Spotlight: The Sabeel Center
Bilal Kazmi
The Sabeel Center for Community Development is a versatile space dedicated to a variety of programs, including a museum that reflects on the life and legacy of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). With seven galleries showcasing the history and impact of Islam’s last prophet, the center offers a unique cultural and spiritual experience. It serves as a platform for visitors to deepen their understanding of Islamic culture and heritage through both learned and practiced arts. Additionally, the Sabeel Center provides free community empowerment programs for Muslim and urban youth, seniors, new immigrants, and refugees, along with mental and emotional health support. The center also features a test kitchen for halal cuisine training, catering to all levels of culinary expertise, and offers educational resources on halal products and ingredients for all age groups. Initiated by IFANCA®, the Sabeel Center is located just minutes from the IFANCA headquarters in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Museum dedicated to the life of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
The museum consists of seven galleries, with two of the displays focused on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). These are featured in the foyer and in the classroom. There are also three posters. The first poster describes the oneness of God. The second poster highlights the first revelation, beginning with the word “Iqra” (اقْرَأْ), meaning “Read in the name of your Lord who created.” This marks the moment when the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) received the first divine command to seek knowledge and share it with others. The final poster emphasizes that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was a blessing for all of humanity, not just for Muslims.
Galleries:
These exhibitions at Sabeel Center are a unique contribution to cultural awareness and inter-faith dialogue within the broader community and serve a critically important role in educating people in the United States about Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Cultural & Spiritual Events
The Sabeel Center has been hosting groundbreaking events throughout the major months of the Muslim calendar. The main event of the year is the annual Mawlid al-Nabawi event in Rabi ul Awwal to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (saw). This program featured local artists as well as renowned internationally acclaimed reciters. The Chicago Mawlid Association also holds an annual children’s milad program at The Sabeel Center, ensuring that all ages participate in these important celebrations.
In the month of Ramadan, The Sabeel Center hosts the annual Community Leaders Iftar program, inviting major representatives of Islamic organizations, schools, mosques, institutions, and the community at large. The goal of this event is to work together across various sectors and denominations to foster solidarity and collaboration for the betterment of the community. The keynote speaker for the previous event was the prominent Palestinian social activist, Linda Sarsour.
As a non-denominational and open space for all sects, The Sabeel Center took a very important initiative to host an intra-faith majlis program in the month of Muharram to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (عليه السلام), the grandson of the Prophet (ﷺ), This was attended by both Shia and Sunni community members and had reciters and speakers from both sects, as we not only gathered to remember the events of Karbala, but also to affirm the importance of unity amongst Muslims.
Other events held have included a Qawwali Night and a Turkish Sufi Musical Program. These events presented traditional and spiritual hymns with instruments. Most recently, The Sabeel Center was honored to present recitations by the Qurra of the grand mosques in Turkey. This range of events showcases the diversity in spiritual and cultural practices among Muslims.
Community Development Programs
In addition to these cultural and calendar-specific events, The Sabeel Center offers regular monthly and weekly programs for the community. They offer monthly mental health workshops specifically for women. These sessions, led by Sana Mohiuddin, a licensed marriage and family therapist, integrate Quran’ic wisdom and Islamic guidance to provide emotional and psychological support. The workshops aim to empower women by addressing their unique challenges, offering therapeutic tools and Islamic insights to enhance their well-being.
The Sabeel Center also offers special programs for various age groups, with a goal of building community. These groups offer a safe place for senior men and women to socialize, bring friends, and do fun activities. Loneliness and depression are widespread issues in this age group as many feel neglected, abandoned, and even abused. They may be divorcees, widows/widowers, and empty nesters. Community is an integral part of life for Muslims, especially for elderly immigrants who left their families in their homelands and refugees who often lack strong support networks in the U.S. This provides them a great opportunity to build connections and find new friends who will become like family.
The seniors are taught Quran’ic Arabic through their native Hindi and Urdu language. By learning the meaning of words, they are given the tools to build a better understanding of the Qur’an. These sessions are led by Ustadh Yousuf Mohiuddin.
Another program offered for seniors is a monthly health and wellness session. These cover the topics of mental health, physical health, and emotional wellness. They are guided in simple exercises, what kind of foods to eat and which to avoid, how to eat healthy, organic, and be more conscious of their health.
Sabeel Trips is another initiative for the seniors’ well-being. These include group outings to explore different attractions in the Midwest, where they can explore America and understand the flora and fauna of the area. Previous trips have been to the Chicago Botanic Garden, Lake Michigan Boat Tour, The Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Wisconsin Dells, Morton Arboretum, Lake Geneva, as well as picnics and hiking activities in various parks and forest preserves. Group transportation is arranged and each activity draws around 50 people on average.
In addition to senior and women’s programs, The Sabeel Center collaborates with local schools in the Chicagoland area to provide emotional and behavioral support for disadvantaged Muslim refugee students. These efforts help students adjust to life in the U.S. and embrace their cultural identity. The Chicagoland area has received the highest percentage of Muslim refugees in America from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Syria due to political conflicts. Therefore it is essential that there are Muslim organizations working to support these families and provide them resources so that they can adjust to the new environment, while maintaining their cultural and spiritual identity.
For the youth in middle and high school, The Sabeel Center offers fun, Islamic cultural activities in the form of calligraphy workshops. This group meets once a month, and is attended by around 50 teenagers. World renowned Chinese calligraphy artist, Haji Noor Deen Mi Guangjiang, led the workshops and taught how to use traditional Chinese ink on rice paper. Other workshops are led by Aqsa Hashmi, a local calligraphy teacher. By engaging in these workshops, the youth strengthen their connection to their faith and foster a sense of belonging within their community. With our partners including Empowering Women NFP, The Sabeel Center also offers computer classes for seniors, refugees, and new immigrants.
Test Kitchen:
The Sabeel Center has hosted numerous culinary workshops in its test kitchen, led by executive chefs experienced in a variety of cultural cuisines. Each workshop focuses on a specific cuisine, with the executive chef educating fellow chefs on how to incorporate halal ingredients into various dishes.
Workshops are also organized for participants of all ages, offering education on products, nutrition, and ingredients. Even children as young as 2 years old are included in fun, interactive activities that help establish a foundation for eating halal food. It’s important for kids to understand which foods are halal, especially as they encounter candies and other treats they cannot eat at a very young age. These workshops play a key role in fostering early awareness of halal dietary choices.
Looking forward, The Sabeel Center aims to expand its network locally, statewide, and nationally, inviting diverse groups and organizations to explore and collaborate on meaningful projects and events. For those interested in joining The Sabeel Center activities, please contact a member of the team. Additionally, please also reach out if you or someone you know wants to join our communications list to stay up to date on our events and opportunities to get involved.
Email: bilal.kazmi@ifanca.org
Website. http://www.sabeelcenter.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabeel_center/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SabeelCenter
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Eventbrite: http://SabeelCenter.eventbrite.com
Sabeel Center is an initiative of the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®), a global leader in halal certification.
Bilal Kazmi is the Programs Director of The Sabeel Center.