At our second Annual Revival BBQ, we brought together many familiar faces and so many new ones. We spent a beautiful day at Valley Stream State Park where we cooked up hot dogs, burgers, and delicious chicken. Many of you contributed desserts, snacks, and drinks, bringing lots of baraqah to our gathering.

It was wonderful to see so many of you bring your children and even parents, and spend the afternoon getting to know other brothers and sisters in Islam. From the food to the conversations to the kids running around…it was beautiful to witness the community show up like this.

May Allah preserve these connections and allow us to keep building our community with sincerity.

Community, connection, and a whole lot of good food! Our first ever Community Potluck Iftar was one for the books! From biryani to tacos to coconut cream pie, we came together to break our fast and build bonds, Alhamdulillah.

Just remembering the reminder of the night that we’re not promised another Ramadan, so let’s make the most of every moment, deepening our connection with Allah’s book and striving for good.

May Allah accept our worship, increase us in taqwa, and grant us many more gatherings like this. Ameen!

At our second Sisters Social, we spent a beautiful afternoon amongst sisters in the Revival community. We started with a short halaqa about what sisterhood means to each of us. Then dived into a flower arranging activity where we arranged roses, tulips, and other fresh flowers. Afterwards, we had delicious food — from pasta and sandwiches to chocolate-covered strawberries and homemade cookies—and got to know one another in candle lit rooms.

Galentine’s isn’t just about friendship; it’s about uplifting one another, reminding each other of our worth, and strengthening our bond for the sake of Allah. Celebrating the beauty of sisterhood in Islam—where love, support, and kindness bring us together. May we always be sources of love, encouragement, and dua for our sisters.

In the age of digital distractions and overwhelming information, "Brain Rot" — a colloquial term for mental stagnation caused by overconsumption of trivial or harmful content — has become a significant barrier to personal growth and productivity. At this event, we explored the concept of “brain rot” through an Islamic lens, examining its impact on mental clarity, time management, and spiritual well-being.

Lead by Dr. Ali and Dr. Rehan at @khaircollective, we got honest about what this non-stop digital world is doing to our minds—and more importantly, our hearts. It’s scary how easy it is to lose yourself in the noise, to let your intellect and spirituality slip away, all while thinking, “it’s just one more scroll.” But we know better now. We see it for what it is another tool Shaytan uses to keep us distracted, detached, and dulled down.

In discussion circles, we discussed what brain rot means to us and how it impacts our daily lives. Huge thank you to @khaircollective for an incredible presentation and for giving us the clarity to start making real, lasting changes. May Allah preserve our intellect and our faith. Ameen.

Having civic engagement as a top priority for our organization, we were excited to partake in our first Winter Coat Drive! We partnered with ICNA Relief to collect coats, as well as other clothing items for men, women, and children. Alhumdulillah we ended up with tons of bags of donations thanks to the generosity of our community!

On Sunday, we gathered at the ICNA Nassau Community Center to sort the items, and get them ready for donation. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, we spent 2.5 hours organizing the donations and ended up with over 20 boxes of clothing items in good quality! The items were donated to a nearby donation center. We ended the evening with Maghrib and pizza for dinner.

We are grateful for all the blessings bestowed on us by Allah SWT, and want to ensure we give back to the community as much as we can. We aim to prioritize civic engagement opportunities, and would love to hear from you if you have any ideas!

Faith in Action marked our first event focused on political involvement. Brothers Mossab Sadeia and Abdul Rahman lead a meaningful discussion on how building local political power starts with staying informed, engaged, and ready to take action. We reflected on the importance of voting and how, as Muslims we can shape our future by taking our political role seriously.

Brother Mossab Sadeia put it best—stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Our faith calls us to step out of the comfort zones of this dunya and commit to what’s true, good, and right. It’s not always easy, and the road might get uncomfortable, but that’s where real growth happens.

Faith isn’t about following the crowd—it’s about standing firm, even when the world is pulling you in different directions. Let’s take those steps, even when they’re tough, and trust that every sacrifice brings us closer to our purpose. At the end of the day, our goal is beyond this world, and the reward is worth every struggle.

“This worldly life is no more than play and amusement. But the Hereafter is indeed the real life, if only they knew.” [Surah Ankabut, Verse 64]

Heart 2 Heart was all about helping with conflict resolution and communication. Brother Omar, Sister Alaa, and Sister Buki joined us a second time to share practical tips on how to handle disagreements in a healthy, constructive way. They pointed out that while previous generations didn’t have these tools, we now have the knowledge to work through conflicts in a much better way.

Some of the key tips included staying on topic, using reflective listening, speaking with “I” statements instead of “you,” taking a breather when things get heated, and always working towards a solution with compromise. We also talked about avoiding insults, yelling, and stonewalling, and instead focusing on understanding each other’s point of view.

The event really emphasized how important open communication and empathy are in building stronger, more meaningful connections. We learned to have conversations grounded in Islamic values and the teachings of the Prophet. It was a great evening full of engaging discussions, delicious food, and refreshing mocktails—definitely a memorable and impactful experience for everyone who joined us.

We had an amazing and eye-opening session where we got real about just how important it is to keep our souls in check. Ustadh Abu Hafsah guided us through some deep reflections on the struggles we all face—those inner battles and the stress that life throws at us, which can sometimes pull us away from our faith. We shared some practical tips and insights on how to cleanse our hearts and boost our spiritual habits.

This gathering was a powerful reminder that taking care of our souls and staying connected to our faith is essential for our well-being and growth. We shared some supplications to help regulate the soul on our Instagram-go check it out!

The Sisters Only Paint & Sip event was Revival’s first gender specific event and definitely not our last (Insha'Allah)! It brought together an incredible group of women for an afternoon of creativity, meaningful connection, and sisterhood. The energy in the room was warm and genuine, with each conversation fostering a deeper bond among us.

Our paintings beautifully reflected our shared experiences, and the Palestinian theme was embraced with love and respect, making the event even more special. It was a truly healing and empowering experience that we’ll cherish.

Mental health is such a big part of who we are—it shapes how we think, feel, act, and connect with others. But let’s be real, it’s not something we talk about enough, especially in Muslim communities. That’s why Revival is stepping up to break the stigma and start real conversations about mental health, relationships, and spiritual well-being.

Our event, Mindful Relationships, brought together some amazing experts like Dr. Omar Shareef, Sr. Alaa M. Shareef, and Sr. Bukurije Ramusevic. We kicked things off with breakout sessions to dive into how mental health shows up in our lives, followed by a group Q&A and discussion. Of course, we ended the night with food and a chance to chill with the panelists! Sister Alaa even shared some great book recommendations, like "When Hearing Becomes Listening" by Mikaeel Ahmed Smith and "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work" by Dr. John Gottman. Revival is all about creating safe spaces to talk about what really matters, helping us grow mentally, spiritually, and as a community.

Our first Revival BBQ was filled with community and delicious food! Alhumdulillah we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day at Cunningham Park where we grilled burgers, hot dogs, and delicious chicken, from Organic Spices and Halal Supply Corp. Jazak’Allah Khair to those that brought food to share; we tasted delicious quinoa salad with lime vinaigrette, potato salad, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. We also provided games and toys for the younger crowd, and even had a face painting station for kids (and adults) to enjoy! 

With bellies full, we prayed Dhuhr on the fresh, green lawn and listened to an important reminder about community. Eventually the large gathering broke up into smaller groups, with some going on walks, others chatting under the warm Sun, and some even starting a game of volleyball and frisbee. Towards the end of the day, the brothers started a friendly game of football and finished with some more BBQ for fuel.

Alhumdlillah we were so excited to see old faces and welcome new ones! We loved meeting each other’s families and having the chance to start the summer among wonderful company. We hope to see you at the next BBQ, In Sha Allah!

Ramadan Resurgence marked Revival’s second event, with a focus on how to help us prepare for Ramadan, establish meaningful habits during the holy month, and sustain those practices throughout the year. The evening began with a lively social half-hour, where we enjoyed connecting over refreshing mocktails provided by Tek A Sip. Following this, we split into brothers’ and sisters’ breakout groups to discuss common challenges faced during Ramadan and strategies to overcome them. 

We were then joined by Imam Bilal Khan, who delivered a profound reminder on how to make the most of Ramadan as working professionals, young couples, and parents. His talk was both inspiring and practical, and the engaging Q&A session provided additional insights. The night concluded with a delicious dinner featuring zinger burgers from BBQ Nite, leaving everyone satisfied and motivated. Alhamdulilah, we departed feeling more spiritually and mentally prepared to embrace Ramadan than when we arrived.

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