The Goal of Islamic Education

NUI Commencement Speech
Sunday, June 24, 2007
24 min.

Faraz Khan, chaplain at Rutgers University focuses on Islamic education. He briefly talks about the recent PEW survey on Muslim Americans "Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream" status, as well as the disturbing "7%" upholding extreme views. The talk reverberated the bipolar Quranic concept of a lifecycle - either running after a deluding world or competing with people for the hereafter. Thus, Islamic education is producing people who are not deceived by the glitter of this world.

2 B A believer

The Believers in the Quran (((audio)))
Hadith "The Best one in faith is the one who is best in conduct"
What does it mean to be a believer? How do you find yourself different from others. Who are believers? Is it an adopted title or a given title? How do you reconcile your faith within a pluralistic society? Can a believer serve other than God ... many questions...

Can you answer?

Allama M. Iqbal

just reflecting on this piece written by Allama Iqbal (d. 1938), I thought he must have heard about pick 6 lotto. Many people dream of becoming an instant millionaire or gaining a million toys but unfortunately, dreamers die every day.

Profit for one, Death for many

Though Europe is radiant with the light of knowledge,
The ‘Ocean of Darkness’ is barren of the ‘Fount of Life’

In splendor, in seduction and in grace,
The buildings of banks out-soar the Houses of God.

In appearance it is trade, in reality gambling,
Profit for one, for thousands sudden death,

Science, philosophy, college, constitution,
Preach man’s equality and suck men’s blood.

Want and unemployment, lewdness and intoxication,
Are these mean triumphs of the Occident!

A nation unblessed by Divine Light,
Steam and electricity bound its works.


Allama Iqbal (d.1938) is considered to be one of the greatest Muslim philosopher - a poet, a thinker, and above all savior of the Islamic spirit in India. His poetry is full of Islamic themes and a call for revival. Iqbal's main work 'Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam' is a series of lectures delivered in India. He was one of the first in recognizing geopolitical change and a call for tajdid (revival).
Due to the depth of his understanding and piety of his thought, Allama Iqbal is an oft-quoted poet by Muslim religious scholars in the subcontinent.

How much does it cost?

to see a Muslim scholar in the West.

I have decided to write this post with a concern for some of the very poor members of the Muslim community (esp. NJ). We find these very poor urban Muslims in Trenton, Newark, Jersey City, Camden, New Brunswick, etc. Many visiting scholars attend some of the nicer looking suburban mosques, five star hotels, and larger than Boeing 707 hanger conference halls; and are not aware of our cities. Most of these poor Muslims are out of sight and out of mind. The scholars are welcomed at fundraising dinners and conferences that most city (poor) Muslims cannot afford. Thus, a vast majority of very devoted, sincere Muslims do not have any access to Islamic knowledge.
They can't even afford a $7 lecture CD or a $15 watch a scholar DVD.

There's a disconnect between middle class and lower class Muslims and the gap is getting wider every time there is a $50 conference entrance fee or a $100 class registration fee. In our enthusiasm to bring financial stability to Islamic institutions, we have closed the doors of knowledge on our less fortunate brothers/sisters.

Unfortunately, we, the suburbanites have little or no clue about what poor people go through every single day. I daily commute to Trenton, the State capital. If you haven't seen poverty, come to Trenton - I have seen people eating out of a trash can (no joke).

My point here is that we need to make an effort to connect with all members of the Muslim community. The money that is generated for a good cause with these events in a short run can create a major rift in a long run.

We cannot afford to lose them. We need these Muslims more than they need us and God is my witness.

khutba al-nikah

Excerpt from a religious talk given by Muft Taqi Usmani in Urdu:
translated by Faraz Khan

...Soon we will begin with the marriage sermon (khutba nikha). Marriage sermon is a sunna (way) of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Marriage is my way"
In Islamic Law, marriage is celebrated with two witnesses and terms of agreements (ejab wa qabul) acceptable to both parties. In addition, the Prophet (peace be upon him) set a way for this ceremony that he would deliver a talk (khutba) before the marriage agreement. In this sermon, God is praised, salutations are sent on the Prophet (peace be upon him), and three specific verses from the Quran are quoted. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has exhorted these three verses from the Quran to be recited during the marriage sermon. The first verse is from Chapter Women (Surah Nisa', 1):
O People, Be mindful of your Lord who has created you from a single soul (meaning Adam), and from it it's mate (Eve). From this couple, He created many men and women (everybody is from the family of Adam and Eve). Again, be mindful of God especially when in His name you demand your mutual rights and the rights of relationship (people often ask for their rights in reference to God). Surely, God is ever watchful (of your speech and actions) over you.
The second verse is from Chapter the Family of Imran (Surah aal-Imran, 102):
O you who believe, be mindful of God as you ought to be mindful. Do not die (death does not approach you in a state) except in a state of submission (as a Muslim) to God.
The third verse that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned during the marriage sermon is from Chapter the Confederates (Surah Ahzab, 71):
O you who believe, be mindful of God and always speak the truth. Thereafter, He shall straightened your affairs and forgive your sins. Thus, whoever obeys God and His messenger (Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) shall indeed achieve a great success (in both worlds).
These are the three verses that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught people during the marriage sermon. The central theme in all three verses is to be "mindful of God" (taqwa of Allah). This special exhortation of being mindful of God is given on marriage. Taqwa is emphasized through repetition. What is the reason for this multiple mentioning to "be mindful of God"? This God consciousness is a fundamental value and without it, human beings cannot attain success in both this world and the hereafter. Yet it is also important to understand that without the awareness of God, rights cannot be discharged faithfully.
It is because privileges and blessings of a marital relationship cannot be attained except when the couples have this God consciousness. Experience is my witness, when there is no fear of God in hearts, when there is no sense of accountability to God, when there is no sense that one day we would have to stand before God and answer for our deeds, 'till then a person cannot discharge his duties. Without God consciousness couples, families, friends, none can rightfully fulfill their marital obligations.
The only way to carry out one's responsibilities fully is to have hearts that are full of fear of God and have awareness that one day we have to answer for our deeds before God. Other than that, law of the land or the courts are ineffective in giving all due rights of people, unless there is a conscious that blames for usurping the rights of others. Although a person may or maybe be punished for his crime in this world, he would never be in a position to avoid the accountability before God. A person must think twice about the punishment of the hereafter before he thinks of any misdeed. One cannot be dutiful unless he is mindful of God.

Marriage is a new journey - a change in lifestyle. Before embarking on this journey, reevaluate and strengthen your pact of taqwa (God consciousness) and that is the purpose of my talk. On this happy and blessed occasion, may God give us a better understanding and a renewed determination to attain God consciousness. Amen.

Facing reality...that's the question

...daily life is not as clear as our speeches, and even though the principles of Islam are essentially simple, our presence in the West reminds us that life is very complicated....
This is what all the new generations of Muslims born in the West tell us: we may well be satisfied with clear speeches that make no concessions, but around the mosques, after conferences, young people have school friends, listen to music, go to the cinema. So who is wrong - parents who delude themselves or young people who simply try to live in reality? It is a matter of urgency that these issues be faced and that we stop being incoherent and evasive. If the message of Islam is truly universal, if, as we keep claiming, one has to be able to find solutions appropriate for every time and society, then, in this area as in all others, Muslims must accept their responsibilities and put forward some alternatives....(Western Muslims and the Future of Islam T. Ramadan 218)

Where is the Muezzin (part II)

In order to provide a solution for any problem, one must understand the problem first. A person must study different cases and analyze the situation to formulate a solution. It is like a doctor looking for signs and symptoms. Thereafter, he issues his diagnosis. But that’s not the end of his work. The doctor doesn’t issue his fatwa (opinion) but he also prescribes medicine, special diet, therapy, etc. and he performs frequent checkups to makes sure that the wound is healed properly. In addition, the doctor may offer advice and recommendations so in the future the patient doesn’t suffer from the same disease again.

We need to provide good soul management not disease management. Nobody likes to see the sign "Welcome back to the Hospital" no matter how welcoming it is. How can we heal humanity while we bleed, while our youth suffer daily crying "losing my religion".

Where is the specialist when we talk about youth issues? Where is the muezzin?
It is a serious dilemma that we face as a community. I urge all of you to communicate with board members or Imams to look beyond the walls of the mosque. For God sake, stop measuring faith of people with the length of their beards or presence of a hijab. Why do we pay more attention to the fun-d-raising dinners then our youth? Why do we shout takbir with every donation of $10,000 and forget the 10,000 souls on campus in New Jersey? What is more important, asphalt or a soul that yearns for guidance? Why do we listen to khutbas that are empty talks - without any resolution - airwaves that shake the walls but not the hearts. What is the worth of the greatest khutba ever given by a scholar when nobody can comprehend the message?

Touche’!

Where is the Muezzin (part I)

I have been contemplating on all the questions I have received this past year at Rutgers University from Muslim students. I collected all of the questions from the beginning of the semester. My intention was to collect these questions and later formulate a list of FAQs for the students. Also, I wanted to direct my future talks on these issues. I do not plan on talking about these specific questions here. However, I do want to relate these questions to a bigger need.

The need for young Imams on campus who are homegrown and who understand the pop culture and Muslim youth is tremendous. From my days in Karachi Jam-e-Masjid Bab-e-Rahmat, I remember the Imam, old person who didn’t mingle with people much but the muezzin(the one who makes the call for prayer) of the mosque was a young guy the youth loved. He would sometimes play cricket with them in the evenings. But at sunset when he would return to the mosque for the azan, he would return with scores of youth with him. Come to think of it, he was more successful than any Imams, scholars, parents, or any of the chacha on the street in bringing youth back to the mosque.

Similarly, we have a need for this muezzin in our community and on campus. I am not talking about starting another youth halaqa or basketball tournament at the local mosque. We need to institutionalize youth coordinator position. Most Muslim students do not want their parents to ‘know’ their troubles. They do not go to the Imam at their local mosque when they are in trouble. Some students may ask some mild questions during weekly halaqa with the guest speakers but most students will not attend these sessions. Plus, guest speakers have never been able to provide a solution or an effective approach to the recurring problems on campus or in the mosques. They move on with their lives with another speech at another place.

We need a 'muezzin', a permanent youth coordinator in our community who is able to relate with youth and bring them back to His path.

Who are "they"!

Growing up in America, I have heard many talks on issues that Muslim leadership must address. There are many issues and any crafty person who is running for office in any mosque knows how to manipulate this list of issues. So few days before election day at your local mosque, suddenly uncle XYZ is talking about how youth is missing from the mosque. hmmm! if uncle XYZ is sincere, his children would also be in the mosque, or at least you would hope so. But is this something negative when somebody is trying to change the situation for the betterment of others?

Unfortunately, I have observed that some leaders or shura members do not grow in their Islam. They want to change the world but they will never start with themselves first. For this reason, twenty years down the road, some folks do not know the meaning of al-fatiha. They still bicker over some mindless details. They talk with their family members in a harsh tone. They form alliances with other like minded people and when they lose in election, they say "I have donated over $100,000 to this mosque, you can't tell me what to do"... When they lose, they call others and say foul things about the current shura... When they lose, they cry "it's not fair"... When they lose, they go after the microphone and declare their great fatwa... When they lose, they bring police and try to shut down the mosque with a lawsuit. When they lose, they lose their morals and shame.

Yet, alhamdo lillah, there are those who serve the mosque with their time, talent, knowledge, energy, and a pure heart. They never lose. They decline a relationship with the microphone at the mosque. They may serve on a chair but not for the sake of the chair. They worry about raising their iman and not their voices. They teach their children and children of others. They give and forgive. They talk less and do more.

May Allah give us the tawfiq.