Imam Dawood Yasin
Imam Dawood Yasin | Image captured at Zaytuna College (Berkeley, CA)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Imam Dawood Yasin: Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem. Al-hamdu lillahi Rabb il-'alamin [with Allah’s name — the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer. All praises are due to G-d, The Guardian-Evolver, The Cherisher and Sustainer of all the systems of knowledge.] Wasallahu ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wasallam [and May Allah grant peace and honor to Prophet Muhammad and his family].
My name is Dawood Yasin. I'm 53 years old and the father of five children. I never imagined myself as an educator. However, for the last 17 years of my life I've worked in higher education, at two Ivy League colleges and at America's First Muslim liberal arts college.
Looking back, I can't ever imagine my life without teaching or mentoring. I attribute my success to G-d, and to every person throughout my journey who encouraged me to be better, and to every person who helped me form a vision that I could not see, and to every person who challenged me to push myself beyond what I thought I was capable of achieving.
With regard to educating the next generation, it's my belief, born out of experience, that the most fundamental advice or principle or course of action we can take is to make young people realize the potential that exists within them and to help them cultivate that potential and to remind them that everyone is redeemable before G-d.
Every Sinner has a future and every saint has a past. It is to help them, to see reality as it is. It is to help them know with absolute certainty:
Each one of you has the capacity to move beyond where you are at this moment. Each one of you has the capacity to be victorious, and no one can prevent this victory, as is a promise to each one of you from Almighty G-d.
One of the greatest poets, Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Rumi said, “ours is not a caravan of despair.” And one of my favorite poets, Amir Sulaiman, said, “we must win!”
As a father of four daughters and a newly born son, I have learned that perhaps the most important attribute I must constantly develop as a husband and a parent is my ability to listen. Not only to hear, but to listen. To listen with a heart that is open to critique, to listen closely to what is not being said within the words that are being spoken, and even more importantly, to listen intently to what is being asked for at the time of speaking when the request occurs without using words.
Being able to listen has allowed me to garner a deeper understanding of the wants, needs and aspirations of those around me. It is my sincerest hope that I can transform my ability to listen into action and be the best version of myself as a son, a husband, a father, and an educator, especially for my sixth month old son.
The next generation faces challenges that were unimaginable for many of us. Growing up, we did not face the challenge of having 24/7 access to the world, and the world having 24 access to us. The resulting impact upon our youth is the erosion of identity and the increased uncertainty of who they are and who they want to be. However, our faith makes it unequivocally clear who we are and who we ought to be. Therefore, if we neglect to impress this upon the next generation, then we have no right to complain about the bitter fruit we find at the time of harvest.
Complaining is easy, and I am absolutely guilty of this. Pointing out the flaws of the next generation requires little effort. Unfortunately, our complaining for the most part occurs in a manner that does not facilitate growth. Rather, it usually stifles and or tears down. However, there's an apparent irony, which is, many of the flaws that we see in the next generation are the direct result of our own neglect.
As adults our inability to consistently model upright moral behavior to leave blameworthy acts, and to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to what is loved by G-d creates a cognitive dissonance in the eyes and minds of our youth.
I recently read a quote that said, “don't be upset by the results you didn't get with the work you didn't do.” We should reflect deeply upon the meaning of this and think of the implication this has on character development for the next generation.
In closing, let me share this everyone wants to be successful, everyone wants to do their best, and everyone should be granted the opportunity to be great. It is undeniable that opportunities abound in our communities. However, these opportunities will only be realized when we rightfully assume our responsibility to shepherd our flocks with prophetic love and guidance.
Imam Dawood Yasin is the Director of Student Life and Center for Ethical Living and Learning at Zaytuna College. His field specialties include Arabic, Community Studies, and Ethical Living and Learning. At Zaytuna College, Imam Dawood has taught all levels of Arabic, leads the Experiential Learning Program, and teaches archery. Prior to his post at Zaytuna College, Imam Dawood served as Muslim Life and Service-Learning Coordinator at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. He previously served as Director of Outreach Affairs at Zayed Center for Islamic Culture in the United Arab Emirates and as an Arabic language teaching assistant at Yale University.
