By It was Jummah (Friday) prayer, and as Imam Tahir Anwar gave the Khutba at the Muslim Community Association, the congregation, myself included, meditated upon thankfulness.
I looked around at the congregation of women and my heart swelled. Such a diverse group of women had come together for this Jummah prayer. Young and old, newly arrived immigrants and American born citizens, born Muslim and converts. Women from all over the globe and from every strata of society, coming together to pray.
The Muslim community in the Bay Area has grown exponentially since my family moved here in 1996. New Masajid have been built, the MCA has purchased two new buildings, partially because our community is now so large that some mosques have to perform two Jumaah in order to accommodate the number of people wishing to come together in prayer.
Allah (SWT) gives us our gifts, our eyes, our ears, our hands, our intellects, not so we can use them to disobey him, but so that we may find our purpose in life.
As I sat in thankfulness for the strength and size of the community, the congregants at Evergreen Islamic Center shuddered, walking into a mosque that had recently been delivered a hateful and threatening letter.
A photograph of the letter, delivered by mail to Evergreen Islamic Center.
The recently constructed Evergreen Islamic Center in the San Jose hills.
On the way home from Jummah, my father brought the letter’s appearance to my attention. Am I being safe? Do I carry pepper spray or a knife? Do I remember my self defense training? Do I bring others with me when I’m walking home at night?
If we face bigotry, hatred, and anger, let us ask that Allah (SWT) protect us and soften the hearts of the hateful.
These are questions many fathers in our local Ummah are asking their daughters today.
Am I worried? Yes, but I would rather be thankful.
Imam Tahir Anwar’s Khutba resonates with me still as I write this. During the moving Khutba, Imam Tahir mentioned the blessings of Allah, and the many things we have to be thankful for. Our congregation and the individuals within it are given so many gifts, and these gifts come with a responsibility. Allah (SWT) gives us our gifts, our eyes, our ears, our hands, our intellects, not so we can use them to disobey him, but so that we may find our purpose in life. We are given these gifts to find and exercise the unique ways in which we can each serve Allah and the community.
No organization, no group of tenacious individuals embodies the utilization of their gifts for the sake of Allah more than the hardworking representatives of CAIR.
No community is as welcoming and as sincere as the Ummah you will see at the Muslim Community Association, Evergreen Islamic Center, or the dozen other mosques around the Bay Area.
No day should go by in which we do not give thanks to Allah (SWT) for the gifts we have, the greatest of which are our faith and our Ummah. Let us demonstrate our thankfulness by saying al hamdulilah, all praise is due to Allah, and by using our gifts.
If we face difficulty, let us ask that Allah (SWT) make us equal to the task before us.
If we face bigotry, hatred, and anger, let us ask that Allah (SWT) protect us and soften the hearts of the hateful.
If we are given so much from Allah (SWT), let us use it in his service. Let us be tireless in our efforts to thank Allah (SWT) by making good use of our minds, our hearts, and our voices.
“But Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers.” Quran, Surat al-Imran (Chapter 3 verse 150).
“And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah” Quran, Surat an-Nahl, The Bee (Chapter 16, verse 53).
“And if you would count the favours of Allah, never could you be able to count them. Truly, Allah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful” Quran Surat an-Nahl, The Bee (Chapter 16, verse 18).
“And among His Signs is this, that He sends the winds as glad tidings, giving you a taste of His Mercy, and that the ships may sail at His Command, and that you may seek of His Bounty, in order that you may be thankful.” Quran, Surah Luqman (Chapter 31, verse 46).
Update: An identical letter as the one sent to the Evergreen Islamic Center in San Jose Hills was sent a mosque in Cleveland. It is possible that similar letters are being circulated to several other mosques around the country as well.
“To The Children of Satan”- what? I could not stop laughing when I read that. Did these people do any sort of reading on Islam? Do they not know that they worship God-
Oh wait. They didn’t. It’s totally plausible for them to think-
Wow. Our country has stooped to a new low when it comes to ignorance levels.