Dear Friend,
It is no secret that Muslim political organizing in this country comes with a wide array of challenges: from combating right-wing political ideology, to correcting Islamophobia even among our allies, to addressing systemic racism and bigotry in our own community, to checking in on our own hearts to ensure our intentions are sincere and that pride and arrogance don't get the better of us.
Emgage believes that civic engagement is more than just voting. It is about making a positive difference in one's community, individually and collectively.
We at Emgage seek to do our work with ihsan (spiritual excellence). We feel that in order to make a real, sustainable difference in American politics and culture, we are fully reliant on Allah's tawfiq (divine success) and His lutf (bounty).
In seeking to better address the aforementioned challenges, we thought: instead of constantly seeking secular praxes of liberation and organizing, why not return back to the sirah, the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? We are a Muslim American organization, and at the heart of our work is our sacred Islamic tradition.
This is why we have decided to take our staff on a trip to Mecca and Medina, the holiest cities in our tradition, to perform umrah, the minor pilgrimage. We hope to come out of this trip better equipped to handle the various challenges in political organizing in this country, and with a more pure and open heart that will be more receptive to Allah's light.
If you support these efforts, will you donate to our Umrah Fund today?
