By Shabina S. Khatri
July 2006
It’s hard to keep the big picture in mind these days. Given the craziness of the world, it seems like all we Muslims do is run from place to place putting out the fire of the moment, with no time to stop and catch our collective breath, no time to regroup and plan for the future.
But now really is the time to stop and allow ourselves a brief respite from terrorism and racism and classism and all the other –isms that schism our community. It really is time to gather our wits and purify our intentions so that we know why we’re doing what we’re doing, and toward what aim we are contributing our toil and sweat.
Fourteen centuries ago, the word that defined the times was iqraa’ – read.
Today, it is ta’ammal – reflect.
As a community, we’ve grown adept at asking, what now?
But to truly arrive at that answer, we must first figure out, what next?
It seems almost presumptuous, doesn’t it, to envision the future while we are just now barely getting by? It’s like a hobo writing himself a million-dollar check and expecting to actually cash it one day.
Sounds ridiculous – but it’s not.
What will the future hold for Muslims in America?
Well, that depends on what we hope to make of it.
Right now, it seems that we are caught up in a wave of reactions – reacting to fill the needs of the moment, like lack of space, or lack of funds, or lack of leadership.
But by doing that, we are setting ourselves up for exhaustion, burn-out, failure. It’s like buying a fish because it’s cheaper and easier than buying a pole and learning how to catch the fish ourselves. The strategy works today and tomorrow, but in the long run, we end up fools without tools, regretful for not taking the time to plan before implementing, think before jumping.
What will the future hold for Muslims in America?
Will the beautiful masajid we have built teem with third, fourth and fifth-generation children? Or will they stand empty, a testament to the efforts of immigrants who, however sincere, did not think to establish the infrastructure necessary to support such institutions?
Will the portion of our community that is affluent and well-educated continue to isolate itself from the part that is working class and inner city? Will we continue to be frustrated because we choose careers that yield wealth but no influence, while those who are ignorant of our ways define our public face?
Alhumdulillah, these are not fires we will be forced to put out any time soon. But the embers are starting to smolder, and that should be enough to get our attention.
Some might respond that we plan and Allah (SWT) is the Best Planner, so if something ain’t broke, why waste precious time fixing it? But it’s easier to mend a small crack than a gaping fissure, is it not?
And even if problems like empty masajid and wayward children are not as immediately obvious as unlawful detentions and racial profiling, their very existence should merit our immediate consideration, because our future depends on it.
Now, I am not trying to frighten anyone with doom-and-gloom predictions. I am simply trying to point out problems that have been boiling below the surface, issues that have felled other short-sighted communities who didn’t take the time to deal with them before it was too late. The Catholic Church, for example, now faces the heart-breaking task of closing several of its glorious buildings and schools because there are no people to fill them. A groundbreaking study reveals that the U.S. Jewish population has tumbled by several thousand people over the last few years. Do you really think it couldn’t happen to us?
Maybe you agree, but just don’t have the time to worry about all of this. Let someone else deal with it, you may say. That’s fine, if one or two react in such a way. But if all of us pass the buck in terms of this forward-looking responsibility, then just where and when will that buck stop?
Lack of time is something I can certainly appreciate, and as someone who is terribly disorganized, this call for reflection goes to myself first and foremost. I understand what it’s like to have your hand in several projects but never finish one. But if I can prioritize my schedule to include family time, exercise time, and yes, even the stray American Idol episode, then do I really have an excuse for not chipping in?
The beauty of reflection and planning is that contributions can take all forms – time, money, words, hands – and include everyone – spiritual leaders, academics, professionals, housewives, teenagers, children.
Many of us understand the value of investing our money – putting in a principal sum with the expectation that greater rewards can be achieved over time. Consider, then, the much-needed planning for our futures to be the principal that will pay off generations from now – in the form of a proud, thriving and well-adjusted American Muslim community. InshAllah, ameen.
Filed under: IAGD Newsletter | Tagged: IAGD Newsletter | 1 Comment »
