Zaytuna’s 12000 Strong Community: Fulfilling a Prophetic Promise

Since its inception in 2012, the 12000 Strong program has steadily grown to almost 3,000 monthly donors. The program is inspired by the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad s: “12000 believers will not be defeated for lack of numbers.” This powerful promise inspires Zaytuna’s monthly giving program. For Muslims, the small but consistent acts of devotion carry with them immense blessings. 12000 Strong contributes ten percent of Zaytuna’s operating budget, serving as one of the cornerstones of the College’s fundraising

initiatives. The 12000 Strong program, however, is more than just a monthly giving initiative. It is a community united towards building, God-willing, a lasting institution of learning.

Zaytuna intends to cultivate this community through special programs designed just for the 12000 Strong members. As President Hamza Yusuf says, “Membership should have its privileges, and we plan to honor that. A 12000 Strong book club along with some other perks is in store for our loyal supporters.”

12,000 Hearts Beating as One

I have the privilege of managing the 12000 Strong program at Zaytuna College. This unique program is founded on a beautiful hadith of our beloved Prophet, “12,000 believers will not be defeated for lack of numbers.” Through the blessings of this prophetic promise, our goal is to not only create a sustainable model for Zaytuna to flourish for future generations but to foster a community of learners that benefit from the resources produced by Zaytuna College and spread the light of our tradition in the world. We have many great initiatives in store for our 12000 Strong community. We’re about to start a new monthly email newsletter, Read & Rise,

Akram Sirafi, the in which we plan to share development programs some of the wisdom from manager at Zaytuna College, manages the 12000 Strong program. the Zaytuna faculty, students, staff, and alumni. We hope that these 12000 Strong initiatives will benefit you and help us grow as a community, in sha Allah.

The first book for the First Command Book Club

The First Command Book Club

Early next year, the 12000 Strong community will have the exclusive option to join a book club designed and led by President Yusuf. The book club will be a virtual interactive forum complete with scheduled meetings, reading assignments, and fruitful discussions. In its efforts to revive the intellectual literacy in our community, Zaytuna welcomes the book club as a wonderful addition to its educational initiatives.

A Witness to Joyful Learning

A few days before Ramadan 2019, my younger brother Ahmed had relocated to California and invited me to visit.

One day, I told Ahmed that there was an American Muslim college I had heard about. While he was at work, I decided to go exploring. At the lower campus, I made my way around the bookstore, purchasing some Egyptian musk, perfumes, books, and a small bookmark with a Qur’anic prayer, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” I made the vertical trip uphill from lower campus to Holy Hill. (For a Texan, it felt like I was mountain climbing.) I walked out to the courtyard and saw a group of young female students sitting in a circle, maybe three or four of them, reviewing Arabic poetry, quoting Rūmī and Imām al-Ghazālī, and joyfully learning. It moved me to tears, and I prayed that I would return one day. I went on to work in fundraising consultancy, and subhan Allah, two years later, here I am, working for Zaytuna as a regional director of development for the South. My role is to connect and build a community with our generous donors and supporters. What a gift! Our mission is more than learning. It is about establishing an academic address for Islam in America. It is about the American Muslim experience, as an organic, local, and vital part of our society. Education is everything, and it is my honor to be a part of Zaytuna College. If you are interested in learning more about how you can support our community and “increase our knowledge” together, then let’s connect! Nadeen Mustafa is the regional director of development for the South at Zaytuna College.

Living Links to a Knowledge-Based Civilization

Bismillah. I am honored to be a part of Zaytuna. Like many, my introduction to Zaytuna came through Alhambra Productions, when I would hear the Purification of the Heart tapes play in my mother’s car while she ran errands. I visited the Zaytuna Institute website often, downloading every lecture that would surface. The other day, I found a loose note I had taken while listening to the Mālikī fiqh of Ramadan class as a teenager. It was a reminder from another age, and I remembered exactly what was on it, before I even looked.

A conversation with Shaykh Hamza on the eve of leaving for university confirmed my intentions to pursue ‘ilm at some point. The years passed, and I ended up pursuing writing, earning a fellowship at the National Review Institute. While working in the public eye, it struck me that my desire for ‘ilm had changed into an obligation. A decade on from that conversation, I fulfilled my intention. In that, too, I found myself linked to the College, studying at Al-Maqasid in Pennsylvania under the direction of Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, from whom I heard stories of the early days at Zaytuna. The study of even introductory texts, such as Mukhtaśar al-Akhđarī and Al-Murshid al-Mu‘īn, made the deep distinction of this form of education tangibly clear to me. After my studies at Al-Maqasid, I knew that I needed to return to the workforce while remaining engaged with my learning—even so, I did not even dream that I would find a job that combined those two needs. But God provides. To work somewhere that links a new generation, on American soil, to fourteen centuries of our “knowledge-based civilization” is a reward in itself.

Jibran Khan is an editor, in Marketing, at Zaytuna College.