INT’L SYMPOSIUM (part XII) Language barrier and lack of expertise are another two major challenges as to why Muslim scholars in the Philippines are hesitant to engage in interfaith dialogue. Most of our ulama if not all are educated in Arabic language only but not so in English. Many of them, in fact, graduated from prestigious universities in Egypt, Libya, Syria, and other parts of Arabian Peninsula. As a result, when they go home they just limit and focus their preaching in their own locality and community. When I was in Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA, taking my MA in Coexistence and Conflict Resolution, I heard one ‘alim’ saying in his lecture and I quote: “One of the biggest problems among ulama today is that, they confined and constrict Islam among themselves only, but they tend to forget what Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, ‘We sent thee not (Oh Muhammad), but as a mercy to all creatures.” (al-Anbiya’ 21: 107) His words really changed my perspective and paved way to my paradigm shift. Without prejudice to our respected ulama who are learned in Arabic only, we are extremely in need today of ‘back-to-back’ or ‘all-around’ ulama who can articulate Islam not just in local dialects but also in English and other languages. An ulama who can contribute in their own little way to the progress and development of the community: socially, economically, politically, morally above all spiritually. We want to hear someday that during Friday prayer, the one who delivers a khutba (Friday sermon) is the governor, or mayor, or barangay captain if the topic is about leadership. If the subject matter is about education, the one who will do it is DepEd Secretray, or Schools Division Superintendent, or Supervisor, or Principal. And it it’s about business, the one who deliver it is an alim businessman. Building on this, we in the Bureau of Madaris Education, Department of Education, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BME, DepEd – ARMM) formulated the following idea as BME Mission statement: “Produce a new generation with a new mindset, who are equipped with Islamic and secular/western education where Islamic values and Fear of Allah (Taqw Allah) are entrenched, deep-rooted, inculcated and instilled in their hearts and their minds from the very beginning not only in theory but more so in practice, who will become du’at (propagators of Islam) and leaders in their own field of specializations.” To be continued…
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 03:20:33 +0000
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