Attendance and Participation – Islamic Classes

 

I came on board as the Muslim chaplain of my facility in December.  It was crazy at first, learning the new job, getting settled into the routine of the Chapel, etc.  And then there was Eid-Al-Adha. 

So it took me a minute to get the schedules together for the new classes.  Finally the day came to start.  I was so excited and full of hope!  The new Shahadah class in the morning went real well:  15 sisters signed up.  Alhamdulilah!  The next activity for the day would be Jumuah and Tahleem directly after.

The usual 30-40 sisters came for Jumuah, and then a STRANGE thing happened:  everyone left before the Tahleem started, except for 3 sisters. 

I was like “What?  Where’s everyone going?”   

The sisters all had told me that they were excited to start and participate in all the new classes.  They kept bugging me about the call out (movement line for activities) not being up (everything moves slowly in prison and takes time).  So the call out finally went out, and then when the time came for the class, practically everyone took off.

Now:  remember what I said about my agenda not necessarily being their agenda

My agenda was to present the material in an orderly fashion, week after week, one class building on the other.  But the sisters had other ideas.

A similar thing happened during the month of Ramadhan.  About 75 sisters signed up for the nightly iftaar.  The Chapel was filled, Alhamdulillah, for the Eid prayer.  Then after Eid, Jumuah dropped down to 30-40 participants. 

Not unlike the Muslim community in the “free world” eh?!

Why do some women in prison say that they want programs, but not participate on a consistent basis?

Why are they so excited initially, and where does the motivation go?

Why do they participate for awhile and then fall back?

Novelist Wally Lamb, who runs writing workshops for inmates at the Janet S. York Correctional Institution for women, wrote in the February 2008 (p. 164) issue of O (The Oprah Magazine):

“With pen in hand, an inmate may, for example, begin to explore the connection between the incest she endured as a young girl and her subsequent drug addiction.  She may discover a link between her embezzlement conviction and her lifelong inability to please an emotionally distant mother.  Along with that growing clarity, she will confront anger, shame, grief, and the need to stop making excuses and take responsibility.  Doing so will lessen her heartache and promote her recovery if she stays with it, but she may surrender to the pain before she gets to experience the gain.  She may become too busy, too tired, too headachy, too blue to come to class.  Before long, her seat will go to the next woman on the waiting list.  Addicts are particularly vulnerable to cold feet when truth telling begins to overpower manipulation and self-deception.” 

Could this be what is going on with the sisters?  Are they surrendering to the pain before experiencing the gain?

Could the shame (pain) be keeping them back from truly turning to Allah (swt) for comfort and forgiveness (gain)?

Do they know how much Allah (swt) loves them and wants to forgive them?  He (swt) tells us: 

Hadith – Qudsi 34

“O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it.”

The Shaikh, The ‘Allaamah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ad-Dehlawee al-Madanee (May Allah (swt) Mercy be upon him), wrote in his book, A History of the Ahlul-Hadeeth:  A Study of the Saved Sect and that it is the People of Hadeeth (Salafi Publications) wrote:

“he (saw) migrated from Makkah to al-Madennah, the Companions (ra) used to gather around him (saw), some of them used to come to him at certain times and others could not.  This was because of the lack of time due to having to earn their livelihoods, their having a small amount of provision, travelling for battles, some of them were doing business in the market and some of them were involved in farming.  They used to sit with him for part of the day and some of them would attend at night. 

And there was also a group from them who would attend whenever they could find some spare time from seeking their sustenance and other things.  Others would be on journeys and from amongst them would be a group who were involved in battles… 

The Companions (ra) used to be of different grades in gaining knowledge from the Prophet (saw), some more than others …”

Alhamdulillah!  Who am I to complain about attendance and participation?  When the Prophet (saw) himself did not have a full audience at all times! 

Ya Sabur!  Grant me the patience to understand the spiritual jihad of my sisters.  Let me share with them as they seek me out.  In Your time, not mine!  Make our classes a place where they may realize Your love and mercy/Ameen! 

Jazaka Allahu Khayr Chaplain Abdur-Rahman for reminding me of:

My Lord, expand for me my breast, and ease for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue’ (Surah Taha 20:25-27) 

 

Amir-ah

“… since you’re our Amirah now,” an inmate said to me.

I cannot tell you what a humbling and frightening thing it is for someone to regard ME as their Amirah. 

According to Wikipedia, the word “amir” or “emir” has numerous meanings.  The original meaning was used to mean ”commander” or ”leader”.  It is also used as a title for religious leaders, without political power.  ”The word Emir is also used less formally for leaders in certain contexts, for example the leader of a group of pilgrims to Mecca is called an emir hadji…” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amir.  

Amirah is also a female Arabic name, meaning princess or leader http://www.ummah.net/family/fem.html

As a female Muslim chaplain, I am the amirah of our Muslim community.  It is an awesome responsibility.  Some of what I do:

- New Shahadah class

- Lead Salat

- Teach standardized class about Islam developed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons imams.

- Tahleem/halaqa

- Visit Muslimahs who have restricted movement, i.e., are not in general population and therefore, cannot come to the prison chapel, i.e., those in the prison infirmary, prison mental health unit, disciplinary housing unit (“the hole”), special management unit, capital cases unit (“death row” yes, we have had Muslimahs on death row).

- Individual counseling

- Correct beliefs and practices, implementing the Noble Qur’an and the Prophet’s (saw) authentic Sunnah in accordance with the understanding and practice of the righteous salaf.

- Obtain Qur’ans, literature, etc.

- Advocate for Muslims and Islamic programs with prison administration, provide input into development of policy

- Coordinate religious activities, Ramadhan, Iftaar, Eid, etc.

- Develop positive relationships and act as resource for inmates with Islamic communities on the “outside”

That is my basic responsibility for the Muslim population.  Some of what I would like to do in the future, Insha Allah:

- Expand Muslim volunteer list

- Recruit a special volunteer to teach basic Arabic

- Develop a Pen Pal program for incarcerated Muslimahs to reach out and write to Muslimahs in the community, get support and encouragement, and have additional resource to the deen. 

- Invite inspirational speakers

However, I am more than an amirah. 

I am a Muslim chaplain.  What is a Muslim chaplain?  Insha Allah I will write about it in my next post.