A death in the Dar al Hijrah DMV Muslim community. If youve attended Dar al Hijrah you have seen Brother Faraj. Long grey beard, always riding his bicycle, sleeping in the masjid, reading the New York Times and Washington Post and often engaging in deep conversations. A brilliant man nobody knew how he ended up homeless although the story is he was once a college professor with a wife and children and experienced a mental-breakdown. Like many outsiders in the Muslim community he was often accused of being a spy. There was also speculation as to his ethnicity. The reality is Faraj was never a spy, just an eccentric. Nor was he Jewish. His family came from Iran with roots in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. While not at Dar al Hijrah Faraj spent his days reading at local college libraries. When it was cold he would stay at a McDonalds until it closed and then sit in a supermarket until fajr at the masjid where he would then sleep. When it was nice he would either sleep behind the masjid or in the woods of a local park. I spent many nights discussing a wide array of topics with Faraj. His mind was sharp and he would tell me you know a lot but there is more you dont know. Why he lived his life the way he did Im not sure. Although he once told me paying rent and utilities is haram because Allah owns the Earth and its resources. I do know whether it be from paranoid Ikhwaanis or Dar al Hijrah regulars his presence will be missed and his passing marks the end of an era at Dar al Hijrah.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 06:44:19 +0000
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