Three years ago, I graduated high school and had my eyes set on my perfect five-year plan that would land me into a successful university and eventually a picture perfect career. SubhanAllah, one by one, my plans began to fall apart. I didn’t score high enough on my SAT, didn’t get accepted to the school of my dreams, circumstances forced me to quit my part time job, I wasn’t able to register for classes in time at my local community college, deadlines passed, my financial aid wasn’t coming in, and it seemed like nobody was helping me. My perfect plan turned out to be the exact opposite; flawed and imperfect. At this moment of brokenness, the light shined through.

That’s when I made the decision to dedicate one year to Madina Institute’s Usul-ud-Din program which offers a traditional method of direct transmission of knowledge from teacher to student. After all my plans had crumbled, all that was left was my faith in Allah and trust in His plan for me. I knew I had to strengthen that connection in order to achieve contentment. Through this program I realized that God’s delay is not His denial. At the end of the day, Allah swt gives us what He wills and what is best for us.

Not only did Madina Institute foster an environment of education and knowledge, but also gave room for personal development and enlightenment through its wide array of courses. This program enabled me to teach my own classes and halaqat and equip me with the resources to find answers to questions I had asked my entire life. Why do bad things happen to good people? Do we have free will? How can I apply the Sunnah in my everyday life? How can I purify myself?

On top of all this, Madina Institute also offers financial aid and scholarships for those who have a financial need or merit based funded completely by Madina Mercy and our generous donors. It was truly a humbling experience to know that my journey at Madina Institute was entirely rooted in generosity and donations from people like you.

I had the privilege of studying under the Institute’s founding scholar Dr. Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya Al-Ninowy and many other scholars from around the world. Madina Mercy has done more than I could ever ask for in propping me up and supporting me through the process of seeking knowledge, and now it’s time for me to give back. I want to support all the other seekers across the country who are eager to learn more and become closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta’aala and better serve our Ummah!

The future of the Ummah is constantly in jeopardy all around the world and to be apart of Madina Mercy means to be the building blocks upon which the next generation of well balanced, determined leaders will stand and represent true Islamic knowledge. Education is one of the key elements in providing a human being with hope, growth and opportunity.

“When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity or knowledge (by which people benefit), or a pious son who prays for him (for the deceased).” [Sahih Muslim]