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Responding to California Wildfires When It Matters Most
What the West Coast is facing In California, it’s been known for years that all it takes is a brief moment of wind to start a catastrophic wildfire. People who live in the state enjoy the welcoming weather and sweet aroma of the air, along with some of the most scenic landscapes in the country. But due to the fact that wildfires are a reality that looms over California, many remained prepared for the worst. For those who haven’t been fortunate enough to make arrangements in the case of a fire, their need for support is incalculable. When Beth and Albert found themselves among the hardest hit by wildfires in…
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What a Difference a Day of Dignity Makes
IRUSA Day of Dignity events connect with hearts and communities Ending the year off right The year isn’t complete at IRUSA with connecting with communities across the U.S. for the annual Day of Dignity events. It’s a project partners, communities, and staff look forward to being a part of. Emergency services, food parcels, and care packages are made available. Each year the efforts building deeper bonds and have deeper impacts. In places like Bronx New York, community members came from far and wide to get things such as health screenings and hygiene kits. “This is also an opportunity for the local Muslim community to demonstrate we can be service providers…
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3 Easy Ways to do Facebook Birthdays Right
Before we begin, we must say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! We pray Allah grants you many more spins around the sun. Birthdays are special because they remind us of how precious the time we get on earth is. What better way to celebrate that than giving from your heart and blessings?! Facebook Birthdays are gaining traction with more and more people giving their family and friends the opportunity to give to humanitarian causes. So, here are some ways to make your Facebook birthday campaign successful. Facebook has helped us make it easy to do. Ok, here we go! 1. Who, What, Where….. Your description means everything. A pro tip is to make…
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6 Ayahs on Allah’s Promises for Good Deeds
Everything we did in preparation to receive and spread love this Eid didn’t come easy. But we buckled down, dug deep in our hearts, and within our pockets, to make sure that people we love can enjoy themselves. There were also people you knew you’d never have the pleasure of meeting face-to-face that you sent you fresh Qurbani meat to. And even if it wasn’t money that you contributed, the time spent caring for those closest to you was truly an investment in the bounty of Allah. We’ve collected six ayahs to remind ourselves and you of the promises of Allah for those who do good for his sake. Surah…
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2 Thoughts on Finding a Hajj State of Mind
Wrapped in Love A house with solid pillars holds firm, can survive the worst storms, and keeps the people that live inside safe. So too is the beauty of the five pillars of Islam: with the adoption of each pillar, another layer of security wraps around the heart. When the intentions of Hajj are made and Allah allows a believer to place their feet upon the pilgrimage, fulfilling that pillar forever changes the heart of the one who is blessed to go. As the 2019 Hajj season approaches, the words of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ring loudly and true: “Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any obscenity or transgression will…
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Women’s Empowerment in Pakistan: Meet Nabila
Nabila, a Pakistani woman, is making great strides as a professional now, but that wasn’t always the case. At 16-years-old, she was married. Within a year of marriage, she became a widow with a baby boy to care for. Her husband had fallen ill and was on his deathbed for 16 days. While she waited at his bedside, his family grew suspicious. They eventually put her and her young son out, believing that it was Nabila who caused her husband’s illness and ultimately death. She had nowhere to go but back to stay with her father. Although he worked hard as a driver, his salary still wasn’t enough to support…
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5 Humanitarian Highlights from Nelson Mandela
Prophet Muhammad said: “(Angel) Jibril kept recommending me to treat my neighbour well until I thought that he would tell me to make him one of my heirs” (Bukhari: 6014). When we look to contemporary examples of what it means to truly embody the principle of care for our neighbors, we see the legacy of Nelson Mandela. He became President of South Africa after being former political prisoner, and championing the rights of disenfranchised South Africans. For many humanitarians across the world he has illuminated a path the we can all find lessons in. Here are a few highlights of his impactful life. 1. MANDELA TOOK 1948 APARTHEID LEGISLATION HEAD…
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Where Your Ramadan Food Boxes Reached in 2019
A Truly Blessed Ramadan Words fail to fully describe how abundant the blessings were during this past 2019 Ramadan. We spent lengthy days and even longer nights where we sought and shared mercy. There’s something we should never forget about this bountiful month: from the moment it begins, millions of people unfortunately still face the same challenging trials they face year-round. Hunger doesn’t stop during Ramadan; poverty doesn’t press pause either. Hunger doesn’t stop during Ramadan; poverty doesn’t press pause either. IRUSA was fortunate to receive donations from so many donors like you who remembered this reality, and acted on it as part of your month-long spiritual reflection. You remembered…
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No Home Doesn’t Mean No Dinner
Islamic Relief USA shares a Ramadan tradition with our neighbors in Washington, D.C. A Powerful Tradition For the last four years, a group of volunteers have been showing up to Franklin Square Park in Washington, D.C., to break their fast with the local population who happen to be homeless. What do we mean by ‘with’ the local population? The Islamic Relief USA community has taken a number of opportunities to provide meals for the homeless, but rarely do we take the time to sit down, have a meal, and just kick back and spend time with them. Starting with the Heart In Ramadan 2019, Islamic Relief USA decided to put…
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Ramadan Reflections: Day 21 Nafs Hack with Tariq Touré
Nafs Hack: Putting the Phone Away Assalamu alaikum! This is Tariq here with IRUSA’s Nafs Hack. My Nafs Hack is this little device right here (points to his phone) that has so much of our attention, including mine. During this month of Ramadan, we want to make sure that our attention as much as possible is on building our connection with Allah (SWT). So, in doing that, one of the most practical Nafs Hacks that I use for myself is that I never go to bed with this little bad boy near me. This phone which has an alarm clock on it as well to wake me up for fajr,…
