On the Importance of Connection from Inception
This morning we talked to our Sanad Prep students about the importance of making a personal and emotional connection to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, from their earliest years. We may wonder at times, how can this honestly be accomplished? We live so far from the times of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Our circumstances are different, aren’t they?
One of the easiest ways we recommend to our students, and in particular our male students, is to identify with the male figure in their life who is of the same age of the Prophet, peace be upon him during the period which they are studying. For example, our most recent lesson was with regards to revelation in the cave of Hira — an extraordinarily, momentous event, but one that was also quite traumatic, worrisome, and profound for the Prophet, peace be upon him, on a deeply spiritual, emotional, and psychological level. For many of our students their fathers happen to be close, if not the same age as the Prophet, peace be upon him, was during that eventful day. Many of students too are close in age to the children of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, during those days.
So how would it feel? How would it feel to see their fathers, and uncle, or a teacher that they care about and identify with in their life come home in crisis? How would it feel to see their mother comforting their father on the sofa after he’s expressed his fears? What faces would their siblings have? What would they say? What would we do in that feeling of helplessness?
It’s critically important on so many levels that we teach Prophetic history with empathy. For obvious reasons, teaching the life, example, and character of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in our institutions of education is fundamental. However, we do a great disservice to the cognitive and spiritual development of our students when we don’t enable or facilitate for them the opportunity to connect — heart to heart — to a Prophet who was sent for all of humanity, not just them. Our educational institutes no longer seem to have the time, the caring touch, or frankly basic human concern in some cases to realize that this is one of the most important lessons a Muslim student of knowledge can take away from their academic experience during their school age years — period
Being able to identify cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually with the Prophet Muhammad, an embodiment of their humanity, can positively affect their academic success, their professional careers, and their personal life. Knowing the expectations of their humanity and how to properly navigate crises and challenges can only come when we’re able to learn the best human response from the one who is described as having the Best of Character. One whose family adored him from beginning to end. And one whose enemies found it hard to find a disparaging thing to say about him.
Many of the challenges faced by our communities today, in particular, the low expectations and performance of Muslim men in our communities can be attributed, in my opinion, to the lack of effort made during the formative years to establish the empathetic connection to not only the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, but by extension to their purpose and function in relation to all of humanity. When we only teach them to identify with themselves and their own pursuits, then we fail to help them understand the most basic character quality in the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
We must have the capacity to think beyond ourselves, as did the Prophet peace be upon him. We must have the capacity to be in the service and betterment of humanity. Ultimately, we must be able to manage our lives, as did the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, well enough to make a material difference of good during our brief time. This is helped with the support of having a connection to an example greater than ourselves. One that can inspire and teach us that — we have the potential to change the world for the better.
May the peace and blessings of God be upon the Prophet Muhammad and all previous Prophets, peace be upon them all, on all of their heirs, and may our children and students be amongst them. Ameen.
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