Islam 101
We can talk also about programs special for them in relation to language, if it was English or Spanish, or programs that are in relation to this 101 series about basics of Islam. And we can benefit a lot from big names that have done so much great job.
I can just mention Dr. Jamal Badawi, he has beautiful series that was ready from the 80s and a lot of people who converted to Islam speak about how much simple and easy approach was made by him, Jazakullahu Khayr (may Allah reward him).
We can have these ready to give as gifts, CDs, or sometimes booklets or books that can help people learn, or programs that are made specific to reach out for them, to tackle their social issues, their spiritual issues, their financial issues… and the masjid, yes, needs to be ready on all these levels.
If we can help them even financially for those who need the financial help, if we need to help them socially, find them spouses… this is something we need to look into Insha’Allah.
Let me finish with two points.
Wisdom in Dawah
The first one, and this is a question that was told to me by 4 or 5 converts in one of the sessions talking about making masajid open for dawah, they said that when they converted 20-25 years ago, it was talked at and acted on all the time which made some sort of a challenge for them.
What they were saying, and they are converts and practicing for the past 20 years, that probably we need to take it easy on these people. If people are having hard time to quit sins that they’re already in, declared sins in Islam, just because they embraced Islam is not like they can just drop everything of the past overnight and then you know step out socially, step out mentally, step out from anything.
So this phase of taking them from one point to another, helping them, you know, let go of things that were of their past, this is the mission, and let me say the burden or job of the Imam and the people in the masjid to help them go smoothly without flipping over, expecting from them that everything has to change overnight and they can’t maintain on it.
The second point is that are there things that we can benefit from them to give them their own space? Can they be part of this? And let me say that these committees must be made from converts themselves, because they know their issues.
But then, are they good in IT that they can help in the masjid, are they good in volunteering, or are they good in speaking, probably they might be great speakers and they can learn Islam and be people that we can present to the community.
So we need to utilize also their own expertise and their own areas of professionalism so that we can have a complete package ready for them Insha’Allah.
At the end, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“If Allah was to guide through you one person, it would be better than all that which the sun would rise upon.”
This is an honorable task, this is bringing someone into “La Ilaha illa Allah” this is something of opening a path and road to Heaven. We should perfect our job into presenting the best that we can provide to converts in our communities.
I pray and hope that all masajid, all communities will always bring new ideas, perfect that which they are doing and hopefully we will have a good platform that will be proud of as a Muslim community, for these are our brothers and sisters Insha’Allah.
Watch the full talk here
(From Discovering Islam archive)