Imam Elahi: Thank you God "for the gift of intellect ..."

On a sunny Friday afternoon in September, the parking lot at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights is packed for the weekly prayer service. It is the first Friday prayer of Ramadan 2008. Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, a slender man with a trim beard and steady, dark eyes, works his way through a crowd of men, greeting them with “salaam aleikum” (“peace be upon you”).
On this particular Friday, Imam Elahi’s sermon helps his congregation connect more deeply with their faith and share it with the world outside the mosque. Elahi stresses Islamic values. He encourages the congregation to reach out to non-Muslims through charitable works and interfaith events. His sermon is clear. How he honed this weekly message is another story—as told to Raad Alawan.

    One night, I was organizing my lecture. Although, I had done the research for the lecture, still I needed time to put it together from A to Z. At the same time, I had to go check the latest news because I include that in my lecture. I’ll check CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, The Detroit News, New York Times, and Washington Post. I compare all these to get an idea of what’s going on. So, it takes time to relate your lecture to the congregation. Back and forth, cut and paste. You have to make a smooth transition.
    My wife and I stopped at Tim Horton’s in the early morning to keep working on this. I finally got to bed at 6:30 a.m., and slept until 10. So, it’s 18, 19, 20 hours of work (during Ramadan). But does that make me tired? Really, I don’t think about it. Sometimes I go to bed at 8. And I enjoy being in the bed. I say, “Wow, this is heaven; just relax and rest.”

    When my lecture is over, I just show my appreciation to Allah by performing two rakats. I say: “Thank you God…I didn’t know what I was supposed to do…I didn’t know how to do it. But now, wow, I’m done, and it’s so good, so satisfying.” At that time, I just show my excitement by making two rakats.
    I say, “Thank you Allah for guiding me, for giving me the gift of intellect. Thank you for guiding me stage by stage.”
    Of course, after Friday prayer, my mouth is dryer compared to other days because I gave the lecture. As I get closer to Iftar, I get a little hungry, but not so much where it becomes an issue for me.
    The refrigerator is always there. And, most of the year, anytime you want to read or write something, you want to drink tea or get some food or juice. But now, you don’t have that access.
    We believe that fasting makes you healthy. You lose some weight. Not that we fast to lose weight or be healthier, but that is one of the results of fasting. It’s a procedure of purification, both physically and spiritually. For me, it’s a relaxation. It is a break for my body. I lose some weight but gain some weight spiritually.
    I feel more energized.
    Ramadan is a new opportunity to bring a new discipline to our program, to our schedule, to our soul. We put back together our relationship with God, with family, with community. It is a time to make these relationships more loving, friendlier, more patient, more humble, and more united.
    Ramadan saves us time. You are not worried about breakfast; you are not worried about lunch. Ramadan leaves us more time to focus on our faith.
    One of my Christian friends, a pastor, told me that the United States is in need of a Ramadan. He said we all need Ramadan to fix our relationships. You feel this connection in your prayers.
    For me, it is a working period, but at the same time a learning period. I really feel the joy of working with people, especially when I see the smile in the face, the joy, and gratitude of showing appreciation that they learned something; they enjoyed something. That really motivates me not to be tired.

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