Community

Serving Your Community with Time, Skills, and Resources

By Amanda Hasan
Toronto, Canada

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali

Serving the community is a wonderful duty to express gratitude for the blessings Allah has given us, whether through our time, skills, or resources. Everyone has something valuable to contribute in a variety of different ways. When we serve others for the sake of Allah, we not only benefit our communities but also draw closer to Him, seeking His pleasure and blessings.

It’s a reminder that every effort, no matter how small, carries immense value in the sight of Allah. He reminds us in the Qur’an:

"And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good."
(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:195)

Although the main purpose of community service is to assist others, it also offers numerous personal benefits such as:

Increase Happiness: Volunteering your time, money, or energy to help others doesn’t just make the world better—it also makes you better. Studies indicate that the very act of giving back to the community boosts your happiness, health, and sense of well-being. According to a study by the University College of London, “assisting others can promote physiological changes in the brain linked with happiness.” 1 The UCL also reported, “This heightened sense of well-being might be the byproduct of being more physically active as a result of volunteering or because it makes us more socially active.” Moreover, volunteering decreases stress, raises positive and relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. Decreased stress levels lower the risk of physical and mental health issues, like stroke, heart disease, anxiety, and depression. 2

Develop Skills: Volunteering helps one to gain new skills or improve existing ones, like communication or project management. This is true for parents, teens, and children. Volunteer work can translate into real-world experiences and connections that can lead to internships, jobs, or different career paths.

Increase Cultural Sensitivity: Focused projects also offer an opportunity to interact and work with individuals with diverse education and career backgrounds and with different demographic features like age, race, national origin, and abilities. In addition, these experiences can be a catalyst to increase cultural sensitivity by dispelling racist stereotypes, increasing patience, improving communication skills, stimulating empathy, and decreasing intolerance.

Expand Educational Opportunities: Community service hours are often a part of graduation requirements for both public and private schools across the country. That is because there is value in even the process of volunteer activity. In addition, the opportunities and experiences can expand eligibility for mentorships, internships, and also scholarships for specialized training and college.

Experience New Perspectives: Assisting those who are less fortunate can provide a new perspective and help adults and children reflect and be more grateful for their situation.

Develop a Sense of Purpose: Assisting others fosters a sense of purpose and achievement, boosting our self-esteem. Project-based service may offer an opportunity for recognition within the community, such as presentation of a certification or plaque. This type of recognition can also lead to increased opportunities for paid and volunteer work.

Establish Connections: Volunteering expands our network, creating personal and professional relationships. They develop their future growth. Build valuable networks through interactions with peers and professionals, creating potential mentorship and career opportunities. Build valuable networks through interactions with peers and professionals, creating potential mentorship and career opportunities.

Build Friendships: This teaches kids that even small contributions can make a difference. Assisting others can open opportunities to build new friendships based on shared values, strengthen ties within the community, and also alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Increase Spiritual Growth: When we engage in selfless acts of service with the right intentions, we can strengthen our relationship with Allah and create. Contributing to positive, long-term change in their community can leave behind a legacy of kindness and service that brings rewards in this life and the Hereafter.

Some Service Suggestions

Here are three specific areas where your family can perform community service for the Sake of Allah:

1. Make time for community service activities.

“Community service is about giving back. It’s about utilizing our time, skills, and resources to assist others and enhance the community.” 3 The main aim is to create a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us. The best way to is to make a plan and fit it into your schedule either as a one-time event or a regular activity.

Family Action Plan

Create a "Family Service Calendar" to track time dedicated to serving others. The calendar will be a visual reminder that encourages responsibility and makes it easier to set collective goals. Each family member can take turns choosing a service activity for the week and adding it to the calendar. At the end of the month, review the calendar together to reflect on the impact made and plan for the upcoming month

There are a number of community service examples that family members of all ages can engage in that align with Islamic values such as:

Parents can:

Organize food drives to support local families in need

Volunteer at masjids to assist with events or maintenance

Participate in charity walks to raise funds for humanitarian causes

Teens can:

Participate in tree planting

Help organize book donation drives

Visit the elderly to provide companionship

Young children can:

Help pack hygiene kits for the needy

Bake treats with their parents to share at fundraisers

Participate in family-led donation drives by helping sort clothes, toys, or books for charity

2. Offer your skills.

Parents and teens often have existing skills that are well-suited for community service and volunteer activities. These include skills related to IT and computer technology, accounting, social media, graphic design, communication and advocacy, grant writing, construction and skilled trades, providing childcare or transportation, physical strength (for community clean-ups or to assist individual families in need), and more. These may be needed for one-time or ongoing projects that benefit individuals and the community at large. It is best to contact a volunteer coordinator at your local masjid, school, library, community center, or to search for activities and calls by not-for-profit organizations.

In addition to utilizing existing skills, volunteer activities can help to build new skills. In some instances, training and mentorship are offered. The most important element of sharing your skills is a commitment to putting in the time and effort.

Family Action Plan

Call for a family brainstorming session to ensure collaboration and buy-in from the start. Allow everyone to contribute ideas that focus on each family member’s strengths and talents and that foster a sense of unity and purpose. Be committed to promoting open communication, where everyone’s voice is heard, and creative solutions are explored. For younger kids, you can explore activities they enjoy, like drawing, playing games, or helping around the house, and discuss how these activities can be used to help others, like drawing cards for sick people or helping clean up a park. These sessions can build teamwork and shared responsibility and strengthen family bonds.

Some examples that family members can engage in meaningful community service projects that can share their skills like:

Parents can:

Share food with sick relatives and/or community members

Host educational workshops at the masjid

Prepare meals for soup kitchens

Carpentry or crafting skills can be used to repair or beautify local masjids and schools

Teens can:

Creative writing for Islamic causes or youth programs

Photography for capturing moments at community gatherings or charitable events to promote future initiatives

Assisting with tech support or providing training for children or elders

Younger kids can:

Make cards for sick relatives and/or community members

Assist with planting flowers or vegetables in a masjid

Read stories or share Islamic tales with younger peers

3. Share your resources.

Donating your resources for community service is a valuable act in Islam. It fulfills the obligation of zakat, purifies your income and belongings, and brings great rewards. By giving, you support those in need, strengthen the community, and express generosity and compassion. These acts promote unity and help build a community where everyone can flourish.

“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed of grain that sprouts seven ears; in every ear are a hundred grains.”

(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:261)

Parents should do their best to include the entire family in the decision-making, preparation, and act of donating both money and resources. As a family, set goals that align with the portion of your income, allowance, or resources to donate monthly. This can be a fixed amount or a percentage of earnings. Choose causes that align with Islamic values, such as helping the less fortunate, supporting educational initiatives, or contributing to local masjid projects. If your child already receives an allowance, parents can encourage them to set aside a portion for charity. They could save a few dollars each week and donate it to a local cause or masjids. Making charitable giving a habit at an early age can ensure that your child carries these practices into adulthood and into a family of their own. Just be sure to always involve everyone in decision-making.

Family Action Plan

Make a routine effort to donate items and goods. Identify used clothes, toys, or household items that are no longer needed and can be shared with others. This can be a regular part of household cleaning or a seasonal planned event. Family members can take on responsibility for finding local charities that collect and distribute clothing, food, household items, and more. You might also involve other friends or family members to encourage a collective effort. This is especially effective for teens and elementary students.

Monetary donations should be considered on a regular, as-needed, and special nature. Regular donations can be made to the masjid at Jummuah to support maintenance costs or those in need. As needed donations can be ad hoc, such as responding to a call to help victims of a fire or providing assistance for housing incoming refugees. Donations of a special nature may be planning how to use zakat payments or deciding to give on a monthly basis to a not-for-profit organization doing charitable or advocacy work.

Donations of resources or money can be tracked in a journal or spreadsheet to provide a record that can be revisited to assess the tangible impact of the entire family effort. Outcomes can be celebrated together to provide positive reinforcement of the good deeds and community impact and encourage future giving. Reflecting on the needs of the community and how we can all be of service also should promote increased gratitude for our own blessings, the struggles that are an inevitable part of daily life, and a deeper understanding of the rewards of charity and service in Islam.

Community service allows Muslim families to seek Allah’s pleasure while helping others. Each person has special contributions to offer in different ways by using our time, talents, or resources. When we serve others sincerely for Allah’s sake, we strengthen our communities and deepen our connection with Him. Serving others develops unity by earning reward in this life and the Hereafter.

End Notes

1 10 benefits of helping others | Students - UCL – University College London

2 3 health benefits of volunteering - Mayo Clinic Health System

3 The Impact of Community Service: A Comprehensive Guide

[Amanda Hasan is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Bachelor of Arts) and Humber College (Law Clerk). She is the author of Joyless, an Amazon novella that tells the story of a lonely teenage girl working at an amusement park. More recently, Amanda copyedited several children's stories for Compass Books. She also worked with Muslim Network TV writing scripts, securing guest speakers, and prepping for interviews. Amanda is currently residing in the Greater Toronto Area with her family. https://www.soundvision.com/article/serving-your-community-with-time-skills-and-resources]