Introduction

Humble Islamic Center was established in 2019 as a 501c3 nonprofit tax-exempt religious, academic, and charitable organization. It is situated on a 12-acre land in Northeast Houston near the intersection of Beltway 8-North and Highway 59-North, less than 5 miles from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The HIC will, in-Sha Allah ta’ala, serve the residents of Northeast Houston area including: Kingwood, Atascocita, Humble in particular, and Greater Houston residents in general.

The realize HIC mission and vision, we will strive for the continuous pursuit of excellence in development and management of all programs and services that complement and support the intellectual, spiritual, and religious growth of the Greater Houston Muslim community. These programs and services include, but not limited to the following:

• Establishing and maintaining state-of-the-art facilities that would benefit the Muslim community, e.g., mosque, Islamic school, library, youth center, multi-purpose community center, multi sports complex, free health clinic, etc.
• Striving for excellence in providing the highest standards of teaching of the Holy Quran and Islamic studies.
• Providing as many avenues of engagement for youth, such as: mentoring, couching, counseling programs, youth overnight programs, youth groups, scouting programs, sporting events, and educational and personal development programs.
• Initiating and operating a Fatwa, Counseling & Mediation Center for the benefit of the Muslim community of Texas.
• Collaborating with other organizations in positive causes that also meet established Islamic norms and values.
• Organizing Islamic educational seminars, webinars, religious meetings, conferences, workshops, and collaborative dialogues to disseminate authentic Islamic knowledge.
• Rendering all necessary religious services, festivities and ceremonies for the community (e.g., Ramadhan services including taraweeh, itikaf and iftar & suḥūr meals, eid celebrations, nikāh ceremonies, ‘aqeeqah ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, funeral and post-funeral services).
• Promoting the value of unity, understanding, cooperation and interaction among members of the Muslim community and other faith communities regardless of religion, race, and creed.
• Fostering the Muslim community based on Islamic principles of brotherhood, equality, mutual help and Islamic teachings of peace, love, hope, moderation, and justice.

To realize HIC mission and implement its vision, in-sha Allah ta’ala, the following 9 full-service centers will be established:

1. Masjid Ali RA
2. Hidayah Institute
3. Hidayah Professional Center
4. Hidayah Athletics & Youth Center
5. Hidayah Dawah & Outreach Center
6. Hidayah Research & Publication Center
7. Houston Fatwa Counseling & Mediation Center
8. Inayah Clinic
9. Amanah Scholarships and Endowment Fund

The HIC masjid, Masjid Ali, is named after Ali ibn Abi Talib who was the first among the youth to accept Islam at around 8 or 9 years of age and the second person after Khadija. He was also a cousin and son-in-law of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the fourth caliph of Muslims.

Masjid Ali RA will serve the and spiritual needs of the Muslim community regardless of age, gender, race, color, background, ethnicity, religiosity and mazhab (school of Islamic jurisprudence). The Masjid will render the following services on a regular basis:

• Provide services for: the five daily congregational prayers, Friday sermon, taraweeh and eid prayers.
• Facilitate various halaqas and educational programs by qualified scholars for the community on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.
• Organize youth-overnight programs that will include imān boosting and moral uplifting talks, heart-to-heart discussions, coaching, fun activities, midnight snacks, and reflections.
• Host Open House on monthly basis or as needed to allow visitors from all communities to openly ask questions about Islam and give us a chance to get to know one another better.

Hidayah Institute will serve the educational and spiritual enrichment needs of Greater Houston Muslim community by offering the best of both revealed and acquired knowledge via all possible means of communication. The mission of this Institute is to develop and nurture profound affection in the ensuing generation with the Quran, the Sunnah, and the ways of our salaf (the pious predecessors) so that they are forever convinced with their faith and confident in their Muslim identity and become beacons of guidance and change in the society. Educational services provided by Hidayah will include, but not limited to the following:

We at Hidayah recognize that the western framework the youth are brought up in creates a sense of alienation from Islam. Therefore, Hidayah will also provide mentorship, guidance, and support into the daily life struggles of youth via one-on-one meeting, youth only halaqas, seminars, webinars, overnight programs, retreats with special emphasis on tazkiyah (purification of heart, soul, inner self), tarbiyah (systematic character development), wasatiyyah (implementing moderation or balanced approach in all matters) as revealed by Allah ﷻ and practiced by our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

We strongly believe that raising the next generation with sound education and morals is a communal responsibility of the school, students, parents, and the community. Hence, Hidayah team will make every effort that the students are provided the best of moral values, personal integrity and ethical conduct which are consistent with our Islamic teaching and preaching.

Through all of our academic programming, services and campus facilities, Hidayah will wholeheartedly strive to produce devout and sincere future leaders who will be, in-sha Allah ta’ala, lifelong learners, successful in this life and the Hereafter and positive contributors to every aspect of American society and the global community at large. Hidayah students will first learn the Deen, then live it by implementing it in their own lives and then lead others by their exemplary conduct, in-sha Allah ta’ala.

Hidayah Professional Center will aim to serve the academic and professional needs of the community members of all ages by providing high-quality, accessible, affordable, innovative, educational programs that meet the diverse needs of individuals pursuing advancement in their lives, professions, and communities. The objectives of this Center include, but not limited to the following:

Hidayah Athletics & Youth Center will serve the social and recreational needs of the community with the mission of helping children, adults and families live healthier and happier spiritually and physically. Further, the Youth Center will provide venues for youth involvement in community development and dialogue. The Center will actively support academic and social youth networks of sincere youth thinkers and activists who will, in-sha Allah ta’ala, become the leading voices for peace, justice, diversity, and equality and bring positivity to every aspect of American society and the global community at large.

The Center will be run under the supervision of a full-time youth coordinator/s whose responsibility will be to design, promote, supervise, lead, and execute youth-oriented programs and activities. This Center, in-sha Allah ta’ala, will also establish and maintain:

1.  full-fledged gymnasium facility for men and women,
2.  playground/ park, and outdoor fields for cricket, soccer, baseball, and football,
3.  multipurpose community center that will:   

• Provide state-of-the-art facilities, including: basketball courts, karate classes and self- defense courses, professional kitchen, etc.
• Serve local communities by providing a venue for communal programs that promote Islamic values to people of all ages, faiths, religiosity ethnicity, race, color, or background.
• Organize inter-mosques basketball, cricket, and other team building tournaments.
• Present leadership opportunities to encourage confidence, growth, and responsibility in our youth.
• Initiate and maintain Scouting and other related programs directed to developing
  character, citizenship, and individual skills in our youth.

Houston Fatwa Counseling & Mediation Center will provide services on a fulltime basis, Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm, via HIC website, email, phone, fax & walk-ins. It will be operated by dedicated and qualified muftis. The objectives of this Center include but not limited to the following:

• Serve the Muslim community by providing Islamic/ Shariah perspective to queries and specific concerns pertaining to religious life and spirituality.
• Deliver religious advice and guidance on various modern theological, social relations, business transactions, family relations, and other daily life issues and struggles.
• Establish direct contact between people from all walks of life and Shariah scholars.
• Collaborate with other Fiqh councils and Shairah boards by attending and holding conferences/seminars on contemporary Islamic juristic matters in North America.
• Provide premarital and post marital Islamic counseling and guidance to help couples envision and lead a happy and righteous future together.
• Offer mediation services to Muslim community members in certain specific civil matters when such services are requested.
• Endeavor to advance research and practice in the field of interfaith dialogue.

Two independent committees will be formed and work under the guidance and supervision of this of Hidayah Dawah & Outreach Center.

 The Dawah Committee

This committee will visit and meet with the neighboring Muslims residents of the Masjid and try to bring them closer to Islam by practicing and propagating the six essential qualities:

1. Oneness of God (tawheed, which in Arabic means attributing Oneness to Allah and describing Him as being One and Unique, with no partner or peer in His Essence and
   Attributes).
2. Establishment of the five daily obligatory prayers (iqamatus salah).
3. Acquiring beneficial knowledge and with remembrance of Allah ﷻ (ilm wa zikr).
4. Utmost regard for the fellow Muslim (ikramul Muslim),
5. Always maintaining sincerity in intention (ikhlasun niyyah).
6. Visiting other Muslims and encouraging them to come to masjid regularly (khurooj for dawah).
   This committee will work in coordination with the local Tablighi Jamaat.

 The Outreach Committee

Objectives of this Outreach Committee will include:

• To engage with the neighboring non-Muslims residents of the Masjid and try to introduce them to Islam.
• To maintain relations with local prison systems and provide them necessary support and material for Muslim prisoners. About 10% of the prison population in the U.S. is Muslim, most of them reverted in prison.
• To develop and coordinate Host Open House on monthly basis or as needed to allow visitors to openly ask questions about Islam.
• To strengthen collaborative partnerships with other faith-based organizations.

Amanah Scholarships and Endowment will aim to revive and promote the sunnah of waqf for its religious virtue and charitable benefits to society. Waqf (Arabic for endowment) is philanthropic deed in perpetuity.

It involves donating an amount or a fixed asset which can produce a financial return or provide a benefit for the continuing support or maintenance of an organization. Endowments are designed to keep the principal amount intact while using the investment income for ongoing financial resources for the organization’s operations or for specific programs.

Commitments to endowment are accepted as outright gifts in the form of cash or securities, as pledges payable over a five-year period, and as planned gifts, which include will commitments, trusts, and life-income instruments. Revenues from the endowment will be used as defined by the donors to the endowment fund for:

Inayah Clinic is going to be free health clinic that will, inSha-Allah ta’ala, offer essential medical and ancillary services to the Northeast Houston Muslims community. It will be established and run by dedicated local physicians and volunteers to serve the community to the best of their abilities.

(From Inception to Construction)

The following strategic plan will function as an organizational document that breaks the HIC project down into smaller, easily understandable, and doable components and establishes an estimated timeline for project completion.

1. Conception /ideation:

The idea of Humble Islamic Center was first conceptualized in the beginning of 2015. This was after many Muslim residents of Kingwood, Atascocita, Humble, Fall Creek, Summerwood and other Northeast Houston communities communicated in various meetings the need of a comprehensive Islamic center in their vicinity. It was exceedingly difficult to impossible for the many residents of these Northeast Houston communities to attend any of the five daily obligatory prayers in congregation, benefit from masjid environment and activities or have their children attain basic Islamic knowledge and interact with other Muslims on daily basis. Currently, there is not a single full-fledged Islamic center in the area within 20-mins drive distance or 20-mile radius.

Progress

100%

2. Registration with the State and the IRS:

Humble Islamic Center, Inc was incorporated with the Secretary State of Texas on Sep 12th, 2019 to perform religious, educational, and charitable with a mission to provide a comprehensive and redefined youth-centric Islamic Center experience to all Muslims and convey Islamic teachings with utmost nobility, clarity, and integrity to all people. IRS approved and granted the HIC a nonprofit religious organization tax exemption status undersection 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code on Jun 09, 2020.

Progress

100%

3. Site Location and Feasibility Studies:

This process included:

• Studying the demographics of Northeast Houston communities including Kingwood, Atascocita, Humble, Fall Creek, Summerwood, Huffman, and Aldine.
• Analyzing the size of the property required for all HIC activities,
• Finding the best possible central location to serve as many Northeast Houston communities as possible.

Progress

100%

4. Land Search and Preliminary Property Surveys:

After finding and evaluating many possible locations, the best possible location with good accessibility, visibility, affordability, traffic flow, relax zoning restrictions, and surrounding infrastructures was selected. The preliminary surveys of the property were completed in June of 2020.

Progress

100%

5. Pre- Purchase Due Diligence/ Research:

In this phase, steps were taken in order to collect the necessary data/questions to assess the potential issues with the site, and/or what will need to be done in order to meet all future construction requirements. These include requirements for:

• Engineering, Building permits / parking requirements, Landscape setbacks, Fire department requirements, lighting ordinance, Signe Requirements.
• Utilities: water, sewer, storm drainage, power, gas, phone, internet etc.

Progress

100%

6. Land Acquisition:

Alhamdu lillah, 12 acres of land which is centrally situated at: 3600 Wilson Rd, Humble, TX 77396, was acquired on 9th February 2021. The acquired land is in the name of Humble Islamic Center Inc., IRS Tax ID No 843315049, a tax-exempt, 501c3 nonprofit religious organization.

Progress

100%

7. Land development and Preliminary Design Preparation:

During this phase, we will, insha Allah ta’ala:

• Hire architects and consultants to prepare the Site Plan,
• Develop landscape which also includes land clearing, tree removal and fencing of the property.
• Perform land-elevation/ site grading,
• Perform pond feasibly study,
• Prepare initial project rendering,

8. Pre-Construction Drawings/ Building Plan:

During this phase, insha Allah ta’ala, our construction management team will complete the following:

•  Engineering, designing, planning, and budgeting,
• Determine all legal requirements, zoning restrictions, and ascertain the risks and advantages of various design proposals and finalizing the best design.
• Construction management team will define the project, prepare preliminary cost estimates to meet the budget, identify potential construction issues and solutions, and        ultimately determine the most efficient use of money and resources.

9. Building Permits Approval/Issuance:

In this development process, all necessary steps will be taken in order to satisfy all legal requirements for construction.

10. Starting the Construction:

The HIC construction project will be completed in several phases on priority basis and as funds are available:
1. In the first phase, insha Allah ta’ala, a partial Masjid facility for men and women, a wudhu area, along
with Hifz classes and necessary administrative offices will be built.
2. In the 2nd phase, multi-purpose hall will be built.