Wednesday 1 April 2009

So what is new...

Assalaamu Alaykum,

so what is new on planet Abu Abdillah?

I've applied for an open university course, Social sciences (not specialising yet, can do that later) which I hope should improve my employability both here and in Darul Emaan.

I also get a free laptop! which is nice. Should make things much easier for doing course work etc.

I have also applied for a TESOL course, but that is in september by which time i will have finished the OU course, after which I can return to something else.

Its just I dont like to stand still, I want to keep moving, keep improving, keep my mind active and in my life I tend to have three books on the go at any one time. One Islamic book, one fiction and factual.

Mashallah my son seems to get smarter every day, can now do Surah Fatihah, though not perfectly but I still think it is pretty good going at just over 2 and a half.

I have also just returned from my home town, they know how to treat brothers there. I went to two masaajid, one for jummah and one for Maghrib the same day, I almost couldnt get out both times for people giving me hugs, wanting to ask how I was, how was Abdullah doing etc and getting invited to eat.

It just isn't like that most places and it annoys me because it should be!

I think fundementally I am a spoilt child, in that when I first came into the deen it was into such an environment so I get vexed with brothers and with communities when they are not like this because I know this is from the sunnah and I know they should be.

But still it is an amazing emaan boost to see such brothers and feel such love for the sake of Allah, and makes me feel more and more determined to change things for the better where I am now.

Heay, it has only taken my 6 months of giving salaams and being consistantly ignored to finally get some of the local elders to reply to my salaams how difficult can the rest of it be?

I think the best way to change people is to act as a good example, so I need to take the first step more often, invite people to my home more even if they never return the gesture, Allah will still see I have done my bit and inshallah soften their hearts and put more love for their brothers in their hearts.

Assalaamu Alaykum,
Abu Abdillah

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Salaam--MashAllah...it's great that your son being so young knows Surah Fatiha! :)

i was thinking about taking a TESOL course because I know that English teachers are in high demand in other countries...but then i thought: "i am responsible for what people do with the knowledge that i give them. if i teach Muslims the English language, then won't they want to come to the West? isn't it better for them to spend their time and energy in learning proper Quranic Arabic [which is obviously less in demand]?" but still, i have been told by some that there is no way to know for sure that they will come to the West...i am sort of confused about this, but i am leaning more towards the opinion that it is better not to teach English. what do you think?

Anonymous said...

Aassalamlaikom Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

the scholars spoke on the topic of teaching English and mentioned valid points. If one looks into this matter and understands it then it is sufficient to not go for teaching English.

Other then that the class may involve lessons that are inapproprite, exercises involving songs, mixed gender classes and various other reasons and issues.

The language we need to learn and teach is Arabic, why not go for a certification or degree in Arabic and teach rather then English?


“And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people, in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them”

[Ibraaheem 14:4]

Nafeesa said...

This is why my husband didnt do the tesol a few years ago because of the very problem you both have mentioned. My husband and I are indeed learning Arabic but at the same time we urgently want to get out of this country. I understand the reasons as to why some scholars may say its not a good idea but on the other hand its just a language which is universal and most people learn it to increase their knowledge and understanding and to possibly give dawah to others who they wouldnt have been able to other wise as well as increase their chances of getting good jobs etc. Its not as black as white as it may seem.

Abu Abdillah said...

assalaamu alaykum,

ok to deal with the 2nd post first...

we cannot all teach arabic, i am myself not so good with languages other than my own so of-course it makes sense to me to teach english not a language i dont even know yet.

i am studying arabic, who knows, maybe one day i will be good enough to teach it but not for a number of years yet.

now for the 1st post which i am dealing with 2nd...

i used to think the same way, teaching english was 'cheating' when it came to hijra, after all you are giving them a skill they can then use to do something haram, i.e make their own migration to darul kufr.

but by that analogy teaching someone to make a knife or gun is haram, or chemistry incase they use it to set up a drugs lab, the list of things which would be haram then would be endless and leave us with no form of income what-so-ever.

so it makes more sense to say i will teach english, which in todays world is needed by many just to get on in business and life but if someone specifically came to me and said i want to learn english so i can move to the uk or to the west in general then i would tell them politely no and give my reasons.

assalaamu alaykum,
Abu Abdillah