Muslim Chaplaincy for the University of Toronto

I came across this article yesterday in the Toronto Star and thought it was definitely interesting and needed at the University of Toronto. The comments section, however, left much to be desired in terms of acceptance and tolerance. Either way, this is a much needed program to meet the spiritual needs of Muslim students while engaging in inter-faith dialogue. Another plus point is that a Muslim chaplain would help steer at risk students away from the allure of extremism.

Canada’s first full-time paid Muslim chaplain being sought at the University of Toronto

A young woman looks directly into the camera and says in a soft accent: “I was told to go back to my country.”

A young man with a light beard follows: “In my profession, relationships are built at the bar. What am I supposed to do about that?” he asks.

And then, the more complicated issues: “My parents forced me to take off my hijab,” says another student, referring to the head scarf.

The anecdotes, told from the point of view of Muslim students at the University of Toronto, are gripping, complex and, as many youth can attest to, all too real. They are also part of a promotional video intended to show the urgent need behind the Muslim Chaplaincy Program at U of T, the first program of its kind in Canada that would see the community fund a full-time chaplain at a university to support the spiritual needs of Muslim students.

“Many Muslim youth don’t have a place to turn to, and they feel challenged on issues of faith and identity,” says Ruqayyah Ahdab, chair of the board for the chaplaincy program, who was instrumental in creating the student-led initiative.

“Adults can turn to the mosque for support, but youth often can’t because of cultural issues or the age gap,” said Ahdab. “So the chaplain will be there to provide this safe space for youth to turn to.”

In Canada, Muslim chaplains have been utilized primarily in military and prison settings to help with issues of religious accommodation. Universities, including U of T, have been most often served by volunteer chaplains, often imams from the community struggling to juggle numerous commitments. But over the past five year, dozens of universities in the United States have hired Muslim chaplains to offer Muslim students support in the tension-filled aftermath of 9/11.

“Many universities found students were under an enormous amount of stress because of the negative media coverage around Muslims,” said Ingrid Mattson, professor of Islamic studies and founder of the first Islamic Chaplaincy Program at the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. “The Muslim chaplains took a lot of pressure off the students and gave them crucial support they needed, and from that, the program really gained support across campuses.”

Chaplains in the U.S have also been crucial in diffusing tensions between campus religious groups, she said.
Interfaith work is one of the key requirements here as well, said Ahdab. The job requirements are many, and differ significantly from the role of a traditional leader or imam, she said. Unlike imams who are men, a chaplain can be a man or woman, should be trained in pastoral counselling, be able to identify the needs of students, be trained in interfaith work and be open to working with other sects and ideologies.
“It’s not about shoving religion down people’s throat or telling them who to be,” said Ahdab. “It’s about helping them form an identity that is meaningful to them and healthy for them.”

So far, Ahdab said, candidates who have been interviewed have been diverse in age, experience and gender, and have included imams, social workers and graduates of the Hartford chaplaincy program. The goal is to hire a chaplain on a one-year contract by the end of the summer.
That’s good news for all U of T students and staff, said Richard Chambers, director of the Multi-Faith Centre. He said many Christian and Jewish communities have paid to have full-time staff on campus for years, which often creates an “imbalance” when it comes to having a voice.
“This will help ensure that voices of Muslim students are heard as well,” he said.

But for the program to be successful, it must still pass a crucial hurdle: monetary support from the community. The goal is to raise $70,000 by September. So far, only $700 has been raised.

“Our hope is that this can be the start of a Muslim chaplaincy movement in Canada,” said Ahdab, who is optimistic they will meet their goal. “And a similar program can spread to other campuses over time.”

 

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1211098--canada-s-first-full-time-paid-muslim-chaplain-being-sought-at-the-university-of-toronto#article

Asking for Forgiveness

As we go through life, no matter how hard we may try to be the best Muslims that we can be, we are bound to our human fallibility. Despite our best intentions to stay on the right path, it may be easy to slip up. Whatever the sin may be, at some point, it will weigh heavily on our minds and hearts. How can we go about asking for Allah's forgiveness for the mistakes that we make in our life?

While there are no clear-cut guidelines or rituals that must be followed in order to repent, a few guidelines can help:

1) Acknowledge that a sin was committed.
2) Vow not to repeat the sin and sincerely ask God for forgiveness.
3) If the sin involved wronging another person, rectify the wrong done to the best of your ability and ask for forgiveness from the person.

It may help tor remember that Allah (SWT) is the most forgiving. Sometimes, it can feel that we have strayed so far from the right path that we are beyond redemption. But we should not lose hope or faith in the enormity of Allah's mercy. If we sincerely vow to amend our ways and give up the wrong, we will find our Lord welcomes us in his embrace.The following Hadith attests to the magnitude of His mercy.


On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) say: 'All the Almighty said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you to forgiveness nearly as great as it.' (Al-Tirmidhi) 

The thing about life is that no one knows when their day will come. For most of us in the West, our mortality remains a concern for old age. It then always comes as a shock when we are faced with the end of our time. The truth remains that it could in fact come any day at any moment. What might you have wished that you had done differently when faced with that inevitable moment? What might you have said to those you loved? What might have you avoided? Seeking Allah's forgiveness takes on a whole new meaning when placed in this perspective.