The standard answer of anyone prior to March to, “How are you doing?” was “Busy.” At which point most people would list off a laundry list of “to-do” items that had them driving, running, or waiting through endless tasks. I was no different. It was Fajr. It was Isha. Days, weeks, months, years…were just flowing through our hands like water.
Well, Allah is amazing. We have been shown that we were never in control of anything. The order of operations of our lives had to pivot. Our norms of the day: going to work, going to school, doing groceries, meeting friends and family are being redefined. It is a work in progress.
So much has changed. What the future holds is very unclear.
But Alhamdulillah, at 8:45 a.m., a familiar voice travels through our home. I have teenagers, and they are not going to share a screen. So from all corners of our home, Ustadh Rehan holds morning assembly. Sanad starts our day, our intentions, and our work where it needs to be: with the One who is in Control. Then for the next few hours my kids have class with their learning coaches. In all of this worldly chaos, their schooling never missed a beat. They are holding the course, spiritually and academically. And for the next three hours with the quiet hum of their schooling, we experience “normalcy” and breathe.
We know these are challenging times for families. Students are trying to navigate the transition to distance learning; parents are having to manage working from home, parenting, and schooling all at once.
Sanad Prep is here to support families and do our part to help you get through this difficult time. As long as schools remain closed, we will be offering SP Online Classes for FREE!
Classes are available to non-Sanad Prep students and are held via an online classroom with a SP learning coach and other SP students. You’ll get a glimpse into our model and individualized attention.
All you need to do is click the link below to view a list of available classes to see which will fit the needs of your child. Then fill out the simple registration form (one per student). We’ll send you the instructions to join our online classroom for the classes you choose.
How are you and your loved ones? How are you all feeling? I pray you are well. Are you feeling a little overwhelmed? Thrown for a loop? There have been days recently where it seems as though everything is spinning and still at the same time. Or like sand is shifting beneath our feet. Things are changing rapidly.
We are in unpredictable times. Many people are feeling helpless, isolated, and anxious. At the same time, so many are reaching out on social media and asking, “How can I help?”
So, I ask you, how can Sanad Trust Foundation help?
Because we care about the safety and well-being of those we serve as well as our volunteers, staff, and community, we are following protocol and cooperating with local authorities every step of the way.
We didn’t expect to be considered “nonessential,” but here we are practicing social distancing, working from home, and creating a real online community to provide a soul-centered education to every child, family, and community. Its the reason why we do what we do.
As much of our attention is focused, rightly so, on those needing critical services like health care, food, and shelter, we want to continue to inspire, encourage, and empower our community during this precarious time.
I want to take a moment to share how Sanad Trust Foundation is responding to COVID-19 and how we are trying to help:
We have seamlessly moved our full-time educational service, Sanad Prep Learning Center, online…maintaining a high-quality, accredited, and spiritually nourishing education for our students and families
We are live-streaming our Sanad Prep Morning Assembly class for free daily to help any family teaching kids from home, giving them an uplifting way to start and organize their days. Its a great way for anyone working from home to start their day too!
We transformed our cancelled benefit gala, “A Sanad of Love”, into a free online series for children and families every Saturday. The series includes recognition of our elders, advice for parents and adults, and a live reading of Falcon & Finch, an original, book-length narrative poem inspired by my children. As part of the reading there is an ongoing drawing contest with submissions from children all around the world!
Cancelling our benefit gala was a tough, but necessary decision. However, we took the anxiety and concern of that decision, and chose to make it into something positive and beautiful for our organization. Coming up with creative and new ways to give even more to children, families, and community has been a wonderful blessing in the midst of all this.
We look forward to the moment our doors open and our programs resume. Until then, we will work to make up for lost time where we can and set a course for the future. We hope that you will join us in making sure that our mission remains sustainable as we navigate this unknown territory.
We believe in keeping love, joy, and patience flowing – even while engaging in social distancing.
When all of this is over, our children will need the stimulating and spiritual environment of Sanad Prep, families will need a place to come together for good suhba more than ever, and community members of all ages will require emotional and social support to ensure their well-being.
That’s why I’m asking you, to consider giving today and supporting our efforts during this incredibly difficult period.
I am also personally inviting you to join us this Saturday for a very special Sanad of Love online conversation with Sh. Yahya Rhodus (Executive Director of Al-Maqasid Institute), Br. Hassan Shibly (Executive Director of CAIR-FL), and myself. We’ll be discussing the future of the American Muslim Identity.
We will get through this — together while apart. We will adapt. We will learn lessons. On behalf of Sanad Trust Foundation and all those we serve, I want to thank you for your support.
We couldn’t do this without you.
Be safe, Rehan Mirza Founding Executive Director Sanad Trust Foundation
I am here to tell you about why I love Sanad, and why you should love it, too. First of all, Sanad helps me and the other students around me feel comfortable. It gives us a home-like space to learn. Our classroom sizes are small, so our learning coaches can spend a lot of time with us. They care about our behavior and character, in addition to how well we do academically. We have a morning assembly every day where learning coaches talk about important life lessons. We learn about Allah, nature, science, and even famous people like Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali. It helps us get a feel for what other people before us did to help us get where we are standing today. We even have a monthly family/neighborhood halaqa that takes place every three months at Sanad. Being a student at Sanad Prep helps me feel like I’m part of a big family. I hope that other students can feel the same way I do.
Second of all, Sanad makes learning easy. We have the help of interactive lessons, learning coaches, teachers, and even tutors. If we need extra help learning a topic, our learning coaches work with us one-on-one to help us understand. If we are learning quickly and understanding the work, we can even get ahead in the curriculum. Advanced students can even do work that’s one or two grade levels ahead. We do hands-on activities like science projects and presentations.
Last but not least, Sanad is fun! Every Tuesday and Thursday, we have PE (Physical Education). We play basketball, hockey, soccer and many other fun sports. We get daily breaks where we get to get up and move around and take walks outside. Even though we don’t even realize it, we get to know each other a little better every single day. It strengthens our friendships to a whole new level, getting to know each other’s personalities. We also get to go on field trips a couple times a year. Our field trips help us remember Allah and his creation by spending time outdoors and in nature. We do other fun things like celebrate PI day when all students get to eat pie! Once a month we attend youth club meetings where we do STEAM projects and there are other clubs too for Middle and High School.
All in all, Sanad gives younger and older children a comfortable space to work together. We interact with teachers and have fun every day. It is a new learning experience. It is a fun place and brings people together, from kindergartners to great-grandma’s and seniors.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word “Sanad”? For most of us, that word is used in relation to Hadith narrations. It is the chain of transmission that started with our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace)and ends with the person relaying the Hadith. The soundness of that chain of transmission is what allows scholars to determine whether a Hadith is sahih (sound) or da’eef (weak). However, the word Sanad can be used in relation to more than just Hadith. The way we are taught to live as Muslims originates from our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). So, there has been a chain of transmission starting from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to his Sahabah to the next generations all the way to our parents who not only taught us how to eat, sleep, and work using the example of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) but also how to portray emotions, such as love, like the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Every aspect of the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) life emanated love. We know the true meaning of love because of him – love for Allah (SWT), love for our parents, love for our spouses, love for our children. Being born and raised in this country, where so often religion is trivialized, I sometimes find myself wondering how I became connected to this deen and to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) of this deen. Then, I realize it’s not the physical aspects that I was taught that had the most impact. Growing up and even to this day, whenever the beautiful city of Madinah is mentioned to my mother even in passing, she can’t control her tears; she can’t control the yearning she has to visit our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). As a kid, I didn’t really pay much attention to it (as most kids in immaturity). Now, as an adult, I realize what a profound impact those tears had on my connection with the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). He is someone to yearn and strive for because it is through him that we can reach Allah (SWT). Just as we were taught what true love is by our parents, we are trying to continue that chain of transmission by teaching our children about love. In essence, we are all a part of a Sanad of Love.
Sanad Prep is one of the educational institutions that is trying to be a part of that chain that is instilling love into our children. This is my second year as a learning coach for Qur’an, Islamic Studies and girls PE at Sanad Prep. I can honestly say it is one of the most refreshing parts of my day. The attitude of the people there and interacting with the students always puts a smile on my face. There are moments when I am taken aback by the purity of the students. One such instance that comes to mind is during the last few weeks of class last year. We had spent the year talking about fiqh and mostly focusing on prayer and its different aspects and requirements. I asked my students what they thought was the purpose of learning all those details about prayer. Why is it important to know where to place your hands or how to do sujood in the proper way? One student answered that it’s important because that is how the Prophet prayed and when you love someone, you try your best to emulate all of their behaviors. When we can learn to emulate the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the best way possible, that is when we have a chance at reaching Allah (SWT). SubhanAllah! What a profound understanding of our purpose! That answer left me speechless and made me realize that the love Sanad Prep is trying to teach is seeping into the students beautifully. I think what makes Sanad Prep unique is the intimate relationships the students are able to build with their learning coaches. Each student gets to feel important and special and the default attitude of the learning coaches is always to deal with them with love and gentleness, which is the way the Prophet always dealt with people, especially children. The students at Sanad Prep are reminded daily that their voice is not trivial. They are reminded that they should always feel comfortable asking questions about their faith whenever they have any doubts. I think Sanad Prep is like a safe haven for kids and their families where questions are answered in an honest and caring way and relationships are built on love and trust.
There is a lot of confusion and chaos within the larger Muslim community and society as a whole. When observing the societal shift that is taking place right before our eyes, it’s difficult not to stress and worry about how this will affect the next generation of Muslim youth in this country. Every day there are stories of kids and adults alike leaving their faith. In my humble opinion, I think in a general sense we have forgotten to take hold of the Sanad of Love. We have this beautiful tradition filled with instances of how our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) dealt with many of the issues our youth are struggling with today. We have forgotten that the default emotional state of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was of love and gentleness rather than anger and hostility. I believe it is even more important to go back to our tradition of love in this divisive and hateful sociopolitical climate to show others how our beautiful Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught us to live. This is especially important when dealing with our children and our youth, to preserve and protect their faith by instilling love of Allah (SWT) and love of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), which can only be done if we ourselves embody that love.
Growing up in the South Florida Muslim community, and having the privilege of working with youth through various organizations (both Muslim and non-Muslim), I’ve seen a great deal. Over the past 20+ years I’ve witnessed many youth progress from elementary school to college, then transition to married life and parenthood. Although they mostly go on to lead successful lives into adulthood, the one thing that always stands out is the significant difference between the youth that were actively engaged in (faith-based) youth development while growing up, and the youth who were not.
I’ve been fortunate to participate in numerous youth-oriented programs as a youth myself. I’ve experienced first-hand the difference it can make in a child’s upbringing and values as an adult. These programs gave me the foundation and motivation to remain connected to my religion and to my community. I learned the value of being involved in doing good work and giving back to my community. I’ve witnessed the same transformations over and over again with the youth I’ve worked with in various Muslim organizations. They are more likely have a strong Muslim identity; they are more likely to have important life skills such as leadership, public-speaking, and time management; and they are more likely to be active in their communities, and are more willing to give back.
On the other hand, the lack of quality youth engagement programs and the inability to foster our youth into strong leaders will eventually adversely impact the South Florida Muslim community. As our current leadership begins to phase out of their roles, we are seeing a big void in finding youth/young adults who have the interest and/or skills to want to fill in and lead our communities. Organizations must provide these opportunities for our youth to be connected to their religion and to like-minded youth, while giving them the training and foundation to be successful adults who give back.
Sanad Trust Foundation has done an amazing job in laying this foundation through the Sanad Youth Clubs initiative. The clubs offer fun, educational, high-quality activities for students from Kindergarten to High School, in a safe, nurturing environment, and always with an uncompromising expectation of good moral character.
The Sanad Art Club is a unique club that explores art through creativity and exploration for students ages 5 – 7.
The Sanad Cubs focuses on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) activities for students ages 7-11 years.
Middle School students participate in MYNA @ Sanad (Muslim Youth of North America). The youth group is student-lead and open to all youth 12- 18 years in the community. The group participates and organizes regional camps, national trips, and local social activities.
High School students participate in MIST (Muslim Interscholastic Tournament). Each year this group, which is open to students ages 14 – 18, fields a team to participate in the regional Florida competition. Competition categories include basketball, spoken word, short film, and much more.
My youngest son participates in the STEAM club and comes home after each meeting full of excitement and ready to share about everything he learned. He loves the hands-on, team-building activities. My older son participates in the MYNA club and is learning valuable skills like teamwork, organization, planning, communication, and more. Being a part of this group has really helped him build his confidence and leadership. As a parent, the best part is seeing their character and personalities being molded in such a positive way.
I’ve also had the pleasure of coaching the Sanad MIST team for the past four years. It’s been such a fulfilling experience for me to lead these amazing youth as they showcase their many talents at the annual competition. Through the Sanad MIST group, our youth have learned beneficial lessons such as working in a team, leadership skills, communication, all within a nurturing environment where they can feel free to be Muslims. It’s a great outlet for them to express themselves and be creative. It’s always rewarding to see them expand their mindset, build confidence, and really push themselves to reach new heights. Serving as their mentor has also helped me personally. Remaining connected to the youth somehow helps keep me youthful. It also keeps me on my toes and gives me a sense of ownership, so that I am always looking to sharpen my skills and improve my character to try to be the best role model I can.
It is my hope that more children can benefit from Sanad Youth Clubs or other youth development programs, so we can continue the cycle of leadership training and volunteerism.
Sister Nasim Hasan is someone a lot of people in the community know and look up to. She is a mother and grandmother and has been an Islamic Studies teacher and mentor for decades. Some teachers in our community, like Ustadh Rehan Mirza, are just one of her students. She used to work with organizations such as MYNA and took her students to MYNA camps. Now, those same students Sister Nasim taught are grown up, have their own kids, and are sending their own kids to MYNA camps.
Sister Nasim lives with her husband and mother-in-law. Some of her hobbies and interests include sewing, cooking, and reading. During the earlier part of her life, she worked at a bank when her kids were young. As they grew up, she switched to teaching Islamic studies at Miami Gardens Masjid and Sanad Prep. She takes care of her mother-in-law when at home.
Sister Nasim says that in the beginning when Sanad was just starting, she offered Ustadh Rehan and Ustadha Attiqa help in anyway she could. She now teaches Islamic studies to students from grades 3-6. She says, “I love to come to Sanad and teach kids Islamic Studies. The kids are very smart, nice, and respectful. It makes me happy to teach them. Everyday my students come to class happy and prepared with paper and pencils and that makes everything feel special.” Sister Nasim says that Sanad gives kids “a much safer environment and it’s easier for kids to interact with each other and their teachers than other schools can offer. Five stars for them!” When talking about Sanad, Sis. Nasim said, “The skills they (the students) learn in Sanad help them in life. Sanad Prep, I think, is the best school or education place for kids to stay connected to their Deen and the Dunya. With the hard work of Brother Rehan and Sister Attiqa, the kids have a wonderful place to learn.” Sr Nasim loves her role as an Islamic Studies teacher. When asked about this, she states, “When I look at my students I think that they gain knowledge and that I did service to the children of the community. I love to serve and teach them.”
Sis Nasim is also a part of the Sanad Trust Guardians program. This program was created to honor the elders in the community and serves as a place for them to have fun and socialize. Sanad Trust hosts a picnic for the Guardians every year, and Sister Nasim is one of the elders who plays an integral role in the event planning. She says that the Guardians picnic is a great way for her and other elders to get together and relax for the day. She says, “The elders can talk to each other about issues they have about their lives or anything else. It gives them time to spend together and have fun.” This program also teaches the youth to show adab and respect to their elders and give them the importance that they deserve. In a question asking about the Guardians Initiative, Sr. Nasim was really appreciative of the program. She said that the program is really engaging and gives back to her generation. “Yes, I think that they’re giving back to the elders. I think people should become more involved with the elders in the community,” she said.
Ustadh Rehan Mirza, executive director of Sanad Trust has known Sister Nasim his whole life, since he was two years old. Growing up, he observed Sister Nasim to be a person who “was always involved in a lot of youth and Masjid activities.” As a kid, Sister Nasim used to teach Ustadh Rehan and make meals for them when they went to MYNA camps. Ustadh Rehan says that the work that Sister Nasim does is awe-inspiring and that she deserves all the respect she can get. He says, “my appreciation is growing every moment that I observe her and have a conversation with her. I’m in awe of all the things she’s done for so many years and the impact she’s had on everyone.”
Ustadh Rehan’s vision for the Guardians program is to help the Guardians feel as if we still care for and respect them. “We want them to feel honor and dignity. We want to remind ourselves and show our children the importance of remaining in their khidma. For the elders, we hope they remain a part of the fabric of the community and that they continue to feel welcome and loved.”
Sis. Nasim and other elders of our community are treasure chests filled with pearls of wisdom for us to take advantage of. It’s our responsibility to make them feel welcome and included in the community as valuable assets.Being a student at Sanad Prep has really reinforced this idea in my mind and it is something I will hold onto forever insha Allah.
Sanad Trust Foundation began with the intention to preserve the heart of a child. Now it has grown in an effort to preserve the family. I’m grateful for this sanctuary in the midst of the business of life. Family and a sense of family are fundamental to spiritual and emotional well-being. We must strive to be of sound heart and mind for the sake of one another. I’m grateful that Sanad Trust helps in trying to facilitate this. From big ideas to small, every bit helps. One program that is most meaningful in this regard is the Sanad Neighborhood Halaqa. It’s a unique learning program in which the entire family participates. One of it’s secrets is the original adventure stories written for it’s youngest participants. Currently we’re writing and reading the story of two sea turtles, Dip & Dive. We invite you and your family to join us for the next Neighborhood Halaqa at Sanad Trust Foundation. Below is an excerpt of Dip & Dive.
Narrated Abu Hurayrah: Allah’s Apostle said: Let him be humbled into dust; let him be humbled into dust. It was said: Allah’s Messenger, who is he? He said: He who sees either of his parents during their old age or he sees both of them, but he does not enter Paradise. (Sahih Muslim).
“Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to your parents. If one or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect, or scold them, but say a generous word to them. And act humbly to them in mercy, and say, ‘My Lord, have mercy on them, since they cared for me when I was small” (17: 23-24).
We’ve all heard these ayat and hadith that remind us about our duty to our parents (and grandparents). It’s something that I’ve been thinking about more and more as I get older (and wiser 🙂), and as my parents grow older in age. What am I doing to fulfill their rights? Am I doing enough? How do I teach my children about this important concept in our faith? That last question really stuck with me. I just know that I’ll be one of those parents who in their old age will bug their kids to spend time with them and make sure that every one of my rights are met. So how do I begin to teach my children about fulfilling my rights? Like all other good behaviors we want our children to learn, the earlier we instill them, the better. And what better way to instill them than to model them myself? To teach them, I would need to show them how I value and care for my parents.
Alhamdulillah, my parents and in-laws are all in good health and are very self-sufficient. They’re happy doing things for themselves and would prefer not having to ask for help. While that’s a great blessing, it does mean that I need to be more creative about how I ensure that their rights are fulfilled and that I’m giving them the care, love, and value that they deserve. One way to do this is to be very deliberate in all my (and my children’s) interactions with them to make sure that we are always showing a lot of appreciation and gratitude toward them, and by doing things to show them that we value them. My hope is that it will be inculcated in my children to carry on what they see and learn about how to appreciate elders. Here are a few examples of the interactions we have with our parents/grandparents.. They are all quite simple and can be adapted by almost any family.
Connecting with Visits and Phone Calls
There’s plenty of research about the benefits of children spending time with their grandparents and vice versa. These benefits range from children learning values and wisdom and receiving unconditional love from grandparents to grandparents keeping mentally sharp and decreasing their chance of depression when spending time with grandchildren. So it just makes good sense to make it a point to spend quality time with each other as we all (grandparents, parents, and grandchildren) have something to gain.
We’re fortunate to live near our parents so we make sure that we visit them at least once a week. On these visits, we like to bring over a meal or baked goods that the kids helped prepare. My father and my boys love watching American Ninja Warrior together, while my father-in-law and my boys enjoy watching cricket matches, so I try to visit on days that they can watch together and bond. My boys also enjoy helping their grandparents do yard work or taking walks with them. Most times we just simply hang out – chatting around the dinner table or swinging in their hammock. These visits are easy to plan and are an extremely meaningful way to build the connection between generations.
Although we visit weekly, we also make it a point to call our parents and for our children to call their grandparents to check-in on them regularly. The grandparents absolutely love when the kids call just to say “hi” and chat about their day. Similarly, if my parents call me, I make sure to never ignore the call and my children know this. It’s rare that my parents call on me for help with something, so whenever they do I drop whatever I’m doing to attend to their needs. I want my children to see and acknowledge these small but meaningful interactions with my parents and my effort to make sure they are pleased so they too can do the same for their own parents.
Learning from Their Skills, Talents, and Experience
Parents and grandparents have a wealth of skills and talents that they’ve obtained over their many years. Asking them to share their knowledge and experience is a great way to show that they are valued and loved and a great way to enrich ourselves and our children.
One of my sons recently needed some extra help in math. Me, being a Learning Coach myself, could’ve tutored him on my own, but after giving it some thought, I decided to ask my father-in-law who is a retired math and electronics teacher to tutor him a few times a week. My father-in-law was happy to help and came up with a detailed plan that included worksheets and all. I could tell it meant a lot to him to be able to teach his grandson and share his skills and knowledge on a subject that he’s passionate about.
Last year, when my other son was learning about electrical circuits, he told my father-in-law all about what he learned. I could see he was excited because this was his professional background. A light bulb went off. We invited him to visit the Sanad Prep Learning Center and do a demonstration on circuits with my son’s class. He took a lot of pride in putting together his presentation and it was a big hit with the students. It was great to see him in action with the kids, to see how they benefited from his knowledge, and to see him feel appreciated.
My mother enjoys sewing so whenever our clothes need altering or mending, she’s our go-to person. Many times we’ll sit and watch her use the sewing machine or mend things by hand. It brings her great joy to be able to help her kids and grand kids and to pass down this unique skill that she learned from her mom.
There are some cultural foods that the older generations just make better than anyone else. Once in a while we’ll ask my mom or mother-in-law to make one of these specialty foods for us. They feel special knowing that we’ll only ask them to make it. We’ve also set up cooking tutorials where they teach us how to make these foods. Not only are we learning to carry on our cultural traditions, but we have a ton of fun doing it and spending time together.
These are just a few of the interactions we try to implement to show our love, care, and value for our parents/grandparents. While having a list of ideas to act upon is great, one of the many lessons I’ve learned in parenting is that doing actions alone or talking alone are not enough. Actions need to be followed up with conversation. And talks need to be followed up with action. We make it a point to talk to our children about the things we do with our parents and why we do them. We help them understand that their grandparents have a lot to offer and that we are blessed to have them in our lives. These conversations and actions really help to bring home the idea of how we can fulfill our parents rights. Like most things in our faith, it’s really simple and can come naturally, and once done with intention can have great rewards.
May Allah help us fulfill the rights of our parents and may He envelop them in His Mercy. Ameen
In this third post, you will learn about Shazad Mahmood. Described by his older sister as a bundle of trouble in his childhood years, he is a father of three beautiful children now and is passionate about doing his part for preserving the cycle of good character that can live on in future generations. His motivation includes first and foremost his own children. Shahzad is a friend, a professional and a generous/respected individual in the South Florida community. His sincerity is palpable as his words take a life of their own. We hope you are inspired by Shahzad, because we certainly were!
How has the work of Sanad Trust impacted you and what meaning does it have for you?
Sanad Trust is the only faith-based organization of its kind in South Florida. It provides youth with a strong foundation in character-based education, focuses on the needs of elders in our community, and serves as a safe haven and gathering space for the entire family unit. Sanad’s mission and vision directly align with my family’s own goals for personal and spiritual growth. It serves as our home away from home, and reminds us how blessed we are to be connected to an organization that is impacting an entire community for generations to come.
What importance, if any, do you see of building an endowment for Sanad Trust?
Sanad Trust’s transformative work and impact on the lives of so many in our community is reason enough to ensure that the organization can continue to drive its mission forward. This is only possible if there is a permanent source of income continually supporting the programming that is at the heart of the organization.
Why do you support Sanad Trust?
Simply put, I support Sanad Trust because Sanad Trust supports me in so many ways. Every member of my family has benefited from what Sanad Trust offers. Currently a member of the sandwich generation, I highly value the fact that my parents, myself and my wife, and my children can all benefit from the variety of community programs provided.
Your support can help sustain and grow Sanad Trust’s vision for posterity. The fruits of your generosity like a giving tree will not only benefit one generation in one season but have the potential to blossom in every season, year after year. Make permanent the roots of the Foundation. By contributing to the Sanad Trust Endowment Fund, you are watering a tree that can continue to grow exponentially and produce new flowers in every season.
Thank you Br. Shahzad Mahmood
Management Executive in telecommunications infrastructure, Board member of Sanad Trust Foundation
Let’s meet Ameena. As a professional, she is skilled and highly capable colleague. As a Sanad Prep parent, she is committed and immersed in her responsibilities that makes you wonder in awe. As a friend, she is sweet, helpful, understanding and always ready to lend an ear to listen, or offer a good word of advice, only when solicited. You won’t even know if she is around but her aura precedes her as exchanges with her only leave you smiling and feeling good about yourself. We hope you see in Ameena’s words the beauty, modesty, and depth of the contributions to her family to the Sanad Trust Foundation and to her community. Our communities become stronger by women who quietly serve while following the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) and his noble Prophetic Character. Enjoy Ameena’s Sanad Story.
1. How has the work of Sanad Trust impacted you and what meaning does it have for you?
When I think of Sanad I think of “connection” which is not unlike the meaning of the Arabic word. Sanad is a place where connection is real. At Sanad Prep, the Learning Coaches are connected to the students. We have a vested interest in their overall well-being and strive to help them holistically – academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. The Learning Coaches are also connected to one another- we share and support so that no one feels overburdened. The students are connected to one another, they enjoy being in one another’s company and there is genuine love and concern that is unique and rare. In addition, at other Sanad Trust events, like the family halaqa, body and soul meetups and other community events, it is the people we are connected to who make all the difference. The secret in this connection, I believe, is that it is always linked to our connection with Allah and His Rasul (peace and blessings be upon him). Under the guidance of the organizational leadership and the administrative team, we are constantly reminded about our ultimate purpose and to consistently strive for goodness and excellence. Sanad Trust is a magnet for good people with good hearts and that is why I chose it for myself and my family. Alhamdulillah!
2. What importance if any do you see of building an endowment for Sanad Trust?
An endowment is ongoing and sustainable and is used to develop and support communities. As the endowment grows, we can focus our time and resources on building and strengthening the Sanad Trust community rather than focusing our energy on sourcing funding to pay the bills! This fund is very important to Sanad’s future, to ensure that we continue to grow, expand and further benefit the children, families and those community members who need us the most.
3. Why do you support Sanad Trust?
I support Sanad Trust because not only do I believe in its mission and vision (To have adab, share knowledge and show love), but I also have seen these principles in action. At Sanad Trust, we don’t just “talk the talk”, we “walk the walk” of course by the permission of Allah and our love of His Rasul (peace and blessings be upon him).
There are countless stories I can relate that speak to this point. One in particular that stands out was a recent incident where a high school student broke a glass beaker, his Learning Coach did not scold him or get angry, rather she approached it with curiosity asking him simply what happened. This reminded me of the stories we would hear of the Prophet (upon whom be peace) and the way he (upon whom be peace) dealt with children. She then asked his classmates to help him clean it up, which they did, and then went on to explain to them the proper way of handling the equipment. Though this may seem very minor, there were many key lessons that I learned while watching this unfold. I saw Prophetic teachings, I saw a gentle, mindful correction and I saw love and sincere concern. Masha Allah! This is why I support Sanad Trust!
About Sanad Trust’s Endowment:
A community that seeks self-sustainability must invest in vehicles that can support its mission long into the future. An endowment is a donation of money or property to a non-profit organization, which uses the resulting investment income for a specific purpose. In fact, endowments are a part of our Islamic tradition from the days of Prophecy. They have provided vital support to the mission and vision of so many public institutions like schools, universities, mosques, churches, and synagogues. Sanad Trust is honored to establish this Islamic tradition in our time and we invite you to join us.
