Ali Asadullah Ibn Mann
The great Western powers look down on Muslims and consider us the greatest threat to civilization today. Our brothers and sisters are being oppressed and killed overseas. Our private schools are having difficulties keeping their doors open because they lack the necessary finances. More Muslim children attend secular public schools than those with Islamic environments and teachings. Domestic violence runs rampant in our own homes, where women should be treated with equal rights and respect. Most converts to Islam in America de-convert within the same year. Countries where we are the majority suffer from dwindling resources, civil unrest, occupation, and corruption. We cry for the martyrs as the nightly news portrays more casualties. We become outraged when we hear that one of our own has been added to the terrorists watch lists or become a victim of the latest hate crime. We murmur about how our children are becoming more secular, losing their religion day by day. We live in the past nostalgia of our spiritual ancestors when we hear their names mentioned during a Khutbah, praying that one day we will live again in the “Golden Age” of Islam.
None of this is shocking, however, because we’ve heard it all before. We hear it echoing through our minds on a daily basis. These are not new statistics or problems, but realities we have known about and are constantly reminded of. We’ve been told time and again at various Halaqas and Jummahs that the solutions rests within our own community; that we cannot continue to point fingers at the West, laying blame on past grievances. The question is then: Why do we still have these problems?
Muslims, especially in America, have sold themselves into servitude to a new master. We have emancipated ourselves from the guidance of Allah (swt) only to believe that we can create our own paradise here on Earth. We have become slaves to the world. It is because of this that our Ummah and the future of our children, are in jeopardy. Only by understanding this enslavement will we be able to reprioritize our lives, our families, our finances, and most importantly, our faith.
Working for Nothing
One of the obligations from a follower of Islam is to offer charity. While some Muslims show exemplary service to this duty, many either give very little or misdirect their earnings towards over worldly affairs or ineffective causes. It seems that cultural heritage and the need to succeed financially has trumped the importance of worshiping Allah (swt) and following the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws). Take for instance the large sums of money that are dedicated each year to the construction of lavish Masjids. While this used to be a sign of a wealthy and sophisticated Islamically governed state, which held beauty and worship as mutual, it is not a necessary or even practical in our time when Muslims across the world are in more need of education and basic necessities, such as food and shelter. The Prophet (saws) remarked that such use of charity was a signal of the time prior to the Day of Judgment: ’The Hour will not come until people show off in building Masjids.” (Ahmad). The repulsion from the Prophet (saws) for this sort of activity is evident, yet Muslims in America invest millions of dollars a year in the construction and aesthetic renovation of extravagant places of prayer. Likewise, we seem to forget that the Prophets (saws) Mosque, at one of the earliest points in Muslim history, was nothing more than open walls of mud bricks and a palm tree canopy situated in the middle. While the Prophet (saws) was not opposed to beauty, he never compromised practicality or the needs of others.
Another point where our cultural and worldly ties overtake our religious obligations is in the Sunnah of marriage, which in our community has lost much of what makes it Sunnah to begin with. While we should always want what is best for our children, the best doesn’t always mean “the most expensive”. Aside from some of the questionable practices that occur at these weddings, parents from certain backgrounds will spend on average of 20-60 thousand dollars on just one ceremony. Calculate that with the hundreds of marriages that take place each year and you will be shocked as to how much money is being spent on mere exuberance. Of course, other factors contribute to these ghastly amounts, such as the need for some families to “outmatch” others in showing how classy or rich they really are. There is an inherent feeling of shame that comes over some Muslims when they learn that their neighbor’s daughter had a dress or centerpiece that costs twice as much as their own. It seems to elude us that the Prophet (saws) did not approve of this behavior when he clearly stated that, “The most blessed marriage (nikah) is the one with the least expenses” (al-Bayhaqi). In addition, some families tend to ask for mahrs that are unquestionably superfluous even though the Qur’an states explicitly that the mahr should be about making provisions for the wife, “…according to his [the rich] means and the poor according to his – this is the duty for those who do good.“ (2:236). The Prophet (saws) further stated that, “the best woman is the one whose mahr is the easiest to pay” (al-Haythami). The fact that we are not following these Sunnahs should make it apparent as to why there are such a great number of unhappy marriages, high divorce rates, and a growing number of domestic violence issues within our community.
In general, however, the focus on personal wealth is perhaps the greatest contributing factor to the lack of support for some of the most basic necessities of the Muslim community. While many first generation Muslim Americans valued strong work ethics and education, their children inherited a much different interpretation of these virtues. Though parents have a right to be concerned for their children’s wellbeing and future success, the reluctance of allowing them to step outside only a few careers may be proving a detriment to the Muslim community at large. Parents often think that the only careers that guarantee stability (even in an economy facing recession) are medical doctors, engineers, and lawyers. For those students who have ever dreamed to become teachers, journalists, or scientists, it is seen as almost universally unacceptable within the American Ummah. This sort of mentality carries with it heavy burdens, however. One of the greatest of these burdens is that it robs our youth of their capacity to assist our community. While doctors, engineers, and lawyers are certainly needed, we require more successful teachers to teach our youth, instructing them with the principles of Islam, so that they do not have to fall under the negative influence of secular institutions. We need influential journalists who are willing to change the negative perception of Muslims in the media. We need people trained in the sciences of biology and physics so that we can excel in these fields and bring more contributions to science and recognition to the Muslim world. Certainly, these fields may not pay as much as the three previously mentioned, but they are still necessary. One day we are going to be wondering why we have so many doctors to heal the sick, but not enough teachers to heal the ignorant.
Another burden comes with the growing amount of Riba within our society. While we are training these higher professions we are also accumulating mass debt with interest as we send them to professional schools. Medical school alone, after completion, can costs up to half a million dollars. This is an extraordinary amount that can and has afflicted our youth in a monumental way. Besides the fact that they are incurring sin from holding this debt, it also limits them in that they are more focused on having to pay if off than giving their money in Zakat or Sadaqa.
Finally, we cannot forget how this mentality can actualize the potential for inordinate greed. With money comes responsibility that most of our youth are unable to bear, often times exceeding their necessities and overspending. We must remember that this sort of behavior will never satisfy a person: “I asked the Prophet (for some money) and he gave me, and then again I asked him and he gave me, and then again I asked him and he gave me and he then said, “This wealth is (like) green and sweet (fruit), and whoever takes it without greed, Allah will bless it for him, but whoever takes it with greed, Allah will not bless it for him, and he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied. And the upper (giving) hand is better than the lower (taking) hand” (Bukhari). It is because we focus more on the rewards of the Dunya that we are not educating our children in the Deen and allowing them to succumb to such diseases as greed.
Misdirected Fundraising
We were all horrified by the recent events in Haiti, Chile, and Turkey, where massive earthquakes toppled the foundations of over populated metropolises, killing thousands. We are still overcome with shock at the conflict that transpired for three months during the winter of 2008 to 2009 in Gaza Strip, when nearly 1500 innocent Palestinians were massacred by the uncompromising lawlessness of the Israel government. And we are still struggling with the daily hate crimes and bigotry of Islamophobia in the western world.
By necessity of moral conscious for our fellow man and our Islamic duty, we send aid overseas, either in the form of money or supplies. These are admirable solutions and great examples of what our faith teaches and encourages. The problem, however, is that for many of the issues that we face in this world today as Muslims, we are approaching them in the wrong manner. While it is perfectly fine and justified to send aid overseas, it is only a temporary remedy to the many ailments in the world. The victims of earthquakes do need money, but what they need most is manpower to assist them in clearing rubble, rebuilding homes, acquiring medical attention, and much more. The victims of Israel’s oppression do need money and supplies, but sending these essentials over to them are but in vain, as the Israelis blockade our efforts, not allowing for anything to cross over Palestinian borders. What the Palestinians really need is a combined effort of those citizens under the collective states of the United Nations to change policies so as to prevent Israel from committing any more injustices and violations against human rights. And what the Muslims living in the West need most importantly, is not money to fund lawyers to defend the rights of those being oppressed, but more people to ally with so that these injustices are recognized and prevented at the highest level of government, ensuring that equal rights and protection are guaranteed for all persons living therein. How is it possible to accomplish these goals when we as Muslims are so dispersed throughout the globe, being one of the smallest minorities living in the major world powers? We are outnumbered and do not have enough allies to rally to our cause. Even though we boast about Islam being the fastest growing religion in the world, this is simply not the case. For the most part, our numbers are growing because of our high birth rates. One must not mistake the quantity of believers with their quality, however, as many of these children are being raised in homes that see culture as superior to religion. Further, while it appears that there are a growing number of converts in the West, the reality is that many of them leave Islam within the first year of their taking of the Shahada. Of all the converts to Islam in America alone, 60% leave, never to return. This is not a sign of progress nor is it something to proud of, but a significant blow that brings to light a great deficiency in our community. Why are these converts leaving? Why is that we cannot gain the support necessary to relieve our fellow brothers and sisters from the bigotry of others? Why is it that we cannot function as a unified group, enough to show that we are doing our part to help rid the world of its many evils? The answer to all these dilemmas should be apparent by now. The reason Muslims in America are struggling is because we have our priorities mixed up; we value temporary pleasures and temporary remedies. Our priorities should be focused more on educating our children and informing the non-Muslim world of our beliefs and who we are. Only with these two things will we have a strong enough foundation to begin changing things for the better.
Freedom From Our Oppression
Avveroes Academy, an Islamic private school in Northbrook, IL, closed its doors in 2008, leaving nearly 70 students without a proper education all of which are now either not attending school, are commuting much longer distances for their education, or have been assimilated into a public secular institution. Avveroes is hoping to reopen by 2011. Another school, Furqaan Academy of Bolingbrook, IL, is situated in a small Mosque, which can barely contain its 60 plus students. The academy has, for a year now, desperately tried to purchase a new facility for its growing student body to no avail.
Avveroes Academy and Furqaan Academy both lack the needed funds to function optimally. They are not there as showpieces or for mere convenience, but for the sake of our children and their futures. Illinois is home to perhaps one of the largest Muslim populated communities in America, where some near 1,000,000 live. Why then are we allowing these schools to struggle? If we truly wish to succeed in the West, we need adequate educational facilities, teachers, and good environments, yet it seems our money is being channeled towards lesser priorities. We should be reminded that Allah (swt) makes it clear the status of education over everything else: “And say: Can you put on equal footing those who are learned with those who are not learned?” (39:9).
Likewise, Dawah organizations such as GainPeace and Al-Furqaan Foundation suffer from lack of volunteers and sufficient funds. GainPeace functions as a large Dawah networking service, providing information on Islam through several different mediums, including but not limited to call centers and one on one interaction via presentation tables and personal exchanges on the streets of Chicago. Al-Furqaan Foundation attempts to distribute Qur’ans to individual homes, hospitals, hotels, and retirement homes across America. Both also offer their own classes on Islam and Arabic for non-Muslims, new Muslims, and born Muslims alike. Their goals are admirable and are the precise direction that the Ummah should be moving towards for the sake of the Deen and our futures, yet these organizations are fighting to gain a foothold in the American culture. Are the 6-7 million hardworking Muslims nationwide really unable to assist in these noble endeavors? How many more converts do we have to lose or how many more of our children have to abandon their religion before we realize something has to be done?
No longer can we avoid our primary responsibilities towards our families and our community. No longer can we push in directions that yield little to no positive results, but merely waste our limited and precious resources. While temporary bandages seem to have an immediate affect, true change takes time and lasts longer. We must save our schools from becoming extinct, we must save our children from the negative influences of western society, and we must educate the non-Muslim world with the truth of Islam. We can only do this once we realize and accept our flaws, working together to no longer recollect the Golden Age of Islam, but to relive it.
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Why are Muslims living in the West? The article exemplifies the hypocricy of those foolish people immigrating to a non-Muslim land and then complaining about it.
Return to traditional Muslim lands.
You are harming Islam by doing anything else but leaving America.