The Student Islamic Trust

The Islamic understanding of worship allows the whole of one’s life to be an act of worship, as long as the objective of that life is the pleasure of Allah, which is achieved by doing good and refrained from evil. This can be seen from the following:

1.	A person can turn everyday activities into acts of worship by purifying his or her intention and sincerely seeking Allah’s pleasure through these activities. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Greeting a person is charity. Helping a man with his steed is charity. A good word is charity. Every step taken on the way to performing prayers is charity. Removing an obstacle from the road is charity."
2.	Earning a living can be a form of worship if certain conditions are met. The Companions saw a man and were astonished by his hard work and industry. They said: "if he were only doing this much work for the sake of Allah ..." Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "if he is working to support his small children, then it is for the sake of Allah. If he is working to support his elderly parents, then it is for the sake of Allah. If he is working to occupy himself and keep his desires in check, then it is for the sake of Allah. If, on the other hand, he is doing so to show off and earn fame, then he is working for the sake of Satan."
3.	Even the most natural act can become acts of worship if they are accompanied by the proper intention: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said : "when one of you approaches his wife, it is an act of charity." The same can be said for eating and drinking, as long as it is done out of fear of Allah and seeking to obey Him. In order for these actions to be counted as acts of worship deserving of divine reward, the following conditions must be met:

1.	The action must be accompanied by the proper intention. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘Action are but by intentions, and a person gets only what he intended."
2.	The action must be lawful in and of itself. If the action is something prohibited, its perpetrators deserves punishment. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah is good, and He accepts only what is good."
3.	The activity must be performed in the best possible manner. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Allah has prescribed excellence for all things." He also said "Allah loves that if one of you does something he does it well."
4.	The dictates of Islamic law must be completely observed: Deception, oppression and iniquity must be avoided. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "He who deceives us is not one of us. Allah says: "and avoid false speech."
5.	The activity should not keep the person from performing his or her religious obligations. Allah says: "O you who believe, do not let your wealth and children distract you from the remembrance of Allah."

18 Tips for Imams and Community Leaders

Perhaps in the Muslim world, Imams were simply the person who led prayers and on occasion dealt with the social problems of Muslims in his community, if ever. But being an Imam in the West is more than a full-time job.

"The Imam has to be like the Christian priest in that he must be a friend, a teacher, a counselor, a parent," says Waheed Mustapha, a youth advisor with the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) for the past 12 years. "I know that most Imams can't fill many of those roles. However, a good Imam should be able to call on other community members to work along with him."

When it comes to Muslim teens, an Imam must go way beyond occasionally leading them to prayer (when and if they come to the Mosque). The Imam has to be a role model for Muslim youth who inspires confidence and trust.

Here are a collection of suggestions from Imams, activists and Muslims who have grown up in the West for Imams on how they can help young Muslim teenagers, especially, maintain their Deen.

Tip #1: Conduct a survey by youth and for youth to get an accurate picture of the their concerns and needs in your community

Perhaps you have your ideas and opinions about who the youth in your community are and what they need. But that's all you have: ideas and opinions.

To get a more accurate picture, conduct a survey. Get a couple of the youth in the community, headed by a teenager or college student studying social sciences or statistics draft a list of questions about some of the following things:

1. How often they come to the Masjid per month?
2. Why many of their friends don't attend masjids?
3. What are five things they would do to increase youth participation in the mosque and the Muslim community in general?

Have the youth conduct the survey. Give them about a month, at least, to get all of the results in. Then have them compile the results.

Once you have the answers, organize a seminar at the mosque or a community center and have the teenagers involved in conducting the survey announce the results to the community.

Make this into an information and brainstorming session, where data is not just being presented, but it is used to come up with concrete ideas on how to get Muslim teens interested in Islam and the Muslim community again.

Tip #2: Find out how much of the budget is devoted to youth activities and needs

When was the last time the mosque spent money for a youth field trip? How much does it allocate for weekend Islamic school? Talk to the treasurer of the mosque or Islamic association to get this information. You may notice youth interest and participation is directly proportional to the budget allotted for youth activities.

Tip #3: Talk about relevant issues in Khutbas

One young Muslim explained to me his brain is usually somewhere else while the Imam is talking on Fridays because the topic is of little relevance or interest to him. Speaking about relevant issues, especially those in the news will grab their attention.

For example, if a high profile incident of racism takes place, use it as a starting point for a Khutba on race relations in Islam and how Muslims should deal with that.

Other possible topics are the Islamic perspective on peace, sexuality, proper relations between the genders, homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, husband-wife relations, lowering the gaze (especially in summer), avoiding watching Haram shows and programs on television (see www.soundvision.com for more ideas for topics).

Tip #4: Present Islam to them as you would to a non-Muslim

Youth who grow up in the West are often not as convinced as their parents are that Islam is the truth and the best way of life. They need to be convinced the way someone who is not Muslim needs to be convinced. Use this approach in Khutbas, lectures and one-one discussions where youth are present. Islam needs to be "sold" to the youth and this can be done by using the right "marketing tactics".

Tip #5: Learn to speak and public speak well in English

Any Imam who cares about Muslim youth staying Muslim in