2024 Abu Bakr Awards Program Honors Sidi Bilal Mahmud

by Bilal Mahmud المكافح المخلص

Mar 13, 2024

2024 Abu Bakr Awards Program Honors Sidi Bilal Mahmud 
March 4, 2024 
By:  Umm Abdul Latif Askari
The Abu Bakr awards program is not only a tribute to one the Pious Predecessors in Al-Islam, but also is an expression of appreciation to the sisters and brothers, who tirelessly work towards the betterment of the Islamic Community and the society at large.
This year one of the recipients of this prestigious award is Sidi Bilal Mahmud.  Sidi Bilal was born in Richmond, Virginia, and lived there until he was six years old. He then moved to Roanoke Rapids, N.C., where he lived until 1969, at which time he joined the United States Marine Corps. It was during his tour of duty in  Vietnam that he was introduced to Islam and later becoming a Muslim.
Sidi Bilal relocated to the Atlanta region in 1976,  and dedicated himself to cultivating the Islamic Community in the area.  Sidi Bilal was also an instrumental figure in the establishment of the Al-Farooq Masjid of Atlanta, he played a vital role in constructing one of the first Masaajid built from the ground up in the Atlanta Muslim community. Over the years Sidi Bilal has served as a Board Member of Al-Farooq Masjid,  and is currently the senior member of the Board of Trustees, having served since 1981 as one of the founding members.
As Board Chairman Sidi Bilal facilitated the implementation of the Dar Uloom Hifz Quranic memorization program, this program enables students to memorize the entire Quran in Atlanta Georgia.
 
The distribution of Zakat which is a religious obligation for Muslim, was also overseen by Sidi Bilal on behalf of a waqqaf established in memory of the first Imam at Al-Farooq Masjid, under the Ibrahim ONour Charitable Fund. He ensured that needy Muslim Families in the Atlanta metropolitan area received adequate resources.
 Furthermore, Sidi Bilal served as one of the four Khatibs for more than two decades. 
 
In 2004, Sidi Bilal began blogging and established the Oppressed Peoples Online Word blog (Oppressed Peoples Online Word...The Voice Of The Voiceless - Dedicated to disseminating news & information not found in mainstream media.... (ning.com),  giving Muslim a platform for disseminating Islamic  news and information not found in the mainstream media. 
2024 Abu Bakr Awards Program Honors Sidi Bilal Mahmud
His selfless dedication and work promoting the Islamic community and providing assistance to  those  in need exemplifies the ideal of service and compassion, of Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq.