thean alhamdulillah peace be with you
thank you for tuning in to the dean show
another exciting episode thank you for
joining us here on the dean show we're
going to talk about back home food
culture and some of the backwardness
that's crept into the mids and we're
trying to help educate those who are
tomorrow leaders who are trying to help
to build a better Society because Islam
has all the answers and it's been sent
to us as a mercy for all of mankind so
we're going to help everyone try to
understand some of these back home
cultures and if you're uh a young
student growing up in in the United
States and your parents that that's all
they want you to be is a doctor engineer
and now maybe you want to be a Sheikh
maybe you want to be an Imam you want to
be a spiritual doctor but now you're
feeling the fuel of the fire from your
family because they're undermining this
field these are the kind of things we're
going to be talking about on this week's
show so don't go anywhere we're here
with our special guest IM on The Dean
show we'll be right back
the the
the this is
the this is the
[Music]
this is the is
the this is
the this is the is
[Music]
the peace be with you and with you this
is a greeting of Jesus isn't it it is
don't we love Jesus we do and now the
Muslims know this obviously but we we
get a lot of we're on we're on uh
several satellite channels thank God all
over the globe and many we get a lot of
emails from the not yet Muslims people
who've watched the dean show and they
really love the positive message the
message of purpose the purpose of life
so we let them into our lives and we
talk about different issues real
important issues and one of those issues
we're going to be talking about today is
the back home culture the back home
mentality you have some experience with
this well naturally as an Imam yes we
what do we mean when we say okay this
backhorn mentality because we know Islam
the way that Jesus lived you know and
some people are surprised when they hear
this you know but we know Islam means
submission to the will of the Creator
not the creation so Islam's been there
since the beginning and it came with all
the prophets so we know Islam is not
backwards nor can it be backwards but
Muslims can be backwards is that right
yes let's talk about this well yes
there's a difference between what Islam
itself is and that is a way of life
guidance and how to live the best life
possible so that this experience
experience can be as meaningful and as
fulfilling and as happy as can humanly
be possible and achievable before having
ultimately the greatest of what God
Almighty what Allah the one God in
Arabic has promised us of Eternal
happiness in the Life Hereafter so
that's the religion as opposed to the
humans now who basically seek to
understand and to live it in the way
that the prophet peace be upon him the
prophet Muhammad that is May Allah's
peace and blessings be upon him and upon
all the prophets how he came to demon to
show it to us we know we have a we have
an epidemic now it's become a real big
problem I mean it's it's good in a way
definitely that you're you know parents
are encourage their kids to be the the
the best you know in whatever field that
they choose to want to undergo but we
were talking about that there's kind of
uh been set feels that if you're not
you're pretty much a failure if you're
not a doctor or an engineer you know in
in in this certain Community can you go
ahead and elaborate on this well it
seems that
when we're talking about culture and the
way that we're a product of our
environment certain communities from
overseas they have a priority of what's
the most successful that a person can be
in life and so they'll view for example
medicine to be a doctor as the top and
second to that will be for example
engineering and third will be that which
deals with you know computer technology
in the field of computers and so on so
they have like this hierarchy
and however it may be in whatever area
they come from it may be because of the
amount of money that it can generate it
may be because of the amount of
Education that's involved or the the
difficulty of getting into these you
know universities to study that
particular field but the end result is
that there is a hierarchy of what is the
most prestigious career that a person
can have and then it works its way down
MH and then from there I mean we hear
like and many of the youth complain like
if I don't become a a doctor or an
engineer and then from there I'm
basically a failure in my parents' eyes
and I mean obviously Islam shows that
you need to respect your parents you
know you really uh there's practically
no old folks home in Islam is there well
not yet not yet there's really a high
regard for parents but how can we hold a
balance here at medium where obviously
you're respectful for your parents but
let's say the young the young child
really wants to to go ahead and be a
spiritual doctor right he wants to be
someone who's out there helping to um
you know be an Imam maybe or she or or
you know this is really his calling but
now the the parents they put this
position as something that's you know
something that it's it's one of the
knockoff positions like if you can't be
you know a doctor engineer or maybe u in
computer science field okay go ahead you
can be an Imam and really undermining
this position is this a bad thing well
look you know it it would seem that part
of the reasoning why they would have
doctor engineer Etc is because they're
looking at the the amount of money that
these positions generate and it's very
sad and it's unfortunate if there's a
belief that says well if my son can't be
a doctor can't be an engineer can't be a
computer specialist then last but not
least to kind of save the honor of the
family to save the face as they would
say sometimes that they would then send
them off to a madrasa or to become you
know someone who memorizes Quran or a
sheh or something of that sort
that type of a mentality is a sinful one
because that's such a belittling of what
is an
islamically not just symbolic but is an
actually essential aspect of our
religion to belittle it to that point
where it's as if well if you can't
become the greatest of this this this
then you know at least if you're going
to be a loser let it be in this form of
being somebody who still has some sense
of value that type of a mentality that
type of a belief is something that's
actually dis graceful it's something
that islamically is unacceptable I mean
obviously there's there's other fields
also you know if someone wants to be a
journalist someone wants to you can name
some other fields I mean this is
obviously acceptable in the dean isn't
it absolutely it's it's something that's
understood that we need to have every
type of a career every type of a
profession every type of a techn
technical skill that's out there from
mechanics to teachers to to Bakers to
You Name It We need them all and so if
everybody were to be a doctor in the
same way that if everybody were to be a
Sheikh
life would be incomplete and so it's not
about the you know minimizing these
other fields rather it's about seeing
that we complete each other this is very
important so when we talk about we talk
about back home mentality I mean we know
that obviously like I said earlier Islam
is not backward Islam progresses with
with with the time but there are certain
principles that we never compromise can
you elaborate on some of this give us an
example well yes when it comes to the
principles that are established that
there's you know they're going to be
they're and they're going to hold the
truth of of regardless of the time is
that there's only one God you know
Arabic Allah and Allah is the Creator
and the Creator is the one who has made
all that exists and he is also the
maintainer and the provider for all that
he created and he out of this we should
recognize the greatness of Allah through
seeing his creation and that should help
us to further want to demonstrate our
love to Allah this is something that's
stable that there's no change with
regards to it however there's things
that are uh you know there's room for
expression and it's it's some of these
cultural things so in Islam for example
you don't have to only eat rice you can
eat pasta you can eat bread you can have
different types of things so long as the
restrictions are met and that is to not
have that which is of pork to not have
alcohol and some of the other finer
things we're going to take a break and
we'll be right back with more on
backwardness and it creeping up into
even the masjids so we got uh an
exciting program with imash here on the
dean show don't go
anywhere how you doing I can't believe
you let him do this why not you can
handle it how would you know it's only
his first time so everybody's doing it
hey everybody's got to experience he
didn't have to man he don't look so good
man I feel
good hey is he okay hey what's wrong hey
we better pull over what's going on back
there he's not breathing pull over pull
over oh my God
in
[Music]
[Laughter]
back here on the dean show and we're
talking about
backwardness and Islam is not backwards
Islam actually goes with the times
because we have a thing called fi right
correct so that's the uh deriving the
Juris Prudence on certain things that
have developed now that we didn't have
let's say way back then and we see that
Islam when it was implemented for
instance during the time of Spain it was
at the you know this is Golden Ages
right people were in the darkness and
Islam you know and Science and we have
uh there's a book out there Thousand and
One inventions this is by the Muslims
isn't it correct absolutely but now a
lot of times with religion you know
people they go ahead and attribute
backwardness and but there is some
backwardness in the Muslims we said and
a specific situation we hear this a lot
a lot of the people of knowledge
Scholars who they are the spiritual
doctors right and this is even more
important than uh a Doctor Who's saying
lives a spiritual doctor is one who's
who's saving the hearts and souls
correct it's it's definitely of of
tremendous importance but now it's
undermined right so now let's say a
person wants to let's give a p specific
situ ation someone who's an IM like
yourself for instance or someone else
who's leading a community but now you
have uh because you have in Islam you
have shur right would can you equate
this to a board the board people's as as
a as a shur because now you have board
members who come in have little
knowledge of Islam or they have a lot of
knowledge in in in medicine but now they
under mind the position of the scholar
the Imam and everything is just going
backwards have you have any experience
with this or knowing anybody who's
dealing with stuff like this well you
know when we talk about the word sh it's
it's to be understood that it's talking
about consultation consultation and we
recognize when we look at things from a
worldly perspective that when a person
is seeking consultation it's um specific
to a particular you know uh field right
so for example if a person is going to
have a medical issue they're going to
seek second opinions Maybe third
opinions right and it's understood it's
natural but they're seeking it from who
once again the people that are
specialists in that field sometimes the
Physicians themselves will do this the
problem that we have sometimes is that
within our Islamic organizations or our
Mass when we don't take these best
principles these best practices these
standards which are really Islamic ones
and we we we through doing that we do a
disservice so we are showing as if Islam
is backwards because we ourselves maybe
in not applying what islamically really
is a best practice and standard that is
used even in in non religious um fields
and non-religious
organizations U that really are are are
the the foundation for specialization
what happens if you get a whole bunch of
people who may not have anything of of
of relationship to um a particular
subject and you seek opinions from all
of them you have what's called pulled
ignorance and sometimes this is what
happens s religion is not a freefor all
no field is free for all we recognize
the need for
specialization and every field has its
its its foundation of whether it's
mathematics or or science or literature
or history whatever it may be and we
recognize that and we have our
limitations the same thing is true even
in Islam and this is something that the
prophet taught us and he showed us he
demonstrated for us mhm so let let's
give some specific examples cuz we'll
see that someone will be a leader in the
community and obviously that position is
such a valuable position but let's say
you have certain um board members and we
see this prevalent in a lot of the mass
in a lot of the MOs where now there's a
conflict between the person who should
be leaving the Amir the Imam would be
the Amir right the person who's uh
should be listened to and obviously if
he's if he's he's um doing in the best
interest of the community adhering to
the Quran and the Sunnah is this correct
well that's what the prophetic model was
and for us as Muslims we need to be
convinced that what the prophet Allah's
peace and blessing be upon him what he
himself lived what he demonstrated and
what he died upon that's what's best for
us so in his time he was the Amir he was
the IM he was all of these things and he
was not you know viewed upon in anything
less except as being the messenger of
Allah and being the the example the role
model for them when it comes to our Mass
the same thing should be true that the
Imam is not viewed as an employee that
he's not looked upon as a person who is
to be told what to do to be led but
rather he's there to lead and there's a
big difference between the two and
everybody should be able to acknowledge
that so the Imam as as you'll hear in
many of these communities will they say
he is our leader he is our this well if
he's the leader then he really needs to
be empowered so that he can truly lead
and if being empowered it means that he
needs to then follow what the prophetic
example was the
prophet he had people working with him
as a team he knew who his congregation
who is Jama was and this is why he would
select the people that were that really
stood out and whatever their strengths
were and that's what he empowered them
with and he delegated to them of tasks
and he set them free to take it to
whatever boundary they reach with
it in the way that we do things that are
mid we have like these weird concoctions
of all sorts of different things where
we have some Islamic elements and we
have other very unlam Elements which we
try to make Islamic we have boards that
come in and out every two years where
there's tremendous
instability three four five years
doesn't make a difference or we have and
so when they're switched you have now
this instability that's caused but the
main person who's there who's there in
day and out with regards to whoever is
of leadership or in these positions and
yet unfortunately they're given the most
minuscule of of of positions of roles of
authority of even being able to lead the
Other Extreme is where you have these
shura councils as they're called where
it's really a death till you know you
know till they die basically till death
do us part where in the same way that
when we look at our organ our countries
back home where you have these leaders
that for you know 40 50 60 years they
have in these positions and according to
them everything is the best that it
could possibly be but you go ahead and
look at the effects of their leadership
and their their organizations and
administrations and how that's really
impacting the people it's a failure they
don't want to at the same time recognize
that Hey look it's got to be the Islamic
example the role model how he himself
the
prophet taught lived and died doing
things or it's not at all really Islamic
we're going to go and take a break we'll
right back with more to wrap this
session up on a Dean show with imash
don't go anywhere we'll right back Jihad
often mistranslated as holy war the word
Jihad means to struggle Islam does not
preach violence it does not preach
vicious holy war it certainly does not
condone Terror and suicide bombing Islam
preaches compassion tolerance and
Justice find the truth about Islam call
tollfree 877 why Islam order your free
copy of the Quran
today
stand I am not afraid to stand alone if
Li by I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
Li by I am not afraid to stand
alone I am not afraid to stand alone if
it lies by my side I am not afraid of
stand
alone back here on the dean show so how
can the Imam the spiritual leader in the
mid who's supposed to be the Amir how
can because you have a lot of people who
want to do some good so they might you
know really have some good intentions
and they want to do good for the
community but now they end up getting in
the way they cause more they don't show
the proper respect towards the person
who's supposed to being Authority and
they end up causing more harm than good
so what advice would you give for
someone who possibly wants to be on the
board of a Masjid who is on a board you
have a lot of experience there what
would you give advice so there can be
this good collaboration so we can really
move forward as a community and not
backwards yeah and basically what you
said is is is what needs to be done
firstly to have a good intention
alhamdulillah that's fantastic we praise
and thank Allah if a person has that but
understand that that's something that
only Allah knows
because what's in my heart whether
that's what's being expressed or not
Allah only knows that but it's not
enough and this is where we need to
understand that if we're going to truly
take the Masjid and have it fulfill the
different roles and functions that are
so essential for the Muslim Community
men women young old recent converts as
well as the non-muslims that are also um
they have expectations from us it
requires more than good intentions it
requires that whoever is going to be
involved that they understand that they
need to have some skills they need to
have some abilities and so this is where
truly if you want to talk about sh they
need to consult with the Imam this is
where the Imam is a person that should
be trusted this is where the community
who has hired the person that they need
to have trust and faith in them and they
need to work with them he's a person
who's now going to be able to look at
whatever skills people have for example
there's some of our younger brothers and
sisters who are excellent when it comes
to techn technology where you can give
them these opportunities to develop the
website to go ahead and use the media in
a way that's going to communicate
connect with the youth there's other
people who mallah for example they may
be great at generating Revenue making
money it would be a shame to take a
person like that and put them in the
kitchen for example and having them bake
or whatever the case is and this is
where we find that the prophet really
excelled he saw the likes of for example
um Allah be pleased with him that he was
an expert when it came to reciting the
Quran he praised them he said whoever
wants to learn how to recite the Quran
fresh just like it was revealed they
should learn it
from and that's what he set them up for
so when people now today want to go
ahead and they want to volunteer they
want to be a part of something that's
great but it shouldn't be half-hazard it
should be organized it should be in a
way that things function in a way that
is going to be best and this is what you
know this whole pra best practices
quality control
um all sorts of different Industries
have their own measures best standards
and practices and streamlining things
are so essential and when you have a
stable figure like the IM in the
community people need to work with him
they need to realize hey I have
intention that is to serve Allah to do
good I have energy I may have whatever
skills and abilities how can you best
see me using it and then to work as a
team have you seen this we've heard some
some um some stories where you'll have
someone who who is he's
graduated you know from a a prestigious
Islamic University he's come back to
help lead his community but now you have
also someone who's also become a doctor
in a certain field he becomes a board
president and now he you know puts you
know his
degree above the Islamic scholars degree
and now he starts basically not only can
he dictate him medicine but he tries to
dictate to him
you know uh the fck of this the Fick of
that basically he undermines his
position and now there's a clash we have
you seen a lot of this happening also
well that definitely happens and
unfortunately that's a very grave
mistake because when it comes to
anybody's specific field we understand
that there's a tremendous amount of
respect for specialization that's one of
the things that has helped America to
really reach its climax specialization
you have people that are experts in
their field you Empower them you help to
further provide for them resources
whatever the case so that they can reach
what they may not even know of their own
potential and and take things to new
levels this is what should be taking
place within our Mass also alhamdulillah
people who have become medical doctors
Engineers whatever it is that's great
but there should be a tremendous amount
of respect for Islamic scholarship too
um just because a person may have a
degree in whatever field it is doesn't
mean that they now know whatever it is
that they need to know about Islam a
person may have read the Quran from
cover to cover 10 times 100 times it
does not mean that they're an expert in
what the Quran teaches in Islam and so
when it comes to these these different
individuals they need to Humble
themselves they should not see
themselves as being the you know the
board or or the bosses or you know the
directors and they're delegating to the
Imam do this don't do this rather they
should see themselves at the service of
what Islam is about working together
with the IM under his leadership because
we're talking about an Islamic
organization we're not talking about a
hospital we're not talking about a
clinic we're not talking about an
engineering firm we're not talking about
anything else except what a place that
is meant to fulfill what muham is about
that there is no God In Truth except for
Allah who is one and that he alone
deserves to be worshiped and that should
be done according to the Sunnah of the
messenger Muhammad sallallahu alaihi
wasallam so we talked about having the
proper intention if you're going to get
involved in any activities that you want
to obviously donate your time but also
knowledge how important is really having
the right knowledge because yeah you
could be an engineer or a doctor but now
you know you you have to have some good
basic knowledge at least of This Dean
you know isn't this really important
before you do the action now yes and
this is why we find that in Islam in
order for anything of our actions or our
Deeds to be accepted they must fulfill
two conditions the first is that it must
be done sincerely for Allah so
alhamdulillah the Muslims who have that
that's fantastic and Allah is the one
who judges we don't judge and the second
is that it needs to be done according to
the sun of the Prophet Alat so that if
it's not then it takes it away from what
he himself taught and what he has
established and most of the time that
would be considered a just like in the
first case if it's not done sincerely
for Allah that would be considered shik
that is being done for other than Allah
whether it's to show off or who knows
what the second would be an innovation
in the religion and so both of these
need to be there the intention itself is
not enough following what the prophet
himself established of best practices
over 1400 years ago
it's absolutely essential so what what
other advice do you have for for people
who are uh in the community on some of
the boards maybe out there and they're
you know trying to make a difference and
maybe they might because a lot of the
muses they have these conflicts from
within what advice would you would you
have before we wrap up for these
individuals well it's to understand that
it's a it's an act of worship that these
different positions if a person is truly
trying to do something for the religion
it's an act of worship so it needs to be
taken seriously secondly it means that
because it's an act of worship they need
to do things with knowledge and this is
where the Imam is indispensable so they
need to have the Imam really be an
integral part of anything that's taking
place in the organization they need to
be on constant communication they need
to be working together as a team
everybody needs to be humble recognizing
that yeah there's going to be mistakes
but we learn from mistakes we better
ourselves from the mistakes that we may
make where they need to realize that
they all have a common goal and purpose
and if they were to do this following
what is truly the best practices of what
the prophet himself established I think
that our massaged would truly be the
magnets and the beehives that are
bustling with activity with energy with
with results in a way that they're
lacking now or in a way that we may feel
we have to some extent but to a totally
different degree that would really make
us look back in comparison and say wow
where we were at and we thought we were
great great as opposed to where
greatness really is in excellence that's
all the time we have so if somebody now
also is cu we hear a lot about this and
if you have someone else who's going
through these situations and they want
some consultation on the matter how
would they get a hold of you is that
possible sure um I think the best way is
through my email which is um I'll spell
it out so it's my first name plus my
last initial so s HP e n d i m
n gmail.com so shpendim n all one word
at gmail.com so like they're saying your
name spendin gmail.com right except that
it's not my full last name just the
initial of my last name yes just the
initial okay thank you very much may the
creator of the heavens and earth Allah
reward you and thank you too and thank
you again for tuning in to another
episode of the dean show so just some
advice for myself and everybody knowing
how important knowledges because if
you've become a doctor you know how much
time or an engineer how much time you
spent reading taking classes to get to
the position where you're at we should
never undermine this knowledge and this
Dean this Dean this way of life of all
the messengers of God Islam submission
to the will of the Creator not the
creation and really putting in time the
same amount if not that at least a
fraction of the amount of time to really
know this Dean Accord according to the
verbatim word of God the Quran and the
way of life the Sunnah that we have
preserved of the last and final messeng
of prophet Muhammad peace be upon him so
really taking the time to study it to
learn it and we need teachers because
Imagine Learning boxing jiujitsu or your
profession as a doctor and not having
good qualified teachers and we respected
those teachers didn't we so we should
really respect the scholars the people
that are out there the spiritual
Physicians and as long as they're
pointing Us in the direction because the
scholars are the inheritors of the
Prophet so as long as they're
encouraging us according to the Quran
and Sunnah we should really respect them
and sit at their feet and learn this way
of life because that's how by studying
Islam you are more convinced of it
because it's not Blind Faith the more
you study thebr word of the Quran the
more you're convinced of it the more it
makes sense and the more your Iman
increases connect with us all the time
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week for a new show we'll see you next
time God willing until then peace be
with you