Domestic Affairs

Letter of Love to Boston Community

by Suhaib Webb
April 19, 2013
2 min read

525445_10151531428213080_730712551_n

Dear friends,

I greet you invoking God’s peace and blessings upon you.

Friday’s are special for me because at the ISBCC I get to see the fabric of our community. One of my favorites is seeing our security staff early in the morning, smiling and greeting everyone who walks in. Br. Muhammad Ubai always asks me, “Did you get that 5 mile jog in today, brother Imam?” Second, but close, is getting hugs from Sr. Malika’s granddaughters, whose smiles bring so much light to my office.

Friday’s at the ISBCC bring about the best in our community. From law enforcement, educators, medical professionals, weight loss coaches, students and the youth; all of you bring smiles and warm stories about the unique relationship between faith and life. One of the many things I learned from you is balance and patience. I hear your stories and I feel the book education I’ve received pales in the face of your rich experiences.

This Friday is not a normal Friday. I am deeply saddened and shocked by the recent events. Our city’s peace was taken away in a blink of an eye. Our faith is once again being called to suspicion. Innocent people are being hurt. What is needed now is meeting hate with love, trials with patience and fear with increased worship. Each and every one of us needs to be a shelter in this storm.

God has chosen the Boston community to be the focus, because our community is an excellent one. Our track record speaks volumes to the dedication we have to our city, our heart, Boston. Do not fear and do not waiver, for God stands with this community! Face the coming days with a sense of pride and altruism, that will grant you the dignity to swallow the pills of the shallow minded, the heart to continue to give and support our city. I remind you as our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace  be upon him) reminded Abu Bakr when things looked dire, “Do not fear, God is with us.”

It is an honor to serve you; to know you and to be with you. I love you in God’s grace.

Imam Suhaib Webb
Imam, Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center

You may also like

About the author

Suhaib Webb

Suhaib Webb is a contemporary American-Muslim educator, activist, and lecturer. His work bridges classical and contemporary Islamic thought, addressing issues of cultural, social and political relevance to Muslims in the West. After converting to Islam in 1992, Webb left his career in the music industry to pursue his passion in education. He earned a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and received intensive private training in the Islamic Sciences under a renowned Muslim Scholar of Senegalese descent. Webb was hired as the Imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, where he gave khutbas (sermons), taught religious classes, and provided counselling to families and young people; he also served as an Imam and resident scholar in communities across the U.S.

From 2004-2010, Suhaib Webb studied at the world’s preeminent Islamic institution of learning, Al-Azhar University, in the College of Shari`ah. During this time, after several years of studying the Arabic Language and the Islamic legal tradition, he also served as the head of the English Translation Department at Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah.

Outside of his studies at Al-Azhar, Suhaib Webb completed the memorization of the Quran in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. He has been granted numerous traditional teaching licenses (ijazat), adhering to centuries-old Islamic scholarly practice of ensuring the highest standards of scholarship. Webb was named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in 2010.

View all posts

8 Comments

Leave a Comment