we become impatient for God to intervene. Ieasha Prime (executive director, Barakah, Inc.) provided the perfect answer: “God never leaves us, for He is always with us.” Along with Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi (chair, FCNA), she noted that difficulties allow believers to rediscover their true worth and revive themselves, thereby making us leaders and inheritors of this world (28:5). Each panelist stressed that prayers and worship can help us Islamize our habits, profit from adversity and become better leaders. Many Muslim Americans have used this stratagem to turn a predicament into a possibility. The next two sessions, each containing three parallel discussions, featured some of the leaders and activists who use their faith to remain resilient and deal with the difficulties they face. For example, Cleveland councilman Basheer Jones revealed how religion helped him adopt the role of Prophet Yusuf (‘alayhi as salam), a victim of politics who later participated in it to establish justice. Farooq Mitha, the Biden presidential campaign’s Muslim outreach director, said that he serves the American community because he is Muslim. He was worried about Muslim voters in the potentially crucial states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida. Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.; past gubernatorial candidate) proclaimed, “Misogyny is on the ballot, racism is on the ballot, public health and climate is on the ballot and we must vote.” Considering voting the bare minimum responsibility, Mitha expected his fellow Muslim Americans to get more involved in establishing equality and justice. The pandemic has exposed the ugly underside of our healthcare system and made Muslim involvement more impending. African Americans are 13% of the population, and yet 60% of them are subject to infections, with a 50%+ mortality rate and severe underfunding. Sana Syed (director, American Muslim Health Professionals) called for wider Muslim participation in preparing policies, strategies and advocacy. All speakers of this panel emphasized the need for increased participation, “if not possible by hand, then by words, and if not by words, then by hearts.” In its session, members of the Inter national Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) discussed the bifurcated educational system and possible ways to fix it. Dr. Ahmed Alwani (CEO, IIIT) shared some of their initiatives, among them Advancing Education in Muslim Societies (AEMS).
MYNA MEET
Packing the Essentials BY ALAA ABDELDAIEM
P
rophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked Muslims to live in this world as strangers and travelers, passing by this earthly life on our way to our final destination. He taught us to walk with a sense of purpose, to not get sidetracked by distractions, to pack only that which is essential. During its first-ever virtual convention, MYNA taught its youth to do exactly that. Hundreds of virtual participants gathered over Labor Day Weekend to explore this year’s theme, “Packing the Essentials: Living in this World as the Prophet Wanted us to Live.” “Coping with the lifestyle changes associated with quarantine create a space for reflection about what we truly need in order to live in this dunya, and it has been proven that a lot of our practices tend to be unessential,” organizer Maham Bawaney said. “There are several worldly matters that tend to distract us from what is truly important in terms of our akhira. Looking into the Hadith about living with ‘the essentials’ inspired us to create a message centered around the prophetic example for youth in today’s world.” This event’s several speakers touched upon the topic’s relevancy, diving deeper into what it means to focus on the essentials as a youth in today’s day and age. Sheikh Rami Nsour (scholar, Tayba Foundation) opened the virtual convention by discussing how we can replace nonessential worldly distractions with “essential” matters that will prepare us for success in both this world and the hereafter. He also referred to the prophetic example of living a simple life free of excessive distractions. Participants then explored tawakkul (trusting God) with Ustadha Khadija Bari (student career coordinator in the Workforce Development department at VISIONS/Services for the Blind & Visually Impaired). It is often hard, Bari reflected, to remain positive when facing struggles or uncertainty. Tawakkul helps
us seek closeness to God and can light up our lives. She emphasized that our Lord, who is the All-Merciful and the All-Rewarding, always has a plan for us and how believing this can strengthen our faith and trust in Him. This session also dealt with how our prophets turned to God in times of hardship. The weekend concluded with practical and timely lessons from Sheikh Ubaydullah Evans (executive director, ALIM) and Dr. Jawad Shah (neurosurgeon, Flint, Mich.), who discussed how youth can find their passions here — an artistic hobby, devotion to activism, social leadership or something else — which might help them stay connected to their communities while developing positive skills and characteristics. This session also delved into passion in regards to Islam, helping youth maintain that sense of devotion to it while excelling in doing what they love. “Listening to the speakers discuss concepts such as the limiting of distractions, reliance on God, worldly passions, and more, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how to prioritize deen over dunya,” Bawaney said. “It can be easy to get caught up with the stress of worldly responsibilities, but the message that was related with this theme was a beautiful reminder. This dunya is a test from God, and we define our own success. The first step is to step back and reflect about what truly helps us reach where we want to be, both in this world and the hereafter.” While Covid-19 forced this year’s convention to go virtual, Bawaney believes the youth still walked away with transformational knowledge. “Though this convention was virtual, a lot of the lessons that were conveyed … are applicable to our lives moving forward as well,” she said. “Next year, when the convention is in person inshaAllah, we hope to continue to touch on such relevant topics that can guide our youth through the experiences of this dunya.” ih Alaa Abdeldaiem is regional coordinator, ISNA Youth Programs and Services Department
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 11
