Asalaam Alaikum,
My name is Gibson Lopez and I am South Florida Muslim Foundation’s new Operations Manager.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve the Ummah of Allah SWT last Prophet صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم! It is truly a blessing to be a part of the diverse South Florida community. I have grown in the community and I have been inspired by our teachers to hold to adab, to appreciate our differences and to strive to seek knowledge – all as a part of preserving the beauty of the ummah.
Our community’s teachers instruct us in sacred activism based on correct Islamic knowledge, and as a youth leader, I take this very seriously. This sacred activism will allow for the community to unite, heal and overcome the challenges of modernity. Knowledge applied with proper ethics and adab provides an effective framework for solving internal and external problems that affect the community. As the Operations Manager of the SoFlo Muslim Federation, I intend to work with the wonderful Federation team and the community at large to bring this teaching to all our activities. These activities will include institutional networking, masjid empowerment, professional workshops, mental health, weekend conferences, youth camps and sports tournaments – all with the intention of fostering unity, healthy spirituality, and increasing physical wellbeing.
As an ummah, we must live and breathe Islam in accordance with the commands of Allah as exemplified by the Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that there are two types of people in his ummah who play the most pivotal roles regarding the success: the leaders and the scholars, if they are sound then the people will be sound and if they are unsound then the people will be unsound. This hadith points to the communal responsibility of fostering a culture of ethical leadership, of social justice and of increasing educational opportunities to allow for sound understanding of the religion. Furthermore, this sound understanding must be accompanied by sound application, which will nurture unity amongst South Florida’s many Islamic institutions. My vision for the community is directly informed by this hadith and the lessons we can take from it.
To close, we ask Allah Almighty to allow us to observe the example of His Prophet and benefit from his council, amin. May Allah make us from among those who seek and apply knowledge in a manner He is pleased with. May Allah unite us, so we can fulfill our purpose as in our communal roles. Whether we are leaders, scholars, young professionals or aspiring adolescents, may He guide us and make us guides to revive the prestige of the ummah. May He grant us the highest point in Jannah and guard us from evil, division, rancor and provocations. May He protect us from all harm and purify our hearts and our intentions. Amin!
May Allah bless us, our leaders, our scholars and may He unite us all upon righteousness and piety. May He allow us to seek the truth, to stay firm upon His path and may He show us the truth and apply it even if the truth goes against us. Amin!
I have you all in my duas, please keep me in yours.
Jazakallah Khair,
Br. Gibson Munir Lopez
SoFLo Muslims Operations Manager
