This Fundraiser at a Glance:

Organization :        ilmHub Center
Resident Scholar: Mufti Faisal al Mahmudi
Objective         :        Acquire a physical facility to assist and expand our current Projects and Activities
Primary need for the funds: The funds will assist us towards establishing and maintaining expenses for 2020.
Future Funding:   We aim to make the center self sufficient from donations in 2-3 years. However, doors for Sadaqah Jaariyah will remain open.
Important Info :    a. Please do not give zakat monies for this project.
                                        b. Please be mindful that through GoFundMe there is a Tip involved for them. You may customize your tip amount by choosing "Other" option and putting a $ amount instead.
Disclaimer       : Our goal is to maintain transparency. We shall provide you with as much information as we can.
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Details

Alhamdulillah, by the fadl of Allah and His Blessings, ilmHub has been operating virtually as a central location for those seeking to root themselves in the Hanafi scholarly tradition since 2014. Through the efforts of multiple Ulama, many students of knowledge have benefitted from the wide range of activities that have been offered under the umbrella of ilmHub. 

We have recently encountered a tremendous opportunity to open up a physical space for our activities and are hoping for help from Allah through your donations to make this space a reality. Please find below a brief description of the activities currently undertaken by IlmHub and new activities planned for the new space.

Background 

ʿilmHub began as an umbrella body to oversee and consolidate different projects under the guidance of Muftī Faisal al-Mahmūdī. (Click here to know more about him: https://fatwa.ca/mufti-faisal-al-mahmudi/   ) Due to the nature of Muftī Faisal’s occupations and prior engagements earning a living, these highly beneficial programs and activities have been run in a disjointed manner. You can read more about them in the “Current Activities” section below.

As we continue, the projects take more permanent form and it becomes difficult to keep them running without a fortified base of operation. Moreover, many future projects which need a suitable physical space get sidelined due to lack of such resources. A place for students to gather, congregational classes, workshops etc. becomes difficult when we have to rent a place every time for a gathering.

Another significant hurdle has been a lack of availability from Muftī Faisal who has been otherwise engaged in his employment, leaving him with little to no time to produce quality output needed by the community. Imagine running a school on your own with one or two other teachers. Now imagine doing this while simultaneously earning a living with employment outside of this school. This is the situation Muftī Faisal has found himself in over the past few years. In order to establish a more integrated and focused venture where Muftī Faisal is able to provide his full-time services for the local community as well as online students, there grew a need to have a proper center which would cater for these needs.

Muftī Faisal has shown through his endeavours and projects, even in part-time capacity, that he is capable to address the needs of many for thirst quenching halaqāt, majālis, gatherings, classes and academic Q&A sessions. Along with these, he has been providing counseling in marital issues, commercial ventures and financing projects at a personal level under ʿilmHub. 

In 2019, Allah Taʿālā has provided an opportunity to lay a foundation for a not-for-profit organisation to concentrate all these activities under one roof. Thus, the idea of ʿilmHub Center is borne. 

A center which will offer a full-time base for:

-   Academic Empowerment for youth as well as adults
-   Islamic counselling services for all who need them
-   A Qur’an school were the focus is on tajweed, memorization and tarbiya of all the children attending
-   Daʿwah through physical and virtual avenues

The current proposition is for leasing a property in South Edmonton which has been serving as a Islamic Resource Center for years. As the current occupant move on to a bigger venue, ʿilmHub would like to take over the place to establish its Center. 

The current center is already equipped for majority of our proposed activities. Hence, the need for renovation is very low.  Up till now we have been doing some fundraising on our QAFILA blog for ventures of others (http://www.qafila.org/donations/ ), but this time we wish to request help making our future goals a reality.

Current Activities

While we do not have any physical base for our activities, we have been striving to do as much as possible through multiple avenues.

a.    After being approached by a small locality of Leduc, we decided to set up a weekend Qurʿān School for the community at their local Masjid. The school has been running for a year now, providing Qurʿān Learning to 15-20 students.
b.    Another weekend Qurʿān school was set up in North Edmonton to cater for 10 students. This school has been operational for a year as well.
c.    Fatwa.ca is a Darul Iftaa’ website providing Islamic Q&A based on traditional scholarship. (http://www.fatwa.ca )
d.    ilmHub Whatsapp Group is a complimentary service working in tandem with Fatwa.ca, providing a quick, easy and interactive Q&A and education portal. Muslims join and ask questions to be addressed by either Mufti Faisal or other ʿUlamā’ who help on the group. 
e.    The ilmHub website (http://www.ilmhub.com ) serves as a virtual portal for online education. 

The ilmHub website hosts free recordings of past and present online classes. These classes include:

          AQ101: Basics of Aqeedah : Marāqi al Saʿdāt
          HD101: Arbaʿūn al Nawawī rh.
          FQ101: Fiqh al Muyassar: Fiqh of Tahāra
          FQ103: Fiqh al Muyassar: Fiqh of Salāh
          FQ104: Fiqh al Muyassar: Fiqh of Fasting
          FQ105: Fiqh of Marriage
          FQ201: Nur al Idaah [Beginner level Fiqh] (71 classes)
          FQ301: Sharh al Wiqayah [Intermediate Level Fiqh] (80+ classes)
          UF110: Usūl al Shāshī [Beginner-Intemediate level Usool al Fiqh] (80+ classes)
          IF150: Introduction to Islamic Commerce

Current online classes include:

          FQ301b: Sharh al Wiqaya (Zakaat)
          HD210: Mishkaat al Masabeeh (Kitāb al Adab)

The ilmHub Youtube Channel serves to provide free public access to recorded lectures and classes. The channel is gradually growing.
ilmHub also conducts live classes for young adults and professionals at various masajid.

Future Projects

Insha’Allah, the leasing of a physical space shall provide a much needed focus towards our future short-term as well as long-term projects.

a.   Re-organize our recorded classes for the ilmHub Youtube Channel.
b.   Re-launch ilmHub.com to be a contemporary mode of interaction for:
           Ease of disseminating information
           Ease of engaged course offerings
           Consolidate dispersed efforts from other websites, such as Fatwa.ca, into one platform
c.   Structure FREE courses for local Muslims and surrounding cities in the following areas:
           Aqeedah and Imaaniyat
           Fiqh and Jurisprudence
           Hadīth and Hadīth Sciences
           Qurʿānic Studies, Tajwīd and Tafsīr
           Mental, Nutritional and Physical Health
           Islāh, Tazkiya and Spiritual reformation
d.   While our focus remains at providing FREE courses and education to as many people as possible, we will also continue to provide Fee-Based:
           Higher classes for advanced students of knowledge and scholars
           Concerted and focused workshops in specific fields through professional guidance
e.   Our new centre will also be home to a specialized evening Qurʿān School providing a tried and tested curriculum with rigorous standards. The intention is to maintain a low student-teacher ratio for a more concentrated and focused nurturing of students.
           Special workshops for youth and adults targeting:
           Character Building 
           Career Counseling through motivational speakers
           Skill building 
           Hands-on coaching from professionals
f.   An expansive academic library for students of Deen containing:
           Islamic books in different languages
           Focus on Islamic Academia of different backgrounds
           A large collection of physical/digital books
g.   A small publishing facility for 
           Islamic Daʿwah Material
           Academic write-ups and journals etc.
           High quality translations
h.   The center will provide general amenities like
           Regular Jumah congregations
           A regular congregation for Tarāwīh during Ramadān
           Spiritually charged activities during Ramadān
           A regular weekly time from the resident scholar for counselling

Please note that the center will not serve as a Masjid for now, however the doors will be open during office hours for anyone who wishes to congregate for Salah.

The center already has a proper facility to accommodate a moderate size congregation for both males and females, with private entrances for both. This will serve for an inclusive yet segregated facility of learning and education for the entire community in a comfortable manner.

Why set the target at $80,000?

We believe in keeping our financial matters as transparent as possible. Here is a brief tentative budget for our expenses for 2020.



Please find below some images of the facilities at this proposed Center:




Testimonials:

"I have been participating in various classes that the ilmhub institute have set up for a couple of years now and I honestly confess that my knowledge have increased tremendously because of the method of teaching by Mufti Faisal sahib (db) and with his willingness to be flexible with the timing to suit the students need is a plus, this is really excellent for me personally since I’m from the Caribbean . No one should let the opportunity pass and miss out from a chance to benefit from these programs"

~ Br. Riaz Mohammed, Trinidad.

"I have the benefit of knowing shaykh faisal since he was studying with mufti ebrahim and now I am studying under him. We have a gem in our Eastern Canada to benefit from.

It is rare to find someone put in a lot of effort to teach and break down each part for the students understanding.

I urge everyone to support this noble cause and invest in our future."

~ Br. Adeeb Shams, Vancouver, Canada

"Alhamdulilah I was fortunate enough to be able to study many lessons of usul Al shashi and Nur Al Idaah with Mufti Faysal. His teaching was clear and informed, he was responsive and encouraged questions, and he taught the text line by line. Were it not for external factors, I would have continued to benefit from his lessons, and hope to do so again someday.

I would recommend Ilmhub for anyone wishing to study their deen comprehensively under qualified teachers. Though I can only vouch for hanafi fiqh and usul Al fiqh classes, I am positive that the same standard is carried throughout the various other islamic subjects taught, such as Arabic and hadeeth."

~ Br. Harun, Australia