assalamo alaikum brother..
*all* ideas and *all* plans start with *words*..and even before *that*..they start with a thought!..inshallah you will get to make each of your plans come true in action as well!..have faith brother!
to help you out a bit I'll give you some methods I and our MSA might use if the ideas I will suggest are going to be accepted and worked on..
in my town..there are a few organizations that help out low-income and disadvantaged families from ALL backgrounds...and many muslim families seek them...for clothes..food..training programs..assistance...etc.
and since I would like for our MSA and our Masjid to have a strong debut (so to speak) in charity work..I thought about making our initial charity events in affiliation with them..in addition to having word of mouth work its wonders around the city community..
that can give us many advantages..
1. we won't have to spend much resources in trying to "get-the-word-out" about our event or plans (except maybe getting in contact with everyone)..because we're going to use affiliation with accredited organizations that are already established and very well known for their charity goals and assistance in the community..
2. affiliating ourselves *to* a bigger organization *through* an association (i.e. MSA) or a religious institution (i.e. the masjid) will seem very professional..and very formal..and more likely to be accepted and sponsored..and less likely to be questionable by others..
3. we will reach more people that way..due to the fact that Muslims are not going to be THE ONLY ones benefiting...thus we will enlighten many about our great deen..and how we want to involve ourselves in our city without any prejudice and with very kind and beneficial acts towards others..without seeking *any personal* gain or profit
4. our MSA can benefit by it being known through the city (not just our university campus!)..and that can bring much profit for it..so it can make more educational events about Islam for muslims and non-muslims alike!..so in a way..it would give us the "intellectual" method of da'awa in addition to that of "action" (i.e. charity)..
and the cool thing about living in the u.s. (and I don't know if you have this in the u.k.)..when you make donations here..especially that of material-goods (such as clothes)..you can fill out a form estimating the value of it..and you can earn a tax-return for it..we can take the tax-returns (no matter how little or great in value they might be) and give them to our local sunday-madrasa they have made for the muslim children in the community to help with its expenses!..
and by making sure that our muslim brothers and sisters participate in all of this to the best of their ability..even if by providing us with names of people willing to make donations only..hopefully we will instill values of commitment..selflessness..and love towards the obligations of their deen (first and foremost) and others as well!
I apologize for the rather lengthy post..but I was feeding off of your ideas..so I thought I should share mine with you in return...so we can benefit from each other in the end..as I truly want to do something..even if it won't happen (inshallah it will though!)..at least I'll know that I tried and didn't just *intend*..
wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu allah
Salaam,
My dear brother..I just wanted to make you laugh...the IRS and I are intimate friends....do I need duas from every Muslim in the world...I actually wrote a letter to them and told them I was not going to the moon and they have my information..they are better than a GPS..I am one person that got stuck in the treadmill and only heaven can help me....
are u ppl talking abt opening any muslim orgranization? wat is it all about? i want to know the details as well
Asalaamu'Alykum,
Some real good stuff there. I am sort of thinking yet so not sure how to reply but your methods to get the message out are really good. My reply is short but its because i am thinking and can't really expand at the minute.
Wasalam
Salaam,
It saddens me that a post I started was closed due to the misreading by a moderator. My simple intent was to ask the members to diversify and become more serious with the topics and start to do something.
Instead, I find my topic is closed with a lot of writing about jihad. All, I stated was jihad is incumbent upon us and part of being a Muslim is being actively involved with life.
It greatly upsets me. I am not angry. I am not an angry person. I am deeply hurt. I asked sisters to make quilts, I asked if we could have soup kitchens in our masjids, I asked if we could assist each other before we go to the kuffir for advise.. It seems that we are not there yet.