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United Muslim Foundation newsletter


United Muslim Foundation
July 2012 / Ramadan 1433
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Highlights
Baby Steps to Happy Ramadan
Annual PDO Iftar
APA Chaand Raat
Eid Awareness
Beautiful Mind Workshop
Ramadan Rush for Reward
Science Fair
UMF Arabic Program
UMF Promotes Harmoney
Behind the Veil
Baby Steps to A Happy Ramadan
 


invites you to 
to a gathering where the Angels will surround, and feel the tranquility in your heart hearing about the beauty of fasting.
Intensive Course about preparing for Ramadan

Date: July 28th.

Cost: Free
 
Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
 
Place: MAGO Cafeteria 
11551 Ruby Lake Rd.
Orlando, FL, 32836
Annual PDO Iftar

Project Downtown is inviting the entire community including inter-faith members to attend Iftar (dinner) on July 28th. 2012 
at 8:00 PM.


Evening activities to include breaking of the fast, prayer, dinner, & a fundraiser for Project Downtown Orlando.

*Questions, Comments, or to Sponsor, Please contact:

Brother Adam 
407-948-3806

Or:
Sister Javiriyah Ashraf 
407-929-4974
We live in a country where the schools recognize Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other holidays
 
Project: Eid Awareness is a base to build a sense of belonging and identity for Muslim students in public schools, enabling them to feel that they, too, are recognized by their schools and their broader communities. 
 
For ideas on how to spread info about our two Eids, join Project: Eid Awarness

APA Chaand  Raat Event
 
 
The American Pakistani Association invites families to celebrate Chaad Raat on Eidul Fitr and enjoy Chorrian, Mehndi, Clothing exhibition and Great Food!
 
For details follow this link:
 
Eid Festival 
Sun AUG 26th 

Free Admission 
11:00 am - 8:00 pm
 
Come and meet us at
UMF Booth
   

Dream Team Entertainment 
Presents:
2012 Community & Family Eid Festival
3409 Maguire RD, Windmere, FL 34786
 
For More Info:
 
Mr. Mohammad Shabbir
(407)-592-0733
Beautiful Mind Workshop 
Helping Hand for Relief and Development is holding 20 workshops in Florida starting August 31st. This workshop is designed for youth and their families; Muslims living in the west facing challenges and Islamic perspective how to deal with them. Please see the attached document for more details about the workshop and the presenter.

 

Through the Eyes of a Faithful Child:
 
Leader Prepatory School teacher Manar ElKhalidi who teaches in the Political Science Department at UCF has lunched her first Islamic book entitled "Through the Eyes of a faithful Child". 

For more details follow this link: Through the Eyes of a Faithful Child
Ramadan Rush  For Rewards 2012
MWO distributed 180 C.A.R.E. Packages providing assistance to Muslim families in need throughout Central Florida   

Each C.A.R.E. package included Dates, Rice, Sugar, Oil, Spaghetti Tea, Flour, Drink Mix, Canned Fruit and Vegetables.
UMF participated in packaging and distributing some boxes to families in need around Sanford, Orlando and Clermont.

May Allah bless all the sponsors and volunteers!
 Ramadan Mubarak to everyone!

In The Name of Allah, The Universally Merciful, The Singularly Compassionate

As-salamu `aleikum wa rahmatul Allahi wa barakatuh
brothers and sisters,

It is an honor to be at your service as the Executive Director of UMF. I would like to begin with thanking the board members of UMF for entrusting this responsibility to me. I pray to Allah to guide me and grant me success in serving the Muslim community and the greater community of all people regardless of their religions and schools of thought.
        
As the holy month of Ramadan begins, I'd like, on behalf of all the UMF board mmbers, to wish all of you a blessed month and take this chance to remind myself and all of you of the noble goals for which UMF was established: promoting unity, education and community service. These goals are in the core of practicing Islam and at this blessed month we can renew our commitment to live up to such noble goals.  

Let us "hold fast to clutch on God's bond, all together, and do not separate [from one another]; and remember God's grace", (Qur'an 3/103). 

Join hands with our UMF team, regardless of the Islamic sect or the religion you follow, to serve our society. Let us compete in doing beautiful deeds that serve Allah. Serving others was considered an act of worship by all prophets.
   
Narrated Anas: "We were with the Prophet (on a journey) and the only shade one could have was the shade made by one's own garment. Those who fasted did not do any work and those who did not fast served the camels and brought the water on them and cared for the sick. So, the Prophet said, "Today, those who were not fasting took all the reward[1]."

Thus, serving the community can help you earn a reward far greater than performing rituals. You can double your reward in Ramadan by offering your service along with fasting and giving charity.

Volunteering with UMF's Hunger Team is an easy way that would facilitate that for you. You can also donate and help the Hunger Team extend its help to other shelters and homeless children.

Regarding promoting education, thanks to your support, the UMF has been able to continue its successful Arabic program for years. The Prophet said: "Acquire knowledge and impart it to the people." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 107.

Please remember that we will not be able to establish new educational programs in the future without your continuous support. 

We are working on a project with an established organization to create a platform with them to provide guidance to Muslim teens that will help impart knowledge that can improve their health, ease their hardships, and refine their spiritual journey.

We have so many new ideas to serve the community with and you can also share your ideas with us. Let us support one another to put these ideas into actions and transform the good intention into deeds. 

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A servant of God will remain standing on the Day of Judgment until he is questioned about his (time on earth) and how he used it; about his knowledge and how he utilized it; about his wealth and from where he acquired it and in what (activities) he spent it; and about his body and how he used it." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 148 

May Allah guide our way and grant us success and accept our efforts.

Sincerely,
Amany Shalaby 
Executive Director, UMF

You can reach me at: Amany


Meet our Board of Directors:

Masuma Virji: ChairAsma ChaudhrySecretary, Naushad VirjiFinance Director, Mohammed KermalliAssistant Finance Director, Zainab AlidinaRachid Mahdi, Syed YousufKhalid Mohammed, and Nadine Abu-Jubara.
Not So Coffee Encounter: 
Ramadan Revival Meeting
 
All of our supporters and volunteers are cordially invited to attend  
Come and meet UMF new Executive Director and share your thoughts and suggestions for UMF and learn about our upcoming projects!

Date: Friday 27th.

Time: 6:30 to 7:30 PM

location: Education Center of Orlando
              2221 Harrell Rd. Orlando, FL 32817
Keep an eye on UMF Facebook Page to confirm location
 
See you there insha'Allah
Hunger Team Update
                    
Alhamdulillah, with the support of many volunteers and donors, UMF Hunger Team has been successfully providing a meal for Sanford Outreach Mission shelter for many years on The Third Saturday of Every Islamic Month. 

 
 

Awarding Panera Bread & IHOP 

Both Panera Bread and IHOP have been constant contributors to our feeding program and were awarded plaques by UMF as a gesture of gratitude. 
   
               
 Our next feeding is inshaAllah going to take place this Saturday from 9am -11:30am in Sanford.  Please join us for a couple of hours to cook and serve the homeless a hot breakfast.
For more details on how to get involved contact: 
Sister Zaynab Alidina 
(321) 945-1163
Feed and Earn a Good Deed
 
 

Say: "We feed you for the sake of God Alone; we seek from you neither reward nor thanks.", (Quran, 76:9)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is commonly quoted as having said that "the person who sleeps full while his neighbor sleeps hungry is not a true believer."

Islamic Education Center Academy's Golden Science Fair
 
 United Muslim Foundation was happy to be able to help facilitate this exciting endeavor in May by lending our 1001 inventions kit to class 9. 
 
It was an honor for us to also be invited to help judge the competition, in which it was apparent, the children had learned much and enthusiastically created displays and thrilling presentations for the community to visit and explore.
 
 
 
Students were ranked and recognized with certificates and cash prizes to encourage excellence. 
 
 
If you are interested in learning more about Muslim contributions to science and technology and would like to borrow the 1001 inventions kit for your school, please contact us at:
 
UMF Arabic Instruction Program

UMF ended our third year of Arabic Instruction with a special picnic in the park awards ceremony in May to celebrate the success of our students and to recognize all the teachers and administrators and parent volunteers who made this program possible. 



AlhamdulilLah for the blessing of our wonderful students, teachers and their families who have become such a big part of our UMF team, making a difference. 

To watch a video of our Arabic Classes follow this link:

 
UMF Promotes Harmony & Understanding

WhyIslam is a program of the Islamic Circle of North America. Founded in 1999 by a group of volunteers, the main goal is to break the wall of misunderstanding and create harmony in the society by reaching out and making friends for good and noble causes.

UMF is taking the initiative to support WhyIslam mission by sponsoring three billboards that will be distributed across Orlando as a way to promote understanding of Islam and Muslim and initiate an intellectual discussion about our faith. Samples of the billboards can be seen in the picture below:  
 
If you would like to support this initiative you can give a tax deductible donation, to help cover the cost
Behind The Veil - Hijab Panel



Due to recent happenings across the globe in regards to Muslim women and their choice to obey 
their religious requirement in terms of covering their body, Mu Sigma Upsilon, Haumea Chapter, co-hosted an event with MSA called "Behind the Veil" to shed light on the matter. With the help of UMF and MSA, the event took place on September 28th, 2011 at 7pm at the University of Central Florida. 
  
The goal was to educate people on the true reasoning behind why Muslim women choose to wear hijab and trigger a healthy discussion on if it is right to make a religious practice as such illegal.

On the Panel were Masuma Virji UMF Director, Lisa Vogl, Mariam Zeini and Amany Shalaby UMF ED. 

The event started with salah and after showing a short video we had a panel discussion and question and answer session. Then, girls tried on hijabs. The event was packed with standing room only.

  
Sincerely,

 
 
Amany Shalaby
Executive Director

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