Muslim Congress Phone Conference 5th Session with Maulana Baig Question: The emphasis on completing a Quran in Ramadan is very high, but as students, since some of us have very busy schedules in Ramadan, what is more recommended for us: completing a Quran, or studying detailed tafseer (like Tafseer Al-mizan) of some Surahs of the Quran?
Maulana Baig: Obviously it is in hadith, that this month of Ramadan is the season of Quran. So we should put an emphasis on reading and understanding not just the words. Unfortunately all of us don't understand arabic. But applying is more important, that is the main objective of the Quran. The main objective is not that we read it in arabic without comprehension. There is still ajr there because it is the words of Allah but the objectives are not there. You should learn tafseer that’s good. But if you don’t have a choice just go with the Quran not just Arabic, with English translation.
Question: What is the best way to help guide young Muslims in high school who seem to have little or no interest in following Islam? Are there any specific techniques or ways of sparking their interest that seem to work?
Maulana Baig: This is a very vague question, because the issue is that there are a lot of disillusioned high schoolers who lack eman, but there are different reasons for why they are like this. Sometimes it's because of adults, sometimes it's because of people rebelling in the household. The issue is we need to analyze why a person doesn't have a strong faith, why is he weak. We need to see those reasons, then once we answer those reasons then we are able to solve that issue in him, then he will be able to come to Allah.
Followup Question: Is this happening (lack of interest in Islam) because we are studying Islam too superficially? Maulana Baig: What happened is that yes, there are many things that can happen. Households can religious but there kids may become hypocritical. There are households that are not religious where kids go astray because of this natural effect. Many reasons attribute to this, one of them being that the youth are not involved in any type of Islamic growth. There is nothing for the youth in many of these places. Muslims who grow up in high school feel a strange environment in the masjid because there needs are not looked after. In many of these places, the adults just assume there children are going to turn out good. Their language, the way they do things, because of these many of the youth are disillusioned, and hence until high school used to go masjid with your parents. but after or in you have options, you say you know what I'm going to stay behind or I'm not going I have homework to do because there is nothing there. After a while you are too far away to even go back. Environment in the household has an effect, but in high school here there is the room for growth. But you see it is an age for growth, we should be there for them to help them analyze those ideas. We need to help them understand those ideas instead of them making a wrong decision Question: In this blessed month of Ramadan and throughout the year what kinds of acts can help strengthen one's belief as well as spirituality and closeness to Allah?
Maulana Baig: Closely paying attention to our relationship with Allah, a person who prays and makes dua. Before I explain this let me explain a little about Ramadan. It is like a mirror that reflects different realities of people. If you have been to hajj or any other holy place you know that at hajj when you go and sit near the Kaaba, you will see that for example like what I used to do and what I always do is look at the people and look at there actions. When you look at people you will see different types of people. There are some people there who are there to pray, some people to make dua, some people who have a need, some people to do some shopping, some people who are there just walking across the haraam. You see the respect of the house, why aren't these people realizing the respect of this house? You see different people in it but not everyone gets something out of it, same as Ramadan some people just pray and go away. Some people like fasting because it is healthy for them. Some really want to fast want to improve themselves and want to go close to Allah. Everyone experiences Ramadan, only some who get something out of it. Besides duas from mafatih, but even after we should take some time off after dua to talk to Allah not just to ask or praise, we already have done dua. Just a talk it puts things in perspective, who you are, where you stand in front of Allah, it becomes more personal and less of a routine. By building our own unique relation with Allah we can make the experience stronger and more lasting. Not just reading the dua and going away. There are many other things Ulema on akhlaq have much more wise things to say
Follow up Point
Don't make dua just a routine. Take one line of dua and just reflect over it.
Question: The whole religious belief is based on the recognition of the vicegerent of Allah. In the absence of the Imam how do we learn to show that allegiance to him? What can we do to prepare ourselves to insure that we would obey him when he comes?
Maulana Baig: When the Prophet (pbuh) went to the expedition of Tabuk he left Imam Ali in charge of Medina. When our 12th Imam went into occultation he left behind representatives. He expects you to have certain respect and obey and follow them and to bring issues to them. Here we see that whenever the Imam is in ghaybat it is incumbent on the imam to appoint someone. In the ghaybat of the imam he expects us to maintain the constant of leadership and concept of obedience to a leader. If we lose that instead of becoming apart of a ummah we become an individual. Then we have to reenter Islam and tawhid. That is the reason that he wanted us to stay on the path of obedience. We have gone away but we see the Islamic revolution and Imam Khomeini revived that leadership again. Not as an individual, "I am my own king". Allah wants you to be in his authority. Obviously the Imam is expecting us to be like that. If we are an individual, if we think of us equal to our leader then we will behave the same way with him (the 12th Imam). We will say [to the 12th Imam] "that is your opinion we respectfully disagree with you." It's obedience to Allah that’s what we need to be revived. Alhumdulillah we live in a time when it has been revived by Imam Khomeini (ra), which is really a blessing for us, that we are not wandering in the jungle. Now we know what the Imam wants for us, in his return.
Followup Question: How did people before the revolution display obedience?
Maulana Baig: Let's say person lives in time of Imam Jafar Sadiq, the Imam never called for jihad, there was no opportunity for them to give shahadat. When Imam Hussain or Imam Hassan or Imam Ali, there was an opportunity for someone to gain that rank. So in those times they did not have that choice, they didn’t have that idea or opportunity. Now they do, now the flag has been raised. Our elders didn’t, but now we do. Its something that Allah has blessed us with.
Question: If the Holy Prophet saw prayed 5 times a day, should we not be encouraged to pray in the same way rather than the usual combination of Zohr/Asr and Maghrib/Isha prayers that are often done in Shia masjids and especially during the month of Ramadan? And if so then it seems our prayer timetables always just state one prayer time for e.g Maghrib and Isha. How is one who wants to pray them at different times able to find the fazilat timing for the prayer?
Maulana Baig: It is true, the calenders we have now just state the times. It is not true that the prophet always prayed separately, many times he would pray his prayers together. But there is a time of fazeelat for asr, it is when shadow of everything becomes two times itself. So if you put a stick in the ground and the length of its shadow becomes two times the sticks length it is time. However, jamaat is more important then fazeelat, there is more reward and more importance placed on it. If we can do jamaat at the time of fazeelat that's even better, but if you have the choice between fazeelat and jamaat, Islam recommends jamaat. Its impractical to get together for 5 prayers for jamaat. We don’t even have them at the masjid but 1 or 2 days in the week. When we are here it only makes sense to do Maghreb and Isha together because we know the time starts right after Maghreb or zuhr for Asr and isha (respectively). But in some situations we can work towards having some prayers during fazeelat time in jamaat. But even then in order for you to make that practical for people you have to force people to close shops, schools and everything for prayers. Most people who come for prayers are elderly because others are working and it cannot be done. Only place it works is if you force the people. I've been to Saudi they say life is so impractical because you have to close everything up then go pray then 2 hrs later do same thing. There are many issues to look at. If the masjid was right next door or work place that’s different, but it's not the case.
Follow Up Question: What do we do when nobody wants to lead prayer because of who is a just person and everyone ends up doing there own naamaz
Maulana Baig: WeIl it's unfortunate you see that here we have made it such. As there should be some scrutiny as to who should lead but it is not something that should be monopolized. It should be that someone is just and knows how to pronounce properly. The issue is that if you go to hajj, after you make the tawaaf you have to make your prayer there. Your pronunciation has to be right, you shouldn’t be making mistake these kinds of mistakes. If you are able to say surah fatiha and ikhlas and able to pray then you should pray and be in a habit of doing that. The Prophet In his own way of life would always appoint someone lead the prayer when he left so there was no objections. There is no way to know who's adl, but there is a way to know who's not adl. In that you don’t do major sins. This is doing an outward check for example someone who shaves cannot lead because they are continually committing this sin (depending on maraja).
Follow Up Question: What about reading behind an alim who is unjust
Maulana Baig: If I see someone doing something wrong like drinking I can't pray behind him, but I cannot start and go and advertise that guy is drinking. For you he's not adl but we don’t need to say that to others. Let others find out for themselves that’s the way to look at it.
Question: Please explain who it is wajib on to go study in Qom if there is obviously a lack of scholars in America. If it is wajib on the whole society, practically what is being done to push this since we see so few are going to study still.
Maulana Baig: Again my friends, here is the thing, people, there is a need for ulema, there is a vacuum of ulema who are from the USA, from this environment, from the nation that’s here. The issue here is that there is this need for ulema. We can't make people study, it is something that people are driven to. Allah knows best who He guides. Being an alim is not a prestigious job, people disrespect ulema. The fact is that look at the history, if you look at the history of the ambiya did people respect or disrespect them. Anyone who calls people towards the truth people will disrespect them. If you can't handle not being respected then you shouldn’t be an alim. If you accept that, that’s great. Don’t think that when you become an alim that you will become like Imam Khomeini. You saw that even when he was the leader of a nation you saw how much disrespect he had to go through. If you are an alim you cannot get back at them. Because you have a higher goal. Their job is to put you down- your job is to raise them up. Allah knows who has the ability to do that. We encourage anyone who is willing and wants to learn to study. Allah weeds out those that can't study and circumstances come up that they have to leave their studies. If you don't have those things you shouldn’t be there. But we should all have the intention that we want to learn and want to go ahead and want to go forward to do this. We always are on the lookout who are vibrant, young people, whose hearts are open, and are patient and wise, that they go and learn and hopefully they increase in them and increase attributes in them and that they do become someone that these are the issues.
Follow Up Question: What about for women who are married that want to go to study Maulana Baig: One has to understand this that if you want to learn for yourself don’t go to howza. Howza is there for someone who wants to dedicate themselves for Allah's work for going to learn how to teach others. For those who want to learn for themselves follow an alim. When you go to howza you are a burden on the Imam in that Qums are being used for you. If you are here then you have dedicated your life to this. If you are learning through the Imam's money, you are obligated to the Imam's money. The Imam is doing this because of Allahs work and cause. Qum's money is being spent in the howza. Spaces are limited so if I'm there someone else is not coming. I'm here because not because I want to learn but I want to propagate. The time we leave and go to study it's not for me, do a job and have the nice life after thaat.
Follow Up Question: What if a person is not of legitimate birth, should they not go to Howza because they cant teach?
Maulana Baig: You can teach, background doesn’t matter at all for learning and teaching. The only thing that islam says is that you don’t lead the prayer. If someone knows for sure you don’t lead the prayer that doesn’t mean you don’t learn and speak
Follow Up Question: If you want to go to qom if you are married
Maulana Baig: The issue is that, maybe I did not get the chance to learn, then let me produce some children to will get the chance to learn we should have children and make them go to howza that’s the intention.
Question: What are being done for marriage problems (i.e. alims learning and then helping)
Maulana Baig: First what happens is this, we as a society here in American don’t have concept of amir bil maroof and nahi anil munkir. It is not just an action, it is an police force. That is why we have to establish people who are there to stop wrong from happening like for an example if a wife abuses a husband all she can do is call 911. People should know they have to deal with the community. What can an alim do, all he can say is brother this is haraam. That doesn’t work all the time.
Question: Sometimes we hear things from our grandparents, and its not something you hear from alims or from howza, but its more something they read in Urdu books if its basis religion. For example in Namaaz putting your hand up to ears when saying salaam?
Maulana Baig: On the specefic issue (hands to ears) it is good to do that but not necessary. And we have other things, you know the pots, the kunde. They have no basis at all. We have to base on ahlul bayt. There is something called Islam and something called culture. Culture is not bad but when it goes against Islam it's wrong. How do you know the difference between Islam and culture. If you see any practice being done everywhere that is Islam. If you see it only being done one place and not every place it is culture. Because Islam was spread everywhere, culture was not. Maatham is something Islam says, not a culture of a certain place The cultural things aren't wrong but sometimes because of these rules of Islam are ignored. Right now Zuljina is more important then zuhr and asr
Question: Today we (community) gave food to homeless. It was my first time. One of the people we were giving out food to asked for a Quran. And all I had was an Arabic and English translation. When doing events besides just giving food what should we do? Should we be giving Quran especially if they have Arabic or smaller things to help introduce them.
Maulana Baig: What we do, we give them the Webster's dictionary, we show it to them. Hashim (Calfaney) that’s his method. He says you are muslim, if the person says he is not Hashim shows Webster's dictionary. He says Muslim is someone who submits to God, then asks if the person submits to God. If the person says yes then according to Webster's dictionary he is Muslim. Then the person is interested in Islam. For homeless people they get help from everyone. If Muslims give help one day, if Jews go other day etc etc., they are good people to the homeless people. The fact is that they're homeless they wont say anything against you. Everyone goes to feed them, we do it because Allah wants us to help others. If someone wants to learn we do that also
Question: What is importance of Quds?
Maulana Baig: One of the things that Imam Khomeini has emphasized and introduced to is the day of quds, which is the last friday of Ramadan. On this day we should try to raise the issue of no matter where we are living. Masjid of Quds is a sign of dignity and honor and something of our dignity of honor has been usurped by the Israeli regime. So we need to really raise this issue. We should raise issue and inform the world of quds and the oppression that is happening. So anywhere that you see that some demonstrations are going to take place we should take part and as one of the things that we plan to do is organized demonstrations simultaneously through America every year through MC. So we can raise awareness until that issue is not resolved other issues wont be resolved
Quds was the direction of the prayer before it was changed to Mecca, it was masjidul aqsa or Quds. This was the place of ambiyat and prophets were. Muslims used to pray in the direction. It was the first Qibla of Islam. Something that Allah has ordered,That (shall be so); and whoever respects the signs of Allah, this surely is (the outcome) of the piety of hearts." ( The Holy Quran 22:32) for us we need to defend masjid al quds, right now it is under isreali occupation. As long as it is not free they are occupying one of the signs of Allah that we need to defend. The issue of Israel is an issue that is affecting all of Islam. if you can get rid of Israel from there (Quds) all issues would be resolved, this is first obligation |
