More Americans Claim No Religion
Posted on March 9th, 2009 by Tariq Nelson
From the USA Today
When it comes to religion, the USA is now land of the freelancers.The percentage. of people who call themselves in some way Christian has dropped more than 11% in a generation. The faithful have scattered out of their traditional bases: The Bible Belt is less Baptist. The Rust Belt is less Catholic. And everywhere, more people are exploring spiritual frontiers — or falling off the faith map completely.
Filed under: Changing World
This is not surprising. “religious” is sort of euphemism for many people for backwards. Most people nowadays are “spiritual”, term for a smorgasbord of different concepts (usually that cancel each other out) but really don’t offer the “spiritual” person any depth of wisdom nor connection to the Creator but it makes them feel good. I touched upon this awhile in blog post.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=12400719&blogId=376142996
“Spiritual” is a vague concept that I have NEVER been able to grasp
Why did they have to make a poll about this? No surprise here; just go out your front or back door; people do what they want. It’s unfortunate the among of Muslims that live in this society and don’t have a clue they are affected by these people.
It’s what’s shocking!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7435883.stm
Yet, he is their hero, lol! Too sad!
This survey indicates Muslims are .6 percent of the population which would be less than 2 million in the U.S.
It puts the Jewish percentage at 1.2 percent which would obviously be twice as much.
Both the Jews and Muslims are claiming that the survey undercounts them, although I’m not sure why they are claiming this would be the case.
Dr. Ihsan Bagby (hafidhuAllah) is quoted in the article and is saying he is working on a survey that is done through mosques. I know that that survey will be useful but I can’t believe it would be more accurate to find the Muslim population in America through mosques than through the type of survey being reported here.
Nor can I as most Muslims attend more than one mosque and could theoretically be counted 2-3 times
Many Muslims are heading down this path as well.
Islam has always been the fastest growing faith in America. The “Black Muslim” and “White Muslims” indigenous people of the land have contributed (and are contributing) to the growth of Islam. The immigrant Muslims have also contributed in other ways but my observation is that there is still a lack of Scholars who can bind communities by addressing Muslim needs, for example, spirituality, financial challenges, support of Muslim Businesses, creating alternate solutions to get the next generation aligned to lead Islam. There is a burning passion in Muslims across America to learn Arabic but NOTHING serious is available to address this fundamental need. Rather we have polarized jamaats carrying diseases from various parts of the world. The next generation of young Muslims are an “endangered specie” which means that at some point after this generation of Muslims writing on these blogs and discussing today, there is a generation coming that might have “no religion” or be Muslims in name. Lectures, books and talks are all commercial material nowadays; what we don’t have are people with a heart that sees no colors.
Nadeem,
What you described applies almost to the entirety of the Wally-Worlders. Outside of a few pockets of them, how many of the third generation of that group have any connection to (what they perceive to be) Islam?
The other problem for many BAMs is the inability to extricate themselves from black ghetto kaafir culture. So you have people who do deem themselves to be Muslims–and are proudly so, but, simply don’t have the skills that would enable them to build or even contribute to a community (more often than not, they, and their pathologies, are a burden on the community). Similarly, when those people have kids, their children very often have little emotional stability or connection to the Deen.
As far as the immigrants go, you have those who are UTTERLY lost and just “wanna be loved” by the larger kaafir society. Given that they are so assimilationist minded, it is not likely they will have much to offer the next generation. Others have inclined themselves to the quasi-sunni/pseudo-sufi characters–who, like Christian preachers–are making money hand over fist off of them because the mass of Muslims are not acquainted with GENUINE Islamic scholarship.
Perhaps, the economic crisis will make many ot the immgrants wake up to the reality of the “American Dream” and cause some of them to seek more substance to their lives. And perhaps the trickle of AA Muslims who seek (genuine) traditional knowledge will be able to make it relevant to help heal the problems in the black community.
With Allah is the success.
Nadeem,
What you say is true in some respects, but I think ultimately misleading. I say this as a criticism of myself first and foremost because I am one of the many Muslims burning to know Arabic better than I do but if someone really seriously wanted to learn Arabic (rather than just wished that he or she knew Arabic) there are plenty of resources available to learn.
Yeah, it’s true that you’d have to devote a lot of time and maybe even some money and you might even have to travel. But, honestly, that’s always going to be the case. No matter how advanced our community becomes, we are not going to be able to set up something where someone will come to people’s houses for free and let them learn Arabic in a few days. If people said they had a burning desire to finish college but we saw them not doing it, we could not say, well I guess the main problem is there are not enough colleges in the U.S. If the people with a burning desire to learn Arabic spent one quarter the amount of time and money and travel on that as they do on college they would know Arabic.
As I said, no doubt you are right that we need as a community to set up better venues which are more appropriate to our society and the learning styles of people who have grown up in this environment. Such projects are developing (e.g. Bayyinah Institute), and will continue to do so to meet real demand.
The first priority is developing people who really do have a burning desire, not people like me who really wish they knew Arabic better, but all this means is that they buy a few books, go to a few classes (and drop out), study for a few days or weeks in a row, then “get too busy.”
Again, you make many good points Nadeem and I probably could have written your post myself but to create a full true picture we have to add that part. It may indeed be true, but it is always easier to talk about our lack of dynamic leaders that can bind us together and make us better, but those leaders will not be sent down from outer space. They will come from us, so the best you or I can do if we truly think that is what is needed is to start doing what is necessary to become that. And if for some reason, we truly cannot do that ourself, then we should be spending our time and money to give a chance to others to do the things necessary to become that.
And yes we should make du’a as well, but even our du’a is not sincere if we are not taking the worldly means necessary to accomplish these goals.
No doubt there is always a danger of the next generations losing their emaan if we do not create an enviroment that nurtures that, but we shouldn’t risk being pessimistic either. The generation of parents whose kids are writing on these blogs now were not even Muslims or were actually far away from the faith. This generation growing up here is actually among those people who participate in Muslim activities much more grounded in the deen than their parents generation. I know it may sound hard to believe, but you could look it up. True, since we live in a non-Muslim society it will be easier for people to completely lose touch with the religion than it would be if we were in a Muslim land where even people who don’t pray maintain some cultural connections to the deen.
So, I think we can both agree that none of us know what will be the future of the next generation and that it will depend on what we do now and what they do. May Allaah (swt) make it a blessed future for Islam and Muslims in this land and throughout the world.
Figures lie and liars figure…this poll was underwritten by an athiest/secular organization that had investment in the results.
“The other problem for many BAMs is the inability to extricate themselves from black ghetto kaafir culture. So you have people who do deem themselves to be Muslims–and are proudly so, but, simply don’t have the skills that would enable them to build or even contribute to a community (more often than not, they, and their pathologies, are a burden on the community). Similarly, when those people have kids, their children very often have little emotional stability or connection to the Deen.”
BLACK GHETTO KAAFIR CULTURE - how many times are you going to use that phrase of propoganda for your agenda - could you please be a little less transparent.
Ron,
When we talk about “jail house Muslims,” and we put the so-called PC talk aside, what are we talking about? We are talking about people who call themselves Muslims but act like “N-words.” And who are those N-word people? They are not Pakistani-American Muslim suburbanites; they are not Japanese Americans kaafirs. We are talking about folks who are black, from the ghetto/pathological, and kaafir. This is who MANY African-American Muslims continue to identify with. And until African-American MUSLIMS develop values, and an identity and culture DISTINCT from the kaafir culture, then they are going to continue to lug around the pathologies of the decadent mushrik (and increasingly atheistic) branch of the black tribe.
How can AA muslims not identify with whom they neighborhoods. I am just trying to understand what is behind your philosophy.
I will always identify with my family although they may be christian.
Do you believe that because someone wears Timberland boots that they identify with Black Ghetto Kaafir Culture.
Did you make up the phrase, “Black Ghetto Kaafir Culture?” Who came up with this perspective?
What about the thousands of Black Muslim Businessmen? What about the doctors, lawyers, plumbers, contractors, vendors, IT, and other business people? Are these people Black Ghetto Kaafir Culture as well?
Ron,
The first and foremost distinction between people is Creed–not color or ethnicity. If a person slanders and insults Allah or rejects Allah’s Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), then there can be no solid bond between such a person and the Muslim. Unity and love is established first and foremost in sharing love for the One whom we should love the most. That is, unity is based upon sharing the proper belief and love for Allah (and His Messenger).
One can look at the values of the black ghetto kaafir and see they contradict and oppose Islamic values in virtually every aspect–whether it be the kufr, the diet, alcohol, drugs, music, fornication, anti-intellectualism, excessive emotionality, ostentatiousness, criminality, rash/unjustified violence, ad nauseum. It should be MADE CLEAR in the minds of the Muslims that those people and their values are UNISLAMIC and should be CONDEMNED. And it is because AA Muslims have failed to openly condemn such behavior, that their children very often are imitating the black ghetto kaafir (even if they do not live in the “hood”) out of some sense of racial “solidarity.” (I even saw a video recently with Zaid Shakir’s male offspring all dressed up in his little rapper costume when he got dropped off at school–much to the dismay of Zaid.)
Ron, i think everyone here (familiar with American society) knows what i mean when i say black kaafir ghetto culture (a phrase i would like to think that i coined–we can google it). I am not talking about Barrack Obama. I am not talking about bourgie Jack and Jill negroes or the Uncle Ben/Aunt Jemima chitlin eatin’ pagans. I am not talking about a hardworking poor black person with a notion of morality from the inner city. I am not condemning poverty–afterall, most of the people of Jannah will be from among the poor. I am talking about the cretins you see gesticulating themselves in (c)rap videos when you open up BET. I am talking about the Snoop Bastard and Half a Bucks of the world. It is these things who are SETTING THE TONE for much of black America–especially, the youth.
When you look at African-American Muslim youth who are wrapped up in dysfunctional pathological criminal behavior, they are not emulating the toothless white kaafir meth-heads from the Ozarks. They are emulating black kaafirs from the ghetto. Why is that? Because they believe living a life of licentious thuggery is all part of being “black”–when in reality, it is part of being a black KAAFIR… with a ghetto mentality. Such behavior and mentality has NOTHING to do with Islam.
This is where the crisis lies in the BAM community (besides the general dearth of traditional knowledge and understanding of the matters of `Aqidah). There is an identity crisis. BAM need to forge out a NEW identity–based upon the Sacred Law and its judgments–and not out of dated American notions of race and identity.
With Allah is the success.
@ swathmoor -
We have to agree to disagree. I think the stance that we are muslims first is pretty much entrenched among BAM. Now, I think BAM can never be accused of putting their racial identity before Creed.
If you look at history for the last 5000 years you will see that people of African descent have been the most sincere in their religious Creeds, including Islam.
However, we cannot be the only group playing by the following rule:
“The first and foremost distinction between people is Creed–not color or ethnicity.”
If we follow this rule to its logical conclusion, we will morally suffer because of political, economic, social, and cultural inequity.
BAM do not need a teaching regarding putting Creed before identity and racial solidarity because historically that is what we have been doing for generations.
Actually, I think this rule may be the cause of misery for black people as a whole. This rule may actually make it more difficult for BAM to fulfill their Islamic obligations. This is akin to putting people in difficult situations and asking them to all be as strong as Bilal ibn Rabah. He was a special individual and we cannot expect all BAM to become “Bilalians.”
If all other non-BAM followed this rule, I would think that we may have a chance to implement it among BAM.
On another note, “BAM … and not out of dated (sic) American notions of race and identity,” these notions to me are actually presently spreading all around the world. For example, South America, Middle East, and Europe are all adopting America’s ideas of race.
I will concede that groups who are offshoots of NOI represent an exception to this rule.
I have had many sit downs with non-BAM regarding the issue of race and the America’s notions of identity. Identity as a racial, tribal or ethnic group is not inconsistent with Islamic unity.
Many non-BAM think that they can use BAM as a fifth column by having BAM abandoning their bond to other Black Americans. No, I will not let the old Arab proverb of “killing a slave with a slave” get by me.
Salaam
because I think the best way
@ Ron
“If you look at history for the last 5000 years you will see that people of African descent have been the most sincere in their religious Creeds, including Islam.”
What proof do you have for this wack statement!?!
Where’s the sincerity of BAM’s!?! A LARGE proportion of BAM’s still want to act like niggas, rather than Believers. Look at how many still run around partying and run around in clubs, fornicate, commit crimes etc. There are so many who continue to do these things!!!!!!!!!
Islaam has been in the Black America community for several decades and what have we done with it? We went from the shirk of Moorish science temple and similar groups, to the shirk of the Nation of Kufr, to the kufr beliefs espoused by Warith Deen. Bring me something other than that, that BAM’s have done. We haven’t raised one scholar in all this time. How many of us even tried to learn arabic? How many of us understand the the basic Aqeedah of Islaam? How many of us know the Qur’an, or at least Juzz Amma? How many of us know how to recite the Book of Allaah–or even thinks important to learn how to recite it correctly? Shoot, you go to your average BAM masjid and they can’t even call the Adhan correctly. The person who y’all proclaim should be the “Imam of America” can’t even say “Salallaahu alayh wa salam” right. Where is this sincerity you boast about!?!
BAM’s, if you want to see the real effects of your Islaam, then take a look at your jacked-up kids–and the ones raised in Muslim families are among the worst!!!
BAM’s are in no position to pat ourselves on our backs, nor boast about what we’ve done!!!! We have a loooooooong way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Swathmoor and Daud, thank you so much brothers. I see some of us are still in denial. What you brothers just said others will call you ” foreigner lovers” and say stuff like you have turned your backs on the African-Americans, lol! Watch yourselves now, lol! The missiles will surely follow.
Tawheed is the most important thing in Islam. I remember my very chariable family members cursing Islam. Wow! How can I accept that. I distances myself from them.
I see more Afrocentric Muslims than I want to; they are more African than real Africans. Where did that come from?
I’ve heard BAM, speaking of “our people” when things went down in New Orleans during the hurricane. What people are your people among these pagans? These people who worship other, Jesus, along side Allah(swt) is among your people? Man, if you want to continue to count these people among your people, I can’t stop you. I have some Islamic studies to learn.
“BAM need to forge out a NEW identity–based upon the Sacred Law and its judgments–and not out of dated American notions of race and identity.”
Now if this is not the truth. I’m sorry, but where are such men in the masjid to speak like this?
Swarthmoor! All praises is due to Allah truly, but I have to say I’m nodding my head in amazement at the truth to this statement. Brother Daud, your truth has literally made me cry from happiness. Why can’t we hear more like this in the masjid. Why the silence in the masjid. Wow! May Allah(swt) bless you brothers. Ameen!
To jump into this argument: there was a time when I was going to an ex-NOI masjid for jumaa and, while the brothers were friendly, I felt real uncomfortable with a lot of what was being said from the minbar:
- References to “Honorable” Elijah Muhammad
- Quotation of the Bible just as much as Quran
- Plenty of “not to disparage other races (while looking squarely at me and my Pakistani buddy) but…”
The coup de gras (and I am not paraphrasing here):
- “You know, they make a lot to do about Barack HUSSEIN (pause) Obama basing his cabinet on principles Lincoln used but we know he is really doing what RasulAllah (sallalahu alayhi wa salam) would have done.”
I’ll let that one sink in.
The thug mentality is not as big of a problem as the nationalism that goes on within the black american muslim community. There are plenty of “thugs” in Masjid-ul-Haqq in Baltimore but little to no nationalism. I would go so far as to say this is the best masjid I have seen.
If what you are saying about forging a new identity is the answer - let us see your works. TALK IS CHEAP!!!
Show me these principles in action.
It is easy to sit and intellectualize but implentation is the true test.
Where is this exemplarly way of life. This sounds like pure fantasy to me and naive idealism. Tell me about a community in the US following these principles based purely on creed.
I have been to every type of masjid in the US and cultural and ethnic trappings predominate.
PAKs do business with other PAKs - PAKs and Hindus do business together all the time.
Hindus and PAKs who happen to be Punjabi still have cultural ties regardless of their religion. Filipinos regardless of their religion still have cultural ties.
I have been hearing this argument since the 1980s. This is not new.
Overzealous converts and their idealism will fade over time.
It goes without saying that Black Kaafir Ghetto Culture should be eliminated - that is a no brainer.
Ron said:
If we follow this rule to its logical conclusion, we will morally suffer because of political, economic, social, and cultural inequity.
Swarth Moor says:
If BAM were to GET THEMSELVES TOGETHER–and FEAR ALLAH–and stop being obsessed with what other people think about them (which is the root of riya’ (insncerity)), then, by the support Allah gives to the God-fearing, they would overcome their circumstances and be SHINING EXAMPLES of Muslims and beacons for humanity. (SINCERE African-American Muslims who RELY UPON ALLAH would feel no need to seek “unity” with the hedonistic black mushriks.) Instead, many BAM youth want to act like these tatted-up fornicatin’ pagan/atheistic savages they see in (c)rap videos. And the reason for that is largely that the parents did not place in the hearts of their children a hatred for such behavior and people.
Regarding the matters of the creed, the problem has been that the VAST MAJORITY of black Americans have never been on the TRUTH–or even remotely close to it. And even after many of them started calling themselves “Muslims,” they were on various fouled up doctrines–such as, those of the Wally-Worlder apologists or the Farrakhani anthropomorphists. SINCERE African-Muslims are going to want to sit down, go thru the issues, USE THEIR MINDS, and seek to understand who is who, and who is RIGHT.
ON RACE
American notions of race were IMPOSED upon black Americans by European mushriks. It generally isn’t too intelligent to allow those who have historically been your enemy to define who you are. Technically speaking, many “black” Americans–in Shar`–would be considered “European” since many “black” folks are actually the offspring of European slave owners and their African concubines (an the child takes the “ethnicity” of the father).
Ethnicity is not necessarily inconsistent with Islamic identity when… most of the people of a given ethnic group are Muslim and when… the Muslims are CLEAR about the status of the kaafir. African-Americans Muslims are a small minority among African-Americans. Secondly, African-American Muslims–and those who call themselves such–still feel deeply attached to the kuffaar (black kuffaar, in particular)–so much so that matters of Deen and identity are compromised in order to maintain a notion of racial solidarity.
What i propose is an identity based upon devotion to Allah and His Messenger based upon traditional Islamic knowledge. This door is WIDE OPEN TO ALL–regardless of ethnicity or race. It’s about SINCERITY. I don’t care what color you are if you want to get down and learn the Deen. Some people want to hear and know the TRUTH but most do not. With that said, IF African American Muslims learned traditional knowledge, they would, by virtue of their learning and EXPERIENCES IN THIS COUNTRY become leaders of the Muslim community in the US (and even elsewhere).
Learning traditional knowledge has nothing to do with taking a back seat to “the immigrants.” However, without a sound understanding of the fundamentals of Islam, there can be no progress. IF African-American Muslims learn and implement, they could help these jammed-up wannabe and the alcohol slingin’ ignint-immigrants AND THEIR KIDS understand the society and navigate within the society without losing their Deen. However, as long as BAM CHOOSE to wallow in their dysfunctional pathologies and ignorance, then they will remain the laughingstock of the American Muslim Ummah.
With Allah is the success.
Swarthmoor:
Agreed! Let the BAM stand up and be heard in a respectable way. I’m so sick and tired of them whinning and crying about “the other” Muslims. They don’t salaam us, they don’t respect us, huh? are you serious?
Have some dignity and respect yourself. Have some dignity and not give these people the time of day. You do what you have to do for the deen. Most times you are dealing with adults, so what if he doesn’t like you, or give you salaams. Who got the reward from Allah(swt)? I would personally “thank” them for giving me their rewards. I got the reward for speaking and they didn’t. Those kind of immigrants dont need much thought.
I’m just by myself now, because I don’t fit in with any group. I never label myself other than a Muslimah that follows the Sunnah, I don’t believe I could ever blow myself up in the middle of the streets of America, but I know that jihad is not only with the pen, I believe in education, I believe that a husband and wife can go out together and be friends. You know stuff like that, lol!
I think for the most part I take the middle way. I don’t fit in with the WDM, Salafi, Sufi, whatever, whatever groups. So, I stay at home and study online, alhamdullilah for the internet.
I think we are all on the same page but differ in approach. The pathologies within BAM need to be dealt with and those who promote such pathologies should be condemned by the larger BAM community. I say condemnation is great but providing a model of behavior and a strong community will have a greater impact. Muslims are the best so we should show it.
I just have such good experiences with BAM that I see our predicament in a more positive light.
I have grown up where the most upstanding people in my life have always been BAM. The sincerity of their deen has always impressed me.
I know that the BAM have many shortcomings but I also see the progress that has been made.
I have seen children who can recite the Quran. I know people enrolled in Al Azhar and Medina Universities. I have been around BAM who are at the top of the professions. I have seen the patience and tolerance of BAM towards others. I have seen the community outreach.
So my experiences have been good ones.
On another note, I could care less about what other non-BAM thought of us.
Salaam
@ Ron Part 2
Ron, i’m not merely intellectualizing. First of all, people need (Religious) knowledge, people need vision, people need to be of like minds, and things take time. I’m not new to this–and this is not the product of over zealous minds, but the minds of Brothers and Sisters who have reflected over the condition of Muslims in America and what has happened to an exorbitant number of second generation Muslims (whether BAM or immigrant).
I did the inner city da`wah thing for most of the 90’s. I saw that the BAM there had not distanced themselves from black kaafir gutter-culture–and i did not expect much success in terms of long term community building. I left, and as it has turned out MANY of the black male youth are now in the state or federal zoos. You’re just not likely to get lasting results out of the ghetto scene–because African-American Muslims feel a twisted affinity for black ghetto kaafir culture.
The suburban thing is silly and impractical for many–especially in the era of Obamanomics. Furthermore, IF you can pay the mortgage, you end up with a bunch of soft spoiled kids, who, at least for many of the immigrants, will be afflicted by wannabe (”white”) identity sydrome. To produce Muslims who have a decent grasp of the traditional Religious sciences, academic skills, and to be outdoors and develop character thru hard WORK, ya gotta, as we day down har… keep it country. Students need to be in an environment where they have time to sit and memorize the Qur’an, Hadiths, and traditional texts. They need an environment conducive to silence and reflection.
The basis of such a project is Brothers and Sisters sharing the same (authentic) knowledge of the Deen and working to overcome their personal/ego differences and the differences in culture. That’s what we’re on. If you want to talk more about it elsewhere, we can, in-sha’ Allah.
PAKISTANIS AND HINDUS
It is not fair to compare the Pakistani-Hindu relationship with the BAM-black kaafir relationship. For one, we don’t judge the legitimacy of things on the basis of what others do. We judge matters according to how they conform with the Deen. It is an obligation for every Muslim to know that the accountable (mukallaf) Hindu is condemned to Hell–and no Muslim is going to object to that. However, it is GREATLY feared that many African-Americans who identify as Muslims would not say they same for the mushrik members of their own tribe/ethnic group. This problem is further exacerbated by the likes of the Wally-Worlders who taught/teach as a matter of core doctrine that the so-called “good Christians” (of this era–not merely the GENUINE followers of Jesus) will be saved in the Hereafter.
So, for sure, i can do business with African-American non-Muslims, and might find some common ground with them that i wouldn’t have with other non-Muslim ethnic groups–and even other Muslims in some cases, but i also am CRYSTAL CLEAR that if this black kaafir dies on kufr, well, then he’s Hellfire fuel. From what i see on these blogs, it seems that many folks are kinda cloudy about this essential issue, and that is why it is so important for BAMs to distance themselves from kaafir culture until they are strongly rooted in the Deen and its judgments.
With Allah is the success.
Khadija,
You are not sinful for being black (or any other color). If someone doesn’t treat you right because of your color, ethnicity, or race, well, as one of my students used to say: “That’s on them.” Put up with the racism with patience and magnanimity, and you get the reward from Allah, you obliterate the stereotypes, and in-sha’ Allah, you can change the hearts and minds of the ignorant. Everyone loves a winner, and the way black folks are today, as a whole, we are not winners, and this is why virtually everyone looks down on “us.” FEAR ALLAH and fix yourself, and in-sha’ Allah, people will respect you (of course, you don’t do the above for the sake of the people, but respect is a by-product of obeying Allah).
I just don’t see all the problems with foreign Muslims that people complain about. They respect you if you:
1. have knowledge of the Deen; and can bring proofs from the Book and Sunnah.
2. you don’t go to them asking for handouts all the time.
This is amazing. BAM’s are still the most needy group among the Muslims here in America. Foreigners look at the beggars from our tribe and say, “Damn, I’m from a country that’s thousands of miles away from here (America), no family etc.; yet they’ve been here all their lives, and they’re coming to me, or us for Sadaqa? I should be able to got to them for help!
Black Muslim men are going to have to stand up and be men; and handle their Religious business and they’re dunyawiyy business. The Muslim must look back into the Book of Allaah and the Prophetic Sunnah, and Islaamic history as our guide into the future.
If BAM’s learn to understand and implement this Deen correctly in every aspect of their lives; Allaah will bless themand raise them up from their position of weakness and humiliation.
Unfortunately, there are many things holding BAM’s back; laziness, the refusal to “enter Islaam completely” like Allaah Commanded; wrongly clinging to personalities and talkers even when these people they love openly oppose the Book and the Sunnah; clinging to black nationalistic reasoning and follow the ignoramuses that call to it etc
BAM “TALKERS” DISCUSS, AND CALL TO NATIONALISM, OR BLACK/AFRICAN DIASPORA NONSENSE BECAUSE THEY ARE DEVOID OF ISLAAMIC KNOWLEDGE. THEY WANT TO TALK AND BE LEADERS. RUN AWAY WITH YOUR DEEN FROM THESE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Swarthmoor,
JazkuAllah Kheir for your advices, and I agree with you. We must have our own identity.
Salaam,
Jazak-Allah, brother Tariq, for initiating very stimulating conversations on important topics such as this.
On the subject of more Americans abandoning traditional religion, i see that as a failure on the part of Christianity, or at least the Christian leadership, to address the many issues now floating around in mainstream culture and society in an affective way. Certainly, in addition to that problem we have that of a theology that is-at the core-irrational. I don’t want to seem like I am attacking Christians, but the truth of the matter is that many people have embraced atheism [as well as other faiths such as Islam] because the idea that God/God’s son dying for their sins made no sense.
As far as the African-American Muslims or even the ‘immigrant’ Muslims keeping their children in the deen, it;s not an issue of Isna, Icna,Mana or some other group being ‘deviant’ or whatever. It just behooves the Muslim imams to always speak on relevant issues, otherwise our kids will eventually turn away from Islam and go to the dominant secular life, or worse, the street life/gangs/drugs etc..
Whenever I have the opportunity to speak, I always try to make the contents of my Khutbah directed at the young, and I always have it in my mind that we need to keep them interested in the deen. If that means our Imams need to make a joke from time to time, so be it. Last week I tried to show a point by quoting from the movie ‘Coming to America”.
In short, religion has to be relevant to our problems, to our spiritual and intellectual needs. The fact that so many are going away from organized religion is actually an opportunity for Muslims to engage in Da’wah, because the Qur’an is a book of the utmost rational arguments. If we share from that angle, the next Newsweek article in a few years will show more and more embracing Islam and the Muslim community growing everywhere in the USA, regardless of sect or group.
wassalaam,
S.Waheed