Stay in your lane

An interview by Dr. Akbar Ahmed

by Fateen Seifullah

Masjid As Sabur is in a unique situation, it is located in the inner-city.  We are blessed to be able to interact with so many different kinds of people from various walks of life.  There are the homeless, gang members, drug users, sincere neighbors and preachers.  If you stop to talk with them and listen they may provide you with some jewels of wisdom.  Take for example our next door neighbor Bishop R.E. Lee of Rohoboth Holliness Cathedral.  Bishop Lee and I have built a strong relationship, in fact a large part of the parking lot in front of the Masjid belongs to Bishop Lee and his Church.  We were fortunate to meet a God fearing Christian man who is friendly and kind to the Muslims.  When he walks up to me, the first thing he does is give the salam.  Bishop Lee has a slogan, a phrase that he is known by and that is "stay in your lane" . A catchy phrase right, but what does it really mean.  I've given a lot of thought to this statement over the years since the first time that I heard Bishop Lee say: Stay in your Lane.   In track and field when competing in any of the races, one of the ways to be disqualified is to cross into your opponents lane.  Staying in your lane is essential to staying in the race.  In swimming if you cross lanes you will be disqualified.  In professional drag races, crossing into another lane can be fatal.  The bishop was telling me to run my race and to stay in my lane. He was telling me not to worry about what other groups and organizations are doing.  Just Stay in My Lane!  What would our communities, Masjid /Organization be like if we just stayed in our lane.  There would be less bickering and infighting.  We would be able to support the specialty projects that are established by each community without duplicating those efforts, and without someone feeling threatened.  If we concentrated on particular projects, our communities would be more effective and productive.  I do not mean to suggest that we all can't have a food bank or a clinic or a political action group.  However, if there is an area that a Masjid or center is known for and has been successful at, first let us try to see how the whole body could work to improve that program.  Secondly, determine if that particular project is needed in your neighborhood, lastly - stay in your lane.  Support a good cause without competing against it. 

What was the Bishop saying?  Stay in your lane!  Run your race, don't worry about what others are doing, find your niche and stick with it.  If only the Muslims would adopt this philosophy.  We would not compete with one another, the educators will educate, the physician will treat physical ailments, the spiritual men and women will tend to the soul, the social worker will address social issues.  Our communities would be so much better.  They would be stronger, refined and better organized to deal with  the growing problems facing the Muslims and non-Muslims.  If we could just use our God given talents and not waste them.  If we could just concentrate on strengthening the existing projects and programs and recognize the value of each of them.  Just Stay in your Lane!

Fateen Seifullah is the Imam of Masjid as-Sabur, he can be reached at VegasMasjid@aol.com

Comments

[Muslimah]

Well said Imam, well said.

[Keep it postive, Keep it real, Peace and Love]

I agree that we must find our niche and build on it. Competing against each other to see who can do it the best is negative and counterproductive. However, could we call ourselves one ummah if we stay in our lane? How can we say that we are working together to propogate islam if we don't know what the other masjids in our community are doing? Maybe Brother so and so has an idea to bring to the table. Maybe Sister so and so has a talent we don't no about because the problem with this city is we are to separated and segregated.

[Fateen Seifullah]

As salam alaykum

That's what blogging is all about, discussing issues.

Intially as I begin writing this blog I thought that it could be percieved as divisive. That is not my intent. My intent is to encourage the muslims to not allow ourselves to be sidetracked trying to keep up with others in civic,social, or political work. Stay in your lane means to spearhead those projects that you have talent in. Support all muslim projects and causes but strengthed what you do and don't become so preoccupied with what others are doing that you become paralized to your special mission.

And Allah says: To each is a goal in which Allah turns him; then strive as in a race for all that is good. Wheresoever you are Allah will bring you together. For God has power over all things.

And our prophet (saaws) teaches us that there are several doors that one may enter into paradise.

To find your niche and work from that perspective should never be divisive. What is divisive is to see someone working in a particular area and experiencing a little sucess only to have that sucess undermined by someone who takes talents and resources away, only to compete. When we do this, it prevents us from ever realizing our full potential. Because key element may be taken away to support a friend, a family, or a tribe. We all could pick an area to work in while supporting one another and still would not meet all of the demands of society but Muslim and non Muslim. I agree with you if we were to isolate ourselves that would be wrong. But in truth this city is not as bad as others. In the area of services and program we may duplicate efforts sometime but there is interacting from a leadership perspective and it is improving everyday. Sure, there are huge egos and personality clashes from time to time but there is also mutual support for muslim project - from An Nur construction, to groundkeeping of Masjid Ibrahim,The Cemetary Project, to the school, minaret, etc.

If somehow my point has not been made as the good rev. Jesse Jakson once said: Charge it to my mind and not my heart.

May Allah reward you and forgive me.

YOUR BROTHER

Fateen