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Unity in the Ummah
Shifting our perspective to see the beauty in all Volunteer Blog by Mustafa H. Reminiscing about the Golden Era “Arab has no merit over non-Arab other than Godfearingness.” These are the blessed words of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) made history in Arabia by doing away with the old polarizing and divisive tribal system. He made massive strides uniting the Arab people and insisted on unity rather than division. One of my personal favorite stories of the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the story of how the blackstone was placed onto the Kaaba. Every Muslim understands the significance of the black stone and the Kaaba. It is…
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Taking Care of Texas
IRUSA Mobilizes Aid to Texans in Frigid Power Outage An Unexpected Freeze An unusual winter storm sent a wave of freezing temperatures across Texas in the middle of February. On the 14th of the month the state saw multiple locations drop to temperatures of (-18C). Millions were caught completely off guard while witnessing their neighborhoods be enveloped in ice. Since then over 40 people have lost their life and in some tragic cases children have died of hypothermia. The US National Weather Service (NWS) stated that the “Arctic outbreak” flowed in from above the US-Canada border, causing a winter snow storm accompanied by devastating temperatures. Entire districts went without power…
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Hunger in Yemen
Food shortages still a challenge When President Anwar Khan said with all his heart, “They asked me when I was coming back. Yemeni hospitality is amazing, Mashallah. I am not sure, but if I am needed I would love to come back. My focus now is not going back, but to let people know what is going on, to be a voice for those whose cries we cannot hear” we knew that the struggle to provide every inch of support to the beautiful people of Yemen possible would require the best from us. However the outpouring of help and compassion built medical facilities, cured cholera for thousands, and made water no…
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Day of Dignity Begins
IRUSA starts rounding the country for annual Day of Dignity events Autumn means a drastic change of scenery and weather for many communities in America. It also means that we have the opportunity to support families who are hardest hit during this season. A simple drop in temperature can drastically impact the housing situation for millions, and with the rising rates of COVID-19 it can spell disaster. This years Day of Dignity events hold the same feeling of communal support be mean so much given the situation. For decades now we partnered with communities organizations to bring resources, supplies, meals, and non-perishables to the places that need them the most.…
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Caring for Climate Change
What it means to take action as the earth undergoes severe trials. Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]. (30:41) While everyone around the world has seen or felt the effects of climate change, the most vulnerable are people living in the world’s poorest countries. The majority of people living in Africa or Asia for example, depend on agricultural and natural resources in order to survive. By relying on farming or hunting and gathering to eat and…
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Sustained Solidarity: Why We can’t Let this Moment Fade
Racism is consistent. Our communities have to be consistent in fighting it. What We know If you are Black in America, fatigue is a luxury. Rest of mind, body, and soul can’t be weighed in gold. Leisure time is to be savored, vacations guarded. The long held tradition of subjugating Black people by lethal and legal force makes all of the above priceless. When Sandra Bland was taken, there was no time for fatigue. When Breonna Taylor was taken, it was still no time for fatigue. Though many media outlets have since move on from the Murder of George Floyd and the resulting uprisings, the compassion and support needed to…
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More Ways to Sacrifice this Season
Easy methods to serve for the blessed second Eid COVID-19 has slowed down a significant portion of our normal lives. Many say this will be our new way of living. That reality can be daunting. With Eid Al-Adha around corner, an added level of stress can fall on all of us when try to think about what we can do with our time. For a large amount of people, both Eids are busy times, with days that can seem endless. If you were looking for ways to still gain some barakah in your time and at a distance look no further. 1) Get Your Qurbani In If you give your…
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First-Ever IRUSA Meal Pack Out IN Harrisburg, PA, Shows Power of Love
IRUSA, Rise Against Hunger, Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg, and volunteers come together to serve those in need Coming Together Aligning with five of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations has empowered IRUSA to be able to focus intensely on areas of concern for vulnerable communities. One of those goals is to end hunger. Though ending hunger in the world is an effort many in humanitarian spaces see as a challenging effort, requiring belief and commitment, it is a priority that we have put our collective hearts into. On November 9th, almost 100 hearts from Rise Above Hunger, Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg, and other members of the…
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Families Brace for another Winter
Around the world, temperatures are dropping, leaving families already in need even more vulnerable. The Cold can Kill The human body normally maintains a temperature of around 98.6˚F or 37˚C. When the body can’t produce enough heat in an extremely cold environment hypothermia can happen, and has proven to be fatal. As hypothermia takes root, it slows down thinking, body movement, and the ability to react. For these reasons, many people unfortunately die because of how slow and unassuming hypothermia is. It is so subtle that people can pass in their sleep. Hypothermia is just one of the many reasons that IRUSA has committed to assisting vulnerable communities survive the…
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IRUSA is Giving Tuesday to Yemen Again
Here are great ways you can help make this a winning effort What is Giving Tuesday? We use our phones to do nearly everything these days. One of the most revolutionary things we’ve been able to do is donate to causes we believe in, and the ones that will impact people. Worldwide, online donors have given over $400 billion dollars worth of contributions to causes of their choice in the last 2 years alone. Giving Tuesday is a global day of online giving that follows the holiday season. It’s a powerful day for us to use our phones and any device we can find to show support for our brothers…
