At the launch of SEEMA, a woman sat in the lobby of the banquet hall, wiping tears from her eyes.  She was worried for her adult child who was showing signs of severe mental illness. 

A mother needs SEEMA.

Before the first support group, a father reached out to SEEMA.  He had severe depression and was afraid he was going to lose his children. 

A father needs SEEMA.

A young man's best friend suffers from depression and has thoughts of suicide. 

A best friend needs SEEMA.

A young woman, whose husband was showing signs of mental illness, had physically attacked her and her small children. 

A wife needs SEEMA.

 Another woman, whose father couldn't get himself out of bed for months, didn't know how to explain to relatives why he didn't attend their social gatherings. 

A daughter needs SEEMA.

Mental illness affects 1 in 4 people.  That means, almost every single one of us knows of someone or has some affiliation with a person who has a Mental Illness.  Could it be you? A Family member? A Community Member? What are you doing to help them?

Muslim families across North America are facing the challenges of mental health conditions in their homes.  They are shamed by the stigma, isolated by their communities, and lack support.  We understand this, because this was our story.  

SEEMA: Support Embrace Empower Mental health Advocacy was created to support families like ours--through support groups and workshops, SEEMA will make sure no one suffers alone anymore.

Alhamdulillah, SEEMA launched November of 2017, and has already initiated support groups, educational workshops, and social activities in Chicago, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia, with strong interest in starting activities in other states, insha Allah.

SEEMA was developed to bring the conversation of mental health and stigma to the forefront of our Muslim communities, to support one another, rather than suffering alone. 

SEEMA aims to advocate for mental health by way of educational workshops and support groups, providing access to professionals, as well as offering scholarships to encourage graduate studies in the field of mental health and social work.

To further understand why SEEMA was started, read our personal narratives on living  with a mother with severe mental illness on MuslimMatters and MostlyMuslim.

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Where Will Your Funds Be Utilized?

• Support Groups
• For both individuals living with mental health conditions as well as their families and loved ones
• Educational Workshops
• Educating and de-stigmatizing mental health conditions in the Muslim community

• Social Activities
• Providing families who have felt shamed and isolated, a sense of community and support
• Advocacy
• Local service referrals within local mosques
• Trained staff at Islamic Schools
• Scholarships
• For graduate students pursuing degrees in social work, psychology, and other mental health fields

ESTIMATED COST: $20,000

As a newly launched venture, SEEMA needs your financial support to create these programs across North America, to become the voice for our isolated Brothers and Sisters.  Please show your support!

So, How Can You Help?

1. Please lend your financial support to SEEMA by donating on this page. 

2. Share this LaunchGood campaign via email and social media with all your family and friends.  

3. Please pray for the success of this program, and for Allah SWT to ease the difficulties of all our Brothers & Sisters.

Jazakum Allahu Khairun

To find out more about SEEMA, check us out at seema.muhsen.org or on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  You can also email us at seema@muhsen.org.  

To join our newsletter or to volunteer, click here.

If you're a licensed professional and would like to volunteer your services to SEEMA, click here to be added to our online directory of providers.

The categories of recipients of zakah are stated in the following verse: “Charities are (meant) only for the poor and the needy, and those who are charged with collecting them, and those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and (for) those who are overburdened with debts, and (for those who strive) in Allah’s cause (fi sabili-llah), and (for) the way-farer: (this is) an ordinance from Allah—and Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise” (At-Tawbah: 60).

As is clear from the above verse, one of the categories is fi sabili-llah. … among the commentators of the Qur’an (mufassirun) as well as the jurists (fuqaha’), who have used the term fi sabili-llah in a far wider sense, thus extending it to include all beneficial works and projects that are of common benefit to the Ummah. They have thus included in this category such services as funeral arrangements, building and taking care of schools and mosques, establishing hospitals, building bridges, etc. In short, they definitely include institutions that provide educational or social services under this category and thus eligible to receive funds from zakah.