A sister on the AlMaghrib forums posted a story about an experience of hers during the last seminar in Windsor. From the sound of things, it seems as if the is actually talking about Waasiq, Saad, or Humza, my brother, cousin, and friend, respectively. That Saturday morning I took them to Tim Horton’s right before class and got them some hot chocolate.

If it really is about them, I’m guessing one of them was standing in line with me, while the other two trailed behind and were in front of this sister who wrote the following story…

Once upon a time, in the second weekend of A Heart Serene seminar in Windsor, on a cold Saturday morning, I went to Tim Horton’s to get my French Vanilla. Anyway, there were two boys in front of me (about 12-15 years old) getting their chocolate milk I think. So they got what they wanted and left. Two ladies working there had the following conversation:

Woman 1: “Those two boys were so cute!”
Woman 2: “You are a mom, you think everyone is cute.”

Woman 1: “No seriously, what kind of 14 year old boys would get up this early on a Saturday morning to learn about another religion?!”
Woman 2: “It’s not another religion, it is THEIR religion!”

Woman 1: “No it is not! If it was their religion, why would they be learning about it!”
Woman 2: “It is like our Sunday mass, you just go.”
Me: “Actually, no, it is not like mass at all. We actually do learn new things.”

Woman 1 & 2: “You are in the class too?”
Me: (smiling) “Yes. See their is always more to learn in our religion and then some of it can be reminders, but we actually are learning…”

Woman 2: “Oh so it is kind of like an upgrade?”
Me: (weird way to think of an AlMaghrib class…) “Ya, I guess you could think of it that way….It is a really nice topic too..”

Woman 2: “Oh really what is about?”
Me: (did I say Tazkiyat an-Nafs by Ibn Qayyim?! — no I said something about happiness, and finding a heart’s contentment…)

The conversation is actually longer than this, but I wanted to cut it to the moral of the story: Just the fact that youth showed up was unexpected form of daawa. It impresses them: Why WOULD a 14 year old boy get up so early?? WHAT is his motivation??

Alhamdullilah we have something precious, and it makes people wonder.

So never underestimate non-verbal dawaa. Subhanallah, their presence opened up a conversation about Islam. Inshallah we will always give the impression that even the youngest of our nation strive to learn more about our religion…

May Allah bless both our youth and elders!

What a wonderful story, mashaAllah.

Maybe it’s about Humza/Saad/Waasiq, maybe it’s not. Whoever it’s about, the message is clear. When parents make the effort to put their kids in Islamic events, it not only helps the kids and parents, but society as a whole, as well.

May Allah (SWT) bless our parents who send their children to Islamic events without making it difficult for them.