Mufti Taqi Usmani is a scholar of great international repute and respect, particularly in the fields of Hanafi fiqh, and Islamic finance in general. Here is the  statement from him (taken from his website), and then we'll delve into its importance below:

Announcement Regarding Misuse of a Fatwa

Thursday, 17 February 2011 12:32

This is for information of all concerned that I have been receiving correspondence from various places enquiring whether I have authorized any Ijarah contracts of certain financial institution in America, Australia and Canada. As evidence these companies have posted a 15 years old fatwa of mine on their websites. I would very explicitly like to declare the following in this regard:

I have never approved any Ijarah contract or scheme for any Financial Institution in America, Australia or Canada.

This fatwa was actually issued 15 years ago in peculiar circumstances prevalent at that time in favor of a house financing company, namely, Al-Amin Company based in Jeddah which they had intended to implement at that time but is no more acting in USA. This Fatwa cannot be used by any other company, because I never reviewed their contracts, nor do I serve on their Shriah Board . As such, the use of this fatwa by other financial institutions is illegal and misleading.

All such companies are requested not to refer to this Fatwa nor to use it as their marketing material, and immediately remove it from their websites failing which they may face legal action at their own cost.

The ijara (co-ownership) model of home finance is perhaps the most common scheme sold by Islamic finance companies. Taqi Usmani is one of the most reputable authorities to endorse such a scheme, so this statement from him has a direct ripple effect on those involved with such institutions as well as those considering a home purchase in the future.

The 'other side' of this is an official endorsement publicized by Guidance Financial from Mufti Taqi Usmani and can be found on the last page of this white paper published by Guidance.

Another well known institute that provides Islamic financing utilizing Taqi Usmani's name is La Riba. Their fatwa page prominently features Taqi Usmani's name on the top. However, it is only after scrolling to the very bottom that you find the following text:

THIS IS NOT A FATWA BY HIS EMINENCE SHKH. TAQI USMANI. THESE ARE QUOTATIONS FROM HIS BOOK.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS PUBLISHED HERE TO EDUCATE THE MUSLIM USER WHO WANTS TO REMOVE RIBA FROM HIS/HER LIFE. THEY DO NOT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IMPLY THAT THE MENTIONED SCHOLARS HAVE SPONSORED, GIVEN DIRECT FATWA OR THE LIKE REGARDING LARIBA. We at LARIBA believe that it is the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EDUCATED MUSLIM TO READ, COMPREHEND, ANALYZE & COMPARE then make his/her own decision.

WHILE LARIBA HAS IT IS OWN SHARI'AA ADVISORS IT'S OUR POLICY NOT TO USE THE EMINENCE & SCHOLARLY STATURE OF OUR SCHOLARS TO “MARKET” OR “SELL”. WE RELY ON THE MIND OF THE EDUCATED MUSLIM. WE ASK ALLAH TO ACCEPT.

Which only begs the question, why is Taqi Usmani's name being used if it's not for marketing purposes? The point I want to drive home here is not whether La Riba is right or wrong in quoting it – but the bigger picture – utilizing a scholar's name to provide legitimacy to a finance scheme.

The core of the problem, and confusion now, is whether or not these Islamic finance institutions are 100% certified as they currently stand.

The vast majority of Muslims are not able to delve into the detailed jurisprudence of fiqh. In fact, a number of imams and scholars I have personally spoken to about some of these issues have deferred the questions to those scholars who are specialized in the field. Most Muslims do not understand Islamic contracts as most any lay person of any background does not. Because of that, we refer to scholars for their insight on huge decisions like buying a house and if it's being done in a legitimate manner or not. If not, then its consequence is riba - a consequence nearly every Muslim understands regardless of their level of scholarship.

The endorsement of a scholar, especially a recognized expert (such as Mufti Taqi Usmani) may mean literally hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business from Muslims following his answer [As an example, Guidance has done $1.4 billion in business from 2002 to 2009].

While we are reasonable enough to know that we should not act as arm-chair jurists, we should have an expectation of those representing a contract to us for Islamic finance to not only being legally valid and viable, but Islamically as well. The question is how do we create the same protections for consumers against misrepresentation in fatwa as we do for legalities?

With that in mind, here are 3 important questions that must be raised in this regard.

*Please note these questions are general questions and not necessarily directed at any particular institution.

1) How often are updated contracts reviewed and approved by a shari'ah board, and which scholars have signed off on the actual contract being used by an Islamic finance company?

Even the latest endorsement that we could find was from 2002 (in the white paper referenced above). In 10 years, a lot has changed in regards to federal regulations. Also, as Islamic finance companies expand from state to state, they're forced to meet different regulations in regards to loan origination, servicing, etc. There needs to be documentation furnished indicating which scholars have reviewed the final sale contract actually used in a mortgage and signed off on it. I simply find it implausible that the contract from 2002 is identical to the one being used today.

2) Are all practices done by the Islamic finance institution during the course of the contract and “declining co-ownership” shari'ah approved?

I have to disclose here that I actually have a contract with a US based Islamic finance institution. During the course of my contract, I was notified by mail (I have the paperwork to prove it) that the balance on my mortgage was actually sold to a 'regular' bank. The company itself tried to say that they simply transferred the administrative duties of collecting payment. However, the paperwork from the other bank indicated clearly the transferring of the debt (i.e. selling the debt) from the Islamic company to the bank. This is an important ethical question because if an institute is selling itself on providing an Islamic service to the Muslim community, then it needs to show some level of transparency in regards to the shari'ah compliance of such questionable actions.

3) How are inconsistencies between what Mufti Taqi Usmani advocates in his writings and the actual schemes used by these banks to be addressed?

In his writings on Islamic finance (example), it is clear that in a partnership the profit/loss risk must be shared. From my experience, it seems that this is not the case. If the Islamic finance company owns 90% of the house (with the buyer putting a 10% downpayment), then why is the company not liable for any loss in property value? I realized this when my 'halal mortgage' was sold to another bank: I am on the hook for the full “loan” amount regardless of the value of the investment (i.e. the house). If the house drops in value, and is sold at a loss, the only party that actually incurs the loss would be me – because I still owe the full amount to the Islamic finance company. I would owe it to them the exact same way as a conventional loan would be due to a bank.

This is just one of the inconsistencies I have found in regards to this “co-ownership” model. Is it, as Mahmoud el-Gamal says, simply holy water sprinkled over a regular mortgage?

What are your thoughts on Islamic finance? Have you used an Islamic finance institute – how did you feel about it going into it vs. after executing the contract?

How does the endorsement of a particular scholar affect your opinion on these issues?

Are there any scholars or people who work for Islamic financial institutions willing to tackle the 3 questions stated above here? I hope that no one shies away, a little bit of transparency can go a long way in removing doubts, and this discussion is long overdue at this point.

Related Post: The Failure of Islamic Finance

Slate raised the issue of the salaries of religious clergy highlighting salaries of Priests and Rabbis. Data about Imam salaries was (un)surprisingly hard to find.

The topic of imams' salaries is for some reason a touchy one, but it is not a complicated issue if approached objectively. We have previously discussed what to look for when hiring an imam. Communities though, set extremely high expectations of what they want.

If those qualifications and expectations were to be put on someone in any other working environment, I would venture to guess the salary discussion would start somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 a year.

If your community wants a Superman imam, then they need to be ready to pay a Superman salary.

Aside from that, an imam should be assessed by any other normal scale. Check a person's qualifications. Someone with a Master's in Islamic Law and 15 years experience leading a community should command a higher pay than a fresh graduate with no experience. Most masjids though, just have a set amount that they throw at whoever fills the position regardless of qualification.

Along with qualification there needs to be a built in growth mechanism (or career advancement). As the imam gains tenure in the community, the salary should be raised accordingly based on their performance [something ideally settled on in the interview process].

The problem that we run into is we want imams who will give 80 hours a week, but be paid based on 20. In our secular fields, if we have a 4 or 6 year degree, we expect a certain minimum salary to be commensurate with our experience and education. For some reason, we feel this does not apply to imams as if studying Islam and serving or leading a community do not really count.

If we need someone to spend 30-40 hours a week in the masjid, provide 10-20 hours a week of counseling, and on top of that be constantly on-call for marriages, funerals, and other emergencies, then a pay structure should be built to reflect that. Regular jobs that have such requirements will either pay high enough that they can make someone salaried and they will deal with the hours, or there are incentives built in (overtime and on-call pay).

Unfortunately, not only are we not there yet, but we don't even offer the most basic of benefits yet such as healthcare and reimbursements for education and development. The fact that Slate could so readily collect salary data from the Jewish and Christian communities, but had no starting point for the Muslim community speaks volumes about how far behind we are.

If we truly want community leaders who lead us in prayer, deliver the khutbah on Fridays, counsel our families, and teach our children then it behooves us to make sure they are so well paid that they never have to worry about money. Buy them a house and pay them a full time salary on top of it. We need to take the benefits of a corporate pay structure and apply it to the masjid – with one huge caveat. We cannot adopt the ruthlessness and attitude that people are dispensable that permeates corporate leadership. These are our community leaders, the people we have entrusted our spiritual education to – make sure they are taken care of.

I personally feel that the imam position should be a 6 figure income (adjusted according to cost of living and so on). Smaller communities should still aim to pay at least 50-60 (if not closer to 80). These are simply rough numbers, but I want to throw them out there and move our communities past the expectation that we get tenured scholars who are on the same paygrade (or less) than most entry level positions.

Many communities are still living in a naive reality where they expect an Imam to take a pay of 30-40k just because they are “working for Islam” without any regard to supporting their family. Then we get upset when they take a second job to make ends meet, insisting instead that they dedicate their time to the community. In our non-Islamic professions we aim to secure the highest salary possible and feel insulted if someone offers less than our worth. Let's stop doing that to our community leaders.

We don't live in a Muslim country where there are endowments and government grants to support our scholars. Our communities have the money. Fund-raising is not the problem. We just need to understand that our investment in human resources should take precedence over our investment in architectural ones.

Epilogue

In the 2 days since posting this article on muslimsi.com, there has been an outpouring of feedback via comments, Facebook shares, and even personal emails. Based on that feedback I felt it important to highlight a few points.

Most obviously, this is an extremely contentious issue in our community, and it is one that must be resolved in a way that allows our communities to grow and move forward.

When it comes to opposing higher pay (or even pay altogether) for Imams, it comes from a few very specific perspectives. First is the view that people who do Islamic work should not be paid at all (a view that I feel is naive and somewhat ignorant). Second is the view that if an Imam is paid, then it means he must be a perfect human being, or at worst, be like one of the Sahabah in all his actions. Third is the view that if a board pays an Imam, then it means they somehow have total ownership of him.

In all these cases, the root of the problem is a lack of respect for the scholars and community leaders of our ummah. They are not perfect, but if they don't guide us, who will? Our responsibility as community members is to help them grow, because the more that they grow, the better equipped they are to lead our communities. Instead, we find masjids that are expecting one of the khulafā' al-rashīdūn to magically come and lead their masjid (and do so for a minimum wage salary at that). Many of our boards have yet to realize that the job description of an Imam in America is vastly different from what an imam does in nearly any other country in the world. The expectations we put on them are herculean to say the least.

This lack of respect comes from not understanding what function the Imam plays in the community. 99% of the people will never see the hours of marital counseling, family counseling, and late night phone calls that imams have to yield. They'll never see the people who randomly walk into the masjid at odd hours dealing with drug abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sometimes worse trying to find help from the imam. They won't see the hours of work that will go into preparing a 45-minute halaqah that is then only attended by 10 people.

Our communities are growing rapidly, and with that growth comes new problems and new situations that we must deal with. If we want to live our lives in a way pleasing to Allah, then it is imperative we supply our communities with people capable of leading them and helping us deal with those problems. I find instead that many masjids treat their imams even more ruthlessly than the worst of corporations, not realizing the need the community has for spiritual leadership. They nitpick at them in ways that make it appear as if they consider themselves to be angelic.

Aside from the arguments resulting from a lack of respect, the only other issue is money. I do not think money is an issue. In some smaller communities, it will be, and they'll have to work through it. But I cannot fathom how seemingly every other masjid has multi-million dollar blueprints and expansion plans, but they can't afford to invest in quality human resources. This is a joke. Without proper human resources, we will just have empty (but beautiful) structures. Put the money where it's needed most.

One of the most promising developments I have seen is that there is a surge of people who want to serve this deen full time. They want to study Islam, they want to work for the community full time. But they are held back. Their parents will not stand for them taking a career in the service of Islam and instead push them into other professions. Now it may be easy to criticize a parent and say they are being short-sighted or materialistic, but I do not think that is the case at all. I think most parents have seen the way our communities treat Imams – the most telling sign of which is their low salary (as the saying goes, “put your money where your mouth is”) – and they do not want their children to have to face that.

If our masajid do not get their acts together on this issue, then we are planting a destructive seed that will prevent our development of sustainable scholarship in this country.

Interviewer: “So do you have any questions about our company or the position?”

Muslim: “I need off every Friday from 1pm to 3pm. Is there a room I can pray in a couple of times a day? Also sometimes I need to wash my feet in the sink, is that ok? Which restroom should I use? Do you have lotas? Can I borrow the watering jug?”

Interviewer: “Thanks, we'll be in touch….”

Let's face it, we are special. We are the strange ones. How do we manage to land that nice job in the corporate world without assimilating and changing our names from Muhammads to Moes and Tariqs to Terrys?

So you have a spiffy new resume, you have been applying to every job you can find online, and you finally get the initial phone call. You get through the preliminaries and now you are set to go interview in person. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Resume Tips

Before getting to the interview, it is essential to have a good resume to help land the interview. Without going into too much details, the most important resume tips can be summarized as such,

• Aesthetically pleasing (don't use pre-made Word templates)
• Grammatically correct.
• Put accomplishments instead of duties. “Brought GUI application for high dollar accounts to satisfactory completion” sounds a whole lot better than “Write code in C++.” Things like “Caught accounting oversights to help recover $200,000 in lost revenue” sounds a whole lot better than “Accounting and bookeeping.”
• Don't sell yourself short. Your experience is used to gauge your ability to adapt and learn skills, not necessarily replicate the work you do at one job in another.
• Use buzzwords as much as possible – search job openings online and see the words that are in the title headings and use them. Even though you might not officially be a “project manager”, this doesn't mean that you haven't 'managed projects' – so include the buzzword.
• Don't lie. This should go without saying for a Muslim.

Now, getting to the interview.

Appearance

Looks count. “'Beauty is on the inside' is just something ugly people say to feel better about themselves” – that is not exactly true, but don't bank on your internal beauty when interviewing for a job. It is naive to think you can live in a materialistic society and then not be judged on your looks.

Get yourself a nice suit. Wear something conservative. A black suit or dark gray suit should do fine. Don't wear a loud colored shirt or a loud tie. Make sure your suit is tailored properly and actually fits. If you are 5'6 and 150 pounds, don't borrow your brothers suit who is 5'9, 200. Spend the extra 20 bucks and make sure it fits right.

Make sure your beard is well groomed. I do not mean that it has to be short. A beard can be short, and still look scraggly or “jungly” for all the desis out there. It can be long, and still look well maintained (Tableeghi brothers have this down). It is important, and it's the Sunnah, to be neat. This is a direct reflection of your personal hygiene. Anyone who has worked in an IT office knows how people respond to the pungent curry smell that is known to emanate from the break room microwaves at lunch time – when you walk in with a big beard, you have been branded with this type of stigma, so make sure hygiene/smell is not an issue.

Speaking of smell, make sure to put on a nice dab of good cologne. Do not put on your favorite attar oil, or your imitation 3 dollar vial of “CK ONE” – it doesn't smell that nice, and it's a bit too heavy for this type of environment.

First impressions count, so make it a good one. I didn't want to focus too much on appearance, but Muslim men do have style issues. Please see the Muslim Man's Guide to Style for more information.

Preparation

This is the general stuff you will find everywhere online. Read up about the company. Check out their 'about' page and understand their business. Make sure you are familiar with the job description of the position applied for.

It's important to be familiar with the economic sector the company is in, and who their main competitors are. Have a list of questions ready to ask about the company and the position.

Get a nice briefcase ready for your interview. Keep a couple of copies of your resume. Pack relevant print outs of salary information if needed. Also make sure to keep a personal print out with the following information:

• List of places you have worked for at least the last 10 years, including company name, address, and your supervisor's name and number.
• List of 3 references (preferrably previous managers) along with their phone numbers.
• Your starting and ending salary for every position you have held before.

The above information is often required on almost any standard job application, so make sure you have it ready to go.

Small Talk

When you get to the interview, prepare to make small talk. Often times your interview will not start right away and you will be talking to the receptionist, or the interviewer may be waiting on another team member to come before starting the interview. I have been asked all types of questions from “How far do you live from here and how was the traffic coming in?” to “What are you favorite books?” or “What is your favorite TV show?” and other such questions. This is probably not the time to tell them that you're currently engrossed in an advanced textbook on Usul al-Fiqh, or that TV is haram and they need to fear Allah.

I often try to mention the name of a secular book I'm currently reading, or one I finished recently. In regards to TV and other such questions, I try to bring it back to sports. Even when music is brought up, I simply mention that when I am not a big fan of the radio, and that when I do listen to it, it is usually ESPN radio. Sports is the ultimate ice breaker in small talk, especially in the workplace.

The Actual Interview

*Regarding shaking hands read this article for advice.

Being at the actual interview means they're already somewhat confident of your abilities. The main thing that most look for at this stage is how well you fit in with the people already there. I had a job interview where they told me they had just finished a big office video game and pizza party, and asked me if I liked having fun.

Make sure you are personable. Be confident in your answers and your abilities. If they ask you how you feel about something you do not know – as we are taught Islamically – do not be afraid to say you don't know. Just make sure to follow it up by saying that you have been in similar situations before, and you are a quick learner and can easily adapt to situations.

Don't make jokes in your interviews. I have learned this one the hard way. I was once asked about dealing with pressure situations, and I mentioned experience in a hospital dealing with demanding nurses (except I was a bit sarcastic about it) only to have one of the interviewers cut me off with, “I'm a nurse” (ouch). Another time I was asked about how good I was in documenting something, and I mentioned dealing with outsourcing and communicating with “people who can barely speak English” only to realize that there was a semi-FOB in the interviewing team. So make sure to be tactful and polite. You can always show off your sense of humor later.

Be prepared to talk about yourself and your experience. Rehearse it if you need to. Also be prepared for the 'canned' questions like “where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?”, and “what is your dream job?”, etc. Have a good answer for questions like “What would your manager say is your greatest weakness?” or “What would team mates say is your greatest weakness?” and ones similar to that. The answer is not as important as how you project yourself. They are seeing how well spoken you are, how your attitude is, and checking things like making sure you are not arrogant.

Have good questions prepared when they ask you if you have any questions. Ask what the day to day environment is like, and what the challenges are. Ask them what they enjoy most about the company they work for. The best question though, is to always inquire about what educational opportunities are available, and express interest in pursuing industry standard certifications. This shows them that you are interested in growing with the company, and that you are taking initiative to find ways of improving even before starting. Make sure you are serious though, and follow through with those opportunities when they come up.

Make sure to show that you are someone that is easy to get along with, a hard worker, and a quick learner. When you walk in, especially if you 'look' Muslim, you need to take into account stereotypes people will have. Break them. I have found that simply acting professionally and sounding articulate (it is not hard to sound more articulate than the average Joe Schmo) can go a long way.

Some companies adopt a behavior based interview, read this article for more tips on handling those questions as they are tougher than the general interviews.

Salary

Know your worth ahead of time. Check out market (salary.com) values for your position with your level of experience and education. Don't be timid to ask for your fair rate. Always say you are negotiable and open to market value, but also be prepared with an actual number (or range rather) as well. If the salary is not all there, negotiate other things. Everything is up for grabs. I have interviewed with companies where even the vacation time was negotiable as I was coming from a company that had a better time off program. If they can't go up a certain amount of dollars, try asking for a signing bonus. Negotiate things like working from home for a day a week or something like that if it is feasible.

After the Interview

Make sure to send a thank you email to whomever interviewed you, or arranged the interview, and let them know you thought the interview was positive. If you felt otherwise, it is important to go ahead and let them know it is not what you are expecting, and you would like to withdraw consideration, but thank them for their time. These are basic etiquettes.

Muslim Needs

I have found that after the interview and when you are starting or being extended an offer is the best time to bring up your Muslim needs. The best way to talk about Juma is explain that you have a religious obligation every Friday from 1pm-3pm, and that you are free to work early/late or on another day to make up the time. Don't come across with a sense of entitlement. They are working around their schedule to let you attend Juma, so make sure to return the favor and be flexible in making up the time. Another quick tip that I utilize is, block out your calendar with a recurring appointment as “Off Campus” – I have found that this has gone a long way in keeping people from scheduling meetings with me at this time.

In regards to daily prayers and things like that, the approach I found that worked best was to simply ask my team lead where there is an empty meeting room I could pray in. I don't feel this is something you need to work out before getting the job, it can easily be done afterwards.

Also make sure to have some tact in the workplace. I have heard stories of Muslims who are surgical techs, residents, etc., doing things like foot-in-the-sink in the O.R. rooms. Come on.. :)

Final Advice

Before taking any job, make Istikharah :)

See also: Observing the Sunnah in the Professional World

1. Lowe's pulls advertising from All American Muslim under pressure from right wing nutjobs

From the right wing nutjobs:

Florida Family Association sent out a third email alert on December 6th which reported The Learning Channel's new program called All-American Muslim. All-American Muslim is propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values. The email alert encouraged supporters to send emails to the companies (including Lowes) that advertised during the December 4th and 5th episodes.

Lowe's response (same link as above):

Thank you for contacting Lowe's. We work hard to listen to our customers and respond to their concerns. Lowe's has strict guidelines that govern the placement of our advertising. Our company advertises primarily in national, network prime-time television programs and on a variety of cable outlets. Lowe's constantly reviews advertising buys to make certain they are consistent with its policy guidelines.

While we continue to advertise on various cable networks, including TLC, there are certain programs that do not meet Lowe's advertising guidelines, including the show you brought to our attention. Lowe's will no longer be advertising on that program.

2. This resulted in an outpouring of outrage via email, phone calls, and social media. Get a glimpse from the Twitter hashtag – #LowesHatesMuslims

Even Russel Simmons got in on it:

plz ask folks 2 call @Lowes at 1.800.445.6937 ask why #loweshatesmuslims …

— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) December 10, 2011

Dear @Lowes, religious hatred is UN-AMERICAN >> bit.ly/vi8KOD — Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) December 10, 2011

3. Earlier today Lowe's released a statement on it's Facebook page to respond to complaints

Here's their statement,

It appears that we managed to step into a hotly contested debate with strong views from virtually every angle and perspective – social, political and otherwise – and we've managed to make some people very unhappy. We are sincerely sorry. We have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, across our workforce and our customers, and we're proud of that longstanding commitment.

Lowe's has received a significant amount of communication on this program, from every perspective possible. Individuals and groups have strong political and societal views on this topic, and this program became a lighting rod for many of those views. As a result we did pull our advertising on this program. We believe it is best to respectfully defer to communities, individuals and groups to discuss and consider such issues of importance.

We strongly support and respect the right of our customers, the community at large, and our employees to have different views. If we have made anyone question that commitment, we apologize.

Thank you for allowing us to further explain our position.

Umm… What?! 'Managed to make some people unhappy'?? Because this was controversial, they pulled their ads and essentially stand behind it?

This stance means that the initial claims made by the Florida Family Association, in the eye's of Lowe's, has credence – i.e. that a show portraying Muslims as “normal” is really a covert ploy to hide their true 'terroristic tendencies'.

They couldn't even admit clearly who they upset, as if saying the words 'Muslim community' would somehow create more negativity for them. This is evidenced by the fact that many commenters on their Facebook page had no idea what was even going on, as this was such a useless, PR-speak, statement.

Some comments from their Facebook page in response to this statement:

I'm sorry please explain to me how giving in to the fear mongering of a bunch of religious zealots is maintaining a commitment to diversity?

Your statement is a bunch of disingenuous claptrap. If you truly believe what you're saying, you should probably also pull advertising from any show that discusses any religion.

Its only a hotly contested debate if you believe that fearmongering fanatics who think Muslim Americans are undercover terrorists who want to impose clerical sharia law in America have a legitimate argument. Otherwise, its a non issue and you are simply rejecting the very premise of being a Muslim American citizen. Thats why so many people are genuinely upset and will not be comforted by your pathetic excuse. You have taken a side on this issue by withdrawing your ads.

Now bigots can have their very own place to buy plumbing fixtures. That should make it a little easier to avoid them/you. Good work, guys. See you never.

Lowes pulled their ads from a show about the lives of some Christian American citizens on the Discovery Channel because some small fundamentalist Muslim group protested. Outrageous isn't it? Wait a minute. I got that backwards. Still outrageous isn't it?

So, do you plan on pulling all your advertisements from other programs that promote a positive christian view because of crazies like westboro baptist, who represent a minority of a whole but are more well known? Great way to pull away from a show that was helping other understand a culture.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS! Would they pull advertising beacuse an irish show didn't portray drinking, an african-american show didn't portray criminals or a catholic show didn't portray molestation. Why would a show be bad for not portraying stereotypes???

4. “But I don't like All American Muslim, who cares?”

I don't want to debate the merits of the show, but let's be realistic. There's a large segment of the Muslim population that doesn't agree with this show because they feel it misrepresents Muslims, or only highlights Shia's instead of Sunni Islam, and so on.

Here's why that doesn't matter. Right wing groups spreading this propaganda don't differentiate between any of us. Sunni, shia, conservative, or liberal. As far as they're concerned, all of us are just putting on a facade to hide some ulterior terrorist motives. That is why it is important to stand up and say we're not going to put up with this bigotry.

Learn a lesson from the story of The Three Bulls

There once lived three bulls, a white bull, a black bull, and a red bull. Looking for food, a lion watched them graze together and realized he could not contend with all three. So he went to the black and red bull and made a deal with them. He told them that he was very ferocious and powerful and that if they let him eat the white bull, he would leave them in peace. The black and red bull agreed, and the lion murdered and then ate the white bull.

Time passed and the lion became hungry again. He went to the red bull and argued that he was ferocious and powerful and that if he let him eat the black bull he would leave him in peace. The red bull agreed and the lion murdered and then ate the black bull.

As time passed and the lion became hungry, he visited the red bull again. As the red bull saw death in the lions eye, as the teeth dug deep into it's neck, it shouted, “Verily I was eaten the day the white bull was eaten!”

 

Link to all Ramadan 2011 posts

It's only fitting that I write this post on a weeknight at 11pm in a different time zone than I'm used to and in an upscale downtown hotel with shoddy Wi-Fi. If you feel my pain, you are most likely one of many people who travel regularly for business.

In fact, you're the only ones who would truly understand that free food and drinks every day in the hotel concierge lounge, priority boarding, and (occasional) upgrades to first class are not perks that make travel fun – but necessities that prevent travel from being completely unbearable when you spend this much time on the road.

Lamenting about first world problems aside (like how annoying it is to have to adjust rear/side mirrors every week in your new rental car), let's get to the meat of the issue (pun intended) – Ramadan.

I also write this post at an opportune time as I am anticipating this Ramadan more than perhaps any other Ramadan in my life, and that's almost entirely due to business travel. While I am still slated to travel about 2 weeks in Ramadan, my last Ramadan was the worst of my life.

I had just started a new project and began traveling professionally for the first time in my life. I'm not sure if others have experienced this or not, but it meant I had to pay my dues. I didn't quite yet have the same freedom as the 'road veterans' did. Plus, I was on a new project and client, so there was a lot of feeling my way around. This travel started roughly 2-3 weeks before Ramadan. So not only did I have to completely readjust my home, family, personal, and work life, but now I had Ramadan to throw into the mix.

My entire Ramadan looked like this: Fly out Monday morning at 8am, fly home Thursday night and get home around 10pm. Take a cab to my hotel. No rental car. No masjid within walking distance. It was devastating. It was the first time in my life I felt completely and utterly spiritually destroyed during Ramadan. Looking back, I know I could have done better. I could have made up ground, been diligent with Quran, extra prayers, and so on – but lets not kid ourselves. It put me in a huge funk, and I failed with flying colors. Not to mention being left with 8 fasts to make up.

So now that I can look back and see how I would do it differently, here's my personal advice for making the most of Ramadan if you're traveling for business.

Food

This one is important. We have to be very particular about our diet as it is because we eat out so much (and most restaurant food is murder, zabihah or not). You know how you pack your clothes? No over-packing or under-packing? Everything perfectly accounted for and packed? Food has to be planned with similar intensity.

Suhoor will be difficult because you usually can't order room service that early (most start at 6am), and you're often without access to a microwave or a fridge. My plan is to go to the grocery store on Monday after landing and stock up. Plan out and buy what you're going to have during the week.

Also, stock up on water bottles (free at the hotel usually if you have lounge access), protein bars, and dates. Take it easy at iftar/dinner time. My go-to option on the road is to swing by Whole Foods and make a salad plate and a hot plate shortly before dinner.

Fasting

I follow the opinion of fasting being optional while traveling, so I write from that perspective. My advice is to fast as much as possible. You just can't replace the spiritual feeling of fasting in Ramadan. Also, the more you miss, the more you have to make up.

Last year I skipped fasting on the days I was flying. This time I think I will try to do it and see how it goes. I already know, though, that on Thursdays my flight is during iftar time so I will not fast.

Just be diligent about making them up ASAP.

Sleep and the Masjid

These two go hand in hand because they're seemingly at odds this year. Pray taraweeh, and be groggy at work. What gives? I'm personally in a city where the isha adhan isn't even until close to 10:45 (and maghrib is around 9pm).

I'm all for praying at night, but you have a responsibility to be fresh/alert at work as well.

You'll have to be diligent about napping at specific times to make Ramadan work. This probably means being a stickler and leaving work at 5pm, and then taking a 2 hour nap. Wake up, get refreshed, and get ready for iftar. Another possible nap time is after suhoor and before work (especially if you don't have to be in the office until 9) – but you then sacrifice serious 'spiritual' time, as this is the best time to get your Quran reading done.

I've personally come to grips with the fact that I might skip taraweeh altogether some nights in order to get some sleep. Try to make isha in the masjid though. Even with napping, you need some nights where you get a solid stretch of good sleep. Just take it easy, pray some extra in the hotel, and make up for it on the weekends when you're home.

Du'a List

Travel is du'a time. Ramadan is du'a time. Fasting is du'a time. You've got the trifecta. Make a list. Use it every day.

Workout

Because you'll be less active while fasting, and eating a heavy meal right near bedtime, it's important to have a workout plan. Without going into too many details, forget everything and just do this 20 minute hotel room workout. That's it. Keep it simple.

WEEKLY Goals

This is my final advice and one of the most important. Logic says to make daily goals and plans for Ramadan. How much Quran to read every day, how much to pray every day, and so on. I found that doesn't work for me while I travel. Travel is simply too unpredictable, and there are too many days where you're “just out of it” and can't get anything done. Those days can kill your productivity, and make it seem unrecoverable.

My suggestion is to instead make a written list of goals for the week while you are gone. So sit down Sunday night and say, “before I come back, I want to read 2 juz. I want to memorize 2 lines. I want to listen to 3 talks on YouTube.” Maybe you get super religious and do them all on Monday. Maybe work and travel kicks you in the butt and you do them all on your last night out of town. It's ok. Most likely you will do a lot on 1 or 2 days, and slack off on one day.

The important thing is to be okay with that, and make sure your overall goal for the week is met even if you have an offday (or two, or three).

Stay safe business travelers, and keep me in your du'as.

Seeking well qualified Imam for our masjid in the middle of nowhere. New facility with 50 families. Seeking an Imam with the following qualifications:

• PhD. in Islamic Studies
• Bachelor's from American university
• Fluent in English, Arabic, and Urdu
• Charismatic khateeb (preferably with lots of popular videos on YouTube)
• 15 years of Imam experience
• Can serve as principal of Islamic school
• Can increase youth involvement
• Teach children how to read Quran
• Teach Sunday School
• Perform weekly halaqahs
• Provide around the clock marital and family counseling
• Leads Tarawih with a voice that sounds like a CD recording
• Accounting, janitorial, and website building experience is a plus
• Superman cape is optional.

So what is a more realistic way to figure out who is qualified to be the masjid imam, or community leader? That's the question we tackled in Muslim Strategic Initiative's Part 2 of Conversations About Masjid Leadership – Finding the Right Imam [for Part 1, click here: The Role of the Masjid].

Check out the video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our Muslim community first faced a crisis of survival – when the first wave of immigrants rose to the challenge and established institutions such as Masjids, community centers, and Islamic schools. The new crisis we face is one of relevancy. Our comm
unities are struggling to take the next step to make sure our community infrastructure is ready to meet the demands of the coming generation.

It is with this in mind that we are launching this important series of interviews with Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda. We hope to cover more topics and also involve other speakers as well.

The first video is entitled, 'Role of the Masjid'.

This video covers a number of issues, among them:

• What is the true role and purpose of the masjid? (Refer to this MuslimSI article on an organization's true purpose)
• How does a community balance competing objectives with limited resources? Specifically, how to balance between the demands of Islamic schools, Sunday schools, and Friday prayer.
• How to make women's prayer space?
• What is most pressing when embarking on a new masjid project?

Enjoy the first video below. The next video will cover how to find the right imam.

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. What are you listening to?
2. What are you reading?
3. What are you watching?
4. What technology are you rocking, Mac or PC? Kindle, iPad, Android phone, etc?
5. What's the best piece of advice you've received or an advice you have for MM's readers?

In this week's WIYE, Omar interviews Sh. AbdulNasir Jangda.
[audio http://muslimmatters.org/audio/201105_Whats In Your Ear_Sh. AbdulNasir Jangda Interview.mp3|titles= Sh. AbdulNasir Jangda - What's In Your Ear?]
Download mp3

Richard St. John has spent years of his life interviewing successful people to see what characteristics are common to them. The culmination of his research is succinctly presented in the 3 minute video below. The points may seem like common sense, but reflecting on them – better yet, acting on them – shows how valuable they are. It is also not surprising that these themes are outlined in the Qur'ān. This provides further motivation for us to implement them in our da'wah work.

*Disclaimer* The video contains some vulgar language.

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Passion

Even so, there are some who choose to worship others besides God as rivals to Him, loving them with the love due to God, but the believers have greater love for God. [2:165]

It goes without saying that you cannot successfully accomplish a goal without having the passion inside to reach it. If you want to be successful at memorizing the Qur'ān, it requires an inner drive to stick with it. If there is no passion, if there is apathy, then this goal will never be reached. Passion is the key ingredient that drives us forward. You have to want to be successful at a particular venture or it will not happen.

2. Work

You who believe, be steadfast, more steadfast than others; be ready; always be mindful of God so that you may prosper. [3:200]

No matter how passionate or talented you are, you have to be willing to put in the work to make something happen. Malcolm Gladwell popularized the theory that it takes 10,000 hours of work to become an expert at something. In regards to Islamic work, it is also necessary to understand that there is glamorous work and behind-the-scenes dirty work. A true leader, and a truly successful person, does both.

3. Focus

So proclaim openly [connotation of going through something, like to split the desert in two with your trail] what you have been commanded (to say), and ignore the idolaters. [15:94]

Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth [ḥanīf], and he was not of those who associate others with Allah. [16:120]

The second ayah indicates Ibrahīm being focused on the characteristic of being ḥanīf. Success requires a laser like focus on the task at hand. Consider the following scenario to understand how a lack of focus can make a program unsuccessful.

What leads to success?

There is an organization devoted to teaching Islamic history full time. Their focus is teaching this subject from an academic point of view. Many of their students become drawn to the program and its instructors, and thus begin requesting personal counseling. If the organization allows itself to make that a part of its program, despite the good intention, it will end up detracting from what is the strength of the program to begin with. In the long run, they will over extend themselves and be unable to perform either task properly.

In the personal sense, you know that you have limits to what you can accomplish in a certain amount of time. If you want to study Arabic, then this would require focus in the sense that you can no longer devote time and energy to other subjects until you master this one. The lack of focus is what creates the phenomenon of 'jack of all trades, master of none'. Successful people, even those excelling in multiple areas, are usually most recognized for the one thing that initially made them successful.

4. Push

But We shall be sure to guide to Our ways those who strive hard for Our cause: God is with those who do good. [29:69]

Every project will hit a wall where it becomes easy to give up. This applies to studies, work, building a masjid, or any other kind of activity you may think of. You have to push through that wall when it comes. The passion and hard work mentioned above are the key ingredients that enable you to push through the obstacles you encounter.

5. Ideas

And consult them in the matter [3:159]

And whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves [42:38]

Successful people constantly come up with new ideas, new projects, and new and innovative ways of helping others. They also test the veracity of these ideas from consulting with others, and take others ideas as well. Every great project and success story starts with a simple idea, sometimes even hastily scribbled onto a dinner napkin.

6. Improve

Seek the life to come by means of what God has granted you, but do not neglect your rightful share in this world. Do good to others as God has done good to you. [28:77]

Is the reward for excellence (iḥsān) [anything] but excellence (iḥsān)?

This is a constant process. If you want to be successful, you must continue to hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else. Many times an organization or person will be successful but then drop off. A person may become lazy, and an organization may succumb to weaknesses or competition. Continued success means continually improving even if others may not see a need for it.

7. Serve

[Believers], you are the best community singled out for people: you order what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in God. [3:110]

True success means that your aims and objectives also help benefit others as well. This is especially the case with Islamic work. Your success is directly tied to how well you serve your community.

8. Persist

Believers, why, when it is said to you, ‘Go and fight in God’s way,’ do you feel weighed down to the ground? Do you prefer this world to the life to come? How small the enjoyment of this world is, compared with the life to come! [9:38]

This is a combination of the 'push' and 'improve' principles above. It is not enough to keep doing the steps above, but to make sure they are continually repeated no matter how tough. Every time you feel like you have improved yourself or your organization, you have to consistently try to take it to the next level. You also have to persist through any negativity and setbacks that you encounter.

Criticism, Rejection, Adversity, Prejudice

This forms an easy acronym to remember the main obstacles you have to overcome no matter what the endeavor.

Criticism: Every project and goal has its critics. They key is being able to differentiate which criticisms are constructive and which ones are destructive.To overcome the 'criticism hurdle' you have to find a way to cast aside negativity from destructive criticism and subdue your ego enough to benefit from constructive criticism.

Rejection: Even the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) faced rejection initially, and from his own family at that. Being rejected by some should be an expectation. Sometimes the rejection will come from peers, and sometimes it will come from those who hold some authority over you. The key is to not let the rejection be the reason you give up.

Adversity: Simply put, nothing good ever comes easy. The adversity can come in different forms. It can be a decrease in the amount of time spent with family, it can be financial, it can be emotional, and sometimes a project that has spiritual goals may present itself as a test on your own spirituality. Overcoming this adversity requires a good dose of wisdom, patience, and persistence.

Prejudice: This is when the negativity is no longer about your project, but about you personally. People will judge you and say things about you that are extremely hurtful, but you must remember that it comes with the territory.

Concluding Parable

Take the example of a masjid building project in America. When it starts out, the members starting it are often criticized for even wanting to build one in the first place. They are told that its unnecessary and that it is too much work. They may face rejection from the local community who refuses to donate money. In fact, they may even face rejection from other local masjids who refuse to support this project out of fear that it will somehow hinder their own projects.

Those involved will face countless moments of adversity. They may face unexpected obstacles with the local city. They will face adversity within their family due to the amount of time the project takes. They will face adversity when finances run out.

Prejudice is also a big factor. We see it in our times where people protest against a masjid being built. In other places the Muslim community becomes prejudiced and accuses the people starting a masjid of having ulterior motives or a faulty ideology.

A number of projects that fail to overcome these obstacles, and yet others are able to finish out and build successful masjids and community centers. The people involved in these projects are driven by a passion for having their own masjid. They wake up and go to sleep every day thinking about having a place to make their daily prayers and take their children.

They work hard to get the project done. They run around finding architects, engineers, and contractors. Many times they have to immerse themselves in issues they have not dealt with before and, therefore, have to put in double the amount of work to catch up.

They focus on the end result. They are not distracted with other projects, nor do they let anything else get in the way. A completed masjid is always the end goal that they use to focus their efforts.

They push through obstacles that come. They consult with one another and look for innovative solutions [ideas] to any issue that arises. They may be halfway through the project when they realize they need to change it around to meet a city regulation, but this does not hinder them. Moreover, they do not settle for simply finishing. Throughout the process they work as hard as they can to make every minute detail of this masjid the best it possibly can. They persist and persevere and let nothing get in their way.

Finally, they remember that this masjid is meant to be a service to the community. It is meant to help bring people closer to Allah, and Allah blesses them with bringing this project to successful fruition.

On a recent business trip I went to a restaurant. The hostess noticed I was Muslim and said, “Oh you don't need a wine list, right?” I told her she was correct. When I sat at the table she handed me the menu and then asked me, “Do you eat meat?” To this I replied essentially that some Muslims are strict about a Muslim version of kosher meat [I have not encountered many non-Muslims who understand what 'halal' is - or many Muslims who understand halal vs. zabihah, but that's a different story]. She responded to this by saying, “Oh yeah, my boyfriend is from Saudi Arabia and he only eats halal meat.”

Keep it classy.

For as long as I can remember the meat issue has been at the forefront of every lively discussion between two Muslims. I have seen 'family night' masjid halaqahs devoted to this topic. I have seen relaxed, intended-to-be-entertainment discussions get passed around on Facebook years after the fact to one-up people of the other opinion, and Sh. Yasir Qadhi even teaches a full class on the topic. For at least 20+ years, every time I have seen a visiting scholar come to my community, someone inevitably asks the meat question.

A quick google search turns up numerous halal councils, certification boards, websites, ingredient lists, and even halal bills. This is in addition to the unofficial and underground boards that exist in every city.

“Don't eat at so-and-so's restaurant, the Muslim factory they buy their meat from doesn't hand slaughter. ”

“Yeah that restaurant says they have halal meat, but their beef is haram.”

In fact, I remember once reading a comment for a restaurant left on zabihah.com, “I saw the owner buying chicken at Pilgrim's Pride!”

This not-so-behind-the-scenes discussion violates a key ethical principle – giving people the benefit of the doubt. For some reason, we have turned meat into a haram until proven halal issue. The least of the consequences of this is that it causes us to harbor suspicion against others. In some cases it may lead to unjustly boycotting Muslim businesses. In extreme cases, debate over this fiqh issue causes people to lose friendships and even divide entire communities. I know people who stopped receiving khutbah invites after being seen eating a turkey sandwich at Subway. I have been told to my face that nothing I say about Islam can be believed because I eat 'outside meat'.

Before continuing further, I want to say what this post is not about.

This post is not about debating which opinion on meat is correct.

This post is not about the fact that eating organic meat may be more a more important issue to raise in regards to eating 'tayyib' than the method of slaughter.

This post is not about the fact that meat is a fiqh issue with legitimate differences.

This post is not about the fact that we put other Muslims out of business with accusations over zabihah/halal.

This post is not about the fact that some companies exploit Muslims for business by slapping halal labels on things [many of which aren't even necessarily meat or food products].

This post is not about the fact that we should not be divided with each other over a fiqh issue.

This post is not trying to say that halal meat is unimportant. –

This post is about the fact that we need to move on.

The education has been done. The fatawa have been issued. People's minds are already made up. The certification boards are in place. The find-halal-food-fast iPhone apps are slick and fully functioning. Halal meat has made its way into supermarkets and mainstream products have the halal marking on their containers.

So long as halal meat remains our focus, the ummah will not progress past this topic. We will all eat hand slaughtered meat, and say that alhamdulillah our provision is halal, but we will continue to earn the money we buy that meat with from haram sources. We will continue to live in houses financed on interest. We will continue to drive cars financed on interest. We will continue to attend college and gain our education on loans financed through interest – ALL because we feel we have no other option [I'm not passing judgment on any of these actions, but rather highlighting the fact that a majority of people do not see another alternative. Whether that perspective is correct or incorrect is a separate debate].

I thought the point of this whole halal thing was to facilitate a holistic Muslim lifestyle in America? If that's the case, I think we have accomplished that purpose. But did it really need to take 20 or 30 years? The way things are going it seems like we will be continuing down the same path for the next 20 as well.

How much work are we putting into purifying our rizq in other areas?

Every dollar we deposit into the bank is being used to support predatory lending practices, subjugation of the poor, and padding the pockets of those who do this. We can't spend a night wracked with guilt over eating some chicken nuggets, but we sleep soundly knowing that our life savings are sitting in banks and being used to further an out-of-control debt crisis? Why can we mobilize and lobby to get halal bills and require labels to be slapped on products but we don't even speak up about our tax dollars paying for vacation houses for wall street executives who should be in jail? How long will we continue to utilize credit cards, giving money with each transaction to companies who make money by turning people into wage slaves?

There is no need to rehash the seriousness of riba, but there is a need to take stock of how complacent we have become in our roles of facilitating it. To move forward we need to focus on creating viable and successful Muslim banks or credit unions. These can be set up to give Muslims the security and convenience of bank accounts while knowing that their money is not being used to further propagate a usurious financial system. We need real solutions to the the issues of student loans and car purchases. We need Islamic institutions and investment firms that facilitate home-buying without copying interest based mortgage contracts and just changing the vocabulary. We need to have Islamic insurance companies that can help us fulfill the legal requirements of the law without compromising any of our Islamic principles.

I am deeply saddened by the fact that we fight each other over meat, but we are too distracted to even have the conversations necessary to live a full Islamic lifestyle.

Why not write an article about the financial issues separately? (Already did). Why does meat have anything to do with it? Because truth be told, if this article wasn't about halal meat, you probably wouldn't be reading it – and that is the root of the problem.

I don't have the solutions, but I am interested in helping out. As a community, we need to take this more seriously. When we are passionate about something, like meat, we can get things done. That mission has been accomplished, and it is time to get passionate about finding a solution to one of the most major issues facing us.

Recommended watching:

• Inside Job Documentary
• Maxed Out Documentary