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Does Your Own Childhood Affect Your Parenting?

Does Your Own Childhood Affect Your Parenting?

Ever wondered why one parent can keep a sense of humor in the face of their child’s challenging behavior while another starts yelling? Why some parents plague themselves with criticism, worry and doubt while others seem more able to just relax and enjoy their children? Read more at psychologytoday.com

How to Keep Housework From Hurting Your Marriage

How to Keep Housework From Hurting Your Marriage

When you or your partner is unhappy about the allocation of household chores, the stress level in your home can increase tremendously. If you ask wives what their top source of stress is, quite a few will respond that it is the fact that their husbands don’t want to do their share of work around the house. Read more at […]

Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

We all have many feelings swirling around during this time of quarantine. Some of these feelings may even conflict with each other, or change depending on the day, or even over the course of a single day. Some of us may have lost loved ones during this time. For others, this experience may bring up […]

Reducing Anxiety During Coronavirus Pandemic

Reducing Anxiety During Coronavirus Pandemic

Psychiatrist Sue Varma says that during a time of high stress, it’s important to focus on “the four Ms of mental health – mindfulness, mastery, movement and meaningful engagement.” Watch video at msnbc.com

Decorate for Ramadan with Family

Decorate for Ramadan with Family

Ramadan is the time to exercise self-control and show compassion towards the less fortunate. But getting the kids excited about Ramadan can be quite challenging, especially when they are not fasting along with the other members of the family. So how can you educate your children about Ramadan and Eid without making it boring for […]

Under One Roof: Home Together During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Under One Roof: Home Together During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. As businesses, schools, and universities move toward online operations and travel plans get canceled, we are facing massive disruptions to the daily rhythms of our lives. For many couples, togetherness organically alternates with separateness, as they bid farewell to each other in the morning and […]

Making this an Eid to Remember – Celebrating in the time of COVID-19

Making this an Eid to Remember - Celebrating in the time of COVID-19

By Sameera Ahmed, PhD and Sarrah AbuLughod, MA  Growing up, the last few days of Ramadan in our household were always a flurry of activity. Whether we were quickly baking one last batch of cookies for the neighbors, putting the final touches on our Eid outfits, or quickly running out to buy bags of candy […]

Keeping up the Giving Tradition

Keeping up the Giving Tradition

By Alaa Mohammad Shareef, BA How can I give back to others and my community if I still can’t leave my house?! This is a question that many of us may still be struggling with as we finish these last few blessed days of Ramadan. Many of us spent most of the month missing our […]

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).