June 2013 - Issue 3
Getting the Best Out of Ramadan Brother Waqar’s Journey with Charity Right
Preparing
for Ramandan www.mercymissionworld.org
June 2013
Newstouse
Announcements
Upcoming Events
Mabrook
Zakat Seminars and Events - UK
• Br. Sidqui Djunaidi (AlKauthar Perth Ameer) and Sr. Zayneb Abdullatif (Little Explorers Magazine, Australia) got married on March 3rd, 2013. • Sr. Ayesha’s (Women’s Shelter, India) had her nikah on May 31st, 2013 • Sr. Iqra’s (Women’s Shelter, India) had her nikah in mid May 2013 • Also, Sr. Rifa Tahsina (WRC Marketing Coordinator, Canada) on her recent nikah on June 6th, 2013. • Br. Qutaibah (Media Manager to CEO) got married on June 7th. • Br. Din Othman (Malaysia National Manager) is going to get married at the end of June.
Throughout June, NZF will be hosting various zakat seminars and events in mosques and Muslim networks at various professional firms and corporate businesses. Also look forward to their Ramadan campaign towards the end of June.
Clothes 4 Dawah (C4D) - Australia First container has been shipped Alhumdulillah. Currently looking to locate to a new warehouse to facilitate sorting, packing and distribution of clothes InshaAllah.
1st Retail Outlet to offer AK (UK) enrolments Now you can enrol for any AlKauthar course in the UK at Blackstone Book Shop on Whitechapel Road, London, throughout the year.
Ground breaking New Partnership - UK Morrisons Supermarkets PLC, which is the 4th largest grocery retailer chain in the UK, will be supporting NZF throughout Ramadan and Eid via a range of initiatives including raising funds from the sale of selected Halal products, organising events in store and working on joint media campaign. For every product purchased, Morrisons will donate 10p to the NZF.
Dua’a request Please make dua’a for Sr. Savda (WRC, Canada)’s brother and also Sr. Hanadil (WRC Helpline Operations Coordinator)’s father.
Survey for Muslim Women in North America WRC Canada, recently sent out an anonymous survey to determine the real needs of Muslim Women in North America. MashaAllah they were floored by the amount of responses in such a short period of time. Jazakillah Khairan to all the sisters who participated!
Pure Matrimony radio show and app - UK PM’s radio show has been upgraded. They now have up to 2 hours of air time daily and the ability to take live calls. PM is working on a mobile app which will have all resources such as radio show, webinars, videos, Facebook, Pinterest updates and blog articles in one place. Users will also be able to register to PM through the app.
MyFosterChild - UK Sr. Arwa (freelance journalist) is currently writing an article about a bill that suggests that Government do not need to consider religion when placing children with carers to cut red tape. The article will be published in Guardian Newspaper.
Students Guild Students from UK, Canada, and Australia will be ending their semesters mid June and preparing for their exams.
Inspiring Webinar with Sh. Abdullah Idrees Join WRC Canada as they kick off their campaign: Leaders for Change - with a webinar by Sh. Abdullah Idrees on June 19th at 7:30pm EST. Check out mmwrc.com for more details.
Madinah Canada Drop in to the Madinah, Canada from 3:30pm6:30pm and practice and learn Quran at your pace and skill level with a qualified female teacher with an Ijazah. This service is also available for both young girls and boys under the age of 10. Both brothers and sisters can pray Jummah Salah at Madinah Canada.
Guardian School - India The next academic year will be starting in June. MashaAllah this year they move ahead from a preschool to a primary school.
Teacher’s Tarbiyaah Program Teachers from five Islamic school have been attending a Teacher’s Tarbiyaah Program organized by Mercy Mission. The sessions were conducted by renowned personalities who continue to contribute in this programme which will end on June 7th, 2013. The follow up plan is to set up a forum called ‘Ummah Builders’ where ideas will be shared such as Islamic integration, teaching methodologies, and inculcating leadership amongst children.
National Managers Review in Malaysia National Managers will be meeting in Malaysia at the end of June for their review of q2 and planning for q3.
Divine Liberation - Being Me Malaysia 2013 Being-Me is back in Malaysia with more exciting talks, speakers, corners and bazaar! Mark your calendar for June 29th and purchase your tickets.
bISMILLAH...
A
ssalamualikum warahmatulahi wabarakatuhu my dear brothers and sisters,
With Rajab soon coming to end and Shaban almost upon us; this means that preparations for Ramadan have started, if not already begun. As such this Issue of Ansaari Monthly will be a focus on Ramadan preparation filled with beneficial reminders, gems and an article to get everyone ready for Ramadan. We also highlight our program Charity Right in Malaysia and Br. Waqar Khan’s journey with Mercy Mission and Charity Right. Many of our programs, if not all, are also busy with preparations for their campaigns in Ramadan. Alhumdulillah preparations have begun for fundraising initiatives and launches throughout Mercy Mission Programs around the world. Some of the highlights are: • Ramadan TV – InshaAllah Ramadan TV will be launching once again in Ramadan. The team is busy with getting all the recordings finished in time for the launch. • National Zakat Foundation – The Ramadan campaign is set to launch by the end of June InshaAllah in London, England. In addition, National Zakat Foundation will be launching in two new countries; Canada and Australia. The Canadian launch will be as soon as this Ramadan InshaAllah. • AlKauthar Institute – Majority of the AlKauthar cities worldwide are preparing for their pre-Ramadan courses.
Plans and preparation are also underway for many of our other Mercy Mission Programs, but due to limited space not all of them can be mentioned. We pray the best for all the teams who are working so hard to follow in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (SAW) and ask Allah (SWT) to make it heavy on our scales of good deeds Ameen. Let us revive a Sunnah and let us begin our own personal preparation for Ramadan and fast as much as we can in Shaban to get us used to fasting in the long summer hours. We pray that Allah (SWT) keeps us all safe until Ramadan and makes Ramadan faultless for us and secures it for us as an accepted month of virtue Ameen. Wasalamoalikum Warahmatulahi wabarakatuh, Mahmood Qasim, Chief Human Resources Officer
welcomeansaaris We are pleased to announce that there are many new volunteers and employees joining Mercy Mission from around the globe. May Allah give them great success with their endeavours with Mercy Mission and allow their efforts to be a source of great blessings. Ameen.
Br. Shamil Mohdalauddin Executive Support Manager
Br. Fawwaz Aminuddin
Mercy Mission World Finance Consultant
Sr. Alyaa Zahari
HR Assistant to CHRO
Sr. Teima Temimi
Executive Team Admin Officer
Br. Kanvel Shazadi
My Foster Child, UK (Marketing & Outreach)
Sr. Hummara Ahmed
Women’s Resource Centre, Canada
Br. Rizwan Wadhera
Women’s Resource Centre, Canada
Sr. Hanan El-Sabawi
Mercy Mission Madinah, Canada
Sr. Ateeqa Butt
Mercy Mission Madinah, Canada
Sr. Salma Etwaree
Mercy Mission Madinah, Canada
Br. Noorani Sairally
Mercy Mission Madinah, Canada
underthes My Journey with Mercy Mission and Charity Right
B
ismilahhirrahmanirrahim, My name is Waqar Khan and I was born in 1985. I grew up in Riyadh Saudi Arabia and at the age of 12 I migrated to Canada with my family. I studied finance at university and immediately after graduation I started working in the corporate world. I always knew that I wanted to do something different and something more meaningful. I still remember like it was yesterday when I was introduced to Sheikh Tawfique at the first ever Journey of Faith conference by Nakib. That is where my journey with AlKauther and Mercymission began alhamdullillah. In the past eight years I have had the opportunity to work with many different organization and people from across the globe. In 2010 I was blessed with the opportunity to work in the blessed city of Makkah. I would not hesitate to say that it was probably one of the best experiences of my life. For the past two years, I would meet Sheikh Tawfique every Ramadan during his visit to Makkah and each time he would ask me “Waqar, are you happy with the work that you are doing”. It was almost like he knew that I was missing being involved in the dawah scene. Last year he mentioned to me that he wanted to start a project that “gives dawah with food” and I fell in love with the idea. Not because I enjoy food (which I do :)), but rather because the
Christian organization have been doing their misguidance through food all across the world. It was about time that the Muslims started utilizing this powerful tool to give dawah. That idea had been stuck in my head for months and it got to a point where I was left with no option but to pack up, and leave Makkah. I get asked the question “how does it feel to leave Makkah?” by almost everyone I meet. To be honest with you, it really saddens me especially when I think about the kaabah but wallahi Charity Rights is an amazing project, which made this extremely difficult decision easy. The way I look at it is that Charity Rights is a means for helping those most in need. I ask Allah to make it easy for everyone that is involved with Mercy Mission or any of its projects and helps us cleanse our hearts and stay sincere. Ameen.
Glimpse of Charity right A Glimpse at One of Our Volunteers Our homeless friend in the picture is deaf and mute. He would gather his homeless comrades to come to our food distribution. He also volunteers to give out our delicious food packs. We are glad to give him the chance to feel the Joy of Giving!
spotlight Charity Right
C
harity Right is a unique program which seeks to feed all those people whose lives chances are destroyed through malnutrition and extreme hunger. Our vision is to see a world where every vulnerable person has the ability to have at least one hot meal per day. Hunger is at the heart of poverty and must come to an end and we intend to bring about that end. We have launched our effort in Malaysia and will soon be launching in Indonesia by Ramadan inshaAllah. Our philosophy is very simple, which is that no child should go hungry in our communities; no family unsheltered and no individual shall remain unclothed. We aim to rescue food and clothing that is being wasted on a daily basis and then to redistribute to those most in need. This means that extra money is not spent on purchasing food or clothing but rather utilizing the resources, which are already available but not availed. • We have provided close to 40,000 meals • We are feeding around 2,000 people weekly • We are feeding those who are neglected like the blind, disabled, single mothers and the orphans Mercy Mission is founded on knowledge + action, and as such utilizing resources to help the poor and empower them is directly aligned with our mission. It is an obligation upon us to help the poor and we take this obligation very seriously. We should be at the forefront of this cause but have sadly been surpassed by other religious movements. In many cases the impoverished and neglected Muslims are faced with a difficult choice of giving up their religion in exchange for receiving basic needs in life. The biggest problem poverty has is the apathy of those who can do something about it. And you are definitely someone who can. So maybe its better to become part of the solution, and look to feed the world and make it a better place. Provide support to those people in the most extreme need and inshaAllah give them confidence in their faith.
What we have Achieved
39,500+
Why Start With Food? The Prophet, Upon Whom Be Peace & Blessings, said, “ The most excellent sadaqah consists in your satisfying the hungry stomach.” (Tirmidhi) Being hungry is at the heart of the poverty trap. Being hungry reduces attention spans and thus ensures very poor educational experiences for those that are able to attend any form of education. Most who are living with extreme poverty and hunger are unable to even attend school, because to manage their hunger, they are forced to beg or into extreme labour. Therefore starting with hunger is starting in a way to give people a new life chance.
Just Imagine Imagine for a moment your child, the one you love, the one whom you would give anything for, is faced with the prospect of eating trash or nothing at all? If the Tsunamis and earthquakes of the last decade were not enough, the realities of absolute poverty are such that they drive home the words of the Prophet, Upon Whom Be Peace & Blessings, who said, “Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.” Al-Tirmidhi
Allah Loves You To Feed The Poor When describing the righteous, Allah, lord of the Worlds, makes it clear, what are their attributes and feeding the poor is clearly one of the biggest: “They give food, out of love for Him (Allah), to the poor, the orphan, and the slave, saying: We feed you only for Allah’s pleasure - we desire from you neither reward nor thanks.” [Quran 76:8-9)
meals served since ramadan 2012
6,500+
projected meals to be served monthly inshaallah
For further information about Charity Right and how you can support our work please contact project lead Waqar Khan at waqar@charityright.com or visit our website www.charityright.com
Traditions of the salaf Ma’la Ibn al-Fadhl said about the Salaf (the pious predecessors): “They used to call upon Allah for six months until Ramadan reached them, then they would call on Him the other six months that Allah may accept it from them.” And Yahya Ibn Abee Katheer said, “Their supplication used to be,
Sheikh Alaa Elsayed
Getting The Best Out of Ramandan
‘O Allah, keep me safe until Ramadan, and make Ramadan faultless for me, and secure it for me as an accepted (month of virtue).’
From The Quran “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous-” Al Qur’an 2:183
did you know?
• 11% of people are left handed • The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. • An ostrich’s eye is bigger than it’s brain • Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries • 8% of people have an extra rib • A lobsters blood is colorless but when exposed to oxygen it turns blue • 85% of plant life is found in the ocean • Longest recorded flight of a chicken was 13 seconds • Birds need gravity to swallow • The most common used letter in the alphabet is ‘E’ and the least used letter is ‘Q’ • The 3 most common languages in the world are Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and English
An inspiring khutbah given by Sheikh Alaa Elsayed at Green Lane Masjid, Birmingham UK on the topic of Ramadan. Learn of the wisdom & logic of Ramadan through the acts of worship, furthermore discover how Allah teaches us to better our Akhlaaq - moral conduct by tying it to acts of worship such as sawm, zakah, hajj, salah etc. Sheikh Alaa Elsayed also touches on how one can truly gain Taqwa - piety throughout Ramadan & the social, spiritual & physical benefits of this blessed month insha’Allah. Practical tips are also shared designed to cause you to reflect & reconsider your lifestyle, so pay heed, implement & take Ramadan as an opportunity to reform yourself insha’Allah! A brilliant lecture that will definitely motivate you to achieve your utmost!
preparingforramadan As-salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu dear brothers and sisters, As Ramadan is quickly approaching us, we at the Al-Kauthar Team would like to give you a friendly reminder regarding what each of us should be preparing to take away from this Blessed Month, because as Allah (The Most High) says:
“And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers” (Surah Adh-Dhaariyaat, Verse 55) Firstly, in order to benefit from the Month of Ramadan, one must understand its objectives. The following are but a few of these objectives:
1) Submission and Devotion Fasting during Ramadan is one of the obligatory actions that an individual must perform in order to be considered a Muslim. It is a direct Command of Allah (the Most High) and, therefore, a Muslim (one who submits their will towards the Will of Allah) must fulfill this integral responsibility. The sheer fact that Allah commands us to do something that should be sufficient enough of a reason for us to do it, because as He says in the Surah Noor, Verse 51:
“The only statement of the [true] believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, ‘We hear and we obey.’ And those are the successful.” Fasting is just one of the many actions that Allah commands His Servants to fulfill in order to test the reality of the Faith that they claim is within their hearts. So let us remember this important concept before getting into any of the other Fawaa’id (beneficial consequences) that may arise from fasting during Ramadan.
2) Attaining Taqwaa (God-Consciousness) Allah (the Most High) says in the Qur’aan, in Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 183:
“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may attain Taqwaa”
From this, we can see that one of the main objectives of Ramadan is to attain Taqwaa; which is typically translated as meaning “God Consciousness”. A lot of us may go through our daily lives without remembering Allah in the slightest (May Allah forgive us and protect us from such heedlessness!). As we fast during the days of Ramadan, we are reminded every time that we look at the food or drink that we would typically partake in that “The only reason why I am not enjoying you is because I have been commanded by my Lord to abstain”. If we keep this thought in mind while we are fasting, then we can challenge and hopefully overcome the heedlessness which has inflicted us over time inshaa Allah. Indeed, we humans are made forgetful.
3) Self Control Fasting helps to train us to forego immediate gratification and obedience of our desires in order to attain loftier objectives and a lasting reward. When an individual realizes the strength that they need to overtake their desires, they are capable of realizing successes like no other; in this world and in the Hereafter.
4) Nearness to the Book of Allah (the Qur’aan) As Muslims (and human-beings for that matter), we are in dire need of guidance in this world. This guidance can be found in the Kitaab (the Qur’aan) and the Hikmah (the Sunnah) that Allah revealed to us through His Final Messenger (peace be upon him). Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that each and every one of us strengthens our connection with this Source of Guidance in order for us to receive the direction that we need in this world. During the Month of Ramadan, one of the most practiced and emphasized acts of worship is the recitation of the Qur’aan. This Month would be a special time where the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would review the entire Qur’aan with the Angel Jibreel, and the scholars of the past would leave all their other books aside in order to focus their efforts on strengthening their relationship with the Book of Allah; because they knew that was where the most reward lied. Therefore, in following the example of our Messenger (peace be upon him) and our righteous predecessors (may Allah have Mercy upon them), it is important that we focus our time on reciting, understanding and pondering the Qur’an in order for us to attain the optimal benefit from Ramadan. We also hope that these habits will remain with us long after the month has passed. By Br. Gulaid Egeh (AlKauthar Ottawa, Canada) This Article was taken from AlKauthar Blog to continue reading this article please click here