Shaykh Maseehullah Hassan (San Ramon Valley Islamic Center): Get to Know Your Local Imam

Balal we have Sheikh Masia Alah Hassan. So Shehikh Masah Hassan is an instructor at Tanzil Academy. He currently manages the San Ramon Valley Islamic Center service. He gives lectures and conducts various classes for the Tri Valley community. She Hassan previously served as an instructor for Dar Sufa Institute. He also served as a resident scholar at the Islamic Center of Columbus, Georgia and the Islamic Center of Orange Park, Florida. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, his family migrated to the US in 2000. At the age of 12, he completed the memorization of the Quran under the toutelage of his father, the honorable Kari Abdul Haleem, may Allah bless him, of Vancouver. He then enrolled at the Darl Alum al- Medina in Buffalo, New York, where he completed his first four years of Arabic and Islamic Jewish students. He conducted his studies at the Islamic University of Azadville, South Africa. Mashallah. He also uh is specialized in Alulfik and received his jazza in all seven modes of of the Quran. He currently resides in Sanon California with his wife and three daughters. Mashallah Masah I was born and raised in San Ramon and grew up at Sanon Valley Islamic Center and I can say that m after she masah joined our community the entire hal of the community changed mashallah. So we ask Allahhana tala to bless him and increase him and to bless him and his family. Alhamdulillah. Service has never been the same uh after he joined mash in a positive way. Alhamdulillah. How did you end up in this position of community service? What is the main issue or problem you're seeing in the Muslim community in the Bay Area in the pastoral care that you are engaged in? We can [clears throat] alhamdulillah. [clears throat] So alhamdulillah we I grew up in South Africa in my very young years um late 80s I was born in early 90s we spend over there alhamdulillah um one of the most important things that I can remember uh going back to those days was the connection of the Quran that my mother had and I think that was huge um it emphasized hu you know big time in our household uh where to the point where if you were to go on a field trip or a you know or journey or come back from someone's house doesn't matter what time of the night it is it could be 11:00 p.m. could be 11:30 p.m. But the recitation of surah mul was mandatory before going to sleep. That was ingrained so much. And I'm telling you, as a 8 n 10year-old, you're like, "What?" Your head's falling asleep. You're smacking yourself trying to figure out what to do. How can I get away with this? But really the instilling of the Quran from a very young age um and not just going to Quran class but bringing it home reciting it properly trying your level best giving it your all was emphasized from the top down it was not something beta if you feel like doing it go ahead and read it you'll be we'll be very happy for you we'll give you this no there was no choice get up read the Quran because at that time of your life you it's required of you to go through that so that's One thing that really sticks out to me in terms of memory, uh, did I think that I was going to be an imam? Uh, no. Um, I think I may have realized that it was a possibility maybe around the age of 14 or 15. Uh, we moved to the States. I was 11 years old. Alhamdulillah. Um, 911 happened 2 months after we moved. Um, so it was a very interesting time in Seattle. There were not a lot of massagid. The area that we lived in was predominantly um Americans, if you will, white Americans. Um so it was a very interesting time growing up and the amount of pressure required on imam at that time when there was not as much support as we have in today's time from a community perspective from individuals and other imams and leaders as well was immense. Um and so my father coming there um we we would see a lot of him in South Africa but effectively when he moved to the US it was very little times of the day that he was available for us just because you're community building and it's not something um in a negative it's actually a alhamdulillah the masid was maybe across the street from our house um so there's always an opportunity to see him at salah and things of that nature but meetings and uh and different outreach activities uh took up a lot of his time which personally for me I was like I'm not so sure this is for me just to be frank and honest uh it takes a lot of a a lot of um time and effort and energy and so I grew up when Microsoft was going through its boom um in Microsoft hub headquarters um I know many individuals that have high positions um in in in those companies for many many years um and frequented some of the buildings and things of that nature and so my idea was tech at a very young age. Alhamdulillah, I had the opportunity, you know, so just to give you a little backdrop of how we grew up was um maybe one house in the entire uh acquaintances and families that we knew had a computer and that had Windows 95. It was one house. So we would all fight. I remember me and my uncles would fight. Me and my cousins would fight for that one computer. Shifting over to United States, we saw computers everywhere. I remember going to a garage sale, picking one up, find out, oh, this is Linux, what is that? And so, long story short, alhamdulillah, like I developed some type of experience in there, but more on the hardware side where we started actually building these computers and that was like kind of my passion and what drove me. But in the meantime, I was uh doing HV uh and I started that in in South Africa. I did a few years uh maybe a year and some change over there. I did about five months with my father. And then he realized the relationship between father and son was he doesn't really pan out very well. Right? Just fact of the matter, right? So he said, "All right, I'm shipping you off to um to a school in Canada." Uh so Abdul Khaleim was there and I had the honor of studying under him. And I say that because uh alhamdulillah he served in Mecca as a teacher for over 20 years. And he was one of the teachers of one of the imams of Haram. So that really like be like wow I get to study under someone who taught someone who was the imam of the haram. That was just you know at 12 years old. Uh so alhamdulillah within the year I think it took me about a year to finish the remainder 14 um 12 and a half to 13 jw um and it was a beautiful time a beautiful moment and then I thought hey I'm coming back and going to continue school and so on and so forth but he instructed me at the end he said hey you've memorized the Quran this is what you've done you've accomplished it mashallah at least try to find out what what the Quran the message of the Quran the importance of the message of the Quran u so I feel like that's where my journey started And um and after studies like uh like uh Sidish Sean mentioned um I came back to the US with the intention of actually opening a school in in Seattle. For whatever reason that didn't pan out. I ended up doing in Florida and that turned into an opportunity to serve the community. But I prefer a grassroots effort. I don't I prefer going to a place and and structuring it from you know from day one trying to figure out how to build the community as opposed to filling a shoe that may have already been there before. Just my personal preference and I think like it's just growth as well. Um so alhamdulillah I stayed there for about 7 years. A lot of ups and downs um a lot uh of ups and downs. I diverted doing to construction and remodeling as well for a while and that that served me well in many capacities. Um and then alhamdulillah that also took me to Atlanta, Georgia that that area. And because I was in that area doing a little bit of real estate, an opportunity opened up in Columbus and I said and really the advice of my father was you're not trained to be a real estate agent. That's not what your training is. Yeah, you can study it. You can do but that's not what you you served so much time studying. at least be connected to the community in some way. So yes, let's do it. I'm here. So we started it and alhamdulillah I stayed there for about 2 years. But to be very frank and honest, it's a position that is that is for you know for special individuals who understand what it takes. And my journey of that understanding even though I was at that point 8 years in was just beginning. But my parents moved were in Seattle. I'm in Florida, Georgia. My wife's family's here and New York. So I said, "Hey, let's move closer to family." And I and I kid you not, my wife will say this. I for the longest time I said, "I'm never moving to California. Never." Um and you never say never. Alhamdulillah, I am here. It's been this this month here will be the completion of seven years. I came here to start a Quran program in the Sanong Valley Islamic Center. And I remember one of the first interviews that I had with the person who was facilitating it was, "Hey, you're are you know you you've already graduated 8 years ago. Do you still want to teach Quran or do you want to teach some other books?" And at time I was like, there's no way. What other books are there? I want to teach Quran first. That's like priority. Alhamdulillah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala facilitated his way. Had that conversation happened 6 months later, I wouldn't have been here because CO would have happened and everything would have been shut down. Literally 6 months after I arrived, we started the program and then COVID hit. Um, late 2019, early 2020, uh, we were expecting a our second child and that was like, wo, what's going on? What am I going to do? How are things going to come into play? And uh it was at that time that Sanon reached out and said hey you know we've seen you for about six year I mean 6 months or so and we like you and let's let's start something and it was more on a management basis not necessarily a scholarship basis and and slowly slowly over the few years alhamdulillah um you know more opportunities have arise and I tell I tell like some of my friends I try to run away with it from from the position of being an imam or being a religious leader but it just keeps uh um you know um for whatever reason bringing me back. I guess you don't choose it, it chooses you, right? So, alhamdulillah, may Allah subhah accept it and and I hope it's some form of inspiration to the young ones. >> Alhamdulillah. >> Thank you so much. [clears throat] >> Personally, and and I 100% agree with all that's been said. Um, when we go to spaces that we act cordial and appropriate, we care about our perception, we care about the outcome, we care about the position, we care about the boss, we care about all these things. [snorts] Unfortunately, um, and we witness this now with our very own eyes, back to the main theme of the genocide is that no matter how much resources we have at this moment, we are crippled. We don't have the capacity to impact change on on a very high level. And so that comes down, in my opinion, to being unplugged from the community. I don't really care too much about the masid. And I'm going to talk about finances and money. Those things are different. But actual emotional care and attachment so much so that if the light is on, I'm going to turn the light off when I leave. But no, it's still left on or things of that nature. being unplugged from the masid. And and I like to say this is that if the shoulders that we stand on of these giants that has have established communities and centers, if they acted the same way as we act today, just generally speaking, we would not have we would probably like Azarman said it very well. We'll still be praying Juma in a closet, right? We'll still be praying Juma in a closet. We would not have what we have today if they did not sacrifice their time and energy not for themselves for the community. And so in mundane activities like volunteering um like you know just finding manpower to do things on a day-to-day basis. It is extremely hard to find. Right Murice? Yes. Yeah. It is extremely hard to find and cherish. And those that do it, you will notice that they are repeat and they constantly have this very deep attachment to the masid and they're very happy to do it. So if you don't find a volunteer, someone else is going to take your space like Allahh clearly states in the Quran that he'll replace you with someone else who care about it and do it. That is there. But from a from a from a general perspective as a community, I think being plugged into the community, being aware of the community as opposed to coming here and saying how can I volunteer? What can I do? thinking of something that the community needs, building a resource group around you and facilitating that for the community is probably better for the community and for yourself. And so when that happens, inshallah, then that attachment to the dean happens, that reconnection to the true essence of the dean happens, the reconnection like he said to adab and the care and the and the just utmost gentleness that you conduct yourself with in all your affairs that you do. And inshallah with that I I think that's good enough. Yeah. >> Question is what is the most beautiful thing that you're seeing in the community in your pastoral pastoral work and charact and uh a lot of the thoughts that I initially had was mentioned so I'm not going to be not going to remention it as well. Um but uh I feel working with the youth for me personally as a youth director at Sanon Valley Islamic Center I have seen a tremendous growth in the past few years especially post 200 um was it 2023 um a lot of initiatives happening within the youth and them trying their best according to their capacities and abilities and you know their weaknesses and strengths and so on and so forth. um trying to get closer to an understanding of of Islam and and yes sometimes that leads towards questions that uh potentially wouldn't have been there had they had the right upbringing uh in some manner but uh but that eager desire for them to a um to figure out a way to be Muslim in this country and then I also want to you know fall back on that there's so much happening in in American uh you know societies this year with regards to Islam and the ease of practicing Islam has become so abundantly easy for us. We really have no excuse. And so these youngsters irrespective of their journey in life, alhamdulillah, I've seen just in Sanon community, I don't know over a dozen, maybe even over 20 where you know a young person brings their Christian friend to become Muslim >> and it's not the adult doing it. It's really just the adab between the Muslims that you know that these young ones have and the other person just being you know enamored by it and like wow what's going on what do you and then to have the confidence to talk about your faith where as I said we grew up and know you know for many of you guys you probably were born after 911 but in that early stages you really you have to have a lot of confidence as a young person 12 13 14 15 whatever to actually talk about your faith much much forget about dressing like a Muslim we're talking talking about your faith, being confident about your faith, um praying salah with with with no with no um you know um you know feeling any inferiority type of complex type of situation. So I really really uh very happy um there's a lot to be done but very happy with the productivity of the youth uh the energy that the youth bring. I think that's going to be the that is not going to be that is the future of Islam here. Um, and the stronger that we can build our youth and support them and allow for the elders in the community to recognize potential and take that potential and utilize it and not wait for a a rainy day to then transfer over that uh you know that those type of resources and and and things of that nature. Uh so inshallah um I have um you know high hopes for them inshallah that Allah protect our youth um guide them facilitate for them the means and also empower them with the right knowledge and confidence and strength to be able to take Islam here in the United States to the next level >> imams and boards notoriously have a very tough relationship you guys have all made it work alhamdulillah I know forgive me one minute what's the advice there to boards to the community how are you guys making it work. >> Um, it's a special relationship between the imam and the board. I think I've grown to appreciate that relationship more in the recent past. Alhamdulillah. Uh, but it can be a struggle. Um, try it's hard to um, subhan Allah. When someone's involved in the effort of the community, a lot of times the efforts are happening outside of the presence of the board. So then being able to witness your um your you know your efforts and and things of that nature is a bit tough in the early stages. But I feel like with growth and with understanding and probably the most important thing if someone is looking for a path like this um is to be very clear with regards to your expectations um and to communicate that and have constant communication. Be proactive with regards to yearly check-ins. Don't wait for them to bring forth hey we need to have a meeting with you. No I want to have a meeting with you so that way I am fulfilling my huck in the community and being very open with regards to uh change as a person yourself and as board members themselves to be very open to that. Um and inshallah you'll have a flourishing uh relationship inshallah. Um there's a lot of pressure being an imam, right? Like right rightly or wrongly wrongly people will walk into the mosque and they're not connected to the community and the imam is the dean, right? Imam Taher is the dean in that moment. So if IM Taher has a bad day, it's like this person's faith is in crisis. Or if Tah has a good day, then they're on top of the world. Like how do you how do imams deal with this pressure? And can imams have an off day? How how how do you deal with the pressure of being an imam and this religious responsibility? >> You you get to a point at some time, you know, at some point in your journey where uh the pressure of the people doesn't really affect you as much. Um knowing how to deal with people, especially folks within your community, they know you, you know. So, I think there's a lot of that um that's already unpacked and that pressure doesn't really um you don't have to prove anything at every single moment. But what the pressure really is and and just to go back a little bit is something happens and you have four different things uh that that showed up on the same day. That's pressure. You have all of a sudden things change. Your schedule change, your time with your family changed. Now that can really uh pull down a person and he or she in a leadership role could really be like, man, I'm slaving myself away. But I think the connection that we have with Islam and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and serving the dean alleviates a lot of that pressure. Um I think where the pressure truly is is what alluded to at the end is that the pressure with yourself and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah knows that you're trying your best but you as a human being ensuring or trying your best to be you know to fulfill that responsibility in the in the best manner possible with the qualities of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam with the sincerity uh that the sahab displayed in their character and in their actions finding a way to get closer to that path. I think that pressure in my opinion for me personally um is is something that's uh that uh that can be uh you know immense but alhamdulillah you have good hope and good will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will accept you as you are trying your best with sincerity of time um mah you you talked to us about uh the Quran how it was emphasized at your home uh you tal alhamdulillah you have Jazad and the sevenat and you are leading a Quran institution. Uh what is your general advice to the community about fostering the Quran in the community? Um and also for communities that are very remote uh that don't maybe have a Quran teacher, how do they do it? Where do they begin? How do they start? And in any advice there, [clears throat] I know it's it's going long, but uh the theme of this was giving the imam the mic. So you guys know how long that takes. So uh uh with regards to fostering the love of the Quran in the home, it starts with the family itself. It does not start with the Quran program. It does not start with a sheh or an aad. It does not start with uh someone else in the community. There is only one way to start the love and foster the love of the Quran within the home. Yes, you can have one child who can you know on a rare scenario be you know um kind of like attracted towards uh towards the path but in terms of fostering it in your home it starts and ends with the Quran. Um so from a very young age if I can you know if I can advise the parents is to ensure that your children from a very young age have a connection to the Quran. Myself and Sammy earlier we were discussing we said when we grew up was it even a possibility for an 11year-old not to read the Quran much less the kala and everything I mean the kima and all that you know nowadays so many duas in salah unfortunately are not being taught to to the to the children um and then the Quran the recitation of the Quran is non-existent u you know I've spoke personally spoken to many individuals I haven't opened the Quran for 40 ears. Like that was just plainly said in a very non I I didn't think it didn't come from a caring. It was just a regular walk and I say, "Hey, you know, I haven't opened the Quran for 40 years." And so, so that love for the Quran starts with the parents. [clears throat] In a scenario where the child has already grown up [snorts] and maybe they're in their teen years, um I think you have to be a little more patient and find ways to attract them to a program. My advice to people who have programs is to ensure that you are catering to them with fun activities by attracting them in. I'm a big sucker for barbecues. You can ask anyone out here who has who has attended any of my programs from day one. The most important thing for me was the barbecue, the steak on the grill, the burger on the grill. I know for a fact they're going to read their new lesson tomorrow. So, right, it was it was a bribe in some way, but I feel like catering to them and allowing them to express themselves and not just force the Quran down their throat. Now, just hold on. We grew up in a completely different time. There was a nice, you know, maybe what three foot stick next to next to the teacher. You had no choice. You really didn't have a choice. It was uh it was the stick or it was the Quran. You pick your poison, right? If you will. And so we would you know we grew up in a completely different time and I actually thank my teachers for that you know we were told all sorts of things like if your teacher hits you here you will go this part of your limb won't go to won't go to jahannam so we like fighting to get the the hit moving further ahead you know like and so it's a completely different time but we appreciate it because they in their manner in their way instill the love of the Quran in our lives. Yes, people do have negative um you know circumstances in in this regard for for the most part we appreciative of it in today's time um you know a student who does not have the capacity to sit for five six hours in front of the Quran you should know your child I want so one of the biggest thing in our community in our communities a status symbol which is my ch my child should become a hed it's all of a sudden now yes you have to you know ba became hed and you know this is now a big status symbol after becomes I don't know what he's doing, right? As long as he's everything's fine. Um and so we need to get rid of that. That's number one. Um which means that in order for you to become a you have to spend some time with the Quran and that's a considerable amount of time, 5 6 7 hours. But not every student has the capacity to sit for 6 hours. They just don't. And the fact of the matter is going to work against them in the long run. So finding out who they are and and how you can take them on that journey to understand and read the Quran in their own capacity in their own manner and and one of the beauties of the Quran itself is that you don't have to do the work later. The Quran itself will attract that child to be able to read the Quran properly. And then that shows, hey, I was able to memorize surah Naba. Okay, let's try from 30 from the 29th Jurah Mul. And you can tell now the child is like, wow, I'm actually three, four, five J. After seven J, it's very easy to memorize the Quran. The first seven Jews is the hardest you know and after that it is just just a consistent approach that the child has to have and they'll inshallah memorize the entire Quran. So fostering that love at home as a parent taking out time to read the Quran. So opening the Quran after fudger opening the Quran before going to sleep 10 minutes 5 minutes it doesn't have to be for a whole hour and you're just sitting there and you're reading the Quran in a loud manner. One of the things that my dad did was uh you are not allowed to read the Quran softly and this is for all the students and some of my students are here how many times at class you're like guys read loud there's there's an effect that it has on your body the energy that it gives to your body and also to those around you so even in the home if you tell your son hey uh before you play games so one of the things we have with my children is before they want to do something they have to they have to read one page of the Quran so it's not too much it's not going to take them more than 10 or 5 minutes, but they have to read one page of the Quran, then they can get what they want to do. Want to go outside and play this? Let's read one page. Let's go outside. So, they get to read three to five pages a day like that in those increments. [snorts] And so, um, one of the things is they have to read loud. They cannot read softly. It cannot be lip service. It cannot just be something where they mumbling. They must read loud to be able to feel that energy, to be able to then also teach their siblings. And it becomes a process. And then inshallah thereafter it's very easy for them to open the Quran and sit in front of the Quran and recite the Quran. You don't you don't understand like honestly speaking um me personally when you go out into the wilderness or you're doing something the first thought alhamdulill the first thought that comes to your mind whether your Quran is strong or not that's a whole different conversation but the first thought is the recitation and the melody of the Quran in those circumstances when you are alone no song nothing can even get close to that um and so inshallah is >> um okay bismah we're going to open it up for questions We're going to start with the the sisters and then we're >> question. >> Yes, we're going to start with the sisters then we're going to go to the brothers and then we're going to go online. If you want to address your question to a specific imam, please do so. Otherwise, if it's not addressed to a specific imam, I will be fielding the questions to them so that it's it's fair and equal. >> I just had a question. I felt I feel that uh you know something happened at San Ramon today, San Demon Valley Islamic Center and people are saying where's Shia Hassan? And I'm like he's the imam. He's not in charge of this. There should be a facility manager who should be doing the stuff and the imam is not you know like a whole 24 hours 7 days a week person you know the imam needs to so I feel you guys have to have a very strict you know thing that this is what the imam does and everything else there's the board of trustees there's the board of directors I mean they take care of this stuff they you are not in charge you know so I just that's what all I wanted to say alhamdulillah we got it resolved in two hours alhamdulillah alhamdulillah We won't we won't create fireworks with this whole facilities director versus imam thing but okay brothers a question asalamikum I had a I had a question specifically for uh in regards to our um slightly older kids slightly older generation as they are getting into high school as they are getting into professional life going to college etc. Now they are stepping out of their family uh tradition and the family uh uh uh values and and things they see at home versus what they see outside. And one of the things that I think a lot of them end up seeing is just the variety variety of not not just talking about non-Muslims, right? Just the Muslim community, Muslim kids, Muslim fellow uh co-workers who just bring such a big different uh thing that they have never seen. Some are just not practicing, some are just questioning all kinds of things. So they are dealing with so many things going on around them. uh what would be your advice for them and how do they how do they get back to their roots and how do they stick to their roots when all these things are just raising all these questions in their mind? >> Yeah. Uh okay, we're going to mah since you're a youth director and please take the question. Um, you know, I've noticed that as well. Um, I think they need a good support group. Uh, especially around um, you know, the 12th grade and then going on to probably even closer to 25 26 is when they then start to re-engage back with the community. We had a question. We had the same scenario come up with Journey. Um, the purpose there's a there's an organization that we started um, maybe six, five, six years ago is called Journey Bay Area. um and it is targeted specifically to that to that age range post high school and and and beyond. And I think in those um areas is a first of all your grounding at home is extremely important and if it has been you know uh consistent then they will have a foundation that they will always always fall back on. Um secondly as parents to ensure that we attending the masid once a day will encourage them to at least once a day my apolog at least once a day will encourage them to then also um you have this type of cultural custom or something of that nature that they understand maybe they're doing it three times a week but at least it's something in their life. um you know it's it's a tough period um like who said you know you befriend them at that time you're giving them advice you're not necessarily instructing them your expectations of them are a little bit different now in comparison to later but finding and I think that's where our uh our job is as communities are because we have enough adult programs and we have and I would like to say in San and close by areas we have enough youth programs we don't have that enough programs for that age and I've seen even in the youth programs from 15 years old, 16 years old, they start to dwindle away. They would rather have more fun than sit in a halaka. So maybe finding ways to have fun to attract them to, you know, activities, basketball, training, so on and so forth in that in that preol years and postcol years, maybe uh organizing socials with them. And yes, that can get a little finicky with regards to cross-gender relationships and stuff like that, but ensuring that that organization has a scholar or someone who is experienced at the event, I think will give them some sort of confidence. I've seen I've seen a lot of good happen in my opinion um in in that sphere. Alhamdulillah, this for example, this organization journey, I think when we started 50 30 40 people and I think the last Eid one, they had like 300 signups. It was, you know, so there there is movement. I think it's just really about finding the right zone, the right place, the right people. Um, so our purpose here in the United States, that intention is extremely important. Um, it's not just to kind of like settle ourselves and be comfortable, but I think it's also because we have as Muslims, we have the responsibility of a form of da. And my opinion is that da or calling or preaching or even really just showing people what Islam is can't happen from a Muslim village. they would have that type of it'll be a demographic thing where you you coming from there you're not part of us uh scenario um and so I think assimilating with the people to some extent and being a part of the people I think it's from the sunnah um it's working with one another building bridges building communities finding ways to attract people to naturally without pushing Islam down their throat down the throat as they say naturally to Islam if if you will um um and at least from a from a compassionate perspective, not necessarily embracing Islam, but at least they care about you and they and they accept you and they and they receive you well. And this happens when you're with people, but going back to what I tied mentioned was that foundation at home is your Muslim village. that is your village that you're going to you know um um kind of like stand on and ensure that your family to the best of your ability and and and our abilities inshallah may Allah protect all of us that they are they they have similar mindsets they're able to work within their uh within their you know faith and so on and so forth and I and I think that works better for us in the long done. Um, we low tide on