Dear Brothers and Sisters, As Salaamu 'alaykum.
I couldn't sleep last night but it was for a good reason. Yesterday at the Atlanta Masjid of al-Islam, I attended the ratification ceremony of the newly appointed Imam Mansoor Sabree and his assistant Imam Sulaimaan Hamed. Maybe it's my advanced age but the feeling of history and historicity was clearly in the air.
Imam Ibrahim Pasha, who was sent to Atlanta in 1976 by the new leader Imam WD Mohammed to begin the transition from some of the more obscure teachings of the Nation of Islam to mainstream Islam, presided over much of the ceremony. He served in that position until 1984 when Imam Plemon al-Amin accepted the position of Resident Imam and, for the past 25 years, has succeeded by the Grace of Allah on so many levels as the community has grown exponentially. Imam Plemon not only strengthened the core believers who form the backbone of the community but has put Atlanta's entire Muslim community on the spiritual, academic and political skyline of the city.
His outreach work in the field of inter-faith dialogue and the direction taken by the Mohammed High School as a top-level institution of Islamic learning among countless other projects will leave an indelible mark on our community for years to come. But I must say that I especially admire his vision for the future in that, by resigning now and making way for a young Imam Mansoor, age 29, he has underwritten a bright future for the Atlanta Masjid community. We want the youth to bring about a better future and, by having one of their most accomplished brethren as the new Imam, I am full of optimism. Imam Plemon's quarter of a century of work as Resident Imam has made it so that, as Imam Pasha stated, Imam Mansoor can BUILD upon the foundation instead of having to LAY the foundation.
As a family man, Imam Mansoor Sabree stated that, before he could be ratified by the community of believers, he had to be ratified by his wife. He asked his wife to stand and be recognized, along with Imam Sulaimaan Hamed and his wife. He asked the community to show more love and respect for them and that would be seen as love and respect for him.
Imam Mansoor paid respect to the great legacy and history of the entire mission and said that they must be protected and maintained because of the fact that these things bring out the best of us in terms of who and what we are. He then emphasized the three principles of his oncoming leadership: 1. Collaborative leadership; taking account of the enormous amount of talented believers and seeking excellence through collaborative efforts. 2. Moral courage: emphasizing morality as 'the seed of our souls'. 3. Business results: creating an atmosphere of accountability so that the community will benefit, quoting the Glorious Qur'an's statement that man gets what he strives for.
Two other important points brought out by Imam Mansoor Sabree were that, if we work and accomplish goals together for the common good, that the best of us who haven't even been born yet, will praise our names and thank us for our efforts. Also, in his Friday Khutba the previous Friday, he informed the community that he did nothing to seek the position but went on to say that, if Godly people have chosen you, that you must move forward.
A vibrant Q and A session followed in which several topics were raised like what the job description was, how to work with the larger community of Atlanta Muslims, womens' rights, youth policies and increasing marriages within the community.
Yes, history was made yesterday and the future is looking good. |
