Ansaari Monthly Issue 2: May, 2013

May 2013 - Issue 2

Sister Naila’s Journey with Being-Me

Let Your Inner Competitor Shine!

Being-Me Muslimah Empowered

The Indications of Beneficial Knowledge www.mercymissionworld.org

Newstouse APRIL 2013 Announcements 1

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Upcoming Events

AlKauther Perth, Australia Mercy Mission would like to introuduce Al Kauther Perth. Br. Sidqie Djunaedi will be the city Ameer, may Allah accept him and his team’s effort, Ameen

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AlKauther Doha, Qatar Mercy Mission would like to introuduce Al Kauther Qatar. Br. Hazim Hamza will be the city Ameer, may Allah accept him and his team’s effort, Ameen

Team Hive Canada will host its Annual Team Hive on May 5th

Reminder: Thursday Boost Professional and Islamic development training sessions every Thursday

New Muslim Care (NMC) NMC is going to launch in 10 new locations throughout May. We ask Allah (SWT) to reward them immensly for their efforts

A Journey of Knowledge Brother Akhter Raouf is furthering his studies in Egypt to learn the language of the Quran

Welcome Aboard!

Mercy Mission would like to welcome Sh. Ismail Davids, Sh. Ehsan Abdullah, and also Sh. Karim AbuZaid as Al Kauthar instrcutors

Congratulations!

Mabrok to Br. Iqbal Nasim (from NZF, UK) who was blessed with a beatiful baby girl on May 4th. May she be the coolness of her parents’ eyes, Ameen.

policyupdate

**NOTE: If you would like to share news about yourself or your team members in our HR newsletter, kindly email wafa.sultan@mercymission.ca before the 20th of each month**

Communcation Policy

1. Productivity:

2. Appropriateness & Confidentiality:

a) Respond to emails/ correspondence/ telephone calls within the following timeframes: • Employee - 8 working hours • Managers - 24 hours • Volunteer - 48 hours

a) Mercy Mission distribution lists (email or telephone) are to be used solely for internal Mercy Mission matters.

b) If you are not able to deal fully with a query within the allotted timeframe, still respond within the timeframe and indicate your expected response time.

b) Internal emails may contain confidential material. Do not forward externally without first obtaining proper authorization.

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bISMILLAH...

ssalamualikum warahmatulahi wabarakatuhu my dear brothers and sisters,

Alhumdulillah with the grace of Allah Australia not only played host to The Twins of Faith Conference, but also The Mercy Mission Quarterly Review from April 2nd to-5th. MashaAllah the national managers of five countries (Canada, Bangladesh, Malaysia, United Kingdom, and Australia) along with the entire executive team and executive trainer Br. Chihab Kaab met for a successful and productive review.

With Q1 now behind us, The Australia Review focused on reviewing the last three months (Q1) and, planning for upcoming 90 days (Q2). Q2 will focus on: • Self sustainability – InshaAllah new procedures and initiatives will be put in place to ensure financial sustainability for each region by their own selves instead of relying on other regions for support.

• Development of team members – Development will involve trainings in professional skills and Islamic tarbiyyah. Training is for Mercy Mission Ansaaris and will be carried out every Thursday. Alhumdulillah we have completed two successful sessions titled ‘Difficult Conversations’ and ‘Benefiting Humanity’.

• Consolidation of resources and teams – With restructuring of resources and teams in Q1; Q2 will focus on perfecting program execution with the new structure from Q1.

• Planning the efforts of Ramadan – Plans and ideas were discussed for various campaigns that Mercy Mission Programs can carry out for Ramadan.

InshaAllah I pray that Q2 will bring promising results and moves us forward in reaching the Mercy Mission Vision – “A world where every Muslim is able to live faithfully to their belief, building an exemplary Islamic community that benefits humanity.”

Jazakum Allahu Khairan to everyone who attended and to Mercy Mission Australia Wasalamoalikum Warahmatulahi wabarakatuh, Mahmood Qasim, Chief Human Resources Officer

theteam Ainiah Abdullah

HR Manager, Malaysia Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Bar akatuh, Sister Ainiah Abdullah is the HR manager for Mercy Mission Malaysia. She holds a Diploma in Public Administration from MARA Institute of Technology (ITM), Malaysia. Sister Ainiah started her career in Insurance Industry in 1984 and has held various positions in various departments during her tenure in the company. In addition, she served more than 10 years in Human Resource Department, has vast experience in full spectrum of HR and Administration functions including recruitment, payroll, performance management, training & development, welfare & compensation, she is also responsible for daily office operations, office maintenance and office support activities and her expertise is in industrial relations.

Fareheen Chowdhury HR Manager, Canada

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Sister Fareheen has been with Mercy Mission since it was brought to Canada in 2009.

She is passionate about the vision of the movement and she wants to share that passion with others. In her capacity as Human Resources Manager, she has spent time setting up an HR framework that can be duplicated by any other country so that ansaaris can join Mercy Mission and remain engaged and productive.

Her team members have been outstanding in their efforts to achieve the HR goals.

With their contributions, Canada’s HR has had successful team hives, tracked over 150 ansaaris and has received government funding for intern positions just to name a few of their accomplishments.

Sr Fareheen hopes to exchange and share best practices with other MM countries and engage local ansaaris even further insha allah

underthes

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My Journey with Mercy Mission and Being-ME

ssalamu alaikum, My name is Naila Kibria and I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.

I attended the University of Toronto where I studied History and Philosophy learning about the vast diversity in human history and the ways in which people from different traditions think about the world around them. I have always been interested in people and what motivates them to live lives that are not only fulfilling, but truly meaningful. I am passionate about the ways in which our community of Muslims in Canada and around the world functions together as a unit, a united ummah of brothers and sisters striving to please our Creator.

This curiosity and the desire to be part of something that provides people with an atmosphere of acceptance and non-judgment while fueling a collective yearning to do work for the sake of Allah (swt)’s pleasure is what motivated me to become a part of Mercy Mission’s initiative to improve the lives of Muslims and non-Muslims everywhere. I was attracted to the way that Mercy Mission combats pressing issues in our community in a practical and spiritual way. I felt that Mercy Mission’s projects provided real life answers to difficult problems that Muslims face while at the same time reaching out to society at large to be a positive force of compassion in the larger community.

COMMENTS FROM Our Facebook Page

I currently serve as the Program Manager for the Being Me Conference and am excited about the opportunity to serve Allah (swt) by helping serve the community. It is a blessing to be able to work among a group of people where through working for the sake of Allah (swt) we create a strong, unyielding bond of sisterhood that reminds us everyday how much we together, as an ummah, can accomplish.

I think that we all feel in our hearts that is an honour to be chosen to do this work for Allah (swt). I truly believe that our work is a means of reaching Allah (swt) and that by strengthening our hearts and reminding ourselves that our efforts on this earth are purely for His sake, we can stand before Him on the Day of Judgment with clear hearts and scales that are heavy with good deeds, InshaAllah.

The Being Me Conference is a means of connecting with sisters, but it is ultimately a means of helping each individual cultivate a bond with their Creator that is unyielding and unbreakable. I am thrilled that the atmosphere that Being Me aims to provide is one where every attendee can feel that excellence is possible in their lives. May Allah (swt) continue to bless every effort made to reach Him.

Nasra J Bulaeh posted to Being Me-Muslimah Empowered 7 October 2012 “Yesterday’s 2nd annual Being ME, sisters’ Only conference,, was pure Brilliance!!, I was soo proud as a sister (& I still am) of all the hard work , organization, special consideration, & the creativity that went into the whole event! May Allah reward every single soul that helped make the conference a Success!! For all those sisters who couldn’t make it this year, I suggest you make plans from now to attend next year inshaAllah, as you will experience a tremendous joy and pride from within, for being You,,,,a proud Muslimah!!”

spotlight BEING-ME

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n a world where Muslimahs’ are wrongly perceived as oppressed and insignificant members of the most misunderstood faith, we embarked upon this mission to give Muslimah’s an outlet to express the reality of their lifestyles, share accomplishments that benefit humanity and inspire others to do the same.

Many services are available to combat the challenges faced by women, however many of them are missing much needed guidelines specific to Muslim women and families. One of the main elements is the foundation of unity built on sisterhood.

Being Me is an annual conference made for women, by women. In 2011, Mercy Mission recognized the need to provide a platform for women to freely discuss issues that were relevant to their constantly changing, ever dynamic lives.

Women in the Muslim community come from a diverse array of social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, but they also have commonalities, issues they are passionate about as well as issues that cause them great concern that together, serve as bonds of sisterhood that unite them. These were issues that needed to be discussed and explored. A conference was the perfect platform to enable a large community of sisters to come together and connect in an atmosphere that would help strengthen the bonds of sisterhood and bring us together as a vibrant, growing community that has so much to contribute to the community at large.

Mercy Mission aims to continue this tradition of engaged discussion and is expanding its current initiative by opening a new branch of the conference in the beautiful city of Vancouver on September 7th. The Being Me Conference is also being held in Putrajaya, Malaysia for the second time with the theme for both cities as “Being Me: Divine Liberation”. This year’s conference in Toronto will take place in the Fall.

Hawa Akbari Posted to Being Me Muslimah Empowered 7 October 2012, Mississauga, Ontario “I just want to say SubhanAllah wal hamdulillah wa la illaha wallahu Akbar.

MashAllah, what a great gathering, with the presence of Angels all around us and with the company of our fantastic speakers. This was not the end yet it is a BEGINNING for all of us towards a successful and bright future inshAllah.

May Allah the Al-mighty bless, protect and preserve all of our speakers, volunteers, team members and all the sisters.

JazakAllahu Khairan BeingME Team.”

Our Objectives •To achieve piety (taqwa) of Allah •To showcase achievements and successes of empowered women of the past and the present •To inspire women of today by focusing on our role models: mothers’ of believers, scholars (of past and present), visionary women throughout time.

•To highlight characteristics of successful women in an effort to inspire the younger generation for a brighter future •To celebrate Muslim Womanhood; to show the world that Muslim women have been great throughout time; it’s just the media that’s obscured and hidden this.

•To create a voice and platform for the neglected and marginalized half of the society.

Roles of the Conference •A platform set to highlight the successes and achievements of Muslim Women from around the globe that have benefitted and continue to benefit the humanity at large •A place to share, explore and inspire many towards activism that would lead to positive change.

•A place that provides a sense of belonging and acceptance of ideas and aspirations that lead to enhancing the lives of all those around us.

•A place to showcase how Mercy Mission is pursuing the vision of the Final Messenger through innovative programming to solve today’s complex issues by a group of selfless individuals Check us out on Facebook or Twitter and learn more about Being-ME at our website

reminder bY Bilal Ismail “It was said to Hasan [al-Basri] that so and so speaks ill of you. He replied “ Welcome to a good deed that i didnt do, didnt toil for, didnt have pride for, didnt have riya for” Reminder by Ustad Bilal Ismail.”

Quotes From Sheikh Sajid Umar From The Quran “No Soul shall bear the burden of another; there shall be nothing for a person except what he strived for.”

Al Qur’an 53:38-39

“From the greatest of ways in which a believer can gain closeness to Allah Almighty after the compulsory acts of worship is through the completion of voluntary worship generally, and more specificallyby reciting the Book of Allah Almighty, and understanding it, and pondering over it’s meanings.

Khabbaab bin alAratt (RA) once said to a man: Gain closeness to Allah Almighty to the best of your ability, but know that you will not attain closeness through anything more beloved to Allah Almighty than through His words. May Allah Almighty raise us with the family of al-Qur’an on the day of Judgement. Ameen.”

did you know?

• Workers productivity decreases by 2040% every time they multi taske or “task switch” • Adam (AS) was about 30 ziraas tall. 1 Ziraa is approximately half a meter, so he was about 15 metres tall • To find the Gregorian equivalent to any Muslim calendar date (i.e., 1 Muharram of any year), multiply 970,224 by the Muslim year, point off six decimals, and add 621.5774. The whole number will be the Gregorian year and the decimal multiplied by 365.24 will be the first day of the Muslim year.

• The first Hafiz (one who memorizes the Qur’an) of the Holy Qur’an after Muhammad (S.A.W) was Uthman Bin Affan (R.A).

“To all those writing exams, going for interviews, applying for jobs, making critical life decisions; know that no man has all the ability to affect your outcomes. Your tauheed should dictate the impossible being possible as it should guide you to knowing that success and failure is from Allah Almighty and His Divine Will is above everything else. So - Do your best and put your trust in Allah, and do not fear the examiner, the interviewer, nor anyone else.`` “For students of knowledge; it is of utmost importance to found yourself well with matters pertaining to ‘alUrf’ and ‘alhaajah’ and ‘ad-dharoorah’ and its conditions and placements of application, especially when living in a Muslim Minority, so as to protect yourself from talking about the religion of Allah Almighty in a manner never revealed by Allah Almighty.”

The Indications of Beneficial Knowledge

Everything has its indications and signs. Indications that knowledge is beneficial are that it leads to fine character, good manners and praiseworthy attributes. In this regard it was said: “He whose knowledge doesn’t cause him to weep, can be justifiably considered not to have been granted beneficial knowledge, since Allaah described the people of knowledge saying: “Say believe in it (the Qur’aan) or do not believe. Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. And they say: “Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the Promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.” And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility.’” [Al-Israa’ (17):107-109] Thus knowledge carries its possessor towards humility, prostration, crying, calling oneself to account and truthfulness with Allaah.

Indeed crying is the clearest sign and best proof of the knowledge one possesses and of a person’s truthfulness. What is the benefit of knowledge a person learns, if it doesn’t lead him to crying, humbleness, penitence and good dealings with the people?

Is not the possessor of knowledge one who knows most about his Lord? Has he not read about His Exalted, Perfect, Lofty Attributes that which causes his heart to humble and his eyes to shed tears?

Has he not read in the Book of Allaah and in the sayings of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alaih wa sallam, texts pertaining to the Fire, the terror in the grave and the fearful accounts of the Resurrection because of which mountains are humbled out of the fear of Allaah?

So compare your position to this – may Allaah have mercy upon us – and don’t forget the virtuous saying, “He who’s knowledge doesn’t cause him to weep, can be justifiably considered not to have been granted beneficial knowledge.”

By Shaikh Hussain al-Awaa’ishah This Article was taken from AlKauthar Blog

let your inner competitor

shine!

During Sulhu Alhudaybiyah Urwa Bin Masood was sent by Quraish to negotiate with Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and he wanted to grab the prophet by his beard, but one of the companions hit him with the end of his sword, who was that companion?

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