Salaam Mentoring Program

18/04/2026

When Service Becomes Legacy: The Lives of Lucy Kalanzi and Hajjati Halima Ssekabira..

In a single week, two remarkable women were laid to rest—Lucy Kalanzi and Hajjati Halima Ssekabira.

They came from different faiths, walked different paths, and served in different spaces. Yet, in the end, their lives told the same story one of devotion, humility, and quiet but powerful service.

Neither woman held a prominent public title. They were not defined by positions or status. Instead, they became pillars in their communities through something far more enduring: consistent, selfless service.

Lucy Kalanzi was remembered through the testimonies of those in Phaneroo Ministries International, where her life spoke louder than any title she could have held. She served faithfully in the house of God, not for recognition, but out of genuine love and commitment. Her impact was not built on visibility it was built on presence, dedication, and a heart fully given to God.

On the other hand, Hajjati Halima Ssekabira stood as a guiding light within her Muslim community. She was known not only for her faith, but for the way she poured into others especially young women. Through her words and example, she encouraged dignity, self-respect, and modesty. Her leadership was not loud, but it was deeply felt. She shaped lives in ways that will continue long after her passing.

What makes their stories even more profound is the unity in their message.

Two women.
Two faiths.
One principle: to love God wholeheartedly and serve people selflessly.

Their eulogies did not revolve around wealth, titles, or public achievements. Instead, they reflected lives poured out in service, lives that prioritized faith, community, and the well-being of others. In a world that often celebrates visibility and recognition, their journeys remind us of a deeper truth:
the most powerful impact is often made quietly.

Their passing leaves more than grief, it leaves a challenge.

A challenge to serve without waiting to be noticed.
To lead without needing a title.
To give without expecting anything in return.

Lucy Kalanzi and Hajjati Halima Ssekabira may no longer be physically present, but their legacy is clear. It lives in the people they touched, the values they upheld, and the example they set.

They did not just believe in God.
They lived in a way that reflected Him.

And in doing so, they showed that true leadership is not about position it is about service.

19/02/2026

Lent and Ramadhan Together: A Mercy for the Ummah

At certain moments in history, sacred seasons align in meaningful ways. When the Islamic month of Ramadhan coincides with the Christian season of Lent, it creates a unique spiritual atmosphere. Referring to how Allah describes Ramadhan in the Qur’an (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183–185), this overlap can be understood as a mercy for the Ummah and for society at large. Ramadhan is described as a month of revelation, guidance, fasting, Taqwa, mercy, and gratitude. When these themes unfold alongside Lent, the spiritual impact deepens.

1️⃣ Ramadhan as the Month of Revelation

Allah says:

“Shahru Ramadāna allathee unzila feehi al-Qur’ān…”

Ramadhan is honored because it is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed. This makes it a season of divine light and guidance. Lent, though different in doctrine, is also a time when Christians reflect deeply on scripture and repentance. When both seasons occur together, society becomes more spiritually attentive. This shared atmosphere encourages reflection and reverence for God’s word. Such an environment supports Muslims in reconnecting with the Qur’an, making the overlap a mercy.

2️⃣ A Shared Tradition of Fasting

Allah says:

“Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you…” (2:183)

This verse shows that fasting is not new; it was practiced by earlier religious communities. Lent also involves fasting and sacrifice. When Ramadhan and Lent coincide, the Qur’anic truth that fasting is a universal act of devotion becomes visible in daily life. Muslims witness Christians fasting, and Christians observe Muslims fasting. This reinforces the continuity of prophetic teachings and strengthens appreciation for Islam’s place in the broader history of revelation.

3️⃣ A Season of Taqwa and Moral Discipline

The purpose of fasting in Ramadhan is:

“…so that you may attain Taqwa.”

Ramadhan trains believers in self-control, patience, empathy, and discipline. Lent similarly emphasizes repentance, charity, and restraint. When both occur simultaneously, society may experience increased generosity, reduced indulgence, and heightened moral awareness. This collective moral uplift benefits the Ummah and the wider community. A society that is more conscious of God is a society closer to peace.

4️⃣ A Platform for Peaceful Coexistence

The Qur’an describes Ramadhan as a time when guidance is made clear for mankind (Hudan linnās). When Lent and Ramadhan overlap, it opens doors for dialogue and understanding. Conversations about fasting, prayer, and repentance arise naturally. Instead of division, there is opportunity for mutual respect. In diverse communities like Uganda, this shared spiritual season can strengthen harmony. That unity is itself a form of divine mercy.

5️⃣ A Reminder of Allah’s Mercy and Ease

Allah declares:

“Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” (2:185)

Seeing others engaged in sacrifice can strengthen perseverance. Fasting becomes less isolating and more supported. The shared struggle fosters resilience and gratitude. Rather than feeling alone in devotion, believers sense a broader movement of worship within society.

6️⃣ Increased Charity and Social Responsibility

Both Ramadhan and Lent emphasize giving to the poor and serving others. During Ramadhan, Muslims increase acts of Sadaqah and Zakah. During Lent, Christians also focus on charity and compassion. When both seasons coincide, charitable activities may multiply within communities. This strengthens social bonds and reduces suffering. Such outcomes reflect the mercy and wisdom behind divine worship.

According to the Qur’an, Ramadhan is a month of revelation, guidance, fasting, Taqwa, mercy, and gratitude. When it occurs alongside Lent, the overlap can be viewed as a mercy for the Ummah. It creates a shared climate of worship, reinforces the universality of fasting, promotes moral discipline, encourages peaceful coexistence, and increases charity within society.

In a world often divided by differences, moments when communities bow in devotion at the same time remind humanity of a deeper truth: sincere return to God refines hearts, softens societies, and spreads mercy beyond boundaries.

05/02/2026

Useful Days

These are the days of your youth—
Breath full, hearts loud, hands capable.
Days meant for building, not breaking,
For purpose, not passing pleasure.

You will not trade destiny
For addiction dressed as escape,
Or party away the very days
He gave us to plant love.

We choose service over silence.
Impact over image.
Seeds over shortcuts.

And when youth fades
And old age arrives,
It won’t whisper regret—
It will shout celebration:
A life well lived.
A purpose fulfilled.

29/06/2024

22/06/2024

“My resignation had an impact”: Jewish Army Major resigns over war in Gaza

Major Harrison Mann resigned from his role at the Defense Intelligence Agency in November after a 13-year career in the Army over the United States’ role in Israel’s war in Gaza. Maj. Mann joins Ali Velshi to discuss his resignation. He says that his Jewish identity, including the memory of his grandparents escaping antisemitism in Europe, was part of why he made the choice to quit over what he describes as the “killing and starvation of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians.”

Major Harrison Mann resigned from his role at the Defense Intelligence Agency in November after a 13 year career in the Army over the United States’ role in Israel’s war in Gaza. Maj. Mann joins Ali Velshi to discuss his resignation. He says that his Jewish identity, including the memory of his ...

15/04/2024

Reflection No. 184 on Q 2:74 – Softening of the Heart
ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ
Thumma qasat qulūbukum min ba‘di dhālika fahiya kal-Hijārati aw ashaddu qaswah
Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks, rather worse in hardness; Sura al-(Sūrtual Baqarah, No. 2, Āyat 74)

Commentary
The above verse refers to the Banū Israel who were told to sacrifice a cow and strike a murdered man with a part of it. The man would then become alive and tell them who his murderer was. The many excuses and questions the Banū Israel asked Prophet Musa (a) about this, and their obvious reluctance to do as they were commanded, is condemned by Allah in this verse. Their attitude resulted in hardness of the heart.

One of the diseases that afflict the heart is hardness of the heart, known in Arabic as Qaswatul Qalb. Āyatullāh Dastghaib in his book Qalbe Salīm, describes it as a spiritual disease that prevents a human being from accepting the truth, and from submitting to, or having awe for, a Higher Authority. Hardness of the heart is a metaphorical term meaning indifference to advice or warnings. The heart is unaffected by scenes or events which evoke emotion such as the complaints of the oppressed and the weeping of the orphan. It generally becomes cold and stony.

Hardness of the heart is a disease and needs to be cured. To achieve true success in both the worlds, the human being must have a heart that is soft and responsive. Imam Muhammad al-Bāqir (a) said: No-one has been struck with a punishment greater than hardness of the heart (MH, H. 16,695). The human heart is not created hard. The child’s heart is very soft and tender. The adult however, through accumulation of sins and heedlessness, gradually acquires a hard heart. It is the duty of every believer to be wary of the state of his heart and take steps to avoid hardness.

Islam has shown many preventive measures as well as remedies for the hard heart. Many of the activities performed by Muslims, individually as well as in congregation, help believers in this matter. Salaat, Dhikr of Allah, helping the poor, going for Hajj or Ziyārat, are all actions that soften the heart and allow it to let the light of Allah pierce through.

One of the ways through which the heart is softened is through the ‘Azā’ during the days of Muharram. Mourning the tragedy of Karbala help soften the heart intellectually as well as emotionally; intellectually through listening to Qur’anic verses, Ahādīth of Ma‘sūmīn and their interpretations, and emotionally through active participation in the grief and tragedy of the Holy Ahlul Bayt (a).

The following are some ways in which ‘Azā’ help in preventing the hardening of the heart.

‘Azā’ and Remembrance of Allah
One of the best ways to prevent the death of the heart is to remember Allah. Muharram is an intensive period of reminders; reminder of the need to focus one’s life on pleasing Allah, reminder of the Hereafter and the transiency of life, and a reminder of what is really important in life.

‘Azā’ and Knowledge
One of the ways suggested by Islam to soften the heart and prevent its death is the acquiring of wisdom and knowledge. Luqmān al-Hakīm advised his son to seek knowledge, saying: Surely Allah gives life to the hearts through the light of wisdom, the way He gives life to the earth with rain from the sky (MH, H. 16733) Through the majālis that are part of ‘Azā’, knowledge and wisdom is transmitted from the pulpits of the mosques to the hearts of the believers. Thousands of believers listen to Majālis during these days thereby increasing their knowledge and softening their hearts.

‘Azā’ and Grief
Although a human being likes happiness for himself all the time, perpetual feelings of joy lead to arrogance and rebellion. Grief softens the heart, and makes the human being wiser and more emotionally mature. The Holy Prophet (s) has said: When Allah loves a person, He places in his heart a part of sorrow, for Allah loves every grieving heart. And when He dislikes a person, He will place in his heart a part of laughter, for laughter deadens the heart and Allah does not love those who are excessively happy. Grieving for Imam Husayn (a) and the sufferings of the holy family softens the hearts. The sorrow that is felt, the tears that are shed help to remove hardness of the heart and thus slow down or prevent the dying of the heart.

Use this verse to remind yourself of the dangers of a hard heart. Appreciate the opportunities we have to soften the heart, opportunities that are really blessings from the Lord who loves us and desires that we stay away from hard heartedness.

Resources:
Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (ed.), Tafsīre Namune;
Muhammadi Rayshahrī, Mīzānul Hikmah

02/04/2024

The َQur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). After his death many quran fragments & manuscripts are found in the mosque and museums.

Here are 9 oldest Qur'an manuscripts, they are:

1. The Birmingham Manuscript
2. Tübingen Fragment
3. Sana’a Manuscript
4. Codex Parisino-Petropolitanus
5. Topkapi Manuscript
6. Samarkand Kufic Quran or Uthman Quran
7. Blue Quran
8. Ibn Bawwab Quran
9. First Printed Quran

The words quran were first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). After his death many quran fragments & manuscripts are found in the mosque and museums.He...

02/04/2024

When was the Quran compiled as a written document?

It was written as soon as it was revealed. However, we Muslims
believe that God is the compiler of the Qur’an. The Qur’an says:
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ (16) إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ (17) فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ (18) ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ (19) سورة القيامه
[Prophet], do not move your tongue attempting to rush your memorization of the Revelation. (75:16) Its collection and recitation are up to us. (75:17) So, when We recite it, follow its recitation, (75:18) and it is then, up to Us, to make it all clear (75:19).

It is historically known that during the 23 years of Muhammad's mission as a messenger and a prophet, the verses of the Quran were memorized as they were revealed, and about 42 scribes wrote the verses on different materials such as cloth, bone fragments and leather.

However, during the time of Caliph Abu Bakr, 632 to 634 C.E., when 70 people who knew the Quran by heart (qari'), were killed in the Battle of Yamama, Umar ibn al-Khattab became concerned and appealed to Abu Bakr in order to compile the Quran into a written codex or a book.

Abu Bakr formed a delegation under the leadership of Zaid ibn Thabit, one of the leading scribes. This delegation of 12 people included famous figures such as Uthman bin Affan, Ali bin Abi Talib, and many other companions of the Prophet. They came together in Umar's house and collected all the materials on which verses from the Quran were written.

The manuscript according to Zayd remained with Abu Bakr until he died in 634.

In 644, Muhammad's widow Hafsa was entrusted with the manuscript until the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, requested the standard copy from her in 650.

In order to preserve the sanctity of the text, Uthman ordered a committee headed by the same Zayd to use Abu Bakr's copy and prepare a standard text of the Quran. Thus, within 20 years of Muhammad's death, the complete Quran was committed to a regular book format. All material used previously to write the Qur’an were no longer needed and were destroyed. That text became the model from which copies were made and promulgated throughout the urban centers of the Muslim world. The present form of the Quran’s text is accepted by Muslim scholars to be identical with the original version compiled by Abu Bakr. The preservation of the Quran in its perfection, is considered to be a miracle from God by all Muslims and other fair-minded people.

31/03/2024

Here is what I believe:

- I believe in One God, the Creator of the Heavens and earth and everything within them. I also believe that Muhammadﷺ is the Messenger of God.

- I believe that the Qur'an is the literal word of God, sent through the angel Gabrial to Prophet Muhammadﷺ over 23 years.

- I believe that to understand what God said to us in the Qur'an one has to know proficiently the Arabic language and to spend time and effort thinking about it, using all available tools of knowledge, including our wealthy heritage of Tafseer (exegesis).

- The Qur'an has a fixed text but a dynamic meaning. This is the reason Prophet Muhammadﷺ did not fully explain the Qur'an, otherwise, we would have been limited to a 7th-century understanding of the Qur'an. His exemplary life, however, was the first implementation of Qur'anic values on earth. Therefore, we must understand his life example (Sunnah) and learn his sayings (Hadith). I posted twice before, however, the criteria needed to accept that an event or a saying truly belongs to our beloved Prophetﷺ.

I will list them again for the benefit of everyone:
First: A hadith should not contradict the Qur'an.
Second: It should not contradict logic or reason.
Third: It should have mercy. The Qur'an calls the Prophetﷺ "A mercy to the worlds"
Fourth: It should represent the kindest of ethics (makarim Al Akhlak). The Qur'an teaches that the Prophetﷺ has the kindest or the noblest of ethics and manners.
Fifth: It should represent values accepted by humanity.
I developed these criteria, in order to sort out what is dependable hadith or event from the rest. I can go in more detail to explain each one of these criteria but for now, this should suffice.

31/03/2024

If you live in the U.S, and you want to give my Qur'an translation to a friend or a neighbor, please consider ordering this book that has my Qur'an translation and 3500 verses from the Bible with similar meaning to verses from the Qur'an as the late Dr. Hungerford and a team helping us found.
If you order it directly from me, I will sign it for you.

29/03/2024

وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا ۘ
If you turn back [to sinning], We will turn back [to punishing you]
17:08