A Vision for NA Muslims- Dr.Abdul Hakim Jackson

(RIS Retreat)
-notes by Br.Firas

Our vision has to be concrete and pluralistic.

We have to study our case of NA separately than any other parts of the world (unlike what the شافعي says).

We have to be specific about what we talk about, Canada is not the US.

We need a central articulation of Islam that unites all of the ethnicities of Muslims in NA.

We can not keep looking to the Muslim world for answers, we need to be an independent authenticated community.

We have to get out of the "little brother" state.

We can not mistake uniformity for unity!

Uniformity (different parts)
Unit (same parts)

In a state one law can exist and all efforts should be directed to understanding this law.

How we see pluralism is: you have the right to do it my ways.

We should not only accept other opinions in the levels of our minds, but we should practice them from time to time so that we gain acceptance in our hearts.

We have to engage in what is called "Build it and they will come."

If we want to bring change to NA, we have to build something for the fruits to come in the future.

We do not make use of our intellectuals because we have failed to produce a religious system that provides an environment for them to evolve.

A convert speaks differently because he knows the power of his religion.

There is no other community than the Muslims that are trying to approach their problems through their religion.

Once Muslims could go to Hajj in Mecca, Islam was being recognized as an Arabian religion.

Giving non-Muslims a sense of ownership (indigenizing them) pushes them to defend Islam as a religion of their own.

Indigenization is not assimilation.

Assimilation: (society treats you as an subject)
Indigenization: (society treats you as an object)

As Muslims we should avoid becoming a domesticated community and we have to prudent about it.

We give up the category "The West" too quickly, to the extent that when we become "Western" we become "Less Muslim".

If we don’t get rid of our Utopias we will become prisoners of these Utopias.

We have some hard days ahead of us and they will require courage and civility.

If we believe in something we will find a way to make it work out.

We as Muslims need to know what piety means, we do not question what Allah oblige us to do and so should we not question how Allah wants us to be with our brothers, sister and fellow Muslims.

One of the things that we need to work on is the literacy of Muslims.


Many Muslims do not read Quran because they are afraid of it, either because they are afraid not to understand it or getting lost in it.

We need to read Quran not to be big Sheikhs, but as an exercise of opening myself up to the values and meaning that we face the society with.

We have to understand that Quran is not only about information but its also about transformation, that’s why we need to constantly expose ourselves to Allah.

To read Quran we need to know Seerah.

Many of the differences that exist are plausible.

What Sufism has produced in regards of intellect is still incomparable to any other traditions.

We need to take the literacy Sufism in with discrimination in a positive way.

Sometimes we misinterpret just because we forget that Allah is in charge.

When we forget that Allah is in charge we get horrified and lost, we forget the source of our energy and purpose in life.

Validation <> Lack of Identity

We need to know when do we care about the image of Islam for the sake of Allah and when do we care about Islam for our own validation.

We have to be much more engaged in the enterprise of knowing the history's social, communal,…. Of the countries so that we understand how to engage.

Where can we position ourselves and how can we affect the country that we live in.

We are people of mission and we need to have self-understanding and why have we come to Canada.

We have to be constantly aware of who we are and be intelligent and literate.

BEING IN THIS CAMP MEANS THAT ATTENDEES ARE THE CREAM OF THE CROP, MEANING THAT GIVEN THE KNOWLEDGES OF IT SHOULD COME OUT WITH DRASTIC CHANGES ON A ROUND OF TIME.

One of the reasons why the prophet was successful with his people is because he cared about his people and if you care about people you agonize about their problems and if you don’t care about some people you cant guide them.

Muhammad was born in Mecca and died in Medina, Muhajireen got sick when they came to Medina!

There can be no success for us unless we follow our model.

The Literacy Project

ابن كثير - السيرة النبوية

Montgomery Watt (Muhammad of Mecca / Muhammad of Medina)

One Major lesson from the life of the prophet that Allah's promise is true and if I fulfill my mission I am going to win inshaAllah.