Youth Lecture - What does it mean to be a Muslim?

The following are my notes from a lecture I gave at Silverthorn Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Canada on Dec. 16th, 2011

I would like to begin by by saying salam to all of you: Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi warbakatuhu.

I would like to begin with a deep sense of gratitude, honour and respect for your MSA, for creating a platform where we can gather and discuss Islamic knowledge. Allah choses only his favourite people to have the understanding of Islam. It is only through the learning the knowledge of Islam. that Allah increases people in ranks and nearness to Him. It is through knowledge Allah makes easy the path of Jannah. The seekers of knowledge are appreciated by angels. The angels lower their wings for the seekers of knowledge and make duaa for them. So  I feel truly privileged to have the opportunity to be part of your learning process. May Allah accept our gathering aameen.

I have been asked to speak about the Muslim identity, what it means to be a Muslim in North America in 2011. Hopefully some of the advises and observations that I have to share with you will be of benefit to you inshaAllah.

As youth we see Islam as a religion, as a tradition that is passed down to us from our parents. We do not see Islam as a way of looking at the world. If a Muslim youth today, was asked in this high school or any other high school in Mississauga and Toronto, "Why are you Muslim?" or "What makes you choose Islam?" A genuine and honest answer would be, "because my parents are Muslim" or "I was raised as a Muslim." Muslim youth lack intellectual proof and satisfactory evidence to embrace Islam independently on their own and be proud of it. At the same time, youth have a lot of questions about Islam, there are things perhaps we do not understand. There are some aspects of Islamic principles, laws and mannerisms that seriously trouble us. We are perplexed or even offended by some of the rulings. This is when questions about the validity and authenticity of the Qur'an are raised in many circles - the media and literature. You might have heard of voices claiming that, 'Islam is holding us back' or that 'Islam is the cause of terrorism in the world' and that 'Islam oppresses women.' So the Muslim generation growing up in the midst of all this friction is seriously troubled - we are in a lot of stress with respect to our identity. I hope to address the challenges and leave you with a single most powerful solution inshaAllah to help you become comfortable and confident with Islam.

Challenge # 1 - Muslim youth see Islam as something hereditary. Like we have inherited our body time and skin tone, eye colour and language from our parents. Its something genetic, its ben passed down to us. Similarly, we think of Islam as an ancestral, familial bestowal. We pray 5 times a day and do not eat pork because this is what our nearest and dearest people have done for many generations. Moreover, we think of Islam as a an unwanted birthday or Eid gift - we don't really know what it is so we don't use it. Its chucked away in the basement or dumped in the closet and forgotten. Likewise, because we do not know Islam personally, we do not have any appreciation for this way of life. We cannot relate to it so we do not think too much about it. We can identity ourselves with music bands, with sport teams, with our school and our country. We think of ourselves as in terms of fashion and beauty first, or friends and a skill first but not as Muslims. Islam is not the first thing on our minds. We don't feel in solidarity with any of the Islamic symbols. Being a Muslim is somewhat assumed.

What do Muslim youth want most in life? What do we want to get out of life? Honestly, we want to be happy and successful in life. We want money, car, career, a cell phone ... perhaps move to a new country. We want friends, we want love, we want to find love. These are things which are dreams of every youth in the world, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and atheists alike.  So our life goals as Muslim youth are not determined by Islam. Islam is not a major player on our outlook in life.

Challenge # 2 - Even if the youth today want to practice Islam, it is presented to us in such a negative way that we flinch at it. Islam is frowned upon, sometimes by our own family. We have not seen our mom and dad offer Salah for many years. They feel irritated he moment we talk to them about an event in the Masjid, or giving donations to a Muslim charity. They think of reading Qur'an and wearing the hijab as fundamental and extremists acts. Instead they happily encourage to watch Indian movies with them and sing and dance at the weddings. At the same time, our friends taunt us if we take Islam seriously. They think we aren't cool if we don't check out girls and go to pubs with them. In school we read novels of Saudi Muslims beating their wives and Jihadists underground cells in Toronto. Hence, gradually Muslim youth develop a resentment and hostility towards their Islamic identity. The hateful rhetoric against Islam eventually overcomes us so we desist being Muslim. We try to blend in with the pop culture as much as possible and remove all traces of Islam from our lives out of shame and disgust of who we are.

The solution to this is reconstructing our image of Islam. Islam is the source of pride and strength. Islam made the human race noble and civilized. Muslims offered progress and enlightenment to the world. The world looked up to us for guidance and leadership. Muslims discovered coffee and three-course meals. We made the first cameras, maps, planes and dictionaries. We invented deodorants, sophisticated surgical practices and cutting-edge surgical instruments. We are the founders of vaccinations, internal stitching and many medical sciences. The first to establish universities  were Muslims. We created mathematics, trigonometry, chemistry, geometry, geography and astronomy. Muslims were the pioneers of architecture, dams, windmills, textile industry, paper and glass industry. It is safe to say that our modern world would not exist without the Muslim heritage. The negative propaganda against Islam today is a wretched misunderstanding of Islam. Dr. Michael Hart, an American scientist, said that the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), the Prophet of Islam was the most successful man in human history. Who does not want to be successful in this room? Thomas Carlyle, a European historian, said that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was the hero of humanity. Who here does not want to be admired and idealized by his peers? Aren't we all trying to achieve something extraordinary? George Bernard Shaw, a politician said that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) could solve all the problems of the world while having the evening tea. Who doesn't want to abolish world hungry, poverty, child labour and diseases? All that we are seeking in life as a person and as a humanitarian are in Islam.

Challenge # 3 - The society poses a challenge to the Muslim youth. We live in a narcissist culture. The commercials, billboards, magazines and advertisements tell us that material things are the means of success in life. So we constantly buy this and get that. We surround ourselves with friends, music, rides and games thinking, this is the way to happiness. So to look cool and happy, Muslim youth, especially in high school are under a lot of pressure to wear revealing cloths (girls) and bling (boys), to go on dates and drink, to skip class and make fun of the teacher etc. We want to be as beautiful, as rich and reckless as the celebrities on television.

But if we really think about it, we will soon discover that this life style offers nothing but misery and grief. 1 in every 4 girls in Canada are sexually assaulted and 50% of these attacks occur during dates. Often these attacks include drugs and the use of weapons. 80% of the time, the assailant is a friend of the victim. So I encourage the young sisters here to think twice for the sake of their life before they wear something short and go alone with any guy. As for the young brothers, from 2000 through 2004, there were 44,192 accidental car deaths in Canada, 70% of whom were youth deaths, between the ages of 15-24. 1 in every 5 homicides in Canada is a gang related stabbing or shooting. It is not cool to be found beaten black and blue or to pull your body pierced with glass and metal from a wrecked car on the high way. And dear Muslim youth, did you know that alcohol is poisonous? You think the smell and throwing up and the hangover the next day was but did you know alcohol cause seizures, it can gag your lungs and stop your breathing, send you to coma, give you Hypothermia and Hypoglycemia? Sure, our friends may drink all the time but do we really want to wait till someone dies before we take the warnings seriously?

And rest assured that the celebrities are all photoshoped. They are not as thin and trim as they appear on posters. They have wrinkles, pores and dark circles. They also have fat, dry/oily skin and breakouts. They are in and out of jail and bankrupt. Do you have a younger sibling a pet or a plant whom you really care about? How are you with your baby brother or sister? Would you ever hurt them? Make them cry?  Allah is Ar Rahman and Ar Raheem - He is more loving and compassionate than 70 mothers. He is intrinsically the Most Gentle, Tender, Caring and Merciful. Allah will never want for us to live a life of misery and tragedy. Allah wants the best for us and that is why He sent us Islam. If you want the perfect life, and if you want to have sweetness and blessings, success and earnings in your life then follow Islam.

Challenge # 4 - An added challenge to the Muslim youth is the chaotic interpretations of Islam. There are so many scholars, Deobandi, Barelwi, Sufi, Wahabi, Hanafi, Shafa'i - who have their own versions of Islam and each are trying to form alliances and increase their followers. In the midst of their religious bickering: allegations and refutations, the youth feel confused and frustrated. We didn't bargain for a fight when we signed up to become Muslim. We don't want to bother with fiqh or usool or manhaj. We don't even know what these things mean. So we see Islam as something incomprehensible. Who is to say which version of Islam is right? Which Mullah or Peer or Imaam should we follow? Tell you what ... forget all this and follow the Qur'an! Allah says, ذَ‌ٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ Qur'an is the Book of guidance for those who remember Allah. If our real concern is Allah. If we truly care about our Creator and we want to know Him, obey and please Him, then put everything and everyone aside and just read the Qur'an. It may feel a little daunting at first: the Qur'an is a big Book, in arabic - how are we ever going to make sense out of it on our own? Allah says, وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ He has made the reading and understanding of the Qur'an easy, is there anyone who will pay attention? It is Allah's promise - we will be able to understand the Qur'an and enjoy every part of it, if we just give it a try. Have faith and just read - it will change your life. I am a living proof of this, standing before you. I was also a Muslim youth going through the same challenges as you and alhamdulillah, Allah guided me through the Qur'an. I am a better and happier person today, spiritually and socially because of the Qur'an, alhamdulillah. If there is anything at all, it is the Qur'an and only the Qur'an that can give us comfort and confidence in Islam. The Qur'an is the best source for Muslims youth in formulating their identity.

So what does the Qur'an say about Muslim identity?

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ وَمَن يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ

وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَانُ لِابْنِهِ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖوَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ۖ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّهَا إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ فَتَكُن فِي صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ أَوْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ

يَا بُنَيَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَاصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا أَصَابَكَ ۖ إِنَّ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ

وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ

وَاقْصِدْ فِي مَشْيِكَ وَاغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ الْأَصْوَاتِ لَصَوْتُ الْحَمِيرِ

[31:12-19]

What does it mean to be a Muslim, according to the Qur'an?

1. Wise - Widsom is the inheritance of every Muslim. It is our greatest assest and virtue. By wisdom I don't mean getting an A on a calculus exam or memorizing really complicated chemical formulas. Wisdom is a combination of profound knowledge and good action; it is the ability to use information to produce sound judgement. Wisdom is not to take things at face value but to have deep understanding and realization of people, things and situations. It is not to make decisions in a hurry, based on emotions but to be composed and sagacious. To be optimist and be guided by consistent principles and plans. Often we think of religious people as being backward, boring, blind to science and outdated. But Allah refers to Luqman in these verses as being spiritual and perceptive and rational. Thus a Muslim youth is one who is acute, intelligent, savvy and sharp.

2. Thankful - The ultimate wisdom is to be thankful to Allah and wisdom is attained by showing gratitude to Allah. Why should the Muslim youth be thankful to Allah? Well because of the fact that we can walk, race and jump. We have the senses of sight, hearing and touch. We know how to read and write. We have friends, relatives and teachers who inspire us, help us and give us company. Thank Allah because He gave us our possessions: clothes, car, a house, computer, cell phone, TV. Our school is a blessing from Allah - if we like our classes then wonderful but if not then alhamdulillah every test and assignment that we do is building our life, providing us with skills necessary to grow and have a good future. Thank Allah for good health. We don't have cancer or leukemia. Ebola, polio, influenza HIV or diabetes. Alhamdulillah we can breathe and go about our daily life without any medical crisis. Thank Allah that we have food. We do not starve daily. We don't have problems obtaining food when most people in the world do.

But how does being thankful to Allah make us wise? Simple, Allah increases a thankful person with more blessings will an ungrateful person increases only in sadness and pessimism. A thankful person aware of her blessings is wise because she appreciative of even the little things Allah has given her in life like a warm bed, the smell of cookies, the laughter of friends, fresh cut grass,  puffy clouds and long drives, etc. Because of her thankful relationship with Allah, she has the wisdom to always be happy, outgoing and optimistic. She doesn't see problems but uses her wisdom to convert the most difficult moments into opportunities waiting to unfold. She is constructive and creative.

3. Monotheistic and not Polytheistic - the meaning of Islam can be summarized in 4 words - لااله الا الله A Muslim is one who negates all gods and reserves worship exclusively for Allah, the Creator, Owner, Provider and Judge of everything. So Muslim youth dedicate themselves to Allah with utmost trust in Him and obedience to His commands. Muslim youth only call upon and pray only to Allah with full conviction that none other than Allah is the Propitious, Bestower of  Good and the Beneficient. They submit just to Allah's commands because they earnestly have faith that Allah's rulings are universal and far better than all modern, democratic, secular and man-made laws combined. Even when everyone tries to assimilate with society, Muslim youth adhere to the commands of Allah without feeling embarrassed or disgusted. Hence, Muslim youth will not read horoscopes for fun or wear lucky charms because they look pretty. Muslim youth will not skip salah for a class or wear the bangs hijab because fashion. 

4. Care for mother and treat parents with appropriate kindness - Every minute of everyday, a woman dies of pregnancy related complications. Our mothers risked their lives to conceive and give birth to us. They sacrificed their social and economic standing so that we could experience this world. Imagine 9 months of physical and emotional trauma. Imagine exhaustion, nausea and vomiting every morning. Bloating, swelling, dizziness, infections and cramps by afternoon; headaches, back strains, anemia, hair loss and hemorrhoid at night, every day! Our mothers endured far worse to carry us in their wombs and raise us after we were born. Thus Muslim youth honour their mothers and help them for giving us the gift of life. 

5. Mindful of Allah and conscious of the Day of Judgment. Everything that we do in life, even if it should be the weight of a mustard seed within a rock anywhere on the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Allah is the All Aware and Acquainted, the All Hearing, All Seeing, All Knowing and All Watching. Therefore Muslim youth remember Allah in every occasion because we have to answer to Allah on the Day of Judgment for our behaviour. 

6. Establish Salah and do good things in the community - Salah is the hallmark of Muslim youth, they pray 5 times a day on time to Allah with their heart and soul. It is a manifestation of our faith and obedience to Allah. We are the most closet to Allah when we pray. It gives us the opportunity to take a break and go talk to Allah. Allah helps those who pray, increases them in blessings and saves them from sins. Muslim youth also volunteer their skills to the community. From packing lunches for the homeless, reading to the seniors in old homes, cleaning the public parks to tutoring younger children, giving Da'wah, helping the Masjid, writing to MPs and raising money for library or community center, Muslim youth are agents of good everywhere they go. 

7. Respectful when speaking, humble when walking; over all, friendly and compassionate with everyone.

8. Patient, Walk with dignity and speak with softness.  

So this is what it means to be a Muslim. Of course there are more amazing Muslim identities but for now these should suffice. Dear youth, be proud of Islam. It will make you noble and noticeable. Read the Qur'an, through it, your youth years will become absolutely incredible and gratifying, inshaAllah.