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The Profound Outcome of the Total Submission Qurbani is an act of worship of sacrificing an animal most commonly like a cow, sheep or goat; re-enacting the Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (as) and his Son Prophet Ishmail (as). Eid Al Adha is referred to as Eid Al Akbar (The Big Celebration). ILM Foundation’s aim in this blog is to share some principles associated with this rich tradition and the deep blessings attached to it. Qurbani (قُرْبَانِ) means to draw near. Prophet Ibrahim and his son demonstrate a Divine Master’s Class chronicled in the Quran of Qurbani in practice. Qurbani in the Quran فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ And when he reached the age of striving alongside him, he said: 'My son I see in a dream that I am slaughtering you. So, tell me, what do you see?' He said: 'My father do what you have been commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the steadfast."
Honoring Imam Abu Ishaq Abdul Hafiz Life of Service “The mission is Greater than the Discomfort.” There are leaders who speak. There are leaders who act. And then there are those rare individuals who quietly dedicate their entire lives to serving humanity often in places the world forgets. Today, we honor one such servant of God, Imam Abu Ishaq Abdul Hafiz, recipient of the 2026 Community Service Award from the Southern California Shura Council. This is a recognition of a lifetime spent walking into the hardest spaces with faith, dignity, and unwavering compassion, answering the call in spaces few want to go. But to call this simply an “award” would be an understatement. He is fulling daily the purpose of which the Quran says, “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (51.56) Born Albert Eugene Simms Jr. in Gary, Ind., Abdul-Hafiz discovered Islam during his junior year at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. “One of my African history professors was a Christian, . . . teaching us the basics of Islam in Africa,” Abdul-Hafiz said. “He said they believed in Jesus as a prophet of God, not God incarnate, and I thought, ‘Wow. All my life I’ve been thinking that. . . . This makes sense to me.’ ” After studying several religions, Abdul-Hafiz took his Islamic oath of faith July 7, 1971, and adopted his Arabic name.
What We Learned from Humanitarian Day 2026: From Service to Lasting Impact For over two decades, Humanitarian Day has been a commitment to service meeting people where they are with dignity and compassion. In 2026, that mission took on deeper meaning as we continued our work at Gladys Park in the heart of Los Angeles’ Skid Row. This year we experienced a moment of clarity. Skid Row remains one of the most concentrated areas of homelessness in the United States. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, more than 75,000 people experience homelessness across Los Angeles County, with thousands living unsheltered in neighborhoods like Skid Row. Many face overlapping challenges, including long-term unemployment, lack of identification, and limited access to healthcare. Research also shows that a significant portion of the unhoused population lives with chronic physical or mental health conditions barriers that make pathways out of homelessness even more complex. And yet, within this reality, there are pockets of transformation.
