Water for Gaza Dinner with Shaykh Yasir Qadhi

by Noor Salem

“I always wonder why I come to Michigan in January with this cold season, but then I feel the
warmth of the community,” said Shaykh Yasir Qadhi as he was welcomed to the stage at the
Water for Gaza fundraising dinner in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

A hall of over 400 people gathered in support of a very profound cause, funding access to clean water to many who so desperately need it. Water is cheapest when available, and most expensive when it’s not, yet
many take it this valuable and life-depending blessing for granted.

When was the last time you turned on the faucet and actually pondered that millions across the globe don’t have this instant access to clean water, let alone water at all?

As the Prophet (saaw) reminds us not to be wasteful, even if we have plenty. If you happened to be blessed with wealth, or health, or any strength or talent, out of gratitude to Allah (SWT) use it in a way that is pleasing to Him (SWT).

Use your wealth to support the needy, invest in ongoing charity, feed the hungry, be generous to
those around you, and spend on your family. Donating to such cause is undoubtedly a way of
showing gratitude for the blessing you have by aiding those who don’t.

The dinner began with a very mesmerizing Qur’an recitation with none other than Shaykh
Ahmed Mabrouk. The entire hall was so quiet, all at awe for his recitation, a pin can be heard if
dropped. Thereafter, the MC of the night, Dr. Obadah Al-Zohaili, welcomed Imam Imran Salha
to give welcoming remarks and a few inspiring words about the importance of recognizing Gaza
as a concern for the entire Ummah alike.

The microphone was handed over to the Executive Director of Baitulmaal, Dr. Mazen Mokhtar, who gave very insightful information about the projects Baitulmaal has conducted in the past, and currently underway with. He shared the very disturbing statistics of the access to water in Gaza, with more than 95% of people there not having access to clean water.

Imagine waking up not finding food, let alone water, to drink and feed your children. Next, Noor Salem, author and Spoken Word Artist, gave a very profound and heart moving spoken word about Gaza. Thereafter, Shaykh Monzer Talib shared very beautiful reminders of the importance of aiding the needy and the long way this water goes for those who so desperately need it.

Dr. Yasir Qadhi’s heart lifting talk was last on the program, yet left the audience with much to
ponder over. He reminded the crowd that the best way to connect with people is to show them
that we live by what Allah (SWT) commanded by living by the values of Qur'an, and allowing
them to see the beauty of deen in our actions.

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, Ph.D., is the Dean of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute. He is one of
the few people who have combined a traditional Eastern Islamic seminary education with a
Western academic training of the study of Islam. Shaykh Yasir graduated with a B.Sc. in
Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student
at the Islamic University of Madinah.

After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences, and then completed an M.A. in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah. He then returned to America and completed a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Yale University. He has authored several books, published academic articles, and appeared on numerous satellite and TV stations around the globe. His online videos are of the most popular and highly-watched Islamic videos in English. Shaykh Yasir Qadhi is a resident Scholar of the Memphis Islamic Center. He is also a professor at Rhodes College, in the
Department of Religious Studies.

The ended as everyone headed for Isha prayer; a reminder that despite all success, despite all
hardship, and despite all achievements in this Dunya, one takes a break to remember their
purpose of existence by fulfilling this command of Allah (SWT). For ultimately, no true success
is acquired nor meaningful in this Dunya, without making Salah priority before anything else. It
was blessed and beautiful night here in Farmington, that unquestionably changed the life of
many at the other end of the globe.

To donate to this life-changing project visit: https://baitulmaal.org/water-for-gaza/#donate