Sadaqa for Cuba: Latin America Outreach – Sister Zainab Ismail
Sister Zainab Ismail will be embarking on her third journey to Cuba. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and the home of 3000+ Muslims throughout the island.
Zainab Ismail, Al-Maqasid, embarks on her next trip from May 15 – May 21, 2018, with three other volunteers. The intentions are to continue the work that started on their previous trips upon the consultation of her senior teachers, including Shaykh Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, and Imam Zaid Shakir, may Allah preserve them.
Assisting the Community in Cuba
From our previous trips the donors helped to accomplish the following:
- Sponsor community suhoors/iftars
- Provide Ramadan monthly food boxes for 150+
- Sponsor travel/accommodations for sisters from neighboring provinces to spend Ramadan with us
- Visit with the sick
- Provide Jummah/Taraweeh for the first time in one province
- Provide zakat for families in need
- Provide basic toiletries and clothing for the women
- Gifts for the children
- Sponsor scholars to visit Cuba
- Sponsor volunteers to visit Cuba
- Travel to five different cities throughout the island
- Provide Spanish translation between the community and visiting scholars
- 100 % support for the renovation and reconstruction of homes destroyed by hurricane Matthew 10/2016
- The teaching of basic required knowledge (fard ayn)
- Provide one on one private Q&A sessions for the women
- Provide short-term jobs for a few brothers in the community
- Strengthen sisterhood/brotherhood ties in families
Aims for This Trip
In the upcoming trip, the aim is to sponsor 150 Ramadan boxes for the rural communities on the Eastern side of Cuba. Each box contains enough food and supplies for the Blessed month.
The cost to feed one person for the month is $20. The sisters aim to sponsor six community suhoors (pre-dawn meals) and six iftars (evening meal) in two rural communities. The cost to sponsor one suhoor/iftar is $90. They also aim to sponsor the travel and accommodations for sixteen sisters from the Western side of Cuba (12-hour bus ride) to partake in the Ramadan experience and festivities.
Sister Zainab and the volunteers will also be distributing copies of Ser Musulmán: Una Guía Prática, the Spanish translation of Being Muslim: A Practical Guide, by Dr. Asad Tarsin, to our brothers and sisters in Cuba and she will teach pre-Maghrib lessons from “Ser Musulman” in Spanish the language in Cuba.
Scholar Endorsement
Upon the advice of our teachers Habib Umar bin Hafiz as well as Shaykh Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir and Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, these sisters are vigorously working to assist their growth in a strategic and coordinated manner.
We would be grateful if you can please pray and support financially this noble project (ongoing charity) to assist the Latino Muslim communities that have hardship due to little financial means, access to qualified teachers, and books in Spanish.
When a man passes away, his good deeds will also come to an end except for three: Sadaqa Jariyah [ceaseless charity]; a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him [for the deceased]” (Narrated by Abu Huraira, Sahih Muslim)
Please donate generously for the blessed month of Ramadan to bring light to this endeavor, and May God grant all those supporting it with His mercy and guidance.
Specific Breakdown of Funds Needed
- Ramadan Food Boxes $3000
- Community Suhoor (6) $180
- Community Iftar (6) $360
- Transportation (van) $1500
- Gas $300
- Transport for sisters $100
- Volunteer accomodations $420
- Visitors accomodations $400
- Contingency & misc expense $500
*Needed goal: $6,760*
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Al-Maqasid aim to cultivate holistic learning environments rooted in knowledge, devotion, and service by providing full-time, seasonal, online, and community programs.
