Page 6 - Pakistan Link - November 15, 2019

P6 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 15, 2019 OPINION
n By Mohammad Yacoob Gratitude and Thankfulness tude to Almighty God. My thankfulness di-
Los Angeles, CA rected to Almighty God makes me see in it
an awareness of, and appreciation for, what
Dr Jamal Badawi, one of the leading Mus- proached me and said, “We do not celebrate I have and what is around me. I am thankful
lim scholars in North America, delivered an un- Thanksgiving; it is celebrated by the Mushra- to God for my family, health, friends, com-
scheduled Friday Sermon - Juma Khutba - at the keens.” I immediately told him, “I disagree with munity and the good life I am enjoying in the
Islamic Center of Hawthorne, Southern Califor- you,” and walked away from him. Indirectly, he United States.
nia, a local Mosque where I go seemed to tell me that Thanksgiving is a Christian The people around the world have been
every Friday, on November 27, holiday. He made the remark by making a casual expressing gratitude through ages. I elevated
2015. I was pleasantly surprised observation when he heard me use ‘Thanksgiv- my gratitude to a higher level of thankfulness
to see him and to listen to his ing Weekend’ in the conversation with Dr Jamal and express it through the Islamic Prayer. I
Khutba. He spoke eloquently Badawi. This young man took it upon himself to wrote to Los Angeles Times as to how I cel-
about the state of the world, make a judgment. ebrate my thanksgiving.
extremism, violence, and hate I would like to give two examples of casual Voluntary Islamic Thanksgiving Prayer,
mongering from a high schol- observation ending up in forming opinions about November 22, 2001
arly level, but in pure and simple language, quot- a situation, jumping to conclusions, and passing “I came to the United States in 1962.
ing verses from the Qur’an and emphasizing the judgment. The first example is about two friends, My father, an army contractor who had
responsibility of Muslims. Ahmed and Yousuf, who came to the United worked with the British army in India, told
I met him after the Friday Prayer and States as students decades ago from an Asian me to go to Oxford or Cambridge, but I de-
thanked him for coming to our Center and asked, country. Ahmed went to Chicago and Yousuf cided to come to California. This is because
“Because this is a Thanksgiving weekend, you are enrolled in the University of California at Los of the speech made by Vice President Richard
here with us, Dr Jamal Badawi”. I also told him Angeles. They graduated from their respective Nixon in 1957 in Bangalore in south India.
that my son-in-law Salim Ahmed, who is a Ca- universities and remained out of touch with each During the speech he mentioned that Banga-
nadian citizen, was his student in the 1980’s. He other for eleven years. Ahmed graduated from a lore reminded him of California. I decided to
asked me for more details which I did not have at university in Chicago, applied for immigrant sta- come to California.
that time. Later, Salim gave me details via email tus in the US and became an entrepreneur, a big In the last 20 years, I have started celebrat-
and wrote, “Salaam, we used to meet at the Dart- business man. Yousuf graduated from the Univer- I would like to add another casual obser- ing Thanksgiving in a very unique way-- an ad-
mouth Masjid. This was around 1985 and Br Ja- sity of California and began working as a Director vation account. It relates to my personal experi- ditional way. To give thanks to God, I perform
maal was an economics professor at St. Mary’s in an Engineering Company. ence in Los Angeles at a Wells Fargo Bank. I had two units of voluntary Islamic prayer, either on
University. I had shared apartments with Ibrahim Ahmed came to Los Angeles and met Yousuf planned to go to two banks, Wells Fargo Bank and Thanksgiving Day or on Friday, in the morning,
Zanussi/Libya and also another time with Issam merely by chance. Yousuf, now a US citizen, in- Union Bank. At the Wells Fargo Bank, I was hold- afternoon or evening. Since this is not a compul-
Abukather/Palestine. He may remember them. vited Ahmed to his place, a three-bedroom apart- ing an envelope from the Union Bank addressed sory or mandatory Islamic prayer, I choose the
Brother Jamaal used to invite us students to his ment in an eight-unit building, for dinner where to me wherein I had placed transaction papers day and the timing. This year, I have decided to
house for iftar in Ramadan for which I remain Ahmed had another surprise waiting for him. He of both banks. A person standing behind me perform four units of Thanksgiving prayer, to
most grateful. I had even sent Br. Jamaal an in- met an old friend from his neighborhood in the saw the envelope, Union Bank envelope in Wells thank God more for the good life my family is en-
vitation to my wedding but I am not sure if he old country at the dinner party. Ahmed turned to Fargo Bank, and with a smile and with complete joying in the United States. I will pray to God to
received it. – Salim Ahmed.” his other childhood friend, and said, “You know seriousness said to me, “Aren’t you in the wrong bless America, humanity and our spaceship, the
Dr Jamal Badawi and I could not continue Yousuf is smarter than me; he always talked about bank?” He made a comment based on his casual Earth. May God give us the strength to fight ter-
the conversation. He was escorted to the city of starting a business after graduating from college, observation. rorism, intolerance and hate crimes.
Ontario, California, that is more than forty miles even before coming to the US. Look at him, still Most often people tend to believe what Mohammad Yacoob, Hawthorne (http://
from Hawthorne, to attend the Annual Confer- living in an apartment and working as an engi- they hear or see that may provide only a part articles.latimes.com/2001/nov/22/opinion/le-
ence of the Muslim American Society (MAS). He neer.” Ahmed’s friend turned to him and said, of the information, then suddenly form an sau22_2.1)
was the Keynote Speaker at the Conference that “You are right; Yousuf is a smarter man. He owns opinion and pass judgment. I am not going As Muslims we thank Almighty God and also
was being held on the American Thanksgiving this eight-unit apartment building and owns two to go into the details of Thanksgiving or its engage in thanking people for their good acts, deeds
Weekend. others. Many a time he has said that he wants to historical background; however, I would say or favors they have heaped on us. Our thankfulness
A few minutes later a young man, who at- live a simple life and help others.” This brings us that I do celebrate thanksgiving. I started cel- is called ‘Tashakkur’ in Arabic and ‘Shukriya’ in
tended the Juma Prayer and heard the conver- to a point that clearly says that Ahmed made a ebrating thanksgiving with a small “t” more Urdu. As a matter of fact, I thanked many people
sation between Dr Jamal Badawi and me, ap- casual remark that did not stand the test of facts. than thirty-five years ago to express my grati- GRATITUDE, P8

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