Reflections

What if your Masjid was just a little different?
What if it was set up for da’wah like nearly every church in America is?


When I saw he was very receptive to Islamic teachings, I began to get excited. Here was a man who spent his entire life living for little more than himself, now he wanted to live for a greater ideal, a higher goal. He could very easily become a Muslim. I knew I had to move carefully. I thought of what to do next. I was only one person. I knew he needed to see more, to know more, to understand more. I realised then that my problems were just beginning.


If you can identify with this scenario then you may already know what problems naturally follow. If you cannot conceive that there would ever be any difficulty with introducing someone to Islam, then read on and be enlightened. Certainly light can dispel the darkness that has hidden the truth to many.


We all dream of bringing someone to Islam. Every time we have had the chance to share our faith with others, we thought about the potential for a new Muslim being born. Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) once said that to bring someone to Islam is better than the whole world and everything in it. It is especially of interest to those of us who have accepted Islam ourselves. We know what life is like before Islam: meaningless and empty. We know our fellow Americans need it desperately.


Let’s say, just for a moment, that you convinced someone to consider Islam a bit closer. Let’s say you have peaked their interest and you have reached them at the right time in their lives. What do you do next? If you were a Christian, you might introduce the person to your Bible-study group or bring them to your Church where they can be drawn into the life-blood of the thriving institution.


But as a Muslim, you know that we, as a community, do not have relevant, interesting study groups. What about the Masjid? Surely I could take him there?


Your prospect is a male. So you bring him with you to evening prayers one night so he can get a feel for the place Muslims meet. If you are blessed with a well-organised Masjid, then you are okay.


You make Salah and perhaps your friend joins in. He loves the experience. Afterwards, you introduce him to the Imam and some of the brothers. They are friendly, warm and decent people. Then everyone decides to sit together for a small meal in the Masjid and your friend hesitates. He feels shy. He’s off his own turf, after all, and is completely dependent on you at the moment for his sense of centre and place.


A large sheet is spread and the brothers sit down around it. A community bowl is placed in the center and then everyone begins eating. Your friend takes a few tentative bites and begins to relax. He even exchanges a word or two with the brothers and is on the verge of opening up. Then, something strange happens. Slowly, imperceptibly, the words floating in the air begin to lose their English flavour and drift over into Urdu or Arabic or Bengali or whatever. After ten minutes, everyone is speaking a foreign language and laughing and ribbing each other.


Your friend starts to feel uncomfortable again. You look around near the Masjid entrance for some literature you can give him. There are no booklets, flyers or anything like that. All there seems to be are piles of donation forms from about twelve different relief organisations.


You are getting nervous. You know follow-up is the key. Your friend shifts his mind to going home. You tell him you want to check and see what upcoming programmes are available to attend. You go to the bulletin board. It’s a mess. Papers announcing programmes held three months ago still remain.


You and your friend make ready to leave. As you turn onto the highway you can’t help but wonder: what if your Masjid were just a little different? What if it was set up for da’wah like nearly every church in America is. What if it were clean, well-maintained, staffed with a friendly secretary and set up as a full service center for the community? What if there were good, relevant programmes for Muslims and non-Muslims alike given by people who were inspiring, eloquent and aware of the issues we face in the modern world?