The decision regarding whether we are going to stay and be citizens or are we going to migrate and return to that presently non-existent "Muslim State" that we all say we want, seems to have already been made. At this juncture I do not see any mass exodus of Muslims from this country and almost all of the ones I see leaving to go back "home" are being deported. In fact, Muslims are steadily populating the waiting lists to get into the United States. Lets face it we are settling in for the long haul. We just haven't figured out how we are going to settle. I'm not going to debate here the Islamic rulings regarding hijra (migration) or staying put. The argument and ensuing scholarly deliberation about it has merit. However for practical purposes it is a moot point. Notwithstanding the follow-up question of where will we go? Thus, the obvious focus needs to be normalizing the practice of Islam in America.

In the United States, Islam has not yet evolved into an organized religion in the conventional sense; we do not have a synod, an ecclesiastical council, a board of bishops, house of deputies or any other religious governing body with real legislative powers. Instead we have an amalgam of imams, sheikhs and political pundits and organizations each with their own limited sphere of influence. It is true that most masaajid, Islamic organizations and Islamic centers have boards and councils and even imams with authority to set rules and guidelines and to adjudicate the affairs of their local community. However with respect to normalcy what we have now is a veritable circus. If someone disagrees with the policy at one masjid, they simple go to the masjid on the other side of town or a few blocks away where a totally different understanding of Islam awaits them. Something can be haram (prohibited) at one masjid and mubaah (permissible) at the next.

The system of marriage and divorce is in shambles. In fact there is no real system in place at all. In too many instances, marriage and divorce are characterized by a capricious recklessness that borders on the insane. All kinds of horror stories are circulating from husbands with multiple welfare wives, sometimes not even knowing of each other's existence. To the unchecked and increasing frequency of HIV infection, to the numerous and undocumented instances of divorce and broken families, to the widespread abuse of the rights and bodies of Muslim women, and that's just touching the surface. Some of us emphatically detest the notion of civil court-sanctioned marriages because it legitimizes the "kaafir" system. Yet, the cavalier disregard of a good number of Muslims for the sanctity of marriage, an institution that the prophet himself hailed as "half of religion", suggests the need for some sort of legal enforcement apparatus. Not in the way of a Muslim police force that goes around arresting people for infractions, that would be unfeasible for obvious reasons. However, across the board consistency would raise the level of compliance and go a long way in establishing normalcy. The simple ma sha Allah scout's honor approach is not working.

It is lamentable that there is such a thing as an Arab Masjid, a Pakistani Masjid, an African American Masjid and so on. We can try to deny that this is the case but who are we kidding? Most Muslim schools in the United States are segregated, Arabs in Arab schools, Pakistanis in Pakistani schools and indigenous Americans in their own schools. The degree of cross-cultural cooperation is at an undesirable low, and tragically, this trend is being passed on to the next generation. In general, Native-born American Muslims are more openly accepting of immigrant Muslims and their culture than the latter are of them. Roughly a quarter of the Islamic practices that we have adopted have been culturally based, imported from the Middle East and other Muslims lands, and not textually based. That trend needs to change.

For Islam to make sense in America, systemic predictability needs to evolve. We need a type of unity that will place the whole of the community on one spectrum. Currently Muslim communities are demarcated primarily on the basis of race; ethnicity and nationality all of which are ludicrous notions especially given the current attack that Islam is under. The irony of Islam in America is that except for a few instances, we are thoroughly integrated secularly and civilly but grossly separated and dysfunctional religiously. For example we are very conscious of obeying civil laws like paying fines and taxes, keeping traffic court dates, even registering to vote. Meticulously adhering to every regulation and being honest, law abiding Americans. In fact, many of us pride ourselves on being law abiding "regular" Americans, especially in this post 9/11 period we are living in. I've even heard Muslims leaders say publicly, "we're as American as apple pie" whatever that means. However, in a religious sense, we are woefully lacking in Masjid attendance, paying zakat (charity), creating our own systems or taking care of our own. There is no such thing as a Muslim hospital in America despite the presence of close to 7 million Muslims. I am an Imam of a Masjid and virtually every Masjid and Islamic Center I am aware of is pathetically cash strapped and has be in a perpetual fundraising mode just to survive.

The majority of Muslims living in the United States aren't part of any organized Muslim community or body in this country. Yes, many of them are sickened by the inability of many Muslim leaders to work together in a meaningful way or to even realize that they are not in the "old country" anymore! Still despite the backwardness of some of our leaders, we have to gather the fortitude work through this quagmire. Somebody needs to kick them in the head (figurative speaking) and say, Dorothy you are not in Kansas anymore ala the Wizard of Oz. We have virtually no religious system of law in place and in many cities; we seem to not be able to agree on which day to celebrate our holidays. Some of us aren't even sure what our real names are. We'll be Yusuf when we come around the Muslims but John to everybody else. Or the even more odious example of the man who goes by Moe the liquor store proprietor during the day but on Fridays and in the Masjid he's Muhammad, the Masjid board member. Give me a break!

Islam as a system does not function well without cohesion, unity or order. As Allah has said "and do not conflict (with one another) for you will fail and your energy will be dissipated" (Quran 8:46). Nor does Islam function well without command (amr). It was ibn Taymiyyah who said: "it is better for the Muslims to live under a tyrannical ruler for 100 years then to be without a ruler for one night".

In the United States, there is currently no Islamic rule, not even on a limited basis, except in the local ways that I described earlier. Muslims in America need to establish a system of law that is comprehensive and applied across the board. Starting on a local, citywide level would be a good beginning. Whatever we are unable to establish we are pardoned from as Allah has said: "Fear Allah to the degree that you can" (Quran 63:16). However to accept a mediocre application of Islam because we are too comfortable living the good American life or because it will cost us more money or because we are afraid of trying is not acceptable. Just look at the Amish in Pennsylvania, the Mormons in Utah or the Jehovah's Witnesses. Three examples of comprehensive religious order right here in the good old USA. If anyone thinks that Muslims can't learn anything from other religious groups, let him be reminded of the hadith of the Prophet (saws): "Wisdom is the lost item of the believer, wherever he finds it, he has more right to it". Perhaps Allah has brought us all here to set an example for Muslims around the world.

Such a system needs to be representative of the full spectrum of orthodox Islam. It needs to be for all Muslims, and representative of all Muslims. Sunni versus Tablighi, Salafi versus Sufi, and modern versus traditional differences need to be tabled for the time being until we have a system that works for all. I refuse to believe that Muslims can go to work everyday with, be neighbors with, or do business with Christians, Gays, Atheists, Jews, hip hoppers, punk rockers, alcoholics, and anyone else, but are unable to put aside differences with other Muslims, even theological differences if need be, for the sake of ensuring a better future for Muslims as a whole. Don't get me wrong, I am a Sunni Muslim, and an adherent of ahlus Sunna wa jamaa'ah (orthodox Islam). However, when a city elects an openly Gay councilman there is no mass departure of Muslims from that district. Yet, we will take umbrage at a person who is a Sufi and will refuse to work with him on that basis alone or vice versa.

There is strong resistance to organized religion amongst Muslims for various reasons. The historical abuse of power by Islamic clergy is one, as witnessed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Ayatollahs in Iran and the Wahaabi Ulema in Saudi Arabia. However, I think that Muslims in the United States have been presented with a unique opportunity because they themselves are a minority and any power granted to a religious body is voluntary and not subjugative. In other words, you won't see a situation where someone's head is chopped off on a whim. Furthermore, Americans are accustomed to cooperation and coalition building. Our whole system of politics is built upon it.

In some ways, the Muslim community in America is in a state of hysterical neurosis, a type of multiple personality disorder where a person is unable to integrate new information and instead narrows their field of consciousness. We are tragically at odds with our own selves. Our short sightedness has backed the Islamic system into a shaky legitimacy that is easily threatened. We will never come out of this abyss unless we aggressively address the problem of racism, nationalism, mathhabism and all the isms that rust the purity of Islam. We are living in tough times that require a greater degree of sacrifice and soul searching. America, despite her faults, decaying morality, capitalist constitution, and relative bias against Islam, is basically a free country and as Muslims we are free to behave intelligently, and practice our religion in an organized, practical and responsible way. We are also free to behave like idiots, bent on self-destruction, with no discernable direction. The choice is ours. It is a hard pill to swallow but sometimes deep-rooted illnesses require drastic measures.

Imam Luqman Ahmad is an Imam in the State of California, USA. You may contact him at [email protected] or visit the Masjid website at www.masjidibrahim.com.