“Waste no time debating what a good Muslim should be. Be one!”

By Muhammad Alshareef

http://www.islamfortoday.com/differences.htm

Imam Malik one day entered the Masjid after Asr. Towards the front of Masjid An-Nabawee he drew closer and sat down. Rasul Allah had commanded that anyone who enters the Masjid should not sit until he first prays 2 rakas as a salutation of the Masjid. Imam Malik was of the opinion however that Rasul Allah’s forbiddance of praying after Asr took precedence and so he would teach his students to not pray the tahiyyatul Masjid if they entered between the Asr and Maghrib time.

At that moment that Imam Malik sat down, a young boy had seen him sit without first praying the 2 raka’s of Tahiyyatul Masjid. The young boy scorned him, “Get up and pray 2 rakas!”

Imam Malik dutifully stood up once again and began praying the 2 rakas. The students sat stunned: What was going on? Had Imam Malik’s opinion changed?

After he had completed the salah, the students swarmed around and questioned his actions. Imam Malik said, “My opinion has not changed, nor have I gone back on what I taught you earlier. I merely feared that had I not prayed the 2 rakas as the young boy commanded, Allah may include me in the Ayah…

“And when it is said to them, ‘Bow (in prayer)’, they do not bow.” – al mursalat 77/48.

Imam Ahmad held the opinion that eating camel meat nullifies ones Wudhu, an opinion that the majority of scholars differed from. Some students asked him, “If you find an Imam eating camel meat in front of you and – without first making Wudu – then leads the Salah, would you pray behind him?” Imam Ahmad replied, “Do you think I would not pray behind the likes of Imam Malik and Sa’eed ibn Al-Musayyab?”

Allah created humans with differences. It is the law of creation. Different tongues, different colors, different cultures…all that on the outside. On the inside, humans were created with many degrees of knowledge, intellect, and comprehension of concepts. This is all a sign of Allah’s all encompassing power to do whatever He wills:

“And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are signs for those who know.” [30:22]

Humans shall differ, that is not the issue. The issue is: How as a Muslim should one confront these differences of opinions and what should be our relationship with someone of a different opinion.

Allah ta’ala commanded us to call and advise people in this Deen of Al-Islam. Many Muslims set off on this mission blindfolded, not realizing that the map was there in the Qur’an also. In fact, in the very same verse where Allah commanded us to call and advise people in this Deen, Allah taught us how to do it. Read the following verse carefully:

“Invite (fi’l Amr – Allah is commanding) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction and argue with them in a way that is best! ” – Surah An-Nahl 16/125.

There is no need to philosophize. No need to talk in the flower gardens. It is right there, plain and simple for anyone who would take heed.

There in that Ayah are the three ingredients to apply when we disagree with someone. The same Allah that taught us to debate the truth, taught us how to do it:

1 – With Hikmah (wisdom)
2 – With good instruction, and
3 – To argue in a way that is best.

What does it mean to have Hikmah when differing with someone? The grandsons of Rasul Allah(saw) once set one of the most beautiful examples of Hikmah in advising others. Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn – in their young age – once saw a senior man performing Wudu incorrectly. Together they arranged a plan to teach the man without insulting him, advising him in a manner befitting of his age.

Together they went to the senior and announced, “My brother and I have differed over who amongst us performs Wudu the best. Would you mind being the judge to determine which one of us indeed performs Wudu more correctly.”

The man watched intently as the two grandsons of Rasul Allah performed Wudu in an explicit manner. After they had completed, he thanked them and said, “By Allah, I did not know how to perform Wudu before this. You have both taught me how to do it correctly.”

We must understand that there are two dimensions to Hikmah. Firstly, there is the Hikmah of knowledge – Hikmah Ilmiyyah. And secondly, there is the Hikmah of Action – Hikmah Amaliyyah.

Some people may have Hikmah of knowledge. But we see that when they try correcting others, advising them, they lack the Hikmah of Action. This causes many a common folk to reject the Hikmah of knowledge.

To illustrate this hikmah of knowledge without Hikmah of action, a brother once completed the Salah in a local Masjid and then proceeded to shake hands with the people on his right and left. The brother to his immediate right slapped his hand and snapped, “That is not part of the Sunnah!” The man replied most correctly, “Oh, is disrespect and insult part of the Sunnah?”

To show Hikmah when we differ requires the following:

Sincerity

One: If we differ, our intentions should be that we are differing in the sincere hope of coming away with the truth. Our intentions should be sincere to Allah.

We should not differ just to release some hate or envy in our heart. We should not differ to embarrass someone like we may have been embarrassed.

Rasul Allah said, “Whoever learns knowledge – knowledge from that which should be sought for the sake of Allah – only to receive a commodity of the material world, he shall not find the fragrance of jannah on the day of resurrection.” – An authentic hadith narrated by Abu Dawood in Kitab Al-Ilm.

Kindness and Gentleness

Two: To have Hikmah when differing means we should rarely depart from an atmosphere of kindness and gentleness, we should seldom allow ourselves to become angry and raise our voices.

Fir’own (Pharaoh) was one of the evilest people that lived. Musa was one of the noblest. Look at how Allah told Musa to advise Fir’own…

“Go, both of you, to Fir’own. Indeed, he has transgressed. And speak to him with gentle speech, perhaps he may remember or fear (Allah).”

A man once entered upon the Khalifah and chastised him for some policies he had taken. The Khalifah replied, “By Allah, Fir’own was more eviler than me. And by Allah, Musa was more pious than you. Yet, Allah commanded him…’And speak to him with gentle speech, perhaps he may remember or fear (Allah).'”

Take Your Time and Clarify

Three: To have Hikmah when dealing with others is to be patient and clarify things before snapping to conclusions.

Imam Ahmad narrates with his chain of narrators leading to Ibn Abbas who said, “A man from Bani Saleem passed by a group of the Prophet’s companions. (At that time of war) The man said ‘as salamu alaykum’ to them. The companions concluded that he only said ‘as salamu alaykum’ to them as a deception to save himself from being caught. They surrounded him and Malham ibn Juthaamah killed him. From that event Allah revealed the verse…

“O you who have believed, when you go forth (to fight) in the cause of Allah, investigate, and do not say to one who gives you (a greeting of peace), “You are not a believer,” Aspiring for the goods of worldly life; for with Allah are many acquisitions. You (yourselves) were like that before; then Allah conferred His favor (i.e. guidance) upon you, so investigate. Indeed, Allah is ever with what you do, acquainted.” – Surah AnNisa, 4/94. From Tafseer Ibn Katheer.

Speak Kindly

Fourthly, never trade in kind words for harshness, especially when dealing with other Muslims.

Look at the power of a sincere and polite word: Mus’ab ibn Umayr was the first of ambassador of Rasul Allah in Madinah. Before Rasul Allah had arrived in Madinah, Mus’ab taught ahl al-Madinah about Islam and they began to enter the Deen.

This enraged Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah, one of the chieftains of Madinah. He sheathed his sword and set off for the head of Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr. When he confronted Mus’ab he threatened, “Stop this nonsense you speak or you shall find yourself dead!”

Mus’ab replied in the way that should be a lesson for us all. This man before him did not stop at rudeness and ignorance, he wanted to slit his throat.

Mus’ab said, “Shall you not sit and listen for a few moments. If you agree with what I say then take it, and if not, we shall desist from this talk.” Sa’d sat down.

Mus’ab spoke about Allah and His messenger until the face of Sa’d ibn Ubaadah’s face shone like a full moon and he said, “What should a person do who wishes to enter into this Deen?” After Mus’ab had told him he said, “There is a man, if he accepts this Deen, there shall be no home in Madinah that will not become Muslim. Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh.”

When Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh heard what was happening, he was infuriated. He left his home to go and kill this man called Mus’ab ibn Umayr for the dissention he had caused. He entered upon Mus’ab and announced, “You shall desist of this religion you speak of or you shall find yourself dead!”

Mus’ab replied, “Shall you not sit and listen for a few moments. If you agree with what I say then take it, and if not, I shall desist from this talk.” Sa’d sat.

Mus’ab spoke about Allah and His messenger until the face of Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh’s face shone like a full moon and he said, “What should a person do who wishes to enter into this Deen?”

Look at what a kind word did. Sa’d ibn Mu’aadh went home to his Madinan tribe that night and announced to them all, “Everything of yours is Haram upon me until you all enter into Islam.”

That night, every home in Madinah went to bed with Laa ilaaha illa Allah…all because of a kind word.

Part II: Who wins?

Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Salami. When he came to Madeenah from the desert, he did not know that it was forbidden to speak during the salaah. He relates: “Whilst I was praying behind the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), a man sneezed, so I said ‘Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you).’ The people glared at me, so I said, ‘May my mother lose me! What is wrong with you that you are looking at me?’ They began to slap their thighs with their hands, and when I saw that they were indicating that I should be quiet, I stopped talking (i.e., I nearly wanted to answer them back, but I controlled myself and kept quiet).

When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished praying – may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, I have never seen a better teacher than him before or since – he did not scold me or hit me or put me to shame. He just said, ‘This prayer should contain nothing of the speech of men; it is only tasbeeh and takbeer and recitation of the Qur’aan.'” (Saheeh Muslim, ‘Abd al-Baaqi edn., no. 537).

Islam showed us how to differ with one another. Some people think that we should never differ at all and all disagreements should be avoided. Nay, this is an incorrect assumption, for the Qur’an and Sunnah show clearly that when a mistake is made it should be corrected. Indeed helping others do what is right is a requirement of the Deen, sincere Naseeha.

We see when Rasul Allah turned away from AbdAllah ibn Umm Maktoom, the blind man, Allah corrected him in the Qur’an…

“(The Prophet) frowned and turned away, Because there came to him the blind man But what could tell you that perchance he might become pure (from sins)? Or that he might receive admonition, and that the admonition might profit him?” – surah Abasa, 1-4

When Haatib ibn Abi Balta’ah (may Allaah be pleased with him) made the mistake of writing to the kuffaar of Quraysh and informing them of the direction in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was headed on a military campaign against them, Allaah revealed the words:

“O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends…” – Surah Mumtahinah/1

And so on. Thus we learn that when a mistake happens it should be corrected. However, the method of correction is what needs our attention. Whenever Muslims argue, it is as if each party carries a banner of: ‘I must win and you must lose!’ Careful study of the Sunnah however shows us that this is not always the case with the way Rasul Allah acted. Consider the following examples:

“I lose and you win!”

A Bedouin came to Rasul Allah and told him, “Give me from what Allah gave you, not from the wealth of your mother nor from the wealth of your father.” The Sahaabah were furious at the man and step forward to discipline him for what he said. Rasul Allah commanded everyone to leave him.

Then by the hand, Rasul Allah took him home, opened his door and said, “Take what you wish and leave what you wish.” The man did so and after he completed, Rasul Allah asked him, “Have I honored you?” “Yes, by Allah,” said the Bedouin. “Ash hadu an laa ilaaha illa Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadar Rasul Allah.” (Meaning he embraced Islam)

When the Sahabah heard of how the man changed, Rasul Allah taught them. “Verily the example of myself, you and this Bedouin is that of a man who had his camel run away. The townspeople tried capturing the camel for him by running and shouting after the camel, only driving it further away. The man would shout, ‘Leave me and my camel, I know my camel better.’ Then he took some grass in his hand, ruffled it in front of the camel, until it came willingly.

‘By Allah, had I left you to this Bedouin, you would have hit him, hurt him, he would have left without Islam and eventually have entered hellfire.”

“I win and you lose!”

A Muslim should not have an apologetic stance to everything he is confronted with. There are times when the truth must be said, when there is no room for flattery.

When the Makhzoomi women – a women from an affluent family – stole, people approached Rasul Allah to have her punishment canceled. Rasul Allah became very angry and stood on the pulpit and announced, “By Allah, had Fatima the daughter of Muhammad stole I would have cut her hand off.”

No room for flattery, the truth must be stood up for. It is here that the etiquette of disagreement that we talked earlier about should shine.

“I win and you win!”

There doesn’t always have to be a loser. We see in many cases that Rasul Allah gave a way out for the people he differed with. When he sent the letter to Caesar, he said in it, “Become Muslim and you shall be safe, Allah shall give you your reward double!”

He did not say surrender or die! Nothing of the sort. Become Muslim and you shall win, rather your victory shall be double.

I shall end with this shining example of how to act with other Muslims from our role model, Abu Bakr:

Abu Bakr once disputed with another companion about a tree. During the dispute Abu Bakr said something that he rather would not have said. He did not curse, he did not attack someone’s honor, he did not poke a fault in anyone, all he said was something that may have hurt the other companion’s feelings.

Immediately, Abu Bakr – understanding the mistake – ordered him, “Say it back to me!” The companion said, “I shall not say it back.” “Say it back to me,” said Abu Bakr, “Or I shall complain to the Messenger of Allah.” The companion refused to say it back and went on his way.

Abu Bakr went to Rasul Allah and related what had happened and what he said. Rasul Allah called that companion and asked him, “Did Abu Bakr say so and so to you?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “What did you reply.” He said, “I did not reply it back to him.” Rasul Allah said, “Good, do not reply it back to him (do not hurt Abu Bakr). Rather say, ‘May Allah forgive you O Abu Bakr!'” The Companion turned to Abu Bakr and said, “May Allah forgive you O Abu Bakr! May Allah forgive you O Abu Bakr!” Abu Bakr turned and cried as he walked away. Let us leave today with a resolve to revive this air Rasul Allah and his companions breathed, an air of mercy and love and brotherhood.

By Jamal Arif

http://iviews.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IV9906-510

Iviews. June 11, 1999.
Article Ref: IV9906-510

The mere mention of South America can conjure up visions of tall spires and stately steeples bedecking the enchanting and somewhat mysterious landscape of the continent. A common bond of Catholicism runs through the skein of South American countries that have emerged over the last century. It is no wonder then that one might typically perceive this region as a “baptized continent,” devoid of any significant Islamic influence or presence. And even if the observer were to recognize the survival of some smattering of Islamic communities today, the palpable perception might be to leave them to their inevitable fate as geographic, economic, linguistic and religious minorities.

But the continent that is home to the Amazon and its splendors, the Piranha, the Andes, Carnival and some of the best bred cattle in the world, holds a few more surprises for those too myopic to look beyond the exotic. And the Muslim presence in South America is indeed a surprise.

The original influx of Muslims to South America took place in the 1850’s and 1860’s. Syrians and Lebanese who felt persecuted in their homelands or who were economically destitute moved to the greener pastures of the sparsely populated continent. After the turn of the century, the demise of the Ottoman Empire and the Palestinian diaspora forced Muslims from those areas to seek safer havens. A large percentage of this oppressed and deprived populace planted their roots in South America’s large and fertile valleys. These immigrants were generally farmers or merchants who toiled hard to improve their economic fortunes. Their descendants continue to toil to eke out a living, and to retain some semblance of cultural and religious cohesion.

Buenos Aires, a city of eleven million inhabitants was the last major outpost of European colonizers in the Southern Hemisphere. Its wide boulevards, rectangular streets and innumerable churches testify to the fact that the architecture and fiat of the Vatican have ruled supreme in this land. But amongst these teeming millions of Catholics lives a community of perhaps 160, 000 (over 3 million by unofficial count) Muslims.

One needs to look no further than the small but elegant mosque standing on Calle Alberti in the city’s center to understand the manner in which the Buenos Aires’ Muslim community strives for cohesion in a land of crucifixes and bell towers.

“We have been here for 17 years,” says Abdel Kareem, who is the mosque’s Muezzin (the person who vocalizes the daily call to prayer) and runs a small restaurant adjacent to the mosque. “When it was built, only a few people came, but now we are blessed to have a large and regular congregation”. According to Kareem, when his parents emigrated from Syria in 1920s, there were no mosques to be found. Like other immigrants, Kareem’s parents imparted Islamic teachings to him and his five brothers at home. But in the absence of an organized Muslim community, it was only a matter of time before some such children began to be swayed by the religion and culture of the dominant society.

A majority of Argentine Muslims today barely make a living. The continuous sub-division of tractable land amongst the immigrants’ offspring, and the recessions that the continent has endured, has left indelible scars on the once prosperous farming community of Muslims. The few individuals that have prospered would risk the ire and scorn of high society if it were known that they followed Islamic precepts. Many of these Muslims reserve the practice of their faith for times of death or celebration, and do so within the sanctuary of their homes.

Kareem remembers how his teenage friend and fellow Sunni Arab, Argentine President Carlos Menem, slowly turned away from Islam.

“Menem wanted to move on to higher things and the burden of Islam was too heavy for him,” says Kareem. “He had to renounce Islam and become Catholic to be President.”

According to Kareem, Zulema Fatima Yoma, the former wife of Menem, visits her Muslim relatives very discreetly, lest it be known that she and her daughter have any ties with the Muslim community or to Islamic observances.

Kareem strongly believes however that his old friend Menem, with whom he has not communicated for over two decades, is still a Muslim at heart.

“When Menem’s only son died four years ago, I was personally requested to give him a Muslim ‘Ghusal’ (the ritual burial cleansing) and he was buried according to Muslim rites in an Islamic cemetery,” says Kareem.

As further evidence of Menem’s Islamic ties, Kareem also points to Menem’s decision to donate to the Muslim community, an expansive piece of real estate in Buenes Aires’ diplomatic quarter of Palermo, a region known for its lush greenery and choice real estate.

But Muslims in Argentina are not only confined to Buenes Aires. The official count puts the Muslim population at approximately 700,000, spread throughout the country; but with particularly strong numbers in Cordoba, Mendoza, Tucuman and Rosario. However according to Kareem there could be about nine to ten million denizens of Argentina’s population of 34 million that are either Muslims or who have Muslim ancestry.

Arab immigrants did not settle in Argentina, alone. Brazil opened its arms to many Muslim immigrants as well. It is therefore no surprise that Muslims reside from Brazil’s borders with Paraguay and Argentina to Manaus in the Amazon. The biggest concentration of Muslims however is found in the greater Sao Paulo region, which is presumed to be home to approximately 500,000 Muslims.

The Muslim influence in Brazil is widespread. Perhaps seventh of the population is of Arab descent and names of Muslim/Arab origin are prevalent. Architecture and cuisine also bear the trademarks of the culture brought to the hemisphere by the Arabs. Not even fast food has escaped the immigrant influence, as the largest fast food chain in Brazil is “Habib’s” which serves Arab food. And the diversity of influence stretches to businesses such as the textile industry, which is dominated by Arab merchants. The Sao Paulo city council even has a Muslim Councillor by the name of Mohammad Murad, who is a lawyer by profession.

But despite the infiltration of Arab culture in Brazil, Islam as a religion has failed to remain as robust. Like their brethren in other parts of South America, early Muslim immigrants lacked the counsel or vision to realize that the establlishment of schools, mosques and social centers would be crucial in the retention of the Islamic character in later generations. As a result of this lack of foresight, second and third generation Muslim immigrants slowly drifted away from the religion of their forefathers. Only recently has Islam begun to rebound.

A number of mosques dot the greater Sao Paulo area. The oldest and most popular of these is found on Av. Do Estado. Since its establishment 70 years ago, the mosque has added a Quranic school, a small library, a large kitchen and meeting hall for various functions. But despite its popularity, the Av. Do Estado mosque has suffered from a dearth of religious leadership.

As has been the case in many of the larger metropolitan mosques in South America, foreign assistance and individual effort have played major roles in the sustainability of the mosques in the greater Sao Paolo area.

For example the Imam of the Av. Do Estado Mosque is from the Middle East and often times Imams are chosen jointly by the Mosques’ management committees and the Arab governments that pay for the Imam’s services. While such support is sorely needed amongst South American Muslim communities, the prevalence of this foreign assistance signifies that the majority of Muslim communities do not have the educational infrastructure to produce an indigenous religious leadership. However, some of the local Muslims are making an effort to reduce this reliance on outside aid.

Ismail Hatia, a South African who came to Brazil in 1956, built a mosque in Campinas two years ago. Hatia, who also runs a language school, felt that the approximately 50 Muslim families in Campinas were in dire need of some community organization to help provide cohesion and direction for Muslims, especially the youth who have been lured away from Islamic practice by the attractions of the dominant culture.

The Campinas mosque now holds regular Friday congregational prayers and is in the process of establishing regular night prayers on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. The mosque is currently in need of a full time Imam whose salary would be paid for by the Saudi Arabian government.

“We do not want to ask for donations as it could drive away some Muslims who have just started to come to the mosque,” says Hatia. “At the end of the month, two or three people, including myself, just pay the bills that come due.”

Despite the obstacles, this small community and many others throughout South America continue with endeavors to bring people back into the fold of Islam. And South American Muslims are indeed resurfacing after decades of hibernation. They are rediscovering their identity and forging unity and cohesiveness amongst their scattered communities; communities which, some day, could carry weight in social and political structures.

For more information on Islam and Muslims in South America please visit the Islamic Association of Latin America website at www.islamerica.org.ar.

By Juan Cole

History News Network
October 7, 2002
http://hnn.us/articles/1018.html

Jerry Falwell, the fundamentalist televangelist, has said, “I think Muhammad was a terrorist.” On CBS’s Sixty Minutes, the reverend contrasted Moses and Jesus as men of peace with Muhammad, whom he saw as warlike. News of the slur ricocheted through the Muslim world, and crowds rioted in Kashmir, raising questions as to whether Falwell himself is exactly promoting love and peace.

Falwell’s comments are problematic for many reasons, not least with regard to historical accuracy. Muhammad forbade murder and the killing of innocents, and never used terror as a weapon in his struggles against his aggressive pagan enemies. Far from glorifying aggression, the Koran says (2:190), “Fight in the way of God against those who fight against you, but do not begin hostilities, for God does not love aggressors.”

As for the contrast to other prophets, it is not as clear as Falwell suggests. Biblical narratives depict Moses as a murderer and leader of a slave revolt, and while he was a liberator, it is difficult to see him as a pacifist. The Romans crucified Jesus of Nazareth because they saw him as a subversive, and historians know too little about his life to be sure they were entirely wrong. Many of the patriarchs and prophets celebrated by Christian fundamentalists were arguably terrorists or even genocidal, including Joshua.

Quite aside from the historical record, Falwell’s remarks are misleading as to his own position. He and other fundamentalist leaders have repeatedly condemned Christian pacifism and have militantly supported a whole raft of wars and military interventions. If he believes that Jesus preached love and peace, Falwell has not exemplified those teachings himself. In the 1980s, Falwell even vocally supported the Reagan administration’s military aid to the radical Muslim extremists who later coalesced into al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

European civilization has long been perplexed and scandalized by Muhammad, who succeeded in founding a world religion that rivals Christianity. Most early Christian attacks on Islam actually depicted it as an idolatrous religion, one of the great black legends ever fostered. Islam is nothing if not single-mindedly monotheistic. The first Latin translation of the Koran, carried out in 1143 by Robert of Ketton, was incomplete and marred by sarcasm and even obscenity. Its motive was not understanding but refutation.

Dante (1265-1321) placed Muhammad in the ninth circle of hell, writing:
How mutilated, see, is Mahomet;
In front of me doth Ali weeping go,
Cleft in the face from forelock unto chin;
And all the others whom thou here beholdest,
Disseminators of scandal and of schism

In fact, since Muhammad and the Meccans had never been Christians, it is difficult to see how they could be condemned for fomenting Christian schism.

Martin Luther promoted and wrote a preface to a 1543 Latin edition of the Koran by Theodore Bibliander, saying “I have wanted to get a look at a complete text of the Qur ‘an. I do not doubt that the more other pious and learned persons read these writings, the more the errors and the name of Muhammad will be refuted. For just as the folly, or rather madness, of the Jews is more easily observed once their hidden secrets have been brought out into the open, so once the book of Muhammad has been made public and thoroughly examined in all its parts, all pious persons will more easily comprehend the insanity and wiles of the devil and will be more easily able to refute them.” The dangers of this sort of religious bigotry, which once directed at Muslims can begin to spill over onto other religious communities, should be obvious.

In contrast, the Romantic sage and writer Thomas Carlyle (d. 1881) spoke for moderns in insisting on Muhammad’s sincerity. (Another Western black legend about Muhammad was that he knew he was a charlatan). Of the prophet he wrote, “A false man found a religion? Why, a false man cannot build a brick house!” He went on to observe of Islam, “To the Arab Nation it was as a birth from darkness into light; Arabia first became alive by means of it. A poor shepherd people, roaming unnoticed in its deserts since the creation of the world: a Hero-Prophet was sent down to them with a word they could believe: see, the unnoticed becomes world-notable, the small has grown world-great; within one century afterwards, Arabia is at Grenada on this hand, at Delhi on that; -glancing in valor and splendor and the light of genius, Arabia shines through long ages over a great section of the world . . . I said, the Great Man was always as lightning out of Heaven; the rest of men waited for him like fuel, and then they too would flame.”

The admiration of Muhammad’s achievements visible in this modern writer marks a turning point in Western culture, away from narrow religious bigotries and toward a humanist ability to appreciate the best in world civilization. Falwell in contrast is promoting religious hatred for his own purposes. The rest of us should resist his scary agenda by learning more about Muhammad and Islamic civilization, and gaining a secular appreciation of their contributions to our world.

Mr. Cole is professor of Middle East and South Asian history at the University of Michigan and author of Sacred Space and Holy War (I. B. Tauris, 2002). His web site is www.juancole.com.

By Sharrifa Carlo

http://www.islamzine.com/carlo/carlo3.html

Since our creation, humans have pondered the existencial mysteries of life. The same questions have plagued us throughout the centuries, “From where did I come?, Why am I here?, What is expected of me?, Where do I go fom Here? and Is this all there is?” Some of us spend a lifetime pursuing the answers to these questions, others of us seem to be content to accept the answers provided by our individual cultures and religions, and some of us even consciously decide to ignore the basic instinct to find the answers.

Muslims have a strong traditon of seeking knowledge, and the most fundamental knowlege is the knowlege which will lead us to an answer to these questions.

We know that the only way to truely arrive at the truth is to objectively analyze all the available evidences, to formulate a thesis, to research thoroughly – carefully weighing each piece of evidence for its reliability – and to finally reach our conclusion. In this vein, the search to answer the existencial dilemmas that plague us, should recieve no less scrutiny than the search for the perfect literary theory, the fastest computer chip, or the latest scientific breakthrough. In actuality, it is more important and essential to us as humans than any research we can ever conduct.

Islam, like all religions, has answers to these questions, but unlike other religions, these answers satisfy not only the heart, and spirit but the mind as well, and this is the key to providing the pure satisfaction that the truth has finally been reached.

From Where Did I Come:

As a result of analyzing the available evidences, the Muslim knows that there is a Creator; that we were created by an Omnipotent, Loving God. After all, what rational being can see the glory and wonder of the world around him and conclude that this was a providencial accident. Imagine a student came to his professor – showed her a chair and said, “This was created by the wind blowing over a tree; after centuries of friction from various directions, this object emerged as the final product.” The professor would probably be amused, but never convinced. In the same way, the purely scientific theories fail to fully explain how this world could have such perfection in the interaction of ecosystems, biological systems, physiological systems, geological systems, and astrological systems. All these systems are interdependent. Yet, there exists no theory which does not leave an unknown element — primarily the originating force.

Who Is This Creator?

Knowing that there is a Creator is not enough. We need to know whom this Creator is. The best way to know this is to define the necessary attributes of a creator. Since we recognise our abilities as humans are limited – we are incapable of initiating creation from a vacuum – we know the Creator can not be a human. This essential bit of fact helps us to discount many religious theories based on this premise. Then, we know that anything lesser than a human, like an animal which has lesser intellect or nature which has no intellect, can not be creators. Afrter all, if man with his superior mind can not accomplish the task, it would be impossible for any being with less. Also, we know that this creator would leave us evidences leading to knowing Him. These evidences would prove to us on many levels – intellectually, scientifically, emotionally, and logically that they are the truth. The Quraan, sent to the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s Peace be upon him) provides this evidence. So when the logical reasonable individual objectively analyzes it, he becomes the Muslim who thereby concludes that there is an All-Knowing, All- Powerful Creator, Allah.

Why Am I Here?

Once the Muslim accepts that He was Created by the One True God, Allah, he tackles the next question, “Why am I here?”. What is the purpose for which I was created? The Quraan answers that our purpose in this life is to worship Allah. Allah has created this place as a testing ground for us, to see if we are worthy of the ultimate prize, Paradise. But how does the sound logical mind reach this conclusion? Easy. We look around at the circumstances of our lifes. Careful examination shows that every event in our life has a direct or indirect correlation to other events. For instance, some event in our past prepared us to handle a crisis from today. Our lives are set up like a test with interconnections that both strengthen us and prepare us for the next level. It is obvious that we are being slowly smelted and purified so that we can cultivate the necessary strength to meet the final challenges.

What is Expected of Me?

Once the Muslim has reached this understanding, it is necessary to know what is expected from him in terms of this worship. To accomplish this, he refers to the sources sent by Allah; for no Merciful Creator would leave His creation without guidance. This guidance comes in the shape of prophets sent throughout time to show mankind the path to Paradise. These prophets, like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them all) all came with the same message: Worship God alone – do not attribute partners with Him.” Also, they gave us practical commands to help us to protect our existance on this earth. Mostly, the commands which were conveyed by our beloved prophets were and are behaviour values which help us to live with peace and contentment in this life and to prepare us for the next,. matters such as avoiding harmful substances and behaviours and maximizing behaviour patterns which benefit us both as individuals and as members of society in general.

Where Do I Go From Here?

Once we have fulfilled our term on this earth, what are we to expect. The Muslim, at this point reaches the understanding that he has done all that he can to please his Creator, and he expects a reward for this action. The reward is Paradise. He knows that this is true just as the researcher knows that even though he can not see beyond a certain point in the universe, more space exists. The evidence is conclusively proven by circumstance. We know that there is a Creator, that this creator can not be but Allah, that He has sent us prophets and has promised us Paradise as a reward for our well spent lives. We also know that just as in this life, there is punishment for evil, in the next life there will also be punishment for disobedience. For we have already seen that this life is merely a test, and like all tests, it is merely preparatory.

Is This All There Is?

Therefore, the conclusion is that this is not all there is, because it is inconceivable that this limited created world is our only domain. Allah promises everlasting life, peace, serenity, love, contentment and pleasure to those who worship and obey Him. He promises reward for positive action. Futher, He promises punishment for those who disobey and persist in their evil actions. To prepare us to accept this premise, He creates for us a test which emphasizes these values. For instance, we know if an individual works hard and studies, he will get a good job and live more comfortably than one who does not. This is the rule. In general, it applies. At the very least, he will have the benefit of the knowledge itself. A positive action produces a positive reward. We also know that if an individual commits an evil act, he will most likely be punished, if not by society, then by his own self, because if guilt does not take its toll, his resulting evil character will lead to nothing but folly. Therefore, an evil action produces an evil effect.

Conclusion:

There is no way to definitively prove the existance of Allah. One can not point to Him and say, “Look at Him. There He is.” But we can look to His works, His creation and know that there can not be a creation without a creator. We do not look to the chair and say it created itself. We know that some being had to create it, nor should we look to the miracle of the human respiratory system and say it created itself. To know who this creator is, we have to seek out the clues He provided us. We have to define what we consider to be a God and trace him within this framework. As Muslims, we encourage and invite you to study the Quraan, to analyze it and compare it to the other sources of existencial wisdom, and we challenge you to find the truth in any other source. You won’t.

by Ghadah Ali Gutierrez

At the age of 23, my husband decided to head to America to look for work. He entered America as a “mojado,” an illegal alien. In a country where grinding poverty is a fact of life and the chance to improve one’s lot is slim, the only alternative is to seek work in “el norte” – the United States. In Mexico, he earned only about $10 per week at a factory. This did not go far towards supporting his elderly parents. Life in Mexico is difficult. This may sound like a simplistic statement, but the reality for the people cannot be underplayed. In a country where the average yearly income runs about $900, many things we take for granted are unheard of. Meat is a delicacy that is eaten very rarely, if at all. Most houses do not have running water or electricity. In many of the cities, the cost of a one bedroom apartment is more than double the average monthly wage. Only the very rich own a car, and the average citizen does not even know how to drive. Political corruption and graft have taken their toll as well, increasing coffers for the politicians while worsening the plight of the average Mexican citizen. When a person dies, they are buried in a simple pine box without any of procedures deemed necessary here in America.

My mother-in-law got her first washing machine at the age of 60. Before owning one, she had always done the laundry by hand in a washtub with cold water for her family of six boys and three girls. Her first bathroom was installed in 2000, the year before her death. Crooked real estate people forced them to pay for their house three different times. Each time the real estate people claimed that “the previous attorney must have stolen the money.” When one son-in-law was shot in a dispute over money owed for the sale of some cows, corrupt police officials merely took the money from the suspect’s family and refused to prosecute. This family of nine kids and two parents was left homeless because of medical bills and forced to move back home with my in-laws in order to survive. My husband was born into this world.

In August 1997, Lupe and his brother along with a couple of cousins left Aguasqualientes, Mexico and headed to Denver, Colorado to hopefully find work. They undertook a 1,500 mile journey with nothing but the clothes on their back. They wore their poorest-looking clothing, because wearing nice clothing and shoes was a sure way to get jumped and robbed by the cholos along the border. Food and water cannot be carried nor personal grooming items such as hairbrushes or toothbrushes. The trip is too long and arduous to carry bundles, and many “coyotes” who smuggle illegals make the immigrants throw them away anyway. On their first trip to America, both Lupe and his brother had to pay $750 for safe passage over the border and into Phoenix, Arizona.

Their first trip was more or less uneventful, and they arrived about ten days later in Denver. Upon arrival, they moved into their cousin’s apartment with eleven other guys. Life was good. Food was plentiful and cheap. Work was abundant. With many people living together, living expenses were low enough that they could send money back to Mexico and still have a little left over to save towards purchasing a car or go to the dances.

My husband and I met at a dance in January 1998. We were married about six months later and shortly afterward his mother became sick. For two years, she went from curandera to brujo and back again, but refused to see a doctor. An ingrained distrust of doctors is rampant in Mexico, most likely a result of the corruption that occurs in all aspects of Mexican society. The ricos get the best care and the pobres are pretty much ignored, no matter how sick they are. After much urging by her family members, she eventually went to a doctor and was diagnosed with cancer. The cancer had progressed too far for much hope of survival.

At the time we married, my husband could not hope to get permanent residency status in America because he had entered the country illegally. Luckily, alhamdulila, right before leaving office, Bill Clinton passed an act that allowed illegal immigrants who would otherwise not qualify for residency to apply. Because I am a citizen and we were legally married, he was eligible under this program. Overjoyed with the prospect of getting the coveted “papers,” we filed an application. One stipulation was that the applicant could not leave the country during the processing time nor any time thereafter without previous written approval of the INS, a process that could take up to 190 days.

Unfortunately, shortly after we applied for his residency, his mother took a turn for the worse and was to undergo surgery. Her surgery revealed that the cancer had spread down to a leg bone, and she was deemed terminal. In spite of everything, she seemed to improve somewhat and was still able to live a more or less normal life. With the installation of a bathroom, paid for by the sons working in America, her life was at least made a little easier. She no longer had to hike to the outhouse and owning a washing machine meant she did not have to spend hours on her knees bent over a washtub. These two tiny luxuries made a vast improvement in her quality of life. Life continued as normal for several months until the fateful phone call, Lupe’s mother was dying.

Despite the chance for papers, Lupe had no choice. He had to return to Mexico and risk not being able to get back across the border. Exactly one week after he left, the notice from the INS arrived. Unfortunately, with him out of the country, pretty much any and all chances were lost unless he was able to return before the date set by the INS for fingerprinting. All of our hopes and hard work seemed to had just gone up in smoke. It was heartbreaking to say the very least.

His mother held on for three more months. While he was gone, life in the United States had changed forever. The attacks of September 11 occurred. Overnight, the attitude of the entire country towards immigration seemed to change drastically. Although the terrorists were not Mexican nationals, the border was effectively closed down. The price paid to coyotes to smuggle workers across the border doubled and then nearly tripled. With the new political climate, the risk had increased substantially.

Lupe’s mother passed away on February 28, 2002. The very day that Lupe was supposed to leave Mexico to return, George W. Bush sent 1,600 National Guard troops to patrol the Mexican border. His logic still escapes me to this day. We had not been attacked by Mexico. So why was the president sending soldiers to the border? This was a huge setback, as I knew my husband’s chances of coming home were greatly reduced. There was no alternative; however, but to raise the $3,000 the coyote was demanding and pray for the best.

Lupe left his home on March 2, 2002. After riding a crowded, smelly bus for two days, they arrived at that border. They were hidden in the home of a coyote for another two days without food, water, or sanitary facilities. Finally, the word came, they would try for the border that night. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the standard methods of getting illegals across the border were abandoned in favor of a mad dash by nearly 100 hopefulls. The logic was that some would make it across; the others would be returned to Mexico and would try again the next night. It sounded like a scene out of the movie, “Born in East L.A.”

Lupe and his brother were lucky enough to make it across on their first try. The coyote met them in a clump of bushes on the U.S. side. Then, they began the walk. For 350 miles, they walked across the desert with no food and very little water. Their only shelter was cactus and sagebrush, which they sleep under at night. It was now mid-March, and the desert at that time of year is brutal. Although the days have not yet achieved the full heat of summer, the days are nonetheless hot and the nights are bitterly cold. Lighting fires was not an option because the smoke could conceivably be seen by “la migra,” the border patrol. They walked by night through the treacherous landscape without a flashlight. The ever-present threat of snakes and scorpions never left their minds.

During the daytime as they slept, gunshots were frequently heard. Arizona ranchers between the border and Phoenix had taken to shooting immigrants walking across their property. The U.S. government to this day has not dealt with this issue despite the loss of human lives. The ranchers more or less have carte blanche to hunt humans to their hearts’ content. After all, these Mexicans are only wetbacks. They aren’t Americans, and they don’t have a right trying to come here!

After three days, the group finally arrived at a pre-arranged spot near Phoenix and was picked up by a truck. A collective sigh of relief rippled thorough the seventeen men who were stacked like many boards in the camper shell of the pickup. They had finally made it, or so they thought. Within a few miles, the truck suddenly stopped. They had been pulled over by police who had alerted the border patrol.

All of the passengers and the driver were arrested. They were taken to an INS holding and processing facility. Although this INS facility deals exclusively with Spanish-speaking immigrants, only one officer spoke Spanish. They were held for almost 48 hours before they were allowed to eat. The Spanish-speaking officer, who was Hispanic, finally took pity on them and brought a bag of hamburgers to their holding cell. Shortly after they started eating, another officer arrived to drive them back across the border. He was quite angry by the site of seventeen detainees eating hamburgers. They all quickly gulped down their food, because none knew when they would get a chance to eat again. My brother-in-law, however, has no teeth and could not eat as fast as the others could. The white guard grabbed my brother-in-law’s hamburger, threw it down, and stomped on it. This was the only food he’d had for nearly four days. He told me he wanted to cry.

While being detained, a search had revealed that one of the men in their group had somehow obtained a fake green card. The guards demanded that he tell them where he had gotten it. When he refused, he was handcuffed to the top bar of the cell, with one hand over his head. The guards told him they would release him only after he gave the name of the person who had sold him the card. They left him handcuffed like that for the entire time at the detention center, nearly two days. My husband said the man’s hand was purple, but no medical care was given or even offered to him. This type of treatment occurred in a country renowned for it’s work on behalf of civil rights.

After having their pictures taken, being fingerprinted, and their names written in a book, the group was eventually herded into a van and driven back across the border. At the border, they were let out of the van with strict warnings not to try it again. People from this group were from various South American countries. They had no money in their pockets. Yet, they were left in northern Mexico to fend for themselves. Because they lacked resources to return home, most decided to try for the border again. For two or three more days, they were hidden in a dirt basement under a shabby house in Ciudad Juarez. Then the signal was given again. This time, my husband and his brother made it. They were the lucky ones.

Hundreds of illegal aliens die attempting to cross each year. Most are never identified nor does the government make any attempt to notify their families. Even when an immigrant makes it up here and is later deported, their family in America is not notified. They simply disappear. Families are routinely ripped apart when the father, the sole breadwinner, is deported. There are cases on record where illegal immigrants have been held for ten to fifteen years in INS detention centers for simply trying to achieve a better life. A couple of hundred years ago, the southwest was part of Mexico, and yet our government has the arrogance to claim the right to determine who can and cannot choose to live here. In the aftermath of 9/11, the United States government feels it has the authority to trample the rights of anyone and everyone. Now they are requiring all men of Arab descent to register with the INS. Many people are being illegally deported. Even immigrants from Canada and Mexico are surreptitiously tracked. As for my husband, we do not know yet whether the INS is going to award him residency. Nine months and $2,500 in attorney’s fees later, we are still unable to get an answer. One can only trust in Allah and pray.

Por Juan Galván

El año pasado, mientras buscaba artículos, envié diez preguntas a diez Musulmanes Latinos. Después de leer las respuestas que me enviaron me di cuenta que muchos Musulmanes se podrían beneficiar de tan valuable información. Al mismo tiempo, decidí escribir un articulo que comprendiera dichas respuestas. Algunos Musulmanes Latinos se podrían identificar con algunas respuestas. Por cuestiones de privacidad y seguridad he incluido solo los nombres o nombres Musulmanes para dichos participantes. En algunos casos he editado algunas respuestas por cuestiones de claridad y gramática. Espero que usted, como lector, encuentre algún beneficio en alguna de las siguientes respuestas.

1. ¿Porque los Latinos en Estados Unidos se convierten a la religión del Islam?

Getsa: La gente se convierte al Islam por las mismas razones por las que otros se convierten a otras religiones. La gente se convierte al Islam porque tienen la creencia de que el Islam es la mejor y verdadera religión.

Daniel: Es por la misma razón por la que otros se convierten al Islam en cualquier otro lado. Desarrollan un amor por el Islam.

Teqwa: Yo creo que es básicamente la desilusión por la religión Católica. Muchos católicos no entienden los conceptos del Cristianismo, del Bautismo, Metodismo, etc. Simplicidad y unidad es algo de lo que carece la Iglesia Cristiana.

Farheed: Yo creo que estaría mejor preguntar lo siguiente: ¿Porque los Latinos se revierten al Islam? En mi opinión, esta pregunta le da al meollo del asunto, porque se enfoca a todos los Latinos en lugar de analizar cierta zona.

Omar: Porque los que se convierten tuvieron la oportunidad de hablar con Musulmanes, así mismo les abrieron su corazón a cerca del mensaje del Islam.

Aisha: No creo que sea una pregunta especifica de Estados Unidos. La pregunta es mas a cerca de una más clara definición de Dios y de cómo venerarlo, a cerca de experiencias personales, educación, y similitudes en valores familiares.

Yolanda: Desilusión por el Cristianismo.

Gilberto: No se los demás. Yo soy un Africano-Cubano criado en Estados Unidos, asi que en mi caso, pase por lecturas tales como Malcom X y la Nación del Islam, entre otras, así como lecturas a cerca de temas más religiosos como lo que es la Trinidad, la reencarnación, entre otros. No se que trayectoria otros Latinos toman. Las razones por las cuales se convierte la gente varían de una a otra.

Ricardo: Cada persona tiene sus propias experiencias de acuerdo a lo que ha vivido. Ya que Islam lo abarca todo, por lo general se dirige a cada persona con problemas o casos comunes. En el caso de los Latinos, aquellos que se revirtieron al Islam por lo general han hecho algo de investigación para conocer más. Es por medio del conocimiento de su religión actual comparada con lo que el Islam ofrece y a la vez los ilumina e inspira a tomar el Islam. La mayoría de los Latinos son Católicos; los cuales experimentan mucha negatividad con relación a la religión Católica. Dichos aspectos negativas los abarca y explica el Islam y muchos aspectos empiezan a tener sentido. Una vez que se razona y tiene sentido, el corazón le sigue y es por eso que esta persona entra al Islam no nada mas por la razón pero también por el corazón. Así encuentra paz.

2. ¿Por qué no hay mas Musulmanes Latinos? Por ejemplo, cuales han sido sus observaciones.

Daniel: La comunidad no esta aun bien establecida. Se necesita mas dawah hacia la gran comunidad Latina. Mi observación es que no se ha creado suficiente dawah dirigida específicamente para los Latinos.

Getsa: Yo creo que existen mas Musulmanes Latinos, pero donde, ¿acaso están escondidos? Los Latinos en algunos estados como Texas han sido Católicos ya por un tiempo como lo ha sido México. Yo creo que eso tiene mucho que ver también.

Teqwa: La mayoría de los Latinos no Musulmanes creen que el ser Musulmán es una raza y no una religión. Es la falta de información. La telenovela de telemundo a cerca de Musulmanes llamada “El Clon” ha tenido una influencia positiva, aunque sea una telenovela. Mas Latinos la están viendo y en medio del drama, una persona da información a cerca del Islam en una manera positiva. Desearía que también la tuvieran en ingles.

Aziz: La principal razón por la que no hay muchos Musulmanes Latinos es porque no existe mucho material de Dawah en español. Dawah en español es muy importante ya que la religión mezclada con el idioma del español es parte de su cultura. Dawah necesita enfocarse a dichos temas.

Farheed: Una respuesta positiva a esta pregunta es que los Latinos no saben lo que es ser Musulmán Latino. En mi opinión este tema cae en lo que es la educación y de saber que tal fenómeno existe.

Omar: La razón es que existen muchos Hispanos y muchos de ellos no hablan ingles. Encuentran difícil aprender otro idioma. Deben de hacer un mejor trabajo y aprender a cerca del Islam. La gente tiene muchas responsabilidades ya sea con el trabajo o la familia. El aprender a cerca del Islam requiere de un compromiso extra.

Yolanda: No existen mas Musulmanes Latinos debido a la falta de dawah así como por el acercamiento no apropiado de aquellos que son Musulmanes. No existen muchos de nosotros que ya somos Musulmanes. El numero sigue creciendo y la comunidad Musulmana no ha hecho lo suficiente por entrenar a nosotros los Musulmanes nuevos. Así que la mayoría de nosotros estamos haciendo nuestro propio esfuerzo.

Gilberto: En realidad no lo sé. A lo mejor algunos grupos de Latinos tales como los Puertorriqueños de Nueva York se pueden identificar con los Africanos-Americanos mas que con ningún otro grupo y de esa manera encontraron el Islam.

Ricardo: De acuerdo a lo que yo he observado, se debe a tres razones. La primera y la más importante, no existe mucha gente que pase el mensaje a la comunidad latina, y los que lo hagan no lo hacen de una manera muy eficaz. La segunda razón es que una vez que se ha transmitido el mensaje a cerca del Islam existe otro problema que se debe considerar. Si la persona que recibe el mensaje es un Católico devoto muchas veces sus emociones y sentimientos chocan con el mensaje que ha recibido. Causa un choque con su religión y de una forma se decepcionan y se molestan con el Islam y tratan de mantenerse alejados. La tercera razón, en mi opinión, tiene que ver con aquellos Latinos que no toman la religión muy en serio y mucho menos en una región que supuestamente es parte de un culto, “promueve terrorismo”, aparentemente oprime a la mujer, y en general es muy estricta. Aquellos que tienden a escuchar son aquellos que de algún modo están entre ser personas racionales y personas compasivas.

Aisha: Yo creo que existen mas Musulmanes Latinos que los que uno cree. En ocasiones no siempre asisten a la mezquita. Yo creí que conocía a todas las Latinas Musulmanas de mi comunidad -que eran aproximadamente 4, pero recientemente organice una reunión para juntar a las Musulmanas Latinas y me encontré con la sorpresa de que somos de 10 a 15 las cuales eran conocidas por una hermana de la comunidad. Imagínate aquellas de las que no sabemos. Apenas me entere ayer de otra hermana de la republica Dominicana que no esta en la lista de las mujeres que invite a la reunión. Me quede sorprendida pero a la vez contenta.

3. ¿Cuales son las principales alegrías y dificultades en ser Musulmán Latino?

Daniel: Las alegrías son el seguir el camino del ultimo Profeta de Dios y el regresar a nuestras raíces. Las dificultades incluyen el vivir con los estereotipos de la religión.

Teqwa: Alegrías incluyen el pasar tiempo con mis amigos y de una manera automática se transmite cierto sentido de unidad. Yo creo que las dificultades que todos los Latinos enfrentan, a pesar de su color de piel, es el sentirse bienvenidos por la comunidad Latina.

Getsa: Una alegría es que como ya hay muchos Musulmanes no se siente uno fuera de lugar. Una dificultad seria que como mujer tengo menos contacto con la gente.

Aziz: La mayor alegría al ser Musulmán es la paz que da el saber que esta uno en el camino de la verdad. Este sentimiento da tranquilidad tanto al alma como al cuerpo. Sin embargo, a pesar de todos estos sentimientos increíbles, uno no puede separarse de la realidad de Ummah y de los Musulmanes. Una de las mayores pruebas es el ser paciente con otros Musulmanes de países Musulmanes donde la gente tiene una actitud racista hacia otros Musulmanes, especialmente los que se han revertido al Islam. Este tipo de Jahiliyyah ayuda a los enemigos de Dios (swt) a mantener a los Musulmanes desunidos. Por algo tan sencillo y simple los Musulmanes entre ellos se odian y no pueden unirse unos con otros y hacer la religión de Dios la mas superior de todas.

Farheed: Una alegría que me da el ser Musulmana Latina es él poder conocer a otros Musulmanes Latinos. Tengo la oportunidad de conectarme con los Latinos de dos diferentes niveles. El primero, como Latino, tenemos esta conexión inmediata debido a la cultura y al idioma. Y segunda, la conexión inicial se convierte mas fuerte con la conexión musulmana. La única dificultad que yo vivo seria cuando miembros de la familia están en una misa Católica y yo prefiero no formar parte de ella. En este tipo de situación uno es el que se siente diferente.

Yolanda: Islam me da una paz interior. Me acerca a mi creador y me da una razón de vida. Me ha dado un claro y definitivo camino a seguir junto con otros hermanos y hermanas en Islam. Una dificultad se ve con la división de la comunidad debido a la cultura. Por ejemplo, Yo formo parte de una comunidad Hindú-Pakistaní. Como Musulmana, tengo que aprender lo que es cultural y lo que es Islam. Esto es algo a lo que estoy abierta a aprender ya que trabajo para una institución cultural, pero que hay de aquellos hermanos y hermanas que se revierten al Islam. ¿Adónde se dirigen? ¿Qué hacen cuando se integran a una mezquita donde la mayoría de la gente es Árabe? ¿O Africana-Americana? ¿O Hindú-Pakistaní? ¿Acaso se sienten bienvenidos? ¿Si no aprenden a cerca de dicha cultura, se sentirán rechazados? Si la gente le huye al Islam porque la comunidad los hace sentir fuera, ¿quien es en este caso el responsable? Esta es una realidad, y me pregunto cuantas comunidades escogen lo cultural en lugar de lo que es la religión. ¿Es nuestra meta como Musulmanes Latinos el formar nuestra propia mezquita y separarnos de los demás culturalmente como lo hacen ellos?

Aisha: Existen muchas alegrías cuando uno toma la decisión de ser musulmán, a pesar del lugar de donde es uno, especialmente en una forma mas profunda y con un sentido más espiritual. La claridad del Corán y los constantes recordatorios de que uno debe de aprender mas y utilizar nuestro poder de inteligencia, observación, y la razón cuando entran los temas tales como la fe, es simplemente refrescante e ilustrativo. El lado negativo más obvio para mi como Musulmana Latina es la barrera que uno siente con la familia. Para empezar, estaban muy sorprendidos por mi decisión de cambiar mi fe. Como va pasando el tiempo, han aprendido a aceptarlo, pero no será nunca una aceptación completa. Tengo que admitir que he hecho el proceso más difícil al ser tan estricta conmigo misma y no he dejado que la adaptación tome tiempo, especialmente porque estoy cerca de ellos. Las acciones hablan por si solas y aunque el camino es difícil, los beneficios y resultados serán siempre mas dulces que lo que uno padezca.

Omar: No tenemos la misma oportunidad de estar en contacto con otros musulmanes porque ellos tienen diferentes costumbres a las nuestras. Ellos han crecido en otros lugares y en muchos aspectos no podemos ni debemos pensar como ellos. Me refiero a personas como Árabes o Paquistaníes.

Gilberto: No estoy seguro a cerca de alegrías específicamente al ser Musulmán Latino. Una dificultad es que como somos un numero limitado existe un sentimiento de soledad en comparación a otras comunidades que están mas representadas.

Ricardo: La mayor alegría al ser Musulmán Latino tiene mas que ver con el ser Musulmán que con el ser Latino. Islam da cierto sentimiento de satisfacción que no tiene que ver con el ser Latino. La mayor dificultad al ser Musulmán Latino es el dejar ciertas costumbres que forman parte de la cultura Latina y que son anti-islámicas.

4. ¿Qué se necesita para llamar a mas Latinos al Islam?

Aisha: Necesitamos tener mas Latinos que sepan a cerca del Islam. Segundo, deben de hablar y escribir el Español. Personalmente, creo que hay mas necesidad que el solo educar a los Latinos a cerca del Islam, las creencias y el practicar la religión y después llamarlos a seguir la fe. El resultado de la educación será de mayor beneficio para crear comunidades que se toleran y respetan unas a otras. Si conocen a cerca de los valores que tenemos en común en nuestras religiones, podremos entonces tomarnos de la mano y trabajar juntos en todos los problemas que tenemos en común. La mentalidad de los sermones le da mucha resistencia. Si tenemos una mentalidad de conversión o de resistencia, jamás llegaremos a nada. Y hay que aceptarlo, es Dios quien crea a los Musulmanes, no nosotros. No se como expresar cuan importante es que el carácter de una persona habla mas que lo que uno pueda decir.

Getsa: Necesitamos mas publicaciones y más promoción por diferentes eventos. No veo como alguien se convierta en Musulmán a menos que tenga contacto con otros Musulmanes. Yo conocí a cerca del Islam al tener contacto con mi esposo. No sé si otros Musulmanes salgan y expandan la voz del Islam por el siempre hecho de llamar a mas gente.

Teqwa: Mas interacción. Pase bastante tiempo en la comunidad Latina como maestra de ESL. Tengo a mis padres quienes preguntan bastante lo cual es bueno. Yo creo que si ponemos mas escritos en español seria mucho mejor. Tan solo el estar en la comunidad y dejar que la gente nos vea, es la clave.

Daniel: Organización.

Yolanda: Nosotros, los Latinos, necesitamos instruirnos. Necesitamos acercarnos a las mezquitas y otras organizaciones locales para ayudar en el trabajo de dawah en nuestras propias comunidades.

Omar: Necesitamos mas material de dawah en las mezquitas pero que sea en español. Dawah es mejor en las mezquitas. Para los que no son Musulmanes, a lo mejor, en otros lugares que no sea la mezquita podría atraer a mas gente.

Ricardo: Yo creo que deben haber personas que lleven el mensaje a Musulmanes Latinos. Estas personas deben de tener ciertas características. Necesitan poseer conocimiento por lo menos a cerca de los principios básicos del Islam y que practiquen por lo menos lo necesario. Necesitan ser capaces de hablar correctamente y con algún grado de elocuencia. Algunas personas llevan el mensaje mejor que otros. Sin embargo, lo importante es el llegar a una persona a llevarle el mensaje a cerca del Islam por medio de la palabra.

Gilberto: Algo que me ocurrió ya hace algún tiempo es que los Latinos tienen conexión con Islam en tres formas. España algún día fue un país Musulmán, y el Islam ha dejado en la cultura Latina y el idioma una huella. Lo más obvio es la parte Africana. Algunos investigadores dicen que los Musulmanes llegaron a las Americas Pre-Colombinas y también dejaron huella en el idioma y la cultura tanto en nombres tales como Talahassee, Florida. A pesar de todo, después de la caída de Andalucía a los Cristianos, la cultura española se opone a definirse con términos tales como “esos moros.” Mas se debe hacer para hacer ver al Islam menos extranjero. Un amigo Chicano quien estaba considerando el tomar el Islam, básicamente porque estaba saliendo con una mujer Musulmana, de aquí lo conlleva al elemento de la justicia social del Islam. Puede ser que si los Musulmanes se enfocan mas a este asunto, encontraremos mas apoyo en la comunidad Latina. La mezcla de los valores familiares muy conservadores y el progreso radical de la justicia social podría, quizá, atraer a mas Americanos que no son muy atraídos por dawah.

5. ¿En que formas se podría ayudar a los Latinos a cambiar la idea errónea que tienen a cerca del Islam?

Ricardo: Por ejemplo, lo podríamos lograr educándolos. Los Musulmanes primero deben acercarse mas a la gente que no es Musulmana. Aumentar la interacción ayudara a la gente a darse cuenta a cerca del Islam. Este efecto podría ayudar a cambiar ciertas malas interpretaciones hacia el Islam. Todos los Musulmanes deben hacerlo, no solo los Latinos.

Aziz: Una de las mejores maneras en las que se puede hacer que los Latinos cambien ideas erróneas a cerca del Islam es educándolos a cerca del Islam y de la Historia de España. Asi, pueden ver por ellos mismos como el Islam se relaciona a ellos.

Getsa: Debemos definir los conceptos erróneos que se tienen a cerca del Islam. Muchos Latinos piensan que la mujer Musulmana debe estar completamente tapada y le temen también a la idea de cómo la mujer es tratada por el hombre. Esto debe cambiar en la mentalidad de las personas hablándoles a cerca de algunos ejemplos. Hay una carencia de la mujer modelo musulmana en nuestra sociedad. Me vienen a la mente tres ejemplos negativos hacia la sociedad en cuanto a musulmanes: 1. Ali -(la película) Mohamed Ali se convierte al Islam y engaña a la esposa. 2. El trato tan duro hacia la mujer en Afganistán. 3. OZ -y series de HBO. Un Musulmán en esa prisión es asesino. Se que dos de tres de estos ejemplos son ficticios pero los tres juegan un papel muy importante en la mentalidad de la gente y creen que así es en la vida real.

Daniel: Podemos empezar organizando anuncios en el medio para expandir el Islam.

Farheed: Una buena forma seria diciéndoles a otros hermanos y hermanas que muchas palabras en español son similares a palabras árabes. Además, se les puede informar que Islam ha tenido una influencia enorme en la vida y cultura de los Españoles por cientos de años.

Omar: Debemos hablar con la gente interesada en el Islam. Los Latinos ven los medios de comunicación los cuales dicen cosas erróneas o mienten. Muchos Latinos están interesados en el Islam pero no existe quien les diga lo que realmente es.

Aisha: Yo opino que lo primero es no hacerse a un lado una vez que nos convertimos en musulmanes. Existen muchas maneras en las que podemos trabajar con la comunidad Latina ayudando en las injusticias y problemas sociales que ocurren en las comunidades Latinas lo cual significa que debemos de hacer trabajo de voluntariado en organizaciones de derechos humanos, organizaciones de inmigración, organizaciones de violencia domestica, entre otras. Debemos ser personas activas tanto en nuestra comunidad Latina como en la comunidad Musulmana. Después de todo, tenemos mas similitudes que diferencias cuando se trata de lo duro que es ser minoría en este país. Una vez que una persona se convierte en una persona activa sin tener un plan para que la gente se convierta, es cuando tanto Musulmanes como Latinos empezaran a construir puentes de respeto y tolerancia. Educación, compromiso, y actividad son la clave.

Gilberto: No se me ocurre alguna manera en forma rápida. En cuanto a mi mama, el proceso ha sido lento, ser paciente y dar explicaciones de temas variados.

6. ¿Tiene alguna estadística a cerca de la cantidad de Musulmanes en zonas especificas? ¿Existe alguna manera de obtener ciertos números?

Ricardo: Tendría que hacer cierta investigación. Después de eso, se me ocurre que se debe de involucrar a las mezquitas en el esfuerzo para recopilar información. Primero se debe preguntar si vale la pena hacer dicho trabajo o si una vez obtenida la información si servirá el dato.

Gilberto: No tengo otra idea a cerca de cómo encontrar números mas que llamando a las mezquitas y preguntando cuál es el porcentaje de Latinos que asisten a las mezquitas. También se les podría llamar a los Latinos del país y preguntarles a cerca de su Religión. También se podrían crear encuestas de Organizaciones Latinas y preguntarles cuál es el porcentaje de sus miembros que son Musulmanes. Existen ciertos problemas en cualquier método que se elija.

Aisha: En realidad no existe un sistema para obtener información demográfica a cerca de nuestra comunidad, a menos que uno forme parte de una mezquita. Aun y cuando este sea el caso no se tiene el expediente del origen o nacionalidad los miembros de la mezquita. Este caso es triste pero cierto. Este tipo de censo es muy necesario en nuestras comunidades tanto locales como nacionales, pero las mezquitas no han tomado acción. Organizaciones tales como CAIR y AMC han elaborado estudios al respecto.

7. Existe una relación positiva entre el tamaño de una mezquita y numero de personas que se convierten al Islam. ¿Por qué?

Teqwa: Entre más grande sea la mezquita, se tienen mas actividades en horarios más variados.

Yolanda: Las mezquitas más grandes tienen mas diversidad y son mas abiertos.

Getsa: En las mezquitas más grandes existen mas modelos a seguir. Si hay mas Musulmanes en la comunidad entonces mas Musulmanes practicaran Islam y así hay mas calidad en la comunidad en general. Mas gente estará más disponible a hablar a cerca del Islam y así habrá mas gente que se convierta al Islam. Así es como en todo. Entre mas resumes uno distribuya, mas oportunidades tendrá de obtener una entrevista.

Ricardo: Solo puedo especular porque tal correlación existe. Puede ser por el hecho de que existan mas Musulmanes que viven cerca de las mezquitas, así es que cuando más Musulmanes se concentran mas interacción tendrán con personas que no son Musulmanas. Una vez mas, yo creo que más interacción de Musulmanes con no-Musulmanes traerá mas conciencia y así incrementara él numero de personas que se convierten al Islam.

Omar: No estoy de acuerdo. Aunque no existe una mezquita en Monterrey México, mucha gente de la zona esta interesada en el Islam. Yo soy originalmente de México.

Farheed: Me gustaría saber mas como se obtuvo dicha información para llegar a cierta correlación.

8. La mayoría de los Latinos que abandonan el Catolicismo escogen la religión Pentecostés. ¿Por qué? ¿Qué pueden los Musulmanes aprender de esto?

Daniel: A lo mejor están cansados de la misma liturgia en la Iglesia Católica. Están buscando ser más activos en su fe. Los Musulmanes pueden aprender mucho de esto. Necesitamos ser tan efectivos como los Evangélicos o los Pentecostés.

Yolanda: Las religiones de Pentecostés siempre han sido más consistentes y firmes en cuanto a la provisión de servicios social gratuitos y de información a acerca de su religión. Por ejemplo, los Testigos de Jehová han visto un incremento enorme en los últimos diez años es debido a su organización, enfoque, y persistencia.

Farheed: No tengo conocimiento a cerca de las religiones de Pentecostés y no puedo dar una opinión objetiva.

Omar: Yo era Pentecostés y sabia a cerca del Islam. Yo creo que la gente prefiere convertirse al Cristianismo porque existen Iglesias en Español donde pueden aprender a cerca del Cristianismo en su propio idioma. En general es mas fácil encontrar en Estados Unidos una Iglesia que una mezquita. Mas personas se convertirían al Islam si existieran mas mezquitas.

Teqwa: Probablemente dejan la Iglesia Católica por falta de ayuda. Alhamdulillah, yo soy Musulmana ya por un largo tiempo. Si yo me hubiera convertido al Islam hace poco y no tuviera amistades que me dieran apoyo, me imagino que ya hubiera desertado.

Aisha: A mi también me da curiosidad saber el porque, pero lo que yo he notado es que tienden a dejar el Catolicismo por la idea de venerar una imagen, la presión por las altas clases sociales y la jerarquía que existe entre las iglesias. Tienden a irse a otras denominaciones dentro del Cristianismo porque siguen la divinidad de Jesús (las bendiciones sean con él.) Además, en otras denominaciones leen mas la Biblia que en el Catolicismo.

Gilberto: Yo creo que los Latino-Africanos-Americanos y los Europeos-Americanos Musulmanes necesitan darse cuenta de que pueden ser Musulmanes sin dejar de ser ellos mismos. Mientras andaba en mi bicicleta en la escuela, me encontré un domingo en la tarde con unas personas en la calle que tocaban y cantaban unas congas, ya tiene varios años. Me pare para escuchar por un rato y un Latino empezó a hablar en español, escuche lo que estaba diciendo, eran palabras positivas a cerca de Dios. Después de escuchar por un buen rato me di cuenta que eran Musulmanes. ¡Subhanallah! Necesitamos aprender primero la diferencia entre ser un Musulmán y ser un Arabe, Indo/Pakistani, Malayo, Africano-Americano, etc. Los Árabes, Hindúes-Pakistaníes, y otros grupos han desarrollado su propia manera de ser Musulmanes. Los Americanos lo necesitan también. Así mismo, los Latinos podemos encontrar maneras donde naturalmente y con confianza podamos ser Musulmanes y a la vez Latinos. Regresando a tu pregunta original, la idea de ser Pentecostés y Musulmán es bastante incongruente. En general, puedo decir que las mezquitas no llevan a cabo una amplia gama de lo que es un estilo de sermón permitido. Si es que existe cierto estilo por algún motivo se inclina a cierto tipo de gente. Las mezquitas deben de incluir diferentes estilos.

9. ¿Que tipo de actividades al hacer Dawah recomiendas? ¿Qué funciona y que no funciona?

Teqwa: Necesitamos estar accesibles al publico y no tener miedo a hablar. Las mujeres Hispanas disfrutan el hablar así que hay que llevar a algunas hermanas que no le teman a hablar al publico y que sepan lo que dicen y que lo digan de una manera sutil. Otro modo es haciéndolo de una manera paralela. Yo me encargo de decir cosas que sean comunes para la comunidad de Latinos y así explicar la fe del Islam. Recuerda que estas tratando con gente que tiene cierta fidelidad por la iglesia y tienen un lugar muy especial en su corazón por Maria y sus tradiciones. Necesitas tomar una actitud positiva en cuanto a sus creencias mostrando las diferencias pero también incluyendo muchas de las similitudes. Si no ocurre así entonces olvídalo. Se cerraran por completo. Pero que no se te olvide aquellos que son Cubanos, Dominicanos, Venezolanos, o Puertorriqueños. No porque algunos no se vean con apariencia mestiza quiere decir que deben ser olvidados.

Omar: Deben existir reuniones regulares en las mezquitas o en otros lugares para no-musulmanes o para nuevos Musulmanes. Dawah es más eficiente si es mas a seguido y no una vez al año. Necesitas estar disponible. Los que no son Musulmanes deben de tener la facilidad de contactarte cuando se sientan listos. También no debemos de esperar a que nos contacten. Los Latinos necesitan saber que somos Musulmanes Latinos. Podemos hacerlo mostrando nuestra identidad, rezando, discutiendo a cerca del Islam, etc.

Aisha: La educación tiene una gran influencia. Sermones o la mentalidad de los Testigos de Jehová no funciona, por lo menos no para mí. Estar involucrado en la comunidad Latina seria de gran impacto y ayuda para que otros Latinos tengan mas interacción con Musulmanes así como obtener mas entendimiento a cerca de los Musulmanes. Yo pienso que debemos empezar en pequeño. Primero que nada debemos ver en nuestra propia comunidad en los alrededores. También es básico el mantener una relación con la red de Televisión en español, estaciones de radio, y periódicos.

Daniel: Yo creo que lo que uno enseña es lo que uno hace. Esta es la mejor herramienta para efectuar dawah. También debemos organizar juntas con la comunidad utilizando festivales Latinos como un punto de empiezo. Yo creo que desde aquí todo puede funcionar. Debemos de enfocarnos primero en ciudades con grandes números de Latinos y después las zonas rurales. La mayoría de las demás zonas están expuestas a grandes zonas metropolitanas y así se expande hacia las orillas de la ciudad. Aun así Islam no se debe limitar a determinadas zonas geográficas.

Yolanda: Necesitamos distribuir literatura gratuita. También necesitamos poner anuncios.

Ricardo: Hablando con la gente es el mejor método. Atención individual es más efectiva. Cada uno tiene su propia opinión a cerca de la religión, vida después de la muerte, el alma, el origen del hombre, etc. Ya que cada cual tiene diferente punto de vista, se requiere que el mensaje del Islam le llegue a la persona en su propio modo. Uno no puede esperar el dar el mensaje de una manera y que le llegue a toda la gente de la misma manera. Eso es algo imposible. Debe de existir la atención personalizada. Él hacerlo en una forma masiva es extremadamente difícil. Es por eso que los Musulmanes no deben de distanciarse de sus vecinos. Como una entidad de ummah, necesitamos interactuar con no-Musulmanes pasando el mensaje de una manera verbal y por el ejemplo. Existen muchas cosas que no funcionan y muchas cosas que si funcionan pero todo depende de la persona que reciba el mensaje y de la persona de quien da el mensaje. Existirán personas que se ofendan al escuchar a un Musulmán decir “Nosotros no creemos que Jesús sea el hijo de Dios” así mismo existirán otras personas que no se ofendan al escuchar lo mismo. Generalmente, uno debe de ser paciente, tolerante y cuidadoso en no molestar las creencias de los demás. Necesitamos presentar al Islam como algo en lo que creemos por tal o cual cosa en lugar de presentar al Islam como algo correcto y lo que los demás creen es lo incorrecto. Existen muchas cosas que se deben de hacer y otras que se deben evitar.

10. ¿Cuáles son tus sueños y aspiraciones para el Islam y para los Latinos Musulmanes en América?

Daniel: InshAllah, que creceremos.

Getsa: Me gustaría que Islam creciera porque me gustaría conocer a más buenos Musulmanes que sean buenos influencias y modelos a seguir.

Omar: Me gustaría que se hiciera mas por la gente Hispana en el idioma del español.

Farheed: Me gustaría ver a LADO convertirse en una fuerza dominante cuando se refiera a representar la población de Musulmanes Latinos. Que Allah guíe a LADO.

Yolanda: Mi esperanza es el organizar y crear un grupo de asistencia a todos los Musulmanes nuevos, no nada mas a los Musulmanes Latinos. En mi ciudad se necesita de dicha labor. Mucha gente que se convierte al Islam como yo necesitamos ayuda. Esta ayuda necesita ser implantada antes de ningún otro trabajo de Dawah.

Aisha: Simplemente deseo que Islam sea reconocido y respetado como una religión en nuestra comunidad. Tengo la firme creencia de que esto sucedería si los Musulmanes mejoramos nuestras acciones en forma individual. Necesitan considerarse parte de la sociedad americana siendo activos y comunicándose con otras comunidades para así construir lazos. El resultado de nuestros esfuerzos por educar a la gente a cerca del Islam será gracias a Allah (swt), pero no podemos pensar que las cosas sucederán sin ningún esfuerzo.

Ricardo: Como mínimo, mis deseos y esperanzas son que la gente entienda el Islam por lo que es en lugar de evaluar el Islam por medio de mentiras, deformaciones, y malas interpretaciones. Como máximo, desearía que más gente tomara la religión del Islam.

Conclusión:
Me gustaría agradecer a los hermanos y hermanas Latinos Americanos que se tomaron el tiempo de responder a mis preguntas, espero que encuentren beneficio en los resultados. Me asombra la variedad de las respuestas de entre los Latinos. Las respuestas fueron tanto para inspirar como para motivar a otras personas. Los Musulmanes siempre estarán en desacuerdo en una gran variedad de temas. A pesar de nuestras diferencias, todos estamos de acuerdo en que el llamar a mas gente a unirse al Islam es lo esencial.

Traducido por Rocío Martínez-Mendoza.