Wisdom in changes, Sheikh Ahmed Bermejo

After many weeks without writing, today I sit down again in front of the computer with the intention of capturing a thought that has been going around my head for a few days. I can already tell you that it has nothing to do with the prohibition or not of congratulating the holidays in which we are; I have no interest in entering into that debate that, in my opinion, should be more than overcome, although from what I have seen in recent days on social networks, I see that there are still people who have not been able to take that step…

The reflection that I would like to share with you is the result of several meetings and conversations that I have had in these days and that we could say that they revolved around change and generational transmission, the involvement of young people in communities and their role as models and references for the next generation.

It is a matter that I consider of great importance, and that is why I wanted to share with you my reflection and perception of the matter in a very summarized way and in general terms.

What makes me most happy and makes me optimistic about the future is that the issue is being raised and there is that concern in the air, well, more than concern I would dare to say that concern. A very healthy and necessary concern, since it indicates that there are people aware of the proximity and proximity of this change and question what steps to take and what is the way to make that change.

Like all change, there are different ways to do it, there are different paths to change. On the one hand, there is the change of those who are not able to see any of the positive things that existed in the previous stage. You are going to allow me to call this ‘the change of the ungrateful’; They are those who do not value the work and effort made by those who preceded them and the only thing they do, without any reflection or discernment, is change for the sake of change. Before, it was done in this way, because now, by imperative, it has to be done differently; Let the change be noticed!

This type of change is doomed to failure since two of the bases of our Deen are being lost: Firstly, gratitude is lost, which is nothing more than recognizing and valuing what those who were before you have done. This point is essential, as I see that much is happening in our day; And what we don’t realize is that it is a behavior that is the result of pride and arrogance, which are, as we all know, one of the most pernicious and harmful diseases of the heart.

But what we do not realize when we act in this way is that we are forgetting our elders, their effort, everything they did and continue to do; but of course… It’s just that the old people don’t know anything and they did everything wrong. And in fact, the fact that I have not managed to succeed is the result of the fact that the old people do not know anything… This is a tremendous lack of mercy and compassion, because if we were to stop the train of our lives for a moment and we were able to reflect on what our elders have left us, we would realize that it is much, much more than we can imagine at first glance.

The second generation of the so-called ‘converts’, among whom I count myself, would have to reflect on the step taken by our parents by completely changing their lives, leaving aside all their previous way of life (in some cases even exaggeratedly) to embrace Islam. We should reflect on the enormous gift they have left us, on how they have strived, with all the mistakes they may have made, to transmit the Deen of Allah to us in the best way they have been capable of. And this, which is no small thing, should already be enough for us to listen to them, ask them for advice and take their opinions into account; because they, at least and with the knowledge that life experience gives, recognize the mistakes they have made and therefore their advice and words are more valuable than those we can find in our peers.

On the other hand, we have the second generation of ‘immigrants’; They should reflect on the enormous effort that their parents have made to give them a better future. Men and women who have left their homes, cities and countries to go in search of a hopeful future for their sons and daughters, with all the effort and difficulty that this entails; and not only that, but they have also taken care to, to the extent of their possibilities, abilities and understanding, transmit to them the Deen of Islam or, at the very least, sow in their hearts the seed of Islam; and of course they will have made many mistakes along the way. But what you can never fall into is, because of those errors, minimal compared to the effort made, mistreating, accusing and denigrating them. For there is nothing worse in our Deen than to devalue and belittle the efforts that our parents and our elders have made for us.

And the second basis that is lost with this type of change that I have come to call ‘of the ungrateful’ is the lack of reflection, because the only thing that is done, as I said before, is to change for the sake of change. But never forget that our Deen requires reflection, to use our intellects, to be able to understand the moment and the situation we are living in and to make decisions accordingly. We live in a changing world and part of wisdom and reflection is knowing how to move and live in these changes.

This is an exchange rate; On the other side, or at the other extreme, we have those who do not want to change, those who, no matter how much there is a generational change and new faces in the boards, in the boards and in the communities, no matter how much they call themselves the leaders of the youth, live anchored in the same thing, repeating the same patterns. making the same mistakes as their parents or elders; But in this case it is worse, it is much worse, since the tools they have are not even comparable to the tools that their predecessors had.

Between these two paths lies – and Allah knows best – the path of balance, the middle way, the path of constructive and positive change. A change and relay that is totally necessary, but that can never start from the basis of renouncing and belittling what our elders or those who preceded us have done. For this change to be positive, the strength of young people must be combined with the experience of the elderly.

This change is based on recognition and gratitude in the first place; in recognizing, taking and applying the good that the previous generation has left us, in recognizing and being grateful to our parents and our elders for everything they have given us; and the best way to do this is to ask for their advice, taking into consideration their experience, respecting their words, consulting them in decisions; And all this is part of our Sunnah.

And this positive change is also achieved with reflection and wisdom. Reflecting on the situation we are living, on the world and the time in which Allah has made us live, on the need we have to understand Islam as a whole, as a way of life that encompasses all aspects, as a way of social life and not a mere religion of prostrating ourselves five times at specific times of the day and night.

Reflecting on what our defects and our virtues are, our pros and cons, reflecting on where we should make the greatest effort, on where to direct and direct that change and all this, wrapped in the wisdom present in our Deen, in our understanding and comprehension as Muslims of this time and this land.

Reflecting on where and how we can, as a Muslim community, exert more influence in society, reflecting on how we can really benefit and respond to the needs of Muslims, reflecting on how we can bring the greatest benefit to the world we live in, which I am sure is not by closing ourselves off and isolating ourselves in our communities and mosques…

To achieve this will require effort, dedication, a high yearning, a high Himma , and a great understanding, knowledge and comprehension of our Deen, but above all, it will require unity. That the two groups that I mentioned before unite, that we put aside, once and for all, those labels that have done so much damage and do so much damage, that we understand that what unites us is much more than what separates us, and that relying on what unites us is how we will achieve that change and how we will leave a better place for those who come after us. For this is our mission, this is our role, this is our hallmark as believers: to leave the place where we are in better conditions than when we arrived.

And I ask Allah to give us sincerity and ability to do so. Amin.

Sheikh Ahmed Bermejo Blog: http://ahmedbermejo.com/