Dear Friends and Family of ZACAH, Assalam o alaikum.

Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family. May Allah SWT surround you in His eternal blessings and reward you for your ibadaat and charity, magnify your good deeds, reward your generosity in ways only He can, and bring prosperity in your lives. On this blessed Friday in the mid-point of Ramadan, we want to reach out with a request for your zakat and sadaqah donations.

Despite our best intentions, we were unable to host a Ramadan fundraiser in-person due to an emergency medical need. Our need, however, continues to increase each year as ZACAH makes a deeper impact on our community.

DONATE HERE

Alhamdolillah ZACAH, a registered 501c (3) charity, is now entering its 12th year. It is your local organization, led and nourished by the local Minnesota Muslim community. Through your generous donations, we have helped thousands of households in Minnesota maintain a roof over their heads. As federal funding for social services is declining and rents continue to rise disproportionately to income, our responsibility grows to provide for the vulnerable within our communities. 

Consider the impact of the difference you can make with just a few of the following stories from 2024. All names have been changed to protect privacy.

1. Rebuilding a life at ZACAH Transitional Home

Maya came to the US from Iraq in 2018. Having endured years of abuse she finally called the state Domestic Violence Crisis line and after a short stay in a domestic abuse crisis center, Maya moved into ZACAH Transitional Home along with her 4 young children. A hard-working sister fluent in English, Maya works full time at a local school. Her stay at ZACAH Home enabled her to save enough that with ZACAH’s $2,500 contribution, Maya now owns a reliable car. She is now saving to make a payment towards a home for her family. 

ZACAH Transitional Home and help with car purchase helped Maya provide the safe, secure, free haven she needed for her children while she could focus on rebuilding a life for her 4-children and maintain employment.

2. Support for Palestinian family

A young family, victims of ongoing genocide, found asylum in Minneapolis with 5 young children . They used up all their savings for just 2-months of rent, and were not eligible for any benefits, or other forms of rental assistance. They needed everything basic to start their life. Our community helped the family set up their home. ZACAH committed $4,000 for 2-months of rent while our partners worked towards employment. 

As we look to see how we can help in Gaza, Allah SWT has given us an opportunity, right here in Minnesota, to personally support our Palestinian and other refugee families to rebuild their lives. 

3. Debt relief with zakat

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Fatima, a single mother of 5 and a victim of abandonment, lost her job as a PCA due to an abusive client, and consequently lost her housing. Due to a language barrier, Fatima’s trust was abused, and she had been taken advantage of by many, resulting in trauma and erosion of trust. A referring partner successfully helped her secure low-income housing and a new job, but Fatima still owed 4-months of rent from her previous housing, totaling $6,000. Through the power of collaboration with our partners, ZACAH paid $2,350 towards rent and utilities, while our partners covered the remaining debt.

This is the power of ZACAH working together in a shared model of caring, to heal lives.

“Whoever grants respite to a debtor in difficulty will receive a charity for him every day, and whoever grants him respite after his debt has been settled will receive a charity like that for him every day,” (Hadith Muslim).

4. Preventing homelessness with sadaqah 

Nadia, a single mom of two young kids, and a victim of domestic violence. Her children have significant, chronic medical needs, and giving adequate attention to them has complicated her ability to sustain a job, as employers have a low threshold for tolerating absence from work for family needs. Unable to sustain a livable income, they have been evicted once already. Without ZACAH intervening to clear Nadia’s $2,700 rent debt, Nadia and her kids would have been evicted again. Through your contribution to ZACAH, Nadia is safe at home with her children and working hard for sustainability.

In Islam, providing shelter for the unhoused is a highly rewarded act of charity (sadaqah), potentially leading to spiritual growth, increased blessings, and a place in Paradise. 

5. Relieve the trouble of others, and Allah will relieve your troubles on the Day of Resurrection

Zahra came to Minneapolis as a refugee from Syria with her husband and 5 children. To add to her woes, an accident broke her husband’s hip, leaving him unable to work. After initial state support, the family was asked to leave their home since they did not have funds to pay rent. Despite working full-time at minimum wage, Zahra was unable to make rental payments with her limited income and a large family. ZACAH stepped in and subsidized 6-months of rent to keep this family stable, while her husband recovered.

In Surah Nisa verse 66, Allah SWT likes being forced out of your home to death, to being murdered. Being forced out of your home is like being killed. And to ask someone to leave their home forcefully is like asking them to kill themselves.

These are just a few examples of the power of your donation to ZACAH where 99% of your donations are used directly for assistance. 
 

5 ways YOU can help ZACAH in our campaign of

400 for 400

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Goal:  Our goal is to raise $400,000 this year to continue to serve

400 families. 

1. Donate your Zakat: We are turning away Muslim families due to lack of zakat funds. Since several are immigrants, they are not always eligible for social support. As you think of all the numerous worthy causes around the world, please donate your zakat generously to ZACAH to alleviate poverty in our own Minnesota Muslim community. 

DONATE Zakat

In 2024, we spent $336,000 to support 373 families and turned away many families due to lack of funds. This year, we want to help more. We have a prophetic example in our Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) instructing Muad ibn' Jabl (RA) to collect and distribute zakat locally in Yemen.

Whatever you have given before, please consider giving a little more to impact more families.

a. An average family needs $1,200 of zakat assistance.

b. Please consider supporting 2, 3, 5 families, or more if possible. All donations are assumed to be zakat, unless stated specifically as sadaqah.

2. Give Sadaqah: Once you have given your zakat donation, will you please consider supporting at least 1-family with sadaqah?

DONATE Sadaqah

3. Spread the word: Please tell your friends here about ZACAH, and encourage them to invest in a Minnesota-based zakat organization.

4. Host a small fundraiser: Please consider hosting a fundraiser at your home with 8-10 families that we can come and talk to about ZACAH. We are a grass-roots organization and need community support since we do not receive any funding to do this work, nor do we have any employed staff.

5. Volunteer your time: We are particularly in need of someone who can help with social media. If you can or know someone who can, please contact us.
 

To donate:

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1.    Write a check to ZACAH and mail to ZACAH, PO Box 21231, Eagan MN 55121. In the memo, please write zakat or sadaqah. If you are donating for both, please indicate the amount for zakat & sadaqah, or send separate checks.

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2.    PayPal via this link. Please consider becoming a monthly donor for consistency. Consistent good deeds are most noble in the eyes of Allah SWT. 

Please download and read the PDF attachment below to learn about our work and a high-level overview of our finances. 

We hope you will continue to support us and spread the word about ZACAH. Please forward this email message to your family and friends. 

JazakAllah for your continued support and duas.

 
With profound gratitude,
 
Naheed & Bilal Murad 
Brooke Chaudhary
Noreen Irfanullah
Lubna Miyanoorwala
Irshad Jafri
Moeen Masood