 A food bank is a non-profit organization created for the purpose of collecting and distributing food for those who don’t have the means or it’s difficult for them to acquire it themselves. Some food banks run as “front line”, meaning they personally give food directly to the hungry. Other’s run as “warehouses”, collecting food then sending it out to smaller food banks, soup kitchens, and other front line organizations, mostly in other countries. The first food bank was St. Mary’s Food Bank, established in the USA in 1967. Over the past 50 years, thousands of food banks have been established across the country. Europe, which had little use for food banks due to they’re extensive welfare system, had food banks sprouting all over rapidly because of the global increase in the price of food in 2006, and even more especially after the financial crisis of 2007-08. With thousands of food banks around the world, there are many different models and operating systems. Since the global pandemic we are currently in this year 2020, with social distancing and sheltering in place, many people are in desperate need of food and personal care items. Here’s a few insha’Allah these will help ease the burden: *Masjids in the Greater Atlanta area: Madina Institution www.madinahfoodpantry.org 678-446-8737 461 West Crogan St Lawrenceville, GA 30046 ICNA Atlanta www.icnaatlantareliief.org 770-300-0067 6200 Memorial Dr. Stone Mountain, Ga Atlanta Masjid www.atlantamasjid.com 404-378-1600 I Have Enough Food Pantry Located inside the masjid at 560 Fayetteville Rd. S.E. Atlanta, GA. 30316 1-3pm 2x a month drive thru pick up only. Supreme Burger Is supplying frozen cooked meals for Seniors 60+ Monday 8am-3pm Email if interested secretary@ atlantamasjid.com *Food banks and pantries in Gwinnett County: Exodus Outreach, Inc. Location of center - 251 Bona Rd. Buford, Georgia 30518 Telephone number - (770) 945-9064 North Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry 70 Wiley Dr. Buford, Georgia 30518 Dial (770) 271-9793 for information and hours. Several social service and assistance programs are offered for the needy in the community. Counselors can direct people to programs to help pay bills, housing costs, and more. In addition, a food pantry and clothing closet is on site for free food, supplies such as diapers, and other aid. Duluth Cooperative Ministries - Hands of Christ Location - 3395 Fox St. Duluth, GA 30096 Call - (770) 623-9563 A bag of groceries may be passed out, or staff can help very low income residents apply for SNAP food stamps or other benefits. NEED HELP PAYING BILLS Now Faith Apostolic International Ministries Grayson, GA 30017 Dial - (770) 771-3512 Cafe Community Center at Cathedral De Fe Ministries, Inc. 675 Buford Dr. Ste. 21 Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046 Main number - (770) 236-8604 Meals and food is offered to the low income, homeless, and others. Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry, Inc. Address: 176 Church St. Lawrenceville, GA 30046 Dial - (770) 339-7887 Another Gwinnett County Georgia ministry, similar services offered as the other non-profit agency listed above. New Life Fellowship, Inc. - Bread of Life Food Ministries 990 Martins Chapel Rd. Lawrenceville, GA 30045 (770) 513-1007 Meals, fresh perishable items, bread, and other free food and groceries offered. Gwinnett County Service Unit branch of Salvation Army Main office - 3455 SugarLoaf Pkwy. Lawrenceville, Georgia 30044 Telephone - (770) 724-1661 The local Salvation Army offers a wide range of assistance programs for the low income, unemployed, seniors, and needy. Some of the resources can help pay electric bills, rent, and medications. However most services provide items like access to a food pantry. Signs & Wonders, Inc. Location - 120 S. Perry St. Lawrenceville, GA 30046 Telephone - (770) 962-0470 Vision Academy Life Center 458 Chestnut St. Lawrenceville, GA 30045 Call - (678) 206-0688 St. Vincent de Paul of Gwinnett The church based group provides services in this county too. The low income, with a focus on families with children or senior citizens, can receive free food, perishable goods, and maybe even baby formula. Call (678) 892-6163 for hours. Lilburn Cooperative Ministry Address is 5329 Five Forks Trickum Rd. Lilburn, Georgia 30047 (770) 931-8333 A pantry has free food in a crisis. Other services will be formula, clothing and a low cost thrift shop for people in poverty. City of Hope and Community Outreach Ministry, Inc. Food bank location is 182 Hunter St. Norcross, GA 30071 Dial (770) 441-2948 for hours. Cafe Community Center Food pantry address is on Buford Drive in Lawrenceville Call the non-profit at (770) 236-8604 Resources administered include a free food pantry with non-perishable and perishable items such as fruits or vegetables. Norcross Cooperative Ministry Center address is - 2275 Mitchell Rd. Norcross, Georgia 30071 Dial - (770) 263-8268 A number of services are available. A food pantry will have bags of groceries in a crisis. Or contact the center for information on government aid such as SNAP food stamps. Place of Enlightenment, Inc. 2720 Centerville Hwy. Snellville, Georgia 30078 Phone number - (770) 982-8221. Dial the Main Client Number for hours and when food is distributed. Berean Christian Church Gwinnett 1465 Highpoint Rd. Snellville, GA 30078 678-240-2213 Free food boxes once a week drive thru on Friday starting at 1pm. Purpose World Church 1905 Highpoint Rd, Snellville, GA 30078 Food boxes every Wednesday 4:30-6:30 They also offer vegan food boxes and name brand natural personal hygiene products too. Your Local Farmers Market just Google your cities market to get great deals and double your purchases if using EBT/SNAP BENEFITS *ALL ORDERS ARE BEING MADE ONLINE* AMAZON You can also purchase items on Amazon using EBT/SNAP. https://www.amazon.com/snap-ebt/b?ie=UTF8&node=19097785011 ***also check out this YouTube channel that helps you figure out more ways to use your EBT/SNAP benefits www.lowincomerelief.com *Several other resources and food assistance programs operate in the Gwinnett County region. Examples of them include school meals and summer snacks for children, Meals on Wheels, and more. To get more information on local pantries or resources, dial (404) 892-9822. Kiesha and Ta-Seti JabriKiesha is a wife and mother of 7. She has been apart of the Atlanta Muslim Community for over 20yrs. And helped co- chair the Deen Media Center. Ta-Seti is a rising 10th grader, who is aspiring in the field of journalism. She has consecutively won the Gwinnett County libraries Reading program since 2016. Seti has also been a Girl Scout for 5 yrs at Al-Falah Academy.
1 Comment
 The journey of Tariq, the Muslim beekeeper began approximately three years ago. Tariq has always been a “nature boy” for as long as he could remember. As a young boy, he was the kid that stayed outdoors. His preference would be to ride bikes or play basketball than to play video games. But when friends were not around, he passed time collecting and building vivariums (enclosures, containers, or structures adapted or prepared for keeping animals under seminatural conditions for observation). Tariq first started off building terrariums for collecting and raising toads, lizards, and snakes that he would catch around the house. He then moved to aquariums where he raised various fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and turtles. It should come to no surprise that by his senior year of high school he was well positioned to go to college and major in zoology. However, due to his father cautioning him that a zoologist would not have a financially rewarding life and the school of his choice (Morehouse) didn’t have a zoology major, he chose to major in biology instead. Although he was on a pre-med track, he opted not to pursue medical school after college. Rather his secondary passion for social activism lead him to education. Tariq never strayed far from his nature loving side; in his classrooms he raised praying mantises. Shortly after starting a career as a high school teacher, he was back in the seat of the student obtaining a master’s degree in Science Education. After about 10 years as a teacher, he transitioned into Educational Leadership. Tariq currently acts as director, educator, and wellness therapist at Makkah International Institute. After founding Makkah International Institute and beginning to homestead he has now been afforded the opportunity to rekindle his childhood passion of exploring the natural world. Among other endeavors, Makkah International Institute takes regular expeditions to provide youth with real world, culturally relevant learning experiences. Among these expeditions, we have gone snorkeling, taken college tours, visited nature centers, and various farms including that of a Muslim beekeeper. It was at this trip to visit a Muslim beekeeper in 2014 that he was first introduced to beekeeping. The beekeeper saw the enthusiasm in the faces of the summer camp youth that he decided to invest in the organization by giving the organization a beginner’s beekeeping book. Tariq flipped through it, and three years later, as his homestead was steadily growing, he was ready to buy my first batch of honeybees which he purchased from another Muslim Beekeeper. The honeybees were one of the last animals to join his homestead: after the chickens, quail, and goats. After his first year of beekeeping he attended the Young Harris Beekeeping Institute and became a certified beekeeper. He is currently working on his third beehive, and plans to continue to advance in the art of beekeeping until he becomes a master beekeeper. Tariq aspires to add to the scientific research of bee related matters as well as experience being a honey judge. In addition to the personal fulfillment that beekeeping has given Tariq, children within the community have also benefitted tremendously from him being a beekeeper. Since honeybees are major pollinators, the children have gained a better interest in and understanding of agriculture and food production. Beyond honey, the children have also learned that humans collect many other useful products from bees such as wax, royal jelly, and pollen. We anticipate that we will soon have children expressing interest in going into the natural health field due to learning of the many health benefits of pollen and royal jelly. We already have children that want to make candles and cosmetic products from the wax! The youth have already gained experience in harvesting honey, this year Makkah International Institute is looking forward to producing candles and cosmetics as well! Unlike the keeping of other animals and critters, Tariq finds that beekeeping is highly connected to his religious fulfillment. The bee is mentioned in the Quran and the Prophet said that honey, black seed, and hijama are cures for all diseases and the best of all medicines. As an Islamic wellness therapist not only does Tariq perform hijama, but he also gives wellness advice on a regular basis. So quite naturally, he relays the many narrations of Prophet Muhammad that relate to wellness. If someone is sick, all too often Tariq will recommend that they take some honey. In fact, he even provides it after his hijama appointments. Which is local, fresh from the farm, and above the organic standard! After it is all said and done the number one question people ask is “how many times have you been stung”? Contrary to what most people believe, honeybees are relatively easy to manage. In his three years of beekeeping, he has only been stung about five times. Beekeeping maintenance mainly consists of opening the hive about twice a month to check the health and development of the colony. In my three years I have spent about $700 in beekeeping supplies and training. Which is about the same as a good pedigree German Shephard (without the training!). But unlike a pet dog, the honeybees find their own food. They will travel about a mile away to find the flowers they love. Makkah International Institute combines three essentials to community prosperity: service, education, and wellness. Central to our mission is the honeybee. With aw inspiring social structure and unmatched work ethic the honeybee is so central to our organization that it was chosen as our mascot. The Makkah Institute Killer Bees are steadily growing in popularity at many local basketball tournaments donning their Stealers (and honeybee) black and gold colors. Beyond summer camps and school curricula, Makkah International Institute uses beekeeping in a holistic manner to uplift our community. If anyone has any questions or need advice Tariq is always willing to lend a helping hand to the community. Till the next time, Happy Beekeeping! Tariq Abdul-Malik B.S, MAT, Ed.S, CHP Tariq Abdul-Malik is the founder and director of Makkah International Institute LLC, Makkah Institute Inc., and Makkah Farms. He is a passionate father of 9, husband, son, brother, educator, hijama practicitioner, and beekeeper. He is a staunch advocate for holistic wellness and education that balances mind, body, and spirit.  On May 19th, the CDC released guidelines for school attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC outlined three possible scenarios and included the risks of each situation. The three scenarios included: Lowest Risk: Students and teachers engage in virtual-only classes, activities, and events. More Risk: Small, in-person classes, activities, and events. Groups of students stay together and with the same teacher throughout/across school days, and groups do not mix. Students remain at least 6 feet apart and do not share objects (e.g., hybrid virtual and in-person class structures or staggered/rotated scheduling to accommodate smaller class sizes). Highest Risk: Full-sized, in-person classes, activities, and events. Students are not spaced apart, share classroom materials or supplies, and mix between classes and activities. By late June, three schools had rolled out their fall school opening plans giving parents a choice between digital, in-person, and a hybrid model. The proposal came after both parent and staff surveys, but the announcements shocked many. The last few months took parents through the burden of homeschooling, cancelation of graduations, and the worry of keeping their children safe during a pandemic. Now parents must decide how their child would learn for the next school year with very little information as to how it will look. As we walk into this great unknown, what can we do to be prepared and ensure our children have the best school experience possible? (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html) When schools closed in March, there wasn't a single parent ready for the burden of digital learning. We scrambled to keep up with assignments and understand what in the world it all meant. The parents struggled, the students struggled, and we all felt like we had fallen down the rabbit hole, hoping to return home soon. As summer approached, it felt like we were free, and our "normal" would return. We celebrated the start of summer with all the hopes school in the fall would be the same as we left it, but we approach the start of school this fall it looks like we will have to accept a new "normal." That "normal" included parents having to decide how their children will receive their education for the next school year and the reality that the pandemic is still present. At the end of June, three counties had announced their plans for reopening. These plans included Hybrid, in-person or digital options. Ready or not, our students will return no later than August 17th. With this realization, parents want to know how schools plan to keep our students and their staff safe. The state of Georgia does not require masks, but some school districts are strongly recommending it along with six feet of distance when possible. Decisions about restrictions during this pandemic change monthly, so there are still many unknowns. Districts have not given specific and definite guidelines on recess, PE, assemblies, Parent nights, etc. where crowds and distancing will be difficult. So how do we ensure our children will be safe. As a parent of elementary and a high school student and also an elementary teacher, I know that it will be hard to keep the little ones masked and apart from each other all day. It is important to make sure we implore our children to keep their safety in mind. Make sure they have personal cleansing and disinfecting materials, and keep in mind they need to stay distant from their friends when possible. Schools are not allowing sharing of materials, but children need to make sure they are not sharing personal materials like they may be used to. Just as we prepare our children for safety in any environment, we now have to prepare them to stay safe in school. Now that we have heard what the return of school may look like, how can we, as parents, ensure that our children are safe, and their educational needs are met? With information coming from every which way and changing weekly, we as parents will be our children's most important advocates. Schools will be working diligently to create environments that follow state guidelines while keeping student's academic needs in mind. Whether your child is attending a hybrid, in person, or digital format, it will be starkly different from what they have been used to. One possible concern with face to face or hybrid instruction might be the possibility of the necessary safety precautions posing an emotional an/or academic risk to a successful school year. In preparation for this possible concern, it is important to be aware of any and all safety measures your school will be implementing. Making your child is aware ahead of time can reduce any possible anxiety or fear. Knowing the school's safety measures will also help parents to feel empowered and in the know. It is important as an advocate to know what your child's academic needs are and how they will be met. It is ok to ask as many questions as you need to understand and support your child. These questions may help you understand…
Khadijah AbdullahI am am a wife mother of four and an elementary education teacher for Cobb County schools. I have spent the last four years advocating for children who have experienced adverse effects of trauma. I am a teacher trainer and curriculum developer striving to create curriculum for teachers and schools to better address students who are underserved. I am also the creative director of MACE (Muslim Advocated of Children with Exceptionalities), a group that strives to open avenues for special needs children and their families.  I cannot accept this “New Norm”. I cannot accept that my life will no longer be the same because you told me the boogie man is outside and the boogie man is so big that no one can see him and he is so dangerous that we all have to hide from him, and if you don’t hide from him, shame on you. You are now subjected to social demonization. You are now a pariah because you refuse to accept these boundaries that have been set almost overnight. Shut up and take this check and sit at home and binge watch Netflix. Yes, and your children, set them in front of the computer for eight hours a day. You aren’t qualified to teach your children? But you must. The New Norm is the standard. Your daddy died? Yes. Sorry to hear that, move along please. No, the boogie man did not kill him, but the New Norm protocol is: you are not allowed to grieve with your family, air hugs only, text messages, and tears cried alone in your room while the New Norm flaunts his muscles in the streets. Pushing back any naysayer or independent thinker who challenges the boogie man. The power of the pen is strong. No I haven’t seen anyone die from the boogie man. But I have been flooded with stories on social media, the radio, and newspapers of his destruction. The Boogie Man is bad; he will kill your aging parents. Yes, keep them locked up, do not physically interact with them. The pen wrote that the Boogie man’s victims are being bulldozed into refrigerated trucks and dumped into mass graves. Far be it for me to challenge the Boogie man especially during an election year. I say the Boogie Man can kiss my glass of freshly juiced ginger, lemon, and honey. I will not accept the Boogie Man or the New Norm. You will have to force them on me. They will take advantage of me and fill me with suspicion of my neighbors and friends. He will desensitize my children while over stimulating them. My parents will die a slow lonely death all the while I will be labeled extreme and reckless, because I do not accept the boogie man and I will not abide by the New Norm, because I refuse to live a life in solitude under the guise of being “virtually” socially connected with people who probably wouldn’t call me, hug me, console me even if I was right in front of them. The New Norm will not be my reality. I need you! Reshelle Abdul-MalikReshelle is the editor of A Message from Makkah. She is also the administrator for Makkah International Institute. Reshelle is a masters degreed educator with with over ten years experience teaching domestically and abroad. She is a mother of 9 children, wife, and sister.  Who would ever imagine we would have gotten to this point: online learning for every student in the United States of America. As an educator for 17 years, I must say this is one of the most difficult times I’ve experienced. According to a NewsWeek article, a group of NWEA researchers came up with two possible scenarios when discussing the effect of the pandemic, “… data to project growth trajectories for the students under two scenarios: a "melt," in which students basically gained no ground during the school closures; and a "slide," in which students lost ground academically during the closures at rates similar to those seen over the long summer break.” (Sparks, 2020). This might sound discouraging to some parents; however, it also should not deter them from trying to lessen any negative effect a prolonged closing might have on their children returning to school in the fall, Inshallah (God willing). Being an educator, I expect for some of my students to have a summer slide due to a number of different reasons: traveling, lack of supervision, parents’ jobs, mental break, etc. I used to suggest various activities to parents that students can complete during their summer break:
Taking this model into account, we can plan to continue learning during the summer time to ensure that our children do not have a huge summer slide once we return in the fall. Some ideas to continue learning are:
Dr. Khaleeqa Bruce Ed DMy name is Dr. Gloria Bruce. I have been in education for 17 years, with the last five years as an Assistant Principal at Al-Falah Academy. I am a firm believer that learning is a continuous journey and I am always looking in areas I can improve my craft.  “Come on, we’re going to be late.” My mother repeated for the millionth time. We were headed to one of her friend’s son’s graduation. I didn’t think he’d mind if we were late after all, it wasn’t like we were family. But we piled into the car and headed towards the Infinite Energy Center nevertheless. Up until this point I had only seen small graduations as I had attended a small Islamic school in a shopping plaza. This graduation was being held in the same place that Demi Lovato concerts were held. So I was a little anxious about going. Once we arrived my mother’s friend handed us our tickets. It felt surreal to think one day I might have tickets to pass out, to have people cheering my success and accomplishments. We took our seats and waited for his name to be called. Name after name was called until his was said and we cheered and hollered. I doubted he could hear us but that didn’t keep us from enjoying his success too. This year I was robbed of this opportunity. COVID-19 took all my “first lasts”. There was no Senior Breakfast. No epic Senior prank wars. No Senior spirit week. No Senior skip day. No Prom. No Senior Night for those of us that played spring sports. But most of all no graduation. No final goodbye after years and years of critical thinking prompts and standardized testing. Corona Virus has forced a class of students to seize the moment. We’re never guaranteed tomorrow, so we have to make use of today. My heart hurts as I think of all the ways I could have said goodbye to my teachers, classmates, and friends. Sometimes I imagine a year where “outside” is open and everything went as planned. But we plan and our Creator plans. I may never understand the meaning of this loss, but I do know that everything happens for a reason. And the class of 2020 will forever be remembered as the ones who finished strong. Tariqah Abdul-MalikTariqah is a member of the class of 2020. She plans to major in prelaw and loves writing, reading, soccer, and basketball.  An enormous catapult propelled a young Ibrahim (AS) toward a searing fire; a towering representation of the outside world’s distaste for his devotion to the one true deity. The catapult was needed because this fire was too intense for his idol worshipping enemies to approach, though they were the ones that built it. As he hurled toward the inferno, death seemed imminent to the thrilled onlookers, and likely to Ibrahim himself. But similar to many who have faced death since him, time slowed down for the Friend of Allah (SWT). While repeating affirmations of Allah's Supremacy and Oneness, the seconds became minutes, perhaps even hours. Because Ibrahim found enough solitude and peace within himself in these fleeting moments to receive affirmation from his Creator. It came in the form of the angel Jibril, asking Ibrahim what he needed. Ibrahim replied to Jibril that he needed nothing from him. But Allah’s interjection can be found in Surah Anbiyaa, verse 69 where He conveys: “We said, ‘O fire, be cool and safe for Ibrahim!” So the peaceful solitude that Ibrahim enjoyed while being flung toward raging flames increased when he landed inside of said flames. His response was not at all like mine would have been. I would not have been able to run out of that fire and gloat to my would be murderers fast enough. Not Ibrahim. He simply said, “For me Allah suffices and He is the best disposer of affairs” and enjoyed a few more moments in the soothing flames. This literal grace under fire is what the Father of Prophets displayed time and time again, often in times of extreme isolation. This quality became a trend within his progeny, the greatest examples in the Qur'an. Prophet Yusuf (AS) experienced extreme isolation twice in his lifetime. In the well after incurring the jealousy of his brothers and in prison after invoking the lust and subsequent shame of a powerful woman. Prophet Yunus (AS) experienced it in the belly of the beast after giving up on the mission that was prescribed to him by The One Who Heals. Maryam’s entire life, a testament to chaste abstinence and worship, shows us that our Sisters can reach the heights of piety and produce greatness without the aid of anyone other than Allah. Much of her life was lived in isolation. And of course our beloved Muhammad SAW often took long walks to be alone with nature before and after he received revelation. It was during one of these excursions, inside the cave of Hira that the angel Jibril first gave him Allah’s command to “Read!” Later, during a pivotal battle in which he was wounded, Muhammad took some time to heal in the cave of Uhud. Socialization as a Crutch We live in a time where it is very easy to be a face in the crowd of Muslims, whether in person, or online. There is no shortage of scholars and Imams with the gifts of knowledge and speech. If we were to relate our experience to a prophetic one, it would that of Sulaiman, the prophet who ruled the entire world and owned a majority of its riches. He spoke many languages, including those of the birds, the jinn and even the ant. For many of us though, we are the ant in this scenario. We use the ease of socialization as a crutch, comfortably living in the shadows of great leaders, picking and choosing which beautiful coattail to ride on, accepting whatever wisdom they deem necessary for us to learn, never feeling the need to seek knowledge on our own. Never searching within. The Most Important Ramadan of Our Lives Allah has catapulted each of us toward facing our own personal jihad. For some of us, that may be the fire of rage or drug abuse. For others it may be the worship of false idols. Or prison. Or the cave of our repressed urges or memories. We may realize that we have neglected our true calling and been swallowed whole by the beast that is this world, neglecting our piety and relying on man to do for us what only we can do for ourselves with the mercy of Allah. For the first Ramadan of our lives, we cannot count on our brother to Read for us during tarawih. For the first time we cannot bury ourselves in work in order to lose track of time until after Asr prayer. For the first time, it is undeniable that Allah is giving us the time to heal from this pivotal battle that we have been fighting as Friends of Allah in hostile territory. That is why this is the most important Ramadan of our lives. May we all accept the challenge with the grace of Ibrahim and say with our hearts and actions, “For me Allah suffices and He is the best disposer of affairs.” Masood Abdul-HaqqMasood Abdul-Haqq is business strategist, speaker and writer. A graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Business Law, Masood also teaches Qur’an and serves as Chairman at his local masjid. Masood resides in Oklahoma City with his wife and three children.  By Reshelle Abdul-Malik Social Distancing has caused an unprecedented obstacle for families across the globe. Families are missing Jumuah, daily congregational salah, afterschool, and Sunday school classes. The Islamic community has responded by making a wide variety of courses available from the comfort of your home. Check out our list of some popular online free and paid Islamic Studies courses for the young or seasoned. Al Qalam Institute Offers weekly classes from seerah to tafsir. These classes are completely free. Jannah Institute Offers hifd and tajweed for women and girls Al Huda Online Offer Quran, Hadith, Tazkiyah courses online Al Madrassatu Al Umarriyah Offering free daily Islamic Studies courses. Thought Bubble Online Arabic Courses for children Studio Arabiya Arabic and Quran classes for all ages. Seekers Guidance Online Islamic Seminary that offers free classes. International Open University Started by Dr. Bilal Phillips offers undergraduate and graduate courses on a sliding scale. They are offering diploma courses for free for the next two months. Imam Ghazali Institute Offers free weekend school for children and teens as well as courses for adults. Knowledge College Offer Fiqh, Arabic, Quran, Tajweed, and Hadith courses Islamic Institute of Toronto IIT is offering all of their courses for free for the next 300 days! Check out the wide variety of topics from Aisha RA to Ramadan, to Salah. Faith Essentials FaithEssentials is free for 3 weeks. Register and get immediate access to our 23 modules on fundamental subjects of belief, worship, and daily life. Kiflayn Offers online Islamic studies courses that range from Hadith, Quran, History, and Fiqh. Bayyinah TV Offers over 2000 of hours online of video lessons from Nouman Ali Khan and other Islamic scholars. Ribaat Offers online courses for women by women. Subjects include Islamic Sciences, Arabic, and Quran. Al Maghrib Is offering free courses in response to COVID-19. Some topics include faith essentials, how to protect yourself from disease, and Faith and Fiqh in Uncertain Times. Courses are free for the next three weeks. This list is not exhaustive, please share your resources in the comments section below. Reshelle Abdul-MalikReshelle is the editor of A Message from Makkah. She is also the administrator for Makkah International Institute. Reshelle is a masters degreed educator with with over ten years experience teaching domestically and abroad.  The issues our children are facing in this new century undoubtedly need to be addressed. There is so much happening in this quickly changing world and it’s hitting our children hard.
Our children are dealing with issues that we didn’t deal with as we were growing up. They are exposed to violent video games like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto. They must learn to protect themselves in schools from intruders. Who ever thought this would be an issue in a place of knowledge? There are so many sexual agendas presented to them such as transgenderism, homosexuality, and what pronoun does one identify with. This world is swiftly becoming tricky. What we once thought was common sense is no longer valid. So, my questions are, how do we guide them through this fast-paced changing world? How can we guide them to be the best Muslims they can be with all the dilemmas of society? I really think that we need to provide more halal outlets for our youth to help them navigate through the issues. We should be able to provide counseling sessions for youth who are struggling. It is up to our generation to be a source of guidance and support. We must be very careful of criticizing their decisions and help them find solutions through Islamic resources. I see an urgent need to bring back Islamic studies classes to listen and clarify some of the misguidance that our children face. It seems to be a major agenda against religion or people of faith. Our children are becoming confused of what to believe. As parents, all we can do is pray for them and ourselves regularly. There is a constant struggle for us all. In closing, I pray that Allah guide our children and keep their hearts full of faith, protect them from going astray, being led astray, and slipping. |
Don't miss another edition of A Message from Makkah. Click the button below to join our mailing list
Contact Us for Advertising Opportunities!
Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
Our Sponsors |
Makkah International Institute
RSS Feed
Copyright © 2021