Conflicted!
There's justifiably so much talk on creating generational wealth. Sacrifices are been made, we're putting in extra hours, people are changing locations, others are marrying "strategically", and I sit to wonder, do we ever worry about the Islam of the next generations in our family lines.
We've assimilated so much the poverty of our families and the need to get rid of it. A lot of us can vividly imagine the next generation of our families owning estates, businesses and literally running the affairs in town. Yet we are yet to worry about the state of Islam in our households today not to talk of that of the generations after us. We are doing everything possible to escape economic hardship. What are we doing to escape the Islamic hardship we are facing? Are we even cognizant of the challenges?
Let's all pause and reflect hardly on the choices we're making today. How do they ensure that Islam is not lost in the generations after us? The expensive schools we're working very hard to enrol our kids into, the gadgets we are unrestrictedly suppling them with, moving to the west (yes that) to have and raise them, marrying and having kids with unreligious people/non-Muslims in order to secure residency, the emphasis we put on ensuring that they are connected with the "right" circle, how is all that ensuring that they do not lose their deen? When we speak about what to lose, hardly do we think of the deen, yet, it is almost always the first thing we lose in these settings. Losing the deen doesn't always mean declaring apostasy. It also means having a generation who "identify" as Muslims but won't pray, won't fast and generally find Islam backward and burdensome.
We've done the analysis to know how people have changed their economic situations by making these choices. Have we done the analysis to identify how people have secured and enhanced their deen in such environments. It's like we're only concerned about the financial benefits they're bringing us and don't care about the price they're paying for them. I know it's an uncomfortable topic to raise, but we can't all be quiet about it.
How many households have so much money now whose immediate younger generations do not have anything of Islam but their names? How many parents are in the west today who have not been able to pass on any Islam to their immediate generation? How many Muslim children in top expensive schools in-country are struggling with their Islam because they are almost always exposed to non-Muslim kids. How many parents are grinding in every extra hour to not leave any pesewa to chance whose kids are sold to contents on gadgets they have "graciously" supplied them? We are keeping our kids in boarding schools when we know that essentially cuts them off from Islam for the most part. Our kids are made to sing, dance, adorn and act in ways that are not Islamic during prize giving days and we proudly fund and record these in the name of nursing their talents. What are these kids going to pass on to the next generation of the deen?
We sit and pride of how we are doing all these to give our children a better future. My question then is, what is the definition of better? Better is when our children become the first Muslim musicians/actors? Better is when our daughters become the first Hijabi prom queens? Better is when we sit and claim the first non-Muslim art, business or tech genius had Muslim grandparents and want to claim the glory for the Muslim community by force? What is the better we keep referring to? Steve Jobs' birth dad was Muslim. Boris Johnson had a Muslim great grandfather who was said to have memorized Qur'an. I know we can think of close unpopular examples as well. Have we sat to internalize what it means to lose our Deen? The point is not to just lament. The point is to have us all conscious of the tradeoffs for these decisions and make provisions for them?
It's become very difficult to have some of these conversations because one easily comes off as discouraging progress. You'll easily come off as a hater if you don't feign happiness even when all you see is danger. Honestly, I don't mind that thinking anymore. Unfortunately, most of us can only process things in the context of the dunya so can't think beyond our immediate generation when it comes to Islam. We go on and on about how our efforts and sacrifices are paying off when we are losing the next generation of Muslims.
Very commonly we push the statement, "guidance is from Allah". Yes, that's valid. Yet, I wonder, wealth isn't from Allah? Why are we putting in all the effort to ensure that the next generation after us live without worry? Is Allah, who we conveniently claim to give guidance not the same Allah who will give the next generation wealth even when we don't expose them to these dangers? How do we imagine that our children and the children after them will hold on to Islam when we are giving them exposure that puts that at risk? We don't think guidance requires effort and planning too? If we are not leaving the poverty of the generation after us to chance, why are we leaving their salvation to chance? We don't seem to have thought of these things critically. Our futuristic sleves seem to be very shortsighted when it comes to Islam.
When do we ever sit and then start assessing every single opportunity to change our economic situation in the lenses of how it sustains Islam in our households. Our realities and situations vary at different levels. I appreciate very well that we have different levels of difficulties to navigate. But at least I can bring to bare some of the truths we are choosing to relegate. The economy is hard, we have to make tough decisions, we need to feed our families, we desire to live good lives and have all the luxuries, we want to alleviate poverty in our society, fair enough. What provisions are we making to sustain and enhance Islam in our households?
I know a part of us will tell us, the poor are facing same Islamic crises. Yet, that's the point. I thought we are looking for a better life so our kids don't end up like the poor people's children. I thought we are doing all these so our children get a better chance at learning and practising Islam. So why should the "deplorable" Islamic state of the poor be our standard? Why are we allowing shaitan to beautify to us our mayhem?
I really fear that a time will come when these children will be "successful", yet, they be more inclined to and add to the pool of non-Muslims and we remain backward. Heck, isn't that happening already?
رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites [of worship] and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
Ameen!
image : britannica.com
Writer: Ari-j Ibrahim Taagba
