Ribaat Student of the Month ~ April 2018
Zain Sayed
Leaving your homeland is never easy. You leave all your familiarities and comforts like family, friends, food, language and culture. Then to assimilate into a world that does not feel fully yours can be hard.
For Syrian Zain Sayed, adjusting to Western life in Canada came with its difficulties. What has gotten her through is continuing her work in da’wah on this side of the ocean, and she relies on the Ribaat Academic Program to show her how.
As a new Ribaat student, she has quickly excelled and is ready to take on more courses in upcoming semesters. “If I have the time, I’d like to take all the classes I possibly can,” says Zain enthusiastically, who works as a settlement worker assistant in Manitoba. Zain runs a girls’ club and a halaqa for kids, and she teaches tajwid and Quran to adults. Through it all, she is diligently trying to apply what she learns from Ribaat into her da’wah work.
“I think Ribaat is pushing me forward to continue more and more da’wah without stopping,” shares Zain. It is teaching me how to understand the Western culture and how to present Islam here effectively. This is very important to me, since I am not originally from Canada.”
Zain also really appreciates the sisterhood she has been able to form through the online community. She has been able to find support from her teachers and fellow classmates, which gives her the feeling that everyone is working in a collective effort towards good.
“Knowing that I am not alone in this field is strengthening me,” says Zain. “It is a real blessing to have the chance to learn through such an academic teaching system. Da’wah workers a few years ago didn’t have this kind of access to others! I am grateful to have the chance to reach and connect with many individuals at once through Ribaat.”
When Zain was leaving Syria, she worried about how she would continue doing da’wah work in a new land. However, she soon realized her work was just beginning. “Through Ribaat and my new sisterhood, I feel blessed to be able to carry on this great work of da’wah even outside my homeland. Thank you to Anse Tamara Gray and all the volunteers for always looking out for me,” Zain says.
