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Showing posts with label Imam Yahya Abdullah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Imam Yahya Abdullah. Show all posts

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Ramadan day 22 - Desoto Masjid Al-Islam

SUMMARY
22 Pictures in the link at Flickr given in the summary

The Imam; Imam Yahya Abdullah is one of the old timers and goes back to the movement of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad, also known as the Nation’s Imam. He has been a part of many of the events we have done and we know each other for at least five years.

He is well known for his interfaith work. Indeed, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad is the first Muslim to initiate the interfaith Dialogue in America. Imam Abdullah and Imam Qasim were students of Imam WD Muhammad. More about them at -http://dallasmuslimcenter.blogspot.com/2012/08/wd-muhammad-appreciation-week-in-dallas.html

Wiki, “Warith Deen Mohammed (born Wallace D. Muhammad; October 30, 1933 – September 9, 2008), also known as "W. Deen Mohammed" or "Imam W. Deen Muhammad", was a progressive African American Muslim leader, theologian, philosopher, Muslim revivalist and Islamic thinker (1975–2008) who disbanded the original Nation of Islam in 1976 and transformed it into an orthodox mainstream Islamic movement.”

Nearly 2 Million Muslims switched from Nation of Islam to Sunni Islam. The WD Muhammad group makes about 1/3rd of Muslims in the United States.”

The Masjid is located right on Belt line; this is the 3rd loop road around Dallas and runs on the south side of the town going through Desoto.  On the north side of Belt line is Chapel Downs, a home subdivision. Instantly I was in my glorious past, way back in 1985, when I was a community manager for Ryland Homes, I wrapped up that neighborhood with the last few homes we had built. By the way the company had given me a cell phone, that had a huge steel suit case placed in the trunk of my car, and the wires were cut through to the front. I was driving nearly 150 miles a day that year driving from Denton to Desoto and Mesquite to Bedford, closing down subdivisions with a few lots left in each place, right before the market collapsed in 1986.


The atmosphere at this Masjid is more like a family gathering, mixing and mingling with each other. I made it to the Mosque a minute before Iftaar as I was stuck in traffic going through downtown Dallas on a Friday night. I wish I had gone earlier, there is 8 acres of land of this mosque with trees and I would have loved to take some pictures.

In the Warith Deen Tradition, the men and women sit together and break the fast, indeed; it highlights the cultural aspect of Islam. It’s only in America we have come to know that Islam as practiced has the religious and cultural components in it, in most other nations, both are intertwined and hard to distinguish between the two.

By the way, their teen girls have an outstanding Musical dance performance group. I have watched them perform at Family Federation church and the Lifeway Church. Their actions symbolize different aspect of prayers (Salat, namaz), it is amazing. Insha Allah, we may ask them to perform in our annual Thanksgiving Celebrations program; a cultural pluralism program of musical expressions.

Khairi Muhammad, 14, leads the prayers
The Maghrib prayers were led by Khairi Muhammad, 14 year old student of Imam Yahya. It was refreshing to see this; the Imam lets his students lead the prayers. He said; let them practice it early on!


Khairi also leads the Taraweeh prayers.

What a joy to see the Masjid overwhelmed by young kids, both male and female, most of them prayed the fard (obligatory) as well as the optional prayers. Thanks to the management and membership of the Mosques for participating in picture taking and sharing.  I am glad Imam Yahya asked the congregation for taking the pictures and everyone was a happy participant.

The ritual prayers are identical to most of the Sunni Mosques, the only difference I noticed was in the Tashahhud position, and most of us lift the fore finger when we recite, “Ashhadu-an La Ialha Illal La”, but they were lifting the fore finger and the middle finger together, it was more than three people doing that in the Sunna prayers to ignore as a personal thing.  I forgot to ask the Imam about its significance, or it is simply a matter of he did it, I do it too!

Thanks to Imam Yahya Abdullah, here is an update from him, "The 2 fingers during At-Tashahuud is because we are making Shahadatain (2 witnesses) not one, 1) La elaha illal Lah, 2) Muhammadan Rasuulu-Lah, as we know ALLAH and Muhammad The Prophet are not the same. First finger for ALLAH and the second finger for Muhammad the Prophet. Imam W. Deen Mohammed taught us this."

Dinner was non-Asian and non-Middle eastern for the first time in 22 days! It was fish with Barbeque Sauce on it with Brown rice and Salad. I have had barbeque in every fashion, but this was the first time with fish. Oddly it was cooked by a Lebanese itna-Ashri Shia couple and not middle-eastern food. Good food for a change!  The brother believed that the Sunnis follow the12 imams, the three of us, Imam Yahya, Marzuk and I assured him that it is not in the Sunna and not a Sunni tradition. He thought that was Sunnah. Most Sunnis assume that all Muslims do what they do.

Khairi Muhammad, Mike Ghouse, Imam Yahya Abdullah and Marzuk Jaami

The lady across me in green shirt was visiting from Little Rock Arkansas. She was considering doing her Ph.D in psych or pursues a law degree.  Her joy was that the sisters were marrying Muslim men; I guess that is the case with all sisters in every faith in the world to marry within the community. It is particularly pronounced among Jews and Muslims, more than others.

It was good to see Marzuk Jaami, if you have lived in Dallas for more than 20 years, you may recall him and many Muslims joining together in the neighborhood watches and driving the drug pushers and gangster out of the neighborhoods, they cleaned the neighborhoods!

Marzuk is also one of the recipients of the “Pluralist” recognition that the Foundation for Pluralism honors every year at the Unity Day program.  He pioneered an educational series called Abraham in three faiths, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad in three faiths, a great educational program. Insha Allah, he plans to resume that this September. I wish, I really wish, Muslims from other traditions attend this and enlighten themselves.

Interestingly the dinner conversation involved China, almost everyone on the table was doing business in China, recycle, men’s suits… you name it. A few people call this China Masjid.

They have enough space on their grounds to do the Eid prayers along with other WD Muhammad tradition mosques.

Each mosque and each tradition is uniquely different.  Insha Allah, I will do my best to keep that uniqueness intact, however, it is not easy to write different things each day for the whole month, and we have just about 6or 7 days left!  I hope this has been a meaningful journey for you. I urge you to jump in experience it yourselves.
Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America with participation from every community. Please visit www.AmericaTogetherfoundation.com 


FRIDAY PRAYERS - TODAY'S MASJID WAS DAWOODI BOHRA MASJID
URL: http://dallasmuslimcenter.blogspot.com/2012/08/juma-prayers-at-anjuman-e-najmi-in.html or simply go to  www.DallasMuslimCenter.com

Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at Unity of Dallas, a positive event that brings all Americans Together to rededicate our pledge for a peaceful, prosperous and secure America. We are a part of America and we need to feel and live it.  If you liked some of the article, you will like the description of Unity Day USA atwww.UnityDayUSA.com


Please visit www.RamadanDaily.com  for a record since 2010.

MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.comis updated daily. 

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Saturday, June 9, 2012

WD Muhammad Appreciation Week in Dallas

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/06/wd-muhammad-appreciation-week-in-dallas.html
WD Muhammad Appreciation Week in Dallas
Mike Ghouse speech on Friday, June 8, 2012
Pictures:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157630024888695/show/ 

Speakers: Imams Qasim, Abdullah, Kavakci, Siddiqi, Shahed and Mike Ghouse
As Salaamu Aliakum - may you be soaked in peace, drenched in peace and when you say that back to me, I am in the same boat of peace. Together, we are going to talk peace and act peace.

Today we are celebrating the work of Imam Warith Deen Mohammad, but before I highlight Imam Warith Deen Muhammad’s work, let me ask you this, who was the first person on this earth to start the interfaith dialogue? Prophet Muhammad!

Do you know who was the first Muslim in the United States to start the interfaith dialogue? Imam WD Muhammad!

Thank you.

Imam Warith Al-Deen Mohammed was one of the most distinguished Muslim leaders in the United States; He has been the spiritual leader and inspiration of the Muslim community in general and African American Muslim community in Particular. Warith Deen Mohammad is recognized worldwide as a leading Islamic thinker, philosopher and a religious leader.

He was “America’s Imam.” Imam Warith Deen Mohammed saw the limited world of his father’s Nation of Islam and boldly transformed it into an open religious community following the principles of Islam. Imam Mohammed’s philosophy of bringing all faiths together for the good of humanity must be appreciated. And today, in the interfaith circles, leaders from various spiritual paths celebrate the legacy of his work.

He had about 2 to 2.5 Million Muslims following him that is about a 3rd of Muslims in America.  Imam Mohammed’s leadership changed the perceptions of African Americans as well as the Muslims around the world.

He interacted with President Jimmy Carter, President Clinton, President Sadat of Egypt, Prime Minister Mandela of South Africa, Pope John Paul, Archbishop of Canterbury and several Rabbis and other religions leaders of the world.

He is an outstanding communicator, his video recordings of the first incident with Prophet Muhammad, where Angel Gabriel asks him to read, “ Iqra” is not only humorous, but makes a great point.   He followed the teachings of Quraan and found them in common with other religions.

He was following Quraan 49:13 (Asad) O men! Behold, we have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware.

All of us have problems with each others, isn’t because we don’t know each other? Subhan Allah, God’s guidance was clear - know each other, and when you do, conflicts fade and solutions emerge. Say Amen!

 He reached out to Christians and Jews and others to nurture goodwill and good working relations. Today, we are celebrating his legacy.

When Imam W. Deen Mohammed spoke in San Francisco, he was addressing to nearly all African American audience, realizing the enclaves people were chambered in, he urged them to think of themselves not in racial categories but in human terms.

He was indeed a critical thinker; he was able to see a different perspective and figure out the best way to work on building a cohesive America, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

He wanted to think about ourselves, what we think about others, he reminded the Black Caucus in the congress, to think about the idea of forming a white caucus and how they would feel about.  Muhammad urged everyone to think about the universality of all people - and that defining religion for any one race is dangerous.

The effort was intended to show that the ideals set forth in the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are similar ideals called for in the Quran.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The Imam was inspired by Prophet Muhammad’s last sermon, where he said, no Arab is superior to an African and vice versa... no man is superior to the other. Indeed that was the equal opportunity mantra that he delivered 1400 years ago, that we just signed in 1963.  

We take the pledge - one nation under God with liberty and justice for all, what are we doing about it? What are our fears? What is your vision for America?

Bringing and causing a change is our responsibility; President Kennedy pointed us in the right direction, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. When we give to the country, we collectively receive as well.

The kind of world we want was best expressed by Native American Chief Seattle; “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does it to himself."


Martin Luther King had a dream, and each one of us have a dream… a dream to have livable wages, a loving family, children, a home, reliable car, decent health care, and comfortable retirement. A majority of Americans want a just society with safety and security. We want to live our lives as good neighbors and let others live theirs.

It is our right to pursue that dream.  Our founding fathers laid the foundation of the creed for such a society, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness".

Our spirit is to have a vision for a future America, Martin Luther King Jr. expressed that in his famous speech, “I have a dream that our little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Let’s explore daily opportunities to make America a better place for each one of us. Let’s treat others as we would wish to be treated and have compassion for others who might look different.
If we can learn to respect the otherness of other, and accept the God given uniqueness of each American, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

We are committed to providing education, workshops, and training for future leaders. We have programs in place to move forward. All we need is your support.

One of the other major work of Imam WD Muhammad was intra-faith, to honor him on that work, I invite, Muslims from all denoniminations to come together in Ramadan. Make a group, one from each one of the mosques, in our case in Dallas Fort Worth, we have about 30 mosques - we will form a group and each day, as a group, we will visit a mosque an Iftaar. I have begun this process two years ago, and Alhamdu Lillah, we need to take this further.

Thank you.

MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.com is updated daily.  

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