Advice for Students of Knowledge Overseas: A Meeting with Dr.

Ingrid Mattson

Most Western religious students studying overseas intend to return home to help their
communities. However, after years of immersion in a foreign culture, students may find
themselves out of touch with the Muslim community and the broader society. These
students must know the issues of the day, what is expected of their role, and the condition of
their community in order to be effective teachers. Dr. Ingrid Mattson tell us what realities
students can expect to face, and how to prepare for them….

Last week, SG team members Faraz Khan, Salman Younas, and Abdullah Misra had the
opportunity to sit with Dr. Ingrid Mattson while she was attending a conference on Islam
and the Environment in Amman, Jordan.

The questions that the group sought her advice on included: what can students of the
Islamic sciences who are overseas expect to encounter upon returning to the West? What
should they know, and what can they do to prepare themselves for a life of teaching and
service in the North American Muslim community?

Over the next two and a half hours, Dr. Mattson offered profound advice, with relevant
examples and penetrating wisdom. Below are snippets and summaries of her advice:

Understand the Difference Between a Scholar and an Imam

A scholar and an imam are two different things. A scholar is primarily knowledge-based,
and they spend most of their time in research, writing or teaching. An imam is a pastor, the
shepherd of a flock. An imam’s job and responsibilities must be understood: he protects his
congregation, guards against negative influences and discord, nurtures the attendees, and
more.

The two roles often get confused for one another, though in the past the difference was
very clear. In recent times, scholars have assumed the role of imams. A student of
knowledge should clearly understand the difference between the two and decide which
one they want to become.
An imam needs knowledge of the religion, but not to the level of a specialist. He should
know who to turn to when a matter passes his level of expertise, whether in religious law,
psychology or family counseling.

Communication is Key

An imam must know how to communicate with his audience- to remind them and inspire
them effectively. The community’s souls are in his hands. They trust him. They put their
families in his care. He must know their lives and what they face. He must show that he
cares for them. He cannot have a sense of entitlement because of his position.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to give good news. The imam cannot
constantly be giving people bad news. Many imams cannot see the negative effect this has
on people.

Certain people can master both Islamic scholarship AND effective communication. Dr.
Mattson cited Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia, as an example. Those who are able
to do so should master both skills because people will respond positively to what they say
and teach.

Know Yourself and Your Goals

A student has to know who they are. What are you cut-out to do? Do not follow what are
others pressuring you to do. Some people feel pressured to become academics, or scholars,
or imams, and don’t feel cut out for the role; rather, they feel suited to take on another one
of those roles. A student should choose the path that best suits them.

The role of the academic, the Islamic scholar, the imam and the Muslim chaplain are always
being lumped together or confused, whereas the roles are ideally supposed to be distinct
and separate.

An example is that in the past, the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus employed over 200
separate positions. This included the imam for prayer, the preacher, the Friday khateeb,
the teachers who taught in traditional study circles, the dhikr-leaders, and other roles that
were all distinct, each one specializing in their field according to their strengths and
training.

The Place of the Scholar in our Society

So where is the place for scholars in our society? Since very few institutions exist that
support scholars, they have to be prepared to carve out their own niches if they wish to
stay in their field.

A professor of Islamic studies in a university is not an Islamic scholar. Many people have
studied the Islamic sciences to become scholars, and then gone into academia due to their
lack of knowing how to function as Islamic scholars and how to provide for their
families. However, the demands of academia ensured that they were too busy to ever
return to their original intention. This is not to detract from the concept of learned
Muslims going into academia; however, one should know what it entails and the reality of
the commitment it requires from the get-go.

Currently, there is a limited “market” for pure scholars of Islam in North America- those
whose sole occupation is with knowledge and teaching-because there aren’t enough
institutions that support them. Scholars have to start their own projects and nurture them
slowly if they wish to remain in their fields. This takes patience and sacrifice. Dr. Mattson
commended SeekersGuidance as an example of a successful project in Islamic scholarship.

Tapping the True Potential of Scholars

The current trend is that a scholar-cum-imam leads a congregation all week in prayer, and
then on weekends, he teaches basic classes to the community. Their scholarly training is
used only to a limited degree in this case.

However, the one-man-school model may not be fulfilling the broader needs that
communities have today. There reaches a saturation point, in certain areas, of weekend
school options for adults [while other areas have only lay-preachers to guide them].

The caliber of some of these scholars is too high to be teaching introductory courses in
Islamic subjects over and over again; teachers should be trained specially for that
purpose. The scholars’ time needs to be freed-up so they can use their studies to tackle the
larger issues that require their expertise.

Till this day, why hasn’t our community started a Muslim teacher’s college? Why can’t we
as a community even design a Sunday School curriculum on how to teach basic Islamic
studies that we can all agree on? Islamic learning institutions need not be large to have an
impact- our standards right now are so low, a few well-trained teachers would be enough
to make a difference in each community.

On Chaplaincy
Why did Dr. Mattson choose to develop a chaplaincy program and not an imam
program? Because a good imam is in need of a good masjid board-of-directors in order to
properly function, and so training good imams doesn’t necessarily mean communities will
progress, until the way that the boards work with imams changes also.

Chaplains, on the other hand, are respected as professionals and do not have these same
administrative obstacles. They are sorely needed in our times. They are good examples of
how to benefit others and work with religion professionally in society. It is hoped that
their professionalism will be a good example for imams and masjid boards alike.

The Challenges of Being an Imam

In general, religious leaders have great challenges in the West. Many people have the
attitude of not according any authority to their religious leaders, so the imam finds great
hindrances in leading the community. People are generally harder to satisfy in our
times. A religious leader has to grapple with the reality of trying to lead fiercely
independent-minded people, each with their own opinions, and balance his authority with
wisdom while preserving his values and maintaining control of the situation.

Imams are often at the mercy of masjid boards who do not give them job security, or
proper benefits, and do not show them respect as professionals. On the other extreme is
when a religious leader has a personality cult around him that allows him to have complete
control. Dr. Mattson was pointing towards the balance, which is rooted in mutual respect.

A Scholar Should Not Encourage a Sense of Entitlement or Superiority

Muslims don’t know their own history. We don’t know about how our societies began,
developed and changed. We may know, at most, about very early Islamic history which
shows Muslims in control of vast lands, and living according to Islamic laws, values and
rule. This lack of perspective has led to Muslims arriving in Western society and
immediately becoming critical of everything they see.

Whenever something does not conform to their long-held values, they criticize it and try to
correct others. They feel a sense of entitlement in a land in which they are a relatively new
and small community. They do not look at their own faults as a community let alone try to
fix their problems, but go on pointing out the faults they see in a society that has not yet
heard the message.

Dr. Mattson has indicating that this is a mentality that students will come across, which will
make communities resistant to change and self-criticism at times, and a religious leader
should not encourage this attitude.

Love and Respect: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Muslims love each other. When two Muslims meet, you can see the genuine love that they
have for the other person, even if the two Muslims are complete strangers. However,
Muslims don’t have [enough] respect for one another.

Other religious groups may not show love for one another the way Muslims do, but they do
respect one another. For example, in a church, you will never hear someone interrupt a
sermon to argue with the preacher, but this happens in masjids to the Friday khatibs. This
shows a complete lack of respect for one another.

Muslims need to have both qualities as a community in order to thrive: love and
respect. Religious leaders must raise communities with this awareness.

The Most Important Qualities in an Imam

When a community chooses an imam, it should do so on the same criteria that a woman
should choose a husband: character is given first priority, and then deen (outward religious
practice). Character comes first since a person’s personality usually stays consistent and
directly affects the community, whereas religiosity can increase or decrease, and is mostly
a personal matter.

The Need for Muslim “Youth Ministers”

Our communities need imams, chaplains and “youth ministers”. The three are distinct in
their roles. It is said that every 12 years, a new generation is formed. Religious leaders
must be responsive and understand the times they live in and the people in their
communities.

Different people may be suited to different roles and appeal to different crowds; thus,
youth should be trained by scholars and imams to reach out to youth in the masjids and
community centers.

The Importance of Apologetics and Ethics

Religious leaders must combine various fields of knowledge: the Islamic sciences are
essential, but the study of apologetics is also very important today. One must know about
the burning issues of our time, the current paradigms and controversies, and how a Muslim
can intelligently respond to criticisms of the faith and opposing ideologies such as atheism.

Also, theology is not ‘aqeedah – theology develops in response to the burning issues of the
age. Initially, the Muslims didn’t deal with certain aspects of theology only because those
issues would be raised in later times- such as when the Khawarij came, the question of the
day became, “who is a Muslim?”. Later came the question of whether the Qur’an was
Allah’s Eternal Speech or His creation [as the Mutazilites erroneously claimed].

Similarly today, we can no longer brush off feminist critiques of patriarchal religions. We
must recognize that feminist critiques happened in our own religious history- such as when
a woman asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) why Allah Most High only addressed men
in the Qur’an; Allah Most High revealed a verse which then addressed both men and
women.

Ethics is the field of knowledge that is perhaps most relevant to our time and context. Our
context today isn’t demanding as much from our understanding of the details of Islamic
criminal law, for example, or other points of Islamic law. Rather, an understanding of
ethics is very important right now, and students should be versed in its discussions [from
the perspectives of varying traditions].

Make Your Message Relevant and Be Realistic

A religious leader needs to understand what is important to people. People in our

communities often feel split between religion and work, and the result is that they are often
drawn away from religion. Remember that one’s career defines a person much more now
than it did in the past- on average people spend 60 hours a week at work. Make your
message relevant to those people, understanding the role of careers in their lives and the
challenges it poses.

We must accept that people will not get everything 100% right in their religious lives. The
people will never fully perform everything expected of them- so don’t ask them to do the
impossible. A religious leader must keep this in mind and focus on what they can do, by
emphasizing ethics: good behavior (not cheating, not lying, etc) and respect. This is the
area where they are most likely to see positive changes in people, rather than forcing
people to choose between the Sacred Law or their careers.

Be realistic in what you expect from people; look at them with an eye of mercy and
generosity. Alhumdulillah, they are Muslims after all and that is more important than
anything else. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said there will come a time when Muslims
will only have 10% of the religion’s teachings left, but it will be enough to enter them into
Paradise. They should not be made to feel pessimistic about their shortcomings, but rather
encouraged by the mercy in that statement.
One has to realize people are not inherently “bad”. The bad lifestyle choices they make
have powerful negative influences driving them. Knowing this, people cannot simply be
told to change and fix themselves. An imam must be compassionate, [gradual] and wise in
this regard.

Instilling a Sense of Collective Responsibility

An imam must also understand the reality of collective responsibility. The Qur’an speaks
about it when referring to previous nations, so it is an Islamic concept. For example, when
a child is abused, they grow up and affect others negatively in turn. This could have been
prevented had mechanisms been set up to protect children in our community. Where were
we when that child was small and needed us? Thus, an imam must have a sense of
communal obligation and communicate this to his congregation.

An imam should also be versed in the arts of ministry. This is primarily preaching and
guiding, but also counseling (for family, depression, addiction, marriage, violence, children,
etc.) They cannot be an expert is every field, but they should know enough to know when
there’s a problem and make a referral to an expert.

Interfaith Relations: A Modern Imperative

Interfaith relations are a must in our times. Muslims are only 2% of American society; in
Canada, perhaps 5%. That is a reality we have to face. We must understand other religions
in order to be good neighbors. Many times, Muslims say false things about other faiths-
those are lies, and technically it could be called bearing false witness when Muslims are
supposed to be truthful.

Also, Muslims cannot be the primary messengers of Islam in the West- our numbers are too
low [to be able to effectively combat stereotypes and wrong impressions by
ourselves]. Most people in the US still don’t even personally know a Muslim. Thus, we
need advocates and allies who will speak to others about us. Other religious groups have
more credibility in Western society than we do and they are willing to work together with
us.

After 9/11, because of good relations with ISNA, a Christian umbrella group representing
40 million Protestants in the US officially passed a policy for its church members that
Christians should not hate Muslims for what had happened. They themselves then printed
a book clarifying misconceptions on Islam and distributed copies to their members, so that
they could empathize with Muslims as another faith group who believed in God. This is the
fruit of good interfaith relations.

Similarly, partnerships between mosques and synagogues have yielded positive

results. When any negative press is directed unfairly at Muslims by the media, it is those
interfaith allies who will call you first to ask if they can offer any help. Then, they will even
give sermons in their places of worship, to the effect that good people need to stand against
the voices that seek to demonize all Muslims. This is why interfaith work has become a
modern imperative for Muslims.

Know Your Context Well

The most important thing is to know your context – your society, its ideas, the people and
their culture, reality and conditions.

Think Like a Citizen, Not Just as a Scholar

Sometimes, a scholar has to answer as an American, and not as a mufti. An example that
highlights this is when a jail warden asked a scholar if Muslim men needed to keep
beards. The scholar offered the legal ruling, and mentioned the differences on whether it
was obligatory or not. Hearing that it was not obligatory according to some views, the jail
warden prevented Muslim inmates from keeping beards.

The scholar should have answered in the context of the right to practice one’s religion
rather than a technical legal ruling. The same goes for people asking about the niqab –
while there is a difference of opinion and many may say it isn’t obligatory, a scholar’s
answer could cause a Muslim to lose their freedom to practice the opinion they believe
in. The scholar must be acutely aware of how his words will be taken and what is best to
say in any given context.

Know How to Adjust Your Tone

When you look at the works of a scholar of the past, such as Imam Nawawi (RA), you see
the times when he was to-the-point and unwavering (such as in his legal texts) and at other
times, you see his softer and warmer side (such as in his texts on dhikr, or his exhortations
and supplications).

A scholar must know how to be each one of these, at the appropriate time and
situation. Many scholars are either one or the other in all contexts, and therefore cannot
distinguish which approach is appropriate in which context, which is not the way the great
scholars of the past were.

The Difference Between Knowledge and Authority

There is a difference between knowledge and authority. Having one doesn’t mean you are
automatically entitled to the other. The Sahaba disagreed with some of Omar’s (RA)
rulings, yet they obeyed him because he was their leader and he was speaking from a
perspective of knowledge as well. There was no vigilante or mutinous attitude amongst the
Sahaba; they never abandoned their leadership.

The community needs to learn to follow their leaders and support them on good initiatives,
even if they disagree sometimes. Disagreement in itself is not wrong. People of knowledge
should also cooperate with the leaders of their community in valid differences, even though
they are convinced of their own opinions. Scholars cannot think that their knowledge
entitles them to authority over people when the community has already chosen its leaders.

How Do You Promote Respect for the Scholars?

Respect is a two-way street. Scholars/imams must respect their congregation and take
them seriously in order to be respected by them. They must be professional in their
roles. They must give people attention, and show care and concern. They should also
prepare beforehand for their engagements. Nothing is worse than hearing a khutba that
obviously hasn’t had the preparation time put into it – it shows the khatib doesn’t care
about his responsibilities and his congregation.

Integrity is key. Do what you say and practice what you preach. How people perceive the
imam/scholar is important. Does an imam do things to make himself seem at a higher
status than his congregation? Does he enjoy benefits that his followers cannot also
enjoy? If he does, people will notice and they will talk about it. This diminishes his respect
in their eyes. Omar (RA) would not allow his son to enjoy fruit while the Muslims were
experiencing a drought, only because the masses couldn’t afford the luxury of fruits at that
time.

Does the imam/scholar maintain the etiquette between himself and his female students, or
does he take advantage of his position and violate the teacher-student/ counselor-patient
relationship? Things can be technically valid in Sacred Law, such as divorcing one’s wife to
marry a younger student from his weekend study circle, but this is not ethical or
moral. What does it tell the congregation? Unethical behavior diminishes respect for
scholars, so they should avoid it at all costs.

Professionalism is the most important factor in earning the respect of the community. An
imam who is on time and upright, fulfills his duties faithfully, shows concern, and works
hard will be respected.

The Importance of Returning Home and Serving Where You Are Most Needed
A scholar is usually most effective in his home country. Some students wish never to
return to their societies after studying abroad, despite the fact that their home
communities sorely need their help and guidance.

Students of knowledge who do not return to their home countries often cannot benefit the
societies in which they studied, because they are outsiders to the culture and do not have
enough credibility. There are a few exceptions to this rule, of course. Thus, students
should return home after their studies to serve their communities because there are many
people in need of guidance and inspiration.

Also, many policies which affect the Muslim world originate from the West. Hence, when a
student goes back after studies and works to correct misconceptions about Islam, this in
turn educates the society at large, and since public opinion does have an effect on foreign
policy, when people see Muslims as good citizens, this could very well have a positive
impact on the rest of the Muslim world.

*
This is only the gist of what we learned from Dr. Mattson. Her advice was colored with
stories and examples that provoked in us a great concern. We are very grateful that she
took the time out to speak with us. May Allah Most High preserve her and continue to use
her for the good of the community. May all the Western students of knowledge read this
and benefit from it, insha Allah.