Zaid Shakir – Taste The Sweetness of Sadaqah

			But the reality that this pandemic brings forward to us today, the true, the urgency that it brings
forward to us today is the fact that life is very fragile. And life can change at any moment in
time. Our health circumstances can change. And in fact, we may be making even, you know, end of life
plans, things become very real of how short and precious life is, in the lives of people with
disabilities, the people that we serve, we serve all persons with disabilities, but particularly
individuals with intellectual disabilities or individuals with physical disabilities who require
care and support and depend on that care and support from the people in their lives. And in
		

			particular, their mothers, their fathers, their siblings, their spouses. The reality of COVID-19 has
brought forward the urgency to have plans in place to have supports and services in place.
		

			For several years now, and particularly in the last couple of years, we have prioritized
establishing residential services. As you know, we deliver a day program in Mississauga, we run drop
in activities in Mississauga, Scarborough and Ottawa. Through COVID, we ended up delivering virtual
day programming and virtual activities. And we've launched into in the GTA also been at your door,
and outdoor activity program, weather permitting. However, as we move forward, the need for
residential services, as I said, is even more urgent as a result of this pandemic. So vision 2020,
as a result of COVID-19,
		

			has to be rethought. We actually slowed down on it because of the way we were facing challenges and
barriers. And we understand that everybody's stretched and everybody's facing challenges as well,
our supporters are facing challenges. We want to remind everyone tonight that we are still dedicated
to delivering on our promise, it just may not be 2020, it may be 2021. But it is more important than
ever before that we set up residential services. And that residence that residential service vision
is no longer a house that supports four to eight people. It's no longer a group home. It's in fact,
a building. A building, that is a community, a community that cares and provides care.
		

			In our dream of an inclusive community. We are looking at building something that can support
perhaps up to 30 people, if not a few more.
		

			This is a huge project. But it is possible. We've seen our community raise millions and millions and
millions to build Islamic centers and schools and institutions. We are asking to build a community,
a community that provides a home to our community's most vulnerable members, when they are in most
need when they find themselves in crisis because their caregivers due to illness or death can no
longer care for them.
		

			So given this fact, we are here tonight to hear some words of wisdom from someone who needs no
introduction to our community.
		

			hearing someone who has been a friend of Dean for many, many years, I had the privilege of sharing a
stage by chance in 2007 with the moms a checker. And ever since then he couldn't get rid of me
because I kept talking to him about supporting the cause of disability rights and the services that
we deliver. So every time we call the bond imaams. He has been there. He's in fact visited our
center in Mississauga. He has met some of the individuals we support over the years. And when we
called upon him today, he made himself available. So we are hoping that mom's age reminds us of the
importance of establishing services of establishing services that support people with disabilities
		

			that support vulnerable members of our communities, services that are rooted in Islam
		

			values and tradition and services that ensure that our
		

			vulnerable persons have the supports that they need that provide a continuum of care, honoring the
values and traditions that they help gear in their homes that they grew up with, that they were
familiar with. Just because their parents pass away doesn't mean that they lose their cultural and
spiritual identity and fall into a mainstream dependency model which may not be able to adhere to
their needs just because of a crisis. So community has duty to support. And that is, I'm sure what
imaams aid will make clear to us. And of course, we have a tremendous tradition of giving. So we
seemed tonight's conversation with the moms ate his talk on taste the sweetness of South Africa. And
		

			that is also what I will remind you is we have a link on our website to new travie honey. If you
purchase any new Truby products through our website, a portion of the proceeds come to our
organization, Dean support services is a registered charity. Whatever you give is tax receded, as
most of you know. So now let me turn it over to mom's h Shakur, who grew up in Berkeley, California,
and what is one of the founders of zaytuna College established in 2009, and is one of the most
dynamic speakers and and he knows who comes to town for reviving the Islamic spirit. And that's why
I say he needs no introduction words, I'm not going to say anything to you to be mean you to be
		

			literal you to make you feel
		

			inadequate in any way, shape, or form. I'm going to speak words of truth, words of kindness, words
of compassion, words of respect. Words that honor your law given dignity, when a law tells us in the
court, and while I'll call the coroner, Benny, Adam, we have in noble, the human being, all of us
have this fundamental human nobility. It doesn't matter if a person has a disability. It doesn't
matter if they don't. It doesn't matter what matters is that he or she is Benny Adam, he or she is a
descendant of Adam, and being a descendant of Adam, that nobility
		

			that technically, is extended to each and every one of us. And we have to be sure that we live our
lives in a way that shows our commitment to that Quranic standard by by extending and reinforcing
and acknowledging the nobility that we all share. One way that one way to do that brothers and
sisters, is the help. This project
		

			helped in support services, to obtain outfit to equip the facility that I do, Sister robbia was
talking about Mila reward her Mila, bless her for all of her hard work. And we were mentioned before
the moral strength, the courage.
		

			she embodies all of that. And we won't say any more. They say we say the ABS say well let her learn
exactly. I love you. I heard that. And so we don't want to be excessive in our praise what we do
want to acknowledge her hard work and her visionary,
		

			amazing vision that she has for the community of people with disabilities. In any case.
		

			Let's help her to bring this project to fruition. Allah so the Prophet sallallahu Sallam he
mentioned in a hadith This one is an ad by the best assessment see who the say the article is not a
heavy This is saying of the early Arabs, but the saying of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
Kala Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, one long island and Abdi Cannell, Abu The only a key
Allah will help the servant as long as the servant is helping his brothers, his sisters, her
brothers, her sisters, Allah's promises help and assistance.
		

			Our sister Robbie and her team are seeking our assistance all
		

			The people they serve the beauty of our religion is so beautiful. It's so generous.
		

			Hasina, to be Ashley and Dahlia, good. These are multiplied 10 times over the survey near death 700
times over in the Addison keirsey are 7000 times 70,000 times 700,000 times 7 million times.
		

			In 1000, kathira. For one good deed, the bad deed is just one against you. The good deed can be 7
million in your favor it often, many times over and beyond. The bad deed is one thing how hard you
have to work to go to *. As a Muslim, you have to work one good deed can be 70,000 7 million. And
the bad deed is only one against you for your scale to tip in the favor of the baddie, you have to
work so so hard to go to *, you have to really work hard this from the generosity of our Lord.
And from the generosity of our Lord, is what we mentioned. Allah will assist you as long as you're
assisting your brother, your sister, your sister, your brother.
		

			Assistant, as you said, this could be on various different parts.
		

			The reward, that's where the reward is small.
		

			That's where the reward is. That's where the Joker the shocker. And this is connected to the
multiplication of the deeds. The shocker is a law a law being a core, a sure core, the one who gives
a tremendous reward for a little a small amount of D. One d 70 times the reward 700 times 2000.
Adolfo kathira So Allah is most important.
		

			Laws, especially merciful to those who are most important to the brothers and sisters. And I'll stop
here. No, I'm confident I went over my time, the
		

			people who who are benefiting from those services, the whole, the whole gamut and array. You know
how powerful that will be brothers and sisters, when you talk about dolla dolla isn't giving someone
a path, necessarily, that's a small part of it. But that's not the essence of it.
		

			Tao isn't getting a satellite channel, the Muslim satellite channel, you can get access it from
anywhere in Canada, that's a part of Dawa. But that's not the essence of the essence of Dawa is when
the message and the teachings of Islam become real. They're not speeches. They're not articles to
be, they're not
		

			film clips on YouTube, but they are living, communal situations that have a deep impact on the part
of anyone who comes into
		

			and that's going to show them what Islam is all about any negativity that they might have in their
hearts to their mind, towards Islam and Muslim because of the terrible propaganda that sometimes is
put out there. As soon as that love that mercy, that sense of community. As soon as that touches
them, all that propaganda is going to be forgotten. And they're going to say, this is a snap.
		

			This is not and we have an opportunity to make that possible. Allah Subhana what are the Prophet
sallallahu wasallam we didn't mention this earlier but we can mention it now.
		

			He said in the salon he was selling in the * star rune or thoros opponent we do ask that you call
that you are giving your blessing. You are rather you are giving divine help in the metal in the
sword when you are given divine help. Were pours upon and you are getting your sustenance you are
giving your full your drink your livelihood.
		

			We do our
		

			best
		

			on how you treat those with disabilities.
		

			This is this is if that doesn't motivate us, brothers and sisters, that doesn't motivate us,
especially in these times where as a Muslim community we need help know the right wing fascistic
		

			tendencies, these nasty aspects of human nature of being teased out of people by many of our
demagogue, demagogic, politicians, we won't say the leader of all that, who that might be. But these
these tendencies are being pulled out of people, the negativity, the hatred, and a lot of that
hatred, a lot of that negativity is directed towards Muslims.
		

			And at the end of the day, the forces of negativity are becoming so great in this world. For us to
begin to even begin to push back, we're going to need divine intervention. And what is one of the
great keys of divine intervention is Heidi tells us, that you give them divine help for to solve,
and you're given your sustenance, were poor as a whole, we do our thing. Based on how you treat
those, we're dealing with disability. And as we said, that's a wide spectrum. That's not necessarily
what we traditionally understand in terms of physical and mental, other disabilities. But it's a
wide spectrum. It could be those who are who are struggling. Financially, it could be those who are
		

			struggling spiritually, it could be those we have in Islam, what we call the diseases of the heart,
right, abroad to kulu. And so those these diseases of the heart
		

			are also things that
		

			constitute something a person might need to overcome. But by helping them to overcome by reminding
them by strengthen each other by helping each other assisting each other by placing a kind word,
giving a smile, to run the sheet and mineral novel, follow and tell our car can be watching on it.
Don't be mean or belittle
		

			or dismiss the smallest amount of good you can do. Even if it's greeting your brother or your sister
with a pleasant, pleasant face.
		

			That's help someone who's not having a good day, do a little depressed. And you come with just a
pleasant face, and they see your face and they feel better already. And what do they tell you? I'm
so glad I saw you. You just what I needed to get through the rest of this day.
		

			And so by helping people, lifting people up, we'll give them divine aid. And doing as we said, these
perilous and treacherous times, we're going to need that divine thing. And so one way to secure it
during the economic uncertainty of COVID-19. You know, all of us know people have lost their job
they've been furloughed. They've been laid off. So many, many establishes restaurant establishments,
rather, restaurants and other establishments have closed many for good economic uncertainty, or
tourism. And you're given your sustenance bewafa equal based on how you treat those who have
disabilities. What better can we do for our brothers and sisters, our Muslim brothers and sisters,
		

			for dealing with disabilities of various sorts, then to provide a communal environment that can more
effectively serve our brothers and sisters that can bring us together in community because as we
mentioned, we're all in this together. And we have one place where all of us
		

			those who are helping in one puppet, as we mentioned, are happening while helping rather some who
might be recipients of services to deal with this or that or the other. Also, giving to those who
might be dealing with something entirely different. A person who might be dealing with a physical
disability
		

			is assisted in a particular way to help he or she, him or her overcome that disability. But in turn,
that person who might be assisting them, for various reasons, might be depressed. And they are now
inspired by their brothers and sisters with
		

			A particular physical disability, to help them overcome the thing that's depressing them. Because as
we said, they're they're inspired by the brother or sisters courage. They're inspired by their
resiliency. They're inspired by their smiling face that no matter what happens, they're smiling.
We're all and that lifts them from their depression. And so why don't we had a community brothers
and sisters, for that interchange without cross pollination is going on constantly, day and night.
As I said, initially, it will be so strong and so powerful, and so exemplary. So what better What
better way and then a subtle kajaria as a couple people mentioned in the video, and it's something
		

			many of us don't think about their thinking, their aging, and they might pass on. And as our sister
in the video said, none of us knows when was sooner or later, we're all passing on kulu nips in the
Ecuador note, every so well experienced?
		

			And what are we going to leave for our children? What are we going to leave, so they're concerned
about what they're going to leave for their children,
		

			we can help to allay some of their worries and concerns, we can help to ensure that their children
will receive the loving islamically inspired care that they receive that home.
		

			And that's not to dismiss the beauty of those who might not be Muslims. And so they have honor, and
to use the term care that's not rooted necessarily in the principles of Islam directly. But all good
things come from the same source. But that not to dismiss that. But as Muslims, we have some
particular needs. We have particular needs in terms of our gender relations. So one of our sisters
was mentioning how she wanted a female caregiver for her daughter,
		

			because of her concerns. So we have specific concerns as Muslims. So what if we had a facility that
just five prayers Hamdulillah, one of the most beautiful and powerful moments that I spent when I
visited the current Dean support services house, and inshallah will be soon joined by the facility.
		

			In purposely built facility, one of the most beautiful moments was the prayer time,
		

			when brothers and sisters came together, all over the facility, to pray. And it wasn't necessarily
easy for many, because of the nature of their disability in one particular area, and they had
amazing ability, and many, many others. But seeing that, coming together,
		

			and playing together, despite everything that was that was one of the most beautiful moving
experiences of my life
		

			merges if that's happening on a bigger scale.
		

			And imagine if it's happening in this facility,
		

			where the the need to pray, and the need to observe certain hygienic standards. And the need for for
female female male male care is met.
		

			Again, these might seem small to most of us, because they're things sometimes we take for granted.
But for people who don't, and in some instances cannot take them for granted. Imagine how powerful
it is. And imagine how powerful it is to know that my Muslim brothers and sisters through their
donation, do their e transfers, through their going to the dean Support Services website, to their
using the number in the chat to call in some including all of you
		

			to use those means what thing is provided by my Muslim brothers and sisters out of their concern out
of their compassion out of their love out of their mercy.
		

			They've helped to make this possible. Brothers and sisters we can do this we can do it and we can
start and get well on the way towards doing it tonight. Shall law time. So brothers, please give
		

			does that come alongside and the ma'am I'm aware of the time and I noticed that some people are
signing off. We've had some pledges and some donations come through. We're very grateful to people
		

			who have done this? This effort will continue, we recognize that we are not adapting the same to a
virtual format as we do in live fundraising events.
		

			It's going to be a tough year for us, it's going to be a very tough year, even though we've raised
our vision to something much bigger because we see the need. So we asked that, you know, hmm, if you
can help us through your social media to reach out to people, show them some specific appeals. If we
can mobilize, it's as simple as this, if we can mobilize people to give us, you know, $20 a month,
which is $5 a week. You know, if we can get 1000 people to do that, we can make things still Rob,
you make the goal $30 a month, just 10 more, you know, why 30 $1 a day, keeps the shaytaan away.
Okay. So $1 a day keeps the Shakedown away, as the mom said, if we can get, you know, 1000 people
		

			committing to give us $30 a month, we can do so much with that money to serve so many needs, and so
many people. Just before we started the program this evening, there was any mom that signed on who
told us that he was contacted by a family who needed some spiritual counseling, because they were
told that they were going to have a child with a disability.
		

			That the child that was going to be born in a few months was going to have a disability. Oh, this is
very real for a lot of people. But it's more real for aging parents, the need for services is more
real for aging parents. And we need to make this happen. So I ask everybody that's on the call,
please. Please spread the word. Please share, please reach out to your networks. There are how many
Muslims are there? There's a million Muslims in Canada, amen. How many Muslims are in America? The
save 10 million. There's probably there might be more than that, because there are at least 5
million taxi drivers.
		

			Well, there you go. There you go. Oh, you know, it's one taxi fare that we're asking for a month.
		

			Right? So if we have and we probably have about 1.2 million in Canada. So if we can just find that
1000 people committing to $1 a day, we can deliver so many services to people. So we hope and pray
that you will remember us in your service. We appreciate everyone taking the time to join us this
evening. In mom's age, we will stay in touch with you.
		

			Social media appeal Sharla inshallah inshallah.
		

			And you know, we're gonna we're gonna continue trying something different to engage donors. Everyone
out there, please share on social media share through your WhatsApp groups. Don't give a teenager is
far interpretive. Make sure you get this right. Don't give a teenager a telephone. And don't give
any ma'am a microphone. So puff, went over my time. I'll say this in conclusion,
		

			almost.
		

			Mail log, this is thought to be amongst the shaqiri. If if the organizers thank Allah. When we get
into the fundraising part of the program, if the money and the donations aren't coming in, like they
should think of loss before I make dua, I just want to say that it's definitely it's going to be a
challenging year but it's going to be a blessed year. Allah subhanho wa Taala the Isn't he by his
leave, but is going to open the floodgates within support services. I want all of you who have
participated tonight all of you who have donated tonight your money will be seed money. And their
seed money will multiply in sha Allah tala and you're going to see this goal met in the very near
		

			future inshallah Tyler and so Allah tala, his generosity is not affected by the pandemic.
		

			He is the most generous he is Kareem.
		

			He is all the.
		

			And he's Rob bland. And He is the Lord of this world because again, from the generosity of Allah,
Allah reminds us that and Sha Khartoum.
		

			Let us know. If you give thanks, I will increase you on my blessings. So one of the greatest means
we're increasing is not twisting the arm more.
		

			It's not squeezing trying to squeeze
		

			loonies out of a rock. One of the greatest means to facilitate an increase is just thinking in
Chicago as the 10. So I think a lot for all of the wonderful people to help to make this program in
this opening part of the program possible, I think, sister Robbie and her wonderful team. I thank
her for the one the invitation, because like she said, she told me to get some of those Canadian
burgers, the good ones. So after that, I'm just working hard. So the next time I come to Canada,
she'll be inspired to get me another one. So I'm just trying to earn one of those, whatever they
call halaal burgers, I don't know, but it was sure what sure was good. So I'm just working on my
		

			next burger brothers and sisters. May Allah bless you all, and give you all long lives. Serve full
of service full of much joy to this day. In this COVID vaccine. Don't be cautious but don't be
paranoid.
		

			And don't allow the weightiness of the situation to crush your spirit. Allah subhanho wa Taala will
really stop that it is mentioned in the Quran called the formula he will be your committee he will
be daily cattleya for who or how you remember your drone say, and the grace of Allah and in His
mercy and this let them rejoice is better than anything anyone can gather from this world. So
rejoice brothers and sisters we have despite the virus we have this we have, amen. inshallah. Tyler,
we have
		

			so long as as long as we have those things, things no matter what's happening in the world, we're
going to be alright. So we're going to be alright brothers and sisters. We believe that and the dean
support services are going to be all right. And we're going to help them to get towards being
Alright, in the balance of this night inshallah alafaya Santa Monica law. He will