cook a dish called sloppy Joe. It is ground beef cooked with tomato sauce and mild chilies. It was done in our department using a slow cooker. My colleagues loved this sloppy Joe. I once announced loudly that I would bring the ground beef the next time. Everybody eagerly agreed. During this next luncheon I had a very meaningful conversation with a colleague. Her name was Cindy and she happened to be Jewish. During our conversation I said to her, “Aren’t you lucky that I brought ground beef which both of us are allowed to eat?” She said, “Mr. Ahmad I am a bad Jew. I even eat pork.” I did not pursue this matter to avoid sensitivity.
We had a common interest in real estate since both of us were licensed real estate salespersons. She was working in the real estate brokerage office owned by her husband. She told me that the market was pretty good then. She added that since her husband was a military colonel working in the Pentagon(military headquarters), she had to take care of most of the brokerage work. During our conversation I said to her, “Cindy, how come I do not see you on duty at the basketball games or other sporting events in the evenings?” She boldly said, “The school authorities cannot force me to do this duty since I have to take my children and the children of my neighborhood thrice a week to a Hebrew School during the weekdays. This is in addition to the regular religious services. I have been doing this voluntarily for the last few years.” This amazed me. I said to myself quietly that this young lady is a full-time teacher and drives forty-five minutes one way each weekday to school. She is a part-time real estate agent also. Besides this she has her usual family and social life. Still she has time and the commitment to serve as a volunteer for a Hebrew School, and even then she calls herself a bad Jew.
I started wondering about my personal commitment, if any, and commitments of many others around me who consider themselves as good Muslims. May Allah strengthen our faith and actions.
Imtiaz Ahmad, Madina Munawara, June, 2002
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