Assalaamu Alaikum

Since HalfDate is a very inspirational project and cause to me and many others around the world…I wanted to share this story with all of the HalfDate community – if you deem it suitable – to inspire them…especially children!

There are two children, Luba (8yrs) and Bilal (almost 7yrs), who live in a community that doesn’t have many Muslims. Despite that, they have been striving to learn about the deen with the help of their Mom, and have recently started performing their 5 daily prayers regularly, and for the first time were able to fast in Ramadaan for the full (LONG) day (in Canada). And since they have learned that Ramadaan is the month of giving, they took up a special Ramadaan project…they made Eid greeting cards and sold them to their close family members, and they are donating all the funds they made from their sales for sadaqah. [And the $30 donation I'm sending on their behalf is the money they have collectively made so far selling their cards].

We hope, that by sharing their story, Luba and Bilal will be encouraged to continue keeping their prayers, fasting, and doing acts of charity; and that it will inspire other children from all around the world to take up little projects and use them to raise funds for good causes, and that family and friends support children around them and encourage them to do good.

Attached are some pictures of the cards they made.

Jazaakumullaahu khairan.

I will be sending the funds to HalfDate shortly in shaa’ Allaah.

Wassalaamu Alaikum

Click here to see our current drive

Thank you for all HalfDaters who helped.

I spoke with the reviewer for our 501c application earlier this afternoon, and she informed me that we were approved for our tax-exempt status, Allahu Akbar! We should receive our official letter in less then (2) weeks… I wanted to share the good news with you since you have helped us so much (Barakallahu feekum)

HalalTrip.com is a travel review site that can come handy for Muslim travelers because they rate hotels in aspects that Muslim consumers care about such as halal food, segregated swimming pools, etc. Recently, they have purchased an advertisement with our Sister service HalalBuzz.com and we ran it for them on Facebook and 1/3 of the donations (as always for HalalBuzz) went to Sadaqah.

This Ramadan, HalalTrip is having a Review for a Charity Campaign where they donate $1 for each review you submit. Again they approached HalalBuzz, Alhamdulilah, and  hopefully they will give the donation to some projects listed on a HalfDate drive.

So if you’d like to help, please submit a review.  As well as helping other Muslim travelers, because of your review $1will be given as Sadaqah, inshaAllah.

Read Halal Trips’ media release below:

Ramadan campaign: Reviews for charity
Vienna – For Muslims around the world Ramadan is the most notable time of the year. Beside fasting and praying during the night giving “sadaqqa” to people in need is a major part of this month.
Hence, halaltrip (http://www.halaltrip.com), a Muslim-friendly & halal hotel review site, contributes something special to the most wonderful time of the year: “Reviews for charity”. For each published hotel review on halaltrip in the month of Ramadan the hotel review site will donate 1$ USD for charity.

“We hopefully can reach 500 reviews and will then decide whether to continue or not. Giving ‘sadaqqa’ in such a blessed time is not only a great opportunity for us but for each and everyone writing a hotel review”, says Karim Saad, founder of halaltrip.

halaltrip is a hotel review site available in English, Turkish, German and French listing hotels around the world with special services for Muslims. Users can search and rate their favorite hotels and check out the huge amount of travel stuff. halaltrip was founded in late summer 2009 and went online in March 2010.

The brother of http://charityReplay.org/ survived a highway accident with a truck today. “Alhamdulillah that Allah saved me; I should have died. Car is a write-off. Hospital people released me saying I’m ok, minus concussion.” Please make dua for him.

Please vote for one of the following polls (when you vote, it means you will help to raise the money).

A disclaimer: HalfDate lent some money to some needy families and they can’t pay back the loans. So, in a way, you are helping us to continue HalfDate service. So, if one of these drives got selected, we will take what they owe us and give anything extra to them (if their condition still qualifies for Zakah or give to some other needy families).

This is the result of Warm Winter DateDrive.

Alhamduillah, was seemed to be impossible, now it’s accomplished. All thanks and praise are due to Allah.

May Allah reward all those who helped and may Allah thank you for your efforts.

As salaamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.

In the Name of Allah The Most Gracious, The Most Beneficent

AlhamdulliAllah Rabil Alamin. We have reached our goal. Again we cannot express our gratitude with words of how we are thankful of your support. We pray to Allah SubhaanAllah wa ta’Allah that each and everyday that we are making progress each and every nail, sweat, purchases, and payment to the workers to complete the renovation of the home and when completed that Allah, He The Almighty Sovereign Lord give you all the good of this life and the hereafter and expiate one of your sins for each day a family is housed and assisted because of your Duaas and support.

Ameen Make Duaa that another home from another city, state, country is build or set up for helping homeless families or homeless women or men insha’Allah.

There are other problems in our community such as substance Abuse, Alcolhol,Mental Health, and Domestic violence. This is something we face each and everday operating a shelter for those in need in our community it is reality that the community at large have to accept and do something about it insha’Allah Again JazakAllahu Khayr for everything.

Should you still want to make a contribution on a monthly bases please visit our website at http://www.almumtahinahhome.org/ and place you donations online or you can mail in your contributions.

Nadia Auxila McIntosh

This is the result of Warm Winter DateDrive.

The following is an email from Sister Nadia of Women Affairs of AMH, Inc regarding this family.

As salaamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.

May this message reach you in the best of Iman. We have taken the remaining balance of the donations to her and took pictures of her and her children Boy 5 months and Girl 2 or 3 years?

Her husband was in school at ITT Tech and he is doing fine we believe he won an honored scholarship from ITT and they are making sure that he finds a good job insha’Allah (God willing).

Sister Jasirah is very grateful and expressed the negative she had gone through with the Ummah locally when seeking assistance. We had to reassure her, not everyone is negative and what everyone has done for you with the help of Allah is what we as Muslims do for one another.

This is our duty for one another. So have no worries pray, do the best you can, be the best Muslimah that you can be and be patient and all kind of doors will be open for you and your family. Allah has just given you a sign when you thought you had no help.

She did call and left a message insha’Allah you had received it.

Salaam.

Nadia A.McIntosh

Voice Message from Sister Jasirah:

(Sister Jasirah With Her Children)

Update Feb 19th, 2010:

As salaamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.

May this message reach you in the best of Iman.

We attended court from 9 am til 3:30 pm was a waiting and negotiation. Finally they have decided to dismiss the case in the Juvenile court because it is not a child abuse and abandonment case any more it is child custody at this time.

Therefore, supervised visits are no more. Her children will be with her today insha’Allah she will bring them to her home for everyone to meet them and insha’Allah we will be there also to take some pictures.

She is able to take her children once a week for 5 hours and on holidays 8 hours
while waiting to attend the child custody case. The judge decided the children will continue to stay with the grand mother just so the children can transition slowly while they wait for the next step.

JazakAllahu khayr for your duaas and contributions in assisting her.

May Allah reward you all. Ameen

Salaam

Nadia A. McIntosh

Update Feb 17th, 2010: Please make Dua for Umm Amina and children. She has to appear in court on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 and this day is the day we will find out the results if she can get her children back insha’Allah.

Thanks to generous contributions from 60+ HalfDaters for this drive:
http://halfdate.com/2010/01/12/umm-aminah-drive/

From Sister Nadia (Women Affairs of AMH Inc):

As salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu. May this message reach you in the best of Iman.

Here are some pictures of sister Umm Aminah and I and some help shopping for her home. The fifth picture is Umm Aminah and Myself (Nadia) full niqabi. Today, her social worker made a home inspection you have the pictures as well and tomorrow she goes to court to find out if she gets her children or not. Please make duaa for her and her children. I will keep you posted about the court decision. JazakAllahu Khayr for responding to our call for help and may Allah reward you and all that is involve with the smile, relief and hope that you see on her face. Ameen
salaam

Women Affairs of AMH Inc
Nadia A. McIntosh
P.O.Box 1462
Baltimore, MD 21203
www.almumtahinahhome.org
443-965-0555

“Whosoever removes a world grief from a believer,Allaah will remove
from him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgment”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

From Sister UmmAmina:

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Al Hamdulilah in all circumstances, as I go through this page I can bearly see the screen because my eyes are filled with tears. May Allah reward the believers who when they are called upon to assist me with making preparations to receive my sweet darling children back, respond without hesitation or proclamation. Subhannah Allah! In Surah Al Baqarah, Ayat 177 Allah says;

“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards the East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Books and the Messengers; To spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for the orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask and for the ransom of slaves; To be steadfast in prayer and give Zakat; To fulfill the contracts which ye have made and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic; Such are the People of Truth, the God-fearing.”

Assalam Alaikum HalfDaters!

Finally, we followed the advice of many of you to start a blog where can we offer some tips and relavant posts about non-profit/Sadaqah promotions.