ICNA Sacramento Holds Successful Dawah Fundraiser in Folsom, California
By Ras H. Siddiqui
The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)-Sacramento Chapter held its Annual Supporters Dinner for its WHYISLAM Dawah Project on February 16, 2025, at a community hall located at 52 Natoma Street in Folsom, California. The WHYISLAM ( https://www.whyislam.org/ ) effort launched in 1999 is now active across America plus places in the United Kingdom, Australia and Mexico. According to its website, the WHYISLAM goal is: “The project’s foremost aim is to provide accurate information about Islam, the fastest growing religion in the world which is practiced by over 1.6 billion people across the globe. In doing so, it hopes to dispel popular stereotypes and persistent misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.” This also has a handy telephone number 877-WHY-ISLAM (949-4752) for anyone who may be interested.
We were invited to cover this event by officials from the local chapter and a follow-up email from Imam Tahir Anwar made the invitation difficult to turn down. WHYISLAM–Sacramento ( https://www.icnasac.org/whyislam ) has been active in this region for several years and one can often meet them at local community events, shopping malls, farmer markets, and also at the annual California State Fair which is possibly their most visible presence. The local group also holds an annual ICNA Young Muslims Islamic Quiz which is scheduled to be held on April 12, 2025, at MCF Folsom, 391 S Lexington Dr #120, Folsom, CA 95630.
This scribe was a bit delayed getting to the event venue and arrived just as Br Naveed Ahmed was presenting a summary of the work that the WHYISLAM-Sacramento project has been doing locally. Br Naveed also presented a synopsis of the goal of the national organization: 1) Educate Americans about the religion of Islam via bookfairs, libraries, teacher’s resources, campus events, booths, open houses, and billboards. 2) Development through Bi-Lingual teams and through a national Dawah Academy. 3) Rural Areas Outreach - providing free Qur’ans by mail and through road trips, and 4) Digital Dawah via social media campaigns and Mobile Apps.
There was a great deal more that Br Naveed had to share and one important update is that the ICNA West Region Convention will be held on July 5, 2025, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in the San Francisco Bay Area. ICNA hopes to see many of our readers there as it provides an opportunity for networking and a chance to join the ICNA national effort; it could also provide a local opportunity for young Muslim men and women and their families to meet and get to know each other!
The annual budget required for continuing the Sacramento WHYISLAM effort was also presented as the reason for organizing this event was to raise funds to accomplish the goals set by the chapter. Br Loqman Khemici also briefly appeared on stage to elaborate on the packages of information on Islam that go out to those interested and are a part of the Dawah effort. These packages or packets reach non-Muslims and the wider community. It must be noted that over 350 people have accepted Islam locally last year due to this effort.
Imam Tahir Anwar was the keynote speaker at this event. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he is no stranger to us here in Sacramento and is also becoming known nationally, as he had just returned from out of state on a flight delayed by a snowstorm. Imam Tahir was born in London, England, and has lived in the Bay Area since the early 1980s. He is a scholar and has been a leader within the regional Islamic community from a very young age.
Listening to Imam Tahir can be quite a learning experience. He covered several topics in his speech which cannot all be covered in one article. Amongst the thoughts that he shared was that many immigrants come to America from Muslim-majority countries and from relatively homogeneous cultures. They come here to seek more income and to advance their careers and soon find themselves settling down and starting families. Living as a minority is a different experience and some insulate themselves within the environment here. You have a gift (Islam) with you that is worth sharing with others, said Imam Tahir. Our community cannot remain isolated.
The Imam said that big success stories like Amazon were born because a few individuals decided to invest in their starting phase and look where they stand today. Similarly, WHYISLAM can also be considered a startup. Essentially, the product is amazing, but its marketing could use a boost. Allah shows us the way the Muslim community can spread the message of our faith. Dawah is also possible through our actions, and sometimes silence is louder than words, he said. Wisdom should be utilized and remaining cool can also be a form of Dawah. Allah has blessed this Ummah in many ways and simple people with their actions have brought the most non-Muslims into the fold of Islam. There are many people out there looking for sukoon (internal peace) and God. He gave the example of singing legend Cat Stevens who converted to Islam and is now known as Yusuf Islam.
Imam Tahir left us with two very important points to ponder: 1) The number of people from the non-Muslim mainstream who have converted to Islam in the past two years has been unprecedented and they are coming from all walks of life including some business tycoons. 2) There is a dire need in this country for printed material and other outreach in Spanish. These two points alone make WHYISLAM more relevant today. May Allah bless all ICNA volunteers, he said.
Imam Ammar Shahin next conducted the fundraising. We join in the Duas for the health of his father who has been ailing and pray that Allah (SWT) gives him Shifa. As this scribe was leaving (even though the dinner looked very inviting), the amount of funds collected was close to reaching the goals that ICNA-Sacramento had set for this project. A great team effort.
