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At Humanitarian Day 2026 located in Glady’s Park, SkidRow, we spoke with the ILM Foundation team and staff, community partners, and volunteers alike to ask one common question - “what does service mean to you?” Amongst the individuals that we interviewed were: - ILM Foundation Director of Programs Hanif Madyun - ILM Foundation Board Member & Committee Chair & Resident Imam of Masjid Al-Shareef Imam Abdul Hafiz - ILM Foundation Economic Empowerment Consultant & Outreach Coordinator Ibn Donald - Islamic Center of Hawthorne Dawah Committee & Community Outreach Chairperson Abdullah Ali - Hearts of Mercy Karim Boukai - Head of Security Dadisi Abdul Qudus In this article, we will explore how each of these individuals have internalized service in their own lives, and the personal experiences that have increased their understanding of service when doing so.
On Saturday, March 1st, 2026, the 26th Humanitarian Day (HDAY) took place in Glady’s Park - a central location in Skid Row, a 50-block neighborhood historically known as a “containment zone,” where those suffering from homelessness and poverty have communally resided for over 50+ years. To aid those in need, hundreds of men, women, and youth from over 20 community partners, organizations, and Mosques gather to give back to those who are less fortunate. Amongst the hundreds of volunteers are two women seen from a distance, yet known for their ongoing dedication to serving others and commitment to initiating change within their communities. Amongst these women is Sharyn Muhammad, a Humanitarian Day volunteer for over 20 years, a woman present at the first HDAY in Skid Row, and a woman whose commitment to service was instilled in her, taught to her by her grandmother, mother, and now passed down to her children
26 years ago, pioneer Imam Sadiq Saafir - founder of ILM Foundation and co-founder of Masjid Ibadullah, Common Ground Muslim, and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California - birthed the idea of Humanitarian Day (HDAY), a day of faith-turned-action during the month of Ramadan dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community, while prioritizing the needy and those who are often overlooked. Since the first HDAY in 2001 - a monumental event spearheaded by the Muslim communities of Los Angeles, where thousands of unhoused residents on Skid Row were provided meals - HDAY has since annually continued this day of service, expanding its services to essential resources and care packages, health support, and community care, embodying their mission of ‘Converting One Day into A Life Mission.’ “Humanitarian Day was founded after the bombing of the World Trade Center, when Muslims were being accused of doing the bombing on 9/11. At this time, many Muslims were scared, and so we had a meeting asking, “What could we do to counter this?” Imam Sadiq Saafir says. “As I was thinking, we realized we could feed the people, and at the time, many people thought we were crazy, but we started doing so that the people could understand we are part of them, not enemies.” “When we come down here to Skid Row, we give to the people who are in need, knowing that we are the ones who are blessed for being able to give to them,” Imam Saafir finishes. In Los Angeles County alone, there are over 75,000 unhoused individuals, including over 45,000 in the city of Los Angeles. Since ILM Foundation’s founding in 1991, HDAY has expanded to include over 20 community faith partners to expand their services to continuously assist the growing needs of the unhoused population in Skid Row. “The original mission always centered around uniting the faith community during Ramadan to provide basic necessities and health screening to those less fortunate,” says visionary Naim Shah Jr., ILM Foundation Co-Founder, Director & Board Member. “The vision was to provide a platform on the streets of Los Angeles where the faith community can engage with each other while serving humanity. After 26 years, the vision remains the same.” “Even before Humanitarian Day,” Naim Shah Jr continues, “ILM Foundation and Dawah 2000, founded by Naim Shah Sr., were deeply embedded in grassroots services visible on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, where they regularly provided food and care to unhoused residents.”
