Reinstating the Ramadan Sessions

The Ramadan Sessions of Imam W.D. Mohammed were a tradition of unity for the many thousands who followed him out of the Nation of Islam into the Sunnah Islamic belief system. Recently, many areas of the country have attempted to restart this tradition that has disappeared since his death in 2008.

By Naomi S. Feaste

Members of Raleigh’s As Salaam Islamic Center (ASIC) and Durham’s Ar-Razzaq Isamic Center joined on July 11th and 12th to hold the first Ramadan Sessions. Imam W.D. Mohammed (RA) began these sessions in the early 2000s and Muslims would travel to Chicago and immerse themselves for hours in absorbing Quranic instructions presented by the Imam. These presentations were powerful and motivating, giving attendees uplifting tidbits of wisdom that could be digested throughout the year. In keeping with this tradition, communities around the country have gradually begun hosting new Ramadan Sessions.

The first presentation for 2015’s restarted Ramadan Sessions was given by Sister Hajjah Aqila Sharif-Hanifa, who presented “Ramadan: Revelation and Empowerment.” The presentation began with Sura 2:185, “The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was produced and bestowed guidance and clear evidence upon mankind; it is the guidance of the distinction between the Truth and Falsehood or Deception.” Aqila stated, “The success of one’s fast depends on one’s conscientiousness of his or her behavior. This same conscious behavior is necessary while on Hajj.”

“How does one know that man is required to maintain certain behavior in order to achieve success?” she asked. “This authorization or empowerment is found in Divine Revelation to mankind. In Al-Quran, Allah instructs man of his responsibility as caretaker or vicegerent of the Earth,” she said; “furthermore, it is during those three periods in this holy month that one can work to conquer weaknesses, thus transforming one’s soul to improve behavior. A transformed soul seeks to address the many societal ills that face us today.”

Next, Maurice Hines taught the “Qur’anic Literacy Model.” His presentation proposed that “a methodical plan of self-study that can be applied to any competence level of reading the Qur’an.” He explained, “It’s based on the idea of information literacy, frequently discussed in the field of library and information science. The resulting model entails a combination of two things: 1) a reading level (sensory, disciplinary, or spiritual), and 2) a reading intensity (extensive or intensive).” Use of this model assists a reader in absorbing different parts of information based on focused reading parameters.

Sister Aquila, an African-American woman, stands wearing a black hijab and long shirt while in a lush yard. This photo was taken after her talk during the Ramadan Sessions.
Sister Aqila challenges us to enhance our consciousness in executing our Islamic duties. During 2015 Ramadan Sessions she expressed the importance of using higher thinking.

The final presentation was given by Dr. Rhonda K. Muhammad. As she introduced herself, she encourages each of us to take time to tell our story as she shared her own family’s story. She explained, “There is value in telling your story because it can inspire and motivate others to fulfill their own work in the propagation of the Deen.” After detailing her family’s history in promoting the spread of Islamic thought as they moved through North Carolina, she concluded, “As African American Muslims, we played a significant role in the establishment of al Islam in America. Even though our beginnings were humble, there are powerful messages in the human struggle that are worthy of sharing with our young people and others. Correlations can also be drawn between the struggle of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the early believers.”

In three concise presentations, believers were presented with ideas which appealed to the soul’s desire to perfect itself for Allah, the mind’s desire to perfect it’s perception of Allah’s word and the Muslim’s overall desire to perfect his interaction with society. Alhamdulillah, the re-ignition of Imam Mohammed’s legacy in Ramadan Sessions is off to a roaring success which we will, insha’Allah see continued for many years to come.

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