Sometimes I fear that the mosque could be the worst possible place a new believer could visit for their soul.
On Friday I spotted a fresh-faced Englishman wander in with one of our elder statesmen — this one over fifty years a Muslim at this point.
Perhaps it was the young man’s first visit. Certainly, I have never seen him before. Or maybe he was simply visiting from out of town.
Either way, I felt a brotherly concern for him. In truth, I saw myself twenty-five years ago, just finding my feet in unfamiliar surroundings.
Good luck to you, I thought. But then the imam started to speak.
If I nearly placed my face in my hands, it’s because while many of those we charge with teaching the community are capable of imparting information — I won’t call it knowledge — they mostly lack any semblance of wisdom.
Even if what the imam was telling us was true, I wondered about his timing. The timing being during half-term, when the mosque was crowded with children and teenagers, who may not have been seen since their last school holidays.
At its best, this was a missed opportunity to tell the youngsters something beautiful which would touch and nourish their souls. At its worst, tales likely to alienate them and sow seeds of doubt.
To the imam, there was context to his words. It was the third part of a story narrated over three weeks, one after the other. Great, but the school students were not present for the last two parts. Nor was that new Muslim.
Constantly, I fear for those new upon the path. How will they sift the information they hear, and differentiate between the good and the bad, the reliable and suspect?
What established communities seem to lack more than anything is wisdom. Perhaps this is because they take their faith for granted, or because it is embedded in their culture.
Grand, but give thought to the new believer, be they the youngster or Muslim convert. Think about the impact of your words on them.
Why not use every opportunity to call them towards faith until it is cemented in their hearts? Why not call them with wisdom and beautiful preaching to the perfect way of your Lord?
Last modified: 18 February 2024
