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IRUSA Hosts Iftar with US Department of Agriculture
An opportunity to break bread with government officials in charge of administering food policies remains one of Islamic Relief USA’s longest running annual rituals. On May 9, we were especially pleased to sponsor an iftar with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It was the eighth consecutive year that IRUSA sponsored the annual USDA event and the 11th straight year the USDA haled the annual interfaith event. More than 100 people were in attendance, a cross section of faith leaders, representatives of elected officials, farmers, and friends and family of USDA and IRUSA staff. Mike Beatty, acting director of the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement, said he…
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Ramadan Reflections: Day 9 Nafs Hack with Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Nafs Hack: Contemplating Death Assalamu alaikum. My name is Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and this is my Nafs Hack. When I was in Sacramento (prior to a game), I was taking my pre-game nap, and I had a dream. To this day this dream bothers me. I had a dream I was walking over a bridge, and right underneath the bridge there a was a fire—hellfire. As I was walking, the bridge collapsed; when it collapsed, I went with it. But there was something that stopped me. And I didn’t want to shift and move my head. I’m looking up to see what prevented my fall, and it was a string of…
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Ramadan Reflections: Day 8 Nafs Hack with Mariama Badjie
Nafs Hack: Do it with Ihsan Assalamu alaikum! My name is Mariama Badjie, and I’m here with today’s Nafs Hack. When I was a freshman in high school, in my AP world history class, my teacher called on me and he asked me, do you think the Roman empire would have been what it was if Julius Caesar never existed? And I said no, Julius Caesar was amazing or infamous—however you want to look at it. But what he did wasn’t irreplaceable. I stopped and I said, well, maybe, maybe if he didn’t do what he did, someone else would’ve. And he said exactly. This is a concept in history.…
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Ramadan Reflections: Day 7 Nafs Hack with Khalil Ismail
Nafs Hack: Strategizing Gratefulness Assalamu alaikum, and peace to everyone. This is Khalil Ismail with your Nafs Hack. I wanted to talk about strategizing gratefulness today. I think one of the most important things, maybe the most important thing that we have that we can hold on to, regardless of what happens in this life, is gratefulness. And what strikes me about gratefulness is that in the Qur’an when Allah (SWT) talks about the story of Shaytan wanting to take us off the path of worshipping him, and Shaytan basically says that he is going to get us from the left, from the right, from the back. He basically says…
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Ramadan Reflections: Day 6 Nafs Hack with Farhaan Razi
Nafs Hack: Stay Fit While Fasting Assalamu alaikum, everyone! My name is Farhaan Razi, co-founder and president of Fasting 5K, a non-profit that runs a 5k while fasting to raise money for charities during this blessed month. We’re excited this year to be partnering with Islamic Relief to raise money for their various causes in the Virginia area. I want to share with you some Nafs Hacks that I do to help stay in shape during this blessed month. One. Hydration is key. It’s important to drink 8 glasses of water from iftar time to suhoor time, and don’t try to squeeze in all those glasses of water during suhoor…
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Ramadan Reflections: Day 5 Nafs Hack with Isra Chaker
Nafs Hack: Daily Gratitude Journal I’m a civil rights activist, and I’m here today with Islamic Relief to give you your next Nafs Hack. Now, we all live in a life where we are constantly busy and being pulled in many directions and are facing tribulations while also overcoming them. And sometimes we realize that we don’t ever stop and breathe for a second and think about all the things we are actually grateful for and the things that we are blessed with. And so my nafs hack I do on daily basis personally is I wake up every morning and I write down five things that I’m grateful for…
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Ramadan Reflections: Day 4 Nafs Hack with Amani Abdel-Dayem
Nafs Hack: Live with Intention Assalamu alaikum, everyone! My name is Amani Abdel-Dayem, and I’m here for your Nafs Hack. So, my Nafs Hack for you today is for productivity in intention and niyyah. Whenever you have anything to do, from the menial to the major—whether it’s wuduh, salah, cooking dinner, starting a project, or visiting a friend—make sure that you have an intention. Make sure that you’re focused on the outcome that you’re looking for and the why that you’re doing what you’re doing. And, all of a sudden, the quality of your work, your visit, whatever it is that you’re doing, your salah will change dramatically for the…
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RAMADAN REFLECTIONS: DAY 3 NAFS HACK WITH SAID DURRAH
Nafs Hack: Sustainable Fasting Assalamu alaikum. I’m comedian Said Durrah, and this is your Nafs Hack. Today, I want to talk to you about the difference between what I call sustainable fasting and silly fasting. Sustainable fasting, if you’re able to fast, is what you’re supposed to do—you know, no food, no water and so forth—but silly fasting is the people that want to go to extremes. Don’t be that person. That’s the person who tells you, “Oh, I just got an internship at this bakery. It’s going to be great for Ramadan. It’s really going to test me. It’s really going to push me to my extremes.” Why would…
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Ramadan Reflections: Day 1 Nafs Hack with Naeem Muhammad
Nafs Hack: Use Visual Cues Assalamu alaikum, and Ramadan Mubarak! Each year, Islamic Relief sends daily inspirational videos to you during the month of Ramadan. This year’s Ramadan Reflections are focused on Nafs Hacks, or life hacks that will help you with spirituality, productivity, and to make every day in Ramadan productive. My name is Naeem Muhammad, and this is my Nafs Hack. Anytime you’ve started to bring on a new, good habit or want to implement some kind of new behavior, what I like to do is to use visual cues, as well as remove all obstacles out of the way to implement that habit in my life. So,…
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The Ramadan Heart Transplant
{ O you who believe! Answer (the call of) Allah and His Apostle when he calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered. } (8:24) Symptoms and Causes for Concern Atherosclerosis is the process of plaque build-up on artery walls from fats, cholesterol, and other substances. When the plaque overruns, blood flow gets constricted, which then causes an array of severe health concerns. But, when arteries in the heart are under the pressure of atherosclerosis for too long, heart disease soon follows after. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS),…
