On 26th of June 2020, Friday, Silsilah will be starting the first episode of the new online formation entitled “Living Faith”. This is a two-part program with ten episodes each. The first part will be focusing on the Muslim’s sharing and insights on the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah while the second part will be about the Christian faith experience on the Beatitudes of Jesus. (To know more about this program visit https://www.facebook.com/silsilahdialogue/).
In connection with this, we are happy to present to this Oasis News the story entitled “From Fisherman to Imam” of Imam Jay Jikiri. This is a touching story that reveals how a good Muslim leader live his faith and serve the community even with criticisms yet still convinced that his service is a witnessing of his faith.
My faith always reminds me, there is no way but to surrender it to Allah and become more patient.
Growing up in a religious family, I was guided by my parents and elders in understanding and practicing my Islamic faith. The idea of becoming an Imam, however, never really entered my mind until members of my local community started to urge me to consider the possibility of becoming one. At first I am hesitant with this responsibility considering that I am a father of six and I am struggling to make ways and means to sustain our needs in order to meet the meager amount I am earning as fisherman.
Nevertheless, we can never really say no to the will of God, can we? I realized that doing the will of Allah is the most beautiful and courageous act a person can do in his life. The members of my community urged me to become their Imam in the year 2000. After two years of further studies and training, I became a full-pledged community Imam, answering many religious and community responsibilities that came with the title. Sometime after, I was appointed as a purok leader (a leader of a small neighborhood community).
In my capacity, I am challenge to do my utmost best in leading and maintaining peace in our neighborhood, serving them using my little knowledge and whole heart. This is one of the great things that I can do to become a role model to my fellow Muslims in terms of values and way of living. Moreover, life then became more challenging to me. As an Imam, one of my responsibilities is to teach children not only the Arabic language but also the values in life that our religion teaches. I started this kind work on a voluntary basis. I taught “Religion” at the nearby elementary school without any wage. It has never been easy for me. I am religion teacher by day and fisherman by night. As a volunteer teacher, I struggled my duties and responsibilities as a father and as teacher. I have no other source of income but my work as a fisherman yet I continue with this kind of life.
In enduring this kind of situation, more sacrifices followed especially when my beloved wife passed away in the year 2009. I am almost hopeless. I was on the verge of discouragement and it took a great toll on me. However, one day, while teaching in school, a saying from Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) came into my mind as a consolation: “You will never have a better life in this world, unless you become more patient.” True enough patience and endurance through life challenges pays a great deal. I became a substitute Religion Teacher under the Department of Education, Region IX, Zamboanga City on 2009 and became a regular teacher on the following year.
Given my wider involvement now, I get to deal with people of diverse background, culture and religion. This help me to realize that I need to learn more. Then, Silsilah Dialogue Movement came as form of providence. During that time, Silsilah is looking for an Arabic Teacher for their own Madrasah. Out of the many teachers in our department, I was assigned by our person-in-charge to fill the position. It was indeed a blessing; I started to work in Silsilah on September 2016. In this span of time, I learned many new things about my own religion and of the others. Working with Silsilah widened my perspectives in life. This wider perspective and my role in our small community contributed a lot in my growth as a leader, teacher and Father. Conflicts and misunderstandings in the community is part of life and inescapable. I am always challenge to take this as part of my growth both personally and communally. This is something relatable to what is always been said of dialogue – “Dialogue is an expression of the Love of God, Love of Neighbor, and the Love for the Common Good”. With this, I can attest that my favorite sayings from the Prophet Muhammad became more real and more meaningful to me now more than ever.
I remember a recent conflict among Muslims and Christian families in our neighborhood. Culturally, the Islamic virtue of avoiding liquor is practiced in our small community. But it so happened that one Christian family nearby put up a small store selling hard drinks. It could not be avoided that some young Muslim boys got so curious to buy and try these hard drinks. Intoxicated, one boy went home and made his conservative parents so surprised. The parents got so angry not only to the boy but also to the storeowner whom they believed that sold liquor to their son and his friends. On that incident, my attention was called because of the unnecessary physical harm happening on both parties. What I did was, to persuade them to sit down together and to talk about it. The resolution of the problem started when both parties was given the chance to express on what they believe. It is good opportunity also for each them to have the chance to listen and be heard.
My dealings with my own fellow Imams, however, had not been without any difficulty. Since the time I started working with Silsilah, they have branded me as a potential “Christian Convert” for working with a priest. The truth is contrary to this. In fact, I appreciate more my Islamic faith than before. As I grow in faith, my experience with Silsilah has made me appreciate other faiths as well. Being criticized and somehow ousted by my own kind can at times inflict pain but as my faith always reminds me, there is no way but to surrender it to Allah and become more patient. This has always been the way for me.
-Imam Jay Jikiri