My Dear and Respected Brothers and Sisters,
Assalaamu ‘Alaykum.
Alhamdu lillaah, Almighty Allah granted me the first time visit to the United States of America (although I was born on the 4th of July!) between May 28 to 30, 2011.
Many thanks and Good prayers to the Helping Hand U.S.A. for inviting me to the ICNA convention 2011 and showing me great hospitalities. May Allah reward every one of them and all those who treated me kindly even with a single smile.
Alhamdu lillaah, as the advertising phrase of the convention, indeed it was a memorial weekend and I learned a lot from many people and many things I saw.
Although the trip between Tokyo to Hartford, CT was tiring and tough with long flight as around 12 hours, the experience I got tells me that was worth going for it.
I just pray that my attendance could somehow contribute positively to the convention and didn’t really disappoint the people of Helping Hand for inviting me.
Subhaana-llaah, holding a convention in a respected huge convention center with the arrangement of respected hotel (Marriot) for more than 15,000 people to gather, one would easily imagine that Islamic Circle of North America must have been the organization of more than half century experience or something, however, I was so surprised to know that they have only started from 40 years before!
Upon knowing this fact with praising Allah, I couldn’t help myself but to question myself, “What about Muslims in Japan? We have Japan Muslim Association since 1952 and Islamic Center Japan since 1968 though!”
What made such huge and wide difference?
My respected beloved brother, Mr.Naeem Baig, Vice president of ICNA, answered me when I asked him how could you manage such huge organization within 40 years? He simply answered, “Well, that is Barakah of Allah”…Yes, yes, no Muslim would deny that, but there must be some “Asbaab (Factors)” to be blessed with Allah’s Barakah.
I thought it was their determination of making the English language as their official language for their all activities in 1977! But Mr.Naeem added next morning at the time of breakfast as it was also the mindset that caused Muslims who were involved with the activities to set their minds to live in U.S. till they die and that’s what made them able to see and set goals accordingly.
Subhaana-llaah! Yes, the language and the mindset, that’s what we are lacking here in Japan!!
As long as the majority of Urdu speaking Muslims in Japan are scared of losing their Urdu cultural background and don’t decide the official language for all the activities as Japanese without proper mindset that they would stay in Japan and establish Muslim communities, Da’wah activities in Japan would stay limited and their 2nd generation would be lost with half mastering Japanese, besides looting Islam in Japan would be a dream for another centuries!
My schedule for the first day (May 28) was to join the dinner with executive members of Helping Hand with other guests from 21:00, so after arriving at Hotel, I couldn’t have enough time to sleep but took some rest in the room like praying ‘Asr, then went to the convention hall not to waste a minute of my short visit.
Stepping into the big convention center made me feel as if I was in a different place, a unique place, not exactly Arab or Muslim place nor exactly Western one. Oh yes, that is perhaps the Muslim American taste.
Fining the booth of WhyIslam, Helping Hand, Bridge TV, food shops, being amazed with them, entering into the inside big hall made more surprised. Allahu Akbar!
Many activity introducing booths like Helping Hand, ICNA Relief, Al-Maghrib Institute, and some book shops, Halal vitamin booth, Honey and organic material booth, Dates shop, Arabic calligraphy decoration shop, children’s teaching materials shop, many lady clothes shops, etc, then at the end one whole lane as children’s playing place and big enough canteen.
Well, there are too many things to note about.
Biiznillaah, next time!