Islamic Schools: Who's Responsible? (Part 2)

by Muhammad Alshareef (from www.khutbah.com)

Sa’eed ibn Rahmah Al-Asbahee used to tell his students: 

"I used to camp out in the masjid in the hopes of getting the best seat in the halaqah of Abdullaah ibn Al-Mubaarak. I had friends my age, but none of them would do as I did. When the time for the halaqah would arrive, Ibn Al-Mubaarak would come and with him would be the seniors. They would complain to him, 'These children have overcome us at the halaqah, there is no place near you for us.' 

"Ibn al-Mubaarak would reply, 'These children are dearer to me than you. You – how long shall you live? These children, however, perhaps Allah shall carry them far.'"

Sa’eed would then say to his students, "Today there is no one alive from that halaqah of Ibn al-Mubaarak except me."

When children work on a science experiment, an instrument that they might use is a thermometer. This is a device that reflects the heat coming from an object or area. At home we all have this thing called a thermostat. When we are too hot, it cools us down. And if we get cold it warms us up. Not only does it reflect the heat, it does something about it. When we look at the Muslim ummah, we will see that many of our communities are nothing more than thermometers. When there is heat coming from Bosnia, it registers a reaction in our salah, our du’aas, and our checkbooks. And when there is heat in Chechnya, it registers a reaction in our salah, our du’aas, and our checkbooks. This is the action of a thermometer. What we must become is thermostats; cooling things down when they get too hot and warming things up when they get too cool.

Today everyone is looking to our brothers and sisters in Palestine and pulling their hair because they cannot seemingly do anything. We must not let the things we cannot do stop us from doing what we can do.

By Allah, the long-term goal is the children. If we do not stand up to the challenge of educating them in Islam and raising them as best we can, we – with our own hands – are paralyzing the future of Islam in this country.

All of you are shepherds and all of you shall be questioned regarding your flock.

Never think that the work you do for the betterment of our children’s Islamic education goes in vain. There is an English word called sacrifice. Some Muslims when translating the idea of sadaqah may incorrectly use this concept of sacrifice. A more correct word is 'to deposit'. We are not spending these dimes hoping for nothing in return. Nay, we are investing it for an enormous return; we are depositing it in the Hereafter.

"What’s in it for me?" we always ask. Of the many blessings…

iLuvQuran Wangsa Melawati Junior Al-Hafiz students with 'Imam Palestin' in Ramadhan 2014

Firstly: Allah ta’aala will protect your children because of your piety.

The example given to us in the Qur’an is that of Khidr. When he built the wall without any compensation, he told Musa why:

And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord… (Al-Kahf 18/82)

Secondly: By educating and protecting the Muslim children, you would be fulfilling the amaanah (trust) that Allah has placed upon you. And in the fulfillment of ones trust lies success and a 401k plan in Paradise.

Allah ta’aala says:

Certainly successful are the believers …they who to their trusts and their promises are attentive / And they who carefully maintain their payers – those are the inheritors / Who will inherit al-Firdaus wherein they will abide eternally.

In conclusion, I would like to pose the question, who is responsible for these Islamic schools? We are all responsible – every one of us. This school and everything in it is our ra'eyyah and we shall be questioned for it.

As I was speaking to a good brother recently, he asked me about the situation of our Islamic school. We spoke about the upcoming fundraiser, and then he said to me, "A’aanak Allah (May Allah help you)." 

I said, "No. You said it wrong. It’s a'aanan Allah (may Allah help us), because brother, you’re just as responsible for these Islamic schools as I am."

*Link to Part 1