 CONFERENCE
2002
You shall hold fast to the rope of GOD, all
of you, and do not be divided….(3:103)
The 17th annual United Submitters International Conference was
held in Tucson, Arizona August 9-11, 2002. As always, it was a wonderful
blessing to get together with submitters from around the world.
The Friday prayer was led by Amir Kia, who managed to arrive from
halfway around the world just in time. In his Khutba, he talked
about fashion, with the reminder that, while we may worry about
getting our clothes just right, our most important garment is the
garment of righteousness. O children of Adam, we have provided
you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But
the best garment is the garment of righteousness. (7:26) Clothes
protect our body from the elements, but the garment of righteousness
is God’s protection for our soul. So we should spend much
more of our time worrying about how our garment of righteousness
looks than how our clothes look.
Abdullah opened the conference with his welcoming remarks, expressing
appreciation for all of the submitters who had come, especially
those who had traveled far, to attend the conference. He envisioned
that the light from the submitters was shining brightly in Tucson
this weekend, and he reminded us that that light would attract Satan.
We need to be careful not to let him divide the community and disrupt
our conference.
Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible
manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them.
Surely, the devil is man's most ardent enemy. (17:53)
Over 200 people were in attendance and they introduced themselves
to laughter and applause. As always, the new submitters were cheered
and congratulated. It’s important to remember that only a
minority of the minority will follow God’s guidance and strive
on His path. So it’s a blessing indeed to be counted among
the submitters.
Throughout the conference, we were treated to beautiful renderings
of songs in commemoration (zikr) of God. Everyone joined in and
the room echoed with the sounds of praise and glorification. Such
zikr unites us as one voice, lifts the soul and fills the hearts
with joy.
The first talk set the mood as Rahim Talai asked if we remembered
today to thank God for His blessings. God gives us so much every
day and we often forget to be appreciative. All of the talks offered
interesting points of view on submission and all of God’s
miracles around us. Once again, young submitters gave wonderful
talks, having done excellent research. Power point has greatly enhanced
the quality of presentations, opening new avenues to graphically
express their ideas.
The final talk electrified us all, as Sabah Currim gave a wonderful
visual presentation of the awesome power of lightning. It was the
perfect finale to a conference charged with spiritual energy.
He is the One who shows you the lightning as a source of fear,
as well as hope, and He initiates the loaded clouds. The thunder
praises His glory, and so do the angels, out of reverence for Him.
He sends the lightning bolts, which strike in accordance with His
will. Yet, they argue about GOD, though His power is awesome. (13:12-13)
Indeed, God’s power is awesome and this year’s conference
gave us another chance to reflect on all of His blessings. We must
remember that though we come from very diverse backgrounds and have
different opinions and ideas, we are united in our submission to
God.
GOD loves those who fight in His cause united in one column,
like the bricks in one wall. (61:4)
All Praise be to God.
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