Liberal Arts Forum

While reading The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, I could only marvel at this masterpiece. Each word a jewel, strung together like a necklace – wisdom that shines yet not detrimental to the sight. He was born in Lebanon but struck a chord with both the East and the West. No other poet/writer has expressed his noble thoughts as Kahlil Gibran has done in both Arabic and English. Many times, I found myself deeply moved by the fragrance of his words – truly, a bouquet of love and wisdom. He wrote at the end of his seminal work The Prophet:

Brief were my days among you, and briefer still the words I have spoken.
But should my voice fade in your ears, and my love vanish in your memory, then I will come again,
And with a richer heart and lips more yielding to the spirit will I speak.
Yea, I shall return with the tide,
And though death may hide me, and the greater silence enfold me, yet again will I seek your understanding.
And not in vain will I seek.
If aught I have said is truth, that truth shall reveal itself in a clearer voice, and in words more kin to your thoughts.

As a final thought, a Muslim is not the one who knows the truth but rather the one who follows it – even if it is against his/her desire. Friends, as we pass through this ephemeral journey of life, always speak the truth and be upright – “For the truth shall remain and the falsehood shall pass” (ja al haqqu wa zahaqal batil – Koran).

Do you not see that God has made what is in the heavens and what is in the earth subservient to you, and made complete to you His favors outwardly and inwardly? And among men is he who disputes in respect of God though having no knowledge nor guidance, nor a book giving light. And when it is said to them: Follow what God has revealed, they say: Nay, we follow that on which we found our fathers. What! though the Satan calls them to the chastisement of the burning fire! And whoever submits himself wholly to God and he is the doer of good (to others), he indeed has taken hold of the firmest thing upon which one can lay hold; and God’s is the end of affairs.
And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you; to Us is their return, then will We inform them of what they did surely God is the Knower of what is in the chests. We give them to enjoy a little, then will We drive them to a severe chastisement (Koran 3:20-24).

“O men! Here is a parable set forth! listen to it! Those on whom, besides God, you call, cannot create (even) a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! and if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition” (Koran 22:73).

“To every People have We appointed rites and ceremonies which they must follow: let them not then dispute with thee on the matter, but do thou invite (them) to thy Lord: for thou art assuredly on the Right Way” (Koran 22:67).

What is missing from our mosques?

Here is another top ten list. I thought about something that we can improve. The youth may love this list and yet, the adults may find it hard to swallow. Well! What am I going to lose? This may sound harsh. However, I would advise that you don’t look at this list as another attempt to undermine the of authority of our ‘ammus/chachas (uncles) but rather a sincere effort in trying to identify the problem i.e. ‘What is missing from our mosques?’. I am not playing a blame game.
I work closely with several mosques and their administrations and after years of staying in the loop, I am professing our inability to get it right.
Every disease has signs and symptoms. Similarly, in engineering before you build, you need to take a survey of the area and identify what is out there. So I hope you find this as an attempt to identify what is out there. Otherwise, everything is alright i.e. the dirt under the carpet syndrome. Perhaps, you may call this list a dirty laundry but hey, somebody’s gotta clean it – Lets talk about it folks.
(no particular order)

THE MISSING COMPONENT FROM OUR MOSQUES:

Common Sense – can we get over halal meat & hilal sighting issues.
Sisters – 50% of our community is MIA.
Youth – “I promise more activities for youth” said the mosque president to a cheering crowd on election day.

Social Workers – sorry folks but the Imams are not equipped for this responsibility.
Brotherhood – huh!?! What does that mean?
Imams who speak English! – I really don’t know how to explain this one.

Educational Programs – we have plenty of speakers but not enough teachers.
Converts – seriously, where are they?
Shoe racks – or people can’t put their shoes together!
Clean Lotas – no translation can do justification here.

You may chime in… Comment below

“O mankind! Keep your duty to your Lord and fear a Day when the parent will not be able to avail the child in aught, nor the child to avail the parent. Lo! Allah’s promise is the very truth. Let not the life of the world beguile you, nor let the deceiver beguile you, in regard to God”. (Koran 31:33)
Consumerism, My Lord!
Market for Hipsters-in-Training(full article)
New York Times

My Comments
“The Lovely Mrs. Davis tells you what to think” because adults and children can’t think for themselves. Music for children (six months old and up) - it is the latest hip thing. Why not? The children feel so relaxed after listening to their “favorite songs” and adults find themselves in tune with the time. Yes, consumerism has opened another front, another battleground, the war to win your children into slavery. From an early age, children will dance to their beat.
The entertainment industry is not checked by any code of ethics – profits define their ethics. If it is good enough to sell, it is good. Confucius told his disciples, “If the Profits become your guide then there is no end to your misery”. There is no end to entertainment except once a person is six feet under. There are many subliminal messages aimed to get the parents hooked. I will copy few quotes to show how badly they want your children – just follow the “expert parents” (conflict of interest anyone?)… You be the judge.

“To be a parent in 2006 — especially a coastal, well-heeled, contemporary-minded one — is to be blasted by possibilities for nurturing impeccable musical taste in one’s offspring”.

“There’s been a void,” Mr. Medeski added, referring to parents. “The music becomes like medicine.”

“This is hilarious,” said his mother, Pam Leto, a music publicist who works with bands like My Morning Jacket and Eagles of Death Metal.

“It’s actually really soothing,” said her husband, Dave Leto, the tattooed drummer for the indie rock band Rye Coalition.

“Parents are looking at music as a gift you give your children, as something you discover with them,” said Kevin Salem, a rock record producer in Woodstock, N.Y. “Sharing it is a way of making sure music stays in good hands.”

Little Monster’s Ms. Hyman, a flop-haired, youngish 49-year-old, said she recognized a need “to be catered to musically” among fellow parents.

“I wouldn’t feed my daughter McDonald’s every day,” she said. “Why would I want her listening to something of that same standard?”