Assalaamualykum I sent the letter last Thursday. Received a reply today I think.
Here's what I sent:
Assalaamu alaykum warahmatullah,
Dear Imam, teachers, and members of the
(blank)
First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of the community for helping to provide a venue and centre for education and other Islamic activities. It is a great blessing from Allah that we have a mosque in which to pray and to use for the improvement of society, both Muslims and non-Muslims. We all know the importance Allah’s Messenger - peace and blessings be upon him - placed on teaching and seeking knowledge, as well as his warnings to those who conceal the truth and prevent Allah's remembrance. Alhamdulillah, we are fortunate to have good teachers who are willing to put in time and effort to teach in order to help people become closer to Allah.
As I'm sure you agree, there is always room for improvement and as Muslims we should strive for Ihsaan (excellence) in all things - especially in a matter as important as Islamic education and welfare of the community. I do understand that there are certain restrictions on what we can provide due to limitations in time, funding, manpower, etc., but I do believe nevertheless there are steps we can take that will have positive results in the long term, insha Allah, and with Allah’s help we will be able to achieve more than we expect. With that in mind, I have a few propositions that I would like to discuss for your consideration:
Firstly,
(blank) have consistent Arabic classes which take place on Saturdays at
(blank). They are a group of dedicated teachers masha Allah and have taken many students from success to success, but – in their efforts to keep classes affordable for parents – have forsaken their right to a wage and only accepting enough to cover the venue costs. This unacceptable situation has been the case for a very long time now – we must remember that these teachers are also mothers and wives whose time is as precious as anyone else’s. I believe that there is a very simple, logical solution. The mosque of the Holy Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – was not only a house of worship, but a place of education, of charity, and of social welfare. Our mosques must fulfil a similar role, and the difficulty in most communities is (a) to find dedicated teachers, and (
to find hard-working students. Allah has blessed us with both of these, and the least that the mosque can do is to allow the use of their premises (ideally between 1pm and 4pm on a weekly basis). Remember that the long-term goal of any Islamic institution is to bring the community closer to Allah and perhaps the most important way this is done is through education; not only this, but increasing interaction with the mosque will inevitably increase the attachment of the youth to the mosque. This is a chance not to be missed.
Secondly, I would like to request a time slot, where Women can come and learn about Islam, reciting Al Qur'an and learning Hadith. Also general education on how to look after the family, deal with every day issues etc. This is much needed in our society as is also has been before our time. I've spoken to Imaam Saab once, very briefly about this, and he did say the Masjid are looking into Womens education too, but have no teachers yet. Well I have a solution for this, a teacher from (blank)already is teaching some sisters Arabic in her home free of charge. It would be good if maybe we could ask her if she could help women recite Qur'an correctly and teach basic Arabic along side.
I recognise that you may be feeling that some of these are quite ambitious, and I would agree with you – but as Abdul Sattar Edhi’s father told him, “It is important to think without limitations – confining ideas stunts potential”. What we can implement, we should implement with minimal delay and we cannot shy away from putting in the effort. I am willing to offer all the support I can personally, and am certain there are others in the community keen to do the same for the benefit of youth and elders alike. In this way, I hope that Allah will put blessing in our time and work, insha Allah. Please feel free to contact me to discuss any of these suggestions, and if there are any that we cannot put into practice, I would kindly request a reason as to why this is the case. Please remember me in your prayers.
May Allah reward you well for all your efforts,
wassalaamu alaykum,
Reply:
Dear sister in islam
we have received your very interesting email and i have placed copies to all the officers concerned.
we will deliberate on your peropsal and will make a respons to to you in due course.
Many Thanks.
(blank)
sister in islam
Jazak'Allah Khair Brother Seeker, and to all those who are doing dua for this project. May Allah swt take us from strength to strength in doing what's right.
Ameen Ya Rabbi
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seeker, on 17 May 2012 - 05:32 PM, said:
