Thinking Anew: The Missing Component!
What is missing from our mosques?
By Faraz KhanWith the coming of spring, I want to dedicate this column to the beautification of our mosques. The house of God should be welcoming to all. The beautification process has an outward and inward component. Both factors are equally important and deserving of our attention.
This spring we must designate some time to give the mosque and our souls uplift. Lets plant a few flowers, work on a landscape plan, clean and paint the walls, put a welcome sign at the entrance, wash and shampoo the carpet, clean the furniture, hang new/clean curtains, discard junk and ripped books and old magazines, place trash bins, place air-fresheners, repaint the parking lines, so on and so forth. It is time to freshen up and let the mosques blossom with different hues of faith and cleanliness. I would ask the youth to simply "adopt a mosque" – your local mosque for cleanup. Lets have a clean up followed by a barbecue and a football game.
The Prophet's outreach (dawah) effort consisted of two essentials: cleanliness and good character. Mosques have to be beacons of light. They are a place where cleanliness (purification) and good morals should be inculcated.
This brings me to the second missing component from our mosques, the beautification of souls. Mosques should be places where the entire family is welcomed. They could contribute their time, talent, skills in a positive way. Contrary to common views, mosques are places of worship for an entire family.
The beautification of the soul is not an easy topic to understand and practice. It requires a conscience effort, knowledge, and an organizational structure. A community can be transformed by a handful of dedicated souls who are committed to the beautification of the inward and the outward.
What are some of the missing components that will make our mosques beacons of light? Following is my list of "missing components" that relates to beautifying the inner and outer core of our community:
Priorities – We need to have an understanding of our priorities. What is American Muslims' number one concern? What goals are we trying to achieve? Can we get over halal meat and hilal sighting issues? It is easy to be caught up in the controversial topics but we need to have a game plan for the future and a list of our priorities will determine where we stand and where we want to go as American Muslims.
Sisters – In many mosques, 50% of our community is MIA (Missing In Action). People often talk about involving more people in the mosque/Islamic centers so they can have "men power". Unfortunately, many of us often ignore educational and religious needs of our sisters. Perhaps they can give the mosques uplift with their presence and dedication. Perhaps they can succeed where brothers have failed. Women's participation can only improve our community's affair.
Youth - "I promise more activities for the youth," said the mosque president to a cheering crowd on mosque election day. Many old uncles and aunties talk about their concern for the youth. However, for the most part this talk fails to crystallize in anything solid. The talk about the "youth problem" is a good icebreaker in much adult conversation. However, there are over 100 mosques in the tri-state area and a handful of them have youth programs (especially for teenagers). Why have we failed to remedy this situation? How many years and young individuals will it take before the community will wake up to the horror stories about Muslim youth crying 'losing my religion'?
Social Workers - Sorry folks but most Imams are not equipped for this responsibility. We must have a team of experts such as psychologists, social workers, lawyers, and scholars to give advice to those who are in need.
Brotherhood – Huh! What does that mean? Do not give me quotations from Quran and hadith; I will believe it when I see it.
Imams who speak English! – I really do not know how to explain this one. In all sincerity, shura/boards must think twice about the consequence of having a religious authority who does not understand the culture, language, and the environment of his constituents. How can we teach Islam to the next generation of Muslims while we neglect the importance of communication?
Educational Programs - We have plenty of speakers and fundraising dinners but not enough educational programs and teachers. May Allah reward Sunnipath, Al-Maghrib Institute, Zaytuna, Bayyinah, and other organizations that recognized this need and took initiatives to develop educational programs for the Muslim community. The calendar of events is a good indicator of educational programs at the local mosque. Please do not confuse hadith a day or ten minute talks as educational programs that are going to transform the entire community. We need serious effort in designing a curriculum, having a schedule, and a roster of home run scholars to engage the community in understanding Islam. Remember, knowledge is key to all change.
Converts - Seriously, where are they? You probably recall shouting takbirs after every shahada at your local mosque. But did you ever find these converts in the mosque? Did you ever find out what happened to them? It is true that some of the best Muslims in the history of Islam were converts. How many of us can be compared to Abu Bakr, Omar, Khadija, Asma, and Ali (may God be pleased with them all)?
Final Thought - I would love to continue and suggest many other items for improvement. Nonetheless, I fear that I may bore the reader or spark cynicism that I am just another complainer. Indeed, it is easy to rant and bicker about our shortcomings. Nevertheless, I hope to inspire a generation of concerned individuals who will fill in the missing components and beautify the interior and the exterior in accordance with God's pleasure. Amen.
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