Dear Friends,
Greetings of Peace (al salamu ‘alaykum) and Ramadan Mubarak! I pray that your first week of Ramadan has been blessed! We have been busy at Usuli in preparation for this beautiful month and have a few Ramadan content drops to share!
EPISODE 1 OF PROJECT ILLUMINE II: THE LIGHT OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD
I am soooo ecstatic to let you know that we have officially launched our long-awaited Sirah Project and Episode 1 is already receiving rave reviews! Alhamdulillah! We began dreaming of this project over three years ago, and it is incredible that it has now come to life! Just in time for Ramadan! Look for Episode 2 to drop on Wednesday, March 12 (on the stroke of midnight!) and every two weeks thereafter, insha’Allah! Please help the new series increase its reach on YouTube by giving it a LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE!
NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL @JUSTGRACENOW
March 1st has always been a special day for me. In 1994, it was the day I converted to Islam. This year, it marks both the start of Ramadan AND my 31st convert anniversary! Two years ago, it was the day we launched the first album sponsored by Usuli Music: WITNESS by our dear friend and gifted artist, Wietske Merison. This year, I marked all of those special occasions by launching a new YouTube channel, dropping my first video (with Wietske’s beautiful song, Rain, featured at the end), and writing about it on Substack.
My hope is to share some hard earned wisdom from my God-curated convert journey. This is my effort to add more Usuli content into the AI-driven virtual world! If you like it, please help me grow this new channel with a LIKE, SHARE, COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE. Thank you so much! :)
COFFEE AND Q&A WITH GRACE IS BACK! SUNDAYS MARCH 9 AND 16!
Several years back, I convened a worldwide virtual tour to hold Coffee and Q&A sessions with Usuli community members around the world - it was super fun and a great way to connect during the time of the pandemic. This Ramadan, I would love to do the same to connect with anyone who would like to meet up and chat for an hour! We will have to hold off on the coffee part since it will be before Maghrib, but we can have some good yummy conversation and connection time together! :)
Here are my two Ramadan Coffee and Q&A sessions:
WEST COAST: Sunday, March 9th at 5 PM Pacific Time (Note: Daylight Savings Time Starts)
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/f1Gwld3oSDiE20Fn15e11g
EAST COAST: Sunday, March 16th at 5 PM Eastern Time
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mzq9tZTNSdW23fBlF4TrzA
Hope you can join in! Feel free to join whatever session works for you! See you for the first session this Sunday, March 9th at 5 PM Pacific Time insha’Allah!
ENCORE PERFORMANCE FROM OUR FIRST ANNUAL USULI CONFERENCE
And last but not least, in classic Usuli fashion, there is nothing like a bit of humor and good natured ribbing among family in the spirit of love! If you haven’t seen this gem, please enjoy it. It brings back lovely memories from our First Annual Usuli Conference… And, special thanks to Wietske and Cherif for adding their special gifts!
THE GIFT OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR USULI THIS RAMADAN
This Ramadan, we know there are many deserving causes that need support, some that urgently address the immediate needs of our brothers and sisters around the world, and some like ours, that are a long-term investment in our collective future. In this blessed time of giving, I hope that you will include The Usuli Institute in your donation planning. We need your help to continue to grow, flex our creativity, and expand our impact.
There are several things that set Usuli apart from other Muslim organizations. First and foremost, everything we do comes from the wellspring of the Qur’an and our life perspective-changing Project Illumine Qur’anic commentaries. It is our moral framework for approaching the world and our place in it. And now, we add to that foundation of knowledge the incredible Project Illumine II Sirah engagement to bring moral clarity, ethical consistency and a new integrity to the traditions of the Prophet (PBUH). We are working hard to re-engage our Ummah with a re-energized and fresh understanding of how vibrant, powerful, and forward-thinking our faith tradition can be when we truly take the Qur’an and Sirah seriously.
Week after week, we speak truth to power from the Prophet’s pulpit, and discuss the challenging and controversial topics that others dare not address. We always bring it back to God and God’s Word and we strive to do it with bravery and integrity.
We challenge the status quo, push our collective knowledge forward, and leave a legacy of fresh knowledge for future generations to reclaim their beautiful faith. We focus on what it should mean to empower ourselves and engage the world as ethical Muslims. We aim to create a space where we can all breathe, think and expand our God-given potential for good. We serve in the best way we know how - through serious knowledge, a focus on human dignity, and trying to continuously improve our efforts. We hope you can see and feel the difference in the virtual content, books and experiences we create at Usuli.
We need your generous support.
Be part of the powerful legacy we aim to leave behind and help us to continue our ground-breaking work. I know in my heart that the work we do at Usuli can help turn the tide for Muslims if we can grow our reach and impact. We have lots of important projects in the pipeline. Can you support us with a regular monthly donation of $10 or more? May God bless and reward you with much more and better when it matters most!
On behalf of everyone at Usuli, I want to express our enduring gratitude for your support, your care, and your belief in our work. And may God bless you with a most beautiful and spiritually vibrant month full of Ramadan miracles!
As always, we pray that God will protect you and your loved ones in this challenging time and guide all of us to the most beautiful and elevated path. Hope to see you online soon!
In Peace and Hope,
Grace