July 2007, Jamad At-Thani 1428
United Muslim Foundation News
Making a Difference One Step at a Time
Clock Salaam Alaikum, Peace be with You

"By (the Token of) Time (through the ages). Verily Man is in loss. Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy." - Sura Al Asr.

At UMF, we are constantly striving to please God, endeavouring to help others as best we can, and trying to join people in the mutual teaching of truth. We have patiently persevered for almost 4 years now, and with the grace of God we have achieved great milestones toward promoting unity, education and charity.

Please take a little time today to read through our current events featured in this month's newsletter, and lend your support by donating your time and/or tax-deductible contributions toward any of these worthwhile causes.

July Calendar:

July 6th: 'Muslim Yoot' Friday Night Fun 
July 7th: Project Downtown Orlando: Help Feed the Homeless
July 14th: Kids House: Help your Neighbors Throw an Ice-Cream Party for a Great Cause
July 15th: UMF $4,000 Scholarship Application Deadline.
               E-mail [email protected] for your application packet before it's too late
July 20th: Muslim Girls Night Out in PA
July 21st: Masjid Salam Fundraising Carnival
 
Collecting Clothes and School Supplies for Foster Children now through Aug 15th. Please donate only new or kindly used clothes.

Registration for Arabic Classes ends August 15th.  Please contact [email protected] for more information.

 Muslim 'Yoot' Group Friday Fun


Come and join the Yoot group this Friday, July 6th at 6:30pm sharp. Cost: $12
 
For the Girls (Girls Night Out):

We will meet at Waterford Lakes Town Center in front of Old Navy at 6:30, we will eat at Johnny Rockets, or wherever we decide, and then walk around (bring extra money if you want to shop till you drop, otherwise, window shopping is nice and free).

For the Guys (Games, Games, and More Games):

Get Excited! The Guys will be meeting at 6:30 at Beat the Box (the website is below), if you need directions look at the website, if you need a ride, contact Abdullah at [email protected]   The website is:  http://www.beatthebox.com/

There are 175 games to choose from, and several gaming systems., Halo 2 is a multiplayer game.

SO, Incase you didn't catch it...

Bring $12

6:30pm - 8:00pm (Social stuff- see above)

8:30 - 10pm 
we will meet back at 2728 Fanning Springs Ln. at 8:30 for the YDDC.The guys and girls will be in the same location, but separate.

United Muslim Foundation would like to recognize and congratulate our Correspondence Officer Fatema Kermalli

for her accomplishments as she graduates Valedictorian from Whitehall High School.

Food

Fatema has also been awarded:

Outstanding English Student

John Pemberton Esq. Class of 1920-1921 Scholarship

Keystone Nazereth Charitable Foundation Award

Fullerton American Legion Post 367 Scholarship

The Donely Award for Excellence

The Second Mile Scholarship Award

The Woman's Club of Whitehall Township

 January Girl of the Month

Emerging Health Professionals Top Student Award.
 

Fatema has been accepted into Rollins College in Winter Park Florida, with the top ranking Cornell Scholarship award. 
She plans to pursue a major in International Relations.
Masjid Salam Fundraising Carnival
 
Food
 
JOIN US AT  FOR OUR
- CARNIVAL ! -
 
Saturday
JULY 21ST, 2007
3pm - 9pm
RAIN OR SHINE 
 
*All funds will go towards the new Masjid *
 
Don't Miss This Fun Family Event!!  It Will Be A Blast!!
 
Come Enjoy.... 
 
� Great Food
� Professional Henna
� Rides & Games 
� Clothes
� Cotton Candy & Snow Cones
 
2917 S. Orlando Ave.  Sanford, FL 32773
(407) 688 7211        [email protected]
 
Florida Institute of Religious Studies and Training

FIRST is pleased to confirm the following three courses:

FIRST 015 - Qur'anic Arabic Level 2

Students will learn vocabulary from the Holy Qur'an, rules of Arabic grammar, structure of phrases in the Qur'an and a brief look at the meanings of the Divine message. The course is highly beneficial to all Madrasah teachers and those who would like to understand the original message of the Holy Qur'an.

Duration: 6 weeks
Dates: Mondays, commencing June 18 through to July 23, 2007 (both dates inclusive)

Timings: 7:00 - 8: 30 p.m.

Eligibility: All those who have completed Level 1. (Those who could not join Level 1 are also encouraged to register for this course as tutoring will be available for them to catch up with the rest of the class)

Ages: open to all Muslims ages 16+

Textbook: We will use the text Access to Qur'anic Arabic by Abdul Wahid Hamid.

Fees: $15.00 per student (Fees are payable by cash or cheque in full at the first class and are not refundable or transferable)


FIRST 016 - Premarital Counselling
 
Realizing the great need for couples to go through some sort of counselling and formal advice before getting married, the Florida Institute of Religious Studies and Training is pleased to announce a course on this subject. The course will consist of six sessions and will cover various aspects of a marital relationship. Each session will include teachings from the Qur'an and Hadith, examples from the lives of great leaders, and discussion on various possible scenarios encountered by married couples.

Subjects covered will include, but not be limited to:
Philosophy of Marriage and the sanctity of Marriage;  Adjusting to Marriage, co-operation and compromise;  Love and Communication;  Dealing with anger and conflict; Dealing with Practical issues such as finances, working wives, in-laws, etc.

Instructor: Shaykh Hasnain Kassamali (To be assisted by Sister Tahera Kassamali, who will conduct a couple of sessions for ladies/girls only)

Duration: 6 weeks
Dates: Wednesdays, commencing June 20 through to July 25, 2007 (both dates inclusive) July 4th class will be held on July 3rd.

Timings: 7:00 - 8: 30 p.m.

Eligibility: Those who are planning to marry in near future and any newly married couples, including those involved in marital counselling and match making.

Textbook: Notes prepared by the Instructor and his assistant will be handed outs.

Fees: $15.00 per student (Fees are payable by cash or cheque in full at the first class and are not refundable or transferable)


FIRST 017 - Qur'anic Arabic Level 6

Students will continue to analyze sentences and phrases from the Holy Qur'an, trying to identify rules of Arabic grammar and structure. A brief look at the meanings of the Divine message and Hadiths of the Ma`sumeen (a) will also be covered. The course is highly beneficial to all Madrasah teachers and those who would like to understand the original message of the Holy Qur'an.

Duration: 6 weeks

Dates: Wednesday's, commencing August 1 through to September 5, 2007 (both dates inclusive)

Timings: 7:00 - 8: 30 p.m.

Eligibility: All those who have completed at least up to Level 4 or studied up to Unit 20 of the textbook.

Textbook: We will use the text Access to Qur'anic Arabic by Abdul Wahid Hamid.

Fees: $15.00 per student (Fees are payable by cash or cheque in full at the first class and are not refundable or transferable)


All the above courses will be taught by Shaykh Hasnain Kassamali, except where otherwise indicated.

The venue for all these courses will be 2001 East Lake Mary Blvd., Sanford, FL 32773


** ONLINE REGISTRATION is required and will be available from 6:00pm on Monday, June 11, 2007. Please visit http://hicorlando.com/first for registration and more information.




Fair 4 CareFair For Care

UMF's Annual Fair For Care raises over $7,000 for Orphans in Iraq

There was a lovely breeze blowing, as dedicated UMF volunteers gathered to set up for an event that in a few hours would be bustling with hundreds of people from all over the tri-state area of PA, NJ, and NY. UMF officers from PA and FL attended this annual event aimed at Promoting Unity among people of Faith, Providing Educational Information on Islam and Promoting Charity. Revved with excitement, volunteers got into position at booths where games and foods and all kinds and other exciting odds and ends could be found. Kulsum Soonasra, UMF's new officer, made delicious smoothies at the Red Cross Stand, while delicious cakes were auctioned, fetching $600 alone! Children enjoyed basketball, bowling, darts, fishing, mini golf, bean bag toss, knock down the cans, coin in one, bounce houses, face-painting and henna tatooing while adults shopped stalls of Jewellery and Islamic and Asian Clothing and enjoyed the delicious food of all kinds and the famous fresh off the grill BBQ Tandoori varieties.

We would like to thank all those who attended to help raise money for this worthwhile cause. UMF runs on the decication and inspiration of our volunteers who spend countless hours planning and executing events like this one.
To them a heartfelt Jazak-Allah Khair - May God reward you abundantly.

To view a slideshow of pictures from the 2007 Fair for Care click on the Bear

Fair 4 Care Cake


UMF Arabic Teachers  UMF Arabic Classes
Registration now Open


United Muslim Foundation is thrilled to announce that our after school Arabic Classes will now be held at Lake Mary High School. Our class calendar is based on the local school calendar, to make it convenient for your child to attend this fantastic, first of it's kind program, every Monday and Wednesday on schooldays from 4-5pm.

Our teachers pictured above, have been training hard in the reonowned Berlitz Program, getting ready to provide our students with a learning environment where they will not have to write to learn, but simply listen and communicate with their teachers to develop a working vocabulary of the Arabic language.

The fee for this program will be $5 a day per child. For each additional child in a family, there will be a 50% discount. To enroll before spaces fill up, please e-mail [email protected] with your child's name, age and your contact info. and a UMF member will contact you shortly.
 


Food
Project Downtown: Orlando

In March 2006, a couple of students decided to implement an idea they had.  They had seen too many people in the streets who were poor, hungry, homeless, and forgotten. The students gathered the money they had and purchased supplies to make 30 meals consisiting of sandwiches, bananas, cookies, and water.  They drove down to the heart of Miami, FL, USA hoping that people would accept this small gift.  Within a matter of minutes the food had all been distributed.  The homeless and needy persons that the students met downtown asked the students who they were and why they had come to bring them food.

The students reply was that of Chapter 76 verse 9 of the Quran:
"We feed you for the sake of God alone, no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks."

Since then, those who have continued to go downtown have built lasting friendships with the homeless and needy persons.  The students came to realize that it wasn't them who had something to offer their new friends, but it was their friends who had so much to offer them...

Join Project Downtown Orlando once again:
Date: Saturday, July 7, 2007
Time:  7:00am - 9:30am
Location:  Masjid Al-Haq
Street:  545 W. Central Blvd.
City/Town:  Orlando, FL 32801
     
Contact Info Phone: 407.701.6415
Email: [email protected]
Website:
projectdowntown.org

Kids House Kids House of Seminole County needs some Neighborly HELP.

On Saturday, July 14th, Kids House will be hosting its First Annual Ice Cream Social from 1:00-4:00pm at Kids House located on 5467 North Ronald Reagan Blvd., Sanford, FL 32773.

We are in need of volunteers at our booths, such as face-painting, crafts, relay races, etc.  Set-up will begin at 12:00pm.  It will be a fun day of sweets, prizes and games.  Please email [email protected]  if you are interested and available to help, so we can set you up with a booth. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you soon!


Girls Night 
 UMF is calling on all generous donors to help collect Clothes and School Supplies for Foster Children

OrphansFoster Children

School Supplies: Children Ages 5-18 (Boys and Girls)
Backpacks/Trapper Keeper Notes
School Binder Notebooks/ 1.5 Binders
Spiral Notebook Paper
3 prong File Folders
Notebook Paper (Wide Ruled)
Notebook Paper (College Ruled)
Pencils/Automatic Pencils/Colored Pencils
Pens
Erasers
Rulers
Crayons/Markers/highlighters
Gluesticks/Elmers Glue
Calculators (hand held - middle school boys)
Scientific Calculators (high school students)

School Clothes

Boy's Jeans: Boy's sizes 12-20
Men's Jeans: All sizes 28/28 - 38/34
Boy's button down shirts: Boys sizes 12-20
Men's Button Down Shirts: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
Boy's Dress T-Shirts: Boys sizes 12-20
Boy's White T-Shirts: Boys sizes 12-20
Men's White T-Shirts: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
Boy's Boxer Shorts: sizes 12-20
Men's Boxer Shorts: sizes 28-42
Boy's White low cut socks: size 6-9
Men's White low cut socks: size 10-13
Men's Sport Shoes: sizes 6-13

You may pass your donations to UMF FL. offficers Naushad, Masuma or Kumail, or e-mail [email protected]  to make arrangements for delivery. Please donate generously.


MALV

 
MALV Fair
Volunteers are needed to assist in this year's MALV Fair, to raise funds for the Mosque Expansion Project (including setting up an community center and gym), Inshallah. Contact [email protected] to volunteer.

Event Details Heading
Date: August 11th (rain date Aug 12th)
Time: 3-7pm
Locatio:n 1988 Schadt Avenue, Whitehall, PA 18052
CAIR Banquet

CAIR-ORLANDO's 3RD ANNUAL BANQUET

When: Saturday, August 18th, 2007 at 6:00pm

 

Where: Orange County Convention Center, West Building 9800 International Drive; Orlando, FL 32819

 

Speakers:

Keynote Speaker Dr. Abdul  Hakim Jackson, professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies,  University of Michigan, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, spiritual leader of Al Taqwa Mosque, NY,  Comedian Mohammed Amer.
 

Volunteers needed for marketing, baby sitting, registration, ushers, decoration, set up or clean up team. First Volunteer meeting will be on July 15th at 3231 Regal Crest Drive, Longwood, FL. 32779, insha-Allah.

 

CAIR will provide free dinner for volunteers at the banquet and volunteers can watch the comedy show for free!

 

Volunteers will also be given certificates of appreciation and can also accumulate community service hours, applicable to UMF's scholarship!

 
Interested? e-mail [email protected] or call  (407) 804-1504

Click Here to Register.
 
Muslim Congress Muslim Congress Labor Day Conference on Muslim Unity in Orlando, FL.

The Muslim Congress is an organization of the united Muslims of North America whose goal is to establish a Muslim community in Noth america based on strong Islamic beliefs where individuals can grow and prosper without compromising their Islamic identity.

In keeping with their objectives, the Muslim Congress invites all Muslims to its 3rd annual conference in Orlando, Florida titled "Legacy of Prophet Muhammad (saw) and Muslim Unity" on September 1-2, 2007 (Labor Day Weekend).
Please click on the link for more information and to register for this event.
http://www.muslimcongress.org/contentmc/conferences/conference-2007.aspx