In The Name Of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful
The submitting men, the submitting women, the
believing men, the believing women, the obedient men, the
obedient women, the truthful men, the truthful women, the
steadfast men, the steadfast women, the reverent men, the
reverent women, the charitable men, the charitable women,
the fasting men, the fasting women, the chaste men, the chaste
women, and the men who commemorate God frequently and the
commemorating women; God has prepared for them forgiveness
and a great recompense. (33:35)
The 11th annual International Submitters Conference was held
from August 9-11 in Houston, Texas, and was attended by about
200 people from different parts of the world.
There was a lot of excitement as believers got together.
It was a joyful reunion for many and a delightful introduction
for others. Praise God for granting us this wonderful opportunity
to meet and interact with each other.
The Jumah khutba (Friday sermon) by Brother Abdullah
Arik focused on the importance of being united in the fundamentals
of our faith, being tolerant and not being judgmental. It
was a wonderful beginning for the conference. The khutba was
followed by a welcome and self introductions, which is a fun
way of getting to know who's who.
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The personal sharing of brothers and sisters
from all over the world was a wonderful experience. There
were many first time speakers this year plus a few from previous
years, and the blending of fresh ideas with the wisdom of
long time submitters was very enriching.
The community reports were quite inspiring. The numbers are
increasing—alhumdulillah—and there is
active participation in a wide spectrum of projects.
The emcees did a great job of fitting in as many speakers
as possible. It was wonderful how many people wanted to share
with the whole community. The daily zikr and Quranic recitations
were beautiful (especially during the thunderstorms!) and
crossed all language barriers. The hotel, food and other arrangements
were excellent. May God bless the Houston and Tucson communities
for all their efforts.
It is always sad when the conference comes to an end, and
we each go our own ways, but—inshallah—there
is the next conference to look forward to. The love, warmth
and sharing of the believers is a wonderful gift from God.
May God, in His infinite grace and mercy, continue to guide
and keep us on the right path. God bless you all.
Nargis Currim
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