 by: Ustadh ubaydullah evansResident Scholar, ALIM There is a humorous but wise anecdote which finds the great Winston Churchill being solicited to deliver a public address. The questioner apparently asked Churchill how much he would charge to give a lecture. When Churchill responded with his price, which the questioner found exorbitant, he said to the famed English statesman, “No, this would be a short lecture, approximately 20 minutes in length. Is there any way we can reduce that amount?” “In that case, then, I will require double my normal honorarium!” said Churchill cheekily. The indication, however, is true: if the goal of speech–or writing for that matter–is clarity then brevity and conciseness represent greater challenges than longform content. For the past few years, I’ve been writing these blog posts for the ALIM constituency. Although limited to a thousand or so words, I’ve tried to organize my thoughts in a manner that was concise enough to be accessible but thorough enough to be generative. The goal of each piece wasn’t exhaustive scholarly analysis but rather to initiate conversation. One of the fundamentals of our pedagogical approach at ALIM is that we aim to empower people. Islamic scholarship will frame conversations within our community but the norms will eventually settle upon will likely be the outcome of an interdisciplinary synthesis. Through these short, informal posts we’ve endeavored to pull different parts of our community into participatory as opposed to merely passive modes of community engagement. We have decided to replace the blog posts with classes we will be offering virtually. However, it is our hope that the same relevance and substantive fluidity that characterized the blog posts, will continue within the classes. In fact, our ability to hear and benefit from the voices and perspectives of our community will be enhanced by the virtual space. We’ve yet to settle on what we’ll be covering in terms of substantive content. It will most likely be a text in particular discipline–so that people can follow along–and each class will be 30 minutes. We want to cover a single thought-provoking point or principle each class and leave time for a focused exchange about the topic. We’ve settled on 30 minutes so as not to create an imposition for attendees.. Coordinated scheduling, child-care, spatial restrictions, etc. all tend to impact virtual class attendance when the sessions are more demanding. At 30 minutes, we hope these sessions can serve as a rejuvenating spiritual and intellectual pit stop along the routes of the students. With nearly three decades of operational history and a broad network of “alimni,” we’re hoping these classes will help us to build an intergenerational community of people thinking about Islam in various contexts. I wait, with eager anticipation, to join you in this next phase of the work of ALIM. Yet, there is always some bittersweetness in a farewell. Writing can be a tortuous process and as the anecdote above indicated, even more so when it's economical. I can’t say that I’ll miss sitting in front of the computer, pecking away at the keys, trying to formulate a complete idea in 1000 words or less! However, I will miss the experience of being approached by brothers and sisters at conferences and in community spaces. At a time when I might be looking at the numbers questioning: These little bagatelles of articles! Hastily written and all over the place; does anybody ever read them? Then someone will convey appreciation for a post or mention something that impacted them. This is a great gift and a source of reassurance that I will miss. For anyone that took the time to read, peruse, or share anything we’ve included in these posts over the years, I thank you for your indulgence, patience, and generosity. Writing actually entails great vulnerability. To display the acuity of your intellect or lack thereof can be quite a frightening prospect! I count myself fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to write professionally among such a kind, warm, considerate community. About the author Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans is ALIM’s first Scholar-in-Residence. He converted to Islam while in high school. Upon conversion, Ustadh Ubaydullah began studying some of the foundational books of Islam under the private tutelage of local scholars while simultaneously pursuing a degree in journalism from Columbia. Since then, he has studied at Chicagoland’s Institute of Islamic Education (IIE), in Tarim, Yemen, and Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, where he is the first African-American to graduate from its Shari’a program. Ustadh Ubaydullah also instructs with the Ta’leef Collective and the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) at times. As the ALIM Scholar-in-Residence, Ustadh Ubaydullah is a core instructor at the ALIM Summer Program. He teaches History of Islamic Law, Shama'il, and Aphorisims of Ibn Ata'illah along with other courses.
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