In Black Muslim America , frontline Imams are first responders. We don’t get to retreats, play hooky or play hide and go seek. As active and working Imams, we have to show up. We even have to show up online these days. Many of us do not even get to retire in this life. Most of us are here for the duration, and are accessible in the Masajid, as well as online. We show up, year in year out. Jum’ah after Jum’ah, Ramadan after Ramadan and Eid after Eid. We are the shields as well as the lightening rods of the Ummah, at least here in the United States. Through the good, and the bad, we are still here. Sometimes the same people who praise us one day are the same ones excoriating us the next day. Sometimes we may appear on stage but mostly we are in the trenches, or somewhere in the crevices where people are suffering. Sometimes we are suffering too but we remain on the frontline. And when we regain our strength, we continue to move forward.
Assalamu alaikum. Our community is just not equipped yet to deal with the reality of the Imam’s real-life trauma, burnout, overload, betrayal, misstep, imperfection, or personal dysfunction. Dog catchers get more understanding and occupational care. When we get hit with a life-changing catastrophe, we don’t have a counselor, therapists، pensions، vacations, unemployment, workman’s comp, or support for our family. We don’t get the chance to take a sabbatical or to chill in Medina for 6 months.
Most Black Muslim communities have only one paid position, and that’s the Imam. Yet in that person, people expect that all needs of the community should be met. That is completely insane.
It is wholly unreasonable that an Imam is expected to be the leader of the prayer, the teacher for the students, the counselor for the troubled, the comforter for the hurting, the strong man for the ruffians, and a shield for the weak.
Try not to be too hard on Imams. Especially the ones who dare to honestly speak their real mind or speak out about anything not popular. They are usually the first blamed and the last supported.
Many Imams say behind closed doors what they dare not say publicly. Many of them can’t or they will lose their jobs. I know of dozens of cases where that has happened. Happens all the time. Gotta maintain the image ya know. Sugar and spice and everything nice.
You’ll think an Imam is talking crazy, and then six months later, you’ll be on the bandwagon saying the same thing. Like oops! Son of a gun, he was right. Lol. Don’t be too hasty when it comes to imams, very few have walked in their shoes.
We need to talk about the isolation, loneliness, depression, irritability, hopelessness, and angst many Muslims are starting to feel and express as a result of the COVID pandemic and it’s consequences. And talking about it is just the beginning. What are we going to do about it? Who’s going to deal with it? Many Muslims are so emotionally distraught, depressed, and melancholy, they don’t even sound like Muslims anymore. What are we going to do about that? And don’t give me that “Imams need to stuff”. That’s getting old. We’ve left most of our imams with virtually no resources. So what’s the plan?
Make up your mind, you can’t have it both ways, You can’t demand that Black imams deal with all of the trauma, anguish, mental and emotional issues of Black American Muslims, as we do thumbs up or thumbs down in the bleacher section while hardly even paying or supporting our Imams, even when they’re calling to what’s right. . Imams can only fall on so many swords.
Are mentally ill Muslims being healed through psychotherapy? Or are people simply being rewired, redirected, and medicated? For a people who claim that so many of us have emotional trauma, psychological trauma, mental trauma, family trauma, and issues requiring psychological and behavioral help and treatment, we should know whether all this help we’re sending people to get is actually working for them?
As I stated before, I’m not knocking your non-Muslim psychotherapist, but if they discount that your religion and faith in Allah can contribute to your healing, then know that there is a conflict of interest. We shouldn’t be excoriated for asking or bullied into not questioning the efficacy of modern behavioral psychology and psychotherapy on our mental health, our moral health, and our faith. Psychology is not an exact science. We keep telling people to “go and get help”, as f we’re sending them to a magical black hole where they enter and come back all healed. I don’t see that happening. Just another elephant, in an increasingly crowded room full of elephants.
Some Imams are trying and have developed their own methods of Islamic counseling to combat some mental illnesses. Modern psychotherapy is not revealed scripture; it is something that human beings came up with. Any notion that imams are incapable of coming up with their own workable methods of treatment is preposterous. If they had the fraction of research funding and resources available to psychology professionals, you would see more of what we are capable of.
People always want to weigh in on things when solutions are suggested, but were nowhere to be found when we were busting our backsides trying to deal with our problems for 40 years straight. had nothing to say while we were getting screwed over and marginalized, butwant to challenge our solutions when we fight back. You cannot have it both ways folks. That’s for starters. I’m not under the authority of any imam, scholar, or religious authority, foreign or domestic. None. So if you are a scholar of repute with knowledge of usool, and our people and conditions. You would have to demonstrate that you are willing to make some investment in this situation to understand my premises. Otherwise, keep your uninformed opinions to yourself. You cannot sit on the sidelines doing nothing about our plight and weigh in only when you feel like challenging a proposed solution. Unless you want to be eligible for the kiss my ass award. In the meantime, block me, or go to your own Imams or Shaykh for answers. Meanwhile, I stand by what I say. Imam Luqman Ahmad
Imam Luqman Ahmad Mosque Without Borders 