By age 10, Imam Bilal Malik had memorized the Quran.

His desire to earn the highly respected honor of Hafiz the Arabic term for someone who has memorized the Quran stemmed from sibling rivalry. His older brother achieved the same honor when he was 12 years old.

It was more like a competition, Malik recalled in an interview Wednesday. His motivations for study have changed, but the holy book remains an integral part of his life.

His rsum boasts an impressive array of academic and religious accomplishments, knowledge of world religions and fluency in multiple languages. He earned two masters degrees from The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. He taught world religions at universities and colleges in Pakistan and since moving to the United States in 2000. At the same time, hes devoted himself to spirituality as an imam to communities across the country.

Since 2015, Malik has served as the religious leader for the Islamic Society of Frederick. He teaches the messages of the Quran in prayer and sermons at the masjid, Frederick Countys only mosque, as well as in community events throughout the county. He has also continued academic studies and hopes this year to complete his doctorate at the Islamic University of Minnesota.

Malik, a Pakistani native who spent much of his childhood in Saudi Arabia, named his father as the inspiration for his spiritual and scholarly devotion.

I was going into medical life, he recalled of his original career aspirations. [My father] saved a lot of lives, at least physically.

Adopting a more serious tone, Malik explained how his fathers academic background shaped him and his seven siblings. His father, a renowned scholar in Pakistan and across the Middle East, frequently engaged his children in philosophical discussions about daily life and politics.

Literally, we got inspired by him, Malik said. He was to me not just my father, he was my mentor as well.

It was his fathers influence that awakened his desire to study and to share the teachings of the Quran.

His father also guided Maliks exploration of Sufism, the mystical element of Islam. Malik likened Sufism to Buddhism in their shared emphasis on meditation as a way to connect to ones soul and in turn, to higher power.

The sudden death of his father, who was killed by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002, further fueled Maliks pursuit of knowledge for both academic and spiritual purposes. Extremists shot his father as a statement against his fathers plans to open a religious and welfare center in Pakistan.

Their interpretation of Islam was misguided, Malik explained. He described other acts of extreme violence and terrorism committed in the name of Islam as the result of misunderstanding of the religions core teachings.

These extremists are heinous criminals, not true followers of Islam, he said. Islam is a religion of peace and harmony, evidenced in the traditional greeting of peace be upon you, Malik said.

But like any other religion or set of beliefs, it can become misinterpreted when believers stray from the original teachings.

The problem today ... they are not aware of their own message, he said. Most of the time, we are not educated through our books.

Shariah law, for example, is not a horrifying, extremist doctrine, according to the Quran. Shariah law is divine law, brought from God by his messengers prophets like Abraham, Noah, Muhammed and Jesus.

Every good Christian is practicing Shariah of Jesus, he said.

The Abrahamic religions in particular share many similarities, like branches of the same tree, he said.

But there are differences, too. Respect for those differences is equally important, Malik said.

As leader of the Islamic Society of Frederick, he has spoken at churches and participated in interfaith community events. He emphasized that he does not want to impose Islam on anyone, but to lay out its tenets and let people make their own decisions.

Freedoms of religion and speech are liberties he holds dear compared to the more restrictive environment of Saudi Arabia, which he likened to a bigger jail. Even Pakistan, a democratic parliamentary republic, is not truly representative of its people, he said.

His faith in the democratic process has provided solace amid national dialogue and policies targeting the Muslim community.

Asked about his reaction to the November election, he maintained his conviction that democracy will prevail.

He pointed to the temporary restraining order a federal judge issued on President Donald Trumps controversial Muslim ban as evidence of the democratic process at work. He disagreed with the ban, calling it a violation of religious liberties, but felt reassured that the democratic system would not allow it to continue.

Muslims in Frederick and across the country feel afraid, he said, but that should not force them into hiding. We need to be optimistic, he said. There is no other way.

In his experience, the Frederick community has welcomed him and fellow Muslims. He has never been attacked or vilified for his religion here, he said.

He was once the subject of vitriolic comments because of his religion when he lived in Memphis, Tennessee. He handled the situation peacefully, he said. He also began meeting regularly with the person who made the comments. He chalked up the initial attack to fear and misunderstanding.

Once people know the truth, once they are guided, then they are not going to hate you, he said. We must turn on the light, let people be out of the darkness.

Humble, progressive and very smart were among the words Dr. Syed Haque, president of the Frederick County Muslim Council, used to describe Malik.

He was exactly what we were looking for, he said of Maliks leadership for the Muslim community.

It was at the invitation of the Islamic Society that Malik moved to Frederick. Previously, he had served the Muslim community in Memphis, and before that, in Orlando, Florida.

Maliks teachings have been particularly instrumental for Frederick Muslims struggling to reconcile the conservative teachings of their faith with their modern identities as Americans, Haque said. Instead of shying away from these topics, Malik has addressed them head on.

He takes the basic curriculum, but he also tells us how to live in this country, Haque explained. Thats what we need.

Follow Nancy Lavin on Twitter: @NancyKLavin.

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Scholar of spirituality: Frederick imam seeks to educate, learn about religion - Frederick News Post (subscription)