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Surat al Kahf, the 18th surah found in the exact middle of the Qur’an, contains 110 ayaat rich with stories and parables that are constantly engaging the reader. It is a Meccan surah that is full of deep insights and tackles serious subjects that concern us both in this life and the hereafter. The surah gives us a perspective to examine life differently in pursuit of finding its reality.  Surat Al-Kahf pertains to everyone, no matter his/her situation. If one is poor, weak, and oppressed, he will find the whole surah addressing his problems, giving him support, and suggesting solutions. If one is wealthy, healthy, and powerful, she will find it primarily speaking to her as well.

It was reported by the Prophet (pbuh) that “whoever reads Surat Al-Kahf on Friday, it lightens what is between the two Fridays.#” How can we best understand this light? This light is a guiding light throughout the week. Since we all face challenges that are both large and small, and we can very easily get confused as to how best to address our issues, we need a frequent reminder of the right perspective.  Surat al-Kahf gives us a criterion to make decisions and form opinions. It helps us understand challenges and gives us the ability to deal with them, whether they involve our finances, our personal relationships, or our pursuit to seek knowledge.  There is no doubt that this surah will, time and time again, be an indispensable gem in our lives if we use it in accordance with the sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).

This episode is an invitation for the reader to instill within himself the habit of reading Surat Al-Kahf every Friday, reflect deeply on the wealth of lessons and ideas, and more importantly, recall these lessons throughout the week. It is our hope that you, the reader, will enrich this episode with your own reflections and commentary by engaging with the material and discussing the ideas brought forth with your fellow MAS members, family, and friends, insha’Allah.

All of the world’s eyes are on Egypt and current events are, by all accounts, historic. Whatever our connection to the uprising, there is no doubt that as MAS members we are drawn to any call for liberation and every fight against oppression. The peaceful methods of change, the enterprise of people in gathering and protecting each other despite obstacles, the economic and social divides that have been crossed in the organic, grassroots mobilization for justice are all aspects that resound with us.

We invite you to participate in a reflection process to show our own people a different side of the Muslim world in this peaceful, organized movement for democracy. It can help us guide our families and friends to channel their energies into productive activism instead of being over-idealistic or apathetic.  Finally, these reflections help us engage in an interactive, experiential tarbiya process, in which we are seeing the lessons in real life instead of through books and speeches.

The Lighthouse Team invites everyone to contribute  to 100 REFLECTIONS on the current situation in the Middle East, which will be shared online on the MAS Tarbiya blog. Send your reflections on the comment section of the blog. Reflections can be any length and any style.

To get your ideas flowing, the Lighthouse team drafted 10 opening reflections. Read, reflect, learn, then give back by sending in your own!

1. From Hope to Belief

We all know that we should never lose hope in Allah and His support. However, this belief sometimes becomes a theory. The Egyptian uprising ignited this belief and made it real. Many of us were almost hopeless after many attempts to reform. This uprising removed the dust from our hearts and taught us to always believe that Allah will bring justice, even after a while. Allah gives people the chance to struggle, put effort, try possible means, and become almost desperate. Only then His support comes to revive our belief and comfort our hearts. In light of the events in Egypt, the verse “Until when the messenger almost gave up on their people and thought they are deemed liars, our victory comes to them…” takes on a completely different taste.

2. Power lies in the Hands of Allah

We know that the ultimate power lies with Allah (swt) — “there is no strength nor power except with Allah.”  But as we observe and rejoice in what is happening in Egypt and across the Arab world, we are reminded that Allah (swt) also empowers people to do good in the world.  Our prime example is His empowerment of one man, Muhammad (p), to completely reform the society and return mankind to the path of Allah (swt).   He further empowered the companions of the Prophet and their righteous followers, who serve as models for our generation to follow and emulate.  The parallels with our current situation are striking.  Allah (swt) empowered a group of “regular” people, including youth, elders, men, women, activists, merchants, and farmers.  Their initiative to stand up for the truth, and to gain their rights, was magnified by Allah (swt).  Now the entire region is set in motion based on their model of peaceful demonstration and inclusiveness.  We can use this reminder from Allah (swt) to think of how to move people and unleash their power to work together for good causes in our own communities, like helping to improve education or fight poverty.

3. Be Quick to Acknowledge Mistakes

Rarely do we see situations that are black and white or right and wrong. Watching news footage of the Egyptian army and the police trying to deter the protesters helps us empathize with people who may often be viewed as “the other side.” Check your assumptions. How might it feel to be an Egyptian soldier, a police officer, or even a politician in a corrupt regime? Think hard about when you might have wronged someone or defended a false cause. Are you willing to admit to those mistakes, repent, and change? When Umar ibn Al-khattab listened to the Prophet and Allah’s words with his heart, he became one of the greatest leaders of our time. Only when we can check our assumptions of others can we truly become sincere, conscious people ourselves.

4. Do we have what it takes?

Victory, Freedom, Justice, and social equality all come at a price. We are hoping that the Egyptian people will be willing to pay this price, but am I? Are you? If I were in their shoes, would I be on the streets or in my home? Would I be cold, hungry and shivering with the protesters or would I be following at home on televsion? Parents who are allowing their children to join the protests are giving their own hearts to the struggle. This mass of protesters, while huge, are a percentage of the population who are determined to put their own selves, their spouses, and children on the line for the sake of a better future for everyone. They are heroes. While standing against a tyrant and his oppression holds promise of tremendous reward from Allah, some people will be hurt and some people will die. If we were present at a moment of truth, when freedom and justice demand an advocate, do we in our current state have the strength to stand up?

5. Using Social Networking for Positive Change

Social networking has been at the heart of the revolutions that rocked Tunisia and Egypt. They placed tremendous power in the hands of the people and empowered them to organize, and more importantly, cause positive change. These tools are largely untapped resources that can be extremely effective when used correctly. They allow minute-to-minute updates and the forming of groups so members can stay up to speed on the latest.

How can we utilize social media in America to convey Islam? We have seen the positive change of social networking, but as Malcolm Gladwell wrote, we can also fall into a false sense of action if the activism does not move outside of the Internet portal and nothing happens in real life. If I “like” a status, it is not enough action. We have to figure out how to use these tools as a means as opposed to an end.

6. Giving Up Luxuries in the Fight for Justice

We, as Americans, live in a culture of over-consumption and instant gratification. We rarely question whether or not we will have enough food to last us the day, or if we will have enough blankets to keep us warm at night.  Currently, there are over 80 million people living in Egypt, half who live on less than two dollars a day and who would be wide-eyed at the luxuries available to us on a daily basis. We can learn a lot from the activists in Egypt- they are sacrificing their comfort, and even their lives, for something they firmly believe in. What if we found ourselves in that same situation? Would we complain and have shorter fuses due to our lack of food, showers, or sleep or would we recognize that we are striving for something greater?  How dependent are we on grocery stores, banks, shopping malls, and cars to survive? It’s easy, in theory, to say that we would choose to give up luxuries, but let us reflect on a long plane or car ride and how uncomfortable we were. Would we then be able to sustain camping outside in the cold for days while our spirit remained unblemished?

7. Unity Results from Rallying for a Cause

It is amazing how a common cause can unite a people that many thought to be so diverse that they could never coexist together peacefully. Muslims and Christians, professors and farmers, the youth and the elderly, the rich and the poor, all stand side by side to clean the streets, protect one another, guard each other’s property, and get their message across. No longer are the differences so prominent and many shortcomings are put aside. Did not the message of the Prophet (pbuh) unite the people of his times? Both the poor and the rich, the Arab and non-Arab, worked together to uphold the truth. Did not this cause and this unity prune the people from many of their ignorant ways? What cause does your family uphold? What rallying cause can our community support that may bring about this unity?

8. Nationalism Tied to Dignity

Since the uprising, many of our Egyptian brothers and sisters started saying “proud to be Egyptian, Egypt is the “mother” of the world,” a dose of what can be called nationalism. Recalls of history figures, heroes, and champions of the nation became an apparent evidence of this nationalism. All of us do that especially at the times of massive victory and, to a lesser extent, defeat. The Middle East uprising in general and the Egyptian uprising in particular places an important spin on the concept of nationalism. It tied it to dignity, freedom, and struggling for rights. It gives pride to a nation fighting oppression and demanding a virtuous and just life. People who are not Egyptian, Tunisian, or even Arab, took pride in the same nations. This reminds me with the Qur’an relating Prophet Abraham to Prophet Noah albeit thousands of years apart by saying, “And from his group is Abraham …” When nationalism becomes excessive and is not tied to values and virtues, or even worse, opposes values and virtues, nationalism becomes an evil thing one should eliminate.

9. The Humiliation of the Oppressor

History is full of examples of just leaders and oppressive ones, and rarely does an oppressive leader’s end come easy. The moment that someone chooses to wrong someone else, they have destined themselves to a horrible ending and punishment from Allah.  Pharaoh oppressed the people of Egypt by putting them under slavery and telling them he was their one true God. Allah (swt) not only purged the land of his evil rule, but also made him an example of what happens to oppressive leaders for the rest of time. “What, now! When previously you rebelled and were one of the corrupters? “Today we will preserve your body so you can be a Sign for people who come after you. Surely many people are heedless of Our Signs.” (Quran, 10:91-92). Pharaoh’s oppression led him to be humiliated in the next life. and also in this life by Allah preserving his body. Seeing rulers fall from their thrones should cause us to reflect on oppression and seek refuge in Allah for such blindness. We should beware of falling into oppression with ourselves or with those who are under our care.

10. How Emotional Are We?

Our hearts feel like they are bursting out of our chests as we watch images of Egyptians risking their lives and standing up against an oppressive regime. Many of us are not even Egyptian and we feel solidarity with those defying injustice. However, are our emotions getting the better of us? Are we getting caught up in the moment or are we looking ahead, knowing that it will be an uphill battle to rebuild a country and knowing that change takes time? Allah tells us in Surah al-Hadid, “No evil befalls on the earth nor in your own souls, but it is in a book before We bring it into existence; surely that is easy to Allah, So that you may not grieve for what has escaped you, nor be exultant at what He has given you; and Allah does not love any arrogant boaster,”(Surah al-Hadid, 22-23). How can we, as individuals, temper our emotions in order to remain goal-oriented after the adrenaline fades? Are we glued to our screens watching all this news coverage because of the emotional high that we feel? In the aftermath, will we fail to pay attention because it is emotionally boring?

Now it’s your turn. Please share your reflections in the comment section.

Click here to see Episode III

This episode will inspire in-depth discussions and challenge you by exploring the issue of moderation and how we in MAS approach this key theme of Islam. Many questions will be raised, some will be answered, but more importantly, MAS members all over the country are invited to answer many of the crucial questions asked in this episode.

MAS members are encouraged to share this episode in all of their circles and throughout their communities. There are in-depth articles and reading lists, exciting case studies as well a chance to design your own, and two interactive webinars that you do not want to miss!

Check out the introduction for an overview of the episode and a suggested timeline on how to use the  material.

The first beam “Moderation Unleashed” approaches moderation from a theoretical and scholarly perspective, also underlining some of the popular misinterpretations of moderation. “Moderation Applied” explores the theme in the daily lives of MAS members, taking a very practical, day-to-day approach. And finally, “Moderation in Society” raises questions about how we can create a message of moderation to be advocated by the greater society.

Click here to access the episode pdf! We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. A special thanks to the LHP team and all of the contributors to this episode.

Click here to register and reserve your seat! All MAS members are invited so spread the word!

Webinar #2 of Flee to Allah, Ep. II
“30 Tips on Interacting with the Quran”
By Dr. Wael Hamza
Thursday August 20, 2009
9:30-11:30 pm, EDT
Reserve your seat here.

There are only a few days left before Ramadan! Learn more about Flee to Allah, the ongoing second episode of MAS Tarbiya’s Lighthouse Project designed to help MAS members prepare for Ramadan, by downloading the interactive pdf package and reading the related post.

The materials in this episode are meant to be studied and implemented in the weeks before Ramadan. That means we should hit the ground running from the first seconds of Ramadan—if Allah wills that we live until the eve of that blessed month. Let’s make this a Ramadan that changes the face of the earth through our sincerity, our remembrance of Allah, and our pleas in the late hours of the night.

Please make note of the webinar dates and be sure to register by clicking on the links below (you must register separately for each webinar).

“Prepare Yourself for Ramadan,” Aug. 13, 9:30-11:00 p.m. EDT. Click here to register.

“30 Tips to Interact with the Quran,” Aug. 20, 9:30-11:00 p.m. EDT. Click here to register.

In this episode, you can -

• Discover what is required to be of the people of the Quran, the people of Allah;
• Learn about the obstacle of laziness and inconsistency and find out how we can combat it before Ramadan;
• Be proud of the Islamic concept of charity and understand how it can change our world;
• Yearn to meet Uthman ibn Affan and walk in his footsteps…

Like every Lighthouse Project episode, Flee to Allah is a package of articles, discussion questions, live webinars, and practical tips for members of all levels to use in their usras, halaqas, MY Connects, families, and communities to prepare themselves for Ramadan.

The Lighthouse Project is designed to bring MAS members together thinking about the same topics and working on the same page. It is also intended to revive our passion for tarbiya and help local efforts. Our team asks that you please excuse our shortcomings and mistakes, and we hope that you find our humble effort here inspiring and beneficial.

Webinar #1 of Living the Living Text

Space is limited. Reserve your seat here.

Dr. Hisham Abdallah is a researcher at Roche International with a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology. He recently moved to New Jersey, previously living in the Bay Area of Calif. with his family of seven. Dr. Hisham has a degree in Shari’ah, and has taught several courses at the Islamic American University. His focus is on the source-methodology of Fiqh and the global objectives of the Shari’ah. He is a frequent guest speaker at mosques, universities, and conferences. Dr. Hisham is active in the Muslim American Society (MAS).

Keep in mind the second webinar “Tarbiya as Illustrated in the Quran,” by Dr. Hamid Ghazali on Thursday July 23. You can register for the second webinar here. Both webinars are part of the Living the Living Text of the MAS Tarbiya Lighthouse Project. Learn more about the project by reading the interactive pdf package.

The MAS Tarbiya Lighthouse team is pleased to release the first episode of the Lighthouse Project. As the whole nation recently celebrated the 4th of July, MAS Tarbiya Department would like to use the opportunity to explore together some of the foundations of our country and our faith.

Here you will find “Living the Living Text,” episode 1 of the Lighthouse Project. The episode is a package of topics or “beams” around a central theme, each containing articles, resources, discussion topics, and interactive programs. We hope you will take this content in your hands and help the Lighthouse Project shine far and wide within your family, in your chapter, and with your usra or MY Connect.

Think of the possibilities in your circles of influence. The Lighthouse Project is designed to bring MAS members together thinking about the same topics and working on the same page. It is also intended to revive our passion for tarbiya and help local efforts. And very importantly, be sure to check in here from time to time to leave your comments and reflections on your experiences with Living the Living Text!

We hope that you find our humble effort educational, inspiring, and stimulating.

Click here to access the full episode package.

To learn more about the Lighthouse Project, click here to view the complete program overview.

Month-long Lighthouse campaigns will run several times a year, and will help revive MAS members’ passion for self-improvement and deepened understanding. They will be engineered to instill essential understanding and nurture the five tarbiya objectives in members. All members should prepare themselves for the first campaign, spread the word within their chapters, and make sure their families, friends and usras are part of the Lighthouse Project!

View the first Lighthouse Project trailer below!