The faces of true Islam

We Muslims are doubly traumatized because we aren’t just subjected to a lot of horrific tales, we are also led to assume that they are committed by us or our brothers in faith. Thank God we know better and we will continue to pray to Him to expose all those responsible for the horror and […]

We Muslims are doubly traumatized because we aren’t just subjected to a lot of horrific tales, we are also led to assume that they are committed by us or our brothers in faith. Thank God we know better and we will continue to pray to Him to expose all those responsible for the horror and bloodshed that is being attributed to Islam.
But even in the midst of our pain and despair occasioned by this heavy dose of bad publicity, Almighty Allah works miracles in the lives of others, whose faith and practices are great testimonies to the truth of Islam. From the United States, Dr Zakari Tata, my big brother and a great friend of this paper, sent me these beautiful and inspiring stories of two committed servants of Allah. They are busy working to show the very best of Islam in a country here negative profiling of Muslms is the order of the day. Please read on and Ramadan Mubarak! 

Imam Nadir’s Ikhlas academy
Assalam alaikum.
I would like to share this story with you. This is not a spam or internet gimmick and you can call me to confirm it if you wish.
It is the story of faith. Imam Nadir opened this private school for children in Detroit. He refuses government funds so that the children can practice Islam. The teachers are paid only 9 dollars an hour. This is minimum wage in America. You can do better as a waiter. The teachers and principals are a testament to true Islam.
The students come from poor homes and many cannot afford to pay tuition. Brother Nadir takes them for free. He will not turn his back on any Muslim child. Brother Nadir is the plumber, the computer technician and the janitor. The school is really poor and strapped of cash.
What is truly the miracle of Islam is that these students with poorly paid teachers are excellent. They go to Universities and many win awards. Despite not having the fancy technological aids seen in many American schools these students excel.
Any of you who visits this school will gladly place your children here. You walk into the school and there is the beautiful sight of Muslim children from Yemen, Bangladesh Africa and Black America working together in harmony and love. Everyone is friendly and all the kids rush out to exchange pleasantries with guests.
The humility and bounties of faith are very striking in this school. I cannot understand how a teacher who could be earning 50.00 dollars an hour will give up his worldly gains for this. It is a profound experience. Many of these teachers may have side jobs, like driving taxis to supplement their income.
Brother Nadir is tireless and spends 7 days a week running all over the state of Michigan looking for funds from brother Muslims. It costs him 200 dollars a day to feed the students. This he does even with his own meagre funds. I have been to his house. If I ever saw Islam in motion, I saw it in Brother Nadir.
The students recently went for a state wide competition and competed against 40 Muslim schools and organizations in Michigan and won the first five places. This feat, by poor students who are really in a 3rd World school in America beating students from sophisticated schools is no mean achievement. How is this for a proof of faith?
Brother Nadir is ill. I saw him the other day in the school. Someone had donated about 30 laptops (old) to the school. They don’t really have a computer lab. He cannot afford a technician. Not to betray his privacy but his illness affects the skin of his hands. He however told me that he is going to load software on all 30 computers for the children.
This private school is private not for exclusiveness but to maintain an Islamic culture. You sit in the office of the owner Brother Nadir, who is African American and every 5 to 10 minutes students work in to shake him and wish him well, not because he is ill but because they are saying “Thank you for giving us this school”.
The students told me, especially those who had been to other schools that they love their school and they love Islam and would not change the environment for anything. They told me how, if a student had a difficulty with a subject, the students would form a study group to bring that student up to par. The students are very aware and grateful to the teachers who they know are making a sacrifice by being with them, so help the weaker students to assist their teachers.
I am appealing to whoever reads this mail and can afford to, to kindly send a donation to this school. Brother Nadir did not ask me to write this on his behalf, because he staunchly believes that Almighty Allah will provide. I almost came to tears when I saw the meagre food these students get for lunch. After all they could easily go to public schools and get 2 hot meals. 
The school cleaning , cooking and other maintenance is done by volunteers. The teaching is done by Angels. I am fortunate in my lifetime to come to my senses by seeing this school. These students will tell you when they open the door that they love Islam and they love this school and that they love the Brother Nadir. Brother Nadir cannot possibly have any money. His whole life has been spent in the way of these kids.
My small and easy contribution is to write and to invite. I plan to continue to  assist them in whatever way I can. If anyone wants to call me to confirm this story, please do so. You send your donation through pay pal or other means that you decide best. Nothing is too small. One of the kids paid 7 cents while I was there. It was beautiful to see the children contributing to their own education in a safe Islamic setting.
We are working Insha Allah on a video on the school where you will see the brilliant students and their great Islamic Wisdom and the angelic teachers and volunteers. Please understand that these teachers do not get enough money to go into their pension or disability. The job does not give health insurance. The extreme sacrifice of these teachers is second to none.
Dr. Zakari Tata, MD

‘The Indian janitor’
This is a simple story that can only be told in simple words. The meaning is priceless.
I have been going to this mosque in Michigan for years. There is this Indian man who looks almost African. He is always in the mosque dressed in janitorial clothes. He is always outside directing traffic on Fridays, sweeping up dirt and cleaning the toilet. He is the face of the mosque. He is always dirty and always smiles and speaks little. He is always busy. His face beautiful.
I saw him in the mosque today in a suit. I have never spoken with him before. I said, “Brother today you look different. You are always in work clothes, doing dirty work. I am glad to be able to speak to you today because you were always busy.”
The man started crying. He wept for almost 10 minutes. Then he said “These are Allah’s words. This is Ramadan and you bring me great tidings. Through your words you have defined me as the garbage man. I am honored by your compliments” I myself was moved to tears. So I said “I am not any messenger. I am just telling you that your hands are always dirty and you are always cleaning the mosque.”
As we spoke. I found out that he has a Phd in Physical Therapy and an MBA. He owns his own medical home care company. I was stunned into disbelief and by my lack of faith. Even though I admired his labor, I always assumed he was a paid laborer for the mosque. Instead he is an accomplished but humble man who is a servant of Allah.
I admire the simple things in life and I thank Allah for not making me go home to sleep at 6 pm today because we break the fast at 9 pm. I was almost home when I turned back and went to the mosque instead. Faith is not easy but if we open our hearts we can see messages in the simplest of acts. My selfish act of going to sleep after a secular day was redirected by Allah as a blessing or a warning.  I guess it is easy for me to write and cry while real Muslims are serving Allah. I hope that one day I will be like this great man.
Dr. Zakari Tata is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Michigan USA.