Liberal Arts Forum

Just got the word on this one…

Recently, a number of different Islamic charity organizations put together a few events in NY/NJ area. It is great to have so many international and national charity organizations working to promote care for others. One of the brothers reminded me about the scope of charity work and his experience with a recent barrage of automated phone messages, text messages, emails, and fliers by these same organizations.

The simple question he asked was, “where do you draw the line with charity? Do I have to give to everyone? Should I turn people down and feel ashamed? Should I remind them about ethics that people are intruding my life with automated messages as if I have $ bills on my head?”

Thinking Anew: Where is the Muazin?

published in Tri-State-Muslim Media

Last year working as a Muslim chaplain at Rutgers University, I came across Muslim students with many concerns and questions. As an “Imam” on campus, I used to write these questions in my journal to see some sort of a pattern of recurring problems. My intention was to collect these questions, formulate a list of FAQs for the students and send it over to different community leaders and imams so they can have a better grasp of “problems with our youth”. I do not plan to write about these specific questions here in this article however, I may suggest an answer to the recurring issues on college campuses and mosques.

In order to provide a solution to any problem, one must understand the problem at hand first. A person must study different cases and analyze the situation to formulate a solution. For example, a doctor looks for signs and symptoms on his patient. Thereafter, he issues his diagnosis. But that’s not the end of his work. Nobody will pay the doctor for a diagnosis without any treatment work. The doctor has to do more than simply to issue a fatwa (opinion) about the nature of the disease. Rather, he has to prescribe medicine, special diet, therapy, run test reports, and frequent checkups to make sure that the disease 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.

In a similar way, Muslim community needs to provide good soul management not disease management for the future of Islam. Nobody likes to see the sign “Welcome back to the Hospital” no matter how welcoming it is. To be honest, How can we put the bumper sticker “Islam is the Solution” and find ourselves enveloped in problems? How can we heal humanity while we bleed especially while our youth suffer daily crying “losing my religion”?

Where is the specialist when we talk about youth issues? Where is that doctor?
Muslim student and youth issues are a serious dilemma that we face as a community. We need to have a deeper sense of urgency about the plight of our youth.

From my days in Karachi’s Jam-e-Masjid Bab-e-Rahmat, I remember the Imam, old person who didn’t mingle with people much but the muazin (the one who makes the call for prayer) was a young guy who the youth loved. He would sometimes play cricket with them in the evenings. Some even suggested that it is makruh (disliked) to play cricket meaning it is a total waste of time. Yet, when he would return at sunset to call the azan, he would return with scores of youth with him. They would listen to the muazin because he acted as if he was one of their fellow cricket players. Come to think of it, the muazin had more success than any Imams, scholars, parents, or chachas on the street in bringing youth back to the mosque. The youth related to the young man very well. He was knowledgeable and very supportive of the youth.

Similarly, we have an urgent need for young homegrown “muazins” on college campuses and mosques. If the Muslim community is going to do long term planning, we will need youth coordinators, chaplains, young imams who understand the pop culture and concerns of the Muslim youth. Young people like Chaplain Khalid Latif who is working with students to build a multi-million dollar Islamic Center in the heart of the city at New York University.

Here I would like to add that I am not talking about starting another youth halaqa or basketball tournament at the local mosque or a summer program. Rather, long term planning dictates that the Muslim leadership gives a priority to institutionalization of youth coordinator position. For this reason, every community needs a ‘muazin’, a permanent youth coordinator hired and paid by the mosque to relate with youth and bring them back to the straight path. Many colleges and universities in the U.S. have Muslim chaplains who have filled in this role of ‘muazin’. Can our mosques and Islamic centers do the same?

• Shimr comes out of Ibn Ziyad’s army calling his nephews names who were with Imam Husain and saying that they have been given ‘aman’ protection by Ibn Ziyad. They said that protection of Allah is better than protection of Ibn Ziyad.
• Imam Husain brought out bags of letters in front of the two armies and started calling the names of Kufan elites who had written letters to support him against Yazid’s army. He took letters out as a proof that those who were ready to kill him today had sent him letters to come and protect him from the mischievous acts of Yazid. Thus, Imam Husain exposed the hypocrisy of his enemies.
• Seeing their letters, the Kufan army generals could no longer wait and started the battle.
• Meanwhile Hur ibn Yazid, one of the generals from Kufan army came rushing towards Imam Husain and dropped himself at his feet. Hur asked Imam Husain to forgive him and ask Allah for his forgiveness.
• The battle started with 72 men on the side of Imam Husain while the women and toddlers watched the battle from inside of the tents as army of thousands pressed towards them.
• One by one Imam Husain’s companions and relatives dropped on the battlefield. They all were martyred fighting. None showed cowardice, disloyalty, hesitancy, apologies, or weakness.
• Imam Husain was the last man standing on the battlefield encircled by the enemy. None had the audacity to fight against him. Everyone evaded him to avoid his spilling his blood. Imam Husain’s horse was killed first. In the final moments, Shimr came out and attacked Imam Husain. He was speared by Cinan and met his Lord as a shahid. After killing Imam Husain, his blessed head was cut off to be sent to Yazid. Meanwhile his body was trampled by the cavalry.
• The Event of Karbala happened on 10th of Muharram 680AD.

Imam Husain’s Last Speech
as reported by Akbar Najeebabadi (sunni tradition) in History of Islam Vol. 2.

“O people, let it be known to you who know me and also to those of you who do not know me that I am the grandson of the Prophet (s) and the son of Ali bin Abi Talib. Fatima bin Muhammad (s) was my mother and Jafar bin Abi Talib was my uncle. Besides this genealogical pride, I have also another pride to my credit: that the Prophet (s) called me the chief of the Youth of paradise. If you do not believe me, you may have it confirmed by a number of the Prophet’s companions who are still living. I never broke a promise, I never missed a Salat, I neither killed a Muslim nor did harm to anyone.

If Jesus’s donkey was still alive, the whole of Christendom would be busy feeding and taking care of it until the Day of Judgment. What sort of Muslims and followers are you who want to kill the grandson of your Prophet(s)?…

Ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa installed Amr’ bin Sa’d and Hur bin Yazid to block and intercept Imam Husain’s caravan.

• Imam Husain’s caravan was checked by Ibn Ziyad’s soldier outside Kufa at Karbala.
• Amr bin Sa’d and Ibn Ziyad demanded pledge (bay’ah) from Imam Husain for Yazid. Imam Husain refused to obey the order. The negotiation were prolonged for a week. When Imam Husain led the prayers Ibn Ziyad’s soldiers started to pray behind him.
• Ibn Ziyad asked Amr’ to fight against the army of Imam Husain and bring his head to him so he could show his support to Yazid’s caliphate.
• Imam Husain and the family of the Prophet (s) were cut off from the water supply.
• The next day (10th of Muharram) soldiers prepared for a fight. Imam Husain gave his final speech.