imam

When Masjids do not welcome children, children will find other places to go. At the Masjid children often receive criticism for their noise, for how they dress, for playing basketball instead of praying Sunnah, and so on. In the schoolyard, children receive praise for their jokes, their clothes, and their athletic abilities. Where will our children prefer to spend their time?

It is likely that the current debate about Sharia will continue for a while. For that reason we suggest that your Masjid develop a one-year plan to address the issue in a multi-dimensional way. Here are a couple of suggestions.

Plan to "upgrade" your Masjid in the coming year with ideas to reconnect to the community and make it the dynamic, including optimistic Friday sermons, a Muslim joke festival, a Facebook page, and a way to text donations, among other ideas. 

When you are an Imam or a Khateeb, you talk. People ask a question, you talk. You perform marriages, you talk. You conduct funerals, you talk. However, it is good listening which will help us carry out our responsibilities. Here are some suggestions for better listening for Imams. 

Even though Muslims in America experience a unique set of circumstances and are diverse in their culture, and road to Islam, the Quran and the Sunnah have the methodology for preventing and resolving the problems that we face.

Psychiatrist Dr. Aamir Safdar, who has been practicing medicine for more than 25 years, suggests the following tips for Imams when addressing mental health issues in the Muslim community. 

As Muslims in America and abroad roundly condemned the July 7, 2005 terrorist attacks on London, they ask: What Muslims in America and our Government Can Do to Prevent it From Happening Here?