In the second half you really speak about how we need to mobilize and make an impact for our community and future generations, similar to the way Hajar AS was trying to find water for her son (who represented the future righteous people). But I’m curious if there are any specific initiatives you want to see from Muslim Americans?
Salam—this is a great question. I’m always hesitant to prescribe specific actions, not because I’m afraid of outlining ideas, but because local communities need to decide what’s best for them. What I would recommend specifically is to write up a list of questions that every community should ask out of each initiative, tailored to your specific circumstances.
Like, is this sustainable? Who does this benefit? How will this play out in ten years’ time? What unexpected outcomes might this lead to? Who gains from this and who loses out? Is there a preference here for certain kinds of Muslims? Are there classist or elitist assumptions at play?
I’ll give you a simple example.
I personally believe it’s good to have one giant Eid prayer service in each location for multiple reasons, beyond the religious
First, massive Eid services cause incredible wear and tear on masjids, which are usually struggling to meet operational costs anyway
Second, if you do one big prayer, it’s easy to bring in food trucks that liberate families from hosting parties… and encourage more spontaneous interactions while supporting local businesses, creating a festival atmosphere, driving entrepreneurship and getting noticed on the local business / political map, all of which are very good things
Third, this takes a lot of the burden off of some families who have to undertake major expenses and a lot of work on what should be a day off
Fourth, people who are new to a community, or not front-and-center, don’t get invited to parties—this is a way to cultivate new friendships and relationships across and beyond our social circles
People should and still can socialize on Eid on their own, but this creates a framework for a more pan-Muslim experience on a regional level
Are there downsides? Sure! But we should ask hard questions all the time, beyond an example tied to a holiday. Questions are dangerous, scary, and necessary! Is it smart, for example, to invest so much time and energy in pushing our kids to pursue careers that worked for their parents, on the assumption the future will be just like the past? How do we know that our present priorities are translating our passions into positive outcomes? Are our current approaches and strategies bringing about the results we want?
Thanks for this, Haroun, and Eid Mubarak! I also think a lot about why people do/don't convert. People always ask me how I, as a Catholic, can know and love so much about Islam—and even teach an Intro to Islam class—and not have decided to become Muslim myself. I also don't think it's much about belief, or theology, or being 'convinced by the ideas,' so to speak. But rather, Where do I feel most at home? I can love someone else's home—even be envious of it at times!—but it's not my home. In my exploration through Islam, I have realized that Catholicism feels most like home, and one that I would really struggle to leave.
In the second half you really speak about how we need to mobilize and make an impact for our community and future generations, similar to the way Hajar AS was trying to find water for her son (who represented the future righteous people). But I’m curious if there are any specific initiatives you want to see from Muslim Americans?
Salam—this is a great question. I’m always hesitant to prescribe specific actions, not because I’m afraid of outlining ideas, but because local communities need to decide what’s best for them. What I would recommend specifically is to write up a list of questions that every community should ask out of each initiative, tailored to your specific circumstances.
Like, is this sustainable? Who does this benefit? How will this play out in ten years’ time? What unexpected outcomes might this lead to? Who gains from this and who loses out? Is there a preference here for certain kinds of Muslims? Are there classist or elitist assumptions at play?
I’ll give you a simple example.
I personally believe it’s good to have one giant Eid prayer service in each location for multiple reasons, beyond the religious
First, massive Eid services cause incredible wear and tear on masjids, which are usually struggling to meet operational costs anyway
Second, if you do one big prayer, it’s easy to bring in food trucks that liberate families from hosting parties… and encourage more spontaneous interactions while supporting local businesses, creating a festival atmosphere, driving entrepreneurship and getting noticed on the local business / political map, all of which are very good things
Third, this takes a lot of the burden off of some families who have to undertake major expenses and a lot of work on what should be a day off
Fourth, people who are new to a community, or not front-and-center, don’t get invited to parties—this is a way to cultivate new friendships and relationships across and beyond our social circles
People should and still can socialize on Eid on their own, but this creates a framework for a more pan-Muslim experience on a regional level
Are there downsides? Sure! But we should ask hard questions all the time, beyond an example tied to a holiday. Questions are dangerous, scary, and necessary! Is it smart, for example, to invest so much time and energy in pushing our kids to pursue careers that worked for their parents, on the assumption the future will be just like the past? How do we know that our present priorities are translating our passions into positive outcomes? Are our current approaches and strategies bringing about the results we want?
Thanks for this, Haroun, and Eid Mubarak! I also think a lot about why people do/don't convert. People always ask me how I, as a Catholic, can know and love so much about Islam—and even teach an Intro to Islam class—and not have decided to become Muslim myself. I also don't think it's much about belief, or theology, or being 'convinced by the ideas,' so to speak. But rather, Where do I feel most at home? I can love someone else's home—even be envious of it at times!—but it's not my home. In my exploration through Islam, I have realized that Catholicism feels most like home, and one that I would really struggle to leave.
Eib Mubarak!
Thank you and Khayr Mubarak!