By Young Muslims For Young Muslims
By Adam Mukhtar and Huda Qadri
Nov/Dec 26
Running parallel to the Islamic Society of North America’s (ISNA) 63rd Annual Convention in Detroit from Sept. 4 to 7 was MYNACON41. The special convention track was organized by the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA), ISNA’s premier youth organization dedicated to serving Muslims ages 12 to 18.
This year’s MYNACON offered a space for young Muslims from across the nation to gather, seek beneficial knowledge, and ground themselves in their faith, while building connections with people who share their values. The theme for this year’s convention was “Divine Devotion: Worship Beyond Routine.”
This theme encouraged attendees to shift from looking at worship as a set of rituals to recognizing it as a lifelong journey to God. While acts such as prayer and fasting are essential parts of Islam, it is important that our worship does not become another task we simply check off our to-do lists. During these acts of worship, we should be thinking about who we are doing this for. “Divine Devotion” reminds us that discipline is not the only factor keeping us accountable; it is the fact that the One to whom we direct our worship to is the ultimate authority.
“Divine” means that there is no worldly recipient of our actions, and “Devotion” implies a sense of love through our deeds. This theme was intentional, and it refreshed a long-known concept in Islam: that worship should never be reduced to just a habit.
However, devotion is not only an individual experience, especially in these troubling times. Youth around the nation need us to build a strong Muslim community so we can support one another through growing challenges. MYNACON provided more than a convention: it created an environment where young Muslims could feel understood, gain knowledge, make new friends, or reunite with old ones who encourage them to grow in their faith and character.
“The culture at MYNA is truly like a family. I experienced this right away at my first convention,” said MYNA President Zacharaya Elfar, 18. “It’s amazing because you might only see your friends for one week [during camp] and then not again for months, but when you finally reunite, that connection is completely unbroken. It feels like you’ve been talking every single day up until that point.”
In today’s world, there are more ways than ever to stray off the path of Islam, so establishing the right friendships is key. Personal success is often determined by the people closest to you, and this is backed up by Islamic teachings. Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “A person is upon the religion of his friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends” (Tirmidhi 2378).
Therefore, every session on the MYNACON track served one of three purposes: to help participants develop either their faith, their leadership skills, or their friendships. Across 16 sessions, youth heard from some of the nation’s leading scholars, including psychiatrist and Stanford professor Rania Awaad; Imam Mohamed Magid of the ADAMS Center; and co-founder of Zaytuna College Imam Zaid Shakir.
Speakers advised attendees to maximize the time they have and transform everyday actions into opportunities for spiritual benefit. In between these impactful lectures, the program included practical and engaging opportunities for youth to become active participants in their own development. Parallel Q&A sessions gave both male and female youth the opportunity to engage directly with scholars, allowing for open discussions regarding the insecurities and challenges that come with being a young Muslim in America today.
An insightful workshop by Asma Islam, a student at Stanford University and a youth college consultant, guided participants through the college application process and helped them plan for one of the most significant transitions of their lives with clarity and confidence.
The most exciting thing about the youth convention was that it had space for games, art, and fun. A highlight of the weekend was seeing Haji Noor Deen, renowned Islamic calligraphy artist, introduce workshop participants to the beauty and tradition of Islamic calligraphy. Youth learned the art form firsthand and brought home their very own pieces. Through a partnership between MYNA and Islamic Games, convention attendees were also able to compete in a weekend-long futsal tournament, allowing them to win prizes and make friends. Youth who competed in either the MYNACON41 Scavenger Hunt or the MYNA Imagine Merch Design Initiative were recognized at the final session of the youth track: MYNA’s very own Entertainment Night.
In addition to the wide variety of sessions offered this year, attendees also had the opportunity to speak with MYNA officers and volunteers at both the bazaar and general information tables. Families interested in learning more about the work MYNA does across the nation could do so by hearing firsthand from teenagers who benefitted. In interacting with these dedicated volunteers, including members of both MYNA’s incoming and outgoing executive committees, attendees saw how leadership can begin wherever a person is and how MYNA is uniquely positioned to provide the community and skills to help them flourish.
“[The] convention is more than a spiritual reboot before the craziness of the school year. It is an entire ecosystem. . . where I’ve found people I can connect with on a completely different level,” said MYNA Vice President Aliya Omar, 16. “More than anything, [the] convention gives me the rare opportunity to surround myself with the kind of people I aspire to become: people who challenge me, inspire me, and remind me of the kind of Muslim and leader I want to be.”
Ultimately, every aspect of MYNACON41 was planned to maximize what youth could take away from ISNA’s annual convention. The theme reminded attendees that worship cannot simply be habitual while demonstrating that one’s spiritual journey can and should begin as early as possible. By internalizing that theme into their hearts, attendees were able to manifest the spirit of divine devotion in their lives, schools, and communities.
Our intention as MYNA youth is to lift those around us and inspire them to engage deeper with the broader Muslim community of North America. We want every young person who encounters MYNA not to just leave with fun memories, but to also leave with new skills, a stronger spiritual foundation, confidence in oneself, and the friendships necessary to succeed. MYNACON41, through its theme and programming, has given Muslim youth the principles to make sure that they are involved in their schools and communities, allowing them to contribute to a better nation and a better world.
Huda Qadri served as convention chair at MYNACON41. She is a sophomore at the University of Central Florida majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies, a member of the Burnett Honors College, and a LEAD Scholars Academy graduate.
Adam Mukhtar served as a full-time volunteer at MYNACON41 and is currently a sophomore in high school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has taken on many leadership roles in MYNA and is excited to see what he will do next.