Where Is My Teacher?

It was the beginning of my dawah journey, and for the first time, I was exposed to people from different ethnicities and backgrounds beyond my Somali community.

It was also a time when many African countries, especially in East Africa, were experiencing major political changes. During that period, I happened to be in a refugee camp that hosted people from different nations: Ethiopians, Sudanese, Ugandans, Congolese, and Somalis.

Unlike the Somali community, the other refugee groups consisted of people from different cultures, beliefs, and ethnic backgrounds. As part of the Somali dawah (calling people to Islam) team, I was assigned to engage with non-Somali refugees who could communicate in English. However, our activities were mainly limited to our small wooden masjid. Right in front of the masjid, there was a tent where some people gathered, drank alcohol, and engaged in other prohibited activities. Among them was a Somali man who regularly visited them and spent time with them.

Whenever we passed by that tent, we would criticize their behavior from a distance. We saw their mistakes, but we did not approach them, speak with them, or invite them to Islam. As time passed, the people in the tent became familiar faces to us.

One day, the Somali man called my name and said:

“Adam, this general wants to become Muslim!”

I was shocked for two reasons. First, how did he know my name when I did not even know his?

Second, why was he inviting someone to Islam while he himself was sitting with them in that environment?

Then I faced another challenge: how could I help someone accept Islam? Despite my short experience in dawah, I had never witnessed anyone taking the Shahadah before. What questions should I ask? How should I prepare him? I asked him to wait for me and returned to my team to explain what had happened. Surprisingly, none of us knew how to handle the situation. At that moment, we realized that inviting people to Islam requires more than enthusiasm; it requires knowledge, wisdom, and experience.

By Allah’s decree, someone entered the masjid who would change the direction of this unexpected encounter. While we were discussing the incident, Sheikh Jamal from Ethiopia arrived at the masjid. I explained the situation to him.

He simply said:

"Bring him to the masjid"

The sheikh sat with the man in a corner of the masjid and spoke with him for a long time. I wish I knew what he told him during that conversation.

Then he turned to me and said:

“Adam, he is ready for Shahadah.”

The general embraced Islam and chose the name Abdurahman.

During our lessons together, he shared parts of his story with me.

A few months earlier, he had been a military commander on the northern frontier, defending against advancing rebels. He told me that if he had remained in that position, he probably would never have thought about Islam. The person who played a major role in bringing Abdurahman to Islam, Yusuf, the Somali man from the tent, did not attend his Shahadah ceremony at the masjid. From that day, I began teaching Abdurahman the basics of Islam. He regularly attended prayers with us and gradually grew in his faith.

One day, Abdurahman asked me a difficult question:

“Adam, where is my teacher who invited me to Islam? I do not see him praying with us. Is there another masjid in the camp?”

I answered politely:

“When you see him again in the tent, ask him the same question.”

Although I was disappointed by Yusuf’s lifestyle and his presence in that environment, I did not want to speak negatively about him in front of a new Muslim.

Abdurahman seriously went back and asked Yusuf why he was not joining us in the masjid.

Yusuf gave a simple and traditional answer:

“Pray for me that Allah helps me pray with you in the masjid.”

By Allah’s mercy, Abdurahman continued learning and praying with us, became a better Muslim, and remained firm in his faith. However, Yusuf continued struggling with his habits in that tent.

I regret that I never visited Yusuf to advise him about his lifestyle. Perhaps this was a responsibility I should have taken as someone involved in dawah. Dear brothers and sisters, this story carries many important lessons.

One lesson is that dawah requires wisdom, knowledge, and skills. Good intentions and knowing Islam alone are not always enough. A person who calls others to Islam needs preparation and an understanding of how to reach different people.

Another lesson is that Allah’s guidance is beyond our expectations. Yusuf had weaknesses, but he still loved Islam and cared about sharing it with others.

Despite his personal struggles, he dared to invite someone to Islam. He even brought Islamic books from the town to the refugee camp, resources that our dawah team did not even know were available.

35 years after this incident, during my journey in dawah, I have met many people like Yusuf. I sometimes call them “unexpected callers to Islam”—people whose actions may not fully reflect the message they share, yet Allah may use them as a means of guidance for others. Who knows? Perhaps Allah accepts their efforts, just as He forgave the person who gave water to a thirsty dog and showed mercy for that act of kindness.

Another reflection is that people like Yusuf have a unique position in spreading the message of Islam. They may mix with people and enter circles that many of us cannot reach. Their relationships and personal connections give them opportunities to plant the seeds of guidance where others may never have a chance to go. These people are part of the Muslim community, and Allah can use them in ways that we may not expect.

The ultimate guidance belongs to Allah alone.

Until we meet again for another story

Wasalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

By TM Adam Abdi