LOSING CULTURE/DEEN WHEN YOU GO AWAY FOR UNIVERSITY

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

Just a question for some of the nomads in here, who might have gone away for school or known others that have done so.

Have you found that going away for school 'STEALS YOUR CULTURE AND DEAN' away from you???

Speaking from my personal contacts with people, I would say YES-FOR THE MAJORITY.

If you deny it, then I would think that it is being naive!

Allahu Akbar, the other day I was talking to this brother who had only been here 2-3yrs. He has come from the U.A.E. to do his post secondary education at a University down here.

I called him the other day b/c my dad had asked me to contact him (Family Favour!). I called the brother and he could not speak any Somali or understand it (maybe a few words at the most!) When he came here, it wasn't like that.

He sounded more Canadian then most of the people that I have met. Pure CBC type Canadian linguistics.

I was shocked!!!

I will see him inshallah sometime soon and I hope that my visit has a positive effect on him, inshallah.

 

On a personal example, when I went away for school, I definitely got caught up in the 'mix up' and really and truelly was changing. It was only the fact that I still kept my daily salwat at all times, that inshallah I think preserved me. Alhamdulillah, I maintained that SALAT link.

I know for many other brothers/sisters, they did not pray or even FAST in Ramadan. Some of them, drank too!

 

With all this in mind, I have a younger brother that is about to go away to school in Septemeber and I can't help to feel worried for him. For his SOUL!!! If he thought that HIGH SCHOOL was bad, wait untill he sees UNIVERSITY.

The thing is, I told him that he needs to learn to read QURAN before he goes away for school. Because the first thing that he will lose when he goes there, is his Salat b/c of the hectic schedule and socializing. Reading Quran helps to preserve that link to Allah . This is very IMPORTANT! Just look at any nomads personal life, the less quran you read, the more scattered your thoughts become and the less Rememberance of Allah you do.

 

University is really and truelly a place where most either SINK or SWIM. No middle ground on it.

 

PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AS I AM VERY INTERESTED IN THEM

 

FI AMANALLAH

[rudy-Diiriye]

sorry to say this bro, but i dont agree with your

comment! i understand religion is your way of life and that is good! however, i believe majority of malise have faith and even if they lack hard motivations to worshipp daily, are still good muslim ppl. wild partying and drinking is not my recommendation but a balance life is. and university life should give one more enlighting experience that makes his faith and knowledge at higher level. i find most of those who fail in universities become hard core religious zealots!

[Coloow]

Brother Kheyr. A good topic. I want to come back to this issue later on in the week because I have to rush. But I would agree with you. From my experience, the more I study the more sceptical I become of the words of Allah ( have to admit it). I think university education, in particular post graduate courses and onwards give you the ability to question things including religious arguments. I have found myself repenting every hour due to my thoughts.

 

 

Insha allah waan ku soo noqonayaa mowduucaan.

[Ladiif]

Have you found that going away for school 'STEALS YOUR CULTURE AND DEAN' away from you???

 

I think it all depends on how the individuals were before going to school. However, If you were't practising your deen before, losing your culture and deen is almost certain, given the environment your are been exposed. The temptetations and the pressure are enormous. You meet ppl and hang-out with them and things, and before you know, you are not the same guy no more and everything is ok with you. no big deal!! Its very easy to get astray if you have no religion background and hang-out with the wrong crowd!! I have seen all sort somalis at my school, some totally lost but have no clue, some confused, dont know where they belong and some holding onto their deen/culture. Ilaahayow na hanuuni.Amiiiin.

[Iffah]

Good topic indeed.

 

Personally, I found that starting College has strenghtened my faith. I've meet some really great sisters, who were deen oriented and they have had good influence on me. Though, we didn't have a large MSA,we become a close group and we supported each other. Plus the profession I've chosen has really opened my eyes...I saw many people, who were in great deal of pain and suffering and that has showed me to be really grateful for what I have, and I drew closer to Allah.

 

If he thought that HIGH SCHOOL was bad, wait untill he sees UNIVERSITY.

IMO, High school is worse! Then, it was all about the dances, crushes, and who's got the best bla bla. I'd like to think we have matured and realized what's really important by the time we start Post secondary education.

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

The temptetations and the pressure are enormous. You meet ppl and hang-out with them and things, and before you know, you are not the same guy no more and everything is ok with you. no big deal!!

SO TRUE!!!

How you live your daily life shapes your life and if you compromise something today that you think is small, then tomorrow you will be willing to compromise something BIGGER and you will have convinced yourself that its OK!

 

Entrepreneur,

I think university education, in particular post graduate courses and onwards give you the ability to question things including religious arguments. I have found myself repenting every hour due to my thoughts.

I think that what University teaches you is not to RESPECT anything and to Question Everything that is not PARALLEL WITH MODERNITY!

And the danger is that you think that their RATIONALE ARGUMENTS are TRUE and more convincing than all the REVELATIONS put together.

 

"...IF THEY SAW EVERYONE OF THE SIGNS, THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE THEM" SURA AL-ANAM, V. 25

 

Ilhaam,

To say that high school was worse than University is coming from your own personal experience. You attend a smaller post-secondary institution and still live with your family, so really and truly, you haven't experiences what others have.

The hectic mundane student life saps away at your IMAN. I found myself that I had to pray at whatever corner I could find at school just to preserve my deen. However, these prayers became rushed and so reflected my state. I hardly ready any Quran during my 4yrs. My first day that I started, I put up the Shahadah on my wall. I had a nonmuslim roommates and wanted to set things straight. Well, guess what, by the end of the first semseter, I took it down. Subhanallah!

I always carried a Quran with me cause I found that it was essential in the home, for Barakah.

 

Why don't you gather around other muslims?

The muslims in University, most of them are Jahils. As the yrs went by for me, the muslim student population increased and it helped me because now I was surrounded with more muslims and had to 'WATCH OUT'.

[Haashim]

Bro. khayr, they said when u graduate you shouldn't act like "dadka baararka" "pub people" who everyone think that his/her argument is right and the rest are wrong, but this doexn't contradict our religion as many may think it's exactly what our religion orders us when we're debating with others, many muslims think that as much as we educate in the west as much as we compormise our religion,I think this is wrong idea, pasrticullarly if you had some religious background education before you start your high education.

 

we have to debate with others (weather they're other Muslims or non-muslims) very respectfull way, and we have to not show them (even though we believe) that they're wrong and we're right. in the QURAN there are many AYA'S encouraging us to debate with others a wisdom and good manner, and not to insult their gods and in some cases to insult ourselves instead insulting them, as ALLAH SWT say this AYAH: Say (O Muhammad SAW to polythesists, pagans) "you will not be asked about our sins, nor shall we be asked of what you do" (25:34) Saba' Aya 25.

 

this Ayah learns us to be very humble by saying "our sins" and to respect others by saying "what you do",.

 

but unfortunately we don't apply to this between ourselves let alone between us and non muslims.

[rudy-Diiriye]

so true Muraad! sometime i feel these conservative moslems are worst than kafiirs!

[Muhammad]

interesting topic

 

I believe Shaytan uses every avenue to steal your deen and soul. The enemy of mankind (Satan) has said: "He (Satan) said: 'Since You have willed that I go astray, I will stand against them on Your straight path. "I will come to them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left, and You will find that most of them are unappreciative." (Quran 7:16-17)

 

The prophet(pbuh) also said that, like the wolf preys on the sheeps that grase on the corners, satan also preys on the believers that are alone and not with other muslims. It is easier to loose to satan when you are alone than when you are not.

 

But it all depends on the person and his or her Iman(faith). It depends on the choices one make - the friends you choose - the crowds you hang with ect..

 

Allah(swt) Knows Best!

[Modesty]

Asalaamu Alaykum,

 

I think whether your're in High School, college, working, or where ever you are, this is the year 2003 AND temptations are every where. I think sometimes attending a western university helps you more to look at your religion and become stronger in it then living in a muslim country were the majority of people are all muslims, and lets not forget that drinking, partying and getting high on branches has been around since the youth of our grand parents. The reason we go to a university in the first place is to better our lives, and drinking I don't think helps with exams because you're destroying working cells.

 

Khayr, you said the brother from U.A.E has only been here and lost his somali. Well, I'm sure he didn't do it intentionally.I assume he grew up in U.A.E around arabic most of the time,and when he came here maybe he wasn't around somali speaking people and thus his only choice was to communicate in English, its all natural.

 

Also, I agree with Ilhaam that High School was worse when it came to practicing Islam. The fashion(hee hee hee) funny! I don't think I'll ever see a girl wearing a kamar with a tee shirt that says 'TOO HOT TO HANDLE', but we wore everything...I think I learned what Islam was when I came to college.

[Reality Check]

Khayr,

 

First of all, you don't even know this brother that you are speaking of. So what if he speaks english without an accent? How do you know of his circumstances and how he grew up? How do you know that just because he doesnt know how to speak Somali makes him any less somali and muslim.

 

Fact is, you DON'T know! I think you are over-generalising just a tad bit...Do you actually believe that living with your parents will stop people from doing what they please...even if its wrong? I think not..they might keep it under covers but they behave just as bad or GOOD as anyone else. Thing is, people make mistakes ..and their deen is b/w them and ALLAH (S.A.W)..therefore, we shouldn't make judgements on other people's deen because THEY CAN'T SPEAK SOMALI

 

Going away for school made me stronger, brighter and more independent..and I also believe it strengthened my deen! and I recommend more Somalis do that ...

 

 

That's my 25 cents for the day!

[AYOUB]

University can be a place where young people discover how they are expected to live their lives. Usually it is young people who have not only strong beliefs but also basic knowledge of pillars of Islam, Iman and Ixsaan. Anyone who does not know what the Qur'an says about creation will not be able to spot the lies and faults in Biology or 'Science' classes . How can one study Big Bang and evolution theories if they don't what they believe in in the first place? Why study social sciences when don't have the knowledge to compare it with what Islam says about society?

 

Surat Yusuf verse 22;

'when he attained his maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge: thus do we reward those who do good.'

 

Knowledge and wisdom are clearly two different things. If you want both you got to make Duca.

 

RABBI ZIDNA CILMAN WA RUZUQNA FAHMAA. AMIIN.

[Conscious Manipulation]

asalaamu alaykum,

 

Bro Khyr, One way to help your brother keep his Islam in university is to encourage him to join the MSA and just surround himself with good Muslims. Also, tell him to inquire about Muslim housing or atleast find a Muslim roomate. If you have people there encouraging you shaytaan is less likely to attack.

 

For the brother who said he finds himslef questioning Islam as he studies, I think this can be a healthy response. You should realize that Islam does not require blind faith. Whatever element of Islam you find yourself questioning, you'll find the answer if you take the time to research. What is dangerous is to ignore and let these thoughts linger in your mind. Shyatan will use this against you in anyway he can. We should not be affraid to seek and gain knowledge, although we should constantly make duca to Allah that our knowledge benefits us in strengthening our deen and not be used as another tool for shaytan to mislead us.

 

As a science major, in my first year I was required to take an evolution course, taught by a very atheist prof. I remember the prof would point out "mistakes" that he saw with the human body and would say things like "If this so called 'creator' is so perfect why does he keep messing up?" Right after that he would go on talk about molecular structure of a cell and the intericate details and how millions of processes occure within milliseconds, and how it was virtually impossible for human beings to comprehend fully what goes on in each cell. I would think to myself, subhanaAllah and he sees this and yet mocks Allah? That semster was when I fully understood what Allah meant when He said the disbelievers are deaf, dumb and blind... subhanAllah!

 

On a side note, if anyone is interested in reading more about the evolution theory from an Islamic prespective visit www.harunyahya.com

 

salaam!

[Xalimo7]

I have read the few threads recently about god...and the various other threads about god since I started in this forum,every time there is

a mention of god, or a mere dis-believe in it(for I know not who god is, man or woman, it doesn't matter), it will inevitably end up with pages of arguments, believers vs non-believers.here i am

working my buts off to make ends meet, and some sheikh in some musjid is living off the donations of the very people, like me, who donated to the mosque.some of these sheikhs drive BMWs . I know of a few.If the faith of the muslim God or for that matter God of all is so strong,why did God allow Wars to happen? iknow some of u think that i am upto no good , but this is happens with all that power in God, God could not even convice the Population that war is No GOOD?.!!!!!!!

 

see you,am around dude

[Xafsa]

Acuudi bilaahi....