Imagine a family holiday with no one to share the festivities. Imagine not being able to eat the traditional delicious food, tasty treats and sugary sweets that accompany the holidays. Over 2.3 million people in the prison system face this every year. The incarcerated do not have loved ones to gather with, they do not even have halal food to enjoy. The Tayba Foundation, based in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area of California, are striving to help Muslim inmates.

Read how you can help and listen to Sidi Rami Nsour’s audio clip: Tayba Foundation’s Eid sponsorhip program for the prison system

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Dear friends, supporters, mentors and fellow activists,

I’m delighted to report to you of our recent successful endeavor involving lobbying for health reform in Washington, DC last week. As you may know, AMHP has been involved in health policy work for the last one year. And even though, we’re only a four year old organization, our output in the policy arena, specifically vis a vis health reform has become the cornerstone of our grassroots efforts.

We prepared extensively for the trip and with a eight member delegation visiting over 15 congressional offices, meeting key health policy advisors and our partner organizations, I believe we were able to effectively represent the voice of Muslims on this critical domestic issue. In that spirit, I’m now working with various national, mostly non-Muslim organizations to mobilize a wide scale grassroots effort on health reform this August when congress is in recess and reps are at home.

I have also personally undertaken the effort to highlight our Free Clinics movement. About six months ago, I organized the Muslim Free Clinics Council, an umbrella group of 27 loosely connected free clinics across the country. I spoke extensively to Congressman Keith Ellison and other representatives to work with us and advance the role of these valuable institutions. To that effect, I’m working on analysis that may lead to increased funding within the reform legislation for these free clinics.

I write to seek your support and help to make these goals possible. I believe our community has a stake in it and this is an opportune time to put our mark on the issue of health reform, a viable domestic agenda.

AMHP has now established a credible role in this field by developing expertise, issuing policy briefs, and legislative updates. Over the last one year we have published numerous blogs/Op Eds, provided training, organized seminars and now have effectively represented the voice of Muslim American community in the policy arena.

Thanks for your consideration and I hope to speak to all of you soon to lay out details of the plans for upcoming efforts. Your duas and active support as well as encouragement is essential inshallah.

wasalam,

Faisal Qazi, DO
Neurologist
Chino Hills/Upland, CA
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA
President, American Muslim Health Professionals – AMHP (A national public health focused initiative. www.amhp.us)

New organization of Islamic groups working together for the greater good. First event: raising awareness of the deadly malaria disease that afflicts many countries especially AFRICA. Working together: Al-Madina Institute, AlMaghrib Institute, Islamic Relief, ISNA, MANA, MAS, MSA National, SeekersGuidance, Zaytuna College.

Speakers for the first event include:

Dr. Fatimah Jackson

Website for UFC coming soon… insha Allah.

UPDATE July 1, 2009: Website launched – http://www.muslimsunitedforchange.com

Photo taken from www.HelpImamSiraj.com

IslamCrunch fully supports the call by Shaykh Suhaib Webb and Shaykh Faraz Rabbani to dedicate this Friday (and/or the next Friday) as America’s Imam Day. A day for mosques, Muslim Student Associations and Islamic centers to dedicate their sermons, events and activities to raise funds for our beloved teacher and guide, Imam Siraj Wahhaj.

From Shaykh Suhaib:

Asalamu alaykum, Last week the Muslim youth in America pulled off an amazing fundraiser for Imam Siraj Wahaj. While 26 K. was donated we are still well short of our goal of $125.000.

The Idea: Muslim organizations could call for “America’s Imam Day” designating a Friday where funds could be raised for the Imam across the country! It would be awesome if others such as our brothers in the U.K got on board as well. Let us all write, call and encourage our organizations like ISNA, ICNA, MAS, MSA,MAP, RIC, MYNA, al-Maghrib, Seekers Guidance and Zaytuna to make this call together.

From Shaykh Faraz:

My dear friend, Shaykh Suhaib Webb had the following Call for an America’s Imam Day, to designate this upcoming Friday (and/or the next one) across different communities (and, I’d add, campuses) to raise funds for Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been diagnosed with prostrate cancer and has very high medical bills not covered by insurance.

You can view a video of Imam Siraj discussing the history of Masjid Al-Taqwa and the evolution of the Muslim Alliance of North America here: http://islamcrunch.com/archives/imam-siraj-wahhaj-from-masjid-taqwa-and-beyond-mana/

Join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82234309096

Help support Imam Siraj’s medical bills: http://www.helpimamsiraj.com/

{INDEED, there has come unto you [O mankind] a Messenger from amongst yourselves; heavily it weighs upon him [the thought] that you might suffer [in the life to come]; full of concern for you, full of compassion and mercy towards the believers} (9:128)

Anas reported that the Messenger of God, peace and mercy be upon him, said:“None of you will believe until I am more beloved to him than his children, his father, and all people.”
{Muslim, Al-Bukhari and an-Nasa’i}

These are some excerpts from the book Kanz Al-Najah wa As-Suroor, a book highlighting the special qualities of each month. We are now in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal. We ask Allah that He blesses us in this month with a sincere connection to and love for the beloved Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Ameen.

Know that during this month it is recommended for one to increase in his or her sending of blessings and mercy upon the Prophet (salawat or durood shareef), the Master of Humankind, peace and mercy be upon him. The reason is because it was in this month that the greatest blessing was revealed to the world. In this month the cause of the greatest happiness emerged. In this month the Sun of Guidance rose over mankind and jinn. In this month the Prophet peace and mercy be upon him was born.

Recommended Things to do this Month:

• Increase in the sending of mercy, peace, and blessings upon the Messenger of God. Allah commands this in the verse {Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation!} (33:56).
• Read and reflect upon the Biography (Sirah) of the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him. Many scholars strongly encourage people to take advantage of this month by reading his life and inculcating his Prophetic character into one’s own. Two great books that are in English are “Muhammad – His Life Based on the Earliest Sources” by Martin Lings, and “Al-Shifa” by Qadi.
• For a good audio version of the Prophetic Biography there is “The Life of the Prophet Muhammad ” by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
• Give out charity (sadaqah) in its many forms as often as possible.
• Increase in reading the Quran.
• Fast as often as possible this month.
• Express one’s love for the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, inwardly and outwardly.
• Renew one’s oath to follow Allah’s Messenger, peace and mercy be upon him, in his or her inward and outward actions.
• Attend gatherings of remembrance of Allah and His Messenger, such as Mawlids, Hadith readings, or any other praiseworthy gathering to remember the Most High and His Beloved, peace and mercy be upon him.

We ask Allah that He blesses us, our families, and the entire Ummah during this month by allowing us to reconnect with the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him. We should try to embody him, peace and mercy be upon him, in all that we do, say, and think. If we attempt to actualize our love for the Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him, during this month and during our entire lives it may be that Allah will grant us the Prophet’s intercession on the Day of Judgment and He grants us a place in the highest levels of Paradise in the company of the Prophets, the Siddiqeen, and the Elite Angels. Ameen!

Much thanks to Sidi Amjad Tarsin who has graciously supplied this article and many more regarding the Islamic months.