Shaping Communities

My faith tradition (I am Catholic) says that I am willing to help out anyone in need in my community. I am actively involve with many clubs and organizations on and off my college campus. As a Catholic, I want to help change the world for the better and by getting involve and volunteering a lot, I can do that and make an impact on many people.

Being raised as a Muslim and having learnt all the things about Islam from a very early age, Islam teaches to love and to be kind. Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was a prime example of how a human should be like, he always helped those in need, guided those who searched for light and inner peace and was kind to not only his people but also showed kindness towards his enemies. There is a famous saying of Prophet Mohammad that says killing one human is equivalent to killing the entire human race, which clearly shows his concern for humanity.

Islam has five basic pillars. One of the pillars is called Zakat. Zakat is a religious obligation for all Muslims who meet the required criteria of wealth. Muslims have to spare 2.5% of their wealth/income/savings for the the purpose of Zakat. The Zakat is then distributed among the needy Muslims. It is more like a tax to help newly converted Muslims or Muslims in need to overcome the financial hurdles they face.

Though Zakat can just be provided to a Muslim, Islam has always encouraged Muslims to help humans in general regardless of their faith. Sadqa is an example. Sadqa can be building a school for community or just feeding a stray animal, every small or big act of kindness falls into this category religion wise.

These were just a few examples of how my religion promotes community service. My family and I have been an active part of our community and our faith inspires us to continue doing so!