A religious part of my identity 

 

We have 4 different ministers (imams) that perform the service at my place of worship (mosque).

2 are my peers and friends…tapped by the seniors of the community to take on the mantle of leadership. And 2 are the senior imams having served for 25-40 years and now being mostly retired from the community leadership roles. 

Even in my one place of worship its somewhat staggering the difference in values expressed by the imams of our community. One guy offers business as the chief point of emphasis. The next guy, relationships particularly family and marriage, as being the premium good. The other 2 emphasis either individual actualization and responsibility or collectivist focus with almost a disdain for individual consideration.  

 

In the midst of these differences there is a distinct bonding thread in the beliefs and world view that is espoused in my community. One of the Imams said in a talk about nurturing the highest motivation for human excellence. He said

"I am trying to get African Americans who still have the burden on them of [finding their] identity…to go back to your better identity.  The better identity that God gave us is not our racial identity…or our national identity.  The better identity for Muslims in Islam according to our Holy Book –[the identity that] God gave us—is our human identity, which is to be understood as the aim for excellence in the human nature….God created us for human excellence, and this is our common heritage.  We should care more about this common heritage than we do the color of our skin or the nations that we come from….The racial classifications are temporary.  They are not going to last forever.  The national classifications are not going to last forever.  What God will receive is our human soul and its excellence."

This idea. Summarized in quotations above highlights an essential ingredient in my life philosophy and world view. To truly honor my origins i must honor my origins. This doesn't stop at black or Muslim or American...it continues to the place of my origin. To my creation as a soul.