I received a call from an elderly Muslim. He was enquiring about Ramadan Chicken. I provided canned response that we do not handle distribution and he needs to go to the food bank to pickup. He then told me that he was 85 years old, and that he uses a walker and depends on WheelTran for transportation. My heart melted, and I offered to pick some chicken for him from the food bank and deliver to his home.

He lives in a ‘social housing’ high rise, which is supported by the government. When I knocked at the door I found a kindly old man leaning against the walker. He invited me in. He and his 76 year old wife live here. Over next half an hour he poured over his life in the old country and 11 years in Canada. He lived with his son initially but family and financial burdens split the family. He lived for a few years in a basement, but his knees would not allow him to use stairs. A kindly Canadian civil servant pushed his application for the Social Housing. Now his life revolves round hospital visits.

If we want to do work for Islam, then looking after such people is that work. It should be prerogative of masjids to organize such a work. All too often we use masjids as we use fast food outlets; fast in and out. Say salah and then abscond as fast as one can.