Newsletter February 2022

Announcing New Executive Council Members 

On Sunday, December 5, 2021, the annual General Body Meeting was held. During the course of the meeting, an election was held to determine the new governing board. 

The newly elected Executive Council Members are:

President: Br. Nazeer Ahmed

Vice President: Open (to be appointed at a later date)

Secretary: Br. Mohammad Sohail

Treasurer: Br. Fakrudeen Ali Ahamed

Member, Board of Trustees (6-year term 2022-27): Sr. Hala Kazi

 Alhamdulillah, the new elected officers assumed their responsibilities on January 1, 2022, with the exception of Sr. Hala Kazi who regretfully informed the Board that she is unable to serve the position due to personal reasons. She expressed her apologies for any inconvenience caused due to this decision. As the ISGVF Board of Trustees understands and respects individuals and their changing personal situations, it accepted her resignation.

ISGVF Board of Trustees filled the following vacant positions according to ISGVF By-Laws - the members will serve on their respective positions until next elections that will be held in December 2022, Insha’Allah:

• Sr Rehana Jan appointed for the Board's vacant position
• Sr Seema Nahid appointed as Vice President

Br. Badurudeen Syed Abuthahir has been appointed ISGVF Technology Officer and Br. Murat Odemis (as the senior-most Board of Trustees member this year) assumed the role of Chairperson of the Board.

ISGVF appreciates and thanks all departing officers of the Executive Council for serving the community, especially Br. Mahmood Patel for his 6 years of service on the Board of Trustees. We pray to Allah (SWT) to reward them immensely for their efforts and sacrifice to please Allah (SWT), Ameen! 

Congratulations to the new officers for 2022 for assuming their respective responsibilities. We request that everyone extend their full cooperation and support. Please remember them in their Dua's.

Save the Date - ISGVF’s Annual Fundraising Iftar Dinner

ISGVF’s Annual Fundraising Iftar (Dinner) will be held on (date and time). 

Celebrate the blessed month of Ramadan by practicing charity, building community and supporting ISGVF’s continuing operating expenses and activities/programs.  

Please generously donate to our campaign this year! 

ISGVF Food Distribution on Saturday, January 5th, 2022 

On Saturday, January 5, the ISGVF distributed food items to 13 families in the Norristown community. Our thanks to all donors and volunteers for their continued dedication and support of this worthy cause. May Allah SWT reward you all.

If you would like to contribute to this noble cause, please contact

Jazak Allah Khair, ISGVF Food Committee.



ISGVF Text Message and Email Alerts subscription

Text Message Alerts from ISGVF:

To receive text message alerts from ISGVF on your mobile phone, please go to the ISGVF website and subscribe. (www.isgvf.com)

Email Messages from ISGVF:

To receive email messages from ISGVF (including the monthly newsletter and announcements), please click on the following link: ISGVF Email Subscription 

You may also subscribe from the home page of isgvf.com by clicking on the Subscribe For Newsletter link located in the “Stay In Touch” section. 

Welcome Ramadan on March 19th, 2022 by Sheikh Arqum Rashid 

By Shaikh Arqum Rashid - Resident Scholar and Imam at the Islamic Society of Central Delaware

The most blessed month of the year is coming upon us! The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to supplicate before Ramadan asking Allah to allow him to reach Ramadan due to the blessings and forgiveness of this month. 

What have we done to prepare for this spiritual immersion?



Join us for “Welcome Ramadan” on Saturday March 19th, and find out the best ways to benefit from this month!

Weekend School Update

Alhamdulillah, the first semester exams are now complete and all scores have been communicated to the parents. Parents are encouraged to reach out to the School Administration if they have any questions or concerns.

In sha Allah, we have communicated the surahs for this year's Quran Competition to all of the students. The competition is scheduled for March 26 for Elementary students and March 27 for Mid-High. Details for the program will be sent at a later date close to the date of the Competition.

Register for volunteering at ISGVF

We request community members to take part in volunteering at ISGVF. Please contact at (610) 688-2209 or email at council@isgvf.com to register.

Creek Crossing Repair and Restoration

Last summer’s severe weather along with tropical storm Ida caused extensive damage to our creek crossing and the surrounding area. The storm caused fallen tree limbs and trunks that partially blocked the water flow which eroded the embankment and washed away many large stones. 

It is ISGVF's responsibility, as mandated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to keep the creek free of any debris so it can maintain its natural course. After assessing the damage, ISGVF considered several repair and restoration options. Thanks to the help and guidance of the DEP, we have selected the most viable and most economical repair and restoration option. 

However, finding qualified contractors who were available for doing the work proved challenging. As most contractors were overwhelmed by the amount of disaster emergency work needed, they were often too busy to return phone calls. But Alhamdulillah, we found available contractors. After several weeks of hard work they managed to complete the project before Christmas. 

The work they performed included clearing debris, minor dredging of the creek bed, reinforcing embankment, adding mini walls to prevent erosion, asphalt paving to keep gravel intact, adding guardrails for safety, and seeding the adjacent grass areas that were disturbed. The final cost to ISGVF was over $35,000.

ISGVF Library Project 

In August 2021, the Hyland Foundation decided to close their King of Prussia office. They contacted ISGVF and offered their library cabinets, library furniture and electronics (computers, laptops, printers, projector, smart board, etc.). After much deliberation, the ISGVF Board accepted the Hyland Foundation’s offer and use it as an opportunity to build a library/high-tech education room. 

It was decided that the best area for the library/tech room would be the southeast corner of the ISGVF Activity Hall with a glass partition wall. ISGVF volunteers visited the Hyland Foundation’s King of Prussia office to assess the installation of electronics and library furniture. The electronics, cabinets and it’s trimming had to be professionally dis-assembled and brought back to ISGVF for installation at a cost of $11,000. 

In addition to serving as a library, the room can also be utilized as an educational classroom with a smart board, computers and conference room table. Insha’Allah, ISGVF is currently planning to arrange for the books on the shelves. 

ISGVF would like to thank all the volunteers for their effort towards creating this new addition to our community, Alhamdulillah!

Learn to Read the Quran in time for Ramadan

ISGVF is offering a one-week intensive Quranic Arabic program in preparation for Ramadan. 

Covering the basics of Arabic vocabulary and grammar most frequently used in the Quran, we will effectively learn 50% of the Quranic Arabic in just 21 hours over the course of seven days. That is a part of the miracle of the Quran and how Allah has made it easy. We've streamlined the more in-depth Arabic classes to concentrate on the most important concepts.

When? 

From March 7 to 14. Each session starts after maghrib (around 6:00 pm) and lasts approximately two hours. There will be two days when maghrib is at 7:00 pm due to Daylight Savings Time on March 13. These sessions will start at 6:30 PM, have a short break for maghrib, and continue thereafter.

Who is Eligible?

Anyone 14 and older who is sincerely looking to learn and improve their Quran.  

Fee: 

$80 per registration. All additional members of the family will receive a 50% discount.

For Registration: Please visit isgvf.com

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