12/21/2025
Ashes Where Lessons Lived 🔥
Earlier this week, a fire destroyed the building that housed Baitul Hikmah Academy and Masjid Hamzah. Everyone survived. No lives were lost. But many children lost the place that ordered their days and steadied their lives.
Classrooms vanished overnight.
With them went the laughter that once echoed in the halls, the voices that learned to read aloud, ask questions, and find confidence, and the small drawings that made the space feel safe. What once held voices and prayer now holds silence.
For a child, a school is not just a structure. It is a routine that brings calm. It is presence that brings reassurance. It is a _refuge_.
That refuge is gone.
This campus shaped minds and character side by side. It taught purpose, responsibility, and care for others. It anchored families from diverse backgrounds and served as a moral center for multiple communities.
Now the children are displaced. Learning has shifted online out of necessity, not choice. Teachers continue, adapting lessons while supporting them emotionally. But screens cannot replace eye contact, reassurance, or the steady presence of a teacher nearby.
“While we are deeply grateful that no lives were lost,” shares the Chairman, “the emotional impact of this tragedy was immense.” It housed shared resources and collective memory.
Teachers still show up. They rewrite plans, comfort uncertainty, and carry the weight so their children do not have to.
But the kids, in their pure innocence, ask the questions which rupture the heart...
Where will we learn?
When will we return?
Will it ever feel the same?
These questions settle deeply, they shape focus, confidence, and emotional safety.
The support of neighbors, first responders, and community members has been a light against the smoke. Yet the need remains heavy.
In this moment of loss, generosity has met us with open doors. We are deeply grateful to Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake, Minnesota, for welcoming our community and hosting Friday prayer. Their compassion stands as a reminder that solidarity endures.
A school is more than walls. But walls still matter.
With your support, what was reduced to ash can rise again.
How You Can Help:
1. Support the rebuilding the school by donating at https://www.launchgood.com/v4/campaign/respond_masjid_hamza_school_fire
2. Share this story and the link so others can carry it forward - Like, Comment and Follow to stay updated on our journey.
Direct Payment Links:
1. Zelle:
763-600-2227
[email protected]
2. Paypal:
paypal.me/almahmoodmn
