Somewhere in the sprawling county of Montgomery is a clinic seated like an oasis in the desert. Devoid of any aesthetic encumberances,it seems purposely designed for its set objectives of providing succor for the sick. Well, that was where I headed when this perennial headache that followed me from Nigeria was serious about relocating with me.
Health system delivery is a bit complicated in the United States and trying to explain it here will most certainly bore you and leave me exhausted. Suffice to say that the law stipilates that you cannot walk in to any pharmacy shop to buy medicines without prescription, though illicit drugs are readilly available in the alleys! That however is another story for another day.
Anyway, the fact that I got there after they have closed - remember it is a community clinic, did not deter them from seeing me. They took their time time in attending to me, even without a health insurance and a proof of employment status! Tests and evaluation that will have 'naturally' took forever back home were done and analyzed in minutes. I left with a smile on my face, a heart full of gratitude and a mind full of burden. Just like you, this level of free medical benevolence got me curious and below is my findings.
Muslim Community Center medical clinic in Montgomery county is the brainchild of Dr Asif Qadri-who incidentally treated me, is an affable but brilliant cardiologist and specialist of internal medicine of India descent who has purposed in his heart to devote his time and talent in healing humanity using his faith as a Moslem for the cause. The clinic shared the same ground with the central mosque in the neighborhood. Assisting him were a competent staff of less than twenty liberal minded professionals who allow their deeds to proclaim their faith.
The clinic is funded by occasional grant from the government and largely by Muslims through the payment of zakat.In the Sharia, the word Zakat refers to the determined share of wealth prescribed by Allah to be distributed among the deserving categories of those entitled to receive it. Muslims who own wealth over a certain amount (called Nisab) are required to donate a portion of this wealth (a minimum of 2.5%) to those in need.
These Muslim faithfuls in conjunction with Dr. Asif Qadri and his team has by His grace offered medical assistance to teeming immigrants irrespective of their faith in the last thirteen years of the clinic humble existence.
Suddenly,the parable of the good Samaritan and the principle behind tithes without offerings to the needy exposed the gospel we all proclaimed with our mouth and not our deeds.
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