Search
Search
Close this search box.

What I Wish Everyone At 20 (& 30…) Understood About Marriage

What I Wish Everyone At 20 (& 30…) Understood About Marriage

The goal of our life is… to bring more love and truth into the world. We marry to assist each other in this process. -Leo Tolstoy A dear friend of mine said on the eve of his oldest daughter’s thirteenth birthday, “Today is my last day to be an expert on adolescents!”  I giggled when […]

Steps to Create the Conditions for Deep, Rigorous, Applied Learning

Steps to Create the Conditions for Deep, Rigorous, Applied Learning

Many school administrators, teachers and parents want the education provided to children to be high quality, rigorous and connected to the world outside the classroom. Teachers are trying to provide these elements in various ways, but a group of schools calling itself the “Deeper Learning Network” has codified some of what its members believe are essential qualities […]

21 Ways To Get Closer To Your Child Today

21 Ways To Get Closer To Your Child Today

“I watch their softly tousled heads slumbering on their pillows, and sadness wells up in me. Have I drunk in their smiles and laughter and hugged them, or have I just checked things off my to-do list today? They’re growing so quickly. One morning I may wake up and one of my girls will be […]

How to Raise a Low Media Child (Without Going Insane)

How to Raise a Low Media Child (Without Going Insane)

We all know that screen time in excess can be harmful to infants and toddlers, and that it isn’t great for older children either. And I would guess that there aren’t too many parents out there that want their children to struggle with things like obesity, ADHD or cognitive and language development. So why are […]

Ten Suggestions for Raising Creative Kids

Ten Suggestions for Raising Creative Kids

If creativity is important to you, it is surely doubly important to you that your children have creative minds. As their parent (or teacher or caregiver) you can do a lot to ensure your children maintain and grow their creative minds. Research is demonstrating that children rapidly lose their creative thinking skills as they grow […]

How to Scrapbook with Children

How to Scrapbook with Children

Scrapbooking is a favorite pastime for moms the world over. It is a great way to create keepsakes for family and friends. Why not introduce your children to it? Children love to create and scrapbooking is the perfect conduit for this. Here are some tips to help you enjoy scrapbooking with your kids. Tips for […]

The BIG Lie that Leads to a Lonely Marriage

The BIG Lie that Leads to a Lonely Marriage

Marriage, by its very definition, is the joining of two separate lives into one unified family.  Two become one on a spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical level.  God designed it this way.  So, how is it that some people find themselves in a lonely marriage? It all begins with one or both partners believing a […]

Monitoring Your Teen’s Activities: What Parents and Families Should Know

Monitoring Your Teen’s Activities: What Parents and Families Should Know

The teen years are a time of rapid growth, exploration, and risk taking. Taking risks provides young people the opportunity to test their skills and abilities and discover who they are. But, some risks—such as smoking, using drugs, drinking and driving, and having unprotected sex—can have harmful and long-lasting effects on a teen’s health and […]

Youth Risk Behaviors – What Can Parents Do?

Youth Risk Behaviors - What Can Parents Do?

Youth Risk Behaviors – What Can Parents Do? With the rise of drugs, marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, and premarital sex among Muslim college students, parents must wonder how they could prevent these challenges from happening in the first place! This video highlights research-based parenting techniques that can help address these challenges. [ms_button style=”normal” link=”https://www.thefyi.org/videos/” size=”medium” shape=”” […]

Seven Tips to More Effective Youth Programming

Seven Tips to More Effective Youth Programming

Seven Tips for More Effective Youth Programming Muslim youth were asked to identify their top 4 challenges growing up in the United States. One in Four stated they do not feel supported by the environment around them. Community centers, youth programs, and masjid communities can do a lot to help Muslim youth feel supported. Check […]

Seven Things to Consider Before Saying “I Do”

Seven Things to Consider Before Saying "I Do"

Seven Things to Consider Before Saying “I Do” With reports of unhappy marriages and rising divorce rates among American Muslim couples, how can you decrease the likelihood of becoming another statistic? The Family and Youth Institute introduces “7 Things to Consider Before Saying “I Do.” Check out these research-backed bits of advice to help guide […]

Zakat eligibility of The FYI

The Family & Youth Institute, or The FYI, is a well-known Muslim organization in the United States. It works to promote mental health and wellness by strengthening and empowering individuals, families, and communities through research and education. It has been working for many years to bring Islamic perspectives to understanding and promoting mental health in our communities.

It is dedicated to serving and supporting Muslims – safeguarding our deen, our families, and our future generations. Therefore, the work of The FYI comes in the category of ‘fi sabeelillah’ or the Path of Allah, within the eight categories where Zakat money can be used.

Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed for it and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler – an obligation [imposed] by Allah, And Allah, is Knowing and Wise.”
(Al-Tawbah 9:60)

According to scholars who widen the meaning of fee sabeelillah to include any activities that promote Islamic growth, The FYI is indeed eligible to receive part of the Zakat funds for its programs and services. I urge Muslims in America to support this organization through their donations, general charity, and through their Zakat. I ask Allah swt to strengthen and guide The FYI to continue its good work in supporting Muslims.

Shaikh Ali Suleiman Ali, PhD

About Shaikh Ali

Sh. Ali Suleiman Ali was born in Ghana where he spent his childhood studying with various Muslim scholars. He then moved to Saudi Arabia and enrolled in the Islamic University of Madina.  He graduated with a degree in both Arabic and Islamic Studies. Dr. Ali went on to complete his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Sh. Ali serves on the Advisory Council of The Family & Youth Institute. He is the Senior Imam and Director of the Muslim Community of Western Suburbs in Canton, Michigan. Additionally, he serves as the Director of Muslim Family Services in Detroit and is a council member of the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA). He is also a member of the North American Imams Federation (NAIF) and the Association of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA).