Don’t Judge Exceptional People as Outsiders
A glimpse
into Islam’s view people with special needs
By Shaikh Habeeb Alli
“Whoever helps a Muslim in this
world, God/Allah will help him in the Hereafter". Prophet Muhammad
In an episode of Little Mosque on the Prairie, a candidly-humorous
sitcom about a community of Muslims living in a small town in the Canadian
Prairies, a newspaper reporter who uses a wheelchair makes some noise – and
justifiably so – about the lack of a ramp to enter the town’s Masjid. Of course,
a ramp is built, but in the fanfare of the ribbon-cutting ceremony the reporter
gets stuck in the concrete which hasn’t fully hardened yet! The point made was
simple: a mosque, like any other public place, must be accessible to those with
special needs and it shouldn’t take an article in a local newspaper to move it
to the top of management leaders’ agendas.
Philosophy of acceptance
What does the Islamic teaching offer on the subject of special
needs? With the incidence of disability and impairments becoming increasingly
prevalent and spanning all racial and ethnic divides, what is our religion’s
view about Muslims with exceptionalities? A local worshipper once asked me
whether a fellow worshipper who is deaf would merit entering heaven, since he
could not hear the Imam’s sermon despite his undaunted attendance. In fact, all people with special needs have a
place in heaven, as the pen of accountability has been lifted from those who have
cognitive and physical impairments, where the observance of religious duties
becomes either unbearable or impossible.
People with special needs are children of ours; these are the
members of our households and communities. They must feel as comfortable as any
other in our midst. In a party the “odd” individual feels alienated. Life is a continuous
party and no one should stop another from dancing to the music of love and
affection, belonging and contributing. Being an exceptional person does not
warrant pity but rather accommodation and respect of the skills he or she brings.
One of my teachers, NaBina Hafiz Saheb of Deoband, as he was popularly known,
had a visual impairment but nevertheless succeeded in teaching numerous
students the art of recital and explanation of the Holy Quran through Braille. Imam
Bukhari, despite being visually impaired at a young age continued traveling and
collecting millions of Hadith and finalizing the most authentic book of Hadith
(traditions of the Prophet).
The Prophet Moses, highly regarded in Islamic literature and
mentioned over 150 times in the Quran is among the model Messengers of Allah. Muslims
learned about his “tongue-tying impediment” through his conversations with the
unparalleled tyrant, Pharaoh. He continued to be God’s chosen messenger despite
his personal fears around his ability to communicate effectively as a leader.
As a matter of fact, this Biblical and Quranic story of Moses underscores that
those with special needs are not to be pitied and looked down upon, but helped,
and their skills recognized. It also carries the rich moral that those affected
must never be ashamed to seek assistance and support. Moses said to Allah, “Send Aaron as my aide,” Q 20:29-30 “…and appoint for me, out of my kinsfolk,
one who will help me to bear my burden Aaron, my brother.”
On a personal level, no exceptional person serves as a greater model
of courage than Julaybib, a companion of The Prophet, who lived 1400 years ago.
Having been born with dwarfism and extremely dark skin, he was discriminated
against because of his physical appearance.
Although his stature did not compromise his ability to fight
courageously in battles, marriage was impossibility, since people tended to
steer away from him. But the Prophet believed in Julaybib and recommended him
to a girl in Madina. Although the girl’s parents opposed the idea, she
retorted, “Who are you stop to me from marrying a man the Prophet himself
recommended?” And so she married him, but tragically, soon lost him when he
died in battle. Julaybib’s death largely went unnoticed, with the exception of
the Prophet, who mourned his passing and said of the little hero: "He is
of me and I am of him." It was then
that members of Julaybib’s community recognized his true worth and value.
One of my regular congregants, Azeem Qayum of Scarborough , Ontario
Imams’ current views
According to Imam
Roshan Ally, a popular Scholar of South Florida, “While it’s not obligatory for
people with disabilities to attend mosque in order to pray, it has become very
necessary that whenever they choose to, there must be some facility to accommodate
them. The Holy Prophet did not only accommodate Abdullah bin Makhtoom, who was
blind, by leading him to the mosque, but honored him by making him the official
muezzin (caller of the prayers). An entire Sura (chapter of the Quran) was
revealed honoring this person of special visual needs.”
Shaikh Hassan
Hamad of the Pickering Mosque, in Ontario, has observed that a growing number
of Muslims with cognitive disabilities have been frequenting his mosque in
recent years in search of social and health relief. Although many are referred
to support services outside of the
Muslim community, according to young approachable Canadian Imam it is paramount
that Muslims with disabilities be embraced from within. The Quran relates that in the time of the Prophet, a woman with
cognitive challenges requested to speak with him. He invited her to meet in a
public place in Madina, rather than hold the encounter in the mosque or her
home. The Prophet did this explicitly to teach that public institutions that
cater to exceptional people should not only be supported, but also visited,
without any taboo or cultural insensitivity.
Organizations
The Moeen Centre[1]
is a non-profit organization based in Toronto
The Moeen centre was established in 1996 in memory of Moeen Alam, a
young adult with physical and developmental disabilities, who lost his life in
a tragic house fire in December, 1995. His mother, Qaisar Alam, has since
relentlessly made efforts to keep the memory of her young son alive, by ensuring
the provision of day-programs for young adults with disabilities dedicated to
improving their communication and mobility skills and encouraging them to reach
their full potential.
Rabia Khedr is a
Pakistani-Canadian, who resides in Toronto
The residential Noor School in South Africa Ontario
Muslims with disabilities in the workplaces
Torontonian Sumreen
Siddiqui is a Muslim woman who serves as an example for all Muslims, but
particularly those with disabilities. Sumreen has a visual impairment and works
at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Her quest to find a life partner has been most
challenging; something she attributes to potential mates’ inabilities to see
her inner beauty. She is also bothered by the fact that her Islamic-intensive
weekend-school course materials are not available in Braille on the computer.
But despite her challenges, she consistently wears a smile and carries a
positive outlook; having made hajj, she frequently travels and is a regular at
local Muslim events. The following is a poem I composed a while ago in honour
of Sumreen, entitled “Blindness but visually impaired”:
Eyes indeed the doorway of light
Prejudice against the impaired no doubt a pitiable
sight
When the world sees for others they only see you their
way
It’s like placing sun shades on your own sunny day
But be happy and keep seeing all your beauty
For the eyes of your heart bring a light of eternity
Where walls don’t exist
And the tulips or snowfalls are seen beyond the mist
Your beloved gifts of cornea and pupil are priced
With their sacrifice your other senses are even more
realized
But with the All Seer we believe in a place of
Eternal Bliss
Where all who sees with the heart are surely His
promise
It is through
our Faith that we recognize each person is valuable and to never dismiss anyone
as lesser. As The Prophet said, “Verily
Allah does not look at your bodies and wealth but looks at your hearts and
intentions.”
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