Dear…

            Camp is officially over.  TIC03.  Remember when we wrote these letters last year?  TIC02, the first and hopefully beginning of an insha Allah annual event.

            We learned a lot this year, a lot.  You come to mind so many times.  Almost every time I laughed, I thought of you.  These memories are worth so much.  I know you had other things you wanted to do.  I know you thought it was a bit expensive and didn’t feel right asking for financial aid.  I know you wanted to go to ISNA.  I know you felt like “been there, done that.”  I also know I walked thru each of those excuses with you, and told you how you could overcome it.  When you sacrifice to come, the reward is so much higher so do your things later and devote your time now.  Save up your money later and pay by installments.  Leave a couple days early and go to ISNA.  “Been there done that?” I pray every day 5 times, we don’t stop because it’s getting old.  I fast every Ramadan, and don’t stop one year because I’ve had those experiences.  Okay, those are fard you say.  I give sadakah to people, I practice good manners with people, I pray my sunnah prayers, and you do all of these things to.

            How can it not be worth the sacrifice to spend a week and a half among the angels worshipping your Lord with brothers and sisters devoted to him in the same way you are?

            You forget that the bare minimum you’ll get out of this is over a week of praying every prayer in jam’ah.  Nine days of learning information or being reminded of information and your Lord and deen.  Spending nine days with amazing speakers to answer any question that comes to mind.  Eight nights of Qiyam al-lail.  All of this and I haven’t even mentioned the reward for the things you could have potentially given.  A smile, advice, a helping hand, constructive input, setting an example…and the list goes on.

            We learned about arrogance this camp and how it sneaks up on us…so smart and discreet. Feeling like we can’t benefit from this camp, or the cost is not worth it.  There it is tiptoeing toward us.  This camp guaranteed Quranic reading and tafsir daily, guaranteed all of my ibadat on time in almost the best form, and gave the opportunity for so much extra.  I know you may think you could have done it alone.  But could you?  Without all the support and encouragement do you really think you can do it?  Don’t let that atom’s weight of arrogance keep you from the Jannah.  I love you to much in His sake not to warn you of it, because we so easily forget.  I make duaa for you and insha Allah next year I have faith you will be at TIC04.

                                                                        Your brother in Islam.