An Hour with Imam A.Akbar

   It was Saturday April 26th 2014.  I pulled in to the Masjid Ash Shaheed parking lot at 8:30 in the morning and found a convenient spot right in front of the masjid. As usual smiling faces greeted me with salaams. I told them I came to see Imam Akbar. Instead of taking me to his office through the front entrance brother Maurice took me to the rear of the masjid where I found Imam Akbar actively involved in helping the brothers with housekeeping.

Salam Aleykum Br.Haroon, He greeted me and took me to the conference room. I explained to the Imam my intent to interview him and take some pictures for the Carolina Muslims magazine. We agreed and scheduled to meet the next day at noon so we could spend an hour before mid-day prayer.

On Sunday April 27th we both arrived the masjid almost same time. Conference room was already occupied by some sisters so we setup a table and chairs in the main prayer hall where we sat down for the interview. I know the Imam for more than a decade. Among many other things that I admire in him one thing that stands out is his charismatic smile which never leaves his face.

Born in 1947 to a Baptist family, he attended the church services with his mother from a young age. At age 11, the Imam said, he would read the Bible and ask his mother many questions to which He seldom got answers. He said the rule was – do not question the teachings – so asking the pastor was beyond the scope.

At age 13, He was listening to the albums of Elijah Mohammad the late leader of the Nation of Islam. Imam said He was attracted to Nation of Islam as it instructed many good teachings like abstaining from alcohol and discipline in life. He said, even though Nation of Islam brought discipline in him it did not fill in the spiritual yearning of the heart. He accepted the new direction initiated by Imam W. D. Mohammed in 1975. He studied Al- Islam as a student of Imam W.Deen Muhammed, who is recognized by many Muslim Scholars as being one the foremost scholars and propagator of Al- Islam in the USA.

Imam Khalil Akbar said “Imam W.D. Muhammad brought millions of Nation of Islam followers in to  Al Islam. Thousands of new members also joined Al Islam under his leadership. This might be the biggest ever conversion of people in to Islam in one time since the time of Prophet Muhammad  (peace be upon him)”.

Imam Akbar has served in the role of Imam since 1977. During his tenure as Imam of the Harrisburg Masjid in Pennsylvania, the Muslim community became involved in the broader community participating in voter registration drives, anti-crime seminars, and family-oriented events. An annual Family and Community Day Program that attracted participants from the public and private sector of the community were established under his leadership.

Imam Akbar holds a Masters of Human Services Degree from Lincoln University, a leading HBCU in Pennsylvania. He has also been clinically trained at the Camp Hill Correctional in January 01, 2013.  He now serves as an Adjunct Chaplain for Johnson C. University, a part time position.

Imam Akbar is sought after by civic and community groups to hold dialogues on Al-Islam. He has addressed numerous audiences in Mosques, Churches, and Synagogues. A highlight of these activities is when he joined Rabbi Judith Schindler in a joint effort to address Anti- Semitism and Islamophobia at Temple Beth-el in Charlotte. He served on the Board of Directors for Mecklenburg Ministries for 6 years and currently is a member of that organization’s Clergy Board. He served briefly on the Board of NCCJ and was a member of  Charlotte’s Community Building Taskforce, an initiative spearheaded by the national efforts of President Bill Clinton to improve race relations in this country. He was the recipient of Mecklenburg Ministries’ 2011 Bridge Builders Award. A year later, in 2012, he received the Imam W.Deen Mohammed Distinguished Citizenship award at Muslim Journal’s Time to be Grateful Annual Awards Banquet.

I asked Imam several questions for which he gracefully answered all of them. Here is what I asked him:

Q: What is your goal?

Imam:  I have many goals that I am working on. Foremost is to continue to promote the establishment of Islamic community life in America upon the model of Madinatul Munawara. Other goals include preparing our young Imams (leaders) to provide leadership in the near future and to work with other imams in the association of Imam W.Deen Mohammed to preserve his legacy and leadership in this part of the world.

Q: What is your method of leadership?

Imam: My method of leadership is through Shura Baynahum/Consultation with the most knowledgeable in the community. This is the teaching of The Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Q: What are your priorities?

Imam: To strengthen families beginning with my own, through Quranic leadership and the example of The Prophet. Strong families make strong communities.

To serve the best interests of masjid Ash Shaheed and the Muslim community at large in Charlotte and to promote Islamic education which is really our first priority.

Q: How can we achieve unity?

Unity for the overall Muslim community has to be founded based upon Tawhid (Unity/ Oneness of God). Just saying that we are Muslims is not enough to have unity. We cannot have unity and yet ignore the diversity that Allah has created. As we should know that Allah says in Al Quran, “This community (ummah) of yours is one community and I am your lord so worship me”.

We will have our various learnings and there is nothing wrong with that. Some masjids have a more pragmatic approach and others have a spiritual approach. But that does not make one less Islamic than the other.

The key is to have balance. That means we should not be so pragmatic until we think we can explain everything away, nor should we be so spiritual until we appear to be drunk in the world without the ability to contribute to the good in this world.

Having said that, I believe that Tawheed is what is needed to unite us. That is to say also, that as long as we share the correct aqeeda as it is given in our religion, then we are members of The Ummah, in spite of our diversity.

As we were ending the discussion it was time for the mid-day prayer. Brothers and Sisters started coming in for the prayer and for the class that will follow.

Soon after Imam Akbar had led the prayer the main hall was transferred in to a class room with chairs arranged in rows with an isle diving them. Brothers and Sisters occupied their section of the seats and the Imam engaged them in discussions.

Imam Khalil A. Akbar is the Resident Imam of Masjid Ash Shaheed, located at 400 West Sugar Creek Road in the city of Charlotte. He has officially served in this capacity since 1989 delivering Friday sermons and other classes focusing on Islamic education. He is married to Sister Darlene A. Akbar, his devoted wife and partner for 46 years. They are the proud and grateful parents of 7 daughters, sixteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren.