Thawbān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah brought the corners of the earth together for me, so I saw its eastern and western parts. The dominion of my Ummah will definitely reach as far as what was brought together for me (all parts of the world)." (Sahih Muslim 2889a)
Introduction
In January 2024, I travelled to the other side of the globe, where the time zone difference is exactly a day and night. I flew for forty hours (not fourteen) from my city, Jakarta, Indonesia to a city in the United States that I had surely never heard of before. I had multiple transits in Qatar, Chicago, Dallas, after finally landing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. Feeling weary after traveling thousands of miles. Greeted by cold winter at night, then I had to travel again to my dorm, luckily, I was escorted by the campus's international service.
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| Baton Rouge Local (not International) Airport |
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| My Belongings |
At the time I arrived, I did not have an apartment yet. So, I had to stay in someone's apartment, that I barely know. I stayed there for a week or two. There were only four Indonesian students at Louisiana State University. No Permias, PPI or whatsoever. I was alone with little help in a foreign land, I am barely familiar with. I prayed to Allah, I asked my mom to pray for me, and Alhamdulillah I got a place a week after.
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| Dorm sweet dorm |
Only one month after that, I met lots of Indonesian people living in the city, but they're mostly workers and permanent residents that have been living here for a long time. It was on election day and Ied Al-Fitr that I got to meet with lots of Indonesian people. Alhamdulillah, they gave me lots of foods, and some other freebies that they understand that I, as a graduate student, am in dire need of supplies.
اَلَمۡ يَجِدۡكَ يَتِيۡمًا فَاٰوٰى (٦)
Did He not find you an orphan and shelter you? (Q.S. Ad-Duhaa:9)
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| Few Indonesians who live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA on Eid Al-Fitr 2024 |
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| Election Day 2024 |
Meeting the American Muslims
Even though there were lots of Indonesian people, as I said before, only four Indonesian students (including me) are currently studying at Louisiana State University. And they're scattered throughout the campus. Even until today, I still haven't met one of the three other students. So, I seek friends elsewhere, the Muslims, specifically, the Muslims Student Association (LSU MSA). I found out today that almost every campus in the United States. Even in remote states such as Alaska, they do have an MSA there. Alhamdulillah, there I met some of the kindest and caring people. Now I understand that the hadith saying that Muslims are brothers, is true. The close-knit community, the sincerity, and the brotherhood feel of the Muslim community, is real.
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection." (Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 43, Number 622)
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| LSU MSA Maghrib Prayer after Iftar Ramadhan 2024 |
Being a Muslim minority (only 1.1% of the Muslim population) in the United States, makes me hold on to my faith more dearly. It increases my appreciation for the religion of Islam. I became prouder becoming the follower of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Being born and raised in Indonesia, which is a Muslim-majority country, made me numb and underappreciate how great it is to become a Muslim. I took things for granted and perceive that being a Muslim is something that is given. But Alhamdulillah here in the United States, I began to grow more sense of Identity, I am proud to be a Muslim.
At LSU, there are about 200 Muslim students among a total student population of 30,000. In Baton Rouge city, out of roughly 200,000 residents, about 2,000 are Muslim. Despite being a small minority, the Muslim community is thriving. One remarkable thing I noticed was that every week, at least one person embraces Islam, taking their Shahadah. This shows that Islam is growing even in places where Muslims are a minority. Alhamdulillah.
The Thriving Islamic Society of America
In a land where I thought capitalism, liberalism, and freedom were dominant, I never expected to find a thriving Islamic society here in America. Coming from Indonesia where mosques are often full, I was surprised to see the same sighting here. The masjid is almost always packed with the Muslims in Jumu'ah prayer. They also have regular events every Friday evening, and it's always full! And there was always one or two shafs of congregated prayer outside of the Jumu'ah prayer. There are two mosques in Baton Rouge. One conveniently located half a mile away from the campus, and one big mosque in the heart of the city. It's a blessing to have a mosque near the campus, and a blessing having a Professor that allows me to do Jumu'ah prayer. Alhamdulillah.
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| Jumu'ah (Friday) Prayer in the Masjid An-Noor near the LSU Campus; Masjid Ar-Rahman from the Outside (The Big Mosque in the City) |
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| The Exterior of Masjid Ar-Rahman |
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| The Interior of the Masjid Ar-Rahman. They have spaces for the female Muslims as well in the second floor! |
Halal foods are quite easy to find. There are halal food trucks in the campus. And there's also one halal market that sells hand-butchered, halal-compliant beef, lamb, and chicken. There are also halal options in Walmart! But unfortunately, not that much. Unfortunately, fast food here (Raising Cane's, Taco Bell, Pizzas) is not halal-compliant. But we always have the other halal options from muslim-owned restaurants! And you can always cook (I learn how to cook A LOT here).
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| Spaghetti Carbonara (made by me!) and Halal Version of Raising Canes (Chicken Wagon) |
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| Dubai Chocolate Crepes and Halal Ground Lamb at Walmart |
Another thing about American Muslims is that the Muslims here are rich! When it's Friday prayer or Eid prayer, you can see cars lining up in the parking lot. I'm talking about like cool cars such as BMW M4, Ford F150, Mercedes, and other great cars. And they're generous. When the mosque is having a fundraiser, it goes like an auction. The Imam would say "Who would donate 2500$? Any takers? What about 1000$?" And they would give charity like in big numbers, 2500$, 1000$ and 500$ something. May Allah bless us with good rizq, Aamiin.
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| Mini Traffic Jam after Taraweh (Night) Prayer |
Another profound experience that I had was witnessing a friend's Shadhah (embracing of Islam). Almost every week, at least one person comes to the mosque and embraces Islam here. Alhamdulillah I had the privilege of helping guide a friend through his journey to faith. I remember sitting with him, explaining the similarity and difference between Islam and Christianity, and explaining to him how Islam is the truth. Alhamdulillah, Allah guided him throught Islam. And not long after, he got married to another revert. This experience of witnessing someone testifying, I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) is the Messenger of Allah, is something I went through more than once in the masjid.
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| Revert Panel - A sharing session from people who converted to Islam |
The person who converts to Islam usually tells the story of how he became a Muslim. Often times, it is because they went through hard times, desperate for help, and they start to find help from a divine source. Thus they began to study religion. They began with Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Atheism, and then Islam. Alhamdulillah, with the guidance and inspiration from Allah, they conclude that Islam is the one and only truth. The experience of seeing someone taking the Shahadha was a very surreal moment. You have to experience it firsthand. It renews and reaffirms my faith as a Muslim. It increases my gratefulness of being a Muslim thousand-fold. It feels like my own faith is renewed as well. It reminds me of this verse from the Qur'an:
Ramadhan in the United States
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| Iftar at the Masjid near the LSU Campus and LSU MSA Iftar |
Ramadhan in the United States was, well, not the same Ramadhan as it is back in Indonesia. There is almost no Ramadhan vibes in here, people are still eating, drinking, whatever. But Alhamdulillah luckily, the close-knitted Muslims community here is serving free Iftars for us every day! The iftars are provided by individual/group donors each day. Like I was saying before, muslims here are generous and rich! They provide hundreds of free meals, and we can take more than one portion if there are leftovers. From Monday to Thursday, iftar was served at the masjid near campus, and from Friday to Sunday, it was at the big masjid in the city. The LSU MSA also organized three to four big iftar events, bringing students together in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
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| Lamb with Rice and Iftar at the Big Masjid |
Taraweeh here is always full too! at least for the last fifteen days here. On the second or third day, all 11 shafs in Masjid Ar-Rahman were packed! MasyaAllah, it was such a beautiful sighting that in the West, the Muslims are standing together shoulder to shoulder doing taraweeh. At Masjid An-Noor, they prayed 23 rakaat, while at Masjid Ar-Rahman, it was 11 rakaat. But both completed 30 Juz within the month. Each Taraweeh lasted around 1.5 hours, and the recitation was beautiful. Standing in congregation, surrounded by brothers from all over the world, made me appreciate the universality of Islam even more. It didn't matter whether you were Arab, Bangladeshi, African, American, or Indonesian- everyone was there for the same purpose: to worship Allah. Alhamdulillah.
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| Taraweeh (Night Prayer) at Masjid Ar-Rahman |
Eid Al-Fitr was something special. Last year (and this year) was the first Eid that I'm away from home in my 25 years of living. I am from Bandung, both of my parents' families are from Bandung, so I've never traveled far away when it's Eid Al Fitr day. I never experienced mudik (traveling for Eid Al Fitr), I just watch TV when it's mudik season and I sometimes wonder how it feels to do such a thing. But now I'm here, literally ten of thousands of miles away from home, celebrating Ramadhan and Eid. But Alhamdulillah, I still get the Eid vibes. Muslims from all the corners of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, overflow the mosques. The parking lot is so full that some people park outside, just like in Indonesia. Eid is done in the gym outside of Masjid Ar-Rahman.
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| Eid Al Fitr Prayer inside the Gym at Masjid Ar-Rahman |
And Alhamdulillah, even I'm far away from home, there are still a few Indonesians here in Louisiana. We usually gather at the house of Bu Indi, a United States Citizen from Indonesia who's been living here for 20+ years. And she always cooks good foods!
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| Mie Bakso and Lontong Daging! |
American People and The Struggle of the Palestinians
The ongoing genocide of the Palestinians by the Israeli war crimes that began on October 7, 2023, really opens my heart, and the heart of the muslims, and not only muslims, even everyone who is not a muslim and has conscience in their hearts, regardless of faith. The issue of Palestine is not just a Muslim issue - it is a humanitarian issue, a test of morality, a live-streamed genocide unfolding in front of our eyes. And what are we doing to stop it?
Living in the United States, where its government is sending billions and billions of dollars to Israel, I feel a little bit of guilt. How can I live comfortably fed by the United States government while my brothers and sisters in Islam are getting killed? One of the ways to counterbalance it, I thought, was to join protests. Yes, protests against the government. Of course, I have fear in my heart. After all, I'm a non-immigrant alien using F-1 student visa, I could very much be deported. But I thought, fear Allah and only Allah, as Allah is Al-Waliy (The Protector).
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Enormous Crowds in Downtown Chicago
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I attended several protests while I was in the United States. I am very much mesmerized by how tremendous the support of the American people is for the Palestinian cause. One of the most profound experiences I had when I was protesting in Chicago in August 2024, one week before the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Big, big crowds from all races and religions, Muslims, Christians, Jews, White, African American, Arabs, Asian Americans, everyone gather in the street, in THE main street in downtown Chicago. It was the core memory. Alhamdulillah, this is how Allah instilled love and compassion in the heart of everyone around the world, love and care for the oppressed Palestinian people.
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| Grandma in wheelchair attending protest in New Orleans. What's your excuse? |
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| Protest in New Orleans - October 6, 2024 |
Not only in Chicago, protests are happening all over the United States. After all, who wants their tax spent on spending billions to Israel, while there are still lots of homeless in the United States? And other problems such as student debts, increasing rent prices, and grocery prices. Why send billions to Israel? Protests are happening in New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as here on my campus at the Louisiana State University.
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| LSU SJP Protest demanding to Divest from Israeli-Supporting Companies |
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| LSU SJP at LORI's World Refugee and Immigrant Day June 2024 |
Every campus has its own SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine) organization. Some of my classmates from the Oceanography department join this organization, and they're born and raised in the United States. So it's not an organization only for Muslims or Arabs, everyone can join this organization. It's great to know that many people, even those who were raised in the United States, are supporting Palestine. But something a little disappoints me. When I was protesting, there were more non-Muslims than Muslims who attended the protest. Where are the Muslims? How did we become so weak, that we are not willing to attend one simple act to defend our brothers and sisters in Palestine? Muslim nations once spread from Spain all the way to India. Where are we now? Wake up, Muslim people. Stand up for your brothers and sisters.
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| LSU SJP Sleep In Protest - April 2024 |
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| Another LSU SJP Protest |
Palestine is the test of our Ummah. And America, despite its government's complicity in the genocide, is home to some of the strongest voices for justice. The people here are awake, they are resisting, and they are not backing down. The world is watching, and history will remember which side we chose.
Conclusions
In the Sunnah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I disown every Muslim who settles among the mushrikeen.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2645; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Living in a non-muslim country as a Muslim is indeed challenging. It's a land of freedom, where everyone can do anything they want. Here, everyone is free to practice what they want. The state does not control your religion. And it is easy to go astray, to go far away from the deen. Think about it. You're alone, in a new environment, free, no one is controlling you, or watching you. In theory, you can do whatever you want, right?
But no, Allah, the All-Seeing, All-Knowing is always watching you. Every single thing that you do, Allah knows it. So for those living in a non-Muslim country, fear Allah, be mindful of Allah. Spread the word of Islam, perform dakwah, as it becomes obligatory for us Muslims living in a non-Muslim country. Surround yourself with good people, befriend with the Muslims and Indonesians, join the MSA community, attend halaqahs (Islamic lecture), and maintain your Ibadah (prayer) - both Fard and Sunnah. Alhamdulillah, living as a minority, I feel like my Iman increases ever since I studied in the United States. May Allah guides us to the straight path, and grant us Husnul Khatimah (good ending). Aamiin.
