"Let there arise from among you a group inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining the good and forbidding evil. Such will prosper." (3:104)

"Say: 'We (Muslims) believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)'" (2:136)
 

Prison Dawah by Volunteers
Annual Statistics & Total since 1/94:
It began with consistency in January 1994 as visit to two prisons by two volunteers and progressed to the following at the present time:                                                                                                        8/00     8/01   8/02 7/03   7/4 7/5  7/6               TOTAL  

Prisons on scheduled visit/month    56        60       56     55   52   55   55  

• Visits made per month to prisons   63        66       51     48   42   47   62
• Consistent volunteers per month  27        24       23     27   28   30   33
• Active volunteers                         56        59       62     31   33   32   34
• Quran w AYA T/C/month deliv.    64        50       56     58   55   56   64  
•       //          //          //  /year deliv.    588      600     672   694 658 662 765
•       //          //          //  since January 1994                                                              6850 
• ISLAM, Beliefs & Teachings del    250      140     110    301 269 352 488            2256   
• Help Yourself Reading Quran       270      350     335    317 213 300 299            3279   
• Arabic/English Dictionaries Del.    50        8         22       20  32    44  53              235
• Alif Lam Mim to learn Q. Arabic  52         25       40       29  52    0    24              308
• Seerah Books Delivered               7          4         29       16  31    33  26              207
• Attendees in Q. Studies for Visits  7400  7600  9260   6583 6935 9251 9312     89484  
• Guests attending Q. Studies         1600  1450  1722   1393 1028 1882 2774       17756  
• Recorded Reversions in Visits     156    134    129     155   179   193  232          1540   
• Muslim Chaplains in TX              4          5       5        5       4       4       4            4
• Dawah Pamphlets to prisons at each visit since 94 guessing at                               65000
• Loaner Videos to majority of the prisons since 96 for circulation guessing at           460
• Audiotape for 30th Juz recorded by Sh. Moustafa Mahmoud provided to each prison.
• Recommended Dawah Material has developed over the years with these dawah activities.
• Texas 13th Annual Prison Dawah Symposium will be held on Sunday November 19, 2006.
• Quranic Studies have been the basis for all this activity. It is all due entirely to the Grace of Allah SBW. Presently in and around North Zone alone, as many as 32 Quranic Studies on weekly to monthly basis are held amounting to over 2000 hours of Quranic education per month.

Prisons lost to volunteers earlier and reincorporated in monthly rotation are Holiday, Ferguson, Pam Lychner, McConnell, Hughes, Beto & Gurney.  Byrd, Limestone DC, Hodge, Powledge, Hilltop, Garza East and Garza West have no longer been on rotation list of the Islamic volunteers from Houston. Ellis and Eastham units have been temporarily removed from the rotation of volunteers as a disciplinary action against the misbehavior of the inmates towards the chaplaincy department unrelated to the volunteers.
Muhammad Bey of Huntsville has been in charge for follow-up of the inmates released to Houston. Over 26 have been rehabilitated in the Houston community.
Dr Mazhar Kazi and ICNA have been actively involved in the education of the new Muslims and their integration in the community.

Interfaith Activity: A number of workers have been active, Sheikh Zubair Bouchekhi, Dr Basheer Khumawala, Dr Javed Aslam and Our President Rodwan Saleh to name few. Location has varied from churches, Islamic Dawah Center and various ISGH mosques.

Educational Institutions: Professor Basheer Khumawala has been the coordinator supported by MSA in universities and colleges. Sheikh Zubair Bouchekhi is one of the panelists on the topic of “The Place of Imams in Community Leadership and Development” during 43rd Annual ISNA Convention in Chicago. Brother Farooq Malik is one of the two panelists on “Meet the Author” regarding Translation of the Meaning of Al Quran, the Guidance for Mankind and Az Zakah, The Islamic Financial Responsibility during this Annual ISNA Convention.

Ramadan & Dawah: Inviting neighbors and guests to homes and to mosque has great potential. This blessed month was used by many for outreach programs at the expense of some of the extra ritualistic activity. Let us do more of it during the coming Ramadan.

Radio/TV/Live Video Conference: Sheikh Moustafa Mahmoud, Sheikh Zubair Bouchekhi, Dr Basheer Khumawala and Dr Javed Aslam participated in radio talk shows, live Video Conferences etc.

Night Vigil (Qiyamul Lail): With regularity in North Zone (Bilal Masjid) and also in many other ISGH mosques have been of great help in building the community. Active participation in Quranic studies does lead to improved Quranic literacy and subsequent changes in the lifestyle for the better.

Laeeq A. Khan MD, Chairman Ad Dawah Islamic Society of Greater Houston,
August 29, 2006.