My Defining Moment in Egypt
November 16, 2008
In my last two weeks of living in Egypt, there were several moments that helped me define how I need to view life. Most of these moments would be viewed as commonplace, but the reflection that was built off of them helped define me. I will only talk about one of those moments in this post.
There aren’t many people in the world where one feels such affection towards them where it completely changes a person’s perspective on how they live their lives. Obviously, love for one’s spouse is true and real, but the affection and love I’m talking about here is different than that of one’s spouse. It is the love of another human being for the sake of Allah. It reminds us of the famous hadith of the seven types of people who will be shaded on the Day of Resurrection with one type being two people who love each other for Allah’s sake and the meet and depart because of it. Personally, I get along with people incredibly well, alhamdulillah, and there are a number of brothers out there I feel I can relate to on a personal level and I love them for the sake of Allah. When I mention love for Allah’s Sake, I mean this innate feeling of affection that is deep within one’s heart and for love is not something we can control.
Today, I wanted to talk about love for a scholar on a personal level. I met the Imam of a masjid close to where we were living in Madinat Nasr and I asked him if I could study some Quran with him. His name was Sheikh Adel and he was extremely personable and friendly. I loved every moment that I spent with this brother. Every question I asked him something, he would either answer it directly with evidences he had memorized or he would tell him he would look it up and get back to me (and sure enough he would). I felt awe in my time with Sheikh Adel and I felt honor that this brother would give his time to teach me. Sheikh Adel had several other students he would teach as well as the responsibilities of the masjid and his job. Additionally, he would sit with his teachers and continue his ever-lasting quest for knowledge.
I felt like a little child when I was with Sheikh Adel, especially in terms of my knowledge as compared to him, I was ashamed of where I stood in terms of Islamic knowledge. His knowledge of Tajweed was amazing, even in the different recitations of the Holy Quran. He was an honest, humble, and sincere man.
Many times for lessons abroad, students pay their teachers to compensate them for their time. Especially on learning that one is from America, many teachers see dollar signs in their eyes. My teacher was different. He refused to take anything from me in exchange for his time. In fact, he gave me a gift while I was studying with him! Subhan’Allah, how some people are truly attached to the Hereafter!
However, the moment that truly struck a chord in me was the last time I met him as I prepared to return to the United States. I was walking with Shaykh Adel in Madinat Nasr and I asked him, “How old are you, bro?” He responded, “23.”
I knew Shaykh Adel was young, but I assumed he was in his late twenties, definitely older than me. However, it turns out, I was several months older than Shaykh Adel. This conversation got me thinking about the blessings we have in life. Here in America, we have amazing opportunities in terms of dawah and calling people to Islam. However, the main thing I realized was what we, the new Muslim generation, need to emphasize with our children. We, along with everyone else who truly wants it, have the potential blessing of having our children raised with the Quran. There were people that I came across on a daily basis in Egypt who were raised around the Quran. They memorized it at an early age in their respective villages. They knew the Quran in the different qiraat. Their lives were based on the Quran. Take these children and compare him to some of children we see being raised in America that don’t even know how to pray. Now, I’m not saying raising your child in a village in Africa is the way to go. I’m simply saying that regardless of how we decide to live, we HAVE to give our children a beautiful relationship with the Quran while they are still young. They can be scholars of Tajweed and still become engineers (like Shaykh Adel). They can love the Quran and still love science and medicine. However, our priorities need to lay with the Quran first and foremost. Just because we are living in America does not mean we should deprive our children of knowing and following what is truly important. The Quran is where the true blessings lie whether you are in America or Egypt.
(Note: This post is a reflection from my time in Egypt. For an informational post on my experience in Egypt, please see: https://mustaqeem.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/egypt)
By Imam Suhaib Webb
Imam al-Nawawi related the following:
“Purify your hearts [for the knowledge] the way land is purified for cultivation.”
Imam al-Shaf’i on Humility:
“None of you will seek this knowledge with a domineering attitude and exaggerated self worth, then succeed. However, one who seeks this knowledge, struggles with his/her soul, [enduring] strained provision and [struggles in the] service to the scholars is successful.”
I remember my Sheikh telling me: “My mother used to send me with gifts to my father. Although he was my father, she did this because, in reality, he was also my Sheikh. She did this so my knowledge would be blessed.”
I recall my teacher saying to me, when I tried to serve him, “I don’t want that type of service.” Then he paused and said, “But you need to do it. This is the way of blessing.”
Avoid Complaining, it is the Opposite of Shukur:
When we land overseas we must be very careful that our attitude is not what are these scholars going to do for us. Do not ask what your scholars can do for you, but what you can for your scholars.
Serve the ‘Ulema and treat them with respect.
Once a Sheikh from South Africa told me the following, “We had a very intelligent student with us. He was so gifted and one day he began to debate our teacher and was very rude with him. He won the debate, but our teacher turned to him and said, “If you are not careful, your knowledge will go un-blessed!” Suhaib, by Allah he was the most intelligent, gifted and bright student amongst us, however today he is working serving tea to people in the markets. All of that knowledge, all of that intelligence, and he is not asked by even one person a single question.”
Hardships:
Imam Malik said, “No one will attain this knowledge until he is afflicted with poverty that touches upon every aspect of his life.”
al-Shaf’i [may Allah have mercy upon him said], “No one will acquire this knowledge except the bankrupt.”
Once I came across some brothers in al-Azhar who told me about a brother who came to study in Egypt. He was very poor and his mother’s goal was for her son to become an Azhari. With no way to purchase the ticket for the trip, his mother sold her house in order to send him! I’ve meet a large number of brothers and sisters here who haven’t seen their families in 6-7 years. I knew some sisters who sold food in order to stay in Egypt and complete their masters in Shari’ah. It is these efforts, these struggles which plant the seeds for the future.
My Sheikh told me: “When I was young I remember seeing the brothers out at night under the street lights until late. Later on I realized that they were memorizing the Qur’an and had no electricity in their homes.”
Once one of the Shanaqita told me, “You memorize the Qur’an in your nice homes. I memorized it by the camp fire! You, Westerners go for fun to Disney Land. We used to spend our time making tafsir!”
My Sheikh told me, “I remember when I as young and the Shanaqitah would come with their kids to our city. I saw their kids playing by making ‘Irab of the language!”
I knew a student of knowledge who came to Egypt and was homeless! He used to attend classes in the day and sell watches at night. When he wanted to splurge on himself he would go, once a week, and buy Koshari. [equal to a $1.00 meal]
Western Muslims have a great opportunity since the have been blessed with wealth. However, how many times have blessings, as Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned, become trials?
The Poet wrote:
قد ينعم الله بالبلوى وإن عظمت……… ويبتلي الله بعض القوم بالنعم
Perhaps Allah will bless with trials, even if abundant………. and perhaps He will try some people with blessings!
Avoiding Hatred and Jealousy:
It moves through us like our blood. Raised on WWE, Kimbo Slice and the Gladiator, Western Muslims are prone to make studying out into an epic adventure the likes of the Lord of the Rings. However, we are all, for some strange reason, the heroes and never the bad guys? I’ve experienced this a lot here and I’m sad to say that there are problems amongst us that I would have never imagined. Let’s move beyond these things and realize that what holds us together is stronger than what pulls us apart. This is a very serious disease of the heart and its cure, as Sidi Zaroq mentioned, in his famous principles on tasawwuf, is to do the opposite. This was also the statement of Sh. Bin ‘Uthyamin who said that the way to destroy this is to act on its opposite. Let us pray for each other, work to facilitate each others affairs and remove these evil shadowy feelings in our hearts. If not, the outcome of our knowledge will be tainted and our time spent will not be complete.
Summer Break: Know that you Don’t Know
Let us take the time, oh students of knowledge, to humble ourselves. Many of us are going back for the summer. When we get back, let’s not impose, nor direct others. We’ve spent a year or so learning, now lets spend the summer learning humility, respect and mercy. The art is not mastered by knowing, it is mastered by knowing that you don’t know. For that reason the scholars said: “I don’t know” is half of knowledge.
Often times when we go back we run into conflicts with other scholars, imams and activist in the community. Let us understand that our goals are the same, our destination is one and we need each other to arrive at, “And to your Lord is the ending.” We are not going back as the latest upgrade to ImamVirus 2009 Plus. We need to be humble. If we hear things that are wrong, let’s check ourselves and make sure we are hearing with our hearts that are clean and not with the deaf ear of arrogance and conceit. The same holds true for the masses, perhaps people will say things that, according to an Azhari, are out there, make no sense and, perhaps, are un-orthodox. Subhanallah! We ourselves have troubles, struggle to encompass the knowledge and expect people who sit 40 hours a week in front of an office desk, or burning paratas to know these things. Allah says that the Disciples of Jesus said, “Can your Lord send a table from the heavens?” This is a question that, on the surface, amounts to a major mistake in creed. None can say about Allah, “Can He do….” because He is Allah. However, as al-Qurtubi mentioned, some scholars stated that this question was acceptable because these people had just accepted Islam. If this was the case of those who lived and walked with a great Messenger of Allah, what of those who’s secretaries look like Beyonce, are struggling to raise their kid, pay the bills and keep their marriages together? Let us remember to “lower your wings to the believers” exercise humility and teach with the caress of a loving father.
Allah knows best