MBU Weekly: 1 Question. What does God want from you?
Unlock meaningful conversations with the teenage boys in your family – our weekly question explores PAGE (purpose, awareness, good grades, and emotional intelligence) through a God-centred lens.
Questions are powerful tools.
Tools that can foster a sense of self-respect and dignity.
When your opinion is requested, your opinion is deemed to matter.
You are deemed to matter.
Young Muslim boys in Britain want to feel like they matter. They do.
So ask them questions.
Ask them as many serious and interesting and relevant questions as you can think of.
Every week, I will share 1 question to assist you on this journey.
Since September 2023, I have been asking these types of questions to the Year 7 Muslim boys from London whom I have the honour of mentoring on a weekly basis. All praise and thanks belong to God.
My hope is that these questions lead to further questions which go on to form the basis of beautiful dialogue and connection between you and the boys in your family.
May God honour and strengthen the boys and future men of our community to achieve their full potential.
1 Question. What does God want from you?
Why ask?
God willing, it will help the boys:
Build a personal and direct relationship with God.
Recognise that God’s opinion of them holds the most weight.
Identify duties, responsibilities, and expectations they should have of themselves.
How to ask?
In private. Away from the eyeballs and judgements of others. Ask in an environment most conducive to them speaking candidly.
Walking side by side. Ideally in a nice park. Some place outside. Answering ‘deep’ questions can feel less intimidating when you’re not looking directly into another person’s eyes.
Emphasise ‘you’. Many Muslim children will respond to this question with ‘worship Him’. To facilitate greater depth, ask what God wants from them specifically. Someone with their background, skill set, interests, and gifts. What would God want them to do with everything He’s provided them? Even use their name in the question (i.e. ‘What does God want from Sulaiman?’)
What next?
Ask ‘why’ and ‘why’ again. Preserve plenty of space and time for them to unpack their reasoning without rush. What forms the basis of their perception of God’s commandments and expectations? Does it stem from a sentiment that God knows what is best for them? Or something else? Allow them to reveal perceptions without premature corrections.
Ask ‘how’. How does God want you to fulfil your duties? What kind of person will you have to be to act this way? How does God want you to act as a son, brother, grandson, student, nephew, friend, and/or neighbour?
Ask ‘now what’. What is one thing you can do today that God will hopefully be pleased with? Not tomorrow. Today.
I would love to find out how this conversation goes with the boys in your family. Please share any suggestions and feedback by replying to this email.
At your service,
Muslim Boys United (MBU)
P.S. Muslim Boys United is an organisation that currently focuses its services on supporting Muslim boys in Britain. However, it is important to note that this question and many of the questions that will be shared in future newsletters will be equally applicable to Muslim girls. May God honour and strengthen the girls and future women of our community to achieve their full potential.
MsA amazing initiative. Allah reward you, ameen
Amazing work Sulaiman! Allahumma barik!