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.
1 Response
Assalamu alaikum,
It hurts me to see this happening at the Masjids around the area. They forget the real meaning of Islam, and all they look for is power. After getting the power they want they dont understand why the youth are not there, why the masjid is having so many problems, and why people are losing interest in the community. I feel as if there is nothing we can do to these power hungry people who want to manipulate their brothers and sisters so they can control the masjid when in reality they are not even “qualified” to lead their family. I pray to allah to guide those “uncles” and all the politicians running for masjid elections…because one of the things that makes me sad is that at the end of time Allah will QUESTION them on how they used their power & they will HAVE to answer.
Posted on June 6th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
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