Post-Earthquake School Days in Haiti

To help the people of Haiti, click here to donate.

One Year Later: Haiti’s Devastating Earthquake Leaves Permanent Scars

Asma Yousef, media relations representative for Islamic Relief USA, is in Haiti for the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the island nation. She is blogging and tweeting about her trip and IR USA’s work in Haiti.

I awoke at 6:00 a.m. today to the sound of street noises of children rushing to catch their school buses. In retrospect, I needed to have an early start in anticipation of Haiti’s notoriously unpredictable traffic jams. Our agenda included visiting three camps set up by Islamic Relief in Port-au-Prince: Parc Saint Clair, Acra Nord and Yasin Camps. The people we met were incredible, and their stories eye opening.

The first to greet us at every camp are the children. While some are very shy and try to avoid eye contact, others eagerly want us to take photos of them. In Haiti, while the population speaks Haitian Creole, communicating in French can go a long way; I found out mine needed a serious refresher course.

Nothing Worse Can Happen
At the Acra Nord camp, a Haitian girl held her schoolbook while sitting in front of a tent that housed her mother, father and four siblings. Through an interpreter, I found out that even though she normally attends school, this week she was staying at home with her family. Baffled as to why she was not going to school this week, but unable to get answers, I decided to move on to visit other families in the camp.

As we walked away, my translator turned around and explained, “Asma, because this week marks the one-year anniversary of the earthquake, her parents, like others, are afraid it will happen again, and therefore, they want her to stay with them.” It occurred to me that as an outsider it is difficult to understand the level of sheer trauma and distress experienced by Haitians on that fateful day.

On January 12, 2010, homes were leveled, loved ones lost forever and families uprooted and relegated to the realm of “transitional” where uncertainties are endless. They did not know when they would get a home, job or food. The earthquake was a national tragedy felt by everyone in this country. Many Haitians we met had a blank look on their faces. They seemed unfazed by the presence of NGOs and foreigners, especially this week in their country. At times, they seem indifferent, as if nothing worse could possibly happen to them.

At Parc Saint Clair, we encountered Alexander, who had lost his left leg during the earthquake. He was holding his 4-month-old baby and proudly showing us his newly acquired prosthetic leg. A painter by profession, Alexander is hoping to save enough money to buy supplies to paint so he can generate income for his family.

When medical or water distributions take place at the camp, Alexander told me he is often late getting to the truck, so he has to rely on help from his neighbors to get his family’s share. Despite the fact that he currently has no job and lives on help offered by others, Alexander expressed a sense of gratitude certain to humble anyone. “It could have been worse,” he said. “Other people are living in worse conditions than me. I do not worry about what tomorrow will bring me. It is all in the hands of God.”

Struggling, Working to Make Ends Meet

Inhabitants at the camps are happy they have a roof for their families, but due to laws enacted by the Haitian government prohibiting the distribution of food items by any NGO, many camp inhabitants have had to fend for themselves. The law was enacted when in the aftermath of the earthquake, a mass influx of people from outside the capital sought to take advantage of food rations distributed by relief agencies to the camps. This influx caused the camps to overflow and created chaos and disarray. In addition, the law was intended to encourage camp inhabitants to seek work opportunities as means of generating income for their families.

As a result, many are struggling to make ends meet. They are not, however, incapable. They will find something to do and sell. A Haitian woman packs and sells coal for cooking at the entrance of the camp. She sells a bag of her coal for 100 goods (equivalent to $2.50), which is sufficient to cook a single meal for a family. Another was selling grapefruits, peeled and ready to eat, to workers waiting to ride a pickup truck. A group of men was taking apart an old wrecked car to mold its metal as a cooking surface. And judging by the number of customers, business was pretty good for a man selling lotto tickets.

As the end of day approaches, vendors pick up what remains of their merchandise, carrying everything on their heads and head back home. Whether it is a basket full of produce, a ladder or a bucket full of cold soda, they find the strength to hoist it on their heads. And they find a way to survive another day.

-- Asma Yousef

Read more from Asma in Haiti here. And see a photo gallery from her first day in Haiti here. To help the people of Haiti, donate now.

Photo Gallery: Life Goes On in Haiti

One year after the earthquake, life goes on in Haiti. Click here to read about Islamic Relief USA's trip to Haiti this week, and click here to read Media Relations Representative Asma Yousef's post about her first day in Haiti.

Life Goes On in Haiti, but at What Price?

Asma Yousef, media relations representative for Islamic Relief USA, is in Haiti for the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the island nation. She will be blogging and tweeting about her trip and IR USA’s work in Haiti.

As I arrived in Haiti, the airport was teeming with staff from the NGO community in preparation for the one-year anniversary of a devastating 7.0 earthquake that struck the island nation in January 2010.

As my Islamic Relief USA colleague and I headed to our hotel, we drove through the narrow streets of Port-au-Prince. One of the first things that struck me was the abundance of tents and makeshift temporary shelters all over town. The vast quantity of them is so overwhelming. Haiti’s poor don’t just live in isolated urban or rural areas. Poverty is everywhere here.

Life is hectic in Haiti. Everywhere you go there are posters for candidates running for public offices, remnants of the now-postponed national elections. The walls of buildings are covered with graffiti of campaign slogans supporting one candidate or denouncing another. The hustle and bustle of pedestrians going about their business is never ending; street vendors are selling everything imaginable, soliciting customers to their tables or arguing with neighboring vendors.

It is an undeniable lesson that life goes on. Despite the chaos and destruction, Haitians are trying to make the best of their lives today. They are constantly on the move. Workers are waiting for, riding, or disembarking from the local transport called the “tap tap.” Sometimes there are more passengers than this modest mode of transportation can handle, but apparently, nobody seemed to be bothered. My local guide pointed to big white buses in the downtown area and said, “These are called the Obama buses because they were sent to us from America after Obama became president.”

I was also struck by the sight of homes that collapsed during the earthquake but were never rebuilt. They stood suspended in time as a reminder of what happened here a year ago. Some of these were either completely abandoned or inhabited by displaced families who have claimed the ruins as their makeshift shelter.

After driving around for an hour, I finally saw a traffic light. On streets designed to fit two cars, often four cars were seen trying to squeeze by. Sometimes, drivers had to take turns passing because half of the road had either collapsed or was blocked by rubble.

Later, we went to a medical camp run by Doctors Without Borders to get some medicine for a Haiti-based staff member. An emergency appendectomy had to be performed on him at this makeshift hospital on New Year’s Day because no doctor was on call at the main hospital.

With the passing of my first day in Haiti, I’ve come to realize that this is sadly part of everyday life for the majority of Haitians.

— Asma Yousef

IR USA Staff Members Travel to Haiti for Earthquake’s One-Year Anniversary

One year ago, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti and nearly destroyed its capital city of Port-au-Prince. The January 2010 quake claimed more than 200,000 lives, according to the Haitian government, and left nearly two million people homeless.

In the days immediately following the earthquake, Islamic Relief launched a fundraising appeal and coordinated an aid shipment with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The shipment contained $293,000-worth of food, water, filtration systems and medical supplies. As one of the first responders on the ground, Islamic Relief staff began distributing food and water in the wake of the disaster and also opened one of the first makeshift camps to house displaced people.

But now, a year later, despite ongoing international support, an estimated 1.3 million Haitians are still clustered in makeshift camps and relying on foreign aid for survival. This week, Islamic Relief USA has sent two staff members to Haiti to assess the situation, conduct case studies, and visit IR programs. IR USA will also be launching a new $1.5 million initiative to rehabilitate a school and build 400 transitional shelters. Finally, the organization will be starting a Cholera Prevention and Control project to address the current cholera epidemic.

In the coming days, check back with our blog to read posts from IR USA’s Media Relations Coordinator, Asma Yousef, and Karim Amin, IR USA’s programs coordinator. They will also be tweeting and providing updates on our Facebook fan page about the trip and Islamic Relief USA’s work in Haiti. Amin was part of IR USA’s emergency response team post-earthquake last January.

Find out how you can help the people of Haiti -- because they need our help now more than ever.

WFP Founder Visits IR USA as Anti-Hunger Partner

Hunger, food shortages and food security issues continue to be some of the most consistent problems being addressed by charity and relief organizations like Islamic Relief (IR). With IR’s food distribution programs in Ramadan and during the Qurbani season, and its various income-generating projects for beneficiaries worldwide, the organization is no stranger to the desperate need for effective solutions for the overwhelming worldwide hunger problem.

On Monday, Richard Leach, director, CEO and founder of World Food Program USA (WFP), visited IR’s headquarters in Alexandria, Va., to discuss the decade-long strong partnership between the two organizations, the initiatives being put forth by the WFP today; and the challenges facing humanitarian organizations working to address hunger and food security issues.

More than 950 million people are affected by chronic hunger today in the world, Leach said. And while the need to fulfill immediate food demands is great, Leach believes programs and solutions must be put forth to address the chronic hunger issue.

One effective example is WFP’s “Purchase for Progress” programs, which allow WFP to use its “purchasing power to offer smallholder farmers opportunities to access agricultural markets, to become competitive players in those markets and thus to improve their lives.” Such programs give small farms the chance to thrive in their local agricultural markets, Leach said.

Hunger itself isn’t just about the lack of food, Leach asserts. It is closely intertwined with the economic development, stability and security of countries, especially developing nations. And in countries hit by natural disasters and conflicts, the challenges of producing and providing food become greater as such countries have difficulty transitioning from emergency to development mode.

The problems of world hunger and food security are ones with no easy solutions, Leach said. But progress is happening through the hard work of the WFP and IR USA, and the only path forward is to come up with new and effective long-term solutions to the problems.

--Dilshad D. Ali and Asma Yousef

Reflections on Day of Dignity 2010

The impetus behind "Day of Dignity" can be drawn from our mission here at Islamic Relief USA, which includes "… to alleviate suffering …. and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner." Over the course of the 2010 Days of Dignity, I’ve often been asked, “Why Day of Dignity?” My response is that events associated with the Day of Dignity provide an opportunity for people of all persuasions to be of service to people in need, at least one time, one day, one month of the year.

The last Day of Dignity event in Capitol Heights, Md., on Dec. 18th completed nearly a year of efforts and events that began last spring with training sessions for coordinators who, over the next eight months, would manage thousands of volunteers and serve many more thousands of beneficiaries.

Since the first Day of Dignity event at Fort Thompson in South Dakota last June, volunteers have worked selflessly to ensure that the event(s) in their respective cities went well. So engaged were they that, on occasion, volunteers ventured from one event to the next, from one city to another, to participate. To witness this was a blessing from Allah (swt).

Invariably, volunteers would gather early for work, long before the day was to officially start. And likewise, beneficiaries would begin to line up in anticipation of what was to come. Once the day’s events would get under way, I would witness the smiles on the faces of both those who gave and those who received.

To watch people queue up for a meal, health screening or a haircut and a few personal supplies reminded me of the adage, "But by the grace of God, there go I." I remember thinking that in a country so blessed with natural resources and human capacity, it was almost unthinkable that people would be homeless, that children would go to bed hungry and that too often some of our senior citizens would find themselves faced with the decision of whether to eat, pay their utilities or buy much-needed medication.

While Day of Dignity wouldn’t make any of those realities disappear, I encourage people to look upon it as a model.

It’s a model that packages concern and compassion and partners it with unbridled volunteerism, which then creates the synergy that has the capacity to help us find solutions to everyday problems facing our society. Ideally, people would look at Day of Dignity and see it as a concept that provokes action and begets positive results. If they find any pleasure in that activity, then I would encourage them to work to see that it is replicated, in some form, in other areas of the country.

As the last 2010 Day of Dignity event wound down last weekend, I went through the mental exercise of recalling favorite moments or a favorite moment from the different cities where the events were held. A volunteer in Washington, D.C., a young Christian college student, summed it up best when she said, "I just wanted to come and give. [I want to] acknowledge, if possible, some of the blessings I have received in life and try to provide some relief to those facing difficulty today. I have what I need, and so, I and others in similar circumstances should be willing to share with those less fortunate."

And I was then reminded of that tried-and-true saying: "To those that are given much, much is expected."

-- Saleem Khalid, Islamic Relief USA

At Last Day of Dignity, A Community Comes Together

As I walked up to the Oak Crest Community Center in Capitol Heights, Md., the cold wind hit me in the face. But the chill was soon replaced by a warm chant—“Day of Dignity, Today is Your Day”—sung by the volunteers as they welcomed beneficiaries at Day of Dignity event in mid-December.

It was the last event of Islamic Relief USA's 2010 Day of Dignity season, the final city out of 22 we visited this year. And the time spent at Oak Crest was as meaningful and special as the first 2010 Day of Dignity event in South Dakota last June.

Recipients were lined up throughout the community center, waiting patiently to receive their passport, which signified their entry into the Day of Dignity event. The beneficiaries’ first stop was the gym, where they were treated to a large cadre of services and gifts, ranging from International House of Pancakes coupons to community college registration forms.

After they left the gym, they went into the next room where they were welcomed with warm meals, cotton candy, and children’s activities, including entertainment from local school bands.

The next room housed a medical clinic. Dentists and doctors provided checkups while volunteer nurses administered flu shots. The journey ended in the clothing lounge, where recipients choose whatever they wanted from racks of clothing, including shirts, coats, and socks. The beneficiaries who came out to this last Day of Dignity event left with smiles on their faces and bags of goods.

One gentleman stopped me and said, “Thanks I really appreciated this,” and then walked away with his groceries. But the funny thing is, I appreciated him giving me the opportunity to give to others. It is a beautiful way to live.

This was truly a community affair—a symbiotic relationship between the volunteers and the beneficiaries, and I felt truly blessed to be a part of Day of Dignity 2010.

-- Karim Amin, Domestic Programs Coordinator at Islamic Relief USA

Gallery: "A Night for the Love of Palestine" in Florida

Islamic Relief USA's "Night for the Love of Palestine," a dinner in Tampa, Florida, was a beautiful evening of love and celebration featuring Egyptian actress Hanan Turk. All proceeds from the event are going to IR USA's projects in Palestine. Check out the gallery below.

Gallery: A Look Back at Day of Dignity in 2010

2010's Day of Dignity season was full of memorable moments, lives touched, and dignity given and received. For those who volunteered to the beneficiaries who came for health screenings, school supplies, clothing, and hot meals, the Day of Dignity events was an important model of how important it is to give dignity to those who need help. Thanks to all who turned out.

Gallery: "A Night for the Love of Palestine" in Washington, D.C.

Hundreds came out for Islamic Relief USA's "A Night for the Love of Palestine" in Washington, D.C. this past weekend. It was an evening of love and celebration, featuring Islamic Relief Goodwill Ambassador Hanan Turk. A second event is coming up in Florida. Click here to learn more.

Islamic Relief USA Receives Interfaith Visionary Awards

The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFC) awarded Islamic Relief USA with the InterFaith Visionary Award for its generous donation to support the vital work of building community and nurturing understanding among different faith-based communities.

The award was presented at the 31st Interfaith Concert at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception by Catholic University on Nov. 16, 2010.

On Saturday, Sept. 11, Islamic Relief USA was awarded with a plaque in recognition of its interfaith efforts. The plaque was received at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS)’s 9th Annual Peace Gathering and Law Enforcement Appreciation. The “Peace Gathering” allows community members of all faiths to come together and remember the victims and families affected by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and to honor members of law enforcement who risk their lives to protect citizens’ rights.

Islamic Relief USA CEO Abed Ayoub, VP of Programs Adnan Ansari, VP of Operations Khaled Falah, Director of Public Affairs Christina Tobias-Nahi and Fund Development Coordinator Belkacem Nahi were at the event to accept the interfaith award on behalf of the entire organization.

IR USA Participates at CFC Kickoff Events across the Country

One fact that you should share with your friends, especially those employed by the federal government, is that Islamic Relief USA (IR USA) is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, which means that federal employees’ contributions to IR USA are matched by the federal government!

This is not something new, but recently, IR USA has been trying to spread the message to federal employees who are interested in making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

IR USA staff members traveled to Washington, D.C.; Seattle, Wash.; and Scott Air Force Base, Ill., to participate in CFC kickoff events and raise awareness about Islamic Relief’s projects. The events were meant to showcase U.S. nonprofit groups that are featured on the CFC list.

In Washington, D.C., Director of Public Affairs Christina Tobias-Nahi and Financial Analyst Rehan Tahir participated in the kickoff at Bolling Air Force Base, informing federal employees, many of whom were in the Armed Forces and worked on the base, about IR USA’s work.

“Many of the people didn’t know about Islamic Relief USA,” Tobias-Nahi said afterward. "They stopped by to talk to us about the projects we are doing both overseas and in the U.S. and were enthusiastic to learn more."

You can make a difference too. If you’re a federal employee and interested in taking advantage of the CFC program, Islamic Relief USA’s CFC code is 10194.

The CFC is the world's largest workplace charity drive and raises millions of dollars every year to assist thousands of charities through donations from federal employees and service members. The CFC supports eligible nonprofit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.

You don’t have to be a federal employee to donate to IR USA though. Donating online is fast, easy and secure. Donate today!

--Zeyad Maasarani

photo (from left): Heidi Wolfset, Wash. Secretary of State Sam Reed, Daud Mohmand

Islamic Relief USA's Abed Ayoub Speaks at White House for ‘Leadership Consultation’ Event

Islamic Relief USA (IR USA) joined international leaders and convened with local stakeholders of government, NGOs, and faith communities for the “Leadership Consultation for Faith, Health and Development” event on Nov. 23 at the Washington National Cathedral and Nov. 24 at the White House. IR USA CEO Abed Ayoub spoke at both of these events, where a new report titled “Many Faiths, Common Action: Increasing the Impact of the Faith Sector on Health and Development: A Strategic Framework for Action” was launched.

This event came on the heels of IR USA’s participation in “Breakthrough Summit,” led by the Women, Faith and Development Alliance and spearheaded by then Secretary of State Madeline Albright in 2008 at the Washington National Cathedral. One important development from that summit was the subsequent creation of the Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty.

IR USA aided in planning the two-day “Leadership Consultation,” which was organized by the Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty (CIFA). The first day’s events focused on the engagement of the faith community to promote existing interfaith work in the developing world while also addressing the critical gap for additional resources, technical assistance and sustainability of projects.

Those attending the event also agreed that health issues should not only be the domain of the medical profession but should constitute overall well-being, including food, water, sanitation, environmental stewardship and protection from violence — as individuals only become ill when the societies in which they reside fall ill. Many attending the event said that religion should be used for inspiration and not for division. In the evening, an interfaith service was held, and IR USA’s Naaem Muhammad presented the Muslim call to prayer. The group then met Indonesian Ambassador Dr. Dino Patti Djalal for dinner and heard his remarks on the need for moderation and tolerance.

The discussion was continued at the White House the next morning with representatives from many of the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership offices as well the Department of State, National Security Council and various government agencies, where an emphasis was made on the need for better monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes of overseas programs overseas rather than inputs. For example, instead of evaluating how many bed nets are distributed, programs should be assessed for how many lives are saved.

Finally, newly appointed Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development Dr. Rajiv Shah addressed the attendees and called upon everyone to become development partners working toward the same common goal. Jan Henningson, senior advisor at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and member of the Swedish Foreign Ministry, quoted the Qu’ran, saying “Compete [only] with each other in good deeds.”

To view or download the report, Many Faiths, Common Action: Increasing the Impact of the Faith Sector on Health and Development – A Strategic Framework for Action, click here.

– Christina Tobias-Nahi, Director of Public Affairs, Islamic Relief USA

photo (from left): Christina Tobias-Nahi, Abed Ayoub, Admiral Tim Ziemer - U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator, President's Malaria Initiative (PMI)
photo courtesy Donovan Marks

Annual Report Reveals Islamic Relief USA Reduced Costs in 2009

For a charity and relief organization, one of the most important things is to use the least amount of money for administrative costs so that the maximum amount of money from donors reaches those who need it most — the beneficiaries. Therefore, we’re excited at Islamic Relief USA (IR USA) to share this great news with you!

A recently completed financial audit found that IR USA reduced its ratio of administrative and fundraising costs in 2009 from the year before.

An independent auditing firm found that 93.85 percent of donor contributions were allocated to the intended projects in 2009, as compared to about 91.94 percent in 2008. This means that your contributions are making an even bigger difference and helping even more impoverished people around the world. This should come as no surprise. At IR USA, we are committed to using our supporters’ donations in the most effective and efficient ways possible.

Recognizing IR USA’s fiscally responsible practices, America’s largest nonprofit evaluator, Charity Navigator, has awarded IR USA with the highest rating of four stars for seven years in a row.

“Only 2 percent of the charities we rate have received at least seven consecutive 4-star evaluations,” Charity Navigator’s President, Ken Berger, wrote in a 2010 letter. “This ‘exceptional’ designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Islamic Relief USA from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”

To view prior years' Annual Reports, click here.

The tax year is almost over! But you can make a tax-deductible contribution on our easy-to-use online donation form by clicking here.

To learn more about IR USA’s projects, click here.


-- Zeyad Maasarani

Islamic Relief USA Ranks in Philanthropy 400 List

Islamic Relief USA (IR USA) recently announced that it ranks in the top 150 on the 2010 Philanthropy 400 list published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a biweekly newspaper that covers the nonprofit world.

Each year, The Chronicle of Philanthropy surveys the nation's charities to determine which have raised the most in monetary donations and non-cash gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations over a one-year period.

"We are truly humbled to rank among the most successful charities in the country," said Abed Ayoub, CEO of IR USA. "We see this as a reflection of the growing trust our donors have in us to provide meaningful giving solutions for global poverty. Islamic Relief USA is grateful to its many donors and strategic partners who are collectively helping achieve this mission."

This was IR USA's first time on the Philanthropy 400 list. It raised more than 147 million charitable dollars in its 2009 fiscal year, doubling its earnings from the previous year.

Donations overall to the nation's largest charities grew by 4.3 percent last year, to $6.75 billion, according to The Chronicle's survey this year. While the increase was smaller than in the previous two years — when Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunamis generated an outpouring of charitable donations — American fundraising organizations still achieved 18-percent growth in donations over the past two years.

To see the entire list, click here.

The Importance of Charity and Giving in Islam

A hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says that a voice was once heard commanding a cloud to irrigate a man’s garden. When the man was asked what he did with the garden, he replied that he estimated the produce of his garden. Then he distributed one-third to charity, kept one-third for himself and his family, and invested one-third back into the garden.

Just as Allah (swt) sent a cloud for this man who gave to the poor, Allah will also provide for us in miraculous ways if we give what we love for the pleasure of Allah and in the service of mankind. As the hadith beautifully illustrates, Allah replaces what we give and multiplies it.

The notion of giving, especially giving and helping those in need, is so entrenched in Islam. We remind ourselves of it in every step we take for the work we do here at Islamic Relief USA. But sometimes I feel that I — that all of us — cannot be reminded enough.

“Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.” (The Holy Qur’an, 2:245)

The Benefits of Charity
The Almighty promises us that if we train ourselves to give in times of ease and hardship, our sustenance will increase. Giving awakens our souls and triggers genuine concern for the well-being of others. Priority is given to feeding the poor and the needy, as that is one of the best acts in Islam.

Giving from what we are given from The Provider and Owner of everything not only releases us from the disease of want but also reminds us that everything belongs to Allah (swt) and must be used for the well-being of all of humanity.

We will never attain righteousness until we spend what we love, loving for our brothers and sisters what we love for ourselves.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Protect yourself from hell-fire even by giving a piece of date as charity.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The personal sacrifice of giving one’s possessions, no matter how small, for the sake of helping those in need is a blessing and means purifying our souls and wealth. From a drop of water to gardens of fruit we must remember that everything in this world is loaned to us for a brief period of time. The true test is the test of giving the given.

“Allah, the Exalted, says, ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.’” – Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). How will you give today?

-- Nabeelah Naeem, Islamic Relief USA

What Are You Thankful For?

Having just come off of our holiday of Eid al-Adha and having given our Qurbani, I find myself, with the American holiday of Thanksgiving around the corner, thinking about all I have to be thankful and grateful for.

Here at Islamic Relief USA, throughout all aspects of our work -- whether we’re updating the website, creating programs, working on orphan sponsorships, planning fundraising events, or doing those day to day tasks that keep this organization running – we are blessed to know that everything we do is to help those in need in the United States and around the world. Allah (swt) has granted us this opportunity to give back, and for that, IR USA is very thankful.

In our five daily prayers, in all that we do every day, we are taught as Muslims to always turn to Allah (swt) and to give thanks for what He has blessed us with. We are told to give back – to help our family, our neighbors, our friends, and anyone in need. As you embark on this four-day holiday, please reflect upon what you are truly thankful for. It all comes from Allah (swt). And anyway you can give back will only bring His blessings onto you, insha’Allah.

So what are you thankful for? And what will you be giving back in return?

-- Dilshad D. Ali

Answering the Qurbani Question: Where and How to Give?

How and where are you giving your Qurbani this year? Like many Muslim families in the United States, my family asks the same questions: Can we give Qurbani here (where we live in the U.S.) by ourselves? Should we have family living abroad perform and distribute our Qurbani? How can we get the meat from Qurbani to those who really need it?

Last week, my family and I sat around the dinner table and tried to answer these difficult questions for this year’s Qurbani. My father-in-law, who had returned from a lecture at our local mosque, told us how the speaker, a visiting mufti, related the story behind Eid-al-Adha, why we give Qurbani/Udhiyah and how to go about doing it. The best way, the mufti said, is to bring the goat (sheep, camel or cow, whatever you will be sacrificing) to your home and let your attachment to that animal grow a bit.

That way, the mufti said, when you sacrifice the animal, it will be a little difficult for you, but you will do it for the sake of Allah (swt). That will more closely mimic the difficulty the Prophet Ibrahim had when Allah asked him to sacrifice his son Ismail, and at the last minute, Allah replaced Ismail with a sheep for the sacrifice.

That got me to thinking: Surely doing the Qurbani by your own hand is ideal, but as all things evolve and change, so have our lifestyles. In the United States (and I suspect many countries), it’s difficult, if not impermissible, to bring an animal into your home and perform the Qurbani there. Many areas organize a Qurbani where you can go and perform the sacrifice yourself, but often they permit you to do only one.

And in our family, we have five Qurbanis to do. So this year, we’ve decided to utilize Islamic Relief USA’s Udhiyah/Qurbani program and get a number of our Qurbanis done abroad, perhaps in India or Pakistan (still figuring the location out). The more we thought about it, the more it made sense: We make our niyyat (intention) when we fill out the Qurbani donation form online, the sacrifice is done on our behalf and all the meat will go to people who really need it.

One we will do here where we live, so we can go through the process ourselves, and we will distribute the meat to friends and family, the less fortunate and keep a third for ourselves. And Alhamdulillah, I have immense peace of mind that our other Qurbanis will be taken care of Islamically as well.

There are a lot of options out there for how you can give your Qurbani/Udhiyah, and there are thousands of people around the world who desperately need that meat — it's often the only meat they receive the entire year. Consider giving your Qurbani online through Islamic Relief USA, and may Allah (swt) accept our intentions and bless us all.

-- Dilshad D. Ali

In D.C., Artistry Weds Charity for an 'Evening of Inspiration'

The prayer rugs were laid out in Lisner Auditorium for Maghrib, the evening prayer, just before the show was about to begin. Event producers were charging through the arena, backstage one moment taking dinner orders and on stage the next confirming sound and light adjustments. Volunteers were huddled outside the auditorium entrance going over last-minute plans and preparing to disperse momentarily to man their stations. Everyone had his or her game face on, and I had my camera in hand.

This year marks Islamic Relief USA’s fifth annual Evening of Inspiration (EOI) benefit concert to raise money and awareness for children in need worldwide, but it was my first time attending an EOI concert. As I watched hundreds of people pour into Lisner Auditorium to attend the event, I felt a rush of excitement for the opportunity to see Native Deen and Maher Zain perform live.

I went backstage to get a glimpse of the artists’ pre-performance and found Native Deen members Naeem Muhammad, Joshua Salaam and Abdul-Malik Ahmad in mid-dua’a, asking Allah for guidance and blessings. Soon, event host Karim Amin called the group to the stage and the show was on.

As I shifted from one location to another in the front row and backstage to capture the night in images, I found myself singing along with Native Deen’s rendition of “Tala’al Badru Alayna” and Maher Zain’s “Ya Nabi Salam Alayka.” The beats and lyrics worked synonymously to capture the audience, which ranged in age from infants to the elderly.

As the evening played on like a song itself, children graced the stage to sing along with the artists. The evening was all about children — from those who inspired the event (the ones in need) to those who attended the event. Children in need worldwide may have never heard of Maher Zain and Native Deen, but the cause for which these faithful artists sang was a higher one. I had little hope of capturing that on camera.

-- Muneeza Tahir