Leadership
Unity: It Starts With U (Part 2 of 5)…
Many years ago, my father said something to me that was deeply connected to what the prophet said. It has influenced my work in psychology. He was telling me of a man who had become Muslim, but had improper development before reverting. He said of the person “he felt like a nobody before entering Islam, and after reverting, he still acts like a nobody.” Abu Hurairah (r) narrated that the Prophet (s) said, “Those who were the best in the pre-lslamic period of ignorance will be the best in Islam provided they comprehend the religious knowledge.” (Bukhari 4/572 and Muslim). I have heard amazing stories of change. What connects all those stories is the people wanted the change for themselves first.
Unity Begins With U (Part 1 of 5)…
Unity starts with you. It ends with you. We hear people talk about unity all the time. Everywhere Muslims live, people are crying for unity of the Ummah, our Muslim Community. With all the talk, how come it has not happened? People have many different answers: we are divided as a community, we do not care about one another, and we love this life too much. While many of those contribute to an answer, I have my own answer. Each man and woman is divided within their own souls. They bear witness to this. Most of the people who thrive on speaking about negativity in others suggest verbally and nonverbally there is a conflict inside their soul. So how can a heart with conflict see so clearly? If there is a conflict in someone’s eyes such as bleach or sand or something inhibiting clear vision, can one say they see perfectly? I do not think so.
Islamic Masculinity & Muslim Masculinity…
Islamic Masculinity and Muslim Masculinity are two different constructs the way that I see it. I see the former being the end goal and the latter as being the journey to get there. Islam and Islamic Masculinity does not need correcting or redefining. We simply need to make its definition clear to us as men and Muslims. When we have completed our manhood, then we simply eptomize what Islamic Masculinity is supposed to be. Muslim Masculinity on the other hand is a dynamic and an incessantly evolving state of manhood that is possessed by Muslims. That is deficient because human's and Human error is involved with that. Whereas Islam there is absolutely no error in it since Islam involves two things: Allah, and what God wants for his creation. Hopefully through Principles, Fortitude, Composure, and Submission, we may get there some day.
Knowledge and Muslim Masculinity…
The key to completing Muslim Masculinity is having the knowledge of self. The Prophet (s) said that "No man knows himself better than he does." The next level of knowledge is having the knowledge to some degree of the tangible and physical created things. The next level of knowledge is when there is knowledge of the metaphysical and the unseen created things, which brings you to the last level of knowledge which is the knowledge of God, Allah, who created and defined masculinity for all men on earth.
Quran and Muslim Masculinity…
It is the conclusion of the fouth day of Ramadan. After reading the Quran for a few hours today, it really is the definition of Muslim Masculinity. It is where we men are trying to aspire towards in the completion of our Manhood. When the wife of the Prophet (s) , Aisha (r) was asked (after the Prophet (s) had passed away), "What was the Prophet's (s) character like?" She simply said "He was a walking Quran." As far as I believe in my heart, every man should be like the Prophet (s) or they should die trying to be like him. He was simply the ultimate man. It is he (s) who I base the Masculine Development Model upon. Why would I pick anyone else?
Male Bonding and Muslim Masculinity…
I was talking to some brothers yesterday and eventually we got onto the subject of the struggles of being married and Muslim Masculinity. I guess you could call it Male Bonding. I had some extra time this past weekend so I went to the local Muslim Owned restaurant called the Fish Dock. I stayed there for most of the day which was about 5pm to 11:30pm. We started discussing community issues and then it blended into personal lives.
How to Treat a Woman…
I do not profess to be an expert on Women. I doubt that anyone except Allah would claim that with confidence. But I do know how to treat a woman. There are a few basics to keep in mind that most people forget. These points are things that I have experienced throughout my lifetime through talking to people, taking in experiences, studying, reading, researching, and simply living the natural trial and errors of life.
Hard Work
Hard work is something that is part of our destiny to our completion of Manhood. Putting hard work and making a difference in the world through your efforts is a trait that we as men must naturally have. Part of the emasculation that occurs in the impoverished and the minority communities is a lazy and bad work ethic. I am not talking about people who do not have jobs or are going through rough times. I am simply stating a mental and spiritual phase that unfortunately most of our brothers in humanity possess. We as men must move beyond our state as it is unhealthy for us to have other women, children and men who do not invest in our community or loved ones make decisions and provide for us.
The G Word
Eventually I was going to have to address this topic especially being a Mens Issues blog. That topic is gay males. My beliefs in terms of faith and principle are the foundation of my being opposed to the practice of homosexuality in both males and females. I understand and can sympathize that people can have feelings for others of the same sex. However the practice of same sex intimacy and relationships is where I am apposed to. One of the main reasons is that there is a severe lack of perpetuation or sustainability of the Human race. No reproduction comes out of it. Another reason is that homosexuality goes against the physiological and spiritual nature of Man. The clearest of proof is by simply observing your genitals. Your hands were created for you to use to grab things and eat. Your feet help you walk and kick and stand. Your nose is meant to smell things and your ears to hear and your eyes to see. Thus your penis was made to inject semen into a vagina, thus creating the beginnings of new life.
Fear and Responsibility
The way that we handle fear and responsibility are vital to our journey to the completion of our manhood. Both fear and responsibility are present inside all of us men, but what separates men from boys is how we deal with fear and how we handle our responsibility. I am defining fear as a chronic and potentially crippling avoidance to engage in someone or something. Merriam-Webster Online defines fear as an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. I define fear as something different than being scared. Being scared can most certainly become a function or manifestation of fear, but it can also be something temporary.
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