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Kabar dari komunitas Muslim Indonesia di Austin: acara, prestasi, dan cerita dari kita untuk kita. Longer stories and photo albums live on our blog and Facebook page.
Alhamdulillah, many families came to our Family Halaqa on Sunday afternoon at Craig and Sandra's home in Lakeway. The bapak-bapak sat together around the screen and looked at our new weekly halaqa on Surah Al-A'raf. The ibu-ibu and the kids filled the house with good food, cake, and good company.
Terima kasih to Craig and Sandra for opening their home, and to everyone who came and brought food. See you at the next one, insya Allah.
Alhamdulillah, this year we did Qurban together as one community. We started with a Family Halaqah on 9 May with Ustadz Abdullah Suzek, hosted by Rio and Za Velarde. On Eid al-Adha, 27 May, we prayed together in the morning and then went to the farm for the sacrifice. After that the meat was cut and packed into portions to share. We closed with Halal Bihalal on 7 June.
Terima kasih to every donor, and to everyone who came to the farm and helped with the meat. The prices, the two options, and more photos are in the Qurban 2026 report.
Many of us know the international student struggle: F-1, then OPT, then hoping for the H-1B lottery, then hoping an employer will sponsor a green card. Sister Rahma, a PhD researcher, chose another path. Two immigration attorneys told her an EB2-NIW (National Interest Waiver) case would likely be denied. She prepared the petition herself, with research, persistence, and tawakkul, and got a direct approval, from F-1 straight to permanent resident, with no employer sponsor. She now coaches others who want to explore the same route.
Rahma is not an attorney; her guidance comes from personal experience and every case is different. Read the full story · rahmaniw.com
Alhamdulillah, we closed Ramadan together with a community Eid celebration in Round Rock, followed by open house visits in the following days. Thank you to every family who opened their home.
This year we broke fast together almost every weekend: the welcoming Ramadan iftar at the Todd family home (21 Feb), iftar with Permias UT Austin at Gateway Apartments (27 Feb), our own iftar for 350 people at ICLT (28 Feb), a visit to Raindrop Foundation's iftar (4 Mar), a family potluck iftar (7 Mar), a Grand Suhoor at Muse Cafe hosted by Yeni's Fusion (14 Mar), and a housewarming iftar with the Riska Aguilar family in Georgetown (15 Mar). Terima kasih to all the hosts and cooks. Mohon maaf if the rice ran out at the first one — that has never happened before!
All Ramadan gatherings · Videos on YouTube
Our volunteers spent two weekends cleaning the ICLT patio, carrying hundreds of bottles of water, and surveying how ICLT runs their iftar. On Saturday 28 February we cooked and served Indonesian food for 350 people in the masjid garden, on the same night as the ICLT Ramadan Bazaar. Mission accomplished. Thank you, Sister Kay and the ICLT team, for having us.
How do we make sure we don't just "go through the motions" in Ramadan? Sheikh Abdul Hakim explained that Ramadan is the peak of a season of mercy that starts in Rajab and Sha'ban, and shared practical advice on sincerity (ikhlas), realistic goals, removing distractions, and connecting deeply with the Qur'an.
We explain the reasons for moving from an informal group to a formal nonprofit: a stronger financial base through matching gifts and grants, protection for the volunteers who serve, and a structure that outlives any one leadership team. The post also covers our governance (Board of Directors and Advisory Council) and answers common questions.
The brothers and sisters of the Islamic Center of Brushy Creek were grateful and humbled by the Indonesian breakfast our community prepared. Big thanks to the ibu-ibu who cooked and served from early morning, and the bapak-bapak who set up, cleaned, and brought their families to pray Fajr at the masjid. May Allah bless you all with barakah, health, and happiness.
