Ta’leef Collective: Religious Community or Tattoo Parlor?

by Mustafa Davis

Some of you may have seen the recent CNN video (with the photo of a tattooed brother as the place holder) where Ta’leef Collective was described as a place where you find people with tattoos, earrings and “people with different colored hair.” The media descriptions of Ta’leef Collective may have some wondering if there is some hidden tattoo parlor in the back where new Muslims get a prayer mat, dhikr beads and a new tattoo with a free piercing. There is no such parlor… I assure you.

Regardless of the good intentions of the journalists that write about Ta’leef, the mainstream media tends to highlight things because they are seemingly controversial and controversy drives the ratings. I hope to paint a more balanced picture here for those who have not had the opportunity to visit us at our collective in Fremont, California.

There are over 300 regular attendees that come to Ta’leef Collective on a weekly basis.  From amongst this diverse group of people, maybe three or four have visible tattoos (and myself, as a co-founder of the organization happen to be one these four… with a tattoo on my forearm).  Regardless of the insignificance of this, most articles or blog posts written about Ta’leef Collective depict the organization as some type of wild punk rock modern liberal Muslim mosh pit.  I assure you… it is not.

Ta’leef Collective is often described by our community as a “family” or “home away from home.”  On any given night you will find people from all walks of life. Converts (Latino, Filipino, Black, White, Bosnian, etc), Afghanis, Pakistanis, Indians, Arabs, Indonesians, African, etc.  Lawyers, scholars, social workers, artists, educators, dentists, athletes, poets, engineers, students, uncles, aunties, women, men, children, stray cats that hang out in the parking lot, etc.  There are men in long robes and turbans and women in long flowing black abayyas. There are people in jeans, khakis, track suits, Dickies, dress shirts, Polo shirts, Moroccan thobes, Yemeni Jubbas, Mauritanian robes, business suits, bow ties, classic ties, t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, jackets, baseball caps, Kangols, fedoras, turbans, kufis, Hijabs, hair wraps, etc.

The most significant thing about Ta’leef Collective is not the tattoos and earrings.  The most significant thing is that its a place where everybody is welcome, regardless of your level of commitment or outward appearance.  I think the tendency to focus on the tattoos is for a valid reason.  The reason is that in many other Muslim religious spaces… those of that have visible tattoos would not be welcome, or at least not made to feel welcome. Many of our religious institutions are so judgmental that it makes a place like Ta’leef Collective some sort of strange anomaly. “Hey, do you see that guy sitting over there with tattoos all up his arm?  He’s smiling and having a good time learning the integrals of prayer.  Nobody is telling him that his tattoos are forbidden in Islam. And that sister over there… she’s wearing pants and does not have hijab. What kind of place is this that promotes this type of behavior?” says the one-time visitor that isn’t accustomed to the concept of a semi-sacred Third Space where people are welcomed and allowed to learn and grow at their own pace.

We are a collective of people from all walks of life, different nationalities, at different stages in our growth and development, learning the sacred tradition with a valid chain of transmission, and seeking to get nearer to God while being better human beings and members of the global community. Even so, almost every article written about the collective has a picture of a fully tattooed brother on the cover and the focus on that is inevitable.  (I’ve provided some photos that are a bit more representative of what Ta’leef truly is).

We hope that Ta’leef Collective doesn’t remain an anomaly but rather that it becomes the norm in our communities.  A place where you can “come as you are, to Islam as it is.” If you haven’t yet visited Ta’leef Collective or want to know more about our work and our events/programs, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and we’ll do our best to answer your questions.  Or, feel free to stop by and meet the volunteers, buy some Oud at Usama Canon and Micah Anderson’s Oudimentary store, swing by the Mustafa Davis Inc production studio, drink some organic tea or coffee, or hang out with like minded people seeking to be better human beings while getting nearer to our Lord.

Link to a 20 minute documentary promo about TA’LEEF COLLECTIVE: http://vimeo.com/7733898

Peace & Love

Mustafa Davis

co-founder

TA’LEEF COLLECTIVE

http://www.taleefcollective.org