Since I finished my studies and returned to the UK to serve the one and only true faith (Islam) that we strongly believe in and adhere to, and also when I was fortunate to travel and serve the faith in many other countries around the globe, I found a huge shortage of authentic and qualified English-speaking Scholars that follow the true Sunni Creed in accordance to the Maslak of Sufis of the Middle East and the great Imam Ahmed Raza Khan, Allah is pleased with him.
The demand has since increased further and continues at this very moment and a supply that can fulfil is nowhere in sight. Even parts of the Sub-Continent (Such as the South of India), now require English-Speaking Scholars to guide their youth and community of professionals. Whether we like it or not, the English language has dominated the globe and is the most popular official language in the world. It is an official language in 59 countries of the World.
It is also necessary for us to wake up and realise that we are at war, an intellectual and ideological war. Nominal Muslims and deceitful non-Muslims have been and still are attempting to hijack our faith by distorting and misinterpreting our traditional and sacred texts which results in our people especially the youth in schools, colleges and universities to be misled and misguided. They have misrepresented our faith throughout the world. We can split these people into two groups, one is the extremist and the other is the forever compromising apple-polisher. The media has exploited the former and succeeded on many stages to demonise our faith. In fact, the result of extremism has been devastating and has cost the lives of many innocent people. As for the latter, it has resulted in the birth of perennialism and a compromise of many tenets of our faith. Both are extremely dangerous threats to the faith of our children and the generations to come.
The only way to challenge this and to give the appropriate representation of Islam on a local and global platform is to produce intellectual Scholars that are well equipped with Islamic and Academic expertise to challenge these extremist and bootlicking ideologies. We have failed our children and we have failed to challenge these threats up to now due to our Institutes being inadequately resourced to prepare the students for the challenges of this 21st Century. The reason for this is that the overwhelming majority that teach in our institutes are not Scholars and nor are they qualified and due to English-Speaking Scholars being a rare commodity, many institutes have recruited teachers that are representing the aforementioned extreme ideologies.
Bearing the above in mind, it is our communal and collective obligation as the Ummah of our Saviour and Master Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to facilitate the production of competent and qualified English-speaking scholars that can serve the faith here at home in the UK and also around the globe in all the continents of the world. The idea is to integrate the traditional Islamic Scholarship Programme with Academic subjects that are deemed necessary in the 21st Century.
The facility we are planning will be a model for all communities to follow providing all necessary and recommended services to the young and old alike and promoting community engagement and cohesion. Some of these services will be extended to non-Muslims where permitted and encouraged by the Shariah.
Our women have been deprived of involvement in our Mosques and Institutes for too long and this facility will aim to provide complete access to males and females, fairly and equally, ensuring a safe environment for both while upholding the Shar’i Guidelines. Islam does not discriminate between people due to where they come from or their community, caste or race. Therefore, we aim to be a facility that represents the diversity Islam stands for.
I understand the importance of sending our charity funds abroad to save lives and support our Mosques and Institutes; I do so myself, however, it is more important to consider the need of safeguarding Faith and Imaan at home for ourselves, our youth, our children and the generations to come. Our charity spending must be proportionate. Saving and protecting Imaan is more important. Moreover, our plan is to not only safeguard the Imaan of our people at home in the UK, but rather, for the whole world. This investment is a win-win proposal, we secure the future of our faith and we secure peace in the grave and the afterlife where Allah has promised a minimum of ten folds in returns as reward. Thus, I appeal that we all support this plan financially, physically, and mentally. You are not doing a favour to Allah, rather Allah is doing you a favour by granting you the opportunity to partake in this noble project.
