VOL.I...No.

Ilm 2 Amal Times

Copyright 2016 Ilm 2 Amal (Knowledge to Action)

GREATER MANCHESTER, 10 May 2016

Editorial
As you may know, some of Jamiatul Ilm wal Hudas Mishkat class of 2016 have been participating in a pilot of the Ilm 2
Amal Scholars Enrichment Programme over the past 7 months. It has been a hard slog, with many topics covered, such
as analysing what Deen means in its entirety, exploring how to live as a Muslim in British society, how to respond to the
challenges which face us as Muslims In Britain, understanding how to fulfil social responsibilities, and how one can
engage effectively with media and politics.
As well as that, we have covered topics such as preparing to start social enterprises which benefit our communities and
how a Muslim student of knowledge should plan to act in the world after they graduate as a scholar. Along the way,
students have gained valuable skills which have enabled them to improve their public speaking, understand the means to
diffuse conflicts and deal with contentious issues, how to counsel those with troubles and how to pro-actively engage with
the Muslim and wider society in general.
It is our pleasure to introduce to you this brief newsletter surrounding the themes of stewardship and responsibility two
topics which were covered during the programme, which contains a short message on the importance of being a shepherd
for those embarking upon the pathway to knowledge, as well as an article submitted by students of the Mishkat class, who
have worked tirelessly on examining what it means to be a steward of the earth (which only required some minor editing
in our office!)
Included also with the newsletter is an article which was printed in the Asian Image and Lancashire Telegraph newspapers
showing the unprecedented Community Tidy Up campaign which was facilitated by Mishkat students and was hugely
beneficial for both the Blackburn community and the participants.
We hope that you can take some benefit from the words and ideas contained within this newsletter and that it acts as
inspiration for you to take your knowledge and put it into action!
The Ilm2Amal Team

A Reminder for the

Shepherds
12TH MAY 2016

Yunus Monahan
(Ilm 2 Amal Education and Training Development Officer for Darul Ulooms)

Al-Ashjai narrated that Ibn Masud said: Verily, Muadh was

an Ummah (nation), qanit (obedient) and a hanif (monotheist). I

thought to myself: Abu Abdul-Rahman (Ibn Masud) must have made
a mistake, because Allah said: Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah,
(qanit and a hanif)! [An-Nahl; 120]. Then he said: Do you know what
Ummah and Qanit refer to? I said: Allahu Alam! He said: The
ummah is the person who teaches others (goodness) and the qanit is
the one who obeys Allah and His messengers, and thus was Muadh :
a teacher of goodness and obedient to Allah and His messenger.1

In the (post) post-modern world we live in, to find a truly pious person
a teacher of goodness, obedient to Allah and His messenger, is a rare
thing. Despite the huge numbers of professed Muslims on the planet2,
one could say that our communities are like lost sheep - meek, powerless
and without direction. We have two choices: we could lament this, and
begin to point the finger of blame, or indeed complain about it (but to
whom?), leaving ourselves depressed, forlorn and dejected. On the
other hand, if we accept things as they are and admit that we need
guidance, but began to take positive, pro-active steps towards changing
the situation, we could usher in a far better time, of peace, happiness and
true community.
Today, we live in a global village where human cultures are being
gradually dissolved and homogenised into one McDonaldised vision
of how humanity should live, and it is a sad fact that many people exist
simply as consumers of natures resources, of fast-food, of fast-products
that become obsolete after a few months usage, and of multi-media on a
scale never before seen in the history of humanity. It is no surprise then,
that many people are docile and duped, and live in a world of ease and
comfort, where any desire or need can be quenched immediately.
Our heroes are football players, music and film stars paid obscene
salaries to keep the masses entertained. These, and comic-book
characters brought to life on the big screen and designed to fuel a multimillion dollar merchandising industry, are the role models and guides for
our children. On top of this, the education system is failing us almost
50% of teachers in Britain are considering leaving the profession3, partly
due to pressures put on them by regulatory bodies which prevent them
from being the educator they first entered the profession to become.
The world today seems to have become a breeding-ground for zombified
sheep, blinded by the dazzling neon lights and ultra-HD screens of the
consumerist, capitalist fantasy. Truly, the love of this worldly life has
entered the hearts of human beings.
To whom can a Muslim turn for guidance in these troubling times? Who
can be their role model, when everyone is susceptible to these trials, when
Islam itself is being called into question and increasingly seems to belong
to a world of bygone days?

In the past, Allah (SWT) sent prophets and messengers to act as shepherds
for humanity to guide the lost sheep back to the way of righteousness.
These guiding lights were perfectly balanced human beings, completely
connected to Allah and capable of leading by example, in touch with their
environment and of their time. Each prophet, it is narrated in a famous
hadith, worked for a time as a shepherd of sheep. If we reflect upon this,
we realise how the experience of shepherding prepares someone to lead
humans a shepherd is alone; they have to be able to relate to each
animal in the flock according to its needs. A shepherd must be aware
of the dangers surrounding their sheep, equipped to keep their flock in
check, and above all they must be full of mercy for those under their care.
However, today there are no more prophets the Prophet Muhammad
being the last messenger sent, so to whom can we turn to act as our
shepherd? In an authentic hadith we have our answer: the Prophet
said, Scholars are the inheritors of the prophets (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud).
It is the scholars of Islam who are the guiding lights for humanity, the
shepherds of a lost flock wandering in darkness. Like in the story of
Muadh quoted above, the Muslim scholar must take upon themselves
the mantle of being an Ummah i.e. one who teaches goodness and
obeys Allah and His messenger. This means that necessarily the scholar
will have to take on elements of what it means to be a shepherd
experiencing solitude, maintaining distance from the troubles affecting
society, avoiding danger and guiding the flock to safety. Scholars, like the
prophets before them, need to be people of their time yet of God they
cannot be out of touch with their followers, and must understand the
needs of their time.
Essentially, in order to be an effective shepherd for their community, a
scholar must encompass the conditions of being an Ummah as well as
teaching what is good, they must act upon what is good. Our argument
today centres upon this issue oftentimes the scholar suffers from an
imbalance in that regard. On one hand, there are those who attempt to
be teachers of Islam but fail to act fully on that which they have learned
thus falling into the error of hypocrisy. On the other, there are those who
rightly try to save themselves from falling into trials and temptation, but
in distancing themselves from trials they come across as stern and aloof
from their community and its concerns, thus failing to show how one acts
upon good by showing mercy to those who do not.
This article is not designed to insult the honourable scholars of Islam,
but simply to act as a reminder to each of us in a role of responsibility,
that we must find the correct balance in our roles, and lead by
example - embodying prophetic qualities, such as mercy, wisdom and
approachableness. Each one of us should earnestly search their soul and
ask themselves if they are living up to the responsibility they have been
entrusted with. We should repent for our wrongs, hope in Allahs mercy
and shepherd those in our flocks with sincerity and be the embodiment
of godly and prophetic qualities and attributes.
May Allah accept us and forgive us our shortcomings. What is true in
these words is from Allah and what is false is from myself.

[Tafsir Ibn Katheer, 4/612]

[1]

http://www.pewforum.org/2011/01/27/the-future-of-the-global-muslim-population/

[2]

http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/Whatsnew/NASUWTNews/PressReleases/ComResPoll

[3]

Stewards of the Earth

10th MAY 2016

By Hamza Gulma, Huzaifa Patel and Shahed Ahmed

As a human, how does one define who they

are? What is the purpose of human existence
on this planet called earth? Are humans
simply consumers, selfishly taking everything
they can from the earth without regard for
human or environmental consequences, or is
the role of a human more important than that
more filled with meaning?
We are humans, there are no contradictions
there; but how human are we, and what
are we capable of becoming? Some say the
ability to think, having an intellect, makes us
human. However, intellect is a gift which can
be used for good or evil.
Human or animal qualities exist within every
one of us. An animal has intelligence to a
degree, however their intellect is restricted
to the five senses only. They can smell, hear,
see, touch, and taste. For example, an animal
or pet might smell the scent of its owner
preparing its food, hear its owners call,
touch with its nose and taste many things.
On the other hand, an animal is lacking in
the deeper sense of possessing an intellect
i.e. the ability to understand things, to use
knowledge and wisdom to influence their
decisions and to decide what is morally right
and what is ethically wrong. An animal is
largely concerned with its carnal desires
how it can feed itself, have enjoyment. An
animal does not need to concern itself with
any responsibilities.
A human being, in contrast, is tasked with
this burden. Once we attain maturity, it is
the mind ruled by a sincere heart that should
prevent us from selfish, animalistic actions.
Failure to live up to this ideal leaves us in a
worse position than beasts, as not only are we
obedient to our desires, but we are abusing
the gift of the intellect we have been given for
an evil end. By becoming slaves to our desires,
we are forgetting our purpose on Earth.
In the Noble Quran, Allah (SWT) tells us:

concept of ethical and moral responsibility is

not only being lost, but those who attempt to
live by it are ridiculed as belonging to ancient
times. Instead, rampant consumerism is
promoted, the ideas of it being a dog-eatdog world, and the concept of survival of the
fittest are used to legitimise the systematic
rape of the earths resources with disastrous
environmental consequences. The result
is unfair distribution of wealth and the
economic and physical oppression of people
and the rest of the creation by a selfish elite.
For how long will members of the human
race destroy those around them for their
own carnal pleasures? Over recent decades,
particularly after the industrial revolution in
the 1900s, illegal exploitation of raw materials
from countries in the developing world,
which possess weak systems of governance,
has skyrocketed, and done untold damage to
the environment and the inhabitants of those
countries in the process.
Centuries later, this illegal usage and taking
of others resources has led to endless
conflict, civil war and extremist/terrorist
revolutionary
movements
arising
in
response. This maelstrom affects countries
such as Angola, Mozambique, Sierra Leone,
the Democratic Republic of Congo, the
Central African Republic, Liberia, Cte
dIvoire and Burkina Faso. The pillage of the
developing world is still prevalent despite
being generally hidden from the public.
With the global demand for luxuries and
commodities reaching record highs and with
strict (and unethical) trade restrictions and
economic sanctions in place, it appears to
be endlessly profitable to continuously steal
these resources without a care for the lives
of the people in those countries or the state
of the environment which is left scarred as a
result.
Allah (SWT) elaborates on this concept:

Corruption has appeared

And it is He who made you
in the land and the sea for
Stewards on the Earth
what mankinds hands
(Quran, 6:165)
have earned, that He may
We must ask ourselves what it means to be
a steward. The dictionary meaning is: a make them taste some
person whose responsibility it is to take care (part) of that which they
of something. One can deduce that it is our
responsibility to take care of the earth and have done, that possibly
its inhabitants. By examining the meaning they
would
return.
of the Arabic term Khalaif (lit. Successors),
(Quran,
30:41)
we clearly see that this verse carries an
environmental message as well as the
message of humans acting as representatives
of Allah on the earth, following the example
of the leaders of the faithful. This means
that being ethical and having good moral
character are part and parcel of being human
and entails living according to the prophetic
example.

It is a great shame to human beings, then,

that as modern civilisation progresses this

History bears witness to the damage we

have caused to our beloved home, earth. The
effects of this are substantiated every year by
increased floods, droughts, hurricanes and
tornados arguably preventable if humans
were to manage natural resources more
responsibly. Statistics show that humans are
responsible for the formation of sink holes
around the world. Activities like fracking,
drilling, mining, construction, etc., result in
many disastrous after effects and may even be

the cause minor earthquakes, polluted water

courses and extinction of entire species.
After understanding that we are arguably
the direct cause of the mayhem we see today
in the worlds environmental system, it begs
the question...when are we going to show real
reverence for the sanctity of the earth and its
inhabitants?
As we have discussed above, the reason why
we witness so many natural (perhaps it is
more appropriate to say un-natural) disasters
around the world is because of the mad
economic race the secular world is involved
in to see who can make the most amount of
money and selfishly capitalise at the expense
of others. Is it not more appropriate that
people become true custodians of nature,
using their intellects to benefit rather than
harm humanity and to live in harmony with
each other and their environment?
Our mission is to stop ignoring and start
doing! We are seeing the reality of pollution,
global warming and poverty, but the
strongest, most deceitful action against
humanity is the complacency of not acting.
Is it moral of us to sit here, and abandon
our fellow human beings and our duties to
the environment? If we see a wrong then we
should change it with our hands, our tongues
or our hearts. It is immoral to eat your fill
while your neighbour goes hungry, or to reap
the resources or minerals of the earth for our
self-luxuries, causing the poverty and death
of other human beings and the catastrophic
destruction of the planet. We need to take
our place as stewards over the earth which
means loving our planet and those upon it.
Humans need to realise that we are one
brotherhood. The more harm we give another
person the more harm will come back to us.
You may not agree to this, dear reader, but
how can we sleep at night when we have not
fulfilled our responsibilities? A man may
be showered in luxuries but in reality he is
drowning in his own turmoil. Humans need
to help one another, support one another, and
care for one another and their planet, because
it is the responsibility of human beings
and this is the behaviour of the prophets.
Only together can we extinguish the fire of
corruption which surrounds us. The word
humanity means a nation of believers acting
as one and returning to their Lord, not selfish
individuals obeying their desires at the cost
of eternal damnation.

Pupils from Islamic schools take part in

Big Community Tidy Up
10th MAY 2016

With the support of Ilm 2 Amal,

Madrassahs are now introducing new
interactive methods for character building
to young students and parents at home.
Children are taught to fulfil the rights of
Gods creation, benefit society by becoming
responsible citizens and above all, to put
their classroom learning into meaningful
practice.

Students from six Madrassahs gave up

their Bank Holiday to volunteer in the Big
Community Tidy Up day.
Madrassahs, parents, trainee-scholar
students, joined community representatives
in the initiative.
The campaign was organised as part of
the Ilm 2 Amal (Knowledge to Action),
a grassroots curriculum specialising in
character development and active citizenship
for students attending Madrassahs and
Muslim faith-schools in Britain.
For several months, numerous local
Madrassahs have undergone training in
their classrooms, with teachers empowering
their students to participate in social
responsibility and citizenship efforts.
Learning in the classroom has been followed
up each week with calls to positive action in
the home and in the local community.
The Big Community Tidy Up was a prime
example of the many social responsibility
campaigns being organised by Ilm 2 Amal:
Knowledge to Action in order to engage local
Madrassahs and schools.
Working in partnership with Blackburn
with Darwen Councils Your Call campaign
and the Islamic seminary Jamiatul Ilm Wal
Huda, this campaign was just one of many
fruits blossoming from months of hard work,
delivery and planning.
Stretched across the whole day, the
campaign saw the students cover three
different areas of Blackburn: Roe Lee,
Davenport Road and Infirmary Road, and
ran from early morning until mid-afternoon.
Hafiz Mushtaq Isap, Principal at Madrassah
Anwaar ul Quraan, said, Our pupils
recently engaged with a local care home and
carried out a campaign to get to know our
neighbours.

students taking time out of their studies to

help lead teams of young volunteers.
He said It was inspirational to see young
students from various Madrassahs across
Blackburn working together to clean
different neighbourhoods all in one day.
Its such values that we hope to instil in our
students to remove litter from a pathway
is an act of charity and this campaign gives
out a great message.

Eight-year old student, Hamza, in a joyful

mood said, This was the best day of my life,
as we all got a free ice cream (from the local As a bonus, the campaign also saw parents
set a good example for their children by
ice cream man) for doing good community
getting their hands dirty.
work.
Many passerbys and local residents
stopped to share their words of support and
appreciation with the volunteers. One local
resident from the Infirmary Road area,
Dorathy Jolly, photographed on her doorstep
with students and parents from Anwaar ul
Quraan, showed her gratitude.

Mrs Vali, the mother of eight-year old

student, Halima, from Madrassah Anisul
Islam said, I found the experience
rewarding I have to say the whole
programme is absolutely fantastic as it
makes children learn and think outside the
box.

Another local resident, Hannah, who also

is an independent volunteer, welcomed
the large group of volunteers and directed
them around the various streets. We are
quite troubled with litter in this area but to
see enthusiastic volunteers spend as little
as half an hour cleaning the area has made
a massive difference as seen by the bags
of rubbish. These children are learning
about this in their education and find it
interesting to get out and involved in their
communities.

Commenting on his experience, Moulana

Shoayb Seedat, teacher and Vice Principal
of Madrassah-e-Anisul Islam said, Our
students have enjoyed the interactive
lessons, learning important values of
honesty, good character, compassion for
others and what it means to be part of a big
community.

There were several unique aspects about

the Big Community Tidy Up Campaign
children attending different Madrassahs and
hailing from different parts of Blackburn,
met each other for the first time in the spirit
of team work and their duty to look after the
environment.

This experience has enriched learners

to bring these important values and
characteristics to life. Well done to all the
participating students and a huge thank
you to the Ilm 2 Amal team for making this
happen.

Community engagement such as this

presents a powerful counter-narrative
to what is popularly presented about
Madrassahs today. Waqaus Ali from Ilm 2
Amal said, Having travelled the breadth
Furthermore, the responsibility to manage of the country, Blackburn is a very special
young teams in several coordinated cleaning place with some outstanding educational
operations was put on the shoulders of senior institutes demonstrating excellent practice.
students from the local seminary, who are
training to become tomorrows faith leaders. I am confident that what we have seen with
these Madrassahs collaborating together
with the local council will help inspire
Participating volunteer Qasim Kholwadia,
others both locally and nationally to
a full-time student at Jamiatul Ilm wal
continue working for the common good all
Huda said, I felt a moral responsibility to
year around.
engage in projects such as this and I was
passionately driven to put my full effort into
playing a leadership role in facilitating teams Organisers would like to thank
Neighbourhood Manager, Mansoor Akhtar
of young students from local Madrassahs.
and his neighbourhood teams, InterMadrassah Organisation and the generous
Mufti Abdus Samad, Principal at the local
support from Ismail Esat.
seminary, was supportive of his senior

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/14478093.Pupils_from_Islamic_schools_take_part_in__Big_Community_Tidy_Up_/