The Ansars Journey

Our Journey to Dallas: A New Beginning

In May 2023, we embarked on a significant chapter of our lives, relocating from India to the US with just a dozen bags. The move was bittersweet—leaving behind cherished family and friends was emotionally taxing, yet the promise of professional growth and a brighter future for our children filled us with anticipation.

Why Dallas?

Choosing Dallas as our new home was the result of extensive research. We considered various factors before settling on this city. A major influence was the vibrant Muslim community here. Feedback from those who had experience living in Dallas highlighted its strong, supportive Muslim community, which stood out even though other cities had larger Muslim populations. Additionally, the presence of renowned Islamic scholars in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was a significant factor in our decision. Other considerations included the relatively lower cost of living and mild winters. However, we knew we had to brace ourselves for the intense Dallas summer. Fortunately, our relocation was sponsored by the company, which took care of everything from accommodation to a rental car, easing our transition significantly.

Initial Challenges

The first few months were a whirlwind of setting up our new life—finding schools, jobs, housing, and purchasing a car. As things settled, we faced our next challenge: making new friends. We quickly realized that this was going to be more challenging than anticipated. While we received warm greetings and salaams at the mosques, deeper connections were elusive. The community seemed reserved, and although some programs existed for newcomers, they were not substantial enough to foster meaningful engagement.

Overcoming Serious Issues

Our initial efforts to connect with other families yielded limited results. After about six months, a personal trip back to India allowed us to reconnect with family and friends, providing a much-needed boost. The lack of connections felt even more pronounced upon returning to Dallas, and we began questioning our decision to move. It was a challenging period, with each day feeling increasingly tricky. However, an invitation to a potluck event organized through a sisters' group marked a turning point. This event allowed us to form genuine connections with a few families, leading to regular meetups. We found that shared interests, children, schools, and our Islamic center played crucial roles in forming these new friendships. Building these significant relationships took over eight months, but it was worth the effort.

The Birth of The Ansars

Through discussions, we discovered that other families had faced similar challenges upon moving to Dallas. Recognizing that this was a widespread issue, we decided to take action. When we met a new family from Canada planning to move to Dallas, we shared our knowledge, which they greatly appreciated. This interaction inspired us to create The Ansars, a platform to help new Muslim families settle into Dallas more smoothly. Inspired by the early Ansars of Medina, who helped the Meccans integrate into their society, we aimed to provide support and guidance to newcomers.

How We Started

We began promoting The Ansars among friends and acquaintances, receiving immediate support. Our initial goal was ambitious: onboard ten families in the first month, 50 in three months, and 100 in six months. We surpassed these targets swiftly, reaching 50 families within the first month and over 100 families in less than three months, mainly through word-of-mouth and social media groups.

Addressing a Disconnected Ummah

One of our primary goals is to bridge the gap between different Muslim communities within Dallas. We have observed that the Muslim population in the DFW area is often centered around individual Islamic centers, leading to a lack of broader community connection. Community-wide events like halal food festivals and Eid carnivals are popular but tend to be insular. Our aim with The Ansars is to foster a sense of unity among Muslims, irrespective of their specific Islamic center affiliations.

Looking Ahead

Our vision for The Ansars extends beyond connecting individual families. We aspire to create a unified Muslim Ummah, bringing together diverse communities under one umbrella. We plan to build on our success by organizing social and Islamic events, sports activities, charity programs, and more. Join us in our sincere and humble effort to build an integrated Muslim Ummah, one family at a time. We also hope that this project will be replicated in other cities across the US and even globally. Instead of waiting for someone to take action, let's get up and strive to turn this into a reality ourselves. Like they say, together we can, and we will make a difference, Insha Allah